Five minutes later, Xu Que emerged from the Villa of Poli, his sword dripping with fresh blood. His gaze shifted toward Reishi's villa, then briefly flicked to Maier's.
"Forget it, ladies first!"
Standing before Reishi's villa, Xu Que found her deep in a peaceful slumber. But as soon as he stepped onto the balcony, Reishi suddenly awoke, her eyes snapping open.
"It's you!" she demanded darkly, her face shadowed with suspicion. "What do you want with me?"
"To kill you!"
The words barely left Xu Que's lips before Dong Xi's pupils constricted, a moment of realization flashing across her mind. But it was far too late.
"Swish!"
The sharp blade of his sword sliced cleanly through her fair neck, signaling her demise. Her head crashed against the wall, staining the silk bedding with blood.
She died with bitter regret, realizing too late that it wasn't she who had chosen Xu Que, but rather, he had chosen them!
Xu Que moved to the next room, where two maids slept peacefully. Without hesitation, he struck, swiftly ending their lives.
As he exited the villa once more, his gaze fell upon the residence of Maier.
"Given how long you've lived, you should thank me!"
He pushed open the sliding door to Maier's bedroom balcony.
As he entered, Xu Que immediately stepped back.
"Why?" Maier demanded, glaring at him.
"Dead men need not know so much!"
"Swish!"
With a flick of his wrist, Xu Que sent a silver flash through the air, sending Maier sprawling back several paces, his body slamming violently into the wall.
"Interesting, you even have a life-saving trinket."
A sly grin curled on Xu Que's lips. Without a moment's hesitation, he raised his sword again.
Seeing Xu Que prepare to strike, Maier shouted angrily, "Xu Que, God will never forgive you! Even in death, you'll follow me to hell!"
"Bang!"
Maier's body was sent hurtling through the wall, his form crashing against the other side in a crumpled heap.
The sounds of the battle roused the others from their slumber.
"Xu Que, you filthy slave, what do you want from me?" Evelyn cried, rushing out of her room.
Seeing this disgusting woman approach, Xu Que's lips twisted into a smile.
"Run! Go... notify everyone!" Maier grunted, barely able to speak.
"Looks like it's time to protect myself," Xu Que mused, his gaze flitting briefly to Maier before he began walking toward Evelyn.
Just as Xu Que prepared to disfigure Evelyn's face, four maids rushed toward him, only to scream in terror when they saw the carnage.
"Enough noise!" Xu Que snapped, kicking Evelyn aside before turning to face the maids.
In a flurry of movement, his sword slashed through the air, decapitating all four maids in a single sweep.
Maier, stunned by the display of power, felt his pupils contract in shock.
"Let me go," he pleaded, desperation evident in his voice. "I'll give you anything!"
Xu Que ignored the pitiful man stuck in the wall and moved closer to Evelyn.
"You vile, repulsive little princess, it's time to play a game."
Evelyn, trembling in fear, regretted her decisions, but it was far too late.
"Xu Que, let go of my sister! I'll give you anything!" Maier begged.
"Did you ever stop to think," Xu Que taunted, gripping Evelyn's hair and dragging her to Maier, "that one day, someone would come to slaughter you, just as you did to others?"
Maier was caught off guard by the question.
"We are the chosen of God..."
"Bang!"
Before Maier could finish, Xu Que struck him with a violent blow.
"You are the slaves of demons, the dogs of that so-called God." Xu Que drew a dagger from his side, his voice cold. "If your God truly were merciful, he would not allow his followers to commit such acts of banditry."
With those words, the dagger cut a gory line across Evelyn's face.
"Ah!" Evelyn screamed in agony.
Before Maier could retaliate, Xu Que swiftly plunged the dagger into his body, stabbing repeatedly, dozens of times.
When Maier's body finally stopped twitching, Xu Que moved with precision, severing his head from his body and holding it up.
"Hold onto this!"
Xu Que shoved Maier's severed head into Evelyn's hands.
Upon seeing her brother's head, Evelyn fainted, overwhelmed by terror.
"Pathetic!"
"Swish!"
Xu Que drove the dagger deep into Evelyn's skull, leaving it lodged there deliberately.
Exiting the villa, Xu Que's eyes turned to the largest residence in the center of the estate.
"At last, it's your turn, Meijello!"
The legendary figure of Meijello had always been someone Xu Que knew only in passing from his past life. Though rumors painted him as an S-tier powerhouse, Xu Que had never fully understood his strength. However, Meijello was now just a mere C-tier old man, posing no real threat to him.
At that moment, the lights were already on in the central villa.
The screams from Maier and his sister had been loud enough to alert the villa's occupants, and their enhanced senses had detected the disturbance.
"It's you?" Jolit stared in shock as Xu Que approached.
As his words echoed, the butler, Rugerhans, and Clark turned to look at the advancing figure.
"Looks like none of them got away," Xu Que said, a faint smile on his lips.
"What do you mean?" Rugerhans asked warily.
Xu Que flicked his sword with his fingers, his lips forming a silent, yet unmistakable message.
"Kill him!" Jolit shouted in fury.
Immediately, twelve guards rushed toward Xu Que, but with a single swing of his sword, a blade of light cut through the air, cleaving the advancing men in two.
Not one of them survived, and the ground was soon drenched in blood and mangled flesh.
Jolit's mouth hung open in disbelief, his scream filled with terror.
Rugerhans, realizing the gravity of the situation, dashed toward the villa.
Just as he entered, Robert, the first bodyguard, leaped from the third-floor window.
"You're quite skilled for a blacksmith."
Xu Que had no love for Robert, nor for any member of the Chasfield family.
At Robert's arrival, both Jolit and Clark seemed to find some semblance of stability. After all, they knew Robert's strength.
Xu Que ignored the A-tier fighter, believing him far less threatening than anyone he'd faced in his past life.
With a swift step, Xu Que moved toward the villa's gates, as Jolit and Clark steeled themselves and charged at him.
With a quick spin of his sword, Xu Que unleashed another sword wave.
Like a deathly scythe, the blade cleaved through their necks, sending both men to the ground.
The momentum of his strike did not falter as it arced toward Robert, who narrowly dodged by flipping backward, just out of the sword's reach.
But before he could regain his footing, Xu Que was already before him.
"Swish!"
Blood flew as Robert crumpled, never once asking the questions that had filled his mind.
Xu Que's senses swept through the entire villa, absorbing every detail of the ongoing scene.
"Interesting, a hidden basement."
Instead of pursuing Meijello, Xu Que swiftly dealt with the remaining servants before heading toward the secret underground chamber.