That idiot from the Sword Sect turned out to be a lucky charm.

Chapter 106 Saving the Butcher 2

Lin Jun and his gang grabbed the butcher and ran off, their menacing appearance drawing the attention of the townspeople from a distance. No one dared to stop them. Some of the more timid among them even abandoned the spectacle and ran home, locking their doors tightly.

Rescuing the killer is actually quite risky, as it could easily be exposed.

For example, where did they hide the butcher?

They said they threw it away to feed the dog, but where is the dog? Where are the leftover bones?

If someone looks closely, they will find something strange.

Despite not being the most outstanding in cultivation, Lin Jun is quite capable at handling these issues.

They arrived outside the town, out of sight of the townspeople, summoned their mounts, and flew at breakneck speed to the edge of the wasteland with the butcher.

There was an abandoned temple on the edge of the wasteland, where they had rested and spent the night before arriving. For now, they would settle the butcher there and arrange his next move after their mission was complete.

Upon arriving at the temple, Lin Jun took out a basic healing pill and fed it to the butcher.

They didn't hit him hard to begin with; the blood he vomited was from a blood pack the butcher had put in his mouth beforehand. However, the superficial wounds on his face and body were real, which is why Lin Jun took out medicine to treat him.

Lin Jun explained the seriousness of the situation to the butcher, instructing him to hide in the temple and not go out, otherwise it would affect their operations.

When the butcher heard that they were there to investigate the disappearance of the cultivators, he said he would cooperate fully.

In addition, he briefly shared the information he knew with Lin Jun and the others.

Ten years ago, a mysterious organization took control of the innkeeper's son, using him to blackmail the innkeeper into helping to kidnap a young monk.

At first, they were very discreet, but the truth eventually came out. So many people went into his shop and never came out; how could the townspeople possibly hide the fact that he was running a shady business from them?

So the organization sent people to kill several people who spoke rudely to the inn, hoping to silence them.

Lin Jun said, "Since you know all this, why did you say those things to that thug named Erzi today?"

The butcher said, "I've long disliked them and I'm hoping that you outsiders will come and take care of them. The only reason they haven't killed all of us residents is to avoid attracting your attention. They need us ordinary people to create the impression that this is still a normal town."

Lin Jun said, "I see you also have the cultivation of the Golden Core stage. Why didn't you think of secretly going outside and asking a nearby sect for help?"

The butcher said, "Firstly, my cultivation level is low, so I would be easily discovered and captured. Secondly, I was born here and have never been outside. I have no friends or relatives outside, so I have no way to ask for help."

After a pause, the butcher continued, "What if the power behind the inn is a sect from this area? I'd be walking into a trap and losing my life for nothing."

At this point, Lin Jun had to look at the butcher with new respect.

It's truly remarkable that a butcher in a small butcher shop in this remote town could possess such insight!

Lin Jun laughed and said, "You're a smart man! Then tell me, why did you say those things today?"

The butcher chuckled, a sly glint in his honest face: "Don't let my appearance fool you, my family has a pair of divine eyes. I may not have any other skills, but I'm very accurate at judging a person's character."

“Your group of over twenty people are all at least at the Nascent Soul stage, and there is even one cultivator at the late-stage Deity Transformation stage. Although he is suppressing his cultivation, and to ordinary people he is just a Nascent Soul cultivator, he cannot hide it from me.”

"It's obvious without even thinking that they've committed many evil deeds, and the sects of the people who went missing before have sent people to their door. That's why I asked them a question, and I guess I was right!"

Lin Jun found this butcher to be quite interesting and suited his temperament, so he invited him, "After this matter is settled, would you be willing to come with me? I can't reveal too much to you right now, but we are definitely from a legitimate sect and won't let you down."

The butcher said, "That's great. I'm all alone, with no relatives or friends, and I've been wanting to see the outside world."

Lin Jun was afraid that Lin Zhifeng would have something on his mind, so he didn't dare to stay any longer. He left the butcher a bottle of fasting pills and then hurried back to the inn.

From the time they left until they returned to the inn, despite doing so much, only an hour had passed.

Just then, the innkeeper, Mr. Zhang, had finished preparing dinner and was personally leading his staff to deliver it to each room. Upon seeing Lin Jun and his group return in a menacing manner, he put on a professional fake smile and inquired about their whereabouts.

Lin Jun didn't explain properly, only saying, "It's nothing serious, I just went out and taught a piece of trash a lesson."

After saying that, he turned and left.

After Boss Zhang had arranged meals for everyone and was sitting in his room waiting for the report from the person he had sent to deal with the butcher, his subordinate returned and said that the butcher had disappeared.

These men of Boss Zhang were different from the inn's staff; they were actually sent from there. Although they were said to be under his command, they weren't truly under Boss Zhang's orders, but rather from the man in the east wing.

Mr. Zhang even suspected that they were tasked with monitoring him.

However, since the person in the east wing had ordered the butcher to be killed as a warning to the townspeople, simply stating "the butcher has disappeared" wouldn't suffice.

If he dared to say that to the person in the east wing, he would at least be beaten and scolded, and at worst, his own son would also be implicated.

Helpless, Boss Zhang patiently and gently asked his men, "What exactly happened? Could you please explain in detail?"

The leader of the group said, "You told us to kill that butcher, but when we arrived, he was already gone. The shop was also smashed up and is now a mess. We asked the nearby residents, and they said it was done by a few monks. They beat the man to death and said they were going to drag the body to feed the dogs."

Mr. Zhang thought to himself: Could it be that Lin Jun and his gang did it?

No wonder! I asked him where they went earlier, and he gave such a vague answer. Turns out they weren't good people either; they went to bully others.

But why do all these cultivators seem to enjoy dragging people to feed the dogs? It's truly perverted.

Still not entirely reassured, Mr. Zhang pressed further, "Didn't you search around the town?"

The group said impatiently, "Why are you making such a fuss? People have seen with their own eyes that a cultivator beat someone to death and dragged the body away to feed the dogs. How can that be fake? We've asked several residents. Do you think they would dare to lie to us together?"

Seeing that he couldn't get them to do anything, Boss Zhang stopped talking. He figured if the people in the east wing asked any questions, they shouldn't blame him.

Because of these internal problems, Lin Jun and his team's rescue mission, which was full of loopholes, somehow managed to get away with it by sheer luck.

Lin Zhifeng had actually been troubled by the question of how to rescue the butcher without arousing suspicion from the enemy.

Logically speaking, to achieve great things, one must not be concerned with trivial matters and must always make some necessary sacrifices.

If we choose to save the butcher, we'll inevitably encounter problems later on and could easily alert the other killer. Therefore, to ensure the mission's success, we should leave him alone.

But if we just ignore him, it's morally wrong!

After Lin Jun and the others left, Lin Zhifeng discussed the question of whether or not to save them with Ding Mo.

Lin Zhifeng's dilemma lies in whether to prioritize the overall situation and the mission, or whether every life is important and deserves to be saved.

Although Ding Mo was usually socially awkward, he was surprisingly clear-headed about this kind of issue. He didn't talk about the importance of the bigger picture, nor did he say that the butcher's life was more important. Instead, he offered Lin Zhifeng a different perspective: "Your own thoughts are the most important!"

Ding Mo said, "In the situation you described, either choice makes sense. But whether it's right or wrong, and how to choose, is up to you! Your thoughts are the most important. If you think saving a life is the most important thing, then save him; if you think the mission is more important, then ignore him. The key is to do what you believe is right. That way, when you face the test of your inner demons in the future, you won't be possessed by them."

Lin Zhifeng: "..."

He never expected that Ding Mo would think that way.

"But Uncle-Master, wouldn't this make us seem too...unkind and uncompassionate?"