Chapter 135: A Kind of Betrayal

"Hmph!"

Fang Qingyun let out a cold snort, looked up, and fired a shot.

"Bang!"

A Demon's arm was severed.

"I said, answer my questions, and I will give you a painless death. Otherwise, I don't mind letting you suffer a bit before you die."

"Damn human!"

The Demons were furious. With a roar, they charged at Fang Qingyun.

"Bang!"
"Bang!"
"Bang!"

Fang Qingyun fired several shots in rapid succession, all striking the Demons' thighs. The Demons let out miserable howls and collapsed to the ground.

"It seems you have chosen to suffer before being killed by me!"

Fang Qingyun sneered and fired again.

"Bang!"

A Demon's arm was shattered.

"Ah!!!" the Demon shrieked in agony.

"Still not talking?"

"Wait, wait, I'll talk!" one Demon screamed, overcome by terror.

Who wants to die if they can live? Who is willing to endure such pain? Demons are sentient beings; they experience joy, anger, sorrow, and fear, and they are afraid of death. As bullets tore into their bodies, watching their own flesh fly and feeling that intense, searing pain, they broke. They surrendered.

"Scum!" the General-rank Demon roared. "You actually surrender to a lowly human? You are not worthy of being a Demon."

"Is that so?" Fang Qingyun said coldly. He strolled over to that Demon and said indifferently, "Remember what you just said. I hope you don't go back on your word."

The General-rank Demon looked into Fang Qingyun's indifferent eyes and felt a chill in his heart. The next moment, the air was filled with the shrill, wretched screams of the Demon.

Fang Qingyun wasn't an expert at interrogation. However, with such a large Demon lying there at his mercy, he simply did whatever he felt like. Was he supposed to be the one surrendering? Fang Qingyun was clearly the one holding all the cards.

After an hour, the stubborn Demon finally gave in. He answered every question Fang Qingyun asked. Fang Qingyun’s mental strength was far superior to the Demon's, so there was no possibility of deception. Moreover, the questions weren't even that critical. After being interrogated and tortured repeatedly, Fang Qingyun finally stood up, satisfied, and straightened his slightly disheveled clothes.

"Not bad!" Fang Qingyun praised. "They say an obedient Demon is a good Demon. I'm certain now—you are a good Demon!"

Being praised by a human was hardly a cause for celebration, but the Demon still offered a weak smile. He could finally die. He now understood that everything the Demons had taught him was complete nonsense. For instance, what is the most terrifying thing? His elders had told him about the collapse of families, racial crises, being manipulated unknowingly, the most cruel of men, or top-tier powerhouses.

Bullshit!

This General-rank Demon would now tell any other Demon that the most terrifying thing is someone who doesn't know how to interrogate, interrogating you over and over again. When his technique was lacking, he would even ask you how to do it properly!

It was enough to make any Demon lose their mind.

"Alright, since you've been obedient, I'll keep my word and give you a quick end!"

Fang Qingyun drew his heavy sword. He had acquired this weapon under favorable conditions, even owing a favor for it. Now he realized it was nothing special. Even as a Tier 2 psionic weapon, it couldn't satisfy him. By his current standards, the weapons he used needed to be at least Tier 4.

Seeing this, the Demon wore an expression of relief. *Give me the final blow quickly; I can't wait anymore.*

"Stop!"

Just as Fang Qingyun was about to swing his sword, a loud shout rang out. Several figures rushed toward them. Fang Qingyun paused. They were human Generals. His hand faltered for a moment, and that was enough for them to arrive.

They looked at the heavily wounded Demons and, upon realizing one was a General-rank, exchanged glances, their eyes filled with greed.

"What do you call yourself, friend?" The leader, a man under forty with an imposing aura and a slightly bloated physique that hinted at immense power, asked.

"Fang Qingyun," he replied calmly. "What is the meaning of this?"

Were they trying to stop him from killing the Demons?

"Haha, I am Man Long, a Major General-rank Division Commander under the 034th Army of the Eastern Theater."

Fang Qingyun looked at Man Long without speaking. Is being a Major General-rank Division Commander supposed to be impressive? He was nearly forty—how was he not ashamed? Fang Qingyun was not even nineteen and was also a Major General-rank, but did he go around announcing it to everyone?

Although Fang Qingyun kept his expression neutral, his quiet demeanor made Man Long uneasy. He searched his memory again, confirming he had never heard of anyone named Fang Qingyun, and that there was no 'Fang' surname among the top human clans. He relaxed and smiled. "Little brother, you probably don't know this, but Demons are very valuable."

That single sentence made Fang Qingyun understand Man Long's intent. He just didn't know how far Man Long was prepared to go, so he continued to stare at him.

"Haha!" Man Long chuckled. "Little brother, killing them is just a moment of satisfaction. Why not sell them to me? I'll give you a satisfactory price for these dozen or so Demons. It’s a way to put waste to good use."

Fang Qingyun remained silent. Man Long’s brow furrowed imperceptibly. One of his men immediately shouted, "Hey, are you mute or deaf? Can't you hear him talking to you?"

"Ji Feng! Do not be rude!" Man Long scolded. But to Fang Qingyun, the apology lacked any sincerity.

"You intend to sell them?" Fang Qingyun asked calmly.

"Yes!" Man Long said immediately. "But without connections, you won't get a good price. How about it, little brother? Sell them to me! I'll resell them for a handsome profit."

"Who do you intend to sell them to?"

At this question, Man Long's expression shifted slightly. His men also turned grim. Man Long dropped his smile and said coldly, "Little brother, don't you understand the rules? Ah, right, you're too young. In that case, let me teach you: don't ask too many questions. It won't do you any good."

Fang Qingyun asked again, his voice calm, "Who are you going to sell them to?"

Man Long's expression was now completely dark. However, he was a man of great cunning; suppressing his anger, he said, "The human Military Department. They need many Demon and Monster corpses for research. They take as many as they can get."

"Is that so?" Fang Qingyun curled his lip in a disdainful smile. "I'm not selling. You may leave!"

Sell to the humans? Did they take him for a fool? The human military did indeed collect Demon and Monster corpses or captives. But it was nowhere near as profitable as selling to the Monsters, let alone the Demons. They were always generous toward their own kind, paying prices more than triple what the humans offered.

"What did you say?" The men behind Man Long instantly surrounded Fang Qingyun, their expressions malicious.

Man Long didn't stop them; instead, he urged Fang Qingyun. "Little brother, I know you want to make some money, but without the right connections, you won't get a good price. How about this: I'll give you twenty percent above the market rate."

"Big brother!" one of his men protested.

"Enough, the kid has it hard!" Man Long waved his hand. Having said that, he gestured for his men to start collecting the bodies.

Fang Qingyun didn't speak. He stared at the man approaching the Demons, his killing intent gradually leaking out. The man who had reached out to grab a Demon suddenly froze, his body stiff. He felt as if he were being watched by a monster and could be attacked at any second.

"Little brother, what is the meaning of this?" Man Long's expression turned frigid. The smile was gone, and his voice carried a hint of murderous intent.

"I'm not a child! Sell them to the military? Do you even believe that yourself?" Fang Qingyun asked calmly, gesturing toward the Demon on the ground. "Look at his expression—does he believe it?"

"You want to sell them to the Demons, don't you?"

Man Long didn't answer. He joined his men in surrounding Fang Qingyun, ready for a thunderous strike.

"If you sell them to the Demons, have you ever considered what it will bring to the human race?" Fang Qingyun sighed.

The Demons were not lacking in resources; they were lacking in people. Because their natural talents were so high, their birth rate had always been their greatest headache. Most Demons had only one or two children in their lifetime; three was a rarity. This was why Demons rarely initiated wars. A single major battle could cost tens or even hundreds of thousands of lives, enough to leave the Demons reeling for a century or more. They didn't even need to be compared to the Monsters; if the Demons had a birth rate like humans, they would have long since unified the Qingyue World.

"Haha, to think you're actually such a righteous person," Man Long sneered. The others laughed mockingly.

"Righteous? Wrong!" Fang Qingyun sighed. "I don't ask to do great deeds for humanity, but born and raised as a human, one should at least not do things that harm the race. Besides, it's easier to find shade under a big tree. If the human race truly falls, do you think we will fare any better?"

"Spare me the lecture!" one man spat.

Man Long said coldly, "By selling these Demons, we gain a massive amount of resources. Once we improve our strength, we'll naturally have ways to help the humans—we'll kill even more Demons."

Fang Qingyun shook his head. "You won't. You have already been blinded by the resources of the Demons. The next time you face this, you'll only think about how to gain even more."

First, it was trading Demons. Once they tasted the sweetness, they would become bolder, committing even more horrific acts until... they betrayed humanity entirely.

"Then go to hell!" Man Long shouted. The group launched their attack simultaneously.

"Pathetic fools!" A thread of murderous intent entered Fang Qingyun's voice.

"BOOM!"

An immense power erupted from him like a violent storm, slamming into Man Long and his men.

"Bang!"

Man Long's party had barely moved before they were blasted away by the force.

"You..."
"Impossible!"
"How can you be this strong?"

Man Long and his men were in disbelief. They couldn't fathom that someone so young could be this powerful. Fang Qingyun didn't answer. Dead men didn't need to know much.

*Whoosh!*

He appeared before one of them and stomped down.

"Bang!"

The man was crushed on the spot, dying instantly. Fang Qingyun then appeared before another.

"No, don't..." the man screamed in terror. "Spare me, I was wrong, I shouldn't have—AH!!!"

Fang Qingyun looked at the corpse beneath his feet, his eyes devoid of pity or hesitation. He turned his gaze to the remaining men. They shrieked and turned to run.

*Whoosh!*

The massive sniper rifle appeared in Fang Qingyun's hands.

"Bang!"
"Bang! Bang!"

Fang Qingyun fired with a blank expression, killing them one by one. Finally, only Man Long remained, as Fang Qingyun's magazine had run dry. He calmly retrieved ammunition from his spatial gear and reloaded.

Man Long looked at Fang Qingyun in terror, pleading, "I was wrong! I shouldn't have traded with the Demons. Spare me, and I'll kill Demons! I promise, I'll kill many, many Demons!"

Fang Qingyun remained unmoved.

Man Long shrieked, "If you kill me, humanity just loses one General-rank, but if you spare me, many powerful Demons will die!"

*Click.*

The magazine was loaded. Fang Qingyun racked the slide.

"I am a Major General-rank officer of the Military Department! If you kill me, they won't let you off!"

This was Man Long's final trump card, even if he knew it was useless. In the middle of nowhere, who would care?

"The barrier!" Man Long suddenly thought of something. "This place is covered by a King's barrier. Others might not know, but the King will surely see us! If you kill your own kin..."

"Bang!"

A gunshot cut Man Long's words short.

"Too much chatter," Fang Qingyun said coldly, turning to leave.

He was confident in his marksmanship. At such close range, he had thoroughly destroyed the man's heart. Even if someone wanted to save him, they couldn't revive a man without a heart!

Man Long stared blankly at Fang Qingyun's retreating back. He didn't understand. So many people were trading with the Demons, especially those from civilian backgrounds. It was the fastest way to obtain resources. In Man Long's eyes, Fang Qingyun was naive. To give up so much wealth for the sake of the human race?

*Heh. How many humans even know who you are? What can you possibly do alone?*

Yet, such a naive person was so decisive in his killing. Once he confirmed they were enemies, he didn't give them a moment's chance until they were dead. Furthermore, he used ordinary bullets to conserve his energy, not wasting a drop. Additionally, Man Long could feel that the man's spirit remained completely taut; even after Man Long had surrendered, the man had not relaxed his vigilance for a second.

*What kind of freak is this?*

Fang Qingyun, walking ahead, felt terrible. Killing so many human Generals didn't make him feel good. But unexpectedly, he had been unusually firm about it. No listening to their nonsense. Once they were confirmed as enemies, he killed them.

"Truly..." Fang Qingyun sighed softly. Suddenly, his expression shifted. He looked to his left. A strange sensation came from that direction—something was pulling at him, urging him to go there.

"What is it?"

After a moment's hesitation, Fang Qingyun decided to go and see. A God-General could not enter the barrier; therefore, he was confident he could escape whatever he encountered.