Li Chen stared at the shocked faces around him, a crowd of villagers now trembling in fear—no longer with incited anger, but with the terror that comes from the realization that they had trifled with an unfathomable power. Behind him, Jiang, the hollow Wei disciple, had vanished into black ash, swept away by the night wind.
"He incited you," Li Chen said, his voice low and calm, yet so powerful it felt like thunder echoing in their chests. "He planted fear and hatred. He exploited your ignorance. You called me a demon. You cursed me for the withered crops, for the dead sheep."
He stepped forward, slowly, each step heavy and deliberate. Yueling followed behind him, clutching his hand tightly, her calm presence an anchor for the storm within Li Chen.
"I came here seeking peace," Li Chen c
