Chapter 23 - Devotees

In front of the Village Chief's Tent, sitting upon the sole small hill of the village, a crowd gathered.

...

Looking around I could see almost half of the village had already gathered together here.

Seeing everyone here, I felt a migraine coming on. Whenever something big happened, everyone would naturally gather at the village chief's place for his word.

Not because they trusted in him, or his strength, but because that was what was ingrained into everyone since young.

I never understood the reason for this sort of behavior, it was something people did without any good reason. Perhaps, if the Chief were an actual leader, this would have meaning, but in reality.. it just serves to help him step on those who oppose him. This is the way it ends up being in most villages, and anyone with a little intelligence could learn this from the oral records, yet people naively do this anyways.

"See! I told you! Khaled would never tell an untruth, he is an honest guy! Though when he said he first heard it from Fujrab's cousin I somewhat doubted it, as that guy loves to spread rumors, tcht. But look how many people are already here! It must be true!"

From the Large Tent on the hill, a looming figure emerged. The old village chief walked out together with his storied spear, the symbol of his authority. Looking closely one would notice that his face which had been pale white and that of a dying man till the other day again had a flush of life to it.

"Shut up!"

A silence fell over the crowd.

The village chief swept his eyes over the crowd which had gathered in front of his abode, and spoke out in confidence.

"You lot are just going to take the word of those few people who had once abandoned the village and our people, to follow after them and leave our home forever? To go to your deaths? You bring this question, this proposition to me. What other answer do you think I would give? No!

That girl and her friends are messing with your minds. They have already signed pacts with the Demons! You all know who it is that protects this village. That girl who has always been so rebellious against me and led those others astray before, to spite me, who only has the village's best interests in my heart.

Where did half of those who left with her go to? They were sacrificed by her in order to strike a deal with the demons! Everyone knows an act of betrayal must be made for one to form a pact!

Do not think her and her friends would not stoop low enough to make a deal just to get revenge against me. They even wish to fool the entire village into breaking the conditions under which the Demons let us live, and wish to drive us all to our deaths!

There is no reason to trust their words! Put an end to all this nonsense, and go back to your homes or do your business. If you all continue to gather here, or even elsewhere, and keep talking of this nonsense, just watch the lesson I'll teach the ones who do so!"

An old guard from the crowd yelled out, "BUT if we don't leave, and they are telling the truth, then we will all die as well!!"

As the Chief had been speaking out before, many people's excited eyes had dimmed as they gazed downwards from the scolding. When this old guard Tal, who was also well respected peak warrior, spoke out a few regained their footing and nodded in agreement.

Another younger guard spoke out as well, "Yes Chief, as those who returned said, no one should be forced to go. However, no one should be forced to stay, and you cannot make everyone stay yourself either."

"To hell I can't! Maybe if everyone were to leave together I would have some trouble, but if it is just keeping you few idiots that would defy me in line, it is a simple matter. I know which of you would try something, and for the next while, some of my most loyal will be watching you."

He narrowed his eyes looking at old Tal. "And you, if you don't take back what you have said just now. We will have to settle things here and now."

Tal's eyes glowed, a bright smile with a hint of madness graced his face. "Hmph, even I doubted it when I first heard the story, seeing everyone so excited, I just came to see the show.

Now, seeing you, this old bastard, denying it so fervently. Now I realize there must be some truth in it.

You have been currying favor to the demons all these years, anyone a bit older in this village knows this and we just hold it in because saying aloud meant death.

Hahah, if you think we would still cower before you when you've lost your Demon backing, your kidding yourself."

"Hmph, a liar and an old fool,, I've no idea what you're talking about! But, I can see you want to do things the hard way.."

"Ah, esteemed guests, I had asked you to please wait inside the Tent. There is no need for you two to bother with this unruly crowd, handling such things falls under my duties."

'Devotees!'

Anyone with a somewhat higher cultivation would instantly be able to pick out a Devotee. These sort of traitors used the strength of the Demons to breakthrough to levels higher than their talent should allow. Their strength is almost entirely reliant on their Demon Master, their chains which they put on willingly bind deep into their very souls.

Devotees are one of the most common pawns the Demons would use as fodder in their wars with the other Greater Beings. The Devotees have all of their potential exhausted when they are made into one, but each and every one of them is at the initial stage of the Qi Drawing Realm.

Devotees would never be allowed to enter a village normally, they were people who had completely cast away their humanity. Now, they stood side-by-side with the Village Chief, telling us we cannot leave.

This was the same as directly exposing himself and telling everyone he had betrayed them.

If before I felt turmoil in my heart as to whether or not we should leave, then now not a trace of uncertainty remained.

This 'chief' had now made it all too obvious he was nothing more than a puppet. Although most in the village would not be able to see through what they are.. I know that myself, the guards, aunty, and a few others of higher cultivation definitively can.

However, even if one can see through it.. just the Chief and these Devotees, that was a peak Body-tempering and two Qi Drawing Fighters! The strongest on the apparent opposing side was Old Tal, who was peak Body-tempering just like the Chief.

"Those are Devotees!! You crazy! You bring Devotees into this damned village!"

Those who saw through what they were had been shocked and shaken by their presence, and for those who could not see through it they were shocked upon hearing those words and doubt hung in their gaze as they stared at the Chief.

"Hmph, so what if they are. What will you do about it? All of you will stay here. We have been under the thumb of the Demons for this long, do you think that you all would be able to leave just because the local Shepherd was gone? Did you think they would not account for such circumstances?

None of humanity is able to leave without a pact and the Demon's say so. If everyone is so unruly that you will not obey my orders, then I'm afraid they will simply say to put everyone down.

Then, I will have to move to a new village, but you all will die here. Now, we don't want that do we?"

In the Village Chief's eyes, he seemed earnestly exhausted and exasperated at our reactions. As if he thought that we were being unreasonable and unrealistic. He actually thought he had done nothing wrong siding with the Demons and treating other humans in such a way.

As those words came out, the crowd's emotions shifted from shock to anger. From anger, to hatred. This person they praised as their Chief even went to publicly reveal himself as a servant to the Demon's who treated them as their food.

He had become someone complicit with the murderers of their families and their ancestors over countless years.

Absolutely unforgivable, unreconcilable, from the elderly to the youths, each of them wanted their blood. And with the Shepherd gone, they no longer feared taking it. Even if it were to be an uphill battle, it was at least no longer an impossible one, if they still did not fight then what would they be? How could they face their ancestors?

Gina walked out from the crowd,

"Hmph, not if we put you down first!"

As she spoke seemingly from nowhere, the other two appeared as well.

"So what if you've devotees with you. We also carry the power our greater being has bestowed us with, and our allies can easily crush even Demons, much less these lackeys. Friends, if you would fight together with us, against the Demons and their foolish followers."

Gina, Serin, Horus, each began to radiate their Qi outwards, together with their newly cultivated mental energy.

My blood also boiled, at this point even a blind man could see what was going on here. Blatently colluding with the demons, and now, trying to force us into submission.

Even if the story of the other greater beings was a lie, nobody would give a damn. Because this common thought would resonate with anyone living in the circles and resonate with them to the bottom of their heart.

'Fuck the Demons! Kill the traitors!'

They marched forward as those with the strength and will to fight gathered together with them. I stepped up to join them, I knew, at this point, we had already played into that other Greater Being's hand. Now, since we've bit back, the Demons would never let us go.

But given this chance, we could never let the Demons go either.

We charged forward, and the Devotees stepped out to face the crowd. They swung their spears lightly, a dark energy flowing on their surface, and Shockwaves flowed out.

My mind reeled for a moment before I got back up and saw the fight had truly begun. The followers of the Greater Being seemed to be using their strange energy to help those around them resist the negative influence of the dark energy.

A few higher ranked members of the Guard who stood besides them had managed to resist the shockwave attack and now engaged them in close combat.

I got up and gritted my teeth, the people regaining consciousness around me seemed to do the same.

Although I felt helpless, if I could exhaust them even a little or land one hit, it would be worth it. Even if it makes the slightest difference, even if I die, I will help in exhausting these bastards to death!

I charged yet again, running over and past my fallen comrades towards the enemy.

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