The Eternal Sin-Chapter 32: The Wolf Steps Out of the Flock

Jiang Chen’s fingers closed around the purple storage ring. The coldness of the ring seemed to seep into his palm, making it feel even more real.

’Finally, it is in my hands.’ Jiang Chen’s black eyes shone with a thrill no one could see.

At the same moment, the two silver devil masked cultivators outside the formation stopped their low murmured discussion.

The Golden Demon masked cultivator lifted his head slightly. "Have you reached a decision?"

The two silver masked figures gave no reply. Instead, one of them raised both arms and began weaving a complex series of hand seals.

Frowns spread among those trapped inside the formation, a subtle unease crawling up their spines.

"What is he doing...?"

Before more people could voice their doubts, Masked Cultivator Fifteen suddenly shouted in alarm. "Those are formation control hand signs. The same ones I taught Leader Buddha earlier."

Shock rippled through the group.

The Golden Demon masked cultivator’s eyes darkened. He muttered under his breath, "They know this method? Are they people from the plantation wearing disguises, or..."

Jiang Chen, beside him, voiced his thoughts. "It is difficult to say. But look at his movements. They are stiff and awkward. I think he learned it when Fifteen was teaching me."

He continued, "But that is beside the point. The fact they are forming these seals means they want to pull someone out. I doubt they will pull me or you. They will likely target the weaker ones to keep them hostage for negotiation."

Jiang Chen turned his masked face slightly. "Hurry and protect your subordinates on that side. I will guard these two here."

"Understood, elder brother." The Golden Demon masked cultivator moved at once, distancing himself from Jiang Chen and positioning himself between several injured cultivators.

Jiang Chen lifted his gaze toward the two figures outside.

Several breaths passed.

The hand signs were completed.

The formation barrier trembled faintly, like water disturbed by a pebble. A low hum echoed through the space, making everyone’s scalp prickle with unease.

Who was the unlucky target?

As if answering that unspoken question, a beam of greenish blue light descended from above.

It fell straight toward Jiang Chen!

Before anyone could react or even utter a cry, Jiang Chen bent his knees and leapt upward with explosive force. His figure shot into the air like an arrow released from a bow, plunging straight into the beam. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Blinding light swallowed him.

A breath later, the light faded, and Jiang Chen stood outside the formation, right beside the two silver devil masked cultivators.

Inside the formation, no one spoke.

No one even breathed.

The Golden Demon masked cultivator was the first to react. He burst into laughter, his voice filled with relief and excitement.

"Hahaha! What a brilliant maneuver!" he shouted loudly. "You even fooled me, elder brother! Quickly kill those two scumbags and let us out. No, wait. Capture them. I want the pleasure of killing them myself. Hahaha!"

Light bulbs clicked on for the rest of the cultivators. Rowdy cheers erupted all around.

"Good! Good! Good!"

"Those greedy bastards are going to cry now!"

"Heaven truly has eyes!"

"Hero Buddha! Kill those evil people for us!"

Joy filled the formation like a rising tide, washing away their earlier fear and despair.

As the noise swelled, the Golden Demon masked cultivator’s laughter slowly faltered, the sound dying in his throat.

Something was wrong

His elder brother was not moving at all, and the two silver masked cultivators were making zero attempts to attack him.

Why was there such a strange, unnatural peace between them?

Before he could voice the terrible doubt forming in his heart, Jiang Chen suddenly threw his head back and laughed.

The laughter was loud, wild, and unrestrained. It echoed against the trees and the formation barrier, rising higher and higher until it pressed down on everyone’s chest like an invisible mountain.

The cultivators grew uneasy once more.

Then the laughter cut off instantly.

Jiang Chen’s voice turned icy. "A bunch of idiots. How pitiful."

He sneered disdainfully and raised his hands. He began forming hand signs again without sparing them a glance.

The Golden Demon masked cultivator froze. His heart slammed violently against his ribcage.

"You..." he shouted hoarsely, his voice trembling. "You are not my elder brother! Who the hell are you? Answer me! What have you done to him!?"

Jiang Chen ignored him completely, as if he were nothing more than a pile of dung lying on the roadside.

At that moment, the cultivators inside could no longer bear it. Mad panic took over.

"Ah, shit!"

"What the hell are you scheming?"

"You liar! What are your intentions?"

"You are no Buddha! You are the devil!"

Curses were spat until their throats went hoarse. Jiang Chen completed the hand signs. A blinding beam of light shot forth and wrapped tightly around Masked Cultivator Fifteen.

His face drained of all color. "Wait! No..."

He was ruthlessly dragged out of the formation and thrown hard onto the ground outside.

Before he could even scream, Jiang Chen arrived like the wind.

A flash of cold light.

"Ahhh!"

Both of Fifteen’s legs were severed cleanly. A heavy kick followed, crashing into his chest and breaking his ribs with a sickening crunch.

Fifteen coughed blood furiously, his body convulsing from the pain.

Jiang Chen grabbed his hair and began dragging him away, his body painting a bloody trail across the ground.

Behind them, the two silver devil masked clones followed silently.

Inside the formation, screams erupted.

"This cannot be happening!"

"We are going to die... We are all going to die!"

Some turned on the Golden Demon masked cultivator.

"This is all your fault!"

"You trusted him!"

"Why did you lead us to death!?"

The Golden Demon masked cultivator did not argue.

He stood there with his head lowered, hands trembling uncontrollably as guilt and despair tore through his heart.

They were all going to die.

Their savior had been a wolf wearing a shepherd’s skin. Now that his belly was full, he had left them behind.

...

Elsewhere, Jiang Chen flung Number Fifteen against a tree.

The harsh impact shook the branches, sending a shower of dead leaves raining down. Number Fifteen vomited another mouthful of blood.

Jiang Chen tossed a jade slip onto the man’s chest. "Transmit all your formation knowledge. I am in a good mood right now. If you do it fast, I might just let you live."

Fifteen spat blood onto the ground and glared up with pure venom. "Kill me."

Jiang Chen’s eyes narrowed slightly at the response, a faint chill surfacing in his gaze. "You think I won’t?"

With a subtle motion of his fingers, the two silver devil masked clones stepped forward in unison. As they advanced, their hands slowly tightened into fists, golden light beginning to gather around them into a tiger’s snarling visage.

The air grew heavy.

Even the faint rustling of leaves seemed to vanish.

The golden light intensified, illuminating Fifteen’s pale face as the clones raised their fists, the killing intent sharp enough to make one’s skin crawl.

Yet Fifteen did not move.

He did not beg or even flinch.

He simply stared ahead with an expressionless face, his gaze empty and devoid of fear, as if the approaching death meant nothing to him.

The golden fists descended.

Closer.

More closer.

Until they were only a hair’s breadth away from his head.

And then, they stopped.

The killing intent vanished as abruptly as it had appeared.

Fifteen’s brows twitched slightly. He stared at the halted fists for a brief moment before shifting his gaze back to Jiang Chen.

"What’s the matter? Weren’t you going to kill me?" he asked hoarsely.

Jiang Chen frowned slightly. "Is this it...? Is this the extent of your ambition? You disappoint me."

Fifteen snapped, hatred burning in his eyes. "Huh...? What are you preaching about?" His voice broke with rage. "What do you know about my ambitions? My dreams? I worked like a dog, bowed my head to countless people, and endured humiliation for decades just to learn formations."

He screamed hoarsely. "And you want to steal it all and call me a disappointment?! To hell with you!"

Jiang Chen listened quietly, then spoke.

"Then why give up now?"

Number Fifteen was taken aback.

Jiang Chen pressed on, "If you are truly who you claim to be, then why abandon life? Isn’t that the same as abandoning your dreams?"

Fifteen ground his teeth as a wave of bitterness filled him. "What else can I do?"

He spoke with difficulty. "You crippled me. My legs are gone. What dreams can I chase now? I am nothing. You think I am a child? I know exactly what you are doing. You want me to thirst for life so you can steal my life’s work, then kill me anyway once I am useless."

Jiang Chen suddenly laughed and sat down leisurely.

"You are right."

The clones watched silently.

"What you said is true. I am motivating you to live so I can benefit. I will not deny it." Jiang Chen was shockingly honest.

Fifteen stared at him, breathing heavily.

"But," Jiang Chen continued.

"You should still do it. You should still gamble on hope. You should fight for survival even if the odds are slim. You should struggle even if death is absolutely guaranteed."

Jiang Chen’s eyes lowered to a worm crawling across the forest floor.

"So what if you are crippled? So what if everything you cherished is torn away? So what? Does that give you the coward’s right to abandon the journey? To betray yourself? To deny the meaning you gave your life?"

Jiang Chen pointed toward his own heart and declared, "To cultivate is to defy the heavens. And you think that path should be easy? Or fair? It was never meant to be. Cultivation is an endless struggle. A struggle against fate, against the world, against your own mediocrity. So keep struggling. Even if it looks foolish. Even if you stumble and fail a thousand times. But don’t you ever discard the hope in your heart. For what is life if not struggle? Winning is never promised. Losing is also uncertain. But giving everything you have is certain. Only then can you say you truly lived. Only then can you say you never betrayed your own nature."

Fifteen’s broken body began to tremble.

His gaze dropped to the puddle of crimson blood expanding beneath him.

In its rippling surface, memories began to stir.

A younger self traveling mountains. Endless humiliation from others. Washing dishes and cleaning latrines for a grandmaster just to be told he had zero talent. Sleepless nights spent squinting at torn scrolls by the flickering light of a dying candle.

’I never gave up.’

His fists clenched.

Fire returned to his eyes.

"My passion for formations will never die," he whispered through cracked lips.

He reached out with a trembling hand, picked up the jade slip, and began transmitting his knowledge.

Jiang Chen watched silently.

For once, the smile beneath the mask was genuine.