The Effect Remains After Unequipping - Chapter 49

Chapter 49: So, Should She Have Been Killed?
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Translation by: Weebsread👹
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A gentle spring breeze drifted across the deserted official road.
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Su Wanqing’s sudden death left everyone in stunned silence. Even Xue She looked unsettled, pinching the bridge of his nose as if fighting off a headache.
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Mu Yang, by contrast, seemed entirely unfazed. He strolled over to Su Wanqing’s body, flicked his wrist, and used his Black-gold Four-sided Mace to hook a small embroidered pouch from her waist.
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……
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[Equipable Item: Small Sleeve Pouch]
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[Grade: Fourth Rank]
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[Equipment Effect: ① Storage (White Attribute): Can hold non-living objects, with an internal space of five feet square (approx. 4.6 cubic meters)]
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[Permanent Effect Condition: Equip this item for eight days, or slay any Fourth Rank or higher Demon Beast while equipped.]
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……
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“A storage treasure, huh!” Mu Yang’s eyes lit up. He quickly tucked the sleeve pouch into his robe.
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It only held about five cubic meters, but that was more than enough for his current needs. And this was just the White Attribute version—if he found the right materials to enhance it to Blue Attribute, the space would surely increase.
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He wondered: if he equipped several pouches at once, would their spaces merge into a vast storage realm, or would each pouch remain its own separate pocket dimension? He’d have to experiment if he found another one.
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As Mu Yang busied himself collecting his spoils, the remaining escort guards hesitated for a long moment. At last, one of them summoned the courage to speak, voice trembling: “Young Master Lei, and you, Officer... Sir, we three brothers were just trying to make a living. We had no idea there was a demon beast in the carriage. Please, spare us...?”
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Lei Sai said nothing, lost in thought.
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Mu Yang also remained silent. He glanced from the three guards to Lei Sai, as if weighing something in his mind.
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With neither Mu Yang nor Lei Sai responding, the three guards dared not move a muscle. Sweat trickled down their faces as they stood frozen.
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Finally, Lei Sai turned to Mu Yang and broke the silence:
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“Brother, there’s something I’d like to ask.”
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“Ask.” Mu Yang stepped forward at a leisurely pace, speaking as he walked.
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“Why did you lay hands on Miss Su after killing the demon beast?” Lei Sai asked.
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Mu Yang didn’t answer directly. Instead, he countered, “Let me ask you: Should demon beasts be killed?”
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Lei Sai blinked, replying instinctively. “They should.”
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“And what about people who collude with demon beasts? Should they be killed?”
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“They should.”
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“So, did this woman collude with a demon beast?”
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“Uh... she did, but she might not have rea—”
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“Just answer the question. Did she or didn’t she?” Mu Yang cut him off, stepping closer, his gaze sharp.
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“She... she did.”
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Under Mu Yang’s stare, Lei Sai felt his confidence waver.
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“If someone colludes with demon beasts—should they be killed?”
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“They should...”
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“Then that settles it. So tell me, was I wrong to kill her?” Mu Yang clapped Lei Sai on the shoulder.
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Lei Sai fell silent.
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Something about this felt off, but all his life, he’d been taught: demon beasts must be slain, and those who collude with them are even more deserving of death. By that logic, this constable hadn’t done anything wrong.
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“Officer, what are you doing?”
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The quivering voice of one of the guards snapped Lei Sai out of his daze.
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He turned, almost automatically, toward the sound.
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And then—
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BANG!
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A sharp crack rang out. Blood and bone splattered everywhere.
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Another headless corpse slumped beside the carriage.
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Lei Sai: ???
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He stood there, mind reeling. Normally, he would have rushed in to stop this, but before he could react, Mu Yang casually crushed the skulls of the other two guards as well.
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With a bewildered tone, Lei Sai finally managed to ask, “Brother, why did you kill them too?”
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Mu Yang calmly flicked the blood from his Black-gold Four-sided Mace, not even glancing back as he walked toward the donkey demon’s corpse. “They tried to kill me. Why shouldn’t I kill them?”
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Lei Sai pressed his lips together, his face twisted with indecision. After a long pause, he managed a single word:
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“...Fair.”
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“Good enough. Let’s go.” Mu Yang stuffed the donkey demon’s corpse into the sleeve pouch, waved carelessly, and mounted his horse. Xue She followed, and the two rode off together.
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Watching their figures recede into the distance, Lei Sai scratched his head in confusion.
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“Something doesn’t add up... Was I just led around by the nose?”
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“Obviously.”
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A mocking voice rang out from the woods beside the road.
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A woman leapt out—dressed in lavender martial attire, her hair pulled into a sharp ponytail, radiating confidence and strength.
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“Sis? What are you doing here?” Lei Sai blurted out.
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The newcomer was none other than Lei Jiaojiao, the Lei family’s famed prodigy and Lei Sai’s elder sister.
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“With how clueless you are, if I didn’t follow you, you’d probably get tricked out of your last shirt,” Lei Jiaojiao shot him a glare.
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“I’m not clueless! And I haven’t been tricked!” Lei Sai protested stubbornly.
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“Then answer me: that Su woman—should she have been killed?” Lei Jiaojiao asked.
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Lei Sai paused, thinking back on the previous conversation. “She should have.”
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“Wrong!” Lei Jiaojiao tapped his forehead sharply. “That silly girl just liked the donkey demon’s body. She had no idea what it really was. She didn’t know the truth, and she never helped it harm anyone. Even if she’s guilty, she doesn’t deserve to die!”
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“Huh?” Lei Sai’s jaw dropped.
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That... actually made sense.
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“So, I’ll ask you again: should that silly girl have been killed?” Lei Jiaojiao didn’t give him time to think, repeating the question.
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“She shouldn’t.” Lei Sai shook his head as fast as a rattle drum.
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But Lei Jiaojiao shook her head too. “Wrong again.”
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Lei Sai was dumbfounded. “If killing her was wrong, and sparing her was wrong, then what’s right?”
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“Can’t figure it out?”
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“No...”
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“Then keep thinking.” Lei Jiaojiao ignored his confusion, gazing off into the distance, her eyes following Mu Yang’s departing figure.
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To kill or not to kill—that’s just the outcome. The real question is, why choose that outcome?
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“A new constable with real skill and a ruthless streak... Looks like things are about to get interesting around here,” she thought to herself.
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“Sis, seriously, why?” Lei Sai was still utterly confused.
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“Figure it out yourself.”
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..................
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“Brother Mu, once we get into the city, you can’t act as rashly as you did just now,” Xue She advised earnestly along the road. “If there hadn’t been a demon beast in that carriage, things could’ve gone very wrong.”
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Mu Yang understood his concern.
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After all, Xue She didn’t have a Keen Sense of Smell, nor did he know any Tracking Arts. He was just an ordinary Blood and Marrow Stage martial artist, so it was only natural he hadn’t sensed anything amiss.
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Honestly, if Lei Sai hadn’t blocked the road and claimed there was a demon beast in the carriage, Mu Yang wouldn’t have noticed anything either. It was only after Lei Sai spoke up that he focused all his senses and realized something was off.
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Otherwise, no matter how righteous Lei Sai seemed, he wouldn’t have bothered with any of this.
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“In any case, before you join the Demon-Slaying Division, you’d best stay at the constable office. Even the Bafang Chamber of Commerce and the Pingwei Escort Agency wouldn’t dare cause trouble there—not in the prefecture’s constable house.”