Translator’s Note: read this chapter whilst listening to the song on minute 1:10:12; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ym8JjY4fy-M

24 – Final Act Of Kindness

Contrary to Arthas’ expectations.

The outside scenery.

Was that of a quiet small town.

Probably because news of the viral infection in Wenhan City had spread.

People in this small town were in a hurry, with many of them carrying luggage as if they were planning to leave.

If it were before, it should have been an idyllic landscape perfect for tourism.

Arthas stood at the doorsill with the cloak draped around her.

For some reason, the Disguise Gla.s.ses exchanged from the System didn’t had any effect on Arthas.

This had left Lu Qiu somewhat vexed.

But she could be covered with a cloak, thus hiding her outward appearance and that dazzling silver-white hair of hers.

Where’s master? Arthas glanced at the street, and discovered that Lu Qiu wasn’t there.

She closed her eyes, and slowly followed the faint connection that existed between her and Lu Qiu.

While walking along the cobblestone streets, she discovered the surrounding buildings to have been built in the style of European chapels, and not in the Chinese style.

Adding a divine feeling to the small town.

The sun was starting to set, and Arthas’ shadow was being stretched longer and longer.

The small town was gradually becoming tranquil and peaceful, leaving one with the desire to stay.

Is this master’s hometown? A Vampire’s hometown?

Arthas didn’t understood why Lu Qiu’s hometown was here; shouldn’t it be in a gloomy castle instead?

She took a lane outside the small village, and came to a hillside, where she found Lu Qiu.

It was a cemetery …

For the purpose of mourning the dead, large and small tombstones were placed there.

Lu Qiu was half kneeling in front of a tombstone in the rear of the cemetery. He was holding a bunch of flowers in his hand, before softly placing them in front of the tombstone.

Arthas walked towards Lu Qiu, before stopping behind him.

Her first impression of Lu Qiu was that even though he seemed gentle, but that was just a pretense, deep down, Lu Qiu was a monster or a madman desperately pursuing his goal!

After all, Arthas still clearly remembered her time as an Exorcist.

Lu Qiu’s actions made it clear that he hates humans.

He who acts as a monster, why would he abruptly come to such a place?

To a cemetery … a human cemetery. Why a place meant to mourn the dead of humanity?

Arthas couldn’t understand.

Lu Qiu gently patted the dust off the tombstone, revealing the occupation of the person buried in the tomb.

“Sister …” Arthas whispered the word written in English

Sister … dedicated her entire life for the sake of light …

Why would master who represents darkness sweep the tomb of a nun?

“She’s my mother …” Lu Qiu gently caressed the tombstone whittled away by wind and rain.

“Mother?!”

Arthas’ cat ears stood straight up.

“Ah, she was akin to my foster mother. I was raised by her since a young age. It’s shocking, right? A Vampire being raised by a nun …”

Indeed … it is shocking.

There was a trace of a reluctant smile on Lu Qiu’s face, unlike the crazy and false smile from before.

“She was a fool, ah. She was the abbess of a monastery, yet she adopted homeless children from all over. Before long, the monastery was turned into an orphanage.”

Lu Qiu whispered, divulging to Arthas.

“She was also very annoying. Every time we had a meal, she would always remind us to express our thanks to G.o.d; every time we went to bed, she would also always remind us to express our thanks to G.o.d … her nagging was really annoying, ah …”

Lu Qiu was gently caressing the tombstone, before abruptly stopping …

“And then …?” Arthas saw that Lu Qiu went silent, and then asked instinctively.

“And then? Then she died …”

Lu Qiu stood up, and looked at something written on the tombstone.

“This is a beautiful town, a good place to travel to, right? While the monastery is also a nice tourist attraction. Its good for making money … therefore, the nearby real estate developer wanted to by this monastery. But that fool said something stupid like

. And then … then she died. Humans are really scary creatures, if all else failed, they would resort to force to get the things they wanted.”

"However, at least something good had come out of it.” Lu Qiu turned around, and looked at Arthas. There was still that smile on his face: “After the news of her death, the developer no longer inquired about this small town. He was afraid that the truth behind her death would come to light, that he would be arrested and would have to go to jail. Furthermore, he gave us a large sum of money to keep our mouths shut. Therefore, after her death, the life in the monastery became a bit more at ease.”

Really … good …

It was really great.

“Master …” Arthas suddenly seemed to have discovered something at the corners of Lu Qiu’s eyes.

“Is it raining?” After tilting his head, Lu Qiu went to leave the cemetery: “Arthas, lets go to the monastery, and hide there from the rain …”

Rain …

Arthas glanced at the sun setting behind the hillside; the sun was clearly visible.

She didn’t ask anything else, and just followed after Lu Qiu.

At the end of the cemetery, when they were about to enter the small town, a monastery had caught her sight.

An isolared monastery. Crows were flapping their wings near the broken-down building.

Without saying a word, Lu Qiu walked towards the broken-down monastery. The crows standing on the building suddenly stiffened and fell down.

Arthas gave the remains of the nearest crow a glance.

Their hearts were squashed …

In an instant.

Arthas looked at Lu Qiu, she was puzzled about his action just now.

The monastery’s gate was sealed shut by a big iron lock, the surrounding doors and windows were also sealed shut.

It was just like a haunted house, so no one dared to come near it.

Arthas saw Lu Qiu stand at the doorway.

His body was overflowing with a trace of frost, followed by the iron lock being frozen into a chunk of ice, and then dropping to the ground.

Lu Qiu felt that having a brethren was really convenient …

He pushed open the gate, and entered inside. When he pushed open the gate, he had inadvertently agitated the dust; therefore, the air inside had become filled with dust.

Lu Qiu ignored the statue inside the chapel, and went further inside.

At this moment, as he entered a room, Lu Qiu could no longer suppress his inner feelings.

Several beds were arranged inside the small room covered with dust, along with 2 small coffins.

There was a chair and a table in front of the beds, along with a kerosene lamp without any kerosene.

Arthas followed Lu Qiu inside. She glanced at the stuff placed above the table next to the door.

There was actually a book. She gently patted the dust off …

A story book.

She swept her gaze through the room’s layout, she could imagine how children who once lived in this room had spent their evenings.

They’d listen to the story read by a person sitting in this chair … and then go to sleep peacefully.

Master was also like this? She looked at Lu Qiu who was rummaging through a coffin.

“Found … found it!”

Lu Qiu exclaimed excitedly.

He took out a small box from inside the coffin.

The window was the only thing not sealed off, it let through the suns.h.i.+ne.

“?” Arthas stopped behind Lu Qiu, and looked at the opened small box in his hand.

There were pictures inside …

There were various pictures.

All of them were of small children.

But no matter how many pictures she looked at, Lu Qiu was missing in all of them.

Vampires were creatures not acknowledged by G.o.d, they wouldn’t leave their images behind in pictures.

“Still …”

As if gaining the most precious of treasures, Lu Qiu carefully dug out a sheet of white paper from among the pictures … it was white paper used for drawing.

“Great … its … still …” Lu Qiu heaved a sigh of relief, before throwing the small box aside. He solely kept the drawing paper.

“Master?”Arthas went next to Lu Qiu, and looked at the unfolded drawing paper in his hands …

It was of … a girl …

Of barely 10 odd years. Her long pitch-black hair cascaded down her shoulders, her eyes were squinting in a smile, a tiny mole had latched itself to a corner of one of her eyes, hear arms were spread as if wanting to embrace someone.

The skill of the artist was superb, nearly perfectly bringing about the girl’s joy.

It feels… so lifelike.

Arthas glanced at the dedication in a corner of the drawing.

‘To my dearest sister …’

Sister? She looked again at Lu Qiu.

Is she master’s sister? That is to say, was master the one who drew it? Where is master’s sister now?

“I’ve got what I was looking for.” A scroll used for storing drawings appeared in Lu Qiu’s hand, and he kept the drawing with great caution: “Its time for us to leave this town.”

So the reason we came here was just because of this?

Without showing any reluctance to leave, Lu Qiu walked out of the monastery.

Arthas who didn’t liked to talk followed Lu Qiu in silence.

What will he do next? Will he continue … to dye this world black?

Perhaps it was her misconception, but looking at Lu Qiu’s back, Arthas could still feel a final remnant trace of gentleness. But was it even possible, for a monster that is?

It … wasn’t.

While under the last rays from the setting sun, Lu Qiu pa.s.sed by a red date garden in the small town.

He looked at the red date garden, only to discover a pet.i.te figure seemingly striving to …

It was a little girl … who had probably sneaked out of home because she was hungry, and wanted to eat red dates.

There were still some red dates on the trees, not too many though.

Lu Qiu went towards the little girl.

Is it to take a meal? Arthas looked at Lu Qiu from afar.

Vampires, liked to consume the blood of virgins.

But the scene which Arthas was expecting didn’t happen.

“Can you reach them like this?” Lu Qiu picked up the little girl, and let her sit on his shoulders.

“Waah! It’s so high! Big brother, I can reach them now.”

The excited little girl reached out towards a branch with red dates, and plucked a few of them.

“Be careful.” There was a smile on Lu Qiu’s face, he seemed to enjoy this scene.

“Hmm!” After the little girl had plucked enough red dates, Lu Qiu then carefully put her down.

“Just for today, don’t leave your home anymore. Your parents will worry.” Lu Qiu gently stroked the little girl’s head.

“Understood. Thank you big brother …” She stuffed a red date in Lu Qiu’s hand: “I’m going to look for my dad and mum, this is a gift from me.”

“Goodbye.”

Lu Qiu stood in the middle of the garden, watching the little girl scamper away.

“Master?”

Afterwards, Arthas walked up to Lu Qiu. She couldn’t wrap her head around Lu Qiu’s behavior just now.

But the smile on Lu Qiu’s face was genuine.

“Don’t ask anything, nor say anything.” Lu Qiu pointed at the setting sun.

“Lets first watch the sunset, this town’s … final sunset …”

In the end, Arthas and Lu Qiu sat together on a high slope, from where they could overview the entire town.

The cemetery was also not far away.

At the moment when the sun had finally set.

At the moment when the entire town was shrouded in the darkness of night, a serene and comfortable atmosphere spread throughout the night.

“Arthas.” Lu Qiu held the drawing stored in the scroll, and whispered to his subordinate.

“?”

“Summon your undead army.”

“Master!” Arthas’ cat ears once more stood straight up, and she stared at the still smiling Lu Qiu.

“Summon your undead army, did’t you hear me? This is just the first order, and you already have thoughts of disobeying me?”

“But master …”

This … is your hometown! Just a moment ago, Lu Qiu was showing a touch of fondness towards this town; that was no pretense, and the tears …

Why …

“I came to this town only for this.”

Lu Qiu raised the drawing in his hand.

Just this is enough …

“I admit, I wish to guard this town, and for it to be peaceful, but it’s not possible.”

Lu Qiu tightened the grip on the drawing in his hand.

“Everyone can only protect one thing throughout their lives. If one has too many things to protect, then they’ll loose their meaning. I want just this, that’s all … therefore, Arthas, let me see your undead army. This world, I’ll plunge it into darkness.”

“Understood …”

She didn’t say anything else. The cloak draped over Arthas fluttered up, revealing her long silver-white hair. Oh mighty Lich Monarch, take out your eternal runeblade! Frostmourne!

A dark and chilling aura spread throughout the land.

Wake up! My army!

Arthas stabbed Frostmourne into the ground.

Subsequently, the earth began to shake. Suddenly, large amounts of white bones, one after another, emerged from the ground. Holding rusted swords, with blue soulfire burning in their pupils, issuing rattling sounds of decay whilst moving …

Army of the dead!

“Turn this town into a sea of ​​fire …”

The one who gave the order was Lu Qiu …

“Destroy!” Lu Qiu took off his Disguise Gla.s.ses, and threw them aside. His pupils erupted with a scarlet color …

“Destroy everything in your line of sight! Don’t leave anything behind! Leave no brick nor tile whole! Kill all life! Lick all the blood clean! No matter what it is, destroy everything!”

Lu Qiu waved his hand! The undead army issued ear-piercing roars, and then marched towards the peaceful town.

And began trampling on everything in it …

Everything and all!

As long as I have this, then its enough! Lu Qiu had made up his mind since the very beginning. Even if he had to destroy everything, including himself, as long as he had her, then it would be enough!

Master …

Arthas looked at Lu Qiu standing amidst the endless undead army. Mighty? Unmatched? Terrifying? Arthas didn’t think that, she only thought that Lu Qiu was pitiful …

As for the reason … Arthas looked at a particular undead in the undead army without a sword nor a s.h.i.+eld. It had no weapons. Judging by its decayed clothing, it seemed to be a nun during its lifetime …

It had already become bones, it relied on its own hands and teeth to fight …

The corpses from the cemetery had also joined the undead army.

Arthas had finally realized how scary Lu Qiu’s determination was.

Even if he had to abandon his self, he would still destroy this world.

So … what made him like this?

Was it the drawing? Or … the beautiful girl in the drawing … the person she wanted to embrace, it must be Lu Qiu, right?

Translator’s Note: read this chapter whilst listening to the song on minute 1:10:12; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ym8JjY4fy-M