Mercy can only make things worse.
Lin Qian knew that now. He couldn't afford to be softhearted. The only way forward was to conquer the Yun family swiftly and ruthlessly. That was the priority.
But something was wrong with the Yun family.
"Qian'er, what exactly is happening?" Yun Yunyan approached Lin Qian with concern in her eyes.
"Mother?" Lin Qian was startled by the touch on his shoulder and turned to face her worried expression.
Yun Yunyan gently wiped away the tear on her son's cheek, speaking softly. "I can see it, Qian'er. You seem to be in pain. Is it because you've been forced to leave no survivors since the battle began?"
"If something is troubling you, don't keep it bottled up. It's never good to carry everything alone." At that moment, Lin Di stepped forward and firmly patted his son on the shoulder. "Remember, we're here for you."
His father's words brought Lin Qian back to his senses.
That's right. He wasn't alone. He still had his parents by his side, as well as his grandparents and his uncle.
For so long, Lin Qian had walked this path by himself, he had almost forgotten that sometimes family could share the burden.
He exhaled deeply and, after a moment of hesitation, spoke gravely. "There's something wrong with the Yun family."
"The claim that they're traitors… was a lie, just an excuse I made up to act." Lin Qian's words left Yun Qingfeng wide-eyed in shock.
"What? That story was fake?" Yun Qingfeng hurried over to Lin Qian, grabbing his shoulders in disbelief.
When Lin Qian nodded, Yun Qingfeng's arms dropped in defeat. "Ah… so it was just a story. I thought…"
He trailed off, but then his expression shifted as he slowly straightened up. "If the story is fake, then where did the Yun family come from?"
The mystery of the Yun family's origins had been one of the most talked-about topics in the Central Region since Lin Qian's story surfaced. The Yun family had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, and over time, their rise had been buried beneath the sands of history.
When Lin Qian's tale emerged, people had latched onto it, using it to explain the strange rise of the Yun family.
Many were fascinated by the notion that the Yun family had just appeared one day in the Central Region, claiming their territory and surviving against the odds. It had been an unsolved mystery—until Lin Qian's story seemed to explain it.
"After sorting through countless records from the Central Region and having the Huaxia Empire's Heavenly Crafting Department thoroughly investigate, we found no trace of the Yun family's origins."
"Their true history is still a mystery," Lin Qian continued, his expression growing darker. "That's why I had my subordinates infiltrate the Yun family's territory long ago, to investigate the truth."
"After all, because of Grandmother, I share Yun family blood as well. This mystery is too compelling to ignore."
As Lin Qian spoke, the five people before him found their breaths growing heavier, waiting for him to continue.
They had a foreboding sense that whatever came next was going to be monumental.
"There's contamination. The people of the Yun family's territory have been polluted." Lin Qian's next words made everyone's eyes widen in shock. Though they didn't fully understand what he meant by "pollution," they instinctively knew it was something terrible.
At that moment, a scholar approached and respectfully saluted Lin Qian.
"You explain it," Lin Qian said, letting out a weary sigh.
The scholar nodded, turning to face Yun Fan and the others. After giving them a respectful bow, he began to speak. "Currently, the Yun family's territory is permeated by a curse, and there is a form of corruption that has contaminated the living beings there."
"This began about a month ago."
"When His Majesty ordered us to investigate the Yun family, we discovered strange runes embedded in the formations of various cities across their territory. These runes are more like curses than traditional formations."
"After the Array Virus successfully infiltrated these formations, we began studying the curse and came to a conclusion three days before the war started. The curse's effect is to refine."
"The beings being refined are the living creatures of the Yun family's territory. It's unclear what exactly has infested this land, but a dark smoke-like substance exists within their bodies."
"When the cursed formations are activated, these corrupted beings will transform into something else. Even if the formations aren't triggered, they will still succumb to the corruption within days."
The scholar held out a memory crystal, projecting an image for them to see.
In a secret chamber, several figures wearing blue-gray robes—members of the Yun family's branch—were locked inside a cage marked with cursed runes. These Yun family members emitted guttural, choking noises. Their eyes glowed red, and tendrils of black smoke seeped from their mouths and noses.
Their skin had turned an ashen gray. Inside the cage, they fought savagely, their fingers elongating into sharp claws, and their teeth sharpening into fangs.
Their soul force had turned an eerie shade of green, and as they bit and tore at each other, they howled in hoarse, broken voices. They even chewed on each other's flesh, their faces contorted in madness.
Yun Yunyan covered her mouth, horrified by what she saw, while Lin Di pulled her close, his expression grave.
Beside them, Yun Rong gently patted Yun Fan's back as he struggled to contain his rage, his energy fluctuating wildly with anger.
"What… what is this? Are they even human anymore?" Yun Qingfeng's voice shook as he watched the grotesque scene unfold.
"Their cultivation realms remain the same, but once the curse takes hold, their combat power increases dramatically. Their strength and speed are enhanced, and they can regenerate injuries by consuming flesh, even growing stronger."
"Their bodies also become far tougher, able to withstand direct hits from soul weapons or magical tools of similar levels."
"They lose all emotion and reason, driven solely by an insatiable hunger for slaughter and flesh. And anyone bitten by them will eventually turn into the same creatures."
"They feel no fatigue, no fear, and no pain. They exist only to kill and consume, mindless and relentless."
"They can no longer be considered human. His Majesty has named them…"
"Zombies."