(MC POV)
Looking at the dark sect members in front of me, I felt a headache coming along.
Chuyan was still a beginner at the mastery rank, so I was not expecting her to be able to defeat these guys, who were surprisingly novice rank, with their leader being proficient rank.
Looking at the village overrun by trees and walking humanoid trees that just stood in place basking under the sun, I could not help but frown a little.
"What happened to them?" I faced their leader, who looked at me with rage on his face, saying something about not hurting his babies and letting him feed them.
"They have been cleansed of their mortal bodies and become dryads! My little babies!" He screeched, looking at the dryads lovingly. "One day we all will become like them, and the human race will no longer exist to corrupt this beautiful land! That's why, after--"
Okay, he is a lost cause; I impaled his head with an earth spike and watched how his eyes grew dim with unwillingness plaguing his twisted face.
I turned to the sane-looking ones, who looked at me with fear in their eyes.
"So, does anyone want to join him in dryad heaven?" I asked, looking at their leader's body, which started growing branches from where I impaled him.
I needed to put fear in them first, since most dark sect members were psychos like their leader, always having a grand plan for everything, and these grand plans always led to destroying the human race.
I mean, what is up with that? They do know that if the human race is destroyed, they would only have mindless creatures to control, right? That is if the creatures don't later turn on them.
I mean, look at this guy; he wants to be a mindless dryad for what? So that he would spend close to one year just standing and absorbing sunlight like some monk? I don't have any prejudice against monks; they are pretty cool. I mean, ask the man of bats; he would tell you how awesome they are.
"N--no, I will speak!" One of them said, even going as far as taking off his hood.
He looked like a sixteen-year-old heartthrob, with freckles on his face and a swoop... I don't like him.
"I want an uglier person," I said, also sending him to dryad heaven.
"I--I will talk!"
"Oh, another one, remove your hood."
I saw how he slowly removed his hood and ... OH MY HEAVENS!
It was actually an orc!
But wait, why did he have human characteristics, though?
...That's right, men.
"Speak," I said, creating a chair for me and Chuyan, who kept looking at me with her cute eyes that looked to be begging me for praise. Which I did by giving her some head pats. She did surprise me, though, when she was able to capture these dark sect members and free the villagers, who have not stopped bowing till now.
I did try to get them to stop, but they wouldn't, saying their lives belonged to me, so I just let them be.
"We were sent here to carry out a plan, which was to turn the surrounding villages into dryads," He said looking at me.
"And? The reason? I know you guys have a plan, duh; what I want to know is the reason for this plan." I couldn't help rolling my eyes at him; even though he looked human, it seemed the orc's small brain was a genetic thing.
"I... don't know."
Sigh, what was I expecting anyways? they don't really tell their people their plans. I mean, when I interrogated the people of the dark sect we encountered at chiseled moountain, that was when I went back. Why they wanted to summon Kabbal before I came and changed their request to killing me, they simply said they did not know either, only their leader knew, and Kabbal had actually killed the guy during his first strike.
Now the second leader of a group of dark sect disciples I met is actually a lunatic.
"Are there others?" Chuyan suddenly asked.
Ah yes, she asked a good question.
"Yes, my group was in charge of Humin and Guming village since they are closer to each other; the others were in charge of Visoc, Pling, Trong, and Patek village," He answered.
This...
That's strange; all those villages are rest stops for practitioners that are heading to Tang city. It can't be that they are trying to use these villagers as some kind of cannon fodder army to attack Tang city, right? Even if so, why?
The other practitioner cities around have been abandoned due to the recent wars the Qidian kingdom has been launching in the southern part of the continent where we are, and to get to another practitioner city would take months if you are a master and close to a year if you are using normal modes of transport; that is how big the continent is.
Besides, the mortal realm doesn't have the technology or even the power to build teleportation channels, like in the heaven realm.
"Oh, and they said we should always say that we are practitioners from the coiling wood sect; that was not actually part of the plan, but we are just core disciples; only inner and personal disciples know of the real plans," The orc demihuman suddenly said.
"Let me guess, he is an inner disciple." I pointed at the now almost tree-shaped man.
"Yes." He nodded, looking at the tree in fear.
"Any other things I should know?" I asked again.
"Nothing, sir," He replied.
Well, if that is all, then I should send them on their way.
Impaling them through their heads and watching as they all started growing branches, I returned to the carriage, with Chuyan sitting with the driver to clear the road of the trees.
It seems I have to send a message to the sect elder. The dark sect has been too active recently.
First the bandits, summoning Kabbal, turning the villages that are around Tang city into bloodthirsty Dryads, and even claiming to be a sect? What are these guys planning?
Could they also be part of the cause of the recent wars?
"Go to the ink cloud sect, take this token—it will guide you guys there. when you reach the gate, tell them master Zen sent you," I said to the surviving villagers as I gave one of them my personal token that I had inscribed a tracking rune on.
Watching them leave after bowing down to me, I realized that they did not really have anything.
"Hold on." I took a sack of gold coins and flung it in front of them. "Get some clothes."
"Thank you, master Zen."
"Thank you."
They bowed more reverently than before. I just waved my hands using my space technique to teleport them outside the village.
...
As soon as they vanished, the road that Chuyan had created by cutting down the trees here suddenly grew back. I looked at this strange sight and at the dryads standing around, made a hand seal, and cast a barrier around the village with an illusion to deter others from entering, placing about five hundred elemental stones that could power this array for some time. I and Chuyan left with that disciple driving the carriage.
I could not bring myself to end their lives, so after visiting the auction house, hopefully they have some materials that I can use to turn them back.
As for the other villages? Well, I am just one person, and if I see someone that wants to help the other villages, then I would teach them how to.
I just want an easy life. The first two lives were not kind to me, so in this life, I would only help my disciple and others if I can.