Wen Wen said mockingly, "You don't want revenge, then what is this scene now?"
Tian Shi Gong was silent for a moment before saying, "After the hatred was stripped away, the desire to protect the townsfolk took precedence, and I fell into a dilemma."
"At the same time, I realized that the Abomination I created had become a monster I couldn't control. I only wanted to take revenge on this town and create a monster that would destroy everything."
"Therefore, I created this illusion, confining the Abomination's revenge to this town, so as not to implicate anyone outside."
"And because the Abomination gains strength from the fear of its enemies, I used the illusion to influence the entire town, preventing it from creating any panic during its revenge."
Wen Wen nodded thoughtfully. It seemed this was why the Abomination didn't seek direct revenge but enacted it within the illusion. The strangely preserved corpses leading normal lives were likely a result of this.
"However, its power grew stronger over time, and my control over the town weakened. Those corpses still caused unrest."
Wen Wen suddenly understood. "I was wondering why that thing suddenly got so much stronger after the panic. It seems the panic allowed it to quickly master the 'learned' power."
Through Tian Shi Gong's narrative, Wen Wen understood why this revenge had become so complicated. It was because after devising his revenge strategy, he, due to his own internal conflict, had created numerous obstacles to hinder the Abomination's revenge.
Wen Wen thought for a moment and then said to Tian Shi Gong, "Since you are so conflicted about revenge, why don't you let go of this hatred? After all, the people who harmed you and slandered you are long gone. Those who remain in Tian Shi Town are merely their descendants. For them, what you experienced is just history..."
Tian Shi Gong scoffed, "But for me, with my long life, those experiences are as if they happened yesterday. Now you tell me you've forgotten and ask me not to hold grudges. Doesn't that seem hypocritical?"
Wen Wen was somewhat at a loss for words. Tian Shi Gong had a long lifespan, while human lives were less than a century. The disparity in their grievances was unequal. It was difficult to assign right or wrong in such matters, and he could only side with humanity...
"What do you intend to do next? If you wish to continue seeking revenge, I will stop you," Wen Wen asked.
Tian Shi Gong said with a touch of desolation, "Don't worry, I can't do anything anymore."
"My body was torn into countless pieces, which ultimately caused me immense harm. I could only sustain myself through 'hatred.' Now that the Abomination is gone, I will soon follow."
"But I don't wish to disappear as a bringer of disaster, enduring the condemnation of the very people I once protected. So, in the final moments of my life, I have told you everything. It is enough that you alone know I am not as the stories portray."
After all was said and done, the luminescence on Tian Shi Gong's body began to break apart. Small white points of light floated out from within him, making his body increasingly ethereal until he completely dissipated into the air.
Wen Wen had previously thought the luminescence was a sign of his special power, not realizing it was a harbinger of his death.
After Tian Shi Gong's complete demise, the illusory space dissolved into bubbles that floated towards the sky. As the bubbles dispersed, Wen Wen found himself back in the real town.
The crisis in the town was resolved, and the people were safe. Wen Wen's mission was successfully completed, yet he felt no joy, only a faint melancholy.
Wen Wen pulled off the Phantom Lust Heavenly Garment and looked at the dilapidated church. It was as if, across the vast expanse of time, Tian Shi Gong had stood atop this church, gazing at the entire town, wrestling with the decision to seek revenge.
"Before they arrive, I'll do a few more things..."
Wen Wen extended his hand towards the church. Black chains flew from his sleeve, dancing and cutting the church into rubble. He then used the rubble to form a rough, large sphere.
With a snap of his fingers, an old man in a tank top, shorts, and slippers appeared before him. This was the 'Old Man Who Rolls Things,' a seemingly ordinary elder but in reality, a thoughtless Containment. He would meticulously roll anything "unround" in his vicinity into a perfectly spherical shape.
Upon seeing this being, the old man lunged at the massive stone sphere. In no time, he had rolled the rubble into a perfectly round orb, as if carved from a single, complete stone.
Next, Wen Wen retrieved a rune-engraved longsword he had forged in his spare time from the containment shop and began carving the giant stone sphere.
...
At the camp outside the town, Mo Ya Di sat cross-legged in mid-air, holding a long staff.
In the Yin Gua region, street performers who could do this were common, though most used props. They appeared to float, but were actually sitting on iron plates attached to their staffs.
Mo Ya Di, however, was truly suspended in mid-air. He had been an ordinary young man in the Yin Gua region, and his talent for this very skill had led him to be discovered by the local Hunter Association, recruiting him as a demon hunter.
Wen Wen had left the illusory town and no longer needed to maintain the grand illusion. He opened his eyes and saw a message from Wen Wen.
He then said to the demon hunters and helpers around him, "The situation has been resolved. Wait outside for fifteen minutes. Once my people confirm the interior is safe, then attempt to enter the town for rescue."
His words were primarily directed at the demon hunters and helpers from the local Hunter Association who had just arrived. Mo Ya Di's team specialized in illusions, and their motorcycles were their primary mode of transport. Cleanup was not their responsibility. After he and the local demon hunters cleared any hidden dangers within the town, their job would be done.
Fifteen minutes later, Mo Ya Di entered the town with the local demon hunters. The first things they saw were countless decomposed corpses. These bodies had been wandering the town until Wen Wen captured the Abomination, at which point they ceased their activity.
Then, they saw thousands of townsfolk gathered in the town center, all in a vegetative state. Their eyes were open, and they wore smiles, their expressions identical, creating an extremely eerie scene.
Aside from these, they saw no one else. Tao Qing Qing, who had been guarding the area, had returned to Wen Wen's side after the illusion was resolved. Wen Wen had also collected the tiger-like puppets.
The leading demon hunter had received word from Wen Wen, so he knew that although the townsfolk appeared strange, they would recover after some time and there was no need for excessive concern.
Mo Ya Di was slightly puzzled. He knew Wen Wen was the one who resolved the situation and had indeed sent him messages via the hunting terminal. But where had Wen Wen gone? Shouldn't he be waiting here?
However, Mo Ya Di soon learned Wen Wen's whereabouts. As the demon hunters took stock in the town center, they heard heavy footsteps. Then, they saw a figure in black robes slowly approaching.
The figure carried a plastic bag containing a pink gauze dress in one hand, and on the other shoulder, he carried a giant stone monument over three meters tall.
Carved on the front of the monument were three large characters...
Tian Shi Town!