Ling Cage: Twelve Talismans? I have everything I need.

Chapter 179 Clean and Tidy
Seng's gaze was fixed on Victor, then swept over Morgan's corpse on the ground.

"Victor! You want to seize power?!" Sengge demanded sharply, his hand already on the holster at his waist.

He couldn't accept this sudden and drastic change, and he couldn't understand why Victor would act this way.

Victor's face darkened: "Seng! You must have heard the broadcast earlier. Morgan was able to survive on the ground because..."

"Bullshit!" Seng roared, drawing his sidearm and pointing it at Victor.

"I think you're the traitor! You've all been deceived by the people on the surface! If we go to the surface, what will we, the upper class, have left? Are we just waiting to be enslaved by those ground rats?!"

He looked around, trying to incite others who might be dissatisfied: "Look! The city lord is dead, the hunters have betrayed us, even Victor has defected! If we go down there, we'll be at their mercy! If we stay in the lighthouse, at least we're still citizens! There's still order!"

The city defense soldiers following behind him wavered and nervously watched the two men facing off.

Victor was anxious. He knew that Seng was narrow-minded and power-hungry, and that he had some cronies in the city's defense forces. If Seng were to incite conflict, it would inevitably lead to a confrontation.

This is something Yang Chen doesn't want to see, and it's what he's trying his best to avoid.

"Seng, put down your weapons! That's an order!" Victor stepped forward.

“Orders? You have no right to order me around!” Seng sneered, his finger tightening on the trigger.

“Victor, since you dare not defend the glory of the lighthouse, then I will…”

Just at this critical moment, a chilling yet somewhat familiar female voice suddenly rang out at the entrance of the hall.

"Sengge, so many years have passed, and you still haven't made any progress."

This voice...

Seng was trembling violently. He was so familiar with that voice; even after so many years, it was still etched in his memory!

He turned his head sharply and looked towards the entrance of the hall.

Suddenly, dozens of soldiers dressed in dark gray combat uniforms appeared there.

The two leading figures were none other than Red Heron and Drake, whom he thought had long since turned to dust!

“Red…Red Heron?! Drake?!!” Seng’s eyes widened instantly, as if he had seen a ghost, and he almost dropped the gun in his hand.

"No...it's impossible! You're clearly dead! I saw it with my own eyes..."

"Watch me get executed with your own eyes?" Red Heron stepped forward slowly, causing Sengge to retreat in fright. "Unfortunately, you're disappointed?"

Her gaze swept over the captain's badge on Seng's shoulder, and a hint of undisguised sarcasm curled at the corner of her mouth.

"After all these years, you've only managed to become a captain thanks to those 'merits' from back then? It seems Morgan really didn't value you, this disobedient dog."

Senger blushed crimson with humiliation, a mixture of fear and anger driving him to the brink of madness: "You...you..."

He abruptly raised the muzzle of his gun, no longer pointing it at Victor, but at Red Heron: "Die!"

"boom!"

Gunfire rang out.

But it was Seng who fell.

The moment he pulled the trigger, Honglu had already fired his own shot.

"Uh..." Seng looked at the cold-faced Red Heron in disbelief, swayed, and fell heavily to the ground, whereupon he fell silent.

All of this happened so fast that no one else in the hall had time to react.

Honglu withdrew her hand, not even glancing at the corpse on the ground, and gestured to a Guiyuan warrior behind her.

The warrior immediately stepped forward, skillfully took out a portable soul storage device, and began processing Seng's life essence.

Victor's throat went dry as he watched Red Heron's clean and efficient methods.

The flamingo is really still alive, but why?
Red Heron turned to Victor, her tone flat: "Victor, lead the way to the elevator platform. It's time for everyone to meet the 'old friend' and hear the 'news'."

Victor's mouth opened and closed again: "I...I understand."

Without further hesitation, he took the lead.

Red Heron and Drake, leading fifty Origin Warriors, followed closely behind. The silent team carried an invisible pressure as they passed through the passageway inside the lighthouse.

Wherever they went, whether it was panicked civilians or anxious city guards, they were all horrified when they recognized the faces of Red Heron and Drake, causing commotion and incredulous whispers.

"That's... Commander-in-Chief Red Heron?! And Commander Drake?!"

"Didn't they sacrifice themselves long ago...?"

Guided by Victor and protected by the Returning Origin Warriors, the group arrived smoothly at the high platform near the connecting elevator, where Yang Chen was already standing.

This is where the lighthouse's most important full-band broadcasting equipment is located, offering a panoramic view of what lies below.

At this moment, a large crowd had gathered around the platform, the noise of which was like a tsunami.

They were already unsettled by the previous broadcasts and rumors, and now, seeing unfamiliar soldiers on the platform and General Victor surrounded by them, they began to discuss the matter even more.

When Honglu and Drake walked to the front of the platform and were clearly exposed to everyone's view, the entire square first whispered among themselves, and then erupted into an even more violent uproar!

Among the crowded people below, a six or seven-year-old Dustman stood on tiptoe, trying hard to see the red-haired woman on the high platform.

He tugged at an elderly, gray-haired man next to him, numbered 0609, and asked in a low voice.

"0609, who is that person? Even General Victor is standing behind her."

0609 did not answer immediately. His cloudy eyes were fixed on the red egret on the high platform, and his wrinkled face was filled with disbelief and shock.

His lips trembled slightly as he muttered to himself, "No...it's impossible...how could she...still be alive?"

"Who is it? Do you know them?" The child dustman was even more curious.

0609 took a deep breath: "That's... Commander-in-Chief Red Heron... In the past, she was the one who called the shots in the Lighthouse's city defense forces."

"Commander-in-Chief?" The child dustman's eyes widened, even more confused. "Isn't the Commander-in-Chief General Victor?"

0609 shook his head, his gaze still fixed on Honglu: "That happened later... Back then, there was no Light and Shadow Society, and the city defense army was under the command of Commander-in-Chief Honglu... She and her soldiers were different from the current city defense army; they wouldn't arbitrarily beat or scold civilians..."

His voice gradually lowered, as if he were lost in some kind of memory, but he quickly raised his eyelids again: "But then... suddenly one day, they said she had sacrificed herself... and then, Victor became the commander-in-chief, and the law firm became the Light and Shadow Society..."

"quiet!"

Red Heron didn't use any amplification equipment, but its sound overwhelmed all the noise and spread to every corner of the square.

Her gaze swept over the dark mass of people below, and she spoke slowly.

"The people of the lighthouse."

"I am a red egret."

Her name and self-introduction alone caused a subtle stir among those below, especially those who vaguely knew her or had just heard her name.

“I know the previous broadcast and our appearance have confused you,” Red Heron’s voice was steady. “But the truth is, I am not dead. We are on the ground, in Dragonbone Village, which you are about to visit, and we have survived.”

She paused slightly: "The era of Lord Morgan is over. The old laws of the Beacon, the path built on concealment, abandonment, and class oppression, have been proven to be a dead end!"

Her voice suddenly rose: "It makes you fear the loss of your family, it makes you indifferent to life, it makes old age and illness a reason for abandonment! It even makes eliminating dissidents seem noble!"

These words struck a chord with many, especially those who had personally experienced or witnessed the "Journey," the "Hall of Dawn," and the trials of light and shadow.

"But today, all of this should end!" Honglu swung her arm forcefully, pointing to the ground.

"The ground is not hell!"

“If you wish to live with dignity, like a true human being,” Red Heron’s gaze swept across the entire area once more, finally settling on the area where the Dust People had gathered, “then Dragonbone Village welcomes you.” “On the ground, there is no distinction between Upper Class and Dust People! There are only companions striving together for survival and the future!”

This statement caused a huge reaction among the common people, and many people looked up in disbelief.

"A free life?"

"Is it really safe to go down?"

What should we do with the Devouring Beasts?

Red Heron raised her hand, signaling for silence: "I know what you're worried about. The Devouring Beasts exist. But in Dragonbone Village, we possess the technology to prevent them from detecting us. We have the ability to purify the land, grow crops, and raise livestock."

She pointed to Yang Chen beside her: "This is Yang Chen, one of the founders of Dragon Bone Village, and the leader who led us to find a new path."

Yang Chen stepped forward at the opportune moment. He didn't speak, but simply glanced calmly at the crowd below.

Red Heron concluded, "Dragonbone Village welcomes those who are willing to embrace new life and create a future with their own hands. We will provide shelter, teach you survival skills, and give you the dignity and rights that you deserve as 'human beings'."

"Of course, you can also choose to stay, to remain in this air prison whose resources are dwindling."

"The choice is in the hands of each and every one of you."

Her speech ended, and the square fell silent.

People digested this enormous amount of information, their expressions shifting and complex.

Fear, hesitation, anticipation, relief... a variety of emotions permeated the crowd.

Just as the crowd was deep in thought and weighing their options, a discordant voice rang out.

"Don't be fooled by the demons on the ground!"

A man dressed in the robes of a priest from the Light and Shadow Order pushed his way out of the crowd, raising his hands high with a distorted expression on his face, a mixture of fanaticism and fear.

"They have deceived General Victor and taken the City Lord hostage! Only by abiding by the Three Laws and having faith in the Lord of Light and Shadow can we be saved! The City Lord is still alive; he is simply being threatened by these demons and is therefore unable to appear!"

He waved his arms: "Look at them! They are spirits who have crawled back from hell! They will drag us into the abyss too! Stay in the lighthouse, and we will still be under the Lord's protection!"

These remarks did indeed cause some people to waver, especially those who had been brainwashed by the doctrines of the Light and Shadow Society, who showed hesitation and whispers began to rise again.

Yang Chen frowned slightly, feeling disgusted by this kind of religious incitement.

Honglu's eyes turned cold, and she was about to speak when Yang Chen gently raised his hand to stop her.

"Protection?" Yang Chen repeated softly, "Can the Lord of Light and Shadow give you that?"

Before he finished speaking, he casually waved his raised right hand downwards.

In an instant, under the gaze of countless horrified eyes, boxes and baskets of supplies appeared out of thin air in front of the platform.

They were as if lifted up by an invisible hand, slowly descending and neatly stacked up.

The wooden crates were filled with plump, fresh fruits and various food items.

The food was so fresh, the colors so vibrant, and especially the natural fragrance of the fresh fruits and vegetables wafted through the air into the crowd.

"This...this is..."

"There's meat! Fresh meat!"

"They...they really have these things?!"

Exclamations rose and fell, and many people instinctively pushed forward.

People didn't have time to think about how these supplies came to be; their eyes were glued to them, and their throats were moving uncontrollably.

It's unclear who started it, but a commoner, trembling, almost crawled to the pile of supplies, carefully picked up a bright red apple as if holding a priceless treasure, and then took a big bite.

Juice burst in his mouth, the sweet and sour taste sending a shiver through him, and tears welled up instantly.

“It really is…it’s real! It tastes like food!” he cried out.

This shout acted as a fuse, completely igniting the passion of the crowd.

"I'm going to the ground!"

"Take me away! I want to go!"

"I also need to go!"

The priest looked at the abundant supplies that had appeared out of nowhere, his eyes filled with even deeper fanaticism.

He pointed sharply at the food: "Look! Did everyone see that? This is a miracle! It's a blessing from the Lord of Light and Shadow, who sensed our devotion! This is the Lord telling us that staying in the lighthouse is the right choice!"

A hint of impatience flashed in Yang Chen's eyes.

He couldn't be bothered to waste any more words on this brainwashed madman.

While the priest was still shouting at the top of his lungs, Yang Chen simply flicked his finger.

A small, blazing flame landed precisely on the cleric's waving arm.

The flames erupted the moment they made contact, instantly engulfing the priest!
He transformed into a humanoid torch, screaming in agony. His frantic flailing and wailing lasted only two or three seconds before, under the horrified gazes of the crowd, he turned into a small pile of charred ashes, along with the irritating sound, vanishing completely.

The square fell silent instantly, with only the faint smell of burnt food remaining after the flames had died down. Even when fresh food was placed in front of them, people dared not approach to taste it.

Yang Chen didn't even glance at the pile of ashes; he turned to Honglu and gave her a look.

Red egret immediately understood and nodded slightly.

She understood that the Light and Shadow Society, this malignant tumor, had to be completely eradicated.

She turned to Drake and the Returning Warriors behind him and quickly said, "Drake, you take a team, collect weapons, and maintain order."

"Yes, I know." Drake pushed up his glasses, immediately pointed to half of the men, and they quickly dispersed.

He was filled with mixed emotions as he watched his former law firm transform into a brainwashing spectacle.

Honglu then looked at the remaining elite warriors, a cold glint in her eyes: "The rest of you, follow me."

"Those who stubbornly resist, reclaim the life essence!"

"Yes!" the soldiers roared in unison.

Without further delay, Honglu nodded slightly to Yang Chen and led the menacing squad straight to the core area of ​​the Light and Shadow Society.

As Victor watched the direction where the red heron had left, the last vestige of hope in his heart vanished completely.

He took a deep breath, turned to the still-shocked crowd below, and tried to keep his voice steady.

"Everyone has seen this! Follow the instructions, prepare in an orderly manner, we are about to head to our new home!"

This time, there were no dissenting voices.

Guided by the Guiyuan warriors and the remaining city defense troops, the crowd began to prepare for the relocation.

In the distance, from the direction of the Church of Light and Shadow, sporadic gunshots could be faintly heard, but they quickly subsided. Honglu and her Guiyuan warriors were carrying out the cleanup in the most efficient way.

Looking at everything before him, 0609 tightly gripped the half-eaten apple in his aged hand, tears welling in his cloudy eyes, and whispered to the child Chenmin beside him.

"Things have changed... The world is really changing..."

The young mortals seemed to understand but not quite, looking at the black-haired youth on the high platform who stood like a pillar of strength, their eyes filled with longing for life on the unknown ground.

(End of this chapter)