My mom is waiting for treatment, and you're summoning me to be a hero?

With Barth's death, all the popular sentiment he had stolen returned.

The city's residents were on the verge of collapse as a flood of emotions overwhelmed them.

They had no strength to escape from the collapsed Emerald Mountain Range and could only lie on the ground, complaining of headaches.

They watched helplessly as rocks from the Emerald Mountains rolled down, swallowing up most of the city of Orl.

Bai Rong's fingers dug deeply into his palms, the slight pain from his nails piercing his skin finally freeing him from the chill that had frozen his soul.

He looked at Lin Mo.

At this moment, Lin Mo had carefully put away the light piece of paper.

The movements were so gentle that they seemed out of place amidst the horrific scene around them.

He was slowly sheathing his black sword.

The blade and scabbard made a slight "clinking" sound, which was jarringly clear against the noisy background.

"Lin Mo..."

Bai Rong's voice was dry and hoarse, each word sounding as if it were being squeezed out of his chest.

"Do you know what you've done? This isn't just about killing a criminal! This is a massacre of civilians! This is the destruction of the empire's heartland! This is an act of brutality that tramples on all laws and order! The royal family, the Senate, the Holy See... no power can tolerate such behavior! You will become the enemy of the entire Holy Ancient Empire! You will never have peace!"

Lin Mo finally turned around completely and faced Bai Rong directly.

His eyes remained calm, but beneath that calm lay an unfathomable indifference.

It was as if the terrible consequences Bai Rong spoke of, which could break anyone, were nothing more than a gentle breeze to him.

"It doesn't matter."

Lin Mo spoke, his voice calm and even.

He paused.

His gaze swept across the city of Orl at the foot of the mountain, where the people were currently overwhelmed by boundless fear, trembling or collapsing to the ground.

He looked again at the distant mountain that was still collapsing and billowing with smoke and dust, and finally returned his gaze to Bai Rong's face.

"you,"

Lin Mo's tone was flat, yet carried a cold certainty.

"If you want to stop me, then do it; otherwise, I'm leaving."

This is not a provocation, but a simple statement of choice.

The choice left to Bai Rong.

Bai Rong's breath hitched, and the veins on his hand, which was pressed against the hilt of the sword, bulged, but he was too heavy to lift it.

Hands-on?

Just now, he witnessed with his own eyes a sword strike that defied common sense and severed a mountain range.

He had no doubt that if he drew his sword, his fate would not be much better than Barth's.

The reason Lin Mo didn't attack him along with the attacker was because...

It was purely because of the care I had shown him when we were in Ancient Wood City.

Just then, Yin Xue, who had been watching the show from mid-air, flapped her little wings and landed back on Lin Mo's shoulder.

His blood-red eyes stared at Bai Rong with great interest as he chuckled.

"My lord, this is not the time to dwell on right and wrong. Those people are waiting for you to save them..."

She shrugged.

"As for this mountain range collapsing, so be it. As for the medicinal herbs, we can just plant more. The land hasn't moved. But you, if you keep spacing out like this, Or City might just be wiped off the map, right?"

Yin Xue's words were half true and half false, carrying an incitement that seemed to thrive on chaos.

But it was like a bucket of ice water poured on Bai Rong's head, which was burning with anger.

He suddenly realized the most pressing reality: the disaster was still ongoing!

Boom—!

Another violent tremor followed, and more rocks tumbled down from the fracture surface.

It crashed down on the civilians in the city below who had no time to escape, triggering a new wave of screams and panic.

Evacuation and rescue efforts must be organized immediately, otherwise casualties will rise exponentially!

Duty and reason instantly overwhelmed personal anger and adherence to the law.

Bai Rong took a deep breath, as if using all his strength, and squeezed out the words to Lin Mo through gritted teeth:

"Leave Orl City immediately! Now, right now!"

He turned his head and shouted with all his might at the few city lord's guards who could still stand and the somewhat calmer civilians around him.

"Everyone, listen up! Prioritize evacuating civilians to safe areas! Organize manpower to rescue the injured! Beware of landslides, establish a warning line! Hurry!!!"

After making these arrangements, he looked at Lin Mo again.

His eyes were incredibly complex, containing anger, helplessness, and a hint of defeat.

"I will report everything that happened here to the Imperial High Council, the Royal Family, and the Holy See's Tribunal without missing a single word. Lin Mo, you'd better watch yourself."

This was the best choice Bai Rong could make in his current desperate situation.

Set aside immediate conflict, prioritize saving lives, and leave everything to be decided by higher authorities and rules.

In a sense, he also created a temporary opening for Lin Mo's departure.

Lin Mo was not surprised at all by Bai Rong's choice.

He didn't even respond to Bai Rong's final warning, but simply nodded slightly, as if he had heard an insignificant announcement.

As for the subsequent wanted notice, that was exactly what Lin Mo wanted.

Having just broken through level 50, you need to engage in a lot of battles to level up.

This is also one of the reasons why Lin Mo spared Bai Rong's life.

Lin Mo did not linger there after that.

His figure swayed slightly, as if blending into the shadows, and reappeared dozens of feet away.

With a few flashes, it completely disappeared into the chaotic outskirts of Orl City.

Yin Xue left behind a string of silvery laughter that sent chills down one's spine, and then disappeared.

Mianmian lay where Lin Mo had disappeared, tilted her head to look at Bai Rong and the chaotic scene, and then turned into a pink and white streak of light to chase after him.

Bai Rong stood there, gazing in the direction Lin Mo had disappeared, then looking at the human tragedy before him and the busy rescuers, a wave of exhaustion and heaviness washing over him.

He took out a parchment from his spatial ring.

It records the potential geniuses discovered along the way.

Lin Mo's name was prominently featured among them.

From this moment forward, this name no longer represents a promising young man.

It was not a warning of disaster.

Lin Mo's trip to the capital was destined to be shrouded in bloodshed and subjected to countless scrutinizing and hostile gazes from this moment on.

Thinking this, Bai Rong sighed.

He then took out another sound transmission stone from his bosom, which had a more complex pattern and emitted a faint golden luster.

He infused a wisp of spiritual energy, and the runestone lit up.

A cold, emotionless voice came from the other end.

"Bai Rong, captain of the 3rd squad of the White Tiger Knights, begins his report."

Bai Rong steadied himself.

He recounted everything clearly and logically, from Bart's death, the severing of the Emerald Mountains, and the numerous civilian casualties, to Lin Mo's identity, strength, and direction of departure.

He did not conceal anything, nor did he add any personal judgment; he simply stated the facts.

There was a moment of silence on the other end, with only faint magical fluctuations.

Then, that cold voice rang out again:

"Received. Event level: S."

"Target: Lin Mo, listed as a Class A wanted criminal in the Empire."

"Crimes: Massacre of civilians, destruction of vital empire resource sites, and attack on officials."

"Disposal authority: upgraded to 'unrestricted killing'. Relevant wanted notices and images will be simultaneously distributed through various levels of the magic network. Your task is to maintain order in Orl City, prevent secondary disasters, and submit a detailed written report."

"yes!"

Bai Rong replied, wanting to ask if there was anything else, such as follow-up support, or whether Bart's actions were under investigation...

But communication has been cleanly and decisively cut off.