Facing Dale's questioning, the crowd fell into a brief silence.
"Dale."
Shane spoke up.
"Maybe you're right." He calmly wiped the gun in his hand with a rag, "But you also have to think more for us."
"We can't keep an enemy who knows where our home is. Even if there's only a tiny chance of bringing danger, I can't gamble with everyone's lives."
"Not only that," Rick took over and added: "In order to get us to save him, he told us his people 'saved' our companions."
"But you know the truth now."
"How did those people treat the captives? If we hadn't gone quickly, none of them might have survived."
Dale opened his mouth, finding himself unable to argue.
He looked at the others unwillingly.
Andrea and Amy avoided his gaze; T-Dog looked down at his toes; even Glenn, usually the gentlest, just shook his head apologetically... Dale finally looked at Jim.
"Jim, do you also think this is okay?"
Jim leaned against a tree trunk, his eyes, which seemed to see through everything, appearing somewhat hollow.
"How we choose doesn't matter, Dale," Jim said softly, "No matter what our final choice is, it's perhaps much better than the original ending."
Dale didn't understand, but he knew Jim wouldn't support him either.
"Merle." Then, he took a deep breath, "What about you? Do you also think he should be killed?"
Merle raised an eyebrow, seemingly not expecting the old man to ask him.
"I've seen you reading the Bible lately."
Dale stepped closer, staring into Merle's eyes, "I also know what you did in the factory to save the others."
"You're not the kind of person who kills innocents indiscriminately."
Hearing this, Merle put away his playful expression and slowly straightened up.
"Old man, don't think of me too highly." Merle sneered, "I indeed don't have a hobby of killing people randomly."
"But as long as he's an eyesore, I don't mind sending him on his way."
"Randall might be a coward, might look like a pathetic worm now. But as long as he's alive, he's an uncontrollable trouble."
"In this world, 'trouble' often represents 'death'."
"I'm not afraid of trouble, but I don't want to risk my brother's or these fools' lives for the life of a piece of trash."
Merle leaned in close to Dale, revealing a chilling smile:
"So, yes. I will kill him."
"But I will ask his name before I act."
He paused, an elusive light flashing in his eyes, his voice low:
"Remembering who died by my hand and then giving him a quick end... that's probably the only bit of 'decency' I have left."
"As for whether this is a sin? Heh..."
Merle straightened up, patted Dale's shoulder, and mocked:
"Then let me chat slowly with that old bastard God after I die."
"But for now, I haven't lived enough yet."
Dale was completely stunned.
He looked around, looking at these faces that were once familiar but had now become somewhat strange. They were no longer confused, no longer hesitant, but they also seemed to... have lost something important.
"We have no right to decide a person's life or death."
Dale's voice became weak, yet remained stubborn, "If we do this, we really can't go back."
"We indeed have no right, but I must be responsible for our future."
Rick looked at this respectable elder, a hint of sadness flashing in his eyes: "On the day the apocalypse arrived, we already couldn't go back."
"No, Rick, listen to me..."
Dale wanted to make one last effort.
"Bang!"
A dull gunshot came from the direction of the barn without warning.
"Something happened!"
Rick reacted the fastest, drawing his gun and rushing over there, others following closely.
However, before they could reach the door, the door of the barn was pushed open from the inside.
Carol walked out holding a pistol.
Behind her followed Morales, who was in charge of guarding, looking like he wanted to say something but stopped, deeply shocked.
Carol looked at the panting crowd rushing over, blinking in confusion: "What's wrong? Why did you all run over?"
"Carol?"
Rick stopped, glanced warily at the barn behind her, then at the gun in her hand, "We just heard a gunshot... what happened?"
"Damn it." Daryl frowned, stepping forward, "Did that kid try to run? Did anyone get hurt?"
"No, but..."
Carol put away her gun and explained: "Sophia was playing nearby just now, and that Randall called out to her. He tried to deceive Sophia with lies, wanting the child to help him untie the ropes and escape."
Everyone's expressions changed instantly.
"And then?"
Rick pressed, "He escaped?"
"He's dead."
"Wh... what?"
Everyone looked at her in shock.
"Dead?" Dale repeated in disbelief, "You killed him?"
"Yes."
Carol nodded as if it were a matter of course, looking at Rick, somewhat puzzled as to why everyone was so surprised:
"During the meeting just now, didn't Rick already decide to take him out?"
"I originally just wanted to come over and tell Morales to get ready to act, but I happened to see him trying to use Sophia to escape."
"Since he was going to die anyway, I just took care of him to save someone else the trouble of making another trip."
"..."
Everyone fell silent, looking at the still somewhat dazed Carol, for a moment not knowing what to say.
"It's fine, it's good that it's settled."
Rick took a deep breath and patted Morales's shoulder, "Deal with the body."
The crowd dispersed; Rick was about to advise Dale a bit more, only to find the old man had already turned and left.
His heart tightened, and he instinctively wanted to chase after him to explain.
A hand reached out and stopped him.
"Don't go, Rick."
Carol looked at Dale's back and said softly, "Give him some space. This kind of thing... no one can persuade him but himself."
"He'll have to figure it all out sooner or later. Just like us."
Rick met Carol's emotionless eyes, was stunned for a moment, and finally withdrew his step, sighing silently.
On the other side.
"Dale..."
Seeing the old man looking shaky, Amy wanted to step forward to comfort him out of concern, but the old man gently raised his hand to stop her.
"I'm fine."
Dale lowered his head, hiding his expression, "I just want to walk alone."
He said nothing more, just walked alone toward the fence at the edge of the farm.
Sunlight spilled across the vast meadow.
There, children could be seen playing on the grass. They didn't seem too affected by the gunshot just now, still chasing each other under the setting sun.
Dale watched these vibrant figures, but an indescribable bitterness welled up in his heart.
"Children growing up in this era..."
He let out a sorrowful sigh, muttering to himself, "What will their future eventually become?"
"Will they also have to be like us today, hands stained with blood, forced to abandon the most important things just to survive?"
"Regardless of what the future holds, at least we have the chance to grow up, which is already quite good, isn't it?"
A calm voice suddenly came from a wooden post nearby.
Dale turned his head in surprise and found Louis sitting there, his gaze also fixed on the children in the distance.
"Louis?" Dale was stunned for a moment, then gave a bitter smile, "Why are you here?"
"I've been here the whole time." Louis brushed the grass clippings off his hands, "I saw what happened just now and heard your argument."
Dale sighed, his gaze returning to the distance: "So, even you think I'm wrong, right? In this new era, is it that as long as we can survive, nothing else matters?"
"Have the humanity and bottom lines of the past... all become burdens?"
"No, Grandpa Dale."
Louis turned around, leaning against the fence, looking seriously at this kind-hearted old man.
"Actually, it's quite the opposite." Louis said softly, "It's precisely because we agree with your philosophy, because we cherish life and want to protect humanity, that we made that decision."