The gunshot boomed like thunder, echoing in everyone's ears. All were stunned by the scene before them, save for Li Rui, who let out a long cry to the heavens, his voice filled with unbridled hatred and an indescribable sorrow.
Li Zuoquan sat in his chair, clutching the newly acquired Tiger Kui Seal. His eyes, wide open, held a glint of greed and satisfaction that gradually faded with time.
*Crack—*
As the Tiger Kui Seal dropped to the ground with a sharp sound, the onlookers felt as if they were waking from a dream. Fang Niuzi even slapped himself, as if to confirm it wasn't a hallucination.
"Qingyun... am I seeing things?" Zhang Dabiao nudged me, his eyes wide with disbelief, and murmured.
"They've all gone mad. Every single one of them."
I had imagined countless ways for Li Zuoquan to die, even picturing myself ending him with a single sword stroke to avenge the ten years I had lost my parents. But I never expected him to die by Li Rui's hand.
The turn of events was far too swift. From Li Zuoquan obtaining the Tiger Kui Seal to Li Rui firing his gun, only a few breaths passed. Li Zuoquan's greedy satisfaction had barely faded from his eyes before his body stiffened.
Fang Niuzi, who had always considered Li Zuoquan a close friend, drew his steel sword and pointed it directly at Li Rui after a moment of stunned silence.
"You little bastard, are you insane? He's your grand-uncle! You ungrateful wretch, I'll... for him..."
*Bang—*
"Hmph!"
Li Rui's eyes were bloodshot, like a wolf starved for years. He fired a shot at Fang Niuzi's foot, his voice dripping with venom, "You old scoundrel, you'll do what? My hearing isn't great, say that again."
Fang Niuzi slumped to the ground, clutching his wounded foot, his face contorted with fury. He continued to curse, his words fierce but no longer daring to press forward.
In my eyes, the shot hadn't actually hit Fang Niuzi, but merely the ground at his feet. Yet, the man was clearly terrified. Faced with the threat to his life, he wouldn't dare stand his ground, not even for his own brother, let alone a stranger.
Li Rui sneered, then turned the muzzle of his gun towards Uncle Kang Pangzi. "Big guy, do you have anything to say?"
Seeing the gun aimed at him, Uncle Kang Pangzi's entire body of flesh trembled. Even the ants that had been surrounding us became chaotic, clearly indicating his agitated state.
"Heh heh... I... I have nothing to say. Young Master Li is truly talented and accomplished. I admire you greatly. I only hope that once you have the Tiger Kui Seal, you'll leave a place for me in the Yin Realm in the future..."
Whether he genuinely felt this way or was naturally gifted with eloquent flattery, he continued to praise for over ten minutes without repeating himself.
Li Rui picked up the Tiger Kui Seal from the ground. His eyes first lit up with joy, then turned cold.
"Kid, I told you, I will repay the pain you've caused me tenfold, a hundredfold."
Before he could finish speaking, I rolled to the side. The gunshots rang out again, and a smoking bullet hole appeared where I had just been.
The sight filled me with dread, but more so with anger. Even a tiger wouldn't eat its cubs; Li Rui was truly wicked.
"Li Rui, you beast! He's your grand-uncle! How could you dare to..."
Before the word 'hand' could leave my lips, I saw Li Rui's eyes turn cold. I rolled again, moving like a monkey in a circus across the area.
*Bang bang—*
Only when Li Rui's gun clicked empty did I stop, my face slick with cold sweat.
At this moment, the tent had been torn to shreds from the outside. A group of bodyguards, led by Duck-Leg Man, all held guns pointed at us.
Li Rui waved to someone beside him, and another person handed him a loaded gun. Taking it, he smiled, "Kid, are you a monkey? Rolling around like that, if you were sold to a circus, you'd make a fortune."
Seeing the dozen or so red marks on my body, I sneered, "Whether I'm a monkey or a dog, it doesn't matter. But I know you're a beast, a beast that heaven itself cannot tolerate."
*Bang—*
The gunshot sounded, and I felt a force push me from my shoulder. Then, my body flew backward, followed by a piercing pain that blurred my vision and made my ears ring.
"Qingyun..."
Then came a few more gunshots, forcing my almost-fainting mind to snap back. I saw Zhang Dabiao lying in a pool of blood, his body riddled with wounds.
"Brother Zhang..."
"Cough cough... I'm fine. Can't die yet." Zhang Dabiao raised his head, spitting blood, and gave me a smile that was more like a grimace before his head dropped to the ground, and he became still.
My head buzzed as if it had been struck by a hammer a dozen times.
"Hahaha..."
A piercingly cheerful laugh drew my attention. I saw Duck-Leg Man's gun emitting a faint wisp of smoke. It was clear he was the one who had shot Zhang Dabiao.
"Heh heh... How is it, Song Qingyun? Is it fun? I'll give you two choices. One, eat shit until you can't anymore. Two, crawl between my legs, kowtow, call me grandpa three times, and say you were wrong and will never do it again. Then I can ask Young Master Li to help this big guy stop bleeding. What do you say?" Duck-Leg Man proudly raised his gun, confirming he was the one who shot Zhang Dabiao.
"Li Rui, have you never considered that while heaven's wrath can be forgiven, one cannot escape the consequences of their own actions?"
I had been hesitating whether to use my trump card, as I believed Li Zuoquan deserved to die the most, for causing my father to fall into a coma for ten years and for Zhang Dabiao losing his father.
But now, I realized I was wrong, terribly wrong. It reminded me of what my master once said: "In an avalanche, no snowflake is innocent." All these people deserve to die.
"What? Song Qingyun, are you still waiting for that girl to save you? Don't dream. I originally wanted to play with you for a while longer, but it seems you don't want to play anymore. Then I'll send you on your way!"
As Li Rui finished speaking, he spun his gun and aimed it at me.
"Ah! What is this? Damn it, it burns!"
Before Li Rui could shoot me, he himself cried out in terror, dropping his gun and rolling on the ground.
Li Rui, holding the Tiger Kui Seal, had his hand covered in a layer of black mud. As he moved, the black mud was rapidly spreading upwards. Su Dan Novel Network.
Uncle Kang Pangzi, being a蛊 master, was initially stunned, then took several steps back in horror.
"Yin Silk Worm?"