"I'll kneel..." The words felt like knives scraping down my throat. I had even considered death over uttering them, but after much deliberation, I couldn't be so selfish as to endanger Zhang Dabiao's life.
"What? What? What did you say? I didn't hear you clearly. Speak up, what did you say?" Hu Yuan shouted, a mocking smile plastered on his face, feigning deafness.
"I said I'll kneel. Don't hurt my elder brother." I suppressed the humiliation on my face. Even if I had to concede for now, I didn't want Hu Yuan to see my shame.
"Haha... You'll kneel? Hu Biao, did you hear that? This little bastard actually wants to kneel to me. How ironic. When you colluded with that little slut to harm me, why didn't you think of this day? Did you ever consider it?" As Hu Biao spoke, he punctuated each question with a slap and a kick, showcasing his shameless madness to the fullest.
"No... No! Song Qingyun, get up! I'm not afraid of death, you can't humiliate yourself like this..." After three slaps and four kicks, Hu Yuan had put considerable force into it. These blows sent me flying several meters away, leaving me less than two meters from Zhang Dabiao. I collapsed onto the ground, stars dancing before my eyes.
Zhang Dabiao's words were cut short by a muffled grunt. His star-filled eyes saw Hu Biao deliver another kick, sending a spray of blood a foot high. Such a kick, let alone for Zhang Dabiao who was already severely injured, would have been enough to kill or gravely wound even a healthy person.
My eyes burned with fury. My hands dug fiercely into the dirt, sharp pebbles tearing at my fingertips, yet I felt no pain. My mind was consumed by a single thought: to kill Hu Yuan before me, to flay him, dismember him, eat his flesh raw, and swallow his bones alive. He was the only person I had ever hated this much, because he was utterly inhuman.
"Hu Yuan, even if I die, I will turn into a vengeful spirit and seek revenge on you."
"Revenge? Do you think you'll have the chance?" Hu Yuan delivered another kick to my head, making my skull ring. His voice seemed to come from the heavens, indistinct and unintelligible.
"Kid, let me teach you something. Without a backer, you should honestly stay a ground rat and not wander about. Otherwise, you won't even know how you died. You want to become a vengeful spirit? Wait for your next life!"
Through my hazy vision, I saw Hu Yuan's狰狞 face. He held a pig-slaughtering knife, its blade stained a dark red. Even in my dazed state, I could feel the potent killing intent radiating from it. This was a true "killing weapon." If one were to die by its hand, they wouldn't even become a vengeful spirit, let alone a ghost.
"This scoundrel, he's really thought of everything." I watched helplessly as Hu Yuan raised the knife, realizing I wouldn't get my revenge.
In my final moments, I looked towards Zhang Dabiao. He was looking back at me, his eyes filled with a hint of guilt and a touch of helplessness. Hu Biao's upper body underwent a transformation, a massive wolf's head replacing it. His scarlet eyes dripped with saliva as he bared his fangs, about to savor his gluttonous feast.
Why did the Hu family keep wolves? Could wolves also cultivate into wild immortals? With this final question swirling in my mind, my thoughts began to wander.
It was over, finished like this. I'm sorry, Master, for not being able to repay your ten years of nurturing. I'm sorry, Father, for not being able to wake you from your coma. I'm sorry, Fifth Prince, Fifth Princess, I couldn't fulfill your requests. I'm sorry...
I mentally apologized to everyone I felt indebted to. Just as I thought I could peacefully await death, the long-awaited pain didn't come. Instead, I heard a muffled grunt, which sounded like Hu Yuan's.
Subconsciously, I cracked open an eyelid. The pig-slaughtering knife that had been suspended before my eyes was gone. Hu Yuan, its owner, had also vanished. Ignoring the pain in my body, I pushed myself up and saw Hu Yuan lying not far away, whether dead or alive was unknown.
A white figure stood with its back to me, holding the wolf-headed Hu Biao in its hand, still muttering curses.
"Don't you know this fool was under my care? A mere *bei* demon dares to show itself in front of everyone, thinking it's someone important?"
Bai Ling'er? Why are you here?
Seeing Bai Ling'er with one hand on her hip and the other holding the *bei* demon, I was so excited I almost cried.
Just one step more, and if she had come any later, she would only be collecting our corpses, mine and Zhang Dabiao's.
Perhaps sensing my gaze, Bai Ling'er, still holding Hu Biao, didn't strike a killing blow. She simply prevented him from speaking and looked at me, saying, "I call you a fool, and you still don't admit it. You can't even handle something this simple. You were almost taken advantage of by this person and nearly got Zhang Dabiao killed. What else can you do?"
I was rendered speechless by Bai Ling'er's words. I wanted to retort but didn't know how to begin. How could I have known Hu Yuan would appear midway? Not to mention the person chasing my doppelganger, Huang San, should also be from the Hu family. They must have known my plan long ago. It wasn't until the appearance of the Tiger Kui Seal that everyone made their move.
"I... You're right, I am a fool."
What else was there to say? My seemingly flawless plan was, in the eyes of those old foxes with eyelashes as hollow as their hearts, completely transparent. What could I say when they found loopholes?
"It's good that you know you're a fool." Seeing my submission, Bai Ling'er turned her attention to the *bei* demon in her hand. "In your next life, when you're a watchdog, find a good family. Don't switch masters for a little bit of benefit."
The *bei* demon was about to beg for mercy when Bai Ling'er twisted its head. The demon's head went limp, its body convulsed a couple of times, and Bai Ling'er tossed it aside. In an instant, it transformed into a creature that looked like both a dog and a wolf, though its front legs were somewhat short, appearing underdeveloped.
After dealing with the *bei* demon, Bai Ling'er clapped her hands and, with an innocent demeanor, walked over to the unconscious Hu Yuan. She nudged him with her foot and said, "Fool, just kill this guy directly too! He's disgusting to look at. He calls his own sister a slut when he speaks, he's definitely not a good person."
"This..."
Before I could speak, Hu Yuan, who had appeared to be unconscious, suddenly jumped up and then, with a thud, knelt before Bai Ling'er, his head bobbing like pounding garlic.
"Grand Aunt, I was wrong. I'm just a nobody! Please, be merciful and let me go like a fart..."
His head struck the ground with such force that it made thudding sounds on the dirt, clearly indicating how terrified Hu Yuan was of Bai Ling'er.
"It's not impossible for me to spare you. Don't you like watching others kowtow? Then you'll kowtow properly for me right here. Every kowtow must make a sound. When I'm satisfied, I'll spare you."
As soon as Bai Ling'er finished speaking, a great and terrifying pressure suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Simultaneously, a powerful voice laced with fury echoed through the air.
"Hmph... You expect me, a member of the Hu family, to kowtow to a mere worm like you? You'd better weigh your own importance."
As the first word was spoken, it felt as if it came from a great distance. By the last word, an old man had materialized out of thin air. He was dressed in a white robe, but his hair, eyebrows, and beard were all fiery red. His eyes had vertical pupils, like raging infernos, and he glared furiously at Bai Ling'er.
"Third Grandfather... Save me!"