As time passed, Song Sheng felt as though his entire body was drenched in sweat. His clothes clung to him, making him feel utterly miserable.
Glancing at Zhu Yu'er, he saw that her face was also pale. She must have been under immense pressure too. He wondered if he should just tell the truth.
Zhu Yu'er seemed to sense eyes on her. She looked up and saw Song Sheng looking at her with a complex expression.
Seeing Song Sheng's gaze, Zhu Yu'er immediately felt uneasy.
Surely Song Sheng wouldn't betray them, would he?
Looking at Shen Xiao Yan's demeanor, it was clear that whoever had harmed Shen Xiao Ming would suffer terribly.
She didn't want to die a terrible death. She wanted to live well, and so... she had to apologize.
She gave Song Sheng a complicated look, then withdrew her gaze, took a deep breath, and was about to speak.
Although Song Sheng didn't know what Zhu Yu'er intended to say, her expression told him it wouldn't be anything good.
So, the moment Zhu Yu'er opened her mouth, he spoke first.
"I'll talk, I'll talk! If I tell you, can you let me go?"
After speaking, Song Sheng looked at Shen Xiao Yan with pleading eyes.
"You should tell us first. Besides, who knows if you're telling the truth?"
Hearing Shen Xiao Yan's words, Song Sheng quickly waved his hands and said, "It's come to this. I wouldn't lie to you, would I? Right?"
Shen Xiao Yan remained noncommittal. Although she didn't deny it verbally, whether she truly believed Song Sheng was another matter.
Seeing that Shen Xiao Yan had no more to say, Song Sheng wiped the sweat from his forehead and continued, "We entered the forest to find some high-level demonic beasts or valuable medicinal herbs. But who would have thought that as soon as we entered the depths of the forest, we encountered an unbelievable scene? We were all terrified and only thought of escaping. But who would have thought that after the three of us men had run a short distance, we heard Shen Xiao Ming's tragic scream when we turned back? It was Zhu Yu'er who, to save herself, pushed Su Yan out to shield her."
Song Sheng paused here, as if startled by the memory.
"When we got out, we all blamed Zhu Yu'er. But she herself said that everyone must look out for themselves. She wanted to live well too."
Shen Xiao Yan turned to look at Zhu Yu'er. Zhu Yu'er's face was filled with panic, but she finally forced herself to calm down and said loudly, "What did I say wrong? It's the truth."
Shen Xiao Yan sneered, "Indeed, everyone must look out for themselves. But when you ask someone else to trade their life for your safety, don't you feel guilty or uneasy?"
Zhu Yu'er, perhaps having given up, sneered, "What's there to be uneasy about? I did what I did. I'm not afraid to admit it now. Besides, do you really think Song Sheng is telling the truth?"
Saying this, she turned and looked coldly at Song Sheng and the other two.
"You've managed to clear yourselves completely. Back then, after we left the forest, I said we should run quickly, but you said you wanted to go back and see how Shen Xiao Ming was."
"I initially thought you had a change of heart and wanted to pull him back. But who would have thought that when we went back, we saw that Shen Xiao Ming had become a half-human? You immediately said you wanted to sell him to the Sacred Language Auction House. That way, you could make a good profit and not have come here for nothing."
Hearing Zhu Yu'er's words, Song Sheng and the other two quickly retorted, "What nonsense are you spouting, you shrew? It was clearly you who proposed this idea. We three couldn't persuade you, so we went with you to the auction house. I can't believe you're selling us out now to save yourself. You truly have a venomous heart, you vicious bitch."
Listening to them bicker like dogs, Shen Xiao Yan's eyes flickered with cold light.
Even though she knew one side was lying, the truth was probably somewhere in between. None of them were good people. At this critical juncture, they were all willing to sell each other out to save themselves.
Thinking this, she suddenly remembered the white fox.
Turning to look in the direction of the white fox, Shen Xiao Yan smiled and said, "Why are you still hiding? Hurry up and show yourself!"
Hearing Shen Xiao Yan's sudden address, Zhu Yu'er and the other three immediately fell silent and looked at Shen Xiao Yan with a hint of caution.
Who was Shen Xiao Yan talking to? Was there someone else hiding in the shadows?
Just as they were racking their brains, they suddenly saw a white light flash from the white ermine that had been lying quietly nearby.
The white ermine had transformed into a living person. This person was someone they were all too familiar with – the half-human they had handled and sold to the Sacred Language Auction House.
But shouldn't this half-human be at the Sacred Language Auction House right now? Why had he appeared here with Su Yu and the others?
Thinking this, Zhu Yu'er also recalled that Shen Xiao Ming had also been sold to the Sacred Language Auction House by them. Even though it was in a remote city at the time, Shen Xiao Ming's price was still not cheap. How could Shen Xiao Yan afford him?
Not to mention Shen Xiao Ming, even the white fox this time, the manager had said the price would be tens or even hundreds of times higher than the last time. Under such circumstances, how did Shen Xiao Yan get this white fox?
Could it be that she snatched it? But as soon as this thought flashed through her mind, Zhu Yu'er dismissed it.
The reason was simple: although the Sacred Language Auction House was a business, their strength was not to be underestimated.
Let alone one or two people, even two hundred people wouldn't be able to get a bargain at the Sacred Language Auction House.
Not to mention snatching away such an auction item. Since it wasn't snatched, it must have been bought.
But the white fox's price was so high, where did Shen Xiao Yan get so much gold to buy it back?
Could it be that Shen Xiao Yan was the child of an important figure from some sect? In that case, if she and Su Yan were siblings, was Shen Xiao Ming also of such noble status?
If their families knew that they had harmed Shen Xiao Ming to this extent and sold him for profit, would they let them off easily?
For a moment, Zhu Yu'er felt a chill run down her spine. Even if they escaped Shen Xiao Yan's wrath today, would they never be able to live in peace?
As she was thinking this, she suddenly heard Shen Xiao Yan's light laugh.
"I forgot to tell you, my mother is also here today."
Shen Xiao Yan said this and pointed to Zhen Ling Rong, who was standing nearby.
Hearing this, Zhu Yu'er and the other three instantly broke out in a cold sweat and instinctively looked towards Zhen Ling Rong.
When they saw Zhen Ling Rong standing there quietly, her imposing aura pressing down on them like a mountain, they knew something was wrong.
Unexpectedly, as soon as they mentioned her, she appeared. Their mother had also come.
"Let me formally introduce you. This is Palace Master Zhen Ling Rong, the Palace Master of Chang Qiu Palace, and also the mother of Shen Xiao Yan and Shen Xiao Ming."
As Shen Xiao Yan finished speaking, Zhu Yu'er and the other three felt their legs turn to jelly and could no longer stand.
What had they just heard? Palace Master Zhen was their mother.
Thinking about all the foolish things they had done before.
In an instant, Zhu Yu'er felt that death was not far away. Judging by Zhen Ling Rong's cold gaze, today would not end well.
As for Zhen Ling Rong, she was so excited to hear Shen Xiao Yan call her "mother" that she was overwhelmed.
But the situation was not right, and she couldn't say anything about it now.
After giving Shen Xiao Yan a deep look, she turned to face Zhu Yu'er and the others.
"Even if Shen Xiao Ming wasn't my child, but someone else's, would you push him out to save yourself? Since you already made him suffer for you, not only are you not grateful, but you also want to sell him for crystal coins? How can your heart be so vicious?"
Zhen Ling Rong spoke these words with great anger. Although she hadn't shown her emotions like this in many years, it concerned her child, and she no longer cared about her image as a Palace Master.
Hearing Zhen Ling Rong's words, Zhu Yu'er trembled all over and fell to her knees with a plop.
"Palace Master Zhen, I was wrong. I was truly terrified at the time, which is why I pushed Shen Xiao Ming. I beg you to spare me this time."
Zhu Yu'er pleaded tearfully, looking extremely regretful.
Before Zhen Ling Rong could say anything, Song Sheng spoke up first.
"Zhu Yu'er, you bitch, how dare you beg Palace Master Zhen for forgiveness!"
Hearing this, Shen Xiao Yan looked at Song Sheng coldly, "How dare you talk about her? Do you think you're any better than her? She pushed Shen Xiao Ming, but then she wanted to sell Shen Xiao Ming to the Sacred Language Auction House. Isn't that all her responsibility?"
Hearing Shen Xiao Yan's words, Song Sheng's body trembled. "You... what do you mean? This woman is venomous, so who else's idea could it be? Miss, you are young and kind-hearted, don't be deceived by this woman. Her greatest skill is putting on airs and pretending."
Shen Xiao Yan sneered, "Even if she's ruthless, how much better are you than her?"
Song Sheng was about to retort when Zhen Ling Rong interrupted him coldly.
"Enough with the nonsense. You are all responsible. Since you did such things back then, you should have expected this day."
The white fox had been waiting impatiently and took a step forward, sneering, "What's the point of wasting words with them? It's better to just kill them."
In the white fox's heart, the four of them had already been sentenced to death, not only because they had sold him, but also because they had dared to sell his king.
Hearing the white fox, Shen Xiao Yan and the others didn't object. They just wanted to know what had happened, and now that they understood completely, there was no need to keep the four of them alive.
Upon hearing this, Song Sheng and the other three immediately knelt down and cried for mercy.
"Spare us, please! We truly know we were wrong."
"Yes, yes, Palace Master Zhen, you are magnanimous, please spare us this time!"
"Palace Master Zhen, you are beautiful and kind-hearted, why can't you let us go? What kind of waves can we, such small fry, stir up before you?"
Hearing their pleas, Shen Xiao Yan couldn't help but laugh. "You people are truly hilarious. Just because my mother has power, ability, status, and position, you think you should be spared? Who taught you such logic? Have you lived in the Sacred Spirit Continent for so many years and still don't understand the rules here? The law of the jungle is the rule of survival. Wasn't that the same rule you followed when you treated Shen Xiao Ming back then?"
Hearing this, the four were speechless. They had indeed acted that way before, but that was towards others. When it came to themselves, they naturally didn't want to die like this.
However, Zhen Ling Rong no longer wanted to waste any more words with them. She turned to the white fox and said, "Since that's the case, you handle this."
The white fox shrugged indifferently. It didn't matter who did it; killing four ants was easy enough.
Shen Xiao Yan and the others said nothing more, merely watching the scene coldly from the side.
Shen Xiao Yan was also curious about what methods the white fox would use.
The white fox strode up to Song Sheng and extended its palm.
In an instant, its originally slender and fair fingers transformed into the fluffy yet incredibly sharp claws of a white ermine.
What was happening?
Shen Xiao Yan's eyes widened, she couldn't believe what she was seeing.
The white fox's claw struck Song Sheng's head fiercely, and Song Sheng's body slumped to the ground.
What was going on?
Song Sheng's body was intact. Even though he had been scratched by the white fox, the skin on his head was the same as before.
But why was he no longer breathing?
As Shen Xiao Yan was confused, she suddenly heard Zheng Wei's voice.
"Look at the white fox's claws."
Shen Xiao Yan's heart was filled with suspicion, but her eyes were drawn to the white fox.
Looking at it, she was shocked.
In the white fox's paw was Song Sheng.