Old Liu's gaze held a trace of fear, for he had already sensed that he was no match for Lin Xiaotian. If he persisted, Lin Xiaotian might just finish him off like he did the Xu family patriarch.
After a moment of hesitation, he spoke, "Actually, those dealing with you now aren't the true Heavenly Net. I don't even know who you've offended, but they want some secret formulas from you."
"I'm not entirely sure what those formulas are, but I know they won't give up. After I dealt with you last time, I disappeared because I knew I wasn't your opponent. I've been avoiding you."
"I didn't expect to have such bad luck running into you today. Give me a chance, and I promise I'll never trouble you again. If there's anything important, I might even be able to notify you, like their plans or whereabouts. I can send you a message beforehand."
Lin Xiaotian smiled faintly and said, "Alright, since you're being so cooperative, it would be unfeeling of me not to accept."
"From now on, you'll be my dog. And dogs need a leash, don't they?"
Hearing this, Old Liu's expression flickered with a hint of anger, but he quickly suppressed it. In front of Lin Xiaotian, he had no power to resist. Lin Xiaotian's imposing aura had completely crushed his own.
Experts at their level possessed incredibly keen senses. Once he knew he was outmatched, he simply gave up. He understood that resisting further would only make him look foolish.
Lin Xiaotian flipped his wrist, and a small white jade bottle appeared. A faint smile played on his lips, and his eyes held a hint of amusement.
"I believe you know what this is, being one of the higher-ups in the Heavenly Net. You're quite knowledgeable."
"Take a look. If you want to be my dog, swallow this. Consider it your leash."
"If you refuse, I'll proceed as planned. We have no need for pleasantries."
As he spoke, Lin Xiaotian leaned against a nearby tree, his eyes clearly mocking.
Some things, once they happen, can never be erased. He hadn't forgotten what this man had done when he was looking for people.
He wasn't a petty person, but he wasn't so magnanimous either. If others attacked him, he wouldn't stand idly by. He would repay them a hundredfold.
Old Liu scrutinized the item in Lin Xiaotian's hand. Suddenly, his pupils contracted, and his eyes widened in disbelief. "Lin Xiaotian, where did you get this?"
"How could it be in your possession?"
"This is clearly the Myriad Poison Spider Silk! If this is placed on someone, they'll wish they were dead."
"I don't know what this thing is, but I'd rather die than use it as a leash."
Old Liu's voice now held a plea. He knew how terrifying this substance was, and more importantly, it had no antidote.
He would rather die than endure that kind of suffering.
Lin Xiaotian smiled faintly and said, "Then choose the other option!"
"What other option?"
Old Liu instinctively asked. But before his words had even fallen, Lin Xiaotian's figure vanished like lightning.
His heart skipped a beat. He guessed what Lin Xiaotian was about to do. He might cripple him. He desperately defended his dantian and qi sea. After all, he was a legendary realm expert; he wouldn't be taken down so easily.
But in the next moment, he felt a cut on his shoulder. He instinctively looked, only to see a white silken thread fall onto his wound. Before he could even react, the white thread burrowed into his flesh.
His composure shattered. He glared at Lin Xiaotian in anger. "I told you to give me a quick death! I don't want to die by this thing."
"Why didn't you keep your word?"
Lin Xiaotian smiled faintly. "When did I ever promise you a quick death?"
"Don't you have any sense of what happened before? If I weren't strong, you might have already killed me. Stop spewing nonsense. I'm giving you a chance by placing this on you."
"I have a medicine that can suppress the outbreak of this蛊虫. If you want to try it, I can give it to you. You'll need to take it once a month to suppress the worms. If you refuse the medicine, you know how you'll die."
After a moment of hesitation, Old Liu's eyes pleaded. "Lin Xiaotian, please give me another chance. I truly don't want to be a tool in your hands. I know you and the Heavenly Net are mortal enemies, but the Heavenly Net has too many experts. Someone at my level isn't even considered an expert there."
"You have no idea how vast this world is, and true experts hide in the shadows. The Heavenly Net has been around for thousands of years; imagine how many experts they have."
"I don't want to be their enemy, nor do I want to oppose them, because then I'll wish I were dead. Their methods for dealing with traitors are too harsh."
"Please, give me one last chance! Let me die with dignity!"
Old Liu knew very well that Lin Xiaotian had no intention of letting him go. He intended to extract valuable information from him. With so many people from the Xu family watching, he couldn't hide anything. Rather than be tortured to death, it would be better to end it quickly himself.
He had no power to resist Lin Xiaotian. If he tried to take his own life, Lin Xiaotian would likely stop him and cripple his strength, leaving him to passively endure the pain.
Lin Xiaotian smiled faintly. "Old Liu, I've given you chances time and time again, but you haven't shown me any respect. If I get angry, the consequences will be severe!"