The situation could truly be described as unpredictable.
Everyone present was utterly dumbfounded.
Only Fu Ruheng, after a dazed moment, curved the corners of his eyes.
How wonderful—that person had protected him once again.
Situ Shen knew exactly how strong his father was, yet the result…
Seeing his father looking as if he were about to depart for the west, Situ Shen felt as if struck by lightning.
“Father!”
The other two middle-aged men were also panicked, “Patriarch!”
Situ Shen scrambled over to Situ Feng’s side, his hands and clothes quickly stained with his father’s blood.
“Father, father, how are you…”
Situ Feng grasped Situ Shen’s hand with difficulty, speaking almost in a whisper, “Run…”
“Run quickly…”
The black-robed man was too terrifying. Before that barrier, he was like a toddler learning to walk in Handan.
The immense spiritual power, vast as the sea—he was but a tiny fry within it. No matter how many years he struggled, he could never match even a single scale of the other, far beyond his reach, more so than the Celestial Realm.
Situ Shen said in dismay, “Father, if even you can’t defeat the black-robed man, do you think we can escape?”
Situ Shen deeply regretted it—he shouldn’t have shattered the talisman to summon his father.
His father and the two elders were the pillars of the Situ family. If they were to fall, the Situ family would cease to exist…
Their family’s legacy would be divided among other families and factions, and his loved ones would be hunted down and exterminated by others…
Situ Shen hated himself, hated that he had brought ruin upon the Situ family.
Carefully shifting Situ Feng to make him lie more comfortably, Situ Shen sprinkled some medicinal powder on his wounds. Then he rose and walked to Fu Ruheng’s feet, kneeling heavily.
As he spoke, he kowtowed, “My lord, all the fault is mine, a thousand times over. Please, do not take your anger out on my family.”
“If you wish to kill or torture, direct it all at me.”
Fu Ruheng leaned against the staircase railing, his lowered eyelashes concealing the strangeness in his eyes.
Kill?
He did indeed want to kill Situ Shen.
Wanted to kill these four who had come to trouble him.
They were no different from those who had bullied and humiliated him.
In his previous life, the ones he had killed the most were those who sought to cause him trouble.
But…
This life was different from the last.
There was now someone by his side.
That person, clumsy yet protective of him.
Causing the violence and cruelty in his heart to be unknowingly soothed.
Fu Ruheng’s slender fingers gently twisted the red jade ring around his knuckle. If he frequently killed in front of that person, would they think him too ruthless and cruel, or perhaps be frightened by his ferocity?
The mere thought of that person forming a poor impression of him made Fu Ruheng’s heart feel as if shrouded, suffocating.
He dared not take that risk.
Compared to killing, it seemed he wanted that person to stay by his side even more.
He had been lonely and adrift for so long; finally, he had met someone willing to protect him.
He couldn’t bear to drive them away.
Whether they revealed themselves or not, as long as they were there, he could suppress all thoughts of killing.
An unfamiliar emotion flowed through his heart, akin to palpitations. Fu Ruheng adapted to it, allowing the feeling to ferment within him. No one saw the faint blush in his peach-blossom eyes as he murmured softly, hoarsely, “If you wish to leave alive, buy your lives with spirit stones.”
Situ Shen was stunned, almost thinking he had misheard.
The killing intent emanating from the black-robed man had been so intense; he had thought his life was surely forfeit.
He never expected the black-robed man only wanted spirit stones…
The Situ family’s business was substantial enough that they never lacked spirit stones.
Situ Shen hadn’t brought his storage ring with him. In a few swift moves, he removed the storage ring from his father’s hand and presented it with both hands.
“It contains one million low-grade spirit stones, one hundred thousand mid-grade spirit stones, and one hundred high-grade spirit stones—equivalent to the Situ family’s annual profits. I offer this in exchange for the lives of myself, my father, and our two elder uncles.”
Fu Ruheng took it and said indifferently, “You may leave.”
Fearing that Fu Ruheng might go back on his word and attack them, Situ Shen quickly signaled to the two Situ family elders upon hearing this. They swiftly left with Situ Feng.
Only Zhu Qingqing, Liu Zhaomei, and Ouyang Mu remained on the scene.
Uncertain whether Fu Ruheng’s words applied only to the Situ family, Zhu Qingqing inquired, “Sir, may we also buy our lives with spirit stones?”
Receiving a nod in response, the anxiety in Zhu Qingqing’s heart eased considerably.
Though her legs were still immobile, she struggled to pull out her storage bag and tossed it to Liu Zhaomei. “Senior Sister, give this storage bag to the sir. The spirit stones inside should be enough to buy our lives.”
Liu Zhaomei intended to reimburse Zhu Qingqing for the spirit stones later and, without hesitation, presented the storage bag to Fu Ruheng.
Soon after, Zhu Qingqing regained the ability to move.
“Senior Sister, let’s go,” she said, pulling Liu Zhaomei along as they hurried away, their steps chaotic as if fleeing from man-eating monsters.
Ouyang Mu watched their departing figures with envy.
After his back slammed against the wall once more, he spoke ingratiatingly, “Sir, I also have enough spirit stones. I wish to buy my life as well.”
Fu Ruheng stared at Ouyang Mu thoughtfully for a moment, his tall figure silhouetted against the soft light. “Wait a little longer.”
Ouyang Mu: “…”
Unfair!
They were allowed to leave after offering spirit stones. Why did he have to wait longer?
Ruan Ruoyin watched the scene on her screen. The chibi character stood at the staircase landing, his clear and beautiful peach-blossom eyes misty as he looked up, fragile yet lovely, soft and adorable like a little fox.
Due to the small size of her phone, Ruan Ruoyin felt as if she were making eye contact with Zaizai.
Her heart instantly fluttered.
She released the finger that had been tormenting Ouyang Mu, clasped her hands to her chest, and let out an adoring “aww.”
Zaizai is so chibi and cute!
So kind and well-behaved!
And especially soft-hearted—he only took the spirit stones and let the troublemakers go!
But if she hadn’t intervened, Zaizai’s fate would have been…
The anger that had subsided in Ruan Ruoyin surged back, and she vented it all on Ouyang Mu.
Only when Ouyang Mu could no longer endure it and fainted did she finally end his “torture.”
Ruan Ruoyin rubbed her sore fingers, feeling quite pleased. She cooed to the game system in a tone seeking praise, “Flying into a rage for the sake of a handsome man—doesn’t that have the vibe of a hero saving a beauty?”
Game System: …
It didn’t feel that way. If anything, the vibe of vanity was quite strong.
Seeing Ouyang Mu with his eyes tightly shut, Fu Ruheng wasn’t sure if that person intended to continue tormenting him. He instructed the stunned innkeeper to fetch a basin of ice water and poured it over Ouyang Mu to wake him.
The icy water stung Ouyang Mu’s wounds, causing excruciating pain.
Seeing Fu Ruheng standing beside him, he was so terrified his heart nearly stopped.
He hastily pulled out a black ring. “Sir, this is my storage ring. It contains mountains of spirit stones. I want to buy my life, buy my life…”
If he didn’t buy his life soon, he would bleed to death!
Fu Ruheng gave a faint hum but showed no intention of taking the storage ring from Ouyang Mu. Clad in black robes, his arms hung naturally at his sides, making him look like a cold statue from a distance.
“…” Ouyang Mu’s hand, holding out the storage ring, grew stiff and numb.
His mind was filled with question marks.
The person ahead had been allowed to leave after handing over spirit stones, so why was the situation different for him?
Ouyang Mu was utterly panicked.
He was truly afraid that the black-robed man, with his unpredictable temperament, would kill him.
He hadn’t lived long enough, hadn’t yet made a dazzling appearance at the Four Sects Competition…
Fu Ruheng waited for a long time, and after confirming that the person would not make another move, his slender fingers, clad in black gloves, elegantly plucked the storage ring from Ouyang Mu’s hand.
Ouyang Mu instantly revived with renewed vigor, his eyes blazing as he watched Fu Ruheng leave.
Before he could relax, the black-robed man, who had reached the first floor, turned back and casually kicked him, causing his already staunched wound to burst open once more.
Ouyang Mu: “…”
Damn it, he’d already paid the spirit stones for his life, and now he had to take a kick too?
Ouyang Mu gritted his teeth fiercely, flames of hatred flickering in his eyes.
Fine, very well. He would remember the humiliation of today.
The black-robed man, was it? Ouyang Mu swore then and there that even if he had to spend every last coin, he would hire an assassin to eliminate him!