Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Toy with Them to Death!

“You even dared touch someone from Cloudsky Peak?” An Ze’s voice shook with rage. “Are you tired of living?!”

“Cough… cough!” He tugged at a wound and winced, covering his chest as resentment flared again—resentment toward Song Wan Ning’s cold-heartedness.

Bai Yang’s face was pale. He didn’t answer. He only walked to Ye Chu Xue’s bedside.

“Junior Sister Ye,” he asked, voice hoarse, “are you feeling better?”

Ye Chu Xue looked at him gratefully. “Much better. Thank you, Senior Brother Bai!”

She knew nothing about what happened after she fainted. In her mind, it was the pill Bai Yang had stolen that saved her. Warmth rose in her eyes, sweet and sincere.

“Because of me, you made Martial Uncle Song unhappy,” she said softly. “What should we do?”

Ye Chu Xue was worried Martial Uncle Song would blame Bai Yang.

Bai Yang’s expression stiffened. Something restless and awkward knotted in his chest.

He didn’t know how to explain. He asked a few clipped questions, then turned and left.

Lu Nan Feng and An Ze hurried after him.

Ye Chu Xue watched Bai Yang’s back, a faint disappointment blooming—

And then, immediately after, something sweeter.

Bai Yang had done it for her. He had even dared to disobey his master and steal a pill…

At that moment, Gu Qing Yuan strode into the room, his face heavy with gloom.

Just now, the Sect Master had warned him again: don’t make a choice you’ll regret.

Ye Chu Xue was his disciple.

They couldn’t be together.

Gu Qing Yuan clenched his fist, unwilling.

Status shouldn’t be a barrier between them.

But righteousness and morality screamed at him to restrain himself.

The two thoughts twisted around each other, tearing at him until it felt like he might go mad.

—

On Cloudsky Peak, Bai Yang was punished to kneel outside the main hall.

The theft had been exposed. Disciples who passed by couldn’t help casting extra looks at him, eyes full of gossip and disdain.

Song Wan Ning walked out of the hall and met Bai Yang’s resentful glare head-on.

She looked away indifferently, not saying a word.

Bai Yang bit his lip until it hurt and lowered his head again.

When Song Wan Ning left, Lu Nan Feng sneaked over and whispered anxiously, “Eldest Senior Brother, didn’t I tell you to apologize to Master?”

“As long as you apologize, she’ll soften. Why are you doing this?”

“I’m not wrong.” Bai Yang lifted his head, cold light flashing in his eyes. “I won’t apologize.”

Lu Nan Feng’s heart leaped into his throat. “Shh!”

If Master heard, it would only get worse.

Bai Yang let out a cold snort, stubborn to the last.

Lu Nan Feng had no way with him. He rubbed his forehead. “Forget it, forget it. At most, Master will cool down in three days. Just kneel two more days.”

…

“Dad. Mom. I’m back.”

Song Wan Ning hurried into the courtyard. The moment she saw those two familiar figures, her eyes turned red.

Thank goodness.

Nothing had happened yet.

Her parents were still here.

The Song Family was still here.

“Wan Ning, why are you back?” Song Qing Yun beamed, overjoyed. Holding Dao Companion Mu Yuan’s hand, he hurried out. “If you were coming home, you should’ve told us. We could’ve gone to pick you up!”

Mu Yuan smiled gently. “Wan Ning, you’ve been away so long. Are you tired? Come inside.”

Even though Song Wan Ning was over a hundred years old and already at mid Nascent Soul Stage, in their eyes she was still their little girl.

Song Wan Ning’s throat tightened. She forced the tears back, stepped forward, and hugged them both.

For a long moment, she couldn’t speak.

The smiles on Song Qing Yun and Mu Yuan’s faces slowly faded. They exchanged a look, sensing something was wrong.

When Song Wan Ning told them her engagement to Gu Qing Yuan had been dissolved, their expressions changed instantly.

“Wan Ning… what happened?” Song Qing Yun’s voice turned careful, strained.

Mu Yuan’s brows knit. “Weren’t you…”

Wan Ning had liked Gu Qing Yuan for over a hundred years. How could she suddenly end it?

Song Wan Ning shook her head. She took out the Three Lives Mirror and told them everything she had experienced.

“Outrageous!” Song Qing Yun roared. “Outrageous!!”

Anger struck so hard his vision blurred. His whole body trembled.

His precious daughter had been ground to bone and ash by Bai Yang.

Thousands of people in the Song Family had been slaughtered to the last by Bai Yang and his men.

“How dare they!” Song Qing Yun said, voice breaking with rage. “I’ll go kill them right now!”

Mu Yuan’s eyes reddened, killing aura rolling off her in waves. She pulled Song Wan Ning into her arms, holding her tightly as if she could protect her from the memory itself.

“Wan Ning… my good daughter. How could they do this to you?”

They had seen how well Song Wan Ning treated those people.

What kind of hearts did they have—to hurt her like that?

“Dad. Mom.” Song Wan Ning’s voice was steady now, even gentle. “I’m not sad anymore.”

She guided them inside, sat them down, and raised her hand to set a barrier. When the last shimmer settled, something murderous flashed across her face.

“Those people may be protected by the Heavenly Dao,” she said, voice low, controlled, “but I already know how it ends.”

Her lips curved, cold and sharp. “I have plenty of ways to toy with them to death. From now on, they’ll be my walking Treasure Vault.”

Status. Luck. Opportunities.

All the heaven-defying things that had once fallen into their laps—

She could take them for herself.

“Wan Ning,” Song Qing Yun said urgently, forcing himself calm, fear in his eyes, “you mustn’t walk down a dead end and let a heart demon take advantage!”

Song Wan Ning smiled. It didn’t reach her eyes.

“Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.”

She leaned forward. “They’re under my nose now. As long as I’m still their master, I can track their every move. I can hit them or scold them—and no one can say a word.”

[A heart demon?]

[She herself was a demon.]

[What was there to fear from a heart demon?]

“Last life,” Song Wan Ning continued, voice turning colder, “the Song Family was besieged because they used ‘my demonic fall’ as an excuse to wipe us out.”

“This time, I won’t give anyone an excuse.”

She lifted her gaze. “I’ll deal with them—and keep my hands perfectly clean.”

Song Wan Ning paused, then spoke again, decisive. “I know a place with a supreme-grade Spirit Vein. Dad. Mom. Listen to my arrangements…”

The Song Family had always been her support, her confidence, her home.

This time, she would lift the Song Family to the skies—

And watch those people get ground into mud with her own eyes.

…

The third day.

The fourth day.

…

The seventh day.

Bai Yang had knelt for seven days and nights. Still not fully healed, he kept coughing. He also had to endure the stares that passed over him like knives, and his mood sank until it hit rock bottom.

Lu Nan Feng stood nearby, worry written all over his face, thinking, Why hasn’t Master come back yet?

Eldest Senior Brother had already been kneeling for seven days.

“This is too much,” An Ze fumed, pacing like a caged beast. “Master is doing it on purpose. She knows Eldest Senior Brother is here, yet she hasn’t returned for seven whole days!”

“She’s deliberately punishing Eldest Senior Brother!”

The more An Ze thought about it, the angrier he got.

“Eldest Senior Brother, you shouldn’t be so obedient. If she tells you to kneel, you could secretly get up. She wouldn’t even know!”

Bai Yang kept his head down and ignored him.

An Ze kept ranting anyway, venting for Bai Yang—and for himself, still resentful about being injured.

Finally, at dusk, the three of them saw Song Wan Ning return.

And beside her walked a little girl—timid, quiet, around seven or eight years old.

The three of them froze.

“Master, you’re finally back!” Lu Nan Feng blurted, relief flooding his face.

Song Wan Ning nudged the little girl gently forward.

“Let me introduce her,” she said. “This is my closed-door disciple, Li Ruo.”