55 Chapter 54: Tragedy (1/2)

”Fei Wu.”

I continued to hang my head even as Ba Yun called out to me again. It wasn't that I planned on defying him, but I was just too tired and wracked in pain to raise my head.

”After spending the past week with you, I've come to realize something.”

He placed an arm around my shoulders in mock assurance, chuckling.

”That your body…as well as your mind are unexpectedly tenacious. Even after all of this, you continue to preserve your sanity. I'm impressed.”

I said nothing. There was nothing more to say. If anything, the silence was probably what helped me endure. I felt like the moment I said anything, the sturdy mental barrier that I had built to keep reality out would begin to crumble.

”And so I tried to come up with something different.”

He pulled on a trembling black leash.

”What do you think of this?”

Sounds of chuckling and sobbing were intertwined, and soft weeping reached my ears. My eyes widened and I finally looked up.

Ba Yun shoved a familiar pair toward me, his arms wrapped around them. My jaw dropped when I recognized them. Even though they had been beaten black and blue, their faces swollen and bleeding, their features were unmistakably those of the mother-son pair who took care of me all those months ago when I was in Chun Xiang Village.

”Hu Shi and Hu Hai?!”

”Yes, indeed! The mother and son from the village I found you in! It appears that you know these two quite well, doesn't it?”

Ba Yun roared gleefully with laughter as he presented the battered figures of Hu Shi and Hu Hai to me.

”F…Fei Wu…”

Hu Shi looked at me, both apologetic and miserable.

”I'm…sorry…”

”No…no, you…”

I met Hu Shi's resigned, terrified gaze with wide, horrified eyes. Ba Yun savored our expressions, the exchange of fear that passed between us, and chuckled again. He then slowly tilted his head to rest his amused gaze upon me.

”Now here is the dilemma. I really have no clue what to do, but I figure that you do. After spending so much time with me, I think you've earned the right to a reward. You get to choose, my dear Fei Wu. Which one should I kill?”

I wanted to throw up. I wanted to cry. In my hazy, disorientated eyes, Ba Yun's visage had turned into that of a monster. Despite appearing human, he was bereft of any human features. A monster with a human mask.

How long?

Lu Shun and Old Man Yi had told me. I vaguely recalled that they told me how the demonic sect, the Chinese Parasol Tree Sect had invaded and abducted a few women and children prior to my arrival. That was the reason why they even sent out the request in the first place. They were looking for someone to rescue these hostages.

On one hand, I was somewhat relieved. Hu Shi and Hu Hai weren't dead. They were still alive. Yi had mentioned that the demonic sects had abducted them to suck their yin qi essence for cultivation purposes, so I had vaguely believed that they had been killed quite some time ago. I was hoping against hope, but with the chances of that being so bleak, I had never really thought about it, especially since I was preoccupied with my own suffering.

But with hope came despair. For because they were still alive, they could be instantly killed, right now, right in front of my eyes.

How long had they been keeping these guys alive? Then…are the other abductees still alive? What's going to happen to them?

A sense of dread was swirling within me, mingling with the uncomfortable sensations of something crawling under my skin.

I had to hand it to him. Ba Yun was a master of making my skin crawl.

”Wuu…”

”Help me…”

I watched helplessly as Hu Shi and Hu Hai cried, their tears streaming down their cheeks as they realized their doom.

”Why?”

I managed.

”Why what?”

Ba Yun looked at me derisively and I found that I wasn't able to shape my question coherently. I didn't know how to give voice to the anger and vortex of emotions that were threatening to overflow in my mind.

”…why can't you just spare them?”

”Spare them? Why would I do that?” Ba Yun barked out in harsh laughter. Snorting, he curled his arms around the mother-child pair. ”Even if I don't kill them now, the Leader will be sucking their qi essence sooner rather than later. Either way, they're dead. I'm being generous, you know. I'm letting you decide how they die.”

”Let them go…please…”

”Why would I let them go?” Ba Yun threw his head back and guffawed. ”Look at how much fun I'm having!”

”No…”

Closing my eyes briefly, I clenched my teeth and steeled my will. Fire seemed to blaze in my eyes as I opened them and glared at Ba Yun murderously.

”Let them go.”

”Ah, yes!” Ba Yun was enjoying every minute of this, gleefully rubbing his hands. ”This is how it should be! The fire! It's back in your eyes! Only when you're fighting back like this, would it totally be worth crushing and breaking your heart and spirit!”

”Don't touch them!”

”You seem to be mistaking something.”

Ba Yun grabbed hold of Hu Hai. Black qi dripped out of his fingers and turned into a blade that cut the squirming child's skin. Hu Hai's eyes widened and he whimpered as blood flowed down his neck and stained his white collar.

”You're in no position to make any demands.”

”Fuck you!” I shouted. Straining against the cuffs, I desperately fought against my restraints but they held firm. If I could just get free, I would sock him as hard as I could and grab the kid from his grasp. But I couldn't. I was fastened firmly to the chair, unable to budge even a single step forward. ”Let them go! If you harm them, I'll kill you! I'll fucking kill you!”

”Oh? And how will you do that?” Ba Yun sounded genuinely curious. He pressed his fingers closer to Hu Hai's carotid artery and the poor boy whimpered in pain.

”Hai'er!” Hu Shi cried out. I went still, shutting my mouth and freezing at the horrifying sight. Swallowing, I lowered my head.

”Please…”

”Hmm? I can't hear you.”

”Please…I'm begging you…please let these two go.”

Ba Yun strode over and backhanded me. My head was flung back forcefully, and I tasted blood. Inside my face, something burst, something that was once living and feeding off my qi and body. I jerked in my chair, a metallic taste filling my mouth.

”Wrong. That's not the answer I want to hear.”

Even as he said that, he was actually smiling and savoring every moment of my defiance. He grabbed the top of my head and yanked it up. I clenched my teeth and refused to let out a sound even as he tightened the grip around my skull.

”So…which one do you choose? Who should die?”

”T…that's…”

I was gritting my teeth so hard my jaw ached. I glared at him, my trembling hands clenched into fists.

”Oh, this is so hilarious. You sacrificed yourself to save the village that this two are from, didn't you? Standing up against me and Qi Fu Ren, all so that you can buy time for the villagers to escape. It was so amusing, especially when you've already failed.”

”…you've already captured these two long before I arrived in the village.”

”Yes…ah, I see you know that. Nonetheless, I also learned that there's some sort of fate connecting you with these two. It was Heaven's will, you know? I never would have thought that you had been in that village before. Not until I happened to overhear the prisoners talking a few days after I let slip that I have been playing with a new toy. I never would have thought that you have some an intimate connection with the sacrifices we've gathered!”

”You sick bastard…I swear…if I ever get out of these cuffs, I'll fucking kill you. You'll regret this…I swear!”

”Ha ha! More!”

Ba Yun cuffed me at the back of my head, sending me sprawling forward in my seat. My restraints were the only thing holding me back, preventing me from totally toppling onto the floor. I briefly wondered if that would be better, if I were to just lie on the floor. Would I be able to escape this terrible reality then?

”So?” Ba Yun licked his lips as he pulled my head back up by the hair, the roots almost tearing free from my scalp. ”Which one?”

”You…” I gritted my teeth. ”You fucker…I'll kill you!”

”No, no, no. I'm the one doing the killing today. And you'll be the one doing the choosing. Now, choose!”

”I…” I was hyperventilating right now. My throat constricted and I squeezed my eyes shut, all resistance fleeing me. I was helpless, unable to fight back, unable to do anything. Even if I yelled and pleaded, I knew Ba Yun wouldn't listen to me. ”…I won't…do it…”

”If you don't decide, then I'll kill both of them.” Ba Yun's voice was cold and final. There was a slight smirk when he spoke again. ”Or perhaps it would help if I rephrase the question?

He placed a hand on my shoulder and leaned closer to whisper into my ear in mock kindness.

”Which one do you want to save?”

”I…I…I…”

”Fei Wu.”

At Hu Shi's soft voice, I slowly raised my head. She was mouthing something.

Choose Hai'er.

She was telling me to save Hu Hai. Her maternal instincts were kicking in, and she wanted nothing more than to protect her child.

Even if it meant her death.

”You'll just kill them both anyway. You're only toying with me. I know you have no intention of letting either live.”

”Perhaps…perhaps not. How would you know? Either way, their deaths will be on your conscience, all because you refuse to choose.”

”Fuck you,” I spat and squeezed my eyes shut.

”Oh…scary. So I'm assuming you want to be responsible for both their deaths?”

”Why don't you just kill me?”

My voice was bitter as I tried one last act of defiance. I was growing desperate, and my mind was slowly unraveling.

”Kill me in their place. Instead of killing either of them…kill me instead. That should satisfy you, right?”

”Hah…” Ba Yun sighed exaggeratedly. ”There is no meaning to killing you like this. No, for defying us, death would be too easy.” He chuckled throatily, still leaning so close that I could feel his fetid breath tickling my ear. ”Your punishment must be more severe.”

”No…I'm begging you…don't kill either of them.”

It wasn't as simple as making a choice and allowing Hu Hai to live. I would be sacrificing his mother for that. In other words, I would be killing Hu Shi.

That wasn't a choice I could live with. It was impossible. I wasn't a murderer. Prior to this, I had never killed a living human with my bare hands. Magical beasts and demonic creatures were one thing. I had to kill them in order to survive, but…

…but they weren't human.

How can I kill a fellow human being? How can I make a choice that determines a fellow human being's life and death?

I can't.

Impossible. This is impossible!

”Hey, hurry up.”

Ba Yun was getting impatient. He turned around to face me, putting on a gentle and kind façade. But I could see the murderous malice shining through his dark eyes. He placed both his hands on my shoulders.

”If you don't decide quickly, I'll really kill both of them, you know?”

”No…please…”

”Then hurry up and choose. The brat? The mother?”

My eyes widened. My mouth opened and I tried to speak, but at first nothing came out. My throat wasn't able to form any words.

”...”

”Hmm?” Ba Yun pressed relentlessly.