Chapter 0.42 The Demon Lord’s Wrath
After a brief examination, the red-robed cultivator’s eyes flickered with suspicion. He chuckled, “A real man? Or… is it too small, imperceptible?”
Zhao Xinting’s twin pupils trembled slightly, a cold smile gracing his lips. “I agree.”
“Oh?”
“I agree to cooperate with you two and will hand over eighty percent of Man Tian Hui’s daily income as tribute,” Zhao Xinting said word by word.
“President!”
The members of Man Tian Hui around them showed intense unwillingness. Eighty percent of their income? They were asking for the moon. And they called it protection? Man Tian Hui was a transient organization, staying in one place only for a short period before moving on. These people clearly intended to exploit them without lifting a finger.
Zhao Xinting waved his hand, signaling his subordinates to quiet down. There was no point in arguing now. A group of mortals opposing cultivators wasn’t a simple matter. Any misstep would be akin to courting death. Everything needed careful consideration.
The red-robed cultivator’s icy gaze swept over the members of Man Tian Hui before returning to Zhao Xinting. He smiled, “It seems the President has discerning eyes and understands the situation. The deal is settled. However, I must remind Miss, do not harbor any wicked intentions or think of deceiving us now and fleeing when the time is right. Know your place. How can a few mortals escape the grasp of cultivators? Don’t end up regretting it when you die worse than a stray dog.”
With that, the red-robed cultivator reached out and easily retrieved the chest containing silver and spirit stones from under his feet.
“I understand,” Zhao Xinting said, nodding slightly, his expression complex. He secretly assessed that judging by the dressing and appearance of the two cultivators and the quality of their Nas rings, their cultivation shouldn’t be exceedingly high. If an opportunity arose, combined with the right methods, he might still be able to contend with them, even without his own cultivation.
“In that case, I won’t keep Miss any longer today. We have plenty of time,” the red-robed cultivator said, directly pocketing the spirit stone chest into his Nas ring.
However, the black-robed cultivator suddenly seized the battered and bruised young man on the ground, holding him by the neck like a chicken, as if to take him away for punishment.
“What is this, esteemed cultivator lords? Why are you laying hands on our Man Tian Hui member?” Zhao Xinting exclaimed, his voice laced with shock and anger.
The black-robed cultivator sneered, “Who told him not to talk obediently?”
“A good dog indeed. He refused to reveal the President’s whereabouts at first. In the end, he wasted a precious Truth-Revealing Pill on us! How can such an idiot be spared? Heh heh, this Truth-Revealing Pill is worth more than his cheap life, isn’t it?” the red-robed cultivator snarled, revealing his malevolence.
Hearing this, the young man let out a wry smile, his face ashen.
Zhao Xinting gritted his teeth and took a deep breath. “From tonight onwards, Man Tian Hui will wholeheartedly serve you two lords, with utmost loyalty. I will personally punish this person for his transgressions without mercy. I implore you to show leniency and spare his life.”
For a moment, the two cultivators exchanged a smile.
The black-robed cultivator let out a sinister chuckle, “It seems Miss still hasn’t grasped the situation.”
The red-robed cultivator suddenly pointed a finger at Zhao Xinting’s nose, mockingly saying, “Miss, you don’t actually think we are cooperating as equals, do you? You must understand that in this place, I can eliminate anyone with a mere flick of my finger. No one has the right to stop me, not even you, the President! Today, on account of your first offense, I will give you a small lesson to remember!”
As soon as he finished speaking, the red-robed cultivator struck with lightning speed, delivering a palm strike unreservedly to Zhao Xinting’s left cheek.
“Slap!”
The slap echoed loudly. The heavy blow caused Zhao Xinting’s head to snap to the side. Strangely, his cheek showed no trace of injury, not even redness.
“No, don’t bully my godfather!”
A small figure unhesitatingly pushed through the crowd and knelt before the red-robed cultivator, tears streaming down her face. “Please, esteemed cultivator lord, don’t hit my godfather. Qiao’er only has godfather as her family now.”
“Qiao’er… hurry back!” Zhao Xinting clenched his fists fiercely.
“Be silent!” The red-robed cultivator was unmoved by Yan Qiaoyun’s tears, instead saying with disgust, “Crying and making a fuss is disturbing. I loathe women crying the most. Slap her!”
With a casual wave of his hand, the red-robed cultivator struck the weeping Yan Qiaoyun. The palm wind, imbued with spiritual power, sent Yan Qiaoyun’s already slender and frail body flying. She crashed into a nearby wall, her head bleeding, and lost consciousness on the spot.
“Qiao’er!” Zhao Xinting immediately rushed to Yan Qiaoyun’s side, but an unbelievable sight unfolded before him. The wound on Yan Qiaoyun’s forehead was healing at a visible, rapid pace, leaving everyone present astonished.
“Big Brother, this little girl has a Special Constitution! If she embarks on the path of cultivation, her future will be limitless,” the black-robed cultivator said in shock.
A sharp glint flashed in the red-robed cultivator’s eyes, and his expression turned sinister. “I never expected that by casually punishing a ill-mannered child, I’d encounter someone with exceptional talent and a Special Constitution… This person must not be allowed to live. We must nip the threat in the bud and eradicate it completely!”
“Eradicate it completely?” These four words struck Zhao Xinting’s heart like a heavy hammer.
His voice, hoarse as if he hadn’t had a drop of water for three days and three nights, questioned with eyes full of reminiscence, “Why attack the little child? Tell me why?”
“Do you know she has infinite potential?”
“Her future could be incredibly brilliant!”
“I, Zhao Xinting, have killed countless people, but I loathe these four words, ‘eradicate completely,’ the most! Because that is the act of true cowards! You are simply afraid that the child of your enemy will surpass you and exact revenge, aren’t you, you pathetic duo?”
“I am not afraid!”
“A true man never fears death, willing to face his enemies with a smile even in demise. Therefore, I have never committed acts of annihilation! I have given many people a chance, waiting for them to seek revenge, because one must be prepared to be killed before killing. Isn’t that only natural?”
In an instant, numerous scenes flashed through Zhao Xinting’s mind. He remembered his parents dying at the hands of bandits, and himself, covered in blood, being dragged across the ground. He had been so helpless then. At that moment, how could he have imagined that his life would be so full of ups and downs and so extraordinarily brilliant?
If he hadn’t met that man, he would have long been “eradicated completely” and “nipped in the bud.” What a tragic and lamentable fate that would have been. A young child represented endless uncertainty, just like Zhao Xinting himself once did. To extinguish such a life was a sin he could not tolerate in this lifetime, especially considering the girl before him was his beloved little Qiao’er.
“What is this guy talking about? Has he gone mad?” the two cultivators looked at each other with strange expressions.
At the Same time, Zhao Xinting knelt, gently caressing Yan Qiaoyun’s fair cheek, and smiled. He was about to do something that only he, the master of the ‘Wutian’ Dharma Aspect, in the entire Cultivation World could accomplish.
“Zhao Xinting is willing to exchange three hundred years of his lifespan, only seeking to conceal the heavenly secret and open a sliver of the seal on my Mortal Transformation stage!”
“Deal. But your price will be five hundred years!” A cold and bizarre voice, like an otherworldly demon, echoed from all directions, exceedingly eerie. In an instant, the wind and clouds changed. A colossal Wutian Dharma Aspect, vast enough to cover the sky and blot out the sun, stood majestically. In its hand, scales inscribed with pitch-black patterns tilted heavily to one side… Zhao Xinting abruptly rose from his kneeling posture, his aura as profound as a mountain and as deep as the abyss. He soared through the wind and leaped through the clouds, his violent killing intent manifesting as if it were tangible, causing hearts to tremble and souls to scatter and vanish. The Demon Lord’s wrath erupted, with the vast sea and sky dwarfed!
