Chapter 96: Villain Style! The Child of Destiny is Horrified!
In the basement of the Riverside Luxury Mansion, the air was heavy with the metallic tang of blood and the acrid scent of fear.
Within a reinforced dungeon cell, Xia Liu, the so-called Child of Destiny and Country Divine Doctor, was bound to an iron pillar. His limbs were secured with alloy shackles that dug into his flesh. His body was a tapestry of lacerations and bruises, covered in drying blood, with barely any patch of unmarred skin left. His face was pale, his breathing ragged.
"Master Shen An'yu!!!"
[Ding! The Child of Destiny Xia Liu's emotions fluctuated violently! Plundering +77,777 Destiny Points!]
...
As soon as the heavy steel door creaked open and he saw Shen Anyu, Xia Liu's eyes turned bloodshot red. He roared hysterically, his voice raw with fury and pain.
Last night, while Master Shen An'yu had been "detoxifying" with two beauties, Xia Liu had been dragged down here. He had been tormented beyond words, suffering every second of the night.
"Kill me! Damn it! Just kill me quickly! Coward!"
"Otherwise... if I ever escape... I will definitely kill your whole family! Shen Anyu! I swear! I will burn your house down! I..."
Shen Anyu walked in, his suit immaculate, a stark contrast to the grime of the dungeon. He narrowed his eyes, picked up a red-hot branding iron from a brazier nearby, and casually, almost lazily, pressed it onto Xia Liu's thigh.
Sizzle...
A sickening smell of roasting meat filled the air, accompanied by a tragic, guttural scream that echoed off the damp walls.
Shen Anyu pulled the iron away, inspecting the glowing metal. He looked at Xia Liu with a profound, unreadable gaze.
"Be civilized," he said in a calm, soothing tone. "Be polite. And don't use foul language. We are gentlemen here."
He sounded like an amiable elder brother lecturing a naughty child.
Xia Liu, however, looked at Shen Anyu with sheer terror. He was looking at a devil wearing human skin.
"Shen Anyu... Brother Shen... I was wrong! I was wrong!"
Xia Liu's defiance broke under the pain. He sobbed, snot mixing with blood.
"Just kill me! Please! Kill me and let me off the hook! I beg you!"
His tendons in his hands and feet were severed. His acupoints were sealed. He didn't even have the strength to bite his own tongue to commit suicide.
How could there be such a cruel and terrifying existence like Shen Anyu in this world? He was a monster!
At this moment, Xia Liu was filled with regret.
If he had known... he wouldn't have provoked Shen Anyu. He should have fled far away the moment he saw the Shen family crest. But now he had delivered himself to his death, trapped in a nightmare where he was unable to live or die.
After being thrown out of the Riverside Luxury Mansion at the banquet earlier, Xia Liu was still unwilling to give up on his fiancée, Qin Ningbing. His ego wouldn't allow it. His resentment towards Shen Anyu hadn't diminished; it had fueled him.
Otherwise, if he had just left Modu... if he had taken his childhood sweetheart, Ruan Lingshan, to live in seclusion in the countryside as his grandfather wished... how could he have ended up like this?
Thinking of all this, Xia Liu was filled with extreme regret and annoyance.
He couldn't defeat Shen Anyu. He was an insect fighting a god.
Even if he wanted revenge, he should have played the long game. He should have relied on his [Extraordinary Medical Skill] and [Extraordinary Poison Skill] to build up vast power, connections, and wealth first. Then sought revenge. Instead, he threw himself away like a fool.
Unfortunately, Xia Liu knew that his regret was too late!
Now he couldn't even die if he wanted to, let alone escape and make a comeback!
Shen Anyu, however, suddenly smiled. He looked at Xia Liu with a profound gaze, reading the despair in his eyes.
"Kill you? You wish!"
Xia Liu's Destiny Value was initially two million. Shen Anyu had only plundered about 1.2 million so far. There was still juice left in the fruit.
If he killed Xia Liu now, wouldn't more than a third of the Destiny Value be wasted? That would be inefficient.
"Xia Liu... I'm in a good mood today. I'll bring someone for you to meet. Someone you really, really want to see!"
Xia Liu hung his head. He was not in the mood to meet anyone. The pain was unbearable.
Besides, in his current predicament, even if Shen Anyu brought his beautiful CEO fiancée, Qin Ningbing, it wouldn't stir Xia Liu's emotions. He was already disheartened and resigned. He only wished for a quick death!
Shen Anyu's lips curved into a cruel smile. He clapped his hands.
Clap. Clap.
As Shen Anyu clapped, the heavy basement door opened again.
A petite figure tiptoed in, careful not to dirty her shoes on the dusty floor.
Upon closer inspection, she was wearing a cute black and white maid uniform, holding up her frilly skirt. Although her height was less than 1.6 meters, her curves were astonishing—she couldn't see her feet when she looked down. Her face was adorable and exquisite, truly kawaii.
She was a living, beautiful, cute, youthful, and top-tier little maid!
"Master... where is this?"
Ruan Lingshan looked around the dimly lit room with wide, innocent eyes.
Then she saw the bloody person tied to the iron pillar. She gasped, covering her mouth with her hands, and was immediately startled.
In her heart, Master Shen An'yu was a very good and kind person. He saved her from poverty and her mother from illness. Even though he had a noble and prominent status, he was approachable and never arrogant. He was completely different from those profligate second-generation rich kids on TV.
But now... what was going on with this scene before her eyes? Why was there a tortured man here?
Could it be that Master was a good person on the surface, but a great demon behind the scenes?
Ruan Lingshan's small face wrinkled in confusion as she pondered this contradiction.
However...
When Xia Liu saw Ruan Lingshan, his body trembled violently against the chains. His eyes widened so much they threatened to pop out of his skull. His face changed drastically.
"Lingshan?!"
Although they hadn't seen each other for more than ten years, how could he not recognize Ruan Lingshan? His childhood sweetheart?
Back then, Xia Liu was only seven or eight years old, and Ruan Lingshan was a bit younger than him. She would follow Xia Liu and the other village children all day like a little shadow. Climbing mountains to steal bird eggs, sneaking melons from the fields... once they were even chased and scolded by a melon farmer for several miles, laughing all the way.
At that time, Xia Liu's grandfather was still alive. Seeing their good relationship, he even joked with Ruan Lingshan's mother about setting up a child engagement, so that Xia Liu and Ruan Lingshan would be together in the future.
In Xia Liu's mind, the importance of his childhood sweetheart and girl-next-door, Ruan Lingshan, was no less than that of his fiancée, Qin Ningbing. Her place in his heart was extremely special. She represented his innocence, his roots.
A childhood sweetheart is an image that is hard to forget for a lifetime!
Xia Liu came to the bustling metropolis of Modu not only to marry his beautiful CEO fiancée, Qin Ningbing, but also to find Ruan Lingshan. To protect her.
As a result...
Xia Liu never expected that after so many years, Ruan Lingshan would actually be here. In a maid outfit.
And she was calling Shen Anyu, his sworn enemy... "Master"???
[Ding! The Child of Destiny Xia Liu's mentality exploded! Plundering +9,999 Destiny Points!]
[Ding! The Child of Destiny Xia Liu's main emotional drama fluctuated violently! Plundering +100,000 Destiny Points!]
Shen Anyu's lips curved into a pleased arc as the points rolled in.
He turned his back on Xia Liu and looked at Ruan Lingshan with gentle concern. He extended a hand.
"Lingshan, come here. Be careful not to fall. The floor is uneven."
"Mhm mhm! Master!"
Ruan Lingshan heard Master Shen An'yu's usual gentle words, and her heart immediately sweetened. The fear receded. She let out a sigh of relief, feeling that she had overthought things. Master was still Master.
She walked over, skipping slightly. Her rosy little lips parted, and she said in a sweet voice:
"Master, you didn't come back last night. Are you hungry now? Do you want to eat? I can make you something!"
As for the bloody person next to them... although Ruan Lingshan was curious, she obediently didn't ask since Shen Anyu didn't say anything. A good maid knows her place.
Shen Anyu, however, pointed at Xia Liu and spoke proactively.
"Lingshan... are you curious about this person? Do you know why I imprisoned him and punished him?"
Ruan Lingshan blinked. She looked at the bloodied person with curiosity.
But Xia Liu's face was swollen, covered in whip marks, blood, and fresh branding burns. It was unclear to see his features.
She only felt a faint, inexplicable sense of familiarity, like a forgotten dream.
She asked, puzzled: "Master... Lingshan is a little curious. Who is he?"
Xia Liu wanted to scream. "Lingshan! It's me! Brother Liu!"
But Shen Anyu flicked his finger casually.
A wisp of [True Qi] shot out invisibly and sealed Xia Liu's throat point.
"Gah... guh..."
He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He was mute.
Immediately after, Shen Anyu's expression became a bit more serious, somber even. He turned to Ruan Lingshan, looking like a victim seeking justice.
"Lingshan... this person is a bad guy! A very bad guy."
"At the banquet before, he snuck in to cause trouble. And he even tried to poison me! With a poison that would make one unable to have children... to cut off my family line!"
"That time, I was merciful. I had someone teach him a lesson and then let him go! I thought he would learn."
"As a result... this guy actually poisoned me again yesterday! And it was an even more terrifying poison. If I hadn't been skilled in medicine... I might have died by now! I might never have seen you again!"
"Lingshan... do you think it's right to punish such a bad guy? To stop him from hurting others?"
Shen Anyu looked at Xia Liu, who was struggling against his bonds, eyes bulging, trying desperately to speak, to deny it. Shen Anyu's smile was playful, hidden from the girl.
"What?!"
Ruan Lingshan gasped.
Master was repeatedly harmed by this bad guy? And almost died yesterday?
Listening to Shen Anyu's narration, Ruan Lingshan's eyes widened in horror and indignation. Her protective instincts flared.
She glared at Xia Liu angrily, her small fists clenching. The familiarity vanished, replaced by loathing.
"Bad guy! You are a bad guy!"
"Master let you go once, and you still tried to harm Master?! You ungrateful villain!"
"You deserve to be punished! You deserve it! Lingshan is very angry! I hate you!"
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