Just as Huang Jiu and I had finished, there was a loud bang from a few meters away. Turning around, I saw Huang Xian'er's long leg retracting after landing a kick.
Liu Changxuan was clutching his chest, stumbling backward.
It turned out that Liu Changxuan's distraction, caused by the little Taoist's scream, had allowed Huang Xian'er to sneak attack him. Her leg landed directly in his chest.
After retracting her leg, Huang Xian'er spun on one foot like a rotating white lotus flower, heading straight toward Liu Changxuan. Before he could recover from the kick, her smoke stick was already pressed to his forehead.
With a muffled grunt, Liu Changxuan collapsed to the ground, stiff as a board.
Huang Xian'er relaxed, twirled her smoke stick, and took two deep puffs.
I looked at the two of them lying on the ground, my gaze conflicted.
Huang Jiu picked up the short sword the little Taoist had dropped and handed it to me. "Xiao Li, sometimes one punch is all you need to end things, instead of a hundred punches."
I understood what he meant.
What troubled me was this: Huang Xian'er hadn't killed them. The message was clear: this matter started because of me, and they—the couple—wouldn't take matters further. It was up to me to finish it.
I took the short sword from Huang Jiu and walked toward the little Taoist.
The little Taoist's dantian was shattered, and though he had fainted from the pain earlier, he had regained consciousness. Upon seeing me approach with a sword, his eyes were filled with terror. He opened his mouth several times but couldn't make a sound.
When facing death, everyone reacts the same way.
I had taken lives before, but only animals.
Taking a human life? Not only had I never done it, I'd never even thought about it.
It's easy to say you can kill when you're not in the situation. But when you hold the knife and face the person you're about to kill, the feeling is vastly different.
My heartbeat quickened, and my body trembled slightly from the pressure.
I squatted down, slapping the little Taoist's face.
At first, I thought this would provoke him, make him curse me or challenge me. That way, I could kill him without hesitation.
But as soon as I crouched down, the little Taoist froze in fear. His mind went blank, trembling like a lamb awaiting slaughter.
Huang Xian'er followed me, speaking in a cold voice: "Laoshan's influence is vast. If you don't kill him now, tomorrow there will be many more people knocking on your door. You may pity him now, but one day, he will pity you."
"Don't show him mercy, or one day, he won't show you mercy."
I understood the logic.
But this was a human life!
It's easy to say "I've killed before, I can do it again." But it's much harder when it's real.
Huang Jiu came over, tugging at his flower-patterned shorts. "The other day, when you were messing with me, you weren't so hesitant. What happened now?"
I wanted to tell him that he was an animal and this was a human being, but I bit my tongue when I saw Huang Xian'er's expression.
Huang Jiu was about to speak again, but I turned around and glared at him. "Shut up. Or do you want to do it yourself?"
Huang Jiu, indeed, dared.
In his eyes, a living human was no different from a yellow furred creature, like him. Both were simply creatures in each other's eyes.
But he wouldn't take on the death of a human because of me.
I squatted there, watching the little Taoist tremble in fear, my back drenched in cold sweat.
Finally, I exhaled deeply.
The little Taoist thought I was about to strike. His eyes filled with despair and terror. Then, suddenly, a foul stench emanated from him—he had lost control of his bowels from fear.
Death.
It was truly terrifying.
But I knew that if I let him go, I would be the one lying there next.
Maybe in the future, I would regret it. Maybe my mindset would change.
But right now, I just couldn't do it.
I threw the short sword away, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. "Xian'er, keep them trapped in the mountains for a few days!"
Huang Xian'er's expression darkened.
If I killed them, Laoshan would focus on me.
If I let them go, she too would be implicated.
She glanced at the little Taoist and said, "His dantian is shattered. If not treated, he won't survive the night. Little brother, I've done what I needed to. What happens next is on you."
She was pushing me toward an inevitable choice, forcing me to kill.
Huang Jiu, the dirt-covered fool, eagerly picked up the short sword and handed it back to me. "Just close your eyes, one strike, and it'll all be over."
He then walked over to the little Taoist, slamming his head into the Taoist's forehead, knocking him out cold.
If death was inevitable, this method worked.
I took a deep breath and walked toward the little Taoist once more.
This time, my heart was resolute. The fear had lessened considerably.
But just as I was about to strike, I suddenly stopped. My gaze turned toward the mountains behind the graveyard.
A terrifying pressure was sweeping toward us like a storm.
Huang Jiu and Huang Xian'er also turned to look, and they froze in place.
Huang Xian'er's face turned pale with fear as she stammered, "They're here. Something from the mountains is here."
In the next moment, a massive black mist engulfed the distant mountains. It spread rapidly, moving toward us with terrifying speed.
The mist moved so fast it crossed the mountains in an instant and reached the graveyard in the blink of an eye.
The mist parted, revealing a group of people.
They were wrapped entirely in black cloth, only their dark eyes visible, resembling corrupted mummies.
They didn't feel like beings from this world.
The oppressive pressure made it hard to breathe.
After a few seconds, Huang Xian'er and Huang Jiu both dropped to their knees, pressing their foreheads to the ground, too terrified to move.
The tallest figure among them looked at me coldly and asked, "Where is the Mountain Lord?"
"The… Mountain Lord?" I stammered, my heart pounding.
The pressure felt like a mountain was collapsing on me. Every word I spoke came with immense fear.
The leader of the black-clad figures glared at Huang Jiu, "Little demon!"
Huang Jiu hurriedly kowtowed, signaling his compliance.
"Tell him," the leader said coldly.
"Yes!" Huang Jiu trembled in fear, standing up and walking over to me. He tugged at my pants, whispering, "Kid, those people are from your old… uh, the woman's family. You'd better stop asking questions. Get her out now."
I already had a pretty good idea.
After fifteen years, they hadn't come looking for her. But now, with the fragrance of the corpse's essence in the air, they had suddenly appeared. Were they after the corpse's essence?
Seeing me hesitate, Huang Jiu's face grew desperate. He tugged at my pants again, "Kid, when you're weak, you have no choice but to submit. Don't waste time. Just do as they say and bring her out."
No choice…
That line stung.
When you're weak, you have no choice, do you?
You can shout, rage, swear, and act brave, but in the end, it's just a joke to others.
I clenched my fists. In the end, I had no choice but to compromise.