Zhao Yao pushed the knife in about two inches, and blood dripped on to his robe.
"WAIT," Zhao Ji screamed. "Are you crazy?"
"Zhao Yao. Don't do this. We won't get punished for this even if you try to frame us." Zhao Wei tried to persuade him.
"Why is that?" Zhao Yao asked as he used one of his hands to flick some of his blood to them. "Murdering a clan member will get you a death penalty."
"You..." Zhao Ji got agitated and moved back.
But Zhao Wei was unusually composed as he faced him and continued. "Because, if we take the truth ceremony, we can prove our innocence."
"Yes. That's right." Zhao Ji gained back his confidence.
Zhao Yao instantly hated Zhao Wei. Why did he have to be a thinking type? Dammit.
He was correct. If the clan made them take the truth ceremony, they can escape. But, killing himself was never his plan from the beginning.
He wanted to use this to gain leverage on them and scare them a bit.
Zhao Yao decided to trust his own mouth to do the job.
"Oh... Is that so? Do you think the clan elders will waste their time to perform the truth ceremony on some useless bums like you?"
Zhao Yao didn't let them think or answer as he continued.
"They didn't bother giving a direct descendent one. Yesterday, when they caught me in the shed, they didn't give me one. Do you think you can? Do you want to try your luck? Haha.
When I die, there will be an investigation? A thorough one. What do you think about that Merp carer Zhao Ji?"
Zhao Yao, who was observing Zhao Ji's eyes, noticed his eyes constricting due to fear. He even started wiping his sweat.
There was a possibility that a neutral elder will investigate everything, and the trap may come to light. Zhao Yao believed that this was enough to scare Zhao Ji, who had direct involvement with the trap.
"Hahaha. You low-level scums. Do you want to experience that? " Zhao Yao gripped the knife tighter. "With the traces of my blood I threw at you, do you think you can escape from this like you have no relation to my death? The clan loves scapegoats. What do you think your chances of escaping are?"
Zhao Yao pushed the knife a little deeper.
"Aaahhh."
That hurt him, and his breathing became hoarse. Zhao Yao felt like he could taste blood in his mouth.
"Zhao Yao, Don't." Zhao Ji tried to rush forward.
"Stop there, don't come near me. Do you really want me to die?"
It was a weird feeling when your enemies started caring about your life more than yourself. Zhao felt like he was the brink of insanity for even attempting something crazy as this.
They again went back to silence, and it was Zhao Wei broke it again.
"Zhao Yao, you are different from before. You have changed."
"You only notice it now. Do you want to change? Just ask your partner to get you a beast to f***." Zhao Yao sneered.
"Young Master Zhao Ping will protect us." Zhao Wei defended.
"Will he? Who are you to him? One of his followers that he can always replace, right?" Zhao Yao started to hate this childhood friend of his more than Zhao Ji. The thinking ones are the most annoying.
"And let me tell you a secret." Zhao Yao intentionally lowered his sound to build up mystery.
"Your Young Master Zhao Ping loves this big brother of his."
Both of them looked at Zhao Yao like they heard something absurd. Everyone in the clan knew that Zhao Ping didn't like Zhao Yao.
"What? You don't believe me...then, I will explain."
"What happened yesterday? When the elder was going to castrate me, who objected and suggested marriage?"
Zhao Ji was about to retort before stopping himself from saying anything.
Zhao Yao could guess that Zhao Ji almost announced to him that it was Zhao Ping who trapped him in the first place.
"Not only I got away with that. Zhao Ping made the elder marry me to the Merp. What does that mean? It means he gave me the 'license' to continue what I did. And you told me that he even paid for the Merp."
Zhao Yao happily, smiled.
"Zhao Ping loves his Big Bro."
Zhao Wei and Zhao Ji stood in front of him mouth agape without knowing what to say.
And Zhao Yao didn't let them speak as he continued.
"I am his favorite plaything. And what do you think will happen to you when he knows you idiots forced me to death."
"Zhao Yao..."
"I am bleeding. Decide and leave me alone fast before I bled to death." Zhao Yao gave the last push.
"Yes.yes. Zhao Wei, let's hurry." Zhao Ji urged.
Zhao Yao finally relaxed, after seeing that his plan kinda worked. He didn't remove the knife but pressed the wound to stop bleeding.
He only penetrated a couple of inches of his muscle on the right side, away from his heart.
Zhao Ji looked at the box again. "You can get some silvers with those clothes."
"Are you stupid? I just told you to keep your hands away from that." Zhao Yao felt he will die of anger before he bled to death. Why was this big guy fixated on his father's clothes? He liked it and want it for himself or something?
"Zhao Ji, I have a Merp that I can sell. How much can you take it for?" Zhao asked mischievously.
"10-15 silvers." Zhao Ji said without taking off his eyes from the box.
"Wonderful. So you are making me pay 100 silvers for a 10 silver Merp? Great." Zhao Yao mocked.
Zhao Ji came to his senses and tried to justify it. "No, because this Merp is more valuable."
"Like it has horns made of silver? Or does it poop gold?"
"Take what you took already and leave. I will pay the rest within a month with interest." Zhao Yao had enough with them and turned to Zhao Wei. "How much was my bed worth?"
"5 silvers."
"25 silvers? Great. Thank you."
"It's broken. It's not worth that much." Zhao Ji interjected.
"Zhao Wei. How am I responsible for it when Zhao Ji broke the bed due to his mishandling. You better make him pay for the damage."
"You..." Zhao Ji tried to threaten.
"Do you want me to die?" Zhao Yao threatened him back gripping the knife.
"You are crazy."
"Yes. Take the bed and leave me alone before I bled to death." Zhao Yao screamed. He was done with his patience.
Zhao Ji went to drag the bed pieces outside, and Zhao Yao used that opportunity to gather information from Zhao Wei.
Zhao Wei proved to him that he was a thinking type, but he was also someone who answer whatever questions asked without inhibitions unless it's supposed to be a secret.
"Zhao Wei, why is the North Mansion decorated?" Zhao asked as it was something that made him wonder.
"You don't know? It's Young Master Zhao Ping's 16th birthday in 5 days." Zhao Wei replied as he gathered the materials he collected from the house.
'That bastard is becoming an adult.' Zhao Yao understood but it also raised some questions in him.
"Is that it? Why do I feel this is extra special?" Zhao Yao doubted that things weren't that simple.
"You are right. The clan leader decided to conduct the Selection contest on the same day."
"You mean, the contest to select the clan's candidates for the FuXi Province Martial Competition?"
"Yes."
Zhao Yao's smile widened. "So in the selection contest, did the clan invite other clan leaders to spectate."
"Yes. Clan invited other leaders but only the Su Clan Leader accepted the invitation."
'So, that was his plan all along."
Zhao Yao completely understood Zhao Ping's plan. But he was also happy because this damn cousin of his was providing a platform for him to prove his innocence.
The Selection Contest. He had only five days to prepare.
"Zhao Wei, don't forget to invite me to the birthday feast." Zhao Yao diverted to not reveal his true intentions.
"That will make the total 61 silvers." Zhao Wei told him. "And the rest..."
"I will pay in full within a month with interest. And, don't forget about inviting me to the feast."
Zhao Wei didn't say anything, and Zhao Ji, who came inside, said something that annoyed Zhao Yao.
"Zhao Yao, you aren't hiding any valuable in that box, right?"
Zhao Yao furiously walked to the box, taking everything out from inside and showed it to them. Other than his father's belongings, there was a low tier cultivation manual that every member of the Zhao clan gets.
"Look here, you idiot. This is my father, Zhao Tong's belongings. He is the son of the last clan leader, Zhao Yun, and the elder brother of current Clan Leader, Zhao Guang. If you dare touch this do you think you will live well?"
Zhao Yao picked up the cultivation manual and threw it into Zhao Ji's face.
"As for this cultivation manual, you can shove it into your a**"
Zhao Yao was going to get his Master's cultivation technique, so he had no use with the low-level manual.
He didn't get to continue his yells as he heard someone else near the doorstep.
Zhao Bo.
"Zhao Yao. Thank Goodness, you are fine. Young Master Zhao Ping was worried about your safety."He said showing a wide range of fake emotions.
"You heard him. Now, do you believe what I said? Leave the box and..." Zhao Yao stared at Zhao Ji and Zhao Wei fiercely before yelling.
"...GET THE HELL OUT OF MY HOUSE."
Both of them looked at him like they were looking at a crazy beast and walked out of the house. Zhao Yao happily followed them to the door.
Zhao Yao looked at Zhao Bo with a smile and slammed the door after saying.
"Can I get some privacy, please?"
******
Zhao Yao was in a panic. He was bleeding.
'I am so weak...Aaaaahh'
They left Zhao Yao's clothes behind since they found it cheap and old. Ripping one, he tried to bandage his wound.
'Master...Oooyyy, Master. You said I can talk to you in my mind. Your disciple is going to die soon. Can you locate me and heal me.'
He yelled in his mind. Zhao Yao wasn't sure if it will work, but it was his Master, the Immortal Lu, who told him that he can communicate in his mind.
It was because of this he decided to go with the self-harming strategy.
'Master, please don't let me down.'
Zhao Yao tried to listen, beside the door.
Three of them haven't left yet, and they were talking about him.
"He is crazy." That sounded like, Zhao Ji.
"He is different. I feel like he is cleverer now." That was definitely Zhao Wei.
This hateful guy.
"Cleverer? Hmm. After hearing the news that he came back and acted strangely, Young Master send me to check on him."
'Oh, Zhao Bo. I will show it to you that I am completely mad.'
Zhao Yao wiped his blood off with the robe he was wearing.
'I will show you how crazy I am.'
Opening the door, Zhao Yao called out.
"Hey, Zhao Bo. I forgot. This was your robe? Thank you for giving it earlier. You can have it now."
He removed the robe in front of them and threw it to Zhao Bo, thereby 'exposing' himself to them.
"You..."
"Why are you looking like that, Zhao Bo? It's not your first time seeing me like this."
Zhao Yao smiled, "Tell little brother Zhao Ping that I said 'best wishes.'"
Zhao had already decided to give that bastard a Big Birthday gift.
"Have fun... I know I am going to." Zhao smiled at them and closed the door.
'Fuuuuu.'
"He is definitely crazy."
Listening closely, Zhao Yao heard what he wanted to hear.
With a smile, he grabbed his old clothes to get dressed.
"Muaaaaahhh."
"Don't fear, I am not going to go berserk like last time."
"Muaaahhhh."
"What is it Merry, It's not your first time seeing me like this either."