"Viel… I am your father!"
Li Zhao reached out his hand towards Viel, who was floating in the air and looking at him with a bored expression.
Li Zhao remembered how flustered Viel was when he mentioned that Viel might possibly be Charlotte's son. Viel's shocked expression was hard not to notice. That was the first time Li Zhao ever saw Viel really acting his age.
It would seem that if Viel had any weakness at all, it would be his family, or longing thereof. So, Li Zhao did his best to appear as sincere as possible as he reached out his hand towards Viel.
But that's when Li Zhao noticed that something was wrong. Even with his brilliant acting, there was no significant change in Viel's expression. There was not even a slight response.
He blinked his swelling eyes a couple of times to see if he was seeing it right. But alas, unfortunately for him, there really was no change in Viel's expression.
Li Zhao then looked towards his fellow disciples, and like Viel, they as well have no change in their expressions, they still had this look of pity and desperation on their faces. Trying to avoid Li Zhao's gaze in guilt.
Li Zhao then turned towards Sect Master Lu Meng, who still had his hand pulled back, ready to take his life anytime. Only regret and hesitation can be seen on the sect master's face.
"W-wait!"
Once again, Li Zhao shouted. "Didn't you hear what I said, son? I am your father!"
But again, the only response he got was Sect Master's furrowed eyebrows.
"Li Zhao, please stop struggling. This would be easier if you just close your eyes", Sect Master Lu Meng said he gritted his teeth. His hands were still shaking, a proof that Lu Meng was really regretting what he was about to do to Li Zhao.
"N-no!"
Li Zhao shouted and shouted.
But that's when he noticed it, Li Zhao stopped shouting. He had been hearing these grunting and hissing noises since a couple of minutes ago. It only stopped as soon as he too stopped shouting.
Despair soon cloaked Li Zhao's entire body. He once again tried to shout, and along with it, the grunting noise. Finally, all the hope in Li Zhao's face was gone.
He finally realized it.
He no longer had a voice.
His voice was replaced by grunting noises, most probably because his throat was already broken. Or maybe his tongue was already twisted. Li Zhao could no longer feel it as his whole face was numb due to the beating he got from his brothers.
The voice he heard that was coming from him was just an illusion. An illusion of hope. No matter how loud he shouts, the only thing the people would hear is screeching. His throat felt like it was burning every time he wants his voice to be heard. He tried scratching his neck, to the point that it was already bleeding.
But no matter how loud he begs, no one would really hear him.
Once again, he was in the position of his victims. The weak people that he assaulted, all the westerners that he sexually abused- they too, had no voice.
As soon as Li Zhao thought of this, his whole body stood upright. His fists curled in resolve as he refused to be in the same position of his victims. Him? The most handsome man in Taizhou? Him, the star teacher that made everyone respect his strength and charm?
How can he be the same as his victims!? Li Zhao, full of resolution, looked towards Sect Master Lu Meng's eyes. But for some reason, Sect Master Lu Meng's eyes were wide open, his expression full of shock.
"W-why did you suddenly move!?"
That was when Li Zhao felt an excruciating pain coming from his stomach.
Li Zhao could not help but kneel down due to the pain he felt on his stomach. Blood involuntarily oozed from his mouth as he tried to examine his torso.
His face twisted as he accidentally grabbed the gaping hole that now dwelled in his stomach. He could feel his intestines hanging from behind him, as they were pushed back by Sect Master Lu Meng's blow. Li Zhao shouted in pain, but alas, his voice still has not returned to him.
"Damn it!", Sect Master Lu Meng cursed as he looked at Li Zhao, who was currently wriggling in pain, trying to recover his lost innards. Sect Master Lu Meng then quickly raised his foot and proceeded to stomp it on the ground beneath him, cracking it as well as splattering Li Zhao's head all over the place.
And that was it.
Just like that- The most handsome man in Taizhou died like a pitiful cockroach with his innards loose on the ground and his head mashed like melon. Not knowing how close he was to actually unveiling the truth about Viel's heritage.
With Li Zhao finally dead, Sect Master Lu Meng released a sigh of regret, as well as relief. He looked towards the other remaining disciples with shame. He wanted to see what their reactions were. To have a sect master that was too weak to protect his disciples, what is that if not a shame?
True, most of the disciples right now have relieved expressions on their faces. But after this crisis, if they remember that their Sect Master was weak enough to sacrifice one of them, surely, one by one, they will leave the sect.
Sect Master Lu Meng could only shake his head. Their patriarch is dead, all the elders are gone, and now more than a third of the disciples have died as well. This was probably the beginning of the end for the Azure Fist sect.
If perhaps he was not blinded by anger to seek their patriarch's killer.
No.
Who was he kidding?
It was greed.
Initially, they really were just going to ask for a formal investigation from Taizhou. He just brought a huge number of disciples as an intimidation tactic.
But when he saw the city's dilapidated state, he and the elders thought it was a chance to get Taizhou's scriptures and treasures. If only he knew that there was a monster from the Golden Pavilion helping the city, he would not have even attempted to even offend a single guard there.
And now, literally, their lives are currently in the hands of a monster.
But alas, regret always comes too late.
Sect Master Lu Meng shook his head one last time. Right now, he still had a singular responsibility, and that was to get the remaining disciples home safely.
After asking some of the disciples to collect and cover what was left of Li Zhao, Sect Master Lu Meng respectfully approached the spirit of the forest.
"It is done, oh great spirit!", said Lu Meng as he kneeled, "May we… collect the rest of our dead and take our leave now?"
Lu Meng almost choked on his words. No matter how much he gathers his resolve, a heavy pressure always crawls throughout his body each time he faces the spirit of the forest. All he really hoped now is that the spirit is satisfied.
"No."
Sect Master Lu Meng's legs gave out as soon as he heard the spirit of the forest answered. The people that were carrying Li Zhao's body also lost all the strength in their body, causing Li Zhao's body to drop to the ground, his entrails once again scattering.
Once again, the ground beneath them started to shake. The disciples could not help but run amok as they panicked, trying to get away from the forest as fast as possible.
Lu Meng, however, gritted his teeth in frustration. His anger finally rising up, almost equaling the fear he was feeling towards the spirit.
He quickly summoned his gauntlets as he flew towards the spirit of the forest, shouting, "Why!?".
Lu Meng's speed was incredibly fast, as if he used all the strength he could muster with this single rush.
"Bull Smash!", Lu Meng shouted as he got close to the flying spirit of the forest. Both of Lu Meng's fist charged towards the spirit at incredible speed, creating an explosive sound.
But the only thing Lu Meng felt as his fists hit his target was… nothing. It was like all the force from his strike was gone as soon as it hit the spirit's small face.
"Hehe. You're really funny, mister", the spirit chuckled. The spirit then pushed Lu Meng's face, causing him to fling back to the ground.
"Just kidding!", the spirit waved its hand as it stuck out its tongue in a playful way, "You Azure Fish people may go. You're really funny, mister. I will visit your place when I have the time"
Even though Lu Meng was still confused with what just happened, hearing the spirit give them the permission to go, Lu Meng did not hesitate to order his disciples to quickly disperse.
They did not even look back as they hurriedly escaped the clearing, not even collecting the hundred bodies that were pierced by the spikes that came from the ground. It took a few minutes before all of the Azure Fist members fully disappeared from the clearing.
Now, all that was left in the clearing was Viel, and the hundreds of dead Azure Fist disciples hanging from the ominous spikes. The wings of light that were protruding from Viel's back slowly disappeared as he descended back to the ground.
As soon as he landed, he looked towards the hundreds of dead disciples and walked closer to their position.
"I… am really sorry, misters", said Viel as he carried a sorrowful expression on his face. He then closed his eyes and put his palms together, "May all of you walk the path as brothers once again in the next life"
Viel remained like this for a while, before finally opening his eyes, and as soon as he did so, he disappeared. Leaving only the rustle of the grass from where he once stood.
"…Hhmm"
A few seconds after Viel left, a figure came out from one of the trees near the clearing.
"Oh boy, you created another mess, Viel. But spared us the effort of taking care of Li Zhao.", the figure said as he revealed himself to the light. It was none other than Xiao Pei.
"Well, better report this to the princess. Hhmm, I guess she prefers to be called the Headmistress now… ack, royalty, so complicated", Xiao Pei complained as he once again disappeared into the forest.