A week later, within the Xia family's territory in the Great Rexion Empire, a vast manor belonging to the Xia family stretched as far as the eye could see. Powerful cultivators entered and exited the manor, while 8- and 9-year-old children could be seen sparring with spears.
Deeper within the Xia estate, there was a dilapidated area where a 15-year-old boy lay in a broken room. His pale face and emaciated body showed signs of neglect. Despite his condition, the boy somehow managed to survive.
However, something unexpected occurred. The boy's previously stable breathing began to slow down and eventually stopped. He had...died. His body became lifeless, and his heart ceased to beat. The boy's expression was peaceful as if he were asleep.
A few minutes later, a maidservant entered the room and discovered the lifeless body. Wide-eyed, she hurriedly left the room, spreading the news that Xia Yunbai, the illegitimate child of the Xia family, had passed away. The boy who had endured the hells cage technique for the past five years had finally met his end.
News of his death reached Xia Gu, Xia Yunbai's father. Though his brow furrowed upon hearing the news, he showed no further reaction to his son's demise. His interest waned quickly, and he ordered the servants to bury Xia Yunbai's body. The servants promptly carried out his instructions.
And so, the tale of Xia Yunbai came to an end without causing significant ripples within the Four Heavens... or did it? After Xia Yunbai's burial, most forgot about him. However, certain powerful individuals working for the forces of the Empire continued to keep an eye on Xia Yunbai's grave, hoping for a miraculous turn of events.
To their disappointment, they witnessed no changes in the spot where Xia Yunbai had been buried, even after a week. Little did they know that if they were to dig up the burial site, they would discover that his body was missing. A tunnel would be found, connected to the grave. Unfortunately, none of them noticed it.
Three days after being pronounced dead, Xia Yunbai finally opened his eyes. Though his body remained thin and frail, anyone who looked into his eyes at that moment would have been forever lost. His eyes exuded profound madness and a hunger for revenge.
"So, you're awake," a pleasant and calming childish voice reached Xia Yunbai's ears as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. Attempting to move his body proved far more challenging than he anticipated since it had been comatose for five years. Despite the pain of his bones cracking and the effort required to move, Xia Yunbai appeared unaffected. With cracking and creaking sounds, he propped himself up using his arms and twisted his head toward the source of the voice.
At first, all he could see was that he was within a forest, buried underground. His eyes swiftly landed on the most beautiful child he had ever encountered. The child sat atop a boulder, looking down at him with captivating deep black eyes that contained a touch of white. Moreover, Xia Yunbai felt a sense of calm and connection when he gazed at the boy. The boy's serene eyes shone with madness as he met Xia Yunbai's gaze as Yunbai attempted to speak.
"Agh... Wghk... argh... yokj," only incoherent sounds escaped Xia Yunbai's mouth. His throat, untouched by water for years, was parched. Calmly perched on the boulder, Xiao picked up a bottle filled with water and tossed it toward the desperately struggling Xia Yunbai. The bottle rolled on the ground until it reached Xia Yunbai, who looked back and forth between the bottle and Xiao before eagerly drinking the water as if there were no tomorrow.
Xiao threw a small pouch in Xia Yunbai's direction. Xia Yunbai noticed it but didn't react or say anything as he continued drinking the water. Unperturbed, Xiao spoke aloud.
"After you drink the water, eat the pills from the pouch. They won't heal you completely, but they will help you regain some vitality."
Once again, there was no response, but that was not an issue. Xiao had all the time he needed. Looking at Xia Yunbai before him, he sighed with relief as everything had gone according to his plan. The plan was simple, but a small mistake could have jeopardized everything.
Xiao's primary objective was to obtain Xia Yunbai without attracting the attention of both the Emperor and the Heavenly Immortals. The solution was straightforward: Xia Yunbai had to "die," and from there, everything would be easy.
To accomplish this, Xiao bribed the maidservant responsible for Xia Yunbai's care. With a simple payment, he had her administer a liquid to Xia Yunbai, a poison that induced a death-like state for three days. Regardless of appearance, it would seem as though Xia Yunbai had truly died.
Though the poison was exceedingly rare and expensive, it was worth it to gain control over Xia Yunbai. Besides, Xiao's mother was wealthy, so the cost was not an issue. Afterward, Xiao watched as the servants buried Xia Yunbai.
Then, using Elder Fan and his beast companion, the drill worm Xiao had Xia Yunbai retrieved from underground. He had to be cautious not to arouse suspicion from those who had been clandestinely observing Xia Yunbai. Thankfully, everything went smoothly, and all the problems were resolved.
'Now, all that's left is to gain the mad kid's trust,' Xiao thought, looking at Xia Yunbai, who drank voraciously. He could only lament that the future would be troublesome.
'To think that guy would look like this….'
A sense of nostalgia hit Xiao as he looked at Yunbai wolfing down everything he gave him while looking at him with slaughter-filled eyes, Xiao could tell that if he makes one wrong move then Yunbai would jump at him, even now Xiao could feel subtle slaughter Qi eniminating from Yunbai.
'Nothing compared to what he had in the past…..'
Slaughter vise Xiao had surpassed Yunbai in the first life, after all, when Yunbai fell to the control of the Emperor, Xiao managed to live on, he took the things that Yunbai had passed on to him, while Xiao lived on his own, making his own rules as his manipulative terror caused wars among families.
'Those were good old times…..'
Xiao chuckled as he thought of those memories with a fond yet bitter feel. Most of his slaughters weren't just from his own hands, but most of them happened from what he had manipulated to take place.