*Bam!*
Xu Lin grabbed Tang Mei by the neck as he lifted her up in the air with one arm.
"Keurgh! Let…me…go!" she yelled as she concentrated her qi in her legs and kicked him in the stomach with both legs; causing them to separate.
"Ooooo… that hurt. I was told you really pack a punch, but it still seems that I've underestimated you", he apologized with a bow.
"Fuck off!" Tang Mei yelled angrily, not being fooled by his pleasantries.
A greedy glint flashed in Xu Lin's eyes as he observed her.
"They were right", he muttered quietly in surprise, but Tang Mei still managed to hear him.
"Right about what?" she asked.
"You. Your name is Tang Mei, right? You have an extreme yin physique, don't you?" he asked her, but he already had his answer after she had revolved her qi against him.
She didn't reply as she continued to glare at him.
"I'll make you an offer you simply can't refuse. Come back with me to the Xu family clan's residence and I'll spare your son and Bei Wu", Xu Lin proposed.
"What about his wife and daughter?" Tang Mei asked.
"Hmm… I'll let go of Bei Wu and Bei Yifei, but I'm taking their daughter with me", he answered aloofly.
"Why!?!" Tang Mei and Bei Wu questioned him simultaneously.
"I'm sure Bei Wu has already told you the reason", he responded, while slightly raising his right eyebrow.
*Tsk*
Tang Mei clicked her tongue, while Bei Wu held his head in misery.
"Bei Ya, Bei Ya! I am so sorry. I'm a failure as a father", he kept repeating to himself as he sobbed.
"Don't worry. Just for you, I'll make an exception. If you're willing to come back with me, I won't use Bei Wu's daughter as a sacrifice, but she'll have to serve under the Xu family. This is to prevent you from having any thoughts of escaping on your own", Xu Lin said as he tried to extenuate the matter.
"And what am I going there for?" she inquired.
"Ah well, about that. Although it seems that your extreme yin physique is very faint and weak now, seemingly due to some internal injuries, you still have your uses", he answered ominously as he smacked his lips, while staring at her body.
"Bastard!" Tang Mei yelled out in rage.
"And what makes you think I'll listen to you?" she growled aggressively.
"Tang Lin", Xu Lin responded with a grin that was looking to be punched as Tang Mei flinched at his response.
"Your one and only weakness. Even if you decide to abandon Bei Wu's daughter, I'm sure you know how close your son is with her. One way or the other, he'll come to me if you run away. You'll never escape my clutches", he stated wickedly.
"Right now, my men are keeping an eye on him and Bei Ya. With one signal, I can erase them from this world" threatened Xu Lin as he laughed menacingly.
'Is he speaking the truth? Tang Lin and Bei Ya did indeed go out to play, but are there really men waiting outside watching them or is he bluffing?' she thought in distress as beads of sweat started to form on her forehead.
"You're bluffing", she decided, while trying to look confident; in reality, she was completely uncertain.
"Oh yeah? Try me", Xu Lin said as he slowly raised his right arm.
'What should I do? What should I do?' she thought in a panic
Seeing Xu Lin's right hand almost raised up, Tang Mei started to fret, doubt and worry.
"WAIT!" Tang Mei shouted in a hurry.
"Well? Are you going to take my offer or not?" he asked again, while releasing a wave of overbearing pressure.
*Sigh*
'Tang Lin, my dear. I love you', she declared in her heart.
"Fine… I'll go with you. Leave my son, Bei Wu and Bei Yifei alone as you promised", Tang Mei said as she gritted her teeth and clenched her fists until they were white.
"However! On one condition", she continued.
'Hm?' Xu Lin thought.
"Alter my son's memory of Bei Ya and I, so that he thinks he's the adopted son of the Bei family and I will never run away as long as you never come close to my son ever again", she said resolutely and a tinge of heartbreak.
"All right. Come with me now", he commanded her.
Tang Mei didn't want to listen to him, but she had no choice. She had to protect Tang Lin even if the risks were small or big.
Forming a needle shape with two-pointed fingers, Xu Lin jabbed at Tang Mei's main meridian points.
"What did you just do?" she yelled angrily.
"I just sealed your meridian points as a precaution", he answered.
"Let's go now", Xu Lin ordered as he left for the door.
As Tang Mei was leaving, Bei Wu quickly got up.
"Bei Wu. This is all I can do for you. In return, I hope you can take good care of my son for me. Treat him like your own son", Tang Mei requested earnestly.
"Tang Mei! Even if this is all you can do, I can only blame myself for my own incompetence as a father. Thank you so much and I'm so sorry for getting you involved in all this", he sobbed with appreciation, yet despair.
Tang Mei could only bitterly smile back, not knowing exactly how to respond.
"Take care of my son for me…" she responded as her voice slowly drifted before disappearing outside.
***
Ten minutes later.
"Uncle Bei! Uncle Bei! Something really bad just happened!" Tang Lin shouted, while out of breath as he came running into the living room.
Sitting on the couch in the living room, Bei Wu slouched as he sat there lifelessly.
"Some random people just kidnapped Bei Ya just then. I just tried to fight back, but I couldn't save her", he said as showed his bruises.
Looking over at Tang Lin, light finally started to come back to his eyes.
"It's okay. I know already", Bei Wu replied.
"What do you mean it's okay?" said Tang Lin with a bit of irritation and anger.
"Tang Lin… I'm sorry", Bei Wu said bluntly as a single teardrop rolled down his face.
***
Back in the trial.
"AHHH!" Tang Lin screamed as his tears wouldn't stop flowing out.
Now, he was on the 89th step. One foot was already on the 90th step as Tang Lin started to remember every word, detail and expression Uncle Bei had on that day. As the conversation was recounted to him, Bei Wu explained everything as his first-person view started to transition to a third-person view back into reality.
"That explains why I've never been able to remember anything back then. So, my mother forcibly had my memory altered to prevent me from seeking revenge. If Uncle Bei never decided to tell me I was adopted, I would've never found out and returned in search of mother", he realised as he shuddered in apprehension at the thought.
"Mother… MOTHER! I'm so sorry. I left you alone the whole time and by the time I came back to find you, you died within my arms", Tang Lin mourned with regret as he managed to stand firmly on the 90th step.
The stage was transforming again.
The heavens darkened, the earth was sundered, lightning rumbled and the waters roared, while the fierce fire grew stronger within the midst of animals slaughtering each other in a craze for survival..
It truly seemed like the apocalypse.