The darkness of the night enveloped the forest, obscuring everything in its path. The only sound that could be heard was the sound of rustling leaves and the occasional snap of twigs.
Suddenly, the silence was shattered by the sound of piercing screams that echoed through the trees, bouncing off the trunks and reverberating through the air.
As the source of the noise drew closer, it became apparent that a group of bandits were running frantically through the forest. Their faces were twisted in terror, and their eyes were wide with fear. Their movements were frantic and wild as if they were being pursued by some unseen terror.
They shouted and screamed like little children, their voices pitiful and heartbreaking, filled with a sense of hopelessness and despair. "Please, no!" one of them cried, his voice choked with tears. "I don't want to die!"
"Ahh, Man-eating demons!" another of them screamed, his voice laced with panic. "We're all going to die!"
Yet another bandit pleaded for his life, his voice trembling with fear. "No, no, no, I don't wanna die. Lord Ravana, please grant me your mercy. I have kids to feed, I can't be eaten here."
Despite their extreme exhaustion, the bandits continued to desperately run through the forest, their footsteps pounding against the ground. They tripped over fallen branches and stumbled over rocks, but they did not stop. They ran until they were too exhausted to continue, collapsing to the ground in a heap. But even then, they didn't dare look back at all.
The image of their leader being eaten and Wei Wushang's nightmarish appearance had left them thoroughly shaken. The events that transpired today would be the most disturbing and dreadful incidents in their entire lives, events that they would recount to their children and grandchildren, warning them of the dangers that lurked in the world and the consequences of crossing them.
"Phew, it's finally over..." Wei Wushang sighed in relief as he tossed the bundle of severed heads aside, he was finally safe.
Despite being physically weaker than the bandits, Wei Wushang was able to gain the upper hand through his scheming mind and exceptional ability to adapt. He made use of the powerful image of Ravana that had been etched into the hearts of these bandits since childhood, using their own fear against them to turn the tables in his favor.
Although using Wei Sang as a decoy and escaping was a more viable option, Wei Wushang chose not to take that path.
Firstly, the original Wei Wushang had a strong sense of kinship towards Wei Sang, which was now somewhat affecting the current Wei Wushang.
But despite Wei Wushang's strong feelings of kinship towards Wei Sang, they were not enough to fully counter Wang Zheng's demonic nature. If it had been someone else in Wang Zheng's place, they would likely have been influenced by these emotions much more deeply.
However, Wang Zheng was different, his demonic nature was particularly strong. It was only a matter of time before Wang Zheng's demonic nature would fully awaken.
Secondly, Wei Sang was a crucial pawn in Wei Wushang's future plan, he held immense value in Wei Wushang's eyes. Hence, he couldn't easily be sacrificed.
"The art of deception is a potent weapon in the hands of the skilled. It can be used to mislead, manipulate, and control others, allowing those who master it to shape the world to their will. Surely they are risks, but so what? Fortune favors the bold, so why should I move at a snail's pace? I want to soar to the heavens like a Phoenix!" Wei Wushang laughed heartily as he gazed at the bandits scampering away in panic, his demonic nature fully displayed.
If it were the case for other people, most of them would probably play it safe. But in the case of Wei Wushang, the benefit of doing so was too low. He would rather take the risk and gamble.
You see, people with Demonic nature love to take risks.
While Wei Wushang enjoyed taking risks, he was no gambling addict. He understood his limits and knew his capabilities well. Previously, when Wei Wushang found himself surrounded by bandits, he relied on his years of experience to make a calculated gamble, and it paid off.
After letting his emotions loose for a short while, Wei Wushang quickly regained his composure. He turned his head slightly to gaze at the other warm body beside him, and with just one look, he let out a deep sigh and shook his head lightly.
He had just overcome one problem, only to be faced with another.
Wei Sang lay on the ground, pathetic and miserable. Blood and vomit stained the earth beneath him, his mind consumed by utter despair.
Wei Sang's current state was not optimistic. His face was ashen, and his breaths came in shallow gasps.
As he lay there, he felt that his world was covered in darkness.
He had never felt so low, so utterly defeated.
'Why did it come to this?'
"I can't believe what I've done, I ate a human... A human just like me. Oh, how far have I fallen? I am a failure, a total failure." Wei Sang shook his head in disbelief, tears streaming down his cheeks.
His spirit was completely broken.
He felt as though he had nothing left to live for, no hope for redemption. All the lies that he had constructed to justify his actions fell apart; the delusional reality he had built up in his mind after so long collapsed in an instant.
No matter how much Wei Sang tried to rationalize it as a matter of survival, the fact that he had eaten human flesh remained an unbearable burden on his conscience.
"NOO!!!" He raised his head and howled, allowing his tears to flow like a river.
He struggled to pull himself up, but his strength seemed to fail him, and he collapsed back onto the ground.
"Damn it, damn it!!" he cried out in frustration as he crawled towards Wei Wushang like a desperate animal, his hands clawing at his brother's pants. "You! it's all your fault, it was you who made me do this. You knew it was wrong, but you pushed me to it. What were you thinking!?" Wei Sang spat out accusingly, shifting all the blame on his brother without any hesitation.
He screamed until his lungs ached, pain and regret weighing heavily on his chest. He simply couldn't help but feel resentful towards his younger brother, Wei Wushang, for leading him down this path of cannibalism.
Tears gushed down his face, his emotions leaving him entirely overwhelmed. "Why did I listen to you? Why did I trust you? Why!?" he wailed, his voice quivering with heartbreak. The questions had no answers, but Wei Sang could not stop himself from asking them.
But no matter how hard he tried to shift the blame on Wei Wushang, his conscience couldn't be silenced. Deep down, Wei Sang knew that he shared equal blame for their past actions, and there was no escaping it.
He was consumed by a deep sense of remorse for his past actions, yet the mere thought of taking full responsibility for them was overwhelming.
To confront the enormity of his mistakes would require a strength that he wasn't sure he possessed.
Could he ever reach a point in his life where he could look at himself in the mirror with pride, knowing what he had done? Would he be able to find it within himself to forgive his past transgressions? These were the questions that plagued him, casting a dark shadow over every thought and emotion.
As the wind picked up, it swept away the clouds that had been hiding the moon. Its crescent shape hung in the sky like a white jade lamp, pouring clear, watery moonlight onto the earth. The pale moonlight spilled over the lush forest and onto the mountain rocks, bathing the rivers and streams in the mountains and shining down on Wei Wushang's young body.
Wei Wushang was drenched in blood from head to toe, yet under the gentle rays of moonlight he looked somewhat..... Mesmerizing.
His eyes were black as the night sky, yet as profound as the mysteries of the universe, quietly reflecting the pale moonlight. He stood there calmly, his gaze fixed on his elder brother Wei Sang, who clung to him desperately.
Wei Wushang stood silently, peacefully watching just like that...
He was not the least bit flustered or surprised by Wei Sang's emotional outburst, for he had foreseen this outcome right from the start. He understood that his elder brother lacked the mental fortitude and the demonic nature that he possessed.
Wei Wushang had carefully orchestrated the events that had transpired, knowing that it was necessary for both his and Wei Sang's survival. But now that the danger had passed, he watched his elder brother's mental state crumble under the weight of what had just taken place.
It was only natural that Wei Sang had finally snapped. The human mind can only withstand so much before succumbing to the weight of guilt and self-blame.
Furthermore, Wei Sang was just a young boy - how much could a fifteen-year-old be expected to endure? Despite the harsh realities of the world, children remain vulnerable and innocent at heart.
These past few days have already taken a heavy toll on Wei Sang, leaving him mentally drained and emotionally fragile. Despite not having fully recovered, he found himself thrust into another pit of despair and brutality. It was simply too much for the boy to handle.
Amidst all of this darkness, Wei Sang's only silver lining was his younger brother. Wei Sang had been molded and refined by Wei Wushang's guidance, and it was this conditioning that had given him the courage to perform the cannibalistic act in the first place. Also while facing death, which normal person would not lose themselves?
But despite this, it was crystal clear that Wei Sang had shattered his own moral code in the process, and the weight of it all was too much for him to carry.
'Sigh, there was nothing else I could do. It was either this or sacrificing Wei Sang. And I chose the former without hesitation. So what if he cries, screams, or even despises me? As long as he is alive, I am confident I can set his mind straight. It will take time, but I have faith in my methods.' Wei Wushang thought silently.
In the end, Wei Sang's tears flowed silently as he desperately clung to Wei Wushang's leg, his grip tight and pleading, his tear-filled eyes looking up at his younger brother. "Brother, you must save me. Please, I don't want to become a monster."
'My turn,' Wei Wushang's eyes lit up. He knelt down, gently placing a hand on Wei Sang's trembling shoulder. "I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice choked with fake emotion, "I'm so sorry, big brother. It's not your fault, not at all."
Wei Wushang continued with his lies, "Brother, listen to me. You're not a monster and you'll never be one. You're the kindest and sweetest big brother I know of. You were willing to sacrifice your life for mine. What kind of a monster does that..? Brother, you are my hero!"
Wei Sang gazed at his brother, feeling dazed as a small flicker of warmth stirred within his heart. But it was quickly snuffed out by the guilt in his soul.
'Hmph, completely useless!' Wei Wushang snorted unhappily, but his expression was one of immense pain and shame, "If you want to blame someone, blame me! Yes, I am the one who forced you to do it. It's my fault. Everything is my fault, not yours. I am the monster here, I am!!"
Wei Wushang's voice cracked, and tears streamed down his face. He lashed out at himself, slapping his own face again and again!
Slap, slap, slap!
Wei Wushang cried, his voice hoarse with emotion. "I couldn't bear the thought of losing you, so I did something unforgivable. How could I be so selfish, I betrayed your trust, and I made you suffer. I'm the one who deserves to die!" Wei Wushang's voice grew louder and more desperate with every word, his acting skills in full display.
Wei Wushang's acting was so convincing that even the thought of someone questioning it was absurd, and maybe even bit heartless.
"I am truly unworthy of being... Hm?" Wei Wushang's expression froze as his gaze landed on his elder brother.
"Ahhhhh! This can't be happening, it can't be! I'm going to die!!" Wei Sang's face contorted, veins bulging on his forehead. He was drowning in his delusions, gripping his own throat tightly.
Wei Sang's state of mind was collapsing at a rapid pace, and Wei Wushang's words had little effect on him. But the voices of the bandit leader, screaming in terror and begging for mercy, were like daggers in his mind, cutting deeper with every passing moment.
And to make matters worse, the image of his late parents inexplicably emerged in his mind. He could clearly feel their piercing stares as if they were standing right in front of him and judging him for his actions.
Their eyes gazed at him with such disappointment and shame that it felt like a physical blow. He clearly remembered their proud faces, the love and warmth they had shown him throughout his life. But now, all he could see was their disappointment and disgust!
How painful it was, only he knew.
"How could you do this, Wei Sang? We raised you better than this." his mother's voice seemed to say. "You were never our true child. We should have known better than to take in someone who wasn't even our flesh and blood."
His father's voice joined in, his tone stern and unforgiving. "You have brought shame upon our family, Wei Sang. You are no son of mine."
Like echoes in a valley, these words reverberated in Wei Sang's fragile heart bringing along waves of depression.
The Unimaginable depression was suppressing him until he could not breathe properly. In fact, it was more intense than before by a hundred times!
Wei Sang's entire body shook uncontrollably, tears flowed down his face as he clenched his teeth with such force that it felt as if they might shatter.
Finally, with a thud, he collapsed onto the ground, lying on his side.
Because he lacked oxygen, his face went red, his tongue protruded from his mouth, and his eyes bulged from their sockets.
The longer he held onto his throat, the more convinced Wei Sang became that he was on the verge of death.
Nonetheless, the pressure of his grip only intensified, as if he was trying to strangle the very thoughts that plagued him.
A few seconds quickly slipped by, Wei Sang's entire body convulsed, he felt his vision blurring and his head growing light. His thoughts became muddled, and his mind drifted into a haze. The world around him seemed to slowly fade away.
He was on the brink of Death!!
"Sigh..." A soft exhale escaped Wei Wushang's lips, sounding like the whisper of the death god himself.
He slowly stood up and looked down at his elder brother expressionlessly. Then, he lifted his right leg and firmly stepped down on Wei Sang's groin!
"AHH Oww-!!" Wei Sang's hands instantaneously released their grip on his neck. He gasped for air, greedily gulping in a large amount before unleashing a piercing scream filled with emotions of misery and pain.
He quickly covered his crotch with his hands and rolled around on the floor, screaming loudly. After that, his body curled up like a shrimp in agony.
Wei Wushang stood before him, indifferently watching his brother writhe in pain. "I had to do this to stop you from killing yourself." he said flatly.
Wei Sang's eyes were filled with pain and confusion as he struggled to speak. "Why? I can't–" he barely managed to gasp out.
Wei Wushang's expression softened slightly, "Because I need you, brother. I cannot let you throw your life away." Saying so, he took a step forward and ruthlessly stomped on the side of Wei Sang's head, as if he was crushing an insect beneath his foot.
"Ugh-!!" Wei Sang's face was harshly squeezed on the blood-soaked earth making it once again difficult for him to breathe. Under immense force, his face was almost deforming.
'What.. what is going on!?' Wei Sang was so shocked that, for a moment, he forgot there was a foot on his face, pressing down on him like a mighty mountain.
"Big brother, it's time to rest." Wei Wushang whispered before his right palm struck down with deadly precision.
Wei Sang was shocked by the suddenness of the attack, and before he could even process what was happening, Wei Wushang's right palm came crashing down on the left side of his neck, causing his eyes to roll up, he instantly blacked out.
Wei Wushang's eyes flickered with a fleeting emotion of contempt as his gaze landed on his brother's face. However, he quickly masked it with a veil of indifference and turned his attention towards his surroundings.
After a short while, he hunched down and raised Wei Sang's ankle, dragging his unconscious body away.
His path left behind a trail of bright red blood traces dragged out on the ground.
"I'll have to do something about this." Wei Wushang muttered to himself as he climbed into the carriage and closed the door, disappearing into the darkness.