"Smack!" In the distance, Xin Yun thought he heard the sound of something shattering. At the same time, the burly fellow's body instantly curled up like a shrimp, his face swelled up like a purple eggplant. Without guessing, one could tell just how excruciating the pain was by the tortured expression on his face.
Looking at the guy writhing in the mud in agony, Xin Yun felt not an ounce of pity. He lightly lifted his right leg and then, with a whoosh, he kicked out fiercely, unleashing a torrent of ruthless kicks to the fellow's head.
Finally, after a dozen or so kicks, the guy probably lost consciousness. Xin Yun dared not continue, for if he kicked him to death right then, it would have been too easy on him.
Xin Yun looked at the guy in the mud and said ominously, "So, you like drinking human blood, huh? Quite an idea indeed. Speaking of which, I too quite want to know what human blood tastes like!"
Listening to Xin Yun's words, the fellow in the mud kept writhing in pain, casting pitiful looks at Xin Yun. Unfortunately, this act was useless on Xin Yun; he had seen too many like him. When down on their luck, they'd act like fawning dogs, begging for mercy, but as soon as they were on top, they'd harm others with even greater viciousness—intolerable acts. Such people truly didn't deserve to be spared.
The only way to deal with such people was to hit them hard when they were down, beat the drowning dog. For these ingratiating dogs, any form of mercy was a waste.
In the past life, these four men all left the dry well alive and, over the following decade, committed untold atrocities and vile deeds that were horrendous. What was most despicable was that they exploited their connection to Yi Luo Xiang's village to oppress others, committing all kinds of evil and tarnishing Yi Luo Xiang's reputation. Otherwise, with Yi Luo Xiang's beauty, talent, charm, and strength, how could she have only ranked sixth?
In the past life, Xin Yun had led a large force several times to wipe out these four men. But one had to admit, not just anyone could be a villain; it required strength too. Xin Yun suffered heavy losses and never managed to eliminate them, constantly letting them escape, which was utterly nauseating. Eventually, these four incited conflict between Xin Yun and another power, which, within three years, completely decimated Xin Yun's forces.
In a way, these four were the chief culprits behind the collapse of Xin Yun's power in his past life, and his hatred for them was beyond words. Now… knowing that their nature was unchangeable, why keep them? To continue sullying Yi Luo Xiang's name? To keep sabotaging Xin Yun in secret?
Coldly looking at the guy on the ground, in this life, they would have no chance to continue their wicked ways; after all, who says I'm a reborn man? Now… the hatred from the past life and this one would be poured out on him at the same time.
Licking his lips, Xin Yun gently pulled up the guy's right arm, leisurely pulling up the sleeve. The man's eyes widened with terror; though he had the guts to drink others' blood, it was entirely different when it was his blood being drunk!
"Ah!" Amidst a blood-curdling scream, Xin Yun bit down fiercely, his sharp teeth instantly tearing through the skin on the man's arm, and with a strong suck, the fishy, salty blood gushed into Xin Yun's mouth.
Feeling his own blood quickly being drained, the man finally felt fear and with a horrified look at Xin Yun, he was scared to death—literally!
Despite his immense hatred, Xin Yun only took one bite, and a surge rose in his chest. He hurriedly let go and turned to run to the side of the well, bent over, and vomited fiercely. Since he hadn't eaten for days, there wasn't much to bring up, but just the acid was enough to make Xin Yun's tears and snot flow.
Wiping the corner of his mouth disgracefully, he returned to the man's side and took a close look—the four men had all died, especially the leader, who had been scared to death!
Of course, to say he was scared to death was a bit of a stretch; the man had been starving for more than four days and had been savagely beaten by Xin Yun. One could say that the final scare was not the sole cause, just a minor part of it.
Unable to take the time to deal with the bodies of the four, Xin Yun hurried to Yi Luo Xiang's side to check on the three girls. He wasn't concerned at first but upon examining them, Xin Yun felt utterly disheartened.
Yi Luo's condition was very bad. Although she hadn't lost consciousness, the excessive blood loss had left her incredibly weak. She couldn't even stand up. As for the two girls, they were at the point where they were only exhaling, without taking any breaths in. During the examination, the two girls passed away, one after the other.
Confronted with all this, Xin Yun fiercely slapped himself twice. Experience can be a curse. According to his memory, those four should have only taken action on the seventh day, and there were still three days left until then. However, Xin Yun had now realized that last time it was the presence of moss that had sustained them, but now, since Xin Yun had hidden all the moss, those guys naturally couldn't last until the seventh day and had made their move on the fourth.
Moreover, it seemed as though heaven itself was complicit in their suffering, whipping up such a fierce wind. If the wind hadn't masked the girls' cries for help, he surely would have woken up in time and intervened before those guys could act.
Although he didn't wish to admit it, what was done was done. No amount of regret could change that. People must always look forward, as constantly dwelling in remorse means never being able to achieve anything.
Those who had died were already gone, but the living still needed to go on. Although Xin Yun felt extremely guilty about the deaths of the two girls, what was crucial now was to ensure Yi Luo Xiang's safety. She had lost a lot of blood and was terrified; one misstep, and she might not hold on.
There was no time to think further. Xin Yun gently picked up Yi Luo Xiang. The ground was too muddy. It hadn't been a problem before, but now she was too injured. Having lost so much blood, her deep wounds were at risk of infection with the slightest carelessness.
Feeling Xin Yun's warm embrace, Yi Luo Xiang seemed to find a gentle haven amidst her terror. She subconsciously snuggled closer into Xin Yun's arms, as the two young bodies pressed tightly together.
Had it been any other time, Xin Yun would have been over the moon with such an embrace. But now, apart from compassion, he felt no other superfluous emotions.
Gently patting Yi Luo Xiang's slender body, Xin Yun murmured, "Don't be afraid. I've killed all the bad guys; there's no need to fear them anymore. As long as I'm here, no one can hurt you."
Time and again, he gently patted Yi Luo Xiang's back, voice after voice of gentle comfort. Xin Yun didn't know what else to say; he just repeated that phrase over and over. In this moment, all he wished was for Yi Luo Xiang to recover quickly, unaware that at that moment, Yi Luo Xiang was at the most vulnerable point in her life. His actions were practically an overt act of hypnosis!
However, regardless, under Xin Yun's repeated reassurances, Yi Luo Xiang gradually relaxed her body. No longer rigid, she softly leaned against Xin Yun's arm and slowly drifted into sleep.
Looking at the fragile figure in his arms, at her exquisitely delicate face, Xin Yun couldn't help but sigh. Although he had been reborn, many things should not be taken for granted based on memory alone. His appearance had already caused many things to change. The so-called butterfly effect was no more than this.
Clearly, compared to his memories, everything had now changed. And this was just the beginning. With the passage of time, the changes would become more and more significant. If one blindly trusted the memories of the past, the future could bring great losses.
Fortunately, reality had taught him a profound lesson, and he would not be so careless again. Past experiences should indeed serve as references, but they should not be blindly followed. No matter when or where, one must always stay vigilant!
As Xin Yun was lost in thought, within his embrace, Yi Luo Xiang's eyebrows creased tightly. In fact… Although she was smart, she was not the near aberrant prodigy that she became later. In a way, Yi Luo Xiang's miracle began with this blood-drinking incident!
Think about it, facing such an ordeal today, how could a child of seven and a half bear it? When terror reached its limit, one would either collapse or break through. Clearly, those two girls had collapsed, had perished, while Yi Luo Xiang had made a breakthrough. It was this very incident that transformed Yi Luo Xiang into a super prodigy! Today's ordeal would directly reflect in her future talents. If it all had truly been avoided, Yi Luo Xiang would never reach the heights of her previous life, not by a long shot!