"Xiao, now that you are 18, you have no right to live with us anymore. You are now officially disowned. You will be given nothing and have 24 hours to leave," a rough-looking man said, resembling an older and more experienced version of Xiao.
"Dad, I can do anything you want me to. Please don't kick me out—you know what Xu is going to do to me, right?" Xiao pleaded desperately, knowing his time was up after failing to develop spiritual roots.
"Don't call me dad, you are a disappointment to the family, and you couldn't even keep Ling here. That was the only usefulness you had. You can protect yourself from Xu now—you're an adult," his father replied coldly.
Xiao's stomach twisted at the mention of Xu. The man was a predator in every sense, waiting for a moment of weakness. His father's indifference only fueled the terror rising inside him.
"Do you really think Xu will leave me be?" Xiao's voice trembled. "He's been waiting for this, and you know I've been working harder than anyone."
"Harder?" His father's voice turned sharp and mocking. "You couldn't even keep Ling as your maid. What good are you to anyone?"
"Yu Xianliang, take him to the abandoned shack south of here," his father ordered.
"Yes, sir," a deep voice said from the shadows. A man stepped forward and grabbed Xiao.
"Father, is there anything I can do?" Xiao asked, still clinging to a shred of hope. There was no reply.
Xiao was dragged outside, trying to reason with Xianliang.
"Please, I'll do whatever it takes! Just give me another chance!" he begged.
He heard a sigh. "I didn't want to do this," Xianliang said before delivering a chop to Xiao's neck. Darkness overtook him.
Two days later...
Xiao woke up in an ugly, rundown shack. The same shack he had woken up in after being injured in his past life.
What's going to happen now?
He felt a gnawing hunger in his stomach. Looking around, he found no food. He ventured outside, discovering a large forest surrounding the shack.
He collected any food he could find—mushrooms, apples, blueberries—staying close to the shack to avoid monsters. Every sound he heard filled him with dread, but he cautiously avoided those areas.
Once he gathered enough, he returned to the shack and stored the food. As he ate until he was full, his mind wandered to everything that had gone wrong.
Why did I let that woman take Ling away from me? Xiao sighed. He knew deep down that, no matter what, he would have let her take Ling away. He had been holding her back after all.
I can't dwell on that now. Let's think of the positives. I'm free from my father, but... I'm in a dangerous place, alone. Why can't I think of anything good? He let out a sigh and began training—a routine he'd followed nearly his whole life. With no sword nearby, he fashioned one from tree branches scattered on the ground.
It was poorly balanced and a terrible design, but it would do for now.
The next day...
Xiao wanted to find some animals. He knew that fruit alone wouldn't sustain him for long. He walked about two kilometers from the shack when he spotted a rabbit, seemingly asleep.
As he crept closer, his intuition screamed danger. It had never been wrong before. He waited patiently for three hours to see if there was something wrong with the rabbit. Just as he was about to ignore his instincts and make a move, he saw a bear charging toward the rabbit. He expected the bear to attack the rabbit, but to his shock, the rabbit awoke and launched a qi blade at the bear, killing it instantly.
Xiao gasped loudly and took a step back, but a 'snap' echoed in the quiet forest. He looked down and saw a broken branch beneath his foot. When he looked up again, the rabbit was rushing toward him.
Panic surged through him as he sprinted back to the shack—the fastest he had ever run. The rabbit toyed with him, sometimes getting close, then pulling back, as if taunting him. Xiao didn't care. He ran as if his life depended on it, because it did.
After a grueling 12 minutes, he reached the hut. The sounds of the rabbit chasing him faded, and when he turned around, it was gone. Xiao sighed in relief and walked to the door, but something was wrong.
The door was open. He remembered closing it. Just as he stepped inside, a voice chilled him to the bone.
"Oh, look who's back," Xu Yongzheng said from within.
"Xu, why are you here?" Xiao's voice trembled, unable to suppress the fear rising in his chest. Seeing Xu lounging casually in the doorway sent chills down his spine. His predator was here, and there was no escape.
Xu smirked, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Did you really think you could run away, Xiao? The moment your father threw you out, I knew exactly where you'd end up. It was only a matter of time." He stood up slowly, his movements deliberate, like a cat toying with its prey.
Xiao's pulse quickened. His mind raced. He had just escaped the rabbit, only to fall into an even more dangerous situation. He cursed his luck, but fear held him rooted in place. "I—I'll leave. I'll go farther away. Just let me go!" he tried to bargain, though he knew Xu was not the negotiating type.
Xu's smirk widened. "Oh, you thought you could get away from me, Xiao? When you took Ling away from me, that sealed your fate. Now, even your father sold your location for a meager profit."
Desperation gripped Xiao. His hand trembled as he lifted his makeshift wooden sword. "No matter what, I'll fight you." Xiao says as he starts looking around to find a escape plan.
Xu raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Fight me? With that?" His eyes flicked to the pitiful wooden sword. "That thing is pathetic." He laughed. "I could've dragged this out, but I think I've had enough fun." He pulled out a Golden Silkworm Gu.
"Fear twisted Xiao's features, his breath coming in shallow gasps as his mind screamed in panic." He knew exactly what that creature could do.
"With a casual flick of his wrist, Xu tossed the Gu toward Xiao. Panic surged through him. He swung his wooden sword wildly, desperate to keep the creature at bay, but Xu barely glanced at the effort. A pulse of qi shot from Xu's hand, and the makeshift weapon splintered, shards falling uselessly to the ground. Xiao froze, dread seeping into his bones as the Gu landed on his skin."
The Golden Silkworm burrowed into Xiao's body, and excruciating pain consumed him.
Xu watched, smiling as Xiao writhed in agony. "Too bad I can't stay to enjoy this longer. The elders are already suspicious of me." He turned and left with a triumphant smile, as if he had pulled off a grand heist.
As Xu walked away, Xiao screamed, "You won't get away, Xu! I'll make sure you die, even if I have to sell my soul!" There was no reply.
Xiao suffered for what felt like an eternity, screaming and writhing as the Golden Silkworm slowly drained his life. His body couldn't hold out any longer, and finally, he succumbed.
This is how Chen Xiao died.