*Bang!*
Xu Que swiftly turned around and delivered a powerful punch.
The Star-Ripping Hound flew through the air as though struck by a hammer, its body crumpling upon impact.
This spectacle left Ji Boda and Tang Xue utterly stupefied. They could scarcely believe their eyes. With just a single punch, Xu Que had sent the stealthily attacking hound hurtling away.
"I bestowed upon you power not so you could betray me at the first opportunity. Moreover, you are not worthy to challenge me!" Xu Que's words fell like the pronouncement of death from the deepest pits of hell, sealing the Star-Ripping Hound's fate.
Shaking, the beast struggled to rise, its bloodshot eyes watching Xu Que warily.
Though it did not understand his words, the overwhelming aura emanating from him rendered it powerless to retaliate.
Xu Que's punch had been but a lesson for the creature; he did not wish to slay a C-rank hound just yet. Instead, he sought to determine whether a B-rank Star-Ripping Hound could drop the coveted items he desired.
If one were to consider the savage, bloodthirsty beasts, aside from the B-rank Wind Tiger, the D-rank Star-Ripping Hound was the next viable option. Seizing this opportunity, Xu Que saw no reason to waste the bodies of these lowly thugs.
Watching the hound dutifully drag the three small-time thugs' bodies toward the juicer, Xu Que lost interest in the temporary creature he had been harboring.
"Apologies for the delay, a few minor matters kept me occupied. Let us continue our game!" Xu Que grinned as he wielded his serrated knife.
"Maniac, you... ah!!!"
Tang Xue's words were cut short by the excruciating pain that shot through her leg.
Xu Que's knife skills were impeccable, carefully avoiding any fatal strikes.
With each slow, deliberate cut, Xu Que sharpened his focus, and Tang Xue found herself losing consciousness countless times. Each time she fell unconscious, the sharp edge of his serrated knife would drag her back to consciousness.
"Isn't this feeling exhilarating? Do you understand the pain I once endured?" Xu Que's voice was laced with sickening pleasure.
Tang Xue could not comprehend Xu Que's meaning. She tried to protest, but before she could, the searing pain shattered her thoughts.
"Congratulations," Xu Que said with a cold smile, "You've managed to survive ten strikes."
At this point, Tang Xue had lost her grasp on reality. Though every fiber of her being screamed in agony, her eyes had long since dulled, drained of any light.
"Yes, this is the effect I was hoping for," Xu Que continued, his voice eerily calm. "Just like the look in your eyes now, did you wish you could die?"
No one answered. Ji Boda and Tang Xue were both paralyzed in fear, their terror palpable, as they finally understood: hell may very well be a kinder place than this world.
"Someone once told me that being dismembered is the most exquisite experience in the world. I wholeheartedly agree, because the sense of vengeance I feel now is just perfect."
As he spoke, Xu Que's serrated knife sliced into Tang Xue's abdomen, and then, before she could even process her pain, he delivered the final blow to her skull.
Tang Xue died, her suffering having ended at the hands of Xu Que.
Xu Que discarded her remains toward the waiting Star-Ripping Hound.
After cleaning the table thoroughly, he turned his gaze back to Ji Boda.
"Mr. Ji, shall we begin our game?" Xu Que asked with a smile.
Ji Boda shuddered, quickly pleading, "Xu Que, I beg you, just give me a swift death! I will repay you in my next life, I swear!"
Xu Que approached, a cold, cruel smile curling his lips. "Do you really think I would grant such a request?"
Ji Boda's pleas became frantic, but Xu Que seemed not to hear them.
After securing Ji Boda, Xu Que began the execution at his own pace.
"This strike is for myself," Xu Que said calmly, his knife gliding along Ji Boda's flesh.
Ji Boda let out a scream, comparable to that of a slaughtered pig.
"This next one is also for me, for the hatred I've carried for the past ten years," Xu Que added with a grin.
This grin was pure malevolence in Ji Boda and Tang Xue's eyes.
Ten years? Why ten years again? Was I the mad one? Or was Xu Que the true madman? After all, I've known Liu Ruoyan for barely five years!
Ji Boda couldn't comprehend Xu Que's words. He endured the pain as best he could, but his pleas went unheeded. Xu Que's knife continued its slow, agonizing work.
"Xu Que, please... ah!!!"
Another scream was cut short as the pain pierced through his thoughts.
"Each cut is for me," Xu Que murmured with grim satisfaction.
With every cruel stroke, Ji Boda's resistance waned further.
Xu Que grinned again, each move calculated to break Ji Boda's spirit.
"This one... it's for Old Duan," Xu Que added, though Ji Boda had no idea who that was. "Pre-payment," Xu Que chuckled darkly.
Ji Boda's mind shattered completely. A name he didn't even recognize was enough to drive him past the edge.
The work continued, each slice more meticulous than the last.
Xu Que's delicate work on Ji Boda was an art of agony, each movement a careful incision to prolong the suffering. Ji Boda no longer screamed, his body simply spasming, his vocal cords torn beyond recognition.
With a final flick of the knife, Xu Que smiled down at his work, utterly satisfied.
"This one... well, who cares who it's for?" Xu Que laughed, his twisted amusement evident.
His work completed, Xu Que surveyed Ji Boda's broken body.
"Such a disappointment, I thought you could endure more. But this?" Xu Que scoffed.
And so, Ji Boda's life came to a brutal and agonizing end, his spirit consumed by Xu Que's vengeance.
Xu Que tossed Ji Boda's remains aside and turned his attention to Tang Xue.
"No, you promised not to kill me!" Tang Xue begged, struggling desperately.
"Yes, I promised not to kill you," Xu Que grinned wickedly, "but I never promised not to torment you!"
"Please... don't... I'll lose my mind!" Tang Xue screamed in desperation.