At the Xia Ling Road villa district, Xu Que quickly found Villa No. 72.
The villa was situated in a prime location, nestled at the foot of a mountain, overlooking a serene lake. Seeing that Zhao Kunpeng, after the arrival of the Heavenly Abyss, was still living in such luxury, Xu Que was reminded of the events from his past life.
In his previous life, during the first year of the Heavenly Abyss' descent, Zhao Kunpeng was a man of utter villainy. Murder was as commonplace to him as a daily routine, yet he falsely proclaimed himself a hero, boasting endlessly about his chivalry and righteousness. In truth, he was a demon in disguise, committing heinous acts behind the scenes.
The animosity between Xu Que and Zhao Kunpeng could be traced back to an auction for a piece of equipment, which had been contested by Liu Ruyan. Back then, Xu Que was a man willing to risk everything, pouring all his resources into helping Liu Ruyan. However, after Liu Ruyan obtained the item, not only did she provoke Zhao Kunpeng, but she also betrayed Xu Que, selling him out.
At that time, Xu Que and Zhao Kunpeng were evenly matched, but somehow, Zhao Kunpeng acquired a C-grade weapon and left a deep scar on Xu Que's right eye. If it hadn't been for Duan Jiude arriving just in time to save him, Xu Que would have perished that night. Despite Duan Jiude risking his life to rescue him, Zhao Kunpeng placed a bounty on Xu Que's head, offering two spirit stones for his death.
In his past life, Xu Que's existence became that of a dog chased from its home. To avoid implicating Liu Ruyan, he dared not even contact her, resorting instead to pretending to be a mere collector alongside Duan Jiude. It wasn't until six months later, when the bounty was lifted, that he and Duan Jiude managed to crawl out of that hellish abyss.
Upon learning of Zhao Kunpeng's rise to power, Xu Que realized the man had become someone he could no longer afford to offend. Though he longed for revenge, he was powerless… until his death, when he finally realized just how much Liu Ruyan and Ji Boda had drained from him.
Every rainy night, the pain from the scar on his right eye would flare up, a constant reminder of the debt he still needed to repay. He knew the grudge had been instigated by Liu Ruyan, but in this life, he was destined to take vengeance.
"Liu Ruyan, you would never have thought that I, Xu Que, would be reborn!" Xu Que clenched his fist, his body descending directly into the villa.
"What is it you want?" Two security guards in black quickly stepped forward.
Xu Que had no time for idle chatter, for he had already booked a flight to the Northeast.
With a flick of his wrist, his black longsword shot out, and before the guards could react, their heads were severed in unison. As blood flowed, Xu Que stepped confidently into the villa.
Meanwhile, Zhao Kunpeng, lounging in the swimming pool with four women, suddenly seemed to sense something amiss.
"Ah!" The women screamed in shock at the sudden appearance of Xu Que.
Zhao Kunpeng turned around, locking eyes with Xu Que, confused about how the intruder had entered.
"Who are you?" Zhao Kunpeng asked.
Xu Que ignored his question, his gaze fixed on the women circling Zhao Kunpeng. With a snap of his fingers, his black longsword shot out once again.
"Ah!"
With a swift move of sword magic, the four women crumpled to the ground, lifeless, their bodies falling into the pool, staining the water red with blood.
Furious, Zhao Kunpeng leapt out of the pool.
"Do you know who I am??"
"Zhao Kunpeng, the great hero Kunpeng," Xu Que replied flatly.
"Since you know me, yet still dare to provoke me, it seems you are not an unknown fool. Tell me how much they offered you in spirit crystals, I'll double it!"
Xu Que's expression grew cold, a murderous intent flashing in his eyes at Zhao Kunpeng's arrogance.
"Brother, killing me will do you no good. I am…"
Before Zhao Kunpeng could finish his sentence, Xu Que interrupted, his voice icy: "I'm giving you a chance to strike first. I won't use any weapons!"
Delighted by this fool's arrogance, Zhao Kunpeng drew his longsword, cautiously approaching Xu Que.
"Die!"
He slashed down, aiming for Xu Que's neck, intending to sever his head in one clean stroke.
But just as the blade descended, Xu Que's smile turned sinister.
With a swift motion, he extended his index finger, leaning forward, narrowly avoiding the strike, and then pointed directly at Zhao Kunpeng's right eye.
"Pfft!"
"Ah!" Zhao Kunpeng screamed in agony, unable to comprehend how his eye had been pierced before he even saw it coming.
"The scar from eight years ago, the pain it caused me," Xu Que said coldly, watching Zhao Kunpeng writhe in pain. "Don't worry, I won't kill you... because I want you to suffer while you live!"
Though Zhao Kunpeng couldn't understand the meaning behind Xu Que's words, his instinct screamed that the young man before him was a madman.
"Ah! You lunatic, are you sick in the head!?"
Zhao Kunpeng clutched his bleeding eye socket, looking desperately at Xu Que.
"Yeah, I've been sick for over eight years... so now, I want you to taste what true suffering feels like!"
With that, Xu Que took a step forward and, with his right index finger, aimed at Zhao Kunpeng's left eye, striking once more.
Before Zhao Kunpeng could react, a sharp "Pfft!" echoed, and he screamed in agony, clutching his eyes.
Xu Que paid no mind to his screams, for the real torment had only just begun.
Reaching into his pocket, Xu Que pulled out a thin wire, approaching Zhao Kunpeng once more.
"What are you going to do?"
Though in great pain, Zhao Kunpeng wasn't deaf, swinging his longsword wildly in a futile attempt to ward off Xu Que.
Xu Que easily dodged the strikes and whispered into Zhao Kunpeng's ear, "The game has just begun."
With those words, Zhao Kunpeng felt something hard piercing into his right ear. A searing pain erupted at the base of his ear, as though his very soul was being torn apart.
"Ah! Who are you, why are you doing this to me?" Zhao Kunpeng screamed, losing his balance.
Xu Que didn't answer. Instead, he raised the blood-stained wire and aimed for Zhao Kunpeng's left ear.
In an instant, Zhao Kunpeng's world went dark, the searing pain making him lose all sense of sound.
But the agony didn't end there.
Xu Que swiftly crippled Zhao Kunpeng, breaking his limbs and severing his tendons. Though vitality potions would allow Zhao Kunpeng to recover his limbs, the damage to his eyes, ears, and spine was irreversible.
Collapsed to the ground like a ragdoll, Zhao Kunpeng's fate was sealed as Xu Que pressed on his spine.
With a crack, two vertebrae shattered, and Zhao Kunpeng let out a blood-curdling scream.
"Done. Now, it's time for the final round of the game."
Smiling coldly, Xu Que drew a dagger and gripped Zhao Kunpeng's head, applying pressure to force his mouth open.
"You… you…" Zhao Kunpeng's desperate words were cut off as Xu Que sliced off a large piece of his tongue.
As the blood spilled from Zhao Kunpeng's mouth, Xu Que smiled in satisfaction.
At that moment, his heart felt a sense of profound relief, as if his soul had been purified.
Before, Xu Que had always thought it too merciful to simply kill Liu Ruyan and the others. But now, he realized that by exacting his vengeance in this manner, he could make them suffer even more.
Looking at the unconscious Zhao Kunpeng, Xu Que delivered a crushing kick to his groin.
"Ugh!"
The excruciating pain shot through Zhao Kunpeng's body, rousing him from unconsciousness with a painful jolt.