This incident carved terror into both the old man's and the girl's hearts. It wasn't just because of the boy; in fact, he was merely a secondary source of fear. What truly terrified them was the flood of thoughts—fear, hatred, contempt, and murderous intent—from millions of people when they touched the boy.
This had a deep impact on the girl, to the point where she became mute, deaf, and completely paralyzed, not eating for an entire week. The duration might have lasted longer if she hadn't been unable to resist and was on the brink of death. Her adoptive father was forced to bring her back to her senses by sheer force. After two slaps, she regained some clarity, responding with a few mutterings, as if her soul had been sealed deep within her. It was as though her father's hand had brushed the edges of the seal, leading to her faint response, but it was enough to feed her a large amount of food.
As for the father, while he hadn't escaped the shock, he had seen much blood, corpses, and the crying of women and children, living among them. So, the impact on him wasn't as severe as it was on the girl. It took him only two days to regain his composure.
Suddenly, while the old man was lost in his thoughts, there was a loud knock at the door, followed by a scream, "Chang! Come out, we have something to ask you!" The old man's heart skipped a beat. First, his son, then his daughter, and now these people. He secretly wondered why trouble had been coming at him from every direction recently.
When he opened the door, he was surprised to see a group of people, three of them physically imposing and appearing powerful. As he looked at them, the old man's concern grew quietly in his heart. "Please, honored guests, what brings you here this time?"
One of the three stepped forward and looked down at the old man with disdain. "Mr. Tu Yuan hasn't been seen in three months, and it so happens that you were the last one to visit him. Tell us all the details, and don't you dare hide a single glance from us!" The deep voice entered the old man's ears, unsettling his heart and causing signs of worry to show.
"Honored guest, it's true that Mr. Tu Yuan visited me three months ago, but he only asked for my son to accompany him and play with his own son. Believe me, honored guest, I had no involvement in Mr. Tu Yuan's disappearance!" The old man hesitated as he justified his position, but the large man showed no expression, which turned the old man's worry into fear.
Suddenly, the man's expression changed, his face contorted into a snarl, and he shouted, "Old fool! How dare you lie! Mr. Tu always told us that if he disappeared for more than three months, we should go and search for Chang's son. He's involved in the disappearance, one way or another!"
As he spoke, he shoved the old man aside. "Move, old man, and let me check your damned son!" The old man grabbed the large man's hand and begged, his eyes filled with sorrow and helplessness. Despite this, the large man remained silent and waved his hand. Soon, the other two men appeared and restrained the old man. He had no choice but to scream, "Honored guest! Please! I beg you, the boy is bedridden and unable to respond, please show mercy!"
Once the old man stopped screaming, the large man paused for a moment, then turned and revealed a sinister smile. "Tell me, old Chang, I recall that you have a daughter who is said to possess angelic beauty, is that true? Well, you have two choices. First, hand over the girl, and we'll leave peacefully. Or, allow us to check on your son. It's obvious which one is easier, isn't it?"
The old man's face grew pale, his complexion shifting between green and blue. He thought, "Check on him? You mean you want to take my son and turn him into a slave before my eyes! Damn you all, wherever you are!" As the old man's silence stretched on, the large man's patience wore thin.
He waved his hand and revealed four fingers. After a very short while, it became three! The old man's eyes widened in disbelief, and he quickly lost hope, saying with a defeated look, "Check on him, check on my son, just leave my daughter alone."
A soft, broken voice entered the large man's ears, causing him to reveal an evil grin. "Rest assured, you've made the right choice, Chang," he said, then entered the house, followed by the two men, who held the old man.
After walking for some time, they arrived in front of a hut. In fact, it wasn't a hut but more of an external room.
After the large man examined it with his eyes, he pushed the door open and entered. He saw nothing but a bed with a boy lying on it. However, the strange thing was not the bed or the boy, but the girl sitting next to him.
Suddenly, a sinister smile appeared on the large man's face. At the same time, the old man's eyes widened in shock. He screamed, "Yung Er! What are you doing? Get out now!"
The large man waved his hand and said slyly, "Why are you in such a hurry, Chang? But I must say, your luck truly surprises me. Since fortune is on my side, I'll take both of them. My deepest condolences, Chang. Haha!" As he spoke, the veins in the old man's head were visibly bulging, showing his immense anger.
In a faraway world, away from all of this, the girl did not respond to either her adoptive father or the large man. She just continued to gaze at her brother, sitting on the chair. Suddenly, the man behind her lifted her small hand. She tried to strike him, but it was too late. He struck her neck, knocking her unconscious.
On the other side, the two men tied the old man's hands and feet with thick ropes, covering his mouth. His only sound was a scream that would break the heart of any stone! A waterfall of tears fell from his eyes, revealing a deep desire for revenge, causing him to bleed slightly. Meanwhile, the man looked at him, showing that cursed smile and evil eyes.
The man signaled with his hand, and one of the two men moved toward the boy. He reached out and touched the boy's body. Suddenly, with a tearing sound, blood exploded, and parts of the boy's body were scattered in an instant. The moment the man's fingers made contact with the boy's body, a strange aura entered, tearing his nerves apart and causing him to explode, turning him into a pile of bones mixed with flesh.
The large man was so shocked that his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. He quickly shouted at the man holding the old man to kill him.
Indeed, no more than three seconds passed before the man drew his sword and swung it. In the moment the old man's head fell, his body turned into a mass of flesh and a pool of blood.
The large man, who didn't have time to react, looked in disbelief as his body caught fire. He screamed loudly before turning to ash.
The scattered ash revealed a boy standing behind it, gazing with sharp eyes, his hand open and arm outstretched.