Er Gouzi was now covered in a cold sweat.
He didn't know where this meat had come from, but the sight of the pale flesh and dark skin, with its dense black hairs, made him feel instinctively nauseous.
A terrible thought began to grow in his mind.
Song Qingchao tilted her head, a delicate smile gracing her lips. "What's wrong? Scared now?"
She leaned forward. "Don't you love eating immortal's meat the most? Here's a whole pot of it."
Er Gouzi immediately dropped to his knees.
His speed was so great that even Zhou Si didn't have time to react.
Song Qingchao moved back a step, her hands behind her back, and watched Er Gouzi trembling like a sieve with curiosity. "What are you doing?"
"Please! Please, Miss, spare me! I know I was wrong!"
"It's too late," Song Qingchao's voice became ethereal. "This is your favorite immortal's meat, how can you not eat it?"
"No, no, no..." Er Gouzi's emotions reached their breaking point, tears and snot mixing as he cried, even reaching out to tug at Song Qingchao's skirt.
Song Qingchao kicked her skirt away and her voice turned cold. "If you don't eat it, I'll use this small knife to peel your skin and flesh off, piece by piece. Your skin should be enough for eighty-one strips, shouldn't it?"
After speaking, she drew the knife she used for roasting rabbits and made a move as if to flay Er Gouzi alive.
Zhou Si also cooperated by holding down the convulsing Er Gouzi.
"Eat! I'll eat!"
He directly struggled to reach it, disregarding everything else.
Song Qingchao gestured for Zhou Si to release him while tightening her grip on the dagger.
The moment he was released, Er Gouzi lunged at Song Qingchao like a mad dog, simultaneously pulling a short dagger from his懷.
"I'll kill you!"
His eyes were bloodshot, as if he had contracted rabies.
Zhou Si reacted quickly, grabbing Er Gouzi's shoulder to control him slightly.
But he still managed to reach Song Qingchao.
Song Qingchao merely retreated a step, using her left hand to grab his dagger-wielding arm and redirect the force forward.
Then, she sidestepped and kicked him squarely in the lower back.
Er Gouzi crashed to the ground, the crowd shrinking back another step in fear.
He twitched on the ground, struggling to get up.
Song Qingchao's eyes held only contempt.
Er Gouzi's fighting ability was not enough for her to even consider.
She snatched the sword from Zhou Si's hand and strode towards Er Gouzi.
"You really never learn, do you?"
Song Qingchao's face was expressionless as she swung her sword and severed Er Gouzi's right arm, the one holding the dagger.
"Ah—"
Er Gouzi, kneeling on the ground, screamed in pain as his body contorted like an insect, like a straight ruler being forcibly bent.
The soul-wrenching agony made him faint.
Song Qingchao watched it all calmly. Seeing him pass out, she ordered Zhou Si to splash him with cold water to wake him up.
After Er Gouzi woke up, the fear and pain gradually intensified.
In his eyes, Song Qingchao had become a demon.
"You, you, don't come near me!"
Song Qingchao, however, did the opposite.
She tilted her head, using her sword to prod the severed arm on the ground, then looked up at the uneasy crowd.
"Does anyone have a grudge against him?"
No one spoke, but Song Qingchao saw a woman who wanted to speak but had her mouth covered.
So Song Qingchao repeated, "I'm giving you a chance for revenge." She sighed and then pointed to the woman being held.
"Come here."
The woman instantly seemed to be set free, quickly pushing away the man holding her.
The man stumbled in surprise but followed hesitantly.
Song Qingchao found it suddenly interesting.
She kicked Er Gouzi again and raised her eyebrows, asking the woman, "Do you have a grudge?"
As the woman was about to answer, the man interrupted.
The man immediately knelt down. "Miss Song, my wife didn't mean any harm. Please spare her and don't hurt her!"
The woman tried to pull him up, but due to the difference in strength, she couldn't move him and was pulled down to her knees instead.
Song Qingchao remained silent, kicking the severed arm towards the couple.
"Pick it up and throw it into the pot."
The woman's eyes were red. "If we do it, can you let me kill him?"
Song Qingchao nodded in agreement.
"Alright." The woman wiped away her tears and reached to pick up the severed arm, but the man beat her to it.
"Boil it for a while, then take it out and feed it to him."
Song Qingchao felt a bit tired but forced herself to stay alert.
She hadn't had time to recover, and her body was truly not feeling well.
The man did as he was told.
Song Qingchao was somewhat surprised. She had expected him to be a coward who feared death, but to go this far for his wife was unexpected.
Watching the man force Er Gouzi's mouth open and shove the arm in, Song Qingchao also felt a wave of nausea.
She tightened her cloak and calmly looked at the woman. "What's your name?"
The woman's eyes were still red, but there was no trace of hatred left in them. "My humble name is Shui Luo. My husband's surname is He, and his given name is He Huai. We are honest folk. It's just that our youngest daughter..."
She bit her lip, trying hard to stop herself from crying, but Song Qingchao could still hear the tremor in her voice.
"That day, our little one was crying, and He Huai said to hide well while he went to find some food. But before He Huai returned, my daughter and I were targeted."
She sniffled again and tilted her head slightly. "They snatched my child from my arms and dragged me, pulling..."
"Enough, don't say any more," Song Qingchao interrupted her promptly.
Shui Luo understood that Song Qingchao was doing it for her own good, but some things needed to be said. "By the time He Huai returned, it was too late. Although I survived, the little one was gone. He Huai was also crippled in his leg while trying to save me."
She glanced at Er Gouzi, whose eyes were rolling back, her hatred deepening. "I wish I could cut them into a thousand pieces!"
Song Qingchao understood her feelings completely.
She stepped forward, put her arm around Shui Luo, patted her shoulder, and whispered, "It's okay."
She couldn't save the child, but she could save the lives of those who were still alive.
"He Huai, that's enough."
He Huai didn't let go upon hearing the sound. In the end, he was dragged away by Zhou Si.
His eyes were bloodshot.
Song Qingchao had seen many such gazes. This trip might yield significant gains.
Song Qingchao placed the sword in her hand in front of Shui Luo. "Do you dare?"
Shui Luo turned to look at her and immediately grasped the sword.
Song Qingchao crossed her arms and watched her.
Her back was so slender, yet her steps were firm.
She raised the sword with both hands above her head, the tip pointing down, aimed directly at Er Gouzi's chest.
"No, no!"
Er Gouzi's pupils dilated, his resistance reaching its peak.
"Ah—"
With that hate-filled cry, the sword plunged straight down.
Again and again.
Blood spurted out with a "poof poof" sound, and Shui Luo collapsed to her knees in breakdown.
She lowered her head, her cracked lips murmuring.
"Little one, Mommy got revenge for you. Did you see?"