"Haha, he can only put on a show. My dear, no one isn't afraid of death. I've seen this kind of thing countless times," Luo Hou said casually, draping an arm around Liu Yue.
The two had just been intimate and now had little reason to hold back.
Liu Yue blushed.
She used to despise Luo Hou, but now that she belonged to him, she had no choice but to accept him, no matter how much she disliked him.
Luo Hou was not her type.
She had originally planned to find someone with good status and looks, at the very least a handsome man. Luo Hou was certainly not among them.
If it weren't for Lin Xiao Tian's appearance, pushing her into a corner, she wouldn't have yielded to Luo Hou.
Luo Hou was concerned with appearances and needed the physician Liu Yue's skills. Their interests aligned, and they struck a deal.
"Xu Hao, you've forced me to do this. I didn't want to kill you," Liu Yue declared righteously, looking at Lin Xiao Tian.
Lin Xiao Tian shrugged.
This was the biggest joke he had ever heard.
If Liu Yue hadn't wanted to kill him, what was the point of giving him fake medicine earlier?
Lin Xiao Tian scanned his surroundings again.
The arrangement here was meticulous. No demonic beasts or people would come here.
This was a good place.
A good place to kill someone.
Lin Xiao Tian pondered.
It's time to drop the act.
He cleared his throat, speaking for the first time in three years.
"Tell me, why do you have to go this far? We have no enmity, why go through the trouble of marrying someone you despise to take revenge on me? It's so not worth it. I really don't think this Luo Hou is worthy of you."
Hearing Lin Xiao Tian suddenly speak, everyone present was stunned.
"You can talk?" Liu Yue exclaimed.
Lin Xiao Tian nodded noncommittally.
"Heh heh, I didn't expect you to be such a good actor," Luo Hou chuckled. "But it's useless. You will still die tonight. If I were you, I would have spoken properly before dying, after all, death silences you forever."
"I didn't want to either! Who would have thought I'd have to die tonight?"
"Heh heh, you are bound to die. However, I can offer you a small favor to make your death less painful, on the condition that you agree to one request of mine," Luo Hou said.
"What request?" After three years of silence, Lin Xiao Tian felt a spark of interest. He didn't want to kill them so quickly.
Similarly, Liu Yue didn't want to kill him so quickly. Lin Xiao Tian had caused her so much trouble; it seemed a shame for him to just die.
"If you are willing to kneel and kowtow to admit your mistake, I can consider letting you die a swift death," Liu Yue proposed.
Lin Xiao Tian stroked his chin.
"Do I also have to kowtow and call you master?"
Upon hearing Lin Xiao Tian's words, Liu Yue and Luo Hou were both taken aback.
They exchanged glances and soon burst into laughter.
"I didn't expect you to have such an absurd request. Fine, I'll humor you!" Luo Hou said, extremely pleased with himself.
Beside him, Liu Yue looked at Lin Xiao Tian's performance with increasing contempt.
Someone like him, even as a sycophant, would disgust her.
"I didn't expect you to be so spineless. To be reduced to this, it would be better to just die," Liu Yue said, shaking her head at Lin Xiao Tian.
"You should be thanking us. For someone like you, it's better to be dead than alive. You have no dignity whatsoever," Luo Hou said nonchalantly, hands on his hips.
The elder standing by their side also shook his head at Lin Xiao Tian, clearly looking down on him.
Human lives are like grass.
Lin Xiao Tian had long understood the laws of this world.
Looking at the people before him, he felt no more pity.
The few people in front of him were still lost in their own world when, in the next moment, an unimaginable pressure surged into their bodies without warning.
Their legs buckled uncontrollably.
The people who had been arrogant moments ago were now prostrate on the ground like dead dogs. The pressure had come so suddenly that they hadn't even had time to adjust their posture before falling. Their upper bodies were pressed against the ground, their knees bent, in a ridiculously awkward position.
"Which esteemed expert has made a move? I am Luo Hou, from the Zhao family of the Runan Chamber of Commerce. I implore you to grant me this courtesy and not interfere in my personal grievances."
Luo Hou was the first to react. He immediately shouted with all his might to the surroundings.
He knew Lin Xiao Tian couldn't possess such power. This pressure must have come from someone else.
He had investigated Lin Xiao Tian's background; he was a descendant of the Xu family, which had been destroyed in Black Rock City a few years ago.
The Xu family was a small family, and Luo Hou had never paid them any mind. Now that they were wiped out, he wasn't afraid of their surviving members.
Luo Hou assumed someone was secretly helping Lin Xiao Tian and shouted into the surroundings, hoping to intimidate the other party with his family's name.
The Runan Zhao family was one of the top three member families in the Imperial Chamber of Commerce. The Zhao family represented the Chamber of Commerce, and no force in the entire empire dared to disrespect them.
Liu Yue, standing beside him, also guessed that a master had intervened. She thought that what they were doing was rather underhanded, and perhaps the other party couldn't stand it and had acted out of indignation.
However, power and influence mattered. She believed the other party would easily understand the situation, especially given the Zhao family's status. They would surely weigh the consequences.
"Senior, please open your eyes. This person is not worth your sympathy. He is a despicable and shameless scoundrel. Senior, you must not be fooled by his appearance," Liu Yue shamelessly slandered Lin Xiao Tian.
With the backing of a super-family and Liu Yue's seemingly righteous words, it was hard for anyone to remain indifferent.
If there were any meddlers, they would surely reconsider.
Unfortunately, they were wrong.
Lin Xiao Tian slightly eased the pressure, allowing them to lift their heads slightly so they could die with some understanding.
Feeling the pressure lessen considerably, Luo Hou secretly rejoiced.
"Many thanks, Senior!"
Although the pressure was still there, the loosening sensation was obvious, indicating the other party was wavering.
"Senior, if you choose to stay out of this, I, Luo Hou, will surely repay you handsomely in the future," Luo Hou began to make promises.
Even a fool knew he was lying.
A generous reward?
Impossible.
If they met again in the future, Luo Hou would certainly not let him off the hook.
His words were met with an empty silence.
Luo Hou tentatively shouted a few more times, but there was no response.
Now, they were kneeling on the ground, and more importantly, Lin Xiao Tian was standing. The scene was incredibly humiliating.
"Alas!"
Lin Xiao Tian suddenly shook his head and sighed.
"What are you doing? Did you forget what we just said? Hurry up and kneel to apologize!" Luo Hou glared fiercely at Lin Xiao Tian.
"Apologize? Luo Hou, don't you understand yet?" Lin Xiao Tian looked down at Luo Hou, his eyes devoid of any emotion.