"Five times the price," Mo Xiurong countered smoothly.
"Done," the merchant agreed with a satisfied leer.
The exchange snapped something deep within Cai Jin. Her mind teetered on the edge of madness when, without warning, the air shifted. The corpulent man was suddenly yanked into the air, his screams silenced as he was crushed into an unrecognizable pulp—blood, bone, and flesh smeared grotesquely onto the ground.
"What will you do to my niece?"
The voice that followed was as cold and bottomless as the abyss itself, reverberating with an eerie calm that froze Mo Xiurong in place. She turned, her smirk faltering as dread seeped into her expression.
Mo Xiurong wanted to run. She wanted to scream. But she could do neither. It was as though an invisible cage had trapped her in place.
Cai Jin suspected she was losing her mind. It seemed the only explanation for what she'd witnessed: the grotesquely overweight man was floating in midair before being crushed into pieces, while Mo Xiurong stood there, unmoving.
"I'm sorry I'm late," came a calm, yet tired voice. Cai Jin looked up to see a striking young man gazing at her. He had intense, dark eyes, and slightly tousled jet-black hair that framed his refined yet rugged features. His straight nose, pronounced jawline, and contemplative mouth gave him a quiet allure. Something about him radiated resilience and understated charm.
Noticing Cai Jin's blank stare, Xue San assumed his sister-in-law was too shocked to speak. "Sister-in-law," he said again, more gently.
That word finally spurred her into action. "Who…? Who are you? Why do you call me that?"
"Well," Xue San replied, "it's natural you don't remember me. It's been years since you last saw me. I am Xue San, the younger brother of your… husband." He forced himself to say the final word.
Recognition dawned on Cai Jin. The little boy from that impoverished village—grown now into a young man. "Why… How… What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice shaky with confusion.
"I'm here to take you away," Xue San said simply, untying her bonds.
"No, no, no… This has to be a dream—or one of Mo Xiurong's tricks," Cai Jin murmured. She had endured too much to believe she could truly escape this nightmare.
Xue San looked at her, heart aching for all she had suffered to protect her family. "It's not a dream," he said softly. "And it's no trick."
Tears welled in Cai Jin's eyes; she was finally free. Then her gaze hardened, and she turned a fury-filled stare on Mo Xiurong.
"Mo Xiurong, you filthy bitch," Cai Jin snarled, each word throbbing with pure rage. "I told you what I would do to you, didn't I? What do you have to say for yourself now?"
Mo Xiurong tried to speak but couldn't—Xue San's restraints sealed her completely. He then allowed her just enough freedom to respond.
"Humph! The heavens must be blind to favor garbage like you," Mo Xiurong spat. "Your family destroyed mine! Why shouldn't I take revenge?!"
"My family destroyed your family?—It was your own father who did it when he was caught running a slave trade," Cai Jin growled.
"Humph, I know that he begged your father not to turn him in!" Mo Xiurong shrieked. "He even offered to share the profits. Who cares about a bunch of worthless scum from the slums?"
She spoke as if trampling on those beneath her was the most natural thing in the world. Cai Jin shook her head. This woman—once a childhood friend—had devolved into a deranged shell of herself.
It was true their families had once been close until Mo Xiurong's father had begun trafficking humans, a crime strictly forbidden in the Soul Saint Kingdom. When Cai Jin's father found out about the operation, so he reported it to the authorities, resulting in Mo Xiurong's father's execution, and the family losing all their assets. Left penniless, Mo Xiurong and her mother vanished. Cai Jin never suspected that her former friend would harbor such a deep, venomous grudge—or blame her for every calamity that had followed.
But Cai Jin had not forgotten what Mo Xiurong had done, nor what she'd intended to do. Moving closer, she said, "A promise is a promise, Mo Xiurong. You wanted to go after my daughter even after I sold myself to you…" As she spoke, Cai Jin drove two fingers into Mo Xiurong's eyes. Not a single ounce of pity on her face.
Mo Xiurong let out a soul-rending scream. Cai Jin then seized her tongue and yanked hard, tearing it free from her mouth. Blood splattered across Cai Jin's hands, and Mo Xiurong's body jerked violently, still restrained by Xue San.
Turning to him, Cai Jin said, "Little Brother, I'm sorry you have to see this. But I need a favor."
Unfazed by the grisly scene, Xue San nodded. "What is it?"
"I don't have the strength to finish what I started. Please—break every bone in her body."
Without hesitation, Xue San tightened his grip on Mo Xiurong. One by one, her bones snapped, until at last she lost consciousness. It was obvious she wouldn't survive for long, but Cai Jin felt only relief, not the slightest remorse.
"Let's go," Xue San said quietly. "And close your eyes."
He scooped Cai Jin into his arms and rushed from the chamber. She obeyed, unaware of the wholesale slaughter in the underground levels of the Sakura Palace—patrons and guards alike, cut down in a savage bloodbath.
Initially, Xue San had planned only to intimidate and injure a few people and to spare most of them. But upon arrival, a dark hunger for violence had overcome him, driving him to kill. Surprisingly, the carnage brought him a raw, terrible joy—like sinking into a blissful, endless pool of blood. The killing was done silently and so masterfully that the people didn't even have time to react. It was like an apex predator killing its ignorant prey.
It was only when Cai Jin's voice reached him that he somehow got pulled from the edge of losing total control. Realizing how close he'd come to losing himself, he swallowed two Mindstream Pills in desperation. Slowly, clarity returned.
The incident left him chilled. He did not know when such bloodlust might erupt again—only that if it did, he might step beyond redemption and become a mindless instrument of slaughter.
Meanwhile, in the God Silk Palace, Jin Fu burst into raucous laughter. "Hahahaha! What a show! What a performance! Shadow One, didn't I tell you? He even surpassed my expectations!"
Shadow One stood silently, watching his master's uncharacteristic delight.
"And sending Left Claw there to make sure he reached his sister-in-law at just the right moment—that was a stroke of genius," Jin Fu went on.
"Master," Shadow One ventured, "this was all your plan. Why are you praising yourself?"
Jin Fu only grinned wider. "Because it was a brilliant plan." At last, his laughter subsided, replaced by a thoughtful expression.
"But there's something I still don't understand," Shadow One said. "Why didn't the poison affect him? I saw no sign of an antidote."
His question hung in the air, unanswered, as Jin Fu simply continued to smile.
"His body is immune—like that of a Dan clan descendant," Jin Fu said casually.
"How is that possible?"
"I don't know," he replied, "but that's what makes it so thrilling. And the way he went berserk at the Sakura Palace—simply marvelous, he must be descended from one of those ancients bloodlines." he mused to himself "Well let's give him a bit of time to reunite with his family, then I'll visit them. I also have to go out for a bit" then he vanished.
Meanwhile, Xue San was already approaching the family house quietly, steeling himself for the questions that would inevitably come. It was still night outside, but darkness was somwhat receding, giving way to new day.
When Xue San slipped inside, he was startled to find the living room lights still on. His father sat there, wide awake. At the sight of Xue San carrying a woman, the man froze—but his eyes betrayed a flicker of relief.
"Where have you been?" he demanded, trying to sound angry but betraying more concern than wrath. "Do you have any idea how worried your mother and sisters have been? And who is this?"
"Father-in-law, it's me—Cai Jin," the woman said softly, sliding down from Xue San's arms.
Xue Chang stared in disbelief. Xue San could see his father's features shift from confusion to displeasure.
"So," Xue Chang said coldly, "you've decided to come back now that we have some money."
Cai Jin's face fell. She looked truly wounded by his accusation.
Xue San refused to let the misunderstanding fester. So he started explaining. He told him that he went to pay off the White Tiger Merchant Guild so that they would finally leave his brother and by extencion, his family alone once and for all. He also told him that after that he intended to go and confront Cai Jin, only to discover she'd sacrificed herself to save them.
When he finished, he told his father that he paid a large sum to secure her release. Cai Jin didn't interrupt or correct him, clearly understanding his desire to keep the family from worrying.
At the end of Xue San's account, his father did something none of them expected. He dropped to his knees, tears spilling silently down his cheeks.
"Cai Jin," Xue Chang said, voice trembling, "I'm so sorry. I'm ashamed. I should have raised my son better. I'm truly sorry."
Tears brimmed in Cai Jin's eyes too. She helped him stand. "Let's leave the past where it is, Father-in-law," she murmured. "I just… I want to hold my little Xue Ruo."
They weren't speaking quietly, and the commotion woke the rest of the household. Xue San's mother and older sister appeared in the living room, clearly startled. His mother gaped but said nothing. His sister, Xue Er, recognized Cai Jin immediately and flew into a rage.
"What's that whore doing here?" she spat.
Cai Jin flinched. Though she had sold her body to save her family, it did not change the painful fact that she had once been a prostitute. The thought of her daughter living with such a mother made her feel tainted and ashamed. She hadn't dared to rush to her child just yet.
But Xue Chang and Xue San turned on Xue Er with matching ferocity.
"Shut your mouth!" Xue Chang roared.
Xue San, who rarely spoke harshly to his sister, was nevertheless furious. "Don't you dare insult sister-in-law!" he seethed.
Xue Er stared, bewildered by their anger. It wasn't long ago that the whole family had been cursing this "shameless woman" who'd abandoned them after they lost everything.
"It's all right, Father-in-law," Cai Jin said softly, trying to defuse the tension.
Xue Chang steadied himself, as though about to say more, when his eldest son—Xue Yi—descended the stairs.
He stopped short at the sight of his wife. Xue San half-expected his brother to repent, fall to his knees, and beg for forgiveness. But to his shock, Xue Yi glared.
"What the hell are you doing here?" he demanded, his voice glacial.
His mother and sister didn't even flinch at his tone, but Xue San and Xue Chang both stiffened.
Cai Jin's eyes widened. That last fragile bit of hope inside her—hope that her husband might still care—shattered. She recalled every vile thing Mo Xiurong had told her. "I'm here," she said, her voice unsteady, "to take my daughter."
Xue Yi had no time to reply before Rou Shui cut in. "No!"
"Exactly," Xue Er added. "Little Rou is happy here."
Seeing them united in opposition, Xue Yi squared his shoulders. "You can get out," he snarled. "Do you really think I want my daughter living with a whore?"
He had already apologized to the family for a previous incident and had been forgiven, allowing him to enjoy their newly improved circumstances. But he still resented Xue San, blaming him for a beating he'd never quite understood.
Suddenly, a loud crack resounded in the room. Xue Yi recoiled, a stinging pain blossoming on his cheek. Xue Chang stood there, hand still raised.
"You filthy animal," Xue Chang roared. "What did I do in this life to deserve a son like you?"
"Father?" Xue Er gasped, taken aback.
"Dear!" Rou Shui rushed to Xue Yi's side.
Xue Yi winced, eyes full of outrage. "Why did you hit me?" he demanded.
"Drop the act," Xue San said, his voice cold and final. "We already know everything—everything."