Song Qing's mental voice turned chilling, the warmth from before completely gone, replaced by a cold resolve that sent a shiver down Ah Yin's mental spine. 'What I want, Ah Yin,' he projected, his thoughts laced with a venomous edge, 'is revenge. Revenge against Tang Hao. And I intend to use you to achieve it.'
'You were his beloved wife,' Song Qing continued, his mental tone almost a whisper, 'the one who sacrificed herself for him. It will not be difficult for me to use you in a way that will inflict a heart-wrenching pain on Tang Hao, a pain from which he will never truly recover! That is the real reason I am healing you, Ah Yin. Not out of kindness, but out of a desire for retribution.'
Ah Yin was utterly shocked by his words. The coldness in his mental voice, the sheer ruthlessness of his plan… it was terrifying. Yet, even as she processed the implications, she found herself unable to vehemently object. The image of Tang Hao's cold, calculating gaze as he attacked the young Song Qing with her own soul ring was still too vivid in her mind.
'Actually,' Song Qing mused, his mental voice taking on a more thoughtful tone, 'I do have another option. I could simply hurt Tang Hao's precious son, Tang San. It would be much easier for me to achieve my revenge that way.'
A wave of terror washed over Ah Yin. 'No! Don't you dare touch Little San!' she mentally screamed, her fear for her son overriding her own shock and apprehension.
'But,' Song Qing continued, as if he hadn't heard her mental outburst, 'I know that your son, Tang San, is innocent in all of this. He bears no fault for the actions of his foolish father. It would be… cowardly of me to take my revenge out on him.'
A sliver of relief flickered within Ah Yin's terrified thoughts.
'And since it is revenge I seek,' Song Qing projected, his mental voice hardening once more, 'taking it out on Tang Hao himself is the only truly satisfying course of action.'
He then posed another question, his mental tone almost conversational. 'Tell me, Ah Yin, what do you think would hurt your husband the most, other than the death of his beloved son?'
Ah Yin instinctively knew the answer. A wave of sorrow washed over her as she mentally whispered, 'Me… my death.'
Song Qing chuckled, a cold, mirthless sound that echoed in her mind. 'You are close, Ah Yin, but not quite right. Your death would indeed enrage him, would plunge him into despair. But he would survive. He would live on, fueled by grief and a desire for vengeance against the Spirit Hall. He would dedicate his life to helping your son, Tang San, get revenge.'
He paused for a moment, allowing his words to sink in. 'No, Ah Yin. For Tang Hao, the ultimate pain would be something far more profound. It would be to see you, his beloved wife, the one he risked everything for, betray him. Perhaps to see you strike the killing blow yourself. Or perhaps… to see you in the arms of another man, being intimate with him. That, Ah Yin, would shatter his pride completely, to the point where he might not even want to continue living.'
Ah Yin recoiled mentally as if struck. 'No…' she mentally whispered, her thoughts filled with revulsion. 'You can't possibly want me to do something so… abhorrent!'
But Song Qing's mental voice held no hint of jest. 'Either that, Ah Yin,' he projected, his tone cold and unwavering, 'or I take my revenge on your son, Tang San. I would prefer not to, but I will if I must. In fact,' he added, a cruel edge entering his mental tone, 'I wouldn't even need to feel guilty about it. By now, your dear husband has likely taken your son and is training him, filling his head with hatred for the Spirit Hall, preparing him to fight against us. It won't be long before Tang San comes seeking revenge against me.'
He paused again, a chilling anticipation coloring his mental voice. 'And I promise you, Ah Yin, the day Tang San attacks me, I will be the happiest man on earth. Because then, I will be free to do whatever I please with that foolish boy, who will be carrying on the foolishness of his father. I won't need to feel a single shred of guilt as I break him, torture him, perhaps even kill him.'
'No!' Ah Yin mentally screamed, her thoughts filled with pure terror for her son. 'Don't you dare touch Little San! Never!'
Song Qing heard her mental outcry and a cold smile bloomed in his mind. 'Then, Ah Yin,' he projected, his mental voice sharp and demanding, 'will you cooperate with me? Will you betray your husband to save your son?' He gave her no time to answer, continuing, 'I am not entirely heartless. If you agree, I will only use you to hurt Tang Hao. And I will even give your son, Tang San, three chances. If he targets me, if he tries to fight me, I will not harm him. I will simply defend myself.'
Those words were not what Ah Yin wanted to hear. The thought of betraying Tang Hao was agonizing, but the image of Song Qing harming her precious Little San was unbearable. From the cold, calculating tone of Song Qing's mental voice, she understood that this was likely the best offer she was going to get.
'Three chances…' she mentally whispered, her thoughts filled with anguish. 'For Little San's life… in exchange for betraying Hao…'
Still, she couldn't help but try to negotiate. 'I… I will agree to betray Hao,' she mentally projected, her voice trembling. 'He made a terrible mistake in attacking you, a young boy. And he… he used my sacrifice to try to kill you. I can… I can accept that. But about Little San… only three chances? For something that would shatter me… I can't agree to that.'
Song Qing mentally frowned, sensing her continued resistance. He had offered her a way to save her son, and she was still trying to bargain.
Then, a more insidious thought took root in his mind. 'Very well, Ah Yin,' he projected, his mental voice dropping to a near whisper, laced with a chillingly seductive tone. 'I have a better offer for you. But this is the final one.'
He paused, letting the suspense hang in the mental air between them. 'Each time your son, Tang San, targets me, each time he tries to kill me, I will forgive him. I will spare his life… as long as you fulfill one wish of mine. A wish that is within your power to grant.'
He didn't elaborate, but the implication was clear. 'The wish can be anything, Ah Yin,' he continued, his mental voice dripping with a subtle, cruel amusement. 'From something simple to… something more intimate. I will use you as I see fit, as though you were a mere maidservant. In exchange, your son lives, each and every time he comes after me.'
At this moment, even though the offer filled her with dread and a profound sense of violation, Ah Yin found herself with no other choice. The thought of her Little San surviving, even at such a terrible cost to herself, was the only thing that mattered.
'I… I agree,' she mentally whispered, her voice barely audible even in the confines of her own mind. A sliver of desperate relief flickered within her. Perhaps, in this way, she could at least ensure her son's survival from the clutches of this terrifying young boy.
~~
'Excellent,' Song Qing mentally projected, a palpable sense of satisfaction resonating in his thoughts. 'I am quite pleased to hear your agreement, Ah Yin.'
'I will assist you in healing even quicker now,' he continued, his mental voice taking on a more encouraging tone. 'After all… if you do not possess your human body, the effect on your husband might not be as profound as I desire.'
But even as he projected those words, a more calculating thought surfaced in Song Qing's mind. 'Before she fully recovers her human form… she will be a terrifying Hundred Thousand Year spirit beast. If she decides to attack me or betray me at that point… it could be quite dangerous.'
He mentally considered his options. 'It would be best to first develop more power of my Primordial Life Tree Spirit. Then I would be able to restrain her more effectively.'
A sudden realization struck him. 'I have a faint feeling… if I attach a Hundred Thousand Year Old Soul Ring as the Sixth Soul Ring of my Primordial Life Tree Spirit… I might finally awaken its domain. The Primordial Life Tree Domain… that should make things much more convenient for me in the long run.'
With his plans forming in his mind, Song Qing turned his attention back to Ah Yin. 'Stay here and continue to recover, Ah Yin,' he projected, his mental voice now reassuring. 'My power will continue to make you grow stronger at a rapid pace. And the spirit energy from the Immortal Herbs here will ensure that you have a steady yet quick growth even when I am not physically present.'
He then added, wanting to alleviate any lingering fears she might have, 'Rest assured, no one in the Spirit Hall will try to harm you, even after realizing your identity as a Hundred Thousand Year Old Spirit Beast. As the Holy Son… I have a certain… level of privilege in these matters.'
With that, Song Qing turned and left the herbal garden, leaving Ah Yin alone amidst the tranquil greenery, her mind undoubtedly filled with a maelstrom of conflicting thoughts and emotions.
Soon after leaving the garden, Song Qing returned to his own chambers. The day had been long and emotionally taxing, filled with intense conversations and the manipulation of powerful individuals. He closed the door behind him, a sigh escaping his lips. He felt a sense of accomplishment wash over him. One of his biggest hurdles, getting the cooperation of Ah Yin, was seemingly done.
'For now, at least,' he mused, settling onto his bed. 'But I need to ensure her continued cooperation. Everything currently rests on her word, and that could change at any moment.'
He knew this meant he had to grow stronger, and quickly. His plans for the future hinged on his own power and the alliances he was forging.
To that end, his next immediate goal was clear. He intended to acquire the Sixth Soul Ring for his Primordial Life Tree Spirit as soon as possible.
The thought of the potential power it held, especially the possibility of awakening his spirit's domain, filled him with anticipation. He closed his eyes, and soon, the exhaustion of the day claimed him, and he drifted off into a peaceful sleep, his mind already planning for the challenges and opportunities that lay ahead.