The Game Of Immortality

Her mind screamed at her to stay calm, but her body betrayed her, a faint tremor running through her frame.

'I...I-I'm dead....' 

Her lips parted, but no sound came out.

His question felt like a rope on her neck, amplified by the quiet hush of the rain. She could feel the eyes of the villagers on her, could feel the silent plea in their gazes—Don't make this worse for us.

Xia Ting clenched her fists at her sides, forcing herself to meet Sun Qing's gaze. "N-No," she whispered, her voice cracking slightly. "I've told you everything I know."

Sun Qing stared at her, his expression unreadable. For a moment, it seemed like he might accept her answer, but then his qi flared.

The villagers stumbled backwards, their faces pale, as the oppressive force settled over the square like a suffocating fog.

"You are lying to me," Sun Qing said, his voice deceptively calm, like the stillness before a storm.

The villagers collectively froze, their hearts dropping like stones into a bottomless pit. Women clutched their children tightly, their knees buckling under the meaning of the statement.

Several women fell to the ground, unable to bear the tension that seemed to crush the air from their lungs.

"I-I'm not lying!" Xia Ting stammered, her voice a frantic plea that sounded frail even to her own ears.

Sun Qing's gaze didn't waver. He tilted his head slightly, his expression unreadable.

Then, after a beat of silence, he said, "You're not lying? Fine." His tone was icy, almost casual, but there was an edge to it that made the villagers flinch. "I'm afraid if I touch you, I'll kill you. I'm too angry to control myself."

For a moment, Xia Ting's shoulders relaxed, a flicker of hope surfacing. But it was short-lived as Sun Qing continued, his next words slicing through her like a blade.

"But I know a way to deal with you."

Without even glancing back, Sun Qing flicked his finger.

A sharp crescent of qi materialized, cutting through the air with a faint whistle. It zipped toward the crowd behind him, so swift that most didn't even see it move.

A villager standing near the front of the group felt something brush against his neck. His hand instinctively shot up to touch the spot.

"Eh?" he muttered, confused when his fingers came away clean.

But before he could process it, his head slid off his shoulders, landing in his outstretched hands.

For a second, his view changed upside down, as his face froze in an expression of stunned disbelief before both body and head collapsed to the ground in a lifeless heap.

The moment the body hit the dirt, chaos erupted. Xia Ting's breath hitched, her hands trembling violently.

She felt her hair stand on end as terror gripped her. 'He… he killed him. So easily. As if he was swatting a fly.'

Her gaze darted toward the blood pooling beneath the fallen villager. 'He is like his son...no he's worse than his son. Cruel and ruthless without a shred of hesitation.

The villagers weren't far behind in their reaction.

Women screamed, clutching their children tighter as tears streamed down their faces. The children wailed, their cries piercing and desperate. The men, frozen in place, exchanged horrified glances, none daring to speak.

The elder, his face as pale as the moon, snapped out of his shock. He spun toward the crowd, his voice urgent and sharp. "Quiet! Everyone, quiet!"

The villagers looked at him with fear, but his words cut through the noise, silencing the cries.

The elder's back was drenched in cold sweat, his hands shaking slightly as he turned back toward Sun Qing. He knew the man standing before them wouldn't hesitate to kill them all if pushed too far.

Sun Qing's eyes flicked toward the elder, then back to Xia Ting. He took a slow, deliberate step toward her, his presence as overwhelming as a storm cloud ready to burst.

"Now," he said, his voice low but dangerous, "let me ask you again. Is there anything you're hiding?"

Xia Ting trembled, her entire body wracked with fear as the weight of his words pressed down on her like a boulder. Around her, the villagers held their breath, each person terrified of what might come next.

A heavy silence blanketed the square, broken only by the distant rumble of thunder as the storm clouds churned above.

Then, suddenly, the silence was shattered.

A sharp cry rang out as another villager collapsed, their lifeless body crumpling to the ground, courtesy of a swift flick of Sun Qing's qi. The crowd erupted into muffled sobs and panicked whispers, but no one dared move or speak directly to the wrathful patriarch.

Xia Ting's heart raced, each beat thundering in her chest like a war drum. Her resolve cracked under the pressure, and she fell to her knees, her voice breaking as she cried out, "I will tell you… everything."

The villagers' collective sigh of relief was audible, though it was tinged with sorrow. Even though several of their friends and family members lay dead, Xia Ting's decision to speak seemed to offer a faint glimmer of hope that the slaughter might end.

But that hope was short-lived.

Xia Ting recounted her harrowing encounter with Sun Zhao, her voice quivering as she described his vile attempt to harm her. Her words painted a vivid picture of his arrogance, his cruelty, and finally, his confrontation with the man who had saved her—Lin Fang.

As her story unfolded, the villagers' expressions shifted. Relief turned to fear, their faces growing paler with every detail. By the time Xia Ting finished speaking, an eerie silence had fallen over the square once more.

"We… we are dead," someone muttered, their voice barely above a whisper.

The truth of that statement sank into the crowd like a stone dropped into still water. Knees buckled, and one by one, the villagers fell to the ground in despair. Their eyes were hollow, their spirits broken.

Some had fortunately realised the invisible sword hanging over their necks early on, allowing them to sneakily leave the village, heading towards the forest in a desperate bid for survival.

Their hurried footsteps faded quickly, lost in the din of the rain and the howling wind.

Sun Qing's qi flared dangerously, his fury reaching its peak. He roared, his voice echoing across the village, a sound that made even the ground tremble. With a swift motion, he stripped Xia Ting of her tattered clothing, his qi tearing through the fabric like it was paper.

"It's your fault!" he thundered, his eyes blazing with unbridled rage. "You! A mere human, a piece of trash with no spiritual root, were the cause of my son's death! You dare?!"

Xia Ting cowered before him, tears streaming down her face as the villagers looked on helplessly. Sun Qing's aura grew darker, and heavier, as he continued, his voice dripping with venom.

"I will make sure you experience hell," he snarled, his qi swirling ominously around him. "And when I'm done, you'll beg for death… before I send you there!"

The villagers couldn't bear to watch. Some turned their heads, tears streaming down their faces, while others whispered silent prayers to deities who would never answer. The sky wept alongside them, the rain falling harder as if mourning the cruelty unfolding below.

...

"...Finally. Is this a town or city?" Lin Fang muttered to himself.

The large, stone walls were high into the sky, guarding what looked like a habituated area. Flags adorned with unfamiliar symbols flapped in the wind

In front of the massive gate, a long queue of people waited patiently. Merchants with carts piled high with goods, travellers dressed in worn cloaks, and all kinds of people.