"Wake them up."
Aether cradled Yu Keke in his arms, carefully shaping a small clay figure in his hand.
The figure was beginning to take form—resembling a delicate young girl.
"Yes."
Dugu Bo obeyed. With a casual release of soul power, he jolted the two unconscious people awake.
"Teacher Erlong, what are you doing…"
Dai Mubai suddenly jumped to his feet, furious and ready to question why Liu Erlong had knocked him out.
But the moment he looked around and saw they were no longer in the hall—and that Liu Erlong was lying on the ground, her condition uncertain—he immediately cut himself off.
"Hiss—who the hell dared to sneak attack me?!"
Ma Hongjun cursed loudly as he sat up. Tugging at the wound on his head had stirred the pain again, causing him to grimace in agony.
After a few curses, he finally realized something was wrong. The surroundings weren't what they had been, and the Shrek group in front of him looked utterly despondent.
"Boss Dai, did you see who…"
Still dazed, Ma Hongjun tugged at Dai Mubai, only to find him standing there motionless like a corpse.
He turned to look—and saw a crowd staring at him in silence. Front and center was a youth holding a familiar figure in his arms.
"N-No… it wasn't me…"
Ma Hongjun suddenly recalled the scene in the Star Dou Forest when this youth had effortlessly sliced off Zhao Wuji's arm. His mind snapped into clarity. His hands instinctively flailed, then quickly clasped behind his back. His lips trembled.
"Keke, I found them."
Aether handed the half-finished clay figure to Paimon, then gently stroked the cheek of the girl in his arms. His voice was soft, like coaxing a younger sister.
"Do you recognize me?"
Aether looked at Ma Hongjun.
"N-no… I-I don't…"
"What about her?"
Aether glanced down at the girl in his arms.
"Yes… no! No, I don't know her!"
Ma Hongjun nodded reflexively, then shook his head desperately.
Boom—!
Aether extended his hand and made a downward-pressing gesture with his palm.
Beneath Ma Hongjun's feet, the ground collapsed into a massive palm-shaped crater. His body was crushed instantly—reduced to nothing but a splatter of blood and gore.
"Fatty…!!!"
Flender rushed to the crater's edge and stared down in panic. A foul stench wafted up from the inky darkness below—no trace of a body could be seen.
"You kill without question or cause—have you no shame?!"
Flender pointed a trembling finger at the calm-faced Aether, screaming in rage.
"You want a reason?"
Aether turned to Dai Mubai.
"Tell him."
"Y-Yes…"
No matter how arrogant or untouchable Dai Mubai once thought himself, in this moment he was nothing but a hollow shell. He pointed at the bottomless pit.
"Fatty… no—Ma Hongjun tried to violate this young lady… drove her to kill herself by slamming her head against the wall… at the time…"
His voice trembled as he recounted everything he'd seen.
"That beast deserves to die a thousand times over!"
Dugu Bo spat venomously. If the young master hadn't flattened him, he would've had him taste the agony of Ten Thousand Venoms Devouring the Heart.
"I can't believe we once let Rongrong stay with people like this…"
Ning Fengzhi stood beside Xue Qinghe, dread creeping into his heart.
"Did you hear that clearly? Did I kill an innocent?"
Aether stared at Flender and asked flatly.
"H-He was still just a child… the dead can't be—"
Smack!
Before he could finish his excuse, Aether slapped Flender. His body joined the pile of mangled flesh in the crater.
"If that was an innocent, then I'm guilty of murder. So what?"
"Flender…!"
Liu Erlong staggered to her feet, weeping as she cried out and tried to charge forward. Yu Xiaogang held her back with all his strength.
"Erlong, calm down!"
"Flender, he…"
"He sheltered a criminal. He deserved to die. Stop making a scene!"
Yu Xiaogang was eerily calm.
Despite watching his closest friend die, not a hint of grief showed on his face. As if the dead man had nothing to do with him. All he wanted now was to distance himself from the situation.
Forget Flender—if Liu Erlong died next, he'd still do whatever it took to protect himself.
Tang San had been taken away. There was still a chance for him to redeem himself. He couldn't die yet!
Ma Hongjun was dead. Flender too.
Both had been killed in an instant—right beside him, right before his eyes.
Then next…
Dai Mubai turned to the Shrek group with pleading eyes.
But all he saw were people turning their heads, refusing to meet his gaze—except for Zhu Zhuqing.
Yet in Zhu Zhuqing's eyes, there wasn't worry. There was disgust.
"Teacher… Teacher? Dean Liu Erlong? Teacher Zhao… Oscar…"
Dai Mubai numbly called out to his companions. But they felt like strangers now.
Like a stray dog searching fruitlessly for help, he finally collapsed to his knees and screamed hoarsely at Aether:
"My lord! Mercy! I didn't lay a hand on her—I even tried to stop him… yes! I tried to stop Ma Hongjun! He didn't listen—"
Boom!
His voice was abruptly silenced.
This time, none of the Shrek group dared to speak.
When one person had died, someone stepped forward. When the second died, someone still protested.
But after the third—there was only silent prayer. That this youth's wrath would soon end.
Or at least, that they wouldn't be next.
"I came here today for one reason—blood for blood."
Aether's cold gaze swept over the Shrek group. No one dared to move.
"I am Aether. If you want revenge, come find me."
With those words, he turned and left with the girl in his arms. Paimon silently followed.
After Aether left, Xue Qinghe looked over the stunned crowd and gave a quiet order:
"Captain of the Guard, Heaven Dou City has no place for filth like this. Dig up this entire patch of land and toss it outside the city for the dogs."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
"You dare! Just try touching it!"
Liu Erlong exploded in rage upon hearing Xue Qinghe's order.
Yes, they couldn't lift a finger against that young man—but that didn't mean she feared the Heaven Dou royal family.
Behind her stood the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. Her pride would not allow her to be humiliated by mere royalty.
"Hmph."
Dugu Bo sneered coldly.
For once, he was willing to act on behalf of the usually impartial Crown Prince.
Not for politics. Just to vent his rage for Miss Keke.
He was about to make a move—when a flash of cold light shot past.
Clang—!
A sword, dull and edgeless, stabbed into the ground before Xue Qinghe.
"Brother…"
Xue Qinghe whispered, reaching out to pull the sword free and grasp it in his hand. He roared at the stunned captain beside him:
"What are you waiting for?! Dig!"
This time, no one tried to stop him.
No one dared to.
_
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