“Master, please take my boots. Walking without one will affect your heavenly image—please take them,” Min Li said, bowing low as he offered his shoes.
Jin Yu simply waved him off. “No need.”
“Please, Master, just take—”
“Don’t bother me. I’m busy having a word with these dogs from the Third Elder,” Jin Yu said, his gaze locking onto the two battered men.
Ding!
Influence +10,000 (Killing Intent)
Influence +10,000 (Killing Intent)
The two men hung upside down from a tree, blood dripping from their noses as their faces turned a shade darker with each passing second.
Jin Yu stood before them, arms crossed, calm as a lazy storm.
“Tell me,” he said, voice smooth and mocking, “do the Third Elder’s dogs bark... or do they just whimper when kicked?”
One of the men growled, veins bulging on his neck. “You’ll regret—”
Ding!
Influence +10,000 (Killing intent)
Influence +10,000 (Killing intent)
“Oh?” Jin Yu raised a brow, amused. “Still got bite? Not bad.”
He plucked a twig from the ground and poked the man’s forehead with it. “You know, this is impressive. I’ve seen pigs hang prettier than you.”
Ding!
Influence +10,000 (Humiliation)
Influence +10,000 (Killing intent)
The second man spat, the drool splashing near Jin Yu’s foot. “You think this makes you powerful? You’re nothing but a—”
Jin Yu sighed. “Careful now. Every insult you throw earns me points. At this rate, I’ll be a god by morning.”
Ding!
Influence +10,000 (Killing intent)
Influence +10,000 (Killing intent)
He turned to Min Li. “Remind me to hang more people upside down. It’s surprisingly effective.”
Min Li nodded eagerly. “Yes, Master. Should I bring a brush to tickle their feet?”
Jin Yu smirked. “No need. Their pride’s already doing the job.”
Ding!
Influence+10,000 (Killing intent)
Influence +10,000 (Killing intent)
Jin Yu strolled around the tree slowly, hands clasped behind his back like a teacher inspecting failed students.
“You know,” he mused aloud, “I expected more from the Third Elder. These specimens are disappointingly weak. If this is the best he can send... I fear his entire bloodline might be terminally brain-damaged.”
Ding!
Influence +10,000 (Humiliation)
Influence +10,000 (Humiliation)
One of the men thrashed in his ropes, veins bulging in fury. “You bastard—!”
“Language,” Jin Yu interrupted, clicking his tongue. “I don’t want children in the crowd picking up bad words. Oh wait—” He glanced around dramatically. “There is no crowd. Because no one gives a damn about you two.”
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Ding!
Influence +10,000 (Fury)
Influence +10,000 (Fury)
Min Li stepped forward, holding one of his boots. “Shall I let them smell this, Master? It might trigger something primal in dogs.”
Jin Yu chuckled. “Let them beg for it first. Maybe they’ll bark.”
He turned back to the men. “Come on, just one bark. I’ll let you down if it sounds realistic.”
Ding!
Influence +10,000 (Slaughtering will)
Influence +10,000 (Killing intent)
Jin Yu leaned in close to one of the men, his face just inches away. “Still holding on to pride, huh? That’s adorable. Like a chicken refusing to admit it can’t fly.”
The man snarled, muscles straining as if he could break free through sheer rage. His eyes were bloodshot with fury.
Ding!
Influence +10,000 (Slaughtering will)
Influence +10,000 (Killing intent)
Jin Yu straightened up and began to pace. “You know, Min Li, I think I’ve figured them out. They’re not dogs. They’re statues. Stubborn, cold, and utterly useless.”
“I thought statues at least had some artistic value,” Min Li added helpfully.
“True. Maybe they're just rocks, then. Ugly ones.”
Ding!
Influence +10,000 (Humiliation)
Influence +10,000 (Humiliation)
“Keep talking,” one of the men growled. “When we get down from here—”
“You’ll do what?” Jin Yu interrupted, hands spread. “Bite my ankles? Chase your own tail? Oh, I know—report back to the Third Elder and cry like good little lapdogs?”
Ding!
Influence +10,000 (Humiliation)
Influence +10,000 (Humiliation)
Min Li whispered, “Master, what if they pass out from anger?”
Jin Yu shrugged. “Then we wake them up and start over. I’m not done farming yet.”
He walked up to one of them and patted his cheek. “Hey. Don’t fall asleep on me. You still owe me at least twenty thousand more points.”
The man thrashed harder, veins bulging as his face turned deep red.
Ding!
Influence +10,000 (Slaughtering will)
Influence +10,000 (Slaughtering will)
Jin Yu crouched again, resting his elbow on one of the men’s suspended shoulders like he was leaning on a counter.
“You know,” he said with exaggerated thoughtfulness, “maybe I’ve been too harsh. It’s not your fault the Third Elder trained you so poorly. I mean… it must be hard growing up without brains.”
Ding!
Influence +10,000 (Slaughtering will)
Influence +10,000 (Slaughtering will)
Min Li perked up. “Master, should we prepare a pity medal for them? Something like… Most Loyal Idiot?”
Jin Yu snapped his fingers. “Brilliant idea. In fact, let’s make it grand. We’ll hold a ceremony right here. I’ll even cry a little.”
He wiped under his eye dramatically, then looked up at the hanging men with a mock quiver in his voice. “I’d like to dedicate this moment… to these brave morons. For their unwavering commitment to failure, for their endless supply of rage, and for helping me rise through the ranks faster than a rocket powered by their bitterness.”
Ding!
Influence +10,000 (Bloodlust)
Influence +10,000 (Slaughtering Will)
“You—!” the man on the left choked out, veins pulsing in his temple.
Jin Yu turned to Min Li. “I think that one’s about to pop. Should we let him down before he explodes?”
Min Li looked thoughtful. “Hmm… no, Master. Exploding dogs might stain your clothes.”
Jin Yu nodded seriously. “True. Very wise.”
He turned back, clapped his hands together like a host at a festival. “Alright, gentlemen! Time for a public poll! Should we keep humiliating them? Or start painting insults across their backs?”
The trees were silent, but Jin Yu gave a dramatic pause like he was hearing roaring applause.
He grinned. “A unanimous yes? Thought so.”
Ding!
Influence +10,000
Influence +10,000
“Oh come on.” Jin Yu frowned, clearly frustrated by the bottleneck. The fury points refused to climb past ten thousand.
“Hey hey,” Jin Yu reached out and gave one of the men a slap across the face. “You need to work harder. The angrier you are, the better. We’ve got a long way to go, and… we’ve just started.”
Fury +10,000
“You won’t know how you die, you animal!” the man spat, blood mixing with saliva as it flew towards Jin Yu. But his figure blurred slightly, reappearing just a step away. The spit hit the ground behind him harmlessly.
“You son of a dog,” Min Lei growled, stepping forward with narrowed eyes. He slapped the man fiercely, over and over again. “How dare you spit at the Heaven’s child? Do you want to be cursed by heaven?!”
Pah!
Pah!
Pah!
The sound of slaps rang out clearly in the forest. At the same time, a series of chimes echoed softly in Jin Yu’s ears.
Ding!
Ding!
Ding!
“Oh? Works too?” Jin Yu muttered, genuinely surprised.
“What are you looking at, dog?” Min Lei turned to the second man, who was now glaring at him with venom. Without hesitation, he walked over and slapped him as well, again and again.
Pah!
Pah!
Pah!
Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!
Jin Yu watched, impressed by how much more effective this method seemed to be.
Then, through gritted teeth, one of the men asked, “What do you want with us… why are you torturing us like this?”
Jin Yu froze for a moment, looking at him as if he had said something ridiculous. Then, suddenly, he burst into laughter. A low, mocking laugh that seemed to echo longer than it should have.
Min Lei laughed too, while Haozi simply stood with his arms crossed, quiet, his thoughts unknown.
“Laugh, brat,” Min Lei snapped.
“Ha ha ha…” Haozi laughed awkwardly, though his voice held no real joy.
“So… you don’t know?” Jin Yu repeated, still chuckling as if the idea itself was absurd. “Hahahahaha…”
Then, just as suddenly, his laughter stopped. His face turned cold. Deathly cold.
Min Lei’s laughter faded with it, replaced by a tense stillness.
Jin Yu stepped forward without a word. He grabbed the man who had spoken by the head, and with a sudden pull, the rope snapped. The man dropped to the ground with a dull thud.
Then—
SLAM!
Jin Yu slammed him ruthlessly into the ground. Blood sprayed from the man’s mouth.
Raise. Slam.
Raise. Slam.
The sound of impact echoed around them. The once mocking air had turned thick and heavy.
The second man, still hanging upside down, was now trembling slightly, fear finally creeping into his face.
Ding!
Ding!
Ding!
Ding!
(Emotion provoked: Fear)
Even Min Lei had taken a step back, startled by the sudden shift.
After the third slam, Jin Yu let go and tossed the man to the side like trash. Then, slowly, he crouched down beside him.
His words came out cold and quiet, each one heavier than the last.
“How many children have you smuggled through the years?” he asked.
“How many have you stolen from their parents?
How many homes have you poisoned with your demonic actions?”
His voice began to rise, filled with something deeper than anger.
“HOW MANY?!” he roared, his eyes now completely clouded with crimson.
He grabbed the man’s head again and slammed it down with all his strength. A wave of Qi exploded from the impact, flattening the ground and forming a crater beneath them.
Crack!
A clear sound rang out. A crack had formed on the man’s forehead, and blood now flowed freely.
The man lost consciousness. His life or death remained unknown.
“Don’t worry,” Jin Yu muttered, standing slowly, his eyes still glowing red. “You won’t die. I’ll keep you alive… until you beg for death.”
He turned away, voice calm but chilling.
“Because… death is a mercy to you.”
With those words, he walked off into the forest, his figure slowly disappearing among the trees.
Min Lei and Haozi remained frozen for a moment before snapping back to their senses. Min Lei trembled slightly, but quickly rushed to the unconscious man. He fumbled in his pouch and pulled out a pill vial, choosing one quickly and feeding it to the man.
Haozi stood there, arms still crossed, but his gaze followed Jin Yu’s back.
A chill ran through him, deep and silent.
Ding!
(Emotion provoked: Fear)
