There Are Two of Me in This World

Watching the young child playing in the distance, Ye Feng felt a complex emotion flicker in the depths of his eyes. He had watched this boy grow up; at his core, the child was not evil. But... He felt the time was drawing near... Lu Tian would never allow this child to grow up so carefree. At the sight of the handsome man returning, Song Zhi'ang immediately bowed low in salute, and Ye Feng did the same. Lu Tian walked up beside the two of them, his gaze sweeping over the black pool in the grand hall. A slight curl touched the lips of his wickedly alluring face, a sharp glint flickering within his deep eyes. "Almost there, at last. In another three days or so, the four of them should be fully transformed into demonic physiques." As he spoke, the man's eyes casually brushed past Ye Feng and Song Zhi'ang. There was an inscrutable look in his gaze; he had clearly realized the two of them had clashed earlier. Turning his hand over, he retrieved a pitch-black demon crystal and offered it to Song Zhi'ang, the corners of his mouth curving faintly. "With this demon crystal, your cultivation should reach the late Body Integration Realm." Ye Feng's eyes narrowed slightly. He kept his head lowered, not daring to look at the two before him. His fists clenched tight within his sleeves. Song Zhi'ang kept her head down, saying nothing and making no move to take it. Lu Tian's eyes narrowed, a cold snort slipping from his lips. Boom! Song Zhi'ang's entire body crashed to the ground with a dull thud! Seeing this from afar, the young child's eyes reddened instantly. Swaying unsteadily, he flew over in a desperate dash. "Don't bully my mother!" Furious rage blazed on Li Si'ang's face as he charged toward Lu Tian, clutching a short sword in his hand. The corners of Lu Tian's lips curled upward. Spreading five fingers like razor-sharp eagle talons, he instantly dragged the boy into his grasp! His fingertips pierced the skin of the boy's neck at once. The young boy cried out in pain, and the iron sword slipped from his hands, clattering crisply against the floor. Clutching at Lu Tian's massive hand, he pounded against it with all his might, his fair little face turning purplish-red in the blink of an eye. Witnessing this, Song Zhi'ang erupted into uncontrollable fury. Her robes shredded as boundless demonic energy coalesced into spikes, shooting straight for Lu Tian's face! Lu Tian frowned in deep displeasure at Song Zhi'ang striking at him. With icy eyes, he raised a hand and shattered all the incoming demonic energy to pieces! He brought his foot slamming down onto the woman's back. With a sickening snap, Song Zhi'ang's body instantly went limp! With an icy glare, Lu Tian reached down, grabbed her hair, and hoisted her up. "You dare strike at me?" The demon crystal floated into the air. The thumb-sized black crystal pressed firmly against Song Zhi'ang's glabella! Breaking the skin between her brows, the demon crystal bored forcefully into her forehead! A muffled groan of agony escaped Song Zhi'ang's lips. Lu Tian spoke coldly: "Don't think I don't know what you're thinking. "Hoping to retain your humanity? "Heh. Given the modifications I made to you, your strength should have matched Ye Feng's long ago! "Why haven't you made any progress? "Let me tell you: from this day forth, if you want Li Si'ang to live, you do as I say!" Looking at the little boy whose eyes were rolling back into his head, Song Zhi'ang, tears streaming down her face, could only nod desperately. "I'll cultivate... I'll give it everything I have to cultivate!" At her words, Lu Tian tossed the child aside like a piece of trash. The unconscious boy skidded across the stone floor, his cheeks abraded with bloody scrapes. Song Zhi'ang's heart tore with agony at the sight, yet she dared not show the slightest hint of it. Leaving Song Zhi'ang behind as demonic energy surged through her body, Lu Tian strode slowly over to Ye Feng. Pulling back Ye Feng's sleeve, he inspected his arm. Gazing at the black blemishes covering the right arm, Lu Tian tilted his head. "I haven't left you much time. "It won't be long before the Heavenly Demon Divine Hall reveals itself fully to the world. "My Left Protector, this ghost hand of yours... Heh. You must understand, I wouldn't mind killing you... "It's just that..." Ye Feng kept his head bowed, his pupils quivering faintly. Lu Tian paused briefly, a strange excitement creeping into his voice. "I'd much rather see what kind of expression Li Guanqi makes when he finally stands before me after cultivating with all his might—and lays eyes on you! Hahahahaha!" Ye Feng's face drained of color in an instant. Bitterness and helplessness filled his eyes, mingled with quiet grievance and sorrow. On more than one sleepless night, he had envisioned what might come to pass in the future... He... had done terrible things... and more than just one... He had killed people; he had no choice. That hand... he had severed it himself. On that night, he had 'seen' his own hands stained crimson, thick blood dripping from his fingertips. As though mocking everything about Ye Feng, Lu Tian stepped close, leaning down beside his ear. One hand clamped hard around Ye Feng's cheek as he whispered in a chilling tone: "Everything the two of you are thinking—I know it all. "In this lifetime, you will never escape the palm of my hand." As he spoke, Lu Tian cast an indifferent glance at the unconscious boy on the ground, a crazed, bloodthirsty smile tugging at his mouth. Turning, he walked toward the grand hall and commanded in a grim voice, "Tomorrow, gather some chickens, ducks, and livestock and bring them here." Trembling on the ground, Song Zhi'ang felt her pupils contract sharply; she clearly understood what Lu Tian intended to do next. Ye Feng sighed helplessly in his heart. He had long known that Lu Tian would never allow Li Si'ang to live such a carefree life. And the four people in the pool—before long, they would awaken, their strength vastly amplified. Moreover, because of the demonic bugs within them, they would obey Lu Tian unconditionally, their humanity obliterated in favor of bloodthirsty slaughter. After Lu Tian had gone, Ye Feng walked over to the young boy and gently lifted him into his arms, patting his back to smooth out the chaotic energy churning inside him. As Ye Feng's ghost hand drew the demonic energy out from the boy's body and absorbed it into his own, Song Zhi'ang, who had been struggling bitterly on the ground against the corrosion of demonic energy, finally relaxed her mind slightly. Tearfully, she looked at the young boy resting in Ye Feng's embrace, her eyes overflowing with reluctant tenderness. Crouching down to face her, Ye Feng murmured softly, "Absorb it... If you don't... you will die." In a hoarse voice, Song Zhi'ang answered, "I know. "This... is fate... "It's the same for you." Saying so, she glanced at Ye Feng's completely blackened arm. Holding the sleeping boy, Ye Feng sat down beside her against the stone wall, his blank gaze drifting up toward the oppressive gray sky. "There are two of me in this world. "One wanders the world with his brothers in dreams, sword in hand, laughing and drinking without care. "The other... wallows in filth, like rotting mud..." Song Zhi'ang shut her eyes in agony. She did not know if she could endure the corrosion of demonic energy this time and preserve her sanity and humanity. Her natural talent was poor; reaching this point had already been an arduous feat. Ye Feng placed the little boy gently upon her back and spoke in a firm voice. "Believe in yourself. You can endure it!" Gritting her teeth, Song Zhi'ang closed her eyes and began to absorb the aura of the demon crystal. With every passing breath and moment, she had to endure the soul-rending agony of the demonic energy, fighting to keep her mind from being swallowed by the boundless malice and lust for slaughter! Ye Feng leaned back against the stone wall in silence. They were like two souls caught in the freezing rain of an early winter night without an umbrella, huddled close for warmth in a desperate attempt to survive a winter cold enough to freeze them to death.