The cruelty of human nature is bottomless, so you must never venture to test it.
Yuan Luoyi knew this clearly. She had died a painful death many times before. When she fell asleep, those fragments of memories would resurface, making her relive the agonies over and over again.
Burned alive, buried alive, beheaded, drowned, fallen to death...
People wanted to kill her for various reasons: money, status, beauty, jealousy, the list goes on.
If she had to rank them, Yuan Luoyi felt that being strangled to death was the most excruciating.
After suffocating, all her internal organs ached, as if countless knives had pierced through her body. The process of death was excruciatingly slow, and worse still, she remained conscious throughout.
She struggled desperately, her fingers clawing bloody marks on the ground, hot tears streaming down her cheeks, her eyes fixed on the door, where she could have seen her Brother.
It was impossible to say she didn't hate them. She also wanted these people to pay the price.
So whenever her Brothers killed, Yuan Luoyi never stopped them.
After repeated time travels, she went from being terrified and trembling, to becoming calm, even accustomed to the stench of blood.
The instinct for killing was lured out by the fresh blood.
Now, Yuan Luoyi stared at Zhang Xunyin in the cage.
How could she slander her Second and Third Brothers like that?
She should pay the price for this...
Yuan Si stood beside Yuan Luoyi, elegantly offering a dagger. It was exquisitely small and delicate, the handle intricately carved with beautiful patterns, and the blade glinted with a chilling sharpness, incredibly keen.
It was an invitation. She took the dagger, plunging towards the darkness, no longer a strange shade of gray, but the same color as her Brothers.
Yuan Si's voice was bewitchingly seductive: "We will never betray you, nor will we ever harm you. But they are too filthy. Why become like them when you belong with us?"
The dagger drew closer.
"We will protect each other..."
"She is our common enemy. Please kill her for us."
The allure of the dagger suddenly intensified. Yuan Luoyi unconsciously reached out her hand, her fingers caressing the uneven carvings on the handle.
It felt cold to the touch, and Yuan Luoyi's gaze gradually grew colder as well.
Her fingers traced the patterns on the handle downward. She was about to pick up the dagger.
"Luoyi, don't let the darkness consume you..."
A vague, ethereal voice echoed in Yuan Luoyi's mind, stirring an inexplicable sadness. She paused, and regained her senses.
An odd feeling arose. Unwittingly, she had been led astray by Yuan Si.
Yuan Si noticed her change and smiled alluringly as always: "What's wrong?"
After pondering for a moment, Yuan Luoyi said, "Fourth Brother, will I be able to see my other Brothers in the future?"
Yuan Si let out a sinister laugh, leaning in so close to Yuan Luoyi that she could feel the low, chilling laughter emanating from the depths of his throat, resonating in his gaunt, skeletal chest. His icy breath brushed against her skin like feathers.
With his bony, dexterous hand, the dagger was swiftly tucked away. Yuan Si knew that his sister had seen through him. Yuan Luoyi wouldn't pick up the dagger. His attempt at seduction had failed this time.
His intense desire for control not only manifested in restraining physical freedom but also in wanting to control his sister's mind.
She would sink into darkness, which was actually his embrace.
She would willingly remain in the world he had meticulously crafted for her.
Yuan Si remarked admiringly, "My dear sister, you truly are a very adorable yet very cunning little snake."
"I must admit, I am a bit selfish. If they come, I might just kill them."
"To my blood brothers, I am far more dangerous than that foolish girl..."
Leaning against the armrest of the chair, Yuan Si coiled around Yuan Luoyi like a giant python, a little too close, but not yet to the point of suffocation.
He said softly, "I am a patient man. As long as there is a shred of darkness in your heart, I can draw it out. You cannot refuse me every time."
Yuan Luoyi looked back at Yuan Si in silent defiance.
His eyes were beautiful, with long, thick lashes, but his gaze was dominant and aggressive, tinged with curiosity. His sister always brought him surprises. He wanted to see what she would become this time.
And Yuan Luoyi met his gaze with unwavering determination.
This was a battle of wits. If she lost, she would fall into this gentle darkness, never able to escape.
So she had to win.
Not far away, Zhang Xunyin heard the conversation between Yuan Si and Yuan Luoyi from inside the cage.
She knew she was going to die.
She crawled forward and grasped the iron bars, shouting, "Don't kill me! I was forced to do it!"
"I was too poor. I just wanted to survive. Is that wrong?"
"Besides, I only spread a few rumors. You weren't really harmed!"
"If it's really that bad, I'll give you all the money I received! Just let me go!"
The believers grew restless. Zhang Xunyin's self-justification angered them. A few of them, their expressions filled with rage, stood up and began arguing.
"She's not even remorseful for what she did. She only regrets getting caught by us!"
"Master! Please let me execute this arrogant, ignorant criminal!"
"Only death can redeem her sins! Only then can justice prevail in this world! We must send her to hell!"
Zhang Xunyin stuck her hand out of the cage, pointing her index finger at the believers while trembling with anger and grief: "You are the real criminals!"
"My parents and younger brother had nothing to do with this, but you killed them!"
"I'm just an ordinary person... Why did this have to happen to me..."
A few mocking laughs rang out in the hall as the believers looked on coldly at Zhang Xunyin's tear-stained face.
This girl, due to her foolishness, did not understand repentance. And because she did not understand repentance, she deserved to die.
Yuan Si's attention was not on Zhang Xunyin, but entirely focused on observing his sister, trying to glimpse into her inner world and find an opportunity to exploit...
Hearing such words, anyone would be enraged.
His sister lowered her head, her brow furrowed tightly, her small hands gripping the armrests. Clearly, she too despised Zhang Xunyin.
She was still struggling. If she simply embraced the darkness and killed that woman, she wouldn't have to suffer like this.
Yuan Si placed his hand on Yuan Luoyi's shoulder, tightening his grip slightly as he continued to tempt her: "Look, she has already killed people, yet she still claims to be an ordinary person."
"Those on the outside will all protect her and see her as a hero. We can only carry out justice in our own way."
"And when she dies, you will feel liberated, for you are one of us."
*Slap!*
Yuan Si clapped his hands together, and all the believers turned to look at him in reverence, absolutely obedient to the deity's instructions.
"Show your loyalty!"
The believers immediately became excited, having been waiting for this command.
