The Evil Golden Toad

"Sacrifice my ass!!"

Xiao Ran's eyes were bloodshot. He felt a surge of seemingly inexhaustible strength flood his body in an instant. As the figure charged at him, he lifted his leg and kicked them square in the chest.

He had already been boosted to six points of strength. Now his strength had increased by more than ten points—a complete qualitative change.

The villager heard a series of cracking bones from his chest. His entire chest caved in, and his body flew like a cannonball into the people behind him, knocking a whole swath of them down.

Seeing four or five people sprawled on the ground, unable to get back up, Xiao Ran had wanted to charge into them like a tiger among sheep and crush the whole bunch of bastards. But then he abruptly changed his mind and forced himself to calm down.

No. Now isn't the time to fight these people to the death.

He might be able to use his brute strength to pin these guys down and beat them senseless, but he wouldn't come out of it unscathed. He had avoided his vital organs, sure, but anyone with a hole in their stomach was going to have a bad time.

More importantly, if he and this bunch of nobodies killed each other, who would deal with that old hag?

With that thought, Xiao Ran kicked down two or three more people, then used his brute strength to grab someone nearby and hold him in front of himself as a human shield. He charged straight into the crowd.

The narrow alley was a dead end. Xiao Ran's charge sent people tumbling everywhere amid a chorus of screams.

"Hey! Watch where you're stepping!!"

"Get your foot off me!!"

"Don't pull that! That's not a belt!!"

The alley descended into chaos. Xiao Ran simply kept charging forward with his brute strength. Someone tried to take the opportunity to hack at him, but the person he was holding up as a human shield took the blow instead.

Only after Xiao Ran charged out of the alley did he turn around. Everyone was sprawled this way and that, groaning.

He tossed aside the human shield, now bristling with axes, knives, and spears, then grinned toward Brother Tao and the others. He drew a finger across his throat, then turned and ran straight into the village without looking back.

"This is bad!!"

Watching Xiao Ran disappear, the rotten flesh on Brother Tao's face trembled uncontrollably.

He knew Li Shang's temperament all too well. They had made a move against Li Shang this time. Even if the Old Woman showed mercy, Li Shang would make their lives a living hell.

What's more, the Old Woman had killed half the village to bring him back to life. Now that he had finally been resurrected, how could she possibly let them off?

The more Brother Tao thought about it, the more terrified he became. His body had already begun to shake uncontrollably.

But it was too late to chase after him now. Brother Tao forced himself to calm down, turned to the others, and said, "Get up, all of you! Go alert everyone in the village. Tell them it's all lies—the Old Woman only wants to bring her son back to life. She doesn't care whether we live or die. If you want to survive, if you want to live like human beings, then come with me and settle things with that old hag!!"

By the end, Brother Tao had ripped off the paper mask covering his face, revealing a visage that looked like a walking corpse. His two bulging eyes stared straight at the crowd. "This is our only chance!!"

"Mother, Mother!!"

In the courtyard, the Old Woman lay with her eyes half-closed in the Grand Tutor Chair, while two village women massaged her legs, one on each side. Suddenly, she heard a familiar cry, and her drooping eyelids sprang open.

A moment later, someone shoved the courtyard gate open with a rough push. Xiao Ran stood in the doorway, covered in blood, staring straight at the Old Woman seated in the chair. In an instant, Li Shang's memories flashed through his mind, and his gaze gradually grew hazy.

At that moment, it was as if he really were Li Shang. His nose stung, and he staggered forward a couple of steps. "Mother!"

"Bang!!"

Hearing that long-missed call, the Old Woman slowly sat upright in her chair and murmured to herself, "It worked? It really worked?"

Looking at the unfamiliar face before her, the Old Woman could barely contain her joy.

Seeing this, Xiao Ran hurried forward and clasped both her hands. "Don't you recognize me anymore? I'm your son, Doggie. I didn't listen to you back then. You said Yang Xuan was educated and ambitious, and that I couldn't keep her in line. I never thought she'd really dare to try to kill me!"

"Doggie, I missed you."

As she spoke, she slowly reached out and gently stroked Xiao Ran's cheek. For a moment, her cloudy eyes seemed to see Li Shang's face, thick with a full beard.

Xiao Ran lowered his head, his shoulders trembling violently. It wasn't because he was such a good actor—his back and lower abdomen were burning with pain, and it hurt like hell.

But this kind of pain couldn't be counted as a voluntary sacrifice, so it wouldn't grant him the boost of [Power of the Evil God].

"Child,"

The Old Woman had still wanted to say something, but the commotion outside kept her from continuing.

It was loud. Even from far away, they could hear Brother Tao shouting curses.

Hearing Brother Tao's voice, Xiao Ran suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of relief. They finally came. If they'd waited any longer, I wouldn't have been able to keep acting.

He immediately raised his head, eyes flashing with menace as he glared toward the gate. "Mother, it's them! Brother Tao and the others tried to kill me. They've rebelled, they've rebelled!!"

Watching Xiao Ran's furious expression, the Old Woman smiled faintly and slowly rose from her chair. "Don't worry. They won't cause any trouble."

As she spoke, the Old Woman took Xiao Ran by the arm and led him outside. When they reached the entrance, they saw Brother Tao had gathered everyone. The crowd held knives, spears, swords, and clubs, with hoes, sickles, and other farming tools mixed in.

When everyone saw Xiao Ran supporting the Old Woman as they came out, they looked at one another. They'd been in an uproar on the way here, shouting that they should all charge in and hack their enemy into mincemeat. Now, however, every last one of them fell silent.

Xiao Ran hid behind the Old Woman and watched. He couldn't help frowning inwardly. These people are way too spineless.

No. If this old hag settles everything with a single word, what am I supposed to do?

With that thought, Xiao Ran strode out from behind the Old Woman. He grinned at Brother Tao and the others, the smile on his lips gradually twisting into a menacing sneer.

"What are you going to do? You lot could all attack at once and still be no match for my mother. You're all going to die. Not one of you will survive!"

After saying that, Xiao Ran couldn't help glancing at the Old Woman beside him from the corner of his eye.

But the Old Woman's eyes were lowered, her expression as steady as a mountain. Xiao Ran was suddenly unsure what to expect.

Sure enough, his words made everyone present look grim.

What frightened them even more was that the Old Woman seemed to tacitly agree with Xiao Ran.

Brother Tao and the others felt their scalps prickle with fear.

"We have to fight! If we don't, they'll make our lives a living hell. Don't think about it, Brother Tao."

The people behind Brother Tao had already steeled themselves for a desperate fight. The others who'd followed along also turned their eyes toward him.

Brother Tao stood in a daze. Looking at the arrogant grin on Xiao Ran's face, he couldn't help shuddering. He raised the axe in his hand and let out a heart-rending roar. "Fight! Hack them to death!!"

Brother Tao lunged forward and sprang toward the Old Woman. He believed that as long as they had enough people and all charged together, even if the Old Woman had supernatural powers, she couldn't stop them all.

One person moved, and the rest followed. In an instant, the crowd that had still been hesitating surged forward, whether swept along by the tide or carried away by their own fervor. If they could just reach them and keep up the momentum, even one blow from each of them would be enough to hack the mother and son to pieces.

But reality was cruel.

As the crowd charged toward her, the Old Woman's smile slowly crumpled. She didn't move at all. Then, from within her arms, came a frog's croak.

"Goo-goo!!"

To Xiao Ran, it sounded like nothing more than an ordinary frog's croak. But to Brother Tao and the others, it was like thunder exploding beside them. Their ears rang, and the world spun before their eyes.

"Thud, thud..."

They could no longer hold on to their weapons. One after another, they crashed to the ground with their bodies, unable to move.

Even Brother Tao was stunned by the sight. Xiao Ran, standing nearby, was just as dumbfounded.

He stared at the golden toad in the Old Woman's arms. No wonder! No wonder Li Ji said we had to kill this thing. Its power is terrifying!

Wait!

Xiao Ran carefully examined the golden toad. It looked like a living creature, but on closer inspection, it seemed more like something carved from jade.

That made him think of the [Calamity Suppressing Token] in his possession.

Could this thing also be a Cursed Object?

Looking at the crowd sprawled on the ground, unable to move, the Old Woman chuckled.

"Before the village was slaughtered, I gave each of you a string of cash. I made it perfectly clear: if you took that money, you belonged to me. Since you took my money, your lives are in my hands. I decide when you've paid it back. You don't get to go back on your word."

"Old Woman, you're cruel! You gave me a string of copper coins, and in return my family of three has been trapped here with you for over a hundred years. What a bargain!"

An old man raised his head and glared at the Old Woman.

The Old Woman merely glanced at him, her expression disdainful. "Even a pig's life is worth more than a string of coins. But when I handed out the money, I made it perfectly clear: anyone who refused it would die.

"We were neighbors for all those years. You watched yourselves put the money in your pockets and shut your own doors, deaf to the cries for help outside. At that moment, you stopped being human. You were beasts. A beast's life isn't worth much. One copper coin was enough—and I gave you a whole string. I was generous."

Hearing the Old Woman's words, the old man, who had been so indignant just moments ago, gaped. He wanted to argue, but it felt as if a stone were lodged in his throat. Not a word came out.

The others lowered their heads as well. Only Brother Tao and his men didn't care about any of that. They had been members of the Kidnapper Gang, the butchers who slaughtered the village. They didn't care about their conscience. They only stared fixedly at the Old Woman before them, both worried and clinging to a faint hope.

But then the Old Woman turned and beckoned to Xiao Ran. She took the toad from her arms and placed it in his hands.

"Good son, do whatever you like with these useless fools. Once you've killed them, we'll leave this awful place. I'll find you another obedient girl, and you can live a comfortable life."

The Old Woman's voice was full of affection, but it made Brother Tao and the others tremble from head to toe.

"You have obtained the E-rank Cursed Object [Evil Golden Toad], but the Cursed Object has already been activated. Do you wish to forcibly seize control?"

"If the seizure fails, you will suffer a severe backlash!"

The moment his hand touched the Evil Golden Toad, Xiao Ran received a prompt. Just as I thought. This really is a Cursed Object.

Seeing Xiao Ran holding the toad in silence, the Old Woman smiled and asked, "What is it? Have you forgotten how to use it?"

Xiao Ran raised his head and glanced toward the millstone by the gate. He flashed the Old Woman a bright smile. "Of course! I haven't. This is how you use it, right?"

As he spoke, a cold glint flashed in Xiao Ran's eyes. He suddenly raised the toad and slammed it hard against the millstone by the gate.