Grievance as Deep as the Sea

When the sharp, eardrum-splitting cry erupted, the pointer on the Grievance Plate in Wang Quan's arms spun wildly, almost breaking free from its casing! A cold glint flashed in his eyes, and his figure, like a phantom, descended from the rooftop, landing silently in the courtyard of the house.

The courtyard was dead silent, the moonlight pale, yet it cast no physical shadows. But an invisible, viscous miasma of resentment filled every inch of space, chilling to the bone. Wang Quan's head buzzed, and countless fragmented, sharp cries of infants exploded directly in his mind!

"It hurts!"

"Mom! Dad! It hurts so much!"

"Why don't you want me! Why make me hurt like this!"

The voices didn't come from outside but directly impacted his soul. Wang Quan's vision darkened, the surrounding scenery instantly distorted and blurred, as if he had been dragged into a completely different sensory world.

Warmth... safety... surrounded by softness and rhythmic pulses. This was the initial feeling. He curled up in a small but secure space, the sounds from the outside world reaching him through the water, muffled and distant. Most of the time was darkness, but he could feel slow growth, an instinctive, carefree peace. Occasionally, gentle hands would softly caress him through the belly, bringing a lingering warmth.

The days should have passed peacefully like this, until that day.

An indescribable warm current, carrying a strong medicinal scent, suddenly surged into this peaceful haven. At first, there was nothing unusual, but soon, excruciating pain erupted without warning! The pain didn't come from an external impact but from within his body, as if countless red-hot needles were piercing and burning every inch of his fragile bones from the marrow! The amniotic fluid that had nourished him now felt like scalding poison, enveloping and eroding him.

"So painful... it hurts..." His consciousness screamed and writhed in extreme agony, unable to escape this small body being destroyed from the inside. The outside world seemed oblivious; the gentle caresses continued, and he could even vaguely hear his mother's relieved sigh after taking the herbal medicine. Only he endured this excruciating torture alone. The pain was boundless, his consciousness blurring and fragmenting in the tide of agony, leaving only the most primal resentment and confusion: Why? Why did it hurt so much? Why didn't anyone come to save me? Daddy... Mommy...

Wang Quan's consciousness almost completely merged with the dying resentment of the fetus. He felt all his bones being crushed, his internal organs kneaded and torn by unseen hands. It was an extreme pain originating from the very source of life, surpassing any injury he had ever experienced. His face instantly turned as pale as paper, veins bulging on his forehead, cold sweat soaking his inner garments, his body trembling uncontrollably as if being gnawed and devoured by countless poisonous insects. Just as his consciousness was about to be completely consumed by this boundless pain and resentment, unable to distinguish whether he was Wang Quan or that despairing fetus...

[Warning! Subjected to intense mental attack, trapped in a Grievance Illusion!]

[Detected abnormal mental fluctuations, identified as Echo Realm Nightmare-type Evil Spirit's core ability [Grievance Submergence]!]

The system's cold notification sounded like a thunderclap in his mind! Wang Quan jolted, and the scorching blood and qi from his perfected Myriad Monster Blood Devouring Art erupted within him like a volcanic eruption, the supreme yang and rigid energy instantly dispelling the bone-chilling cold and illusory pain! He let out a low growl, his eyes turning blood red, forcibly breaking free from the despairing perspective of the unborn infant!

His vision cleared. The courtyard was still silent, the moonlight pale. He saw by the well, a blurry, constantly twisting infant-shaped shadow emitting silent shrieks. Dense resentment, like tangible black tentacles, spread outwards! The searing, bone-gnawing pain he had just felt originated from this entity!

"You're asking for death!" Wang Quan's killing intent boiled over. The Blood Drinking Saber was drawn with a clang, bringing with it a dark red blood-red glow, slashing directly at the black shadow!

However, as the blade passed, it felt like it cut through a ball of cold, damp mist. Most of its force was deflected, only stirring ripples in the resentment. The black shadow merely thinned slightly, instead emitting even more piercing, venomous shrieks, and more solidified resentment tentacles slammed into Wang Quan!

Physical attacks were minimally effective!

Wang Quan instantly understood, his mind racing. He pushed the Myriad Monster Blood Devouring Art to its absolute limit! The immense, scorching power of his blood and qi surged out of his body, forming a faint blood-colored halo around him. This supreme yang and fierce energy was the bane of yin and evil resentment! The resentment tentacles struck the halo, immediately emitting a "hissing" burning sound, melting away rapidly like ice and snow meeting the sun!

At the same time, the Blood Drinking Saber in his hand hummed and vibrated. The tiny blood-colored rune on the blade lit up with an eerie glow, actively emitting a greedy, bloodthirsty malevolent aura, beginning to devour and tear at the surrounding resentment!

The black shadow let out a terrified shriek, clearly not expecting its target to be so troublesome. It suddenly contracted, transforming into a condensed stream of black energy, moving extremely fast, like a startled loach, it shot into an inconspicuous rat hole in the corner of the courtyard wall, fleeing into the distance!

Wang Quan did not give chase immediately. He stood in place, breathing slightly, calming the lingering shock from the illusion and the surging blood and qi within him. The extreme pain the fetus experienced after taking the medicine, and the vague impression of the person who administered it, were clearly imprinted in his mind.

Early the next morning, before dawn, Wang Quan found charcoal and rough straw paper. Relying on the impression of the blurry figure of a "doctor" holding a medicine bowl from the illusion, he began to sketch carefully. Although the face was unclear, the person's silhouette, the dark cloth robes they often wore, and the characteristic square scarf on their head were deeply etched by the resentment.

Holding this crude drawing, he revisited the families who had suffered previously. When the image was shown to the parents who had lost their children, they all showed expressions of shock and confirmation.

"It's him! It's Doctor Liu from Spring Return Hall!"

"That's right! My wife's body was unstable during her pregnancy, and she went to him for a prescription to protect the fetus!"

"He... he's a famous doctor in the South City! How could he..."

The confirmation from several victims, combined with the strange pain caused by the herbal medicine he personally experienced in the illusion, pointed to this seemingly benevolent doctor. A pregnancy-preserving medicine... turned into a death warrant? Wang Quan put away the drawing and headed straight for Spring Return Hall.