Xue Beng's Decision

"Ah! Xue Xing, you old dog, I want you dead! I want you dead!"

Xue Beng roared madly at Xue Xing's retreating back; how could a fourteen-year-old Xue Beng ever endure such treatment?

"Audacious Xue Beng, how dare you roar in this court of law! Your crimes are compounded!" The judge slammed the gavel and issued his command.

"Cast him into the eighteen levels of hell immediately!"

Xue Beng, still caught in his impotent rage, snapped back to reality. Although he didn't know what the eighteen levels of hell were, it certainly didn't sound like anything good.

"No, my lord! I am innocent! I've been framed!"

Unfortunately, no one paid him any mind. Two minotaurs clamped onto Xue Beng's arms, and like a frail woman, he had no strength to resist as he was dragged toward a gloomy and terrifying entrance.

Upon entering, it felt as if he had arrived in an even more horrific world. Cold, sinister winds whistled all around, countless blades and torture implements were scattered about, and other figures similar to him were undergoing punishment.

"Where... where is this?"

Xue Beng's voice trembled.

"Welcome to Ge Yao Hell..."

One of the minotaurs said in a muffled voice, his tone filled with schadenfreude.

He secured Xue Beng to a chair with chains, forcefully tore open his clothes, and exposed the soft flesh of his waist. Then, he picked up a blade and a hook from the side and scraped them against each other.

The crisp clashing of iron sounded to Xue Beng like the call of a vengeful spirit.

"What... what are you doing? I'll give you money, I'll give you..."

"Ah!"

The minotaur skillfully sliced open the flesh of Xue Beng's waist. With a gentle stretch and pull of the hook, a small kidney was extracted. The pain nearly caused Xue Beng to faint, but a mysterious force acted upon him, preventing him from ever losing consciousness.

Yet, the minotaur did not stop; he moved to the other side and used the same motion to easily harvest the second kidney.

Was it over?

Facts proved that whether it was legitimate or not, hell was, after all, hell.

Before Xue Beng could even catch his breath, he saw the flesh heal and the kidneys instantly return to their original state. Xue Beng felt no joy, for the minotaur began to repeat the previous actions, over and over again.

"Spare me! I was framed! I was framed!" While screaming his grievances, Xue Beng began to resent, for the first time, why he even had these two kidneys.

He didn't know how much time had passed; Xue Beng had long since lost count. A small mountain of kidneys had piled up beside him. His throat was raw from screaming, yet the pain had not diminished by even half—it had only become more sensitive.

Finally, the minotaur ceased the torture and unlocked the chains holding Xue Beng.

"Is it over?"

Xue Beng collapsed limply onto the chair. This place was absolutely his nightmare, a demon that would never fade from his mind.

"Over? Heh, this is only the first level of hell. Enjoy the rest."

The minotaur revealed a cold sneer.

"First level? What does that mean?"

Xue Beng's mind suddenly recalled that the person had said he would be cast into the eighteen levels of hell. Eighteen levels!

Xue Beng's eyes split with rage as he shouted, "Kill me! Just kill me!"

Unfortunately, the minotaur showed no mercy.

"Second level of hell: Ba Niao Hell."

The minotaur's thick, sturdy hand produced a pair of pliers and ripped open Xue Beng's trousers with a single tug.

"Ah!!!"

The sounds of miserable shrieking were endless.

Third level, Kao Chang Hell.

Fourth level...

Watching Xue Beng, whose face was so twisted he looked like a malevolent ghost, a satisfied smile appeared on Shang An's face.

Although he couldn't directly change Xue Beng yet, using spiritual power to guide his thoughts was not difficult—for instance, perfectly transferring the hatred from his dreams into reality, or perhaps... tsk tsk.

"Ah!"

A thousand years in the dream, yet only half an hour in reality. Xue Beng, lying on the bed, snapped his eyes open, his gaze filled with madness and despair.

The guards surrounding the palace rushed in upon hearing the cry, but Shang An and Ni Huang had already entered the Taiyi Dharma Domain.

"Your Highness Xue Beng!" "Your Highness Xue Beng!"

"What is wrong, Your Highness?"

A surge of spiritual power pulled Xue Beng out of his state of madness. Having regained his senses, Xue Beng ignored the guards. He rudely shoved aside the woman who had been startled awake beside him, kicked the quilt away, stood up, and looked down at himself. Seeing that his "little bird" was still there, Xue Beng felt no joy, only overwhelming terror.

"Get out!"

Xue Beng barked at the guards.

The guards looked at each other in confusion. What kind of game was His Highness Xue Beng playing? Could it be that he had called them in just to show them his "little bird"?

"Get out!"

Seeing Xue Beng in a rage, the guards dared not utter a word and quickly fled the palace.

Xue Beng kicked the two young girls off the bed.

"You two get out of here too!"

The two girls looked at each other, and seeing the somewhat deranged look on Xue Beng's face, they could only grab their clothes and run out of the palace, cursing Xue Beng under their breath for being incompetent yet having such a foul temper.

Seeing that everyone had left, Xue Beng stood in silence for a while, like a statue, but if one looked closely at his eyes, they could see the madness deep within his soul.

Suddenly, he collapsed onto the bed and began to sob silently. It wasn't that he didn't dare to make a sound, but that he was so heartbroken and desperate that he couldn't even cry out.

Given Xue Beng's mental fortitude, having experienced the "monkey version" of the eighteen levels of hell at the hands of Shang An, he would have completely collapsed long ago had it not been for a sliver of spiritual energy Shang An used to keep him hanging on.

After crying for a long time, Xue Beng stood up again, ignoring the tears sliding down his cheeks.

Looking around and seeing that he was the only one left in the hall, the madness in Xue Beng's eyes intensified. He looked down at the root of the disaster that had caused him to suffer countless times.

The moment he saw it, memories of those painful tortures began to assault his mind. He felt like he was truly going insane; he had to do something.

Without hesitation, Xue Beng rummaged through his bedchamber to find a dagger, cleaned it, and prepared himself. He swung it down hard at his crotch, not holding back in the slightest.

Blood splattered, the bird fell to the ground, and the skin on Xue Beng's face twitched in agony. Yet, he forced himself not to make a sound. Having experienced so many trials, what was this bit of pain? Compared to that nightmare, it was child's play.

Seeing the "egg and sausage" lying on the floor, Xue Beng didn't hesitate to stomp on it hard.

Splat!

In an instant, the "egg and sausage" turned into a thin pancake, with no possibility of repair.

But Xue Beng still found it an eyesore. He picked up the pancake, looked around, and finally spotted the stove he used for barbecuing in his bedchamber. His eyes lit up.

He threw it into the stove and lit the fire. The raging flames quickly burned the pancake to ashes, causing it to vanish from this world forever.

Seeing that the source of all evil had finally disappeared, Xue Beng let out a long sigh of relief. Even the nightmares in his mind seemed to fade a little. Compared to this, what was the excruciating pain coming from his crotch?

He found some gauze to bandage himself simply, then forced himself to clean up the blood in the hall, tossing the blood-stained towels and cotton cloths into the stove.

Only then did he lie back on the bed, gasping for air as a figure appeared in his mind.

"Xue Xing, I will make you wish you were dead!"

Revenge against Xue Xing had become his primary motivation for staying alive. He had once been so desperate that he hadn't wanted to live for a single moment, but the boundless hatred for Xue Xing had opened a crack in his abyss, bringing in a sliver of light that led to who knows where.

All of this was faithfully recorded by Shang An using a Recording Stone, including the earlier self-castration part. This video might have miraculous effects in the future.

"Let's go."

Greeting Ni Huang, the two quietly left the palace, just as they had quietly arrived, taking nothing with them, leaving behind only a man with a wounded bird.

Returning to their residence, Shang An picked up the older loli Xiao Wu, who was still fast asleep. He really wasn't used to days without his Pope-brand body pillow, so Xiao Wu would have to do for now.

Dazed, Xiao Wu felt herself being picked up, but upon smelling that comforting scent, she didn't dodge. Instead, she clung to him like an octopus, and the two fell asleep in each other's arms.

"Mommy."

In the early morning, Xiao Wu hugged Shang An, muttering in her sleep with a smile on her lips.

"Call me Daddy."

"Daddy?... Mmm!"

Xiao Wu woke up with a start. Opening her eyes, she saw Shang An's teasing smile and immediately sat up, her face turning bright red.

"Bad Master."

This master was truly too wicked, actually tricking her into calling him Daddy.

"Since you're awake, get up, my good daughter."

"Don't you dare say it."

The two tidied their clothes and walked out of the room. Ni Huang had already set out steamed buns and soy milk on the dining table; truly, whether one is virtuous has nothing to do with their strength.

After a simple breakfast, Shang An sent someone to deliver a formal invitation to Dugu Mansion in the name of the young master of Fengming Restaurant. Although invitations generally required at least a week's notice, Dugu Bo clearly didn't have the standing to make Shang An wait.

Shang An prepared to set off for Dugu Mansion today.