"Word is, you want to die?"
The bone-chilling voice echoed in her ears. Gu Xun'er couldn't help but shiver.
A face so handsome it seemed almost demonic appeared before her. Gu Xun'er screamed and fell to the ground in fear.
"Y-you… stay away from me!"
"Am I really that scary?" Hun Miesheng stepped forward and gently lifted her pale cheek with a finger.
"What are you trying to do?" Gu Xun'er's eyes were filled with terror. "If you touch me, my father will never forgive you!"
"Heh."
Hun Miesheng chuckled disdainfully. "Even if he wanted to forgive me, I wouldn't let him."
"As for what I'm going to do..."
He paused and continued to approach.
Gu Xun'er could almost feel his breath on her skin.
'It's over.'
Her eyes welled up with tears.
"Don't flatter yourself. I have no interest in you."
Hun Miesheng's voice was indifferent.
Gu Xun'er flushed bright red. "You!"
Hun Miesheng grabbed her face and turned it aside. "Didn't you want to die?"
"Then I'll grant your wish."
"If you want to die, there are three hundred and sixty ways I can help you go."
He dragged Gu Xun'er toward the side.
A pitch-black pool came into view, cold to the bone, with the sound of dripping water echoing around.
Hun Miesheng raised his hand, and a Void Devouring Flame ignited, illuminating the scene.
"Ah—!"
Gu Xun'er's face turned pale in an instant, and she nearly threw up.
Maggots. Blood-red maggots.
Crawling all over the pool.
"This is the Blood-Eating Cold Pool. Those who betray the Soul Hall get their cultivation crippled, limbs broken, and tossed in here."
"Then, they get covered in blood maggots, having their blood sucked dry—bit by bit."
"Those corpses right there were just thrown in yesterday. Today, they're already rotten meat." Hun Miesheng sighed regretfully.
Gu Xun'er's body trembled violently, and she threw up on the spot.
"You want to die? Just jump in." Hun Miesheng dragged her toward the edge.
"No, I don't want to!" Gu Xun'er grabbed onto his arm with all her strength, her eyes full of desperate pleading.
Ding! Achievement unlocked: Villain's Intimidation. Reward: 300 villain points.
"Don't want to die like that?"
Gu Xun'er nodded frantically.
Hun Miesheng scratched his head and gave a harmless smile. "Alright, let's try another way."
Swish.
He dragged her to a giant furnace, where a green ghostly fire burned below.
Black-robed figures were chained inside the fire. From the depths came continuous shrill screams of agony.
"This is the Soul Hall's Underworld Ghostfire."
"It only burns souls, not flesh. A soul in there will be scorched and erased slowly."
"Want to die? Jump in."
"Oh right, this kind of fire is pretty weak. It usually takes forty-nine days to completely erase a soul."
"Every second of those forty-nine days is worse than death."
Hun Miesheng leaned in and whispered next to her ear.
"Hey Great Heavenly Venerate, comfy down there?"
"Hall Master, have mercy!"
"I'm willing to be your slave! Just let me live!"
"Kill me! Please, just kill me!" Blood River's voice had already turned hysterical.
The agonizing screams stabbed into Gu Xun'er's ears and heart.
"No! I don't want this!"
She clutched her ears and bolted.
Hun Miesheng sneered, raised his hand and pulled her back, then flickered through space and arrived at the edge of an underground abyss.
Scorching air surged forth.
Molten lava bubbled like boiling soup.
"You want to die? Hurry up. Don't waste my time."
"I'll help you along."
He flung Gu Xun'er toward the magma below.
Her cultivation and her Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame had been sealed.
The searing heat scorched every inch of her body.
She was falling straight into the lava—
"I don't want to die!" Gu Xun'er cried out with all her might, face contorted in despair.
Hun Miesheng chuckled softly, caught her, and tore through space again to toss her back into the dungeon.
Gu Xun'er landed on the floor, stunned and blank, clearly traumatized.
With a flick, Hun Miesheng turned and walked out, leaving only his back behind.
"If you ever want to die again, come find me."
"I guarantee your satisfaction."
Jie jie jie jie...
His laughter echoed throughout the dungeon.
Gu Xun'er hugged her knees tightly. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Monster… devil..."
…
Hun Miesheng returned to the ghostfire furnace.
He reached out, and with a snap, shattered a chain. A weak soul body landed in his palm.
"Hall Master, please spare me! I beg you!"
Hun Miesheng's gaze turned cold.
"Great Heavenly Venerate, I'll only ask you one question."
"Ask anything! I'll tell you everything I know—just please let me live!" The Great Heavenly Venerate's soul was extremely weak.
"You're in no position to bargain."
"Tell me, how did you know I was injured in the Sea of Undead?"
"It was my master, Elder Huntuo!"
"Huntuo?" Hun Miesheng frowned, his expression turning colder.
His soul power, at peak Heaven Realm, surged out and invaded the soul.
"Ah—!"
…
After half a cup of tea's time, Hun Miesheng walked out of the torture chamber with a grim face and returned to the main hall.
He tapped his finger on the armrest of the throne, brow furrowed.
He rubbed his temples.
"Power. I still need more power."
"But at this rate, villain points are building too slowly." He looked silently at his remaining ten thousand points.
Ding. System tip: Villain points don't necessarily have to be earned by the host directly.
"Huh?"
"What's that mean?" Hun Miesheng froze.
System notice: Host can form a Villain Contract with qualified individuals.
70% of the villain points they earn will be transferred to the host.
"WTF!"
"Why didn't you say that earlier?! This is like building a downline!"
He could form tons of contracts and let others commit villainous acts—he'd gain points without lifting a finger!
"Gui Lao!"
"Summon all enforcers and officers in the Hall immediately!"
Hun Miesheng grinned. As long as he found compatible people and had them do the dirty work, the points would come flooding in.
Moments later.
Hundreds of mid- and high-level enforcers and officers stood before him.
No one knew what was happening. Hun Miesheng didn't explain either. He used the Main God Boundary Stele to compare each person one by one.
"Not compatible."
"Not compatible."
"Still not compatible."
…
Hun Miesheng's face gradually darkened.
Not even Gui Lao qualified!
Ding. System notice: To form a contract, three conditions must be met.
"What three conditions?"
First chapter of the day complete.
(End of Chapter)