The sound of bones fracturing echoed, followed by the sickening crunch of internal organs rupturing. Even the faint, grisly sounds of grinding teeth and sucking blood reverberated in his ears...
For some reason, he suddenly recalled a deep melody he had heard somewhere before.
So gentle, so peaceful.
Perhaps, today was a good day to die.
He numbly closed his eyes.
The Crow Tengu met its death.
「. . .」
When the roaring finally subsided, the screams and moans ceased abruptly. The dust and Ashes that had billowed into the air settled with a rustle.
From within the ruins, only a maimed figure slowly emerged.
She was almost falling apart.
Her white dress was riddled with tears, one eye was blind, both arms were broken, and one lower leg had been crushed to pieces, yet a faint, dazed smile still touched the corners of her mouth.
The ultimate victor appeared before all spectators, yet no cheers or even warm applause sounded in the venue.
There was only silence.
An asphyxiating silence.
In the pervasive chill, the gentle smile on the screen stung everyone's eyes.
As they understood what that seemingly blissful smile truly represented, everyone subconsciously held their breath.
They felt fear.
A chill ran down their spines.
"Incredible..."
Di Ting let out a sigh, unsure whether it was out of awe or amazement. "Is this what they call a genius?"
In front of the television, an old man holding a protein shake lowered his eyes indifferently.
A genius? Perhaps.
Perhaps the Talent she possessed had already surpassed the realm of common understanding... But this overwhelmingly vast Talent, was it a blessing from Fate or a Curse?
In the silence, only the ringing of a phone could be heard.
The name Zhu Hongchen appeared on the screen.
The old man calmly answered, "I've seen it."
"..."
After a long silence, a weary voice came from the other end of the line, "I'm sorry."
"There's nothing to be sorry about. It's nobody's fault," Luo Lao said indifferently. "You've just been misinterpreting her nature all along and still held onto the hope that she could return to a human life."
"..."
Zhu Hongchen remained silent. After a long while, he said, "I'll handle it."
"This is beyond your scope to handle, nor is it your concern," Luo Lao shook his head. "Don't worry, I can handle it."
"Is there no other way?"
"None."
The old man asked, "Other than killing her, how else could she be set free?"
"..."
In the prolonged silence, the call disconnected.
The old man put down the phone, leaned back in his chair, and stared at the smiling face on the screen. After a while, he closed his eyes. Is it really... inevitable?
He chuckled softly.
Was he proud of the evil fruit he himself had sown, or was he mocking his own past naivety?
Twenty years ago, when he realized his path had reached its end, he quickly accepted an outcome that might have been a Thunderbolt from a clear sky to others.
So calm it frightened him.
Beyond that... he had merely made a wish.
He wished for someone to inherit all he had, hoped for someone to surpass him, hoped for someone who would outshine the teacher.
Later, he met a woman in Hell.
Two years after that, he opened the door and saw a swaddled infant on the steps.
From that day on, he knew his wish had come true.
The infant who appeared at his doorstep grew strong and quickly. Even though he was not adept at raising children, she tenaciously survived his rough methods of upbringing. Then, she revealed an unbelievably incredible Talent.
He himself had once been ecstatic at the emergence of this Talent.
When did he first realize just how abnormal this Talent was?