Yuan's gaze remained locked onto Peter's lifeless body, his eyes devoid of emotion or remorse. The severed head continued to tremble on the ground, the horrific scene painted with the stark contrast of warm blood dripping from Yuan's massive sword, forming a small pool on the earth.
Henry's spine prickled with dread, his entire being shaking in fear as he stared into Yuan's chilling and lifeless eyes. It was as if he was peering directly into the abyss of death itself.
"Y-Y-You K-K-Killed him?... Y-You killed Peter..." Henry's voice quivered, his disbelief and terror manifesting audibly.
Yuan's gaze shifted from the lifeless body to Henry, his voice cold and unyielding, "Yes, are you disappointed by my actions? Don't worry, I will reunite you with him soon enough."
The weight of Yuan's words crashed over Henry, his expression twisting into a mask of horror and panic. His voice wavered as he tried to deny the reality before him, "Y-Y-You must be joking right?... Y-You can't kill me... I'm the future Lord of the Turner family... You can't kill me..."
Internally, Henry's mind raced, frantically seeking a way out of the impending doom. He couldn't fathom dying at the hands of a commoner, no matter the circumstances. Desperation filled his thoughts as he grappled with the terror of death.
However, Yuan's next words shattered his last glimmer of hope, his voice slicing through the air like an icy blade.
"Joking? Do you think I'm jesting here? Are you driven to madness by the fear of death? Believe me, today you shall meet your end!"
Yuan's tone remained unyielding as he continued, "Your servant perished due to his insolence! He dared to utter derogatory words about my Rose. Do you imagine I'd spare his life after such an offense? I shall eliminate anyone who dares cast aspersions on my beloved, be they king or emperor. No one shall escape my retribution."
Henry's face contorted in a mix of panic, regret, and despair. His once haughty demeanor had crumbled, leaving behind a shattered shell of a man. Yuan's merciless words had stripped away his illusion of grandeur, leaving him utterly powerless before the impending doom.
In Yuan's eyes, Henry's transformation was almost poetic justice, a fitting retribution for his audacity. Only an hour ago, Henry had strutted around with confidence, even attempting to charm Yuan's wives.
Now, he cowered in front of Yuan, a trembling figure of helplessness.
To Yuan, this transformation was a satisfying sight. Henry's fear and desperation were a testament to Yuan's power and resolve. He relished in Henry's misery, finding a twisted pleasure in seeing the man who had dared cast improper gazes at his women brought to his knees.
Amidst the turmoil of his emotions, Henry's mind raced. He questioned his ill-fated decision to visit the Monroe family that day. Regret gnawed at him, but he understood that he couldn't alter the past. His only remaining course of action was to beg for his life, to plead with Yuan's merciless heart.
"N-N-No! No, No, you can't kill me! Please let me live, I beg you please let me live..." Henry's voice cracked with desperation, his pleas echoing in the forest, carried away by the wind.
"P-Please! I can do anything for you! Please don't kill me, I don't want to die..." Henry's voice quivered with fear, his words laden with desperation and a glimmer of hope for mercy.
But Yuan paid no heed to Henry's pleas. Instead, he efficiently wiped the blood from his massive sword, cleansing it in an almost casual gesture. The act was a chilling reminder of Yuan's control and detachment in the face of death.
Yuan's voice, cold and unforgiving, shattered Henry's fragile hope, "Let you live? Should you not have considered the consequences before daring to besmirch Rose's name? Your pleas are but empty echoes."
"N-No No! Please don't kill me! I don't want to die yet! I want to live...!" Henry's voice quivered, his eyes wild with terror. He clung desperately to life, unable to accept the imminence of his demise.
Yuan's response was a sinister chuckle, his words cutting through the tension like a blade, "Fear not, your end will be swift and as painless as I deem it, for you have not laid a hand on Rose or my wives... Hahaha."
As if preparing to deliver the final blow, Yuan raised his massive sword with a single hand, his target Henry's exposed neck. Panic surged through Henry, his mind rejecting the idea of his own mortality.
"No No No No... It's not possible! How can I die like this? I don't believe it...!" Henry's voice cracked, disbelief and denial warring within him. The reality of his impending death was too much to bear.
"Believe it or not, that is not my concern. Your death is inevitable. But before you pass into the abyss, allow me to impart one final revelation. Rose is not the sole Monroe sister destined to become my wife. Ava and Julie shall also share that honor, making all three sisters my betrothed." Yuan's words fell like a thunderclap, shattering Henry's comprehension.
The shocking revelation hung in the air, a cruel twist of fate that Henry could never have foreseen.
"No, no, it's a lie, it's a lie. I don't believe it. Aunt Layla won't allow such a thing to happen. You're lying... Who would buy such a word, it's preposterous!" Henry's voice trembled with disbelief and denial.
Marrying all three Monroe sisters seemed inconceivable to him, especially since he was already betrothed to Rose.
'Aunt Layla won't allow such relationships to exist! This bastard must be lying to me, taking advantage of my miserable state...' Henry's mind raced with thoughts of doubt.
From the expression Henry was making, Yuan guessed that Henry didn't believe in his word. But that wasn't his problem if he believed him or not.
'I don't care if you believe it or not, I've said what I wanted to say. It's up to you to decide whether it's true or not...' Yuan thought inwardly.
At this point, Yuan only wanted to end this quickly and return to the Monroe family manor. Nearly 20 minutes had elapsed since he left, and he was certain that Rose must be worrying about his whereabouts.
'Let's finish him quickly and call it a day. Rose must be quite worried about me at this point, not knowing where I am.' Yuan thought inwardly.
He had wasted too much time engaging in a pointless conversation with Henry, and he didn't want to squander any more time on an idiot like him.
"I hope you find redemption in your next life. Pursuing Rose was not your fault, but since Rose doesn't like you and is now my girlfriend, I can't let you live after you humiliated Rose by calling her a 'bitch'..." Yuan said to Henry in a low voice, his tone carrying a mix of pity and resolve. With a swift motion, Yuan swung his sword, aiming at Henry's neck.
"N-No I—" Henry was about to say something.
But before he could finish his sentence, it was too late. The sword had already reached his neck, slicing through it. Blood sprayed from the severed neck, staining the ground a dark, gruesome red.
Henry's head rolled onto the ground, his lifeless body collapsing in a violent tremor before finally stilling.
Regret filled the fading light in Henry's eyes, the weight of his ill-fated actions sinking in. Offending Yuan and insulting Rose had sealed his tragic fate.
Yuan's gaze lingered on the scene before him for a moment, contemplating the consequences of Henry's choices.
A minute later, Yuan murmured, "If the two of you hadn't offended me, this situation wouldn't have befallen you. Your luck is truly pathetic for offending me and insulting Rose."
Naturally, if Henry and his servant hadn't crossed paths with Yuan and insulted Rose, this gruesome ending could have been averted, and they might still be alive.
[You've embraced the essence of a true cultivator, Host! I'm delighted to witness your transformation. A cultivator never falters, even if mountains stand in their way. They carve a new path through the obstacles.] Nora's voice broke the silence, surprising Yuan with its sudden reappearance.
'Nora spoke? Why now, after days of silence?' Yuan wondered, baffled by the unexpected communication.
He contemplated Nora's motivation for remaining silent and her sudden decision to speak again, a mystery that eluded his understanding.
In recent days, Yuan had been preoccupied with his wives, leaving little room to ponder Nora's silence. Now, faced with her resurfacing voice, he couldn't help but question the reasons behind it.
"Did I unknowingly offend you, Nora? Is that why you remained silent for days?" Yuan asked, a tinge of confusion in his voice.
Nora's response dispelled his concerns, assuring him that her silence had been a considerate choice rather than a result of offense.
[No, there's no need for concern. I refrained from speaking because you seemed exhausted after your Wyvern battle, and you've been quite occupied with your wives. I wished to grant you an undisturbed reprieve.] Nora's words carried a sense of understanding and camaraderie, rekindling the connection between them.
"Is that so..." Yuan's relief was palpable upon hearing Nora's explanation.
'So she wasn't upset with me after all. I was overthinking things,' Yuan sighed inwardly, grateful for the clarification.
For Yuan, Nora was more than just a system spirit; she held a significant place in his thoughts. He harbored a desire to interact with her beyond their current confines, but the fact remained that Nora lacked a physical presence.
With Henry and Peter's corpses in tow, Yuan utilized his system's storage function to secure them.
"It's time to depart. I can't let them continue worrying about me," Yuan mumbled to himself, a sense of urgency propelling his actions.
Cleaning his sword in a swift motion, he tossed the blade into the air, leaping onto it with fluid grace. The sword carried him skyward, propelling him back towards Pinebrook village at a moderate pace.
During his return journey, Nora's voice resonated in his mind, inquiring about his decision to bring the corpses along.
[Host, may I ask why you brought their corpses with you? What do you intend to do with them?]
Nora's confusion mirrored Yuan's own, prompting him to elucidate his reasoning for carrying the lifeless bodies back with him.
"Well, I plan to leave their bodies within the village where someone might discover them and inform the Turner family. I want their parents, especially their mothers, to have the chance to see their children's faces one last time after their passing," Yuan explained, his intentions clear.
Nora quickly grasped the sentiment behind Yuan's decision and refrained from further inquiry.
Yuan understood the profound impact of a final farewell, recognizing how his own mothers, Anna and Grave, would feel if denied the chance to see him one last time.
The desire for a mother's love and presence resonated deeply within him, a sentiment he carried from his orphaned past in his previous life.
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