Chapter 394: Demonic Seeds of the Dao Heart (2)
While Sun Yan remained silent, the adjacent Red Devil commented, "Who knows whether this monkey secretly let the children go out of kindness or for self-preservation? If he gave some sort of token to these two youngsters to lure the Wolf God, wouldn't that spell trouble for us?"
"For the sake of prudence, I gave him a beating to make him aware of his position and help him snap out of it… I believe it wasn't excessive, right?"
The Red Devil grinned and looked at Xie Yunniang, saying, "Or is it that Yunniang is feeling sorry for this lad, seeing him covered in bruises from my beating?"
Xie Yunniang gave it a cold glance and said, "I merely wanted to remind you not to forget our agreement!"
After saying that, she no longer cast her gaze upon the detestable Red Devil and the frail young man, and elegantly departed with a sweep of her sleeve.
By the roaring campfire, the Red Devil gazed at Xie Yunniang's departure before turning his head to the feeble young man with a wicked smirk.
"Boy, this time even your sweetheart isn't protecting you, are you afraid?"
The frail young man looked coldly at it, locking eyes with the imposing monster, exhibiting no trace of fear whatsoever.
Observing the young man's reaction, the Red Devil clicked his tongue and remarked, "This little brat, full of youthful vigor, lacks respect for his elders… Are all disciples of Hanyu Mountain so discourteous?"
"However, today your esteemed grandfather, the Red Devil, is in a good mood and will not quibble with you."
Speaking thus, the Red Devil used his massive foot to nudge the two huddled children at his feet, remarking, "These two little ones have tender skin and flesh, surely making for a delectably succulent steamed dish… Hmm, however, I have been indulging in too many young ones lately and have grown weary of the taste. I shall spare these two little rascals."
The Red Devil looked at Sun Yan and chuckled, "Boy, you wish to save them, don't you? Well then, the esteemed Grandpa Red Devil shall give you a choice."
"According to the rules, these two little brats would die if they dared to escape. However, considering your face, I will grant them a chance to live."
"You may kill one of the little brats, and I will allow the other one to live. Moreover, not only today but also in the days to come, he will be permitted to live."
"Even for tomorrow's grand feast on New Year's Eve, I assure you that the little brat who survives will not be harmed. You can keep this little one by your side, nurturing them… How about that? Isn't your esteemed grandpa Red Devil kind and treating you well? You should be thankful for having such a good master. If it wasn't for your formidable master scaring us, I would have swallowed you alive long ago."
The Red Devil chuckled and with a single kick, pushed the two huddled children towards the frail youth. Smiling mischievously, he said, "Alright, it's your turn to choose. Kill one, save one… Which one will you choose to live and which one to die?"
The children in front of the frail youth were a sibling pair of similar age.
Presently, the younger brother cowered fearfully in his sister's embrace, trembling uncontrollably. Meanwhile, the mere eight-year-old sister, too, was quivering all over and had a pallor on her face.
They looked at the youth in front of them with terror, so frightened that they couldn't even utter a single word.
However, the fear and longing for life in the eyes of the sibling pair were clearly reflected in the young man's gaze.
At this moment, Sun Yan's expression appeared somewhat perplexed.
Previously, he had merely observed the siblings' desire to escape when the negligent Red Devil who was supposed to be guarding him happened to doze off. Upon witnessing this, he felt compelled to lend a hand to the sibling pair.
In such a village teeming with living souls, letting two children go free would not attract the attention of the malevolent spirits.
However, Sun Yan didn't anticipate that right after he had sent the two children away, the sneering Red Devil suddenly appeared amidst the snowy landscape, beyond the concealment spell cast by the malevolent spirits at the village entrance.
According to the rules set by the malevolent spirits upon entering the village, anyone daring to escape without authorization shall be executed on the spot!
The siblings, who had already suffered the same fate as their parents, were now on the verge of following in their footsteps, but is there a glimmer of hope now?
However, this glimmer of hope is truly just that - a single thread, only allowing one to survive…
Sun Yan stood dazed in the snowy landscape, gazing blankly at the huddled siblings before him, as if frozen by the chilling embrace of winter.
For him, who was accustomed to playful antics within the mountains, this was the first time encountering such a situation.
This utterly despairing and helpless situation…
A peculiar silence lingered, extending for quite some time. It was not until snow had gathered on Sun Yan's head and shoulders that the nearby Red Demon chuckled and said, "What's the matter? Don't feel like saving them anymore? After half a day of silence, are you planning to abandon these two children?"
"If you continue to remain silent, I will have no choice but to follow the rules and simply kill these two brats… When that happens, you won't be able to save a single one of them. Don't regret it," Red Demon said as he produced a slaughter sword, similar to the one used to butcher the New Year pig in the village, and aimed it at the huddled siblings.
The icy grip of the razor-sharp sword jolted Sun Yan, awakening him from his stupor.
He exclaimed in terror, "Do not kill! I will save them! I will save them!"
With relief flooding over him, Sun Yan finally let out a sigh of relief as he witnessed Red Demon ceasing his murderous intentions.
However, the next moment, that butcher's sword was thrown at Sun Yan's feet. Red Demon's voice, like a lingering malevolent ghost, resounded once again.
"Then go ahead and act… Grandfather Red Demon doesn't have the time to waste with you. If you don't act now, you won't be able to save even one of them!"
The words of Red Demon seemed to possess a bewitching power, captivating one's heart.
The frail young boy instinctively picked up the slaughter sword from the ground and gazed dazedly at the huddled siblings in front of him.
In the sister's eyes, there was a mixture of fear and astonishment.
The younger brother buried his head tightly in his sister's embrace, his body trembling like a sieve.
Sun Yan's throat quivered ever so slightly.
He raised the pig-slaughtering sword, gazing at the siblings before him, and uttered a pained growl from his throat, "Which of you two desires death? Which of you two desires life?"
Sun Yan's pained growl caused the nearby Red Demon to burst into uproarious laughter.
"Do you not even possess the courage to make a choice? Are you passing on the agony of choice to two mere mortal children? Hahaha… Is this the caliber of disciples from Hanyu Mountain? Hahaha…"
The Red Demon burst into laughter, laughing with unmatched delight.
However, Sun Yan's gaze remained icy and sharp, unfaltering even in the face of the Red Demon's furious bellow.
He stared intently at the siblings before him, his gaze unwavering and never once shifting.
This time, aware of the futility of survival, the eight-year-old girl finally closed her eyes in despair and uttered in anguish, "Kill me, let my younger brother live… I beg of you…"
The girl's words, however, caused her younger brother in her arms to pause for a moment.
Then the little boy raised his head and looked at Sun Yan in front of him. He hesitated for a moment and murmured, "Will I live…"
In the eyes of the young boy, a glimmer of joy emerged at that moment.
However, in the next instant, a cold gleam flashed and the young boy's eyes dimmed.
In the splatter of fresh blood, Sun Yan, with a cold expression, held a blood-dripping slaughter sword in his right hand. With a roughness, he forcefully pulled the lifeless body of the young boy from the girl's embrace and ruthlessly slammed it towards the nearby Red Devil.
In a cold voice, he said, "As you wish! I choose this child to die! The other one will live!"
