The dim light struggled to penetrate the layers of gloom around the wellhead, falling on Li Fagui and revealing a ghastly bloody color.
The protruding steel bar, like a fang from hell, mercilessly pierced his body. Blood gushed out, quickly staining his clothes red and dripping onto the well wall, forming shocking blood flowers.
Li Fagui's eyes were wide open, filled with terror and resentment. His lips trembled slightly, but he didn't even have time to cry for help before his life vanished like sand through an hourglass.
Meanwhile, the man dragging him along was still basking in the smug satisfaction of completing his mission, occasionally glancing back foolishly as if seeking praise, and grinning at the person behind him.
But the smile froze on his face in an instant. When his gaze fell on Li Fagui's pale, lifeless face and the river of blood flowing beneath him, he was completely dumbfounded, his legs went weak, and he almost collapsed to the ground.
"Did you bring the person?"
A deep, authoritative voice broke the brief silence. The one who asked the question was the man called the minister. He was tall and imposing, dressed in black, exuding a chilling aura. His narrow eyes were slightly narrowed, revealing impatience.
"Minister, we brought it. And it's still alive!"
The man stammered in response, a hint of awkwardness still lingering on his face as he tried to mask his inner turmoil.
No sooner had he finished speaking than reality slapped him hard in the face. Li Fagui lost too much blood, his head lolled to the side, and he became completely still. He died.
Everyone was stunned, exchanging bewildered glances, their faces filled with astonishment and fear.
Zhuque stared wide-eyed at Li Fagui's corpse on the ground, his hands trembling involuntarily, his lips quivering: "Minister, if... if the higher-ups find out that you threw... Old Li and his family into the sinkhole, then..." The rest of his words were choked by fear, he dared not think any further, his back already soaked with cold sweat.
The minister frowned, a shadow crossing his face. After a long silence, he sighed heavily, his voice seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth: "Fine, throw him into the sinkhole!" His tone left no room for doubt, carrying a resolute determination.
"Minister, please don't!" Zhuque knelt down with a thud, clasped her hands together and pleaded desperately, cold sweat pouring down her forehead. "Old Li's identity is special, and the higher-ups have always attached great importance to him. If this gets out, we'll all be in deep trouble!"
The minister seemed not to hear, saying, "The people are all dead, what difference does one more make?" He bent down and personally carried Li Fagui's already cold body, striding towards the sinkhole.
His steps were steady, but the white knuckles of his fingers gripping the corpse revealed his inner turmoil.
As he reached the edge of the sinkhole, a fierce wind howled, like the roar of a demon, causing his clothes to flutter loudly.
He looked down into the bottomless sinkhole, a flash of red light in his eyes. The light was fleeting, but it revealed a ruthless determination to die for his cause.
"I'll take responsibility for everything," he said in a low voice, and with a wave of his arm, Li Fagu's body plummeted into the endless darkness like a kite with a broken string.
The wind howled, as if mourning this tragedy; everyone fell silent, no one daring to utter another word, only anxiously speculating about the impending storm.
The sweltering heat of August had not yet dissipated, and the muggy wind swirled through the streets and alleys, as if holding back a great deal of energy.
Amidst the sweltering heat, Ma Lihua was gripped by wave after wave of excruciating pain. It felt as if countless steel knives were churning inside her stomach, causing her back to bend from the pain. Cold sweat poured down her face like rain, and her entire face instantly lost all color, turning ashen white.
Shangguan Wenyan was extremely anxious. His usually steady hands trembled slightly as he scooped her up in his arms and hurried towards the best hospital, his steps creating a whistling sound.
Ma Lihua nestled in his arms, her breath faint, and she managed a low moan of pain through her teeth: "Ah...it hurts so much!"
Every word was torn to pieces by the pain. She was filled with remorse and secretly vowed never to suffer the pain of childbirth again in this life. A mortal body had to endure such torment. Her soul felt as if it was being ripped apart, and she was numb with pain.
The hospital corridor was instantly filled with a tense atmosphere, with medical staff hurrying along and carts creaking.
"Quick, get her to the delivery room!" the doctor shouted, breaking the noise. Ma Lihua was quickly placed on a stretcher and pushed through the door that determined life and death.
Under the glaring operating lights, Ma Lihua nearly fainted, her body convulsing uncontrollably, and blood gushed out like an out-of-control torrent, quickly staining large areas of the bed sheet red.
The doctor's eyes widened, his hands trembling as he pressed on the wound to stop the bleeding, his voice trembling: "Oh no, massive bleeding. Go ask the family whether they want a large or small hemorrhage." These words were like a heavy hammer blow, plunging the operating room into a deathly silence.
The nurse hurried towards the waiting area, her eyes red-rimmed, her heart filled with reluctance.
Upon hearing the purpose of the visit, Shangguan Wenyan's expression turned cold, and he uttered two words without hesitation: "Protect the child."
The nurse froze, stunned, and looked up at him with disbelief and hatred.
He gritted his teeth and ran back to the operating room to report to the head doctor: "Director, they said they'd save the baby, and I've already signed the consent form."
Her words were filled with deep dissatisfaction and bitterness. She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms, and tears welled up in her eyes. She simply couldn't understand how anyone could so easily abandon the safety of a pregnant woman and be so cold-hearted in the face of a life-or-death decision.
Outside the operating room, Shangguan Wenyan clenched his fists, veins bulging on his forehead, his gaze fixed on the tightly closed door.
He appeared resolute, but in reality, he was tormented, feeling as if he were being fried in oil every second. However, the situation forced him to take a desperate gamble, hoping to hear a faint cry from inside.
Ma Lihua's body was special; even if the baby couldn't be saved, she wouldn't survive. The hemorrhage was unstoppable, despite the excellent medical conditions.
She gave birth after five hours of labor, but she never woke up.
The atmosphere in the delivery room was somber. She was wheeled out covered with a white sheet, and passersby peeked at her, some even with fear.
Women who were about to give birth also became afraid, and for a time, the obstetrics and gynecology department was shrouded in a gloom.
Shangguan Wenyan held the baby in his arms. It was a healthy baby girl with a red lotus birthmark on her forehead. She looked very healthy and was sleeping soundly.
"Shangguan Wenyan, let me go! I will not let you go once I return to the God Realm! Let me go!"
Ma Lihua never expected that her soul would be enveloped in a layer of golden light as soon as it emerged, and then she would arrive at Shangguan Wenyan's sea of consciousness.
Not only was the place desolate, but a small black dragon kept sticking to her body, which annoyed her to no end.
“Pear Blossom, this world no longer has a vessel for you. If we release you, natural disasters could strike at any moment, and this world would be destroyed by the backlash of your divine power. Is this the outcome you want to see?”
Shangguan Wenyan knew how to handle her. When a god has emotions and desires, he has to consider many things. He was full of confidence.
"What does that have to do with me? As long as my Ma family is protected, what do I care about the lives of those other people?"
Shangguan Wenyan was humiliated in an instant.
Something seems off about Lihua's thinking. What went wrong?
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