Chapter 134
In ancient times, there was a cruel technique called "animal creation." It referred to human traffickers who abducted children and then used inhumane methods to turn them into animals, selling them to theaters and claiming that the animals could write, sing, dance, and speak human language, in order to attract attention and swindle money from others.
This story first appeared in Pu Songling's *Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio*, and is also recorded in his anonymous folk tales.
[...The kidnapper throws delicious bait at children, making them lose their minds and follow him away. When they go to a deserted place, he cuts out their tongues, rendering them unable to speak. He then boils their skin in boiling water and oil, and covers it with the hides and scales of livestock. Once the flesh and blood heal, they become human and animal.]
As the play began, the crippled man laughed, the animals cried, the guests cheered, and the relatives wept.
Xie Xubai was able to react quickly because he had seen a similar report by chance when he was in college, and there were comments explaining to everyone what animal husbandry and animal mutilation are.
The incident occurred during the Republican era. The perpetrator was arrested and executed, but the public reaction and impact of this inhumane murder case were enormous at the time and have not been forgotten to this day.
The next second, Xie Xubai couldn't continue recalling.
A burly man took out a bear skin, and two others came out to boil water in a pot. Then, a third man followed the steps and walked menacingly toward the room where the children were being held. Ignoring the children's cries, he unlocked the door and roughly dragged one of the children out.
The "empty and numb" child came to life, staring wide-eyed at the outstretched hand, suddenly screaming and struggling frantically.
A hoarse cry instantly echoed throughout the yard as the child's knees and arms fell to the ground, leaving bruises.
He called out "father" and "mother," or sometimes he was so scared that he talked nonsense, calling out "uncle" and "aunt," calling out the names of everyone he had ever known.
But no one answered.
Everyone just watched, indifferent, silent, and indifferent.
The man with the mustache stroked his beard, scrutinized the child from head to toe like he was measuring pork at a market, then turned to the people in the yard and demanded, "How have you been taking care of him? He's gotten so thin!"
It wasn't that he hadn't lost his conscience; it was just that the man with the mustache shook his head and said unhappily the next moment, "If one of them is too weak to survive, bring out a few more."
Then thugs went to arrest people again.
The charcoal under the pot was smoking in the raging fire, and soon the water was boiled, bubbling and steaming.
The first child chosen was pressed tightly against the pot, tears of terror welling in their eyes as they frantically shook their heads: "No! Let me go! Please! Mother, save me—"
The thug lifted the boiling water, about to pour it out, when suddenly a sharp shout rang out from the doorway: "Stop!"
The crowd erupted in uproar!
"Ninth Young Master!"
All eyes turned to the source of the sound; it was Xie Xubai, the unexpected child.
The child stretched out one arm, pressing it against the boy Lü Jiu's chest, while his other hand, shaped like an eagle's claw, pressed firmly against Lü Jiu's throat. He had taken Lü Jiu hostage right in front of so many people!
That little face, covered in mud and grime, now had sharp, sword-like eyes. Where was the timidity and confusion from before? It stared intently at the man with the mustache, as if confronting him.
Caught off guard, Lü Jiu grabbed Xie Xubai's arm and tried to break free.
But the child had extraordinary arm strength and struck decisively without holding back. In less than two seconds, he began to kick his legs, struggling to breathe, and turned his gaze to his side: "You, you...!"
Xie Xubai's calm gaze swept over him, causing the startled and angry Lü Jiu to pause abruptly.
The next second, the child's calm voice rang in Lü Jiu's ears: "Say it again, I told you all to stop."
Using ruthlessness to counter ruthlessness is quite effective, or perhaps no one expected that such a young child not only knew how to disguise himself, but also had the decisive and ruthless aura to intimidate everyone.
Seeing that Lü Jiu's eyes were rolling back and he was about to faint, the man with the mustache quickly made a gesture, signaling the thugs who were about to approach to stop.
The man with the mustache didn't speak for a moment, but scrutinized Xie Xubai with a chilling gaze before asking in a seemingly kind tone, "Good boy, what do you want? Tell me your request."
Her magnificent and expensive fox fur coat, her carefully cultivated manners and demeanor, her pampered ruthlessness, and her nonchalant attitude when demanding people from the man with the mustache.
Although he didn't know the boy's relationship with this group, Xie Xubai judged from the above points that the boy's status in this group should not be low.
He carefully considered his words before speaking bluntly: "Get me a car; I want to take these children with me."
Upon hearing this, the children's tearful eyes lit up, but then the man with the mustache suddenly burst into laughter, as if he had said something ridiculous: "No, no, if you take them all away, won't I be at a loss? This deal won't work."
When negotiations reach this point, there's usually a lot of haggling involved, and there's always room for negotiation.
But Lü Jiu in his arms suddenly stopped struggling.
Xie Xubai sensed something was amiss and glanced down. He saw the boy with his eyes half-open, seemingly still a little bit conscious, mouthing something to him.
--Fool.
Those pale lips trembled slightly, as if a bitter smile was about to appear.
Xie Xubai stared at Lü Jiu's cold, lifeless eyes, and an ominous premonition suddenly erupted within him. He looked up and saw the mustachioed man who had just been about to discuss things with him. He smiled and raised his hand to the burly men: "Alright, stop delaying things and continue."
The burly man, holding a bowl of boiling water and a blood-dripping bearskin, what could he possibly do? Xie Xubai's pupils dilated sharply, and he shouted sternly, "Are you out of your mind? Don't you want him dead?"
The man with the mustache stroked his beard, his expression carrying an unfathomable chill, and laughed nonchalantly: "Kid, have you ever killed anyone?"
Xie Xubai's heart skipped a beat.
As if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head, he suddenly realized why the mustachioed man's attitude had changed so drastically, and why the boy had silently mocked him as a fool.
It was all because of the condition he had just proposed: to take these children with him.
From Xie Xubai's perspective, even if he manages to escape on his own, it would take a lot of time to find someone to come back and rescue him.
If he cannot take the children with him, then there is no doubt that these ruthless criminals will still choose to harm the children after he escapes.
This kind of torture results in either death or maiming. Once harm is caused, it takes a life, casts a lifelong shadow on a person, and completely destroys a family. There is no way to make amends or take any remedy.
Xie Xubai couldn't afford to gamble; he had no other choice.
But the man with the mustache in front of him was different from the bad people Xie Xubai had encountered before. He was more thoroughly evil, without any conscience, cunning and cruel, and extremely scheming. The moment Xie Xubai opened his mouth, Xie Xubai could see his kindness and compassion at a glance.
Since they can't let go of these children, they might as well kill Lü Jiu and burn their bridges.
The man with the mustache smiled at Xie Xubai: "You're very smart, so smart that I've even developed a fondness for your talent. If I weren't planning to retire after this job, I might even be happy to take you on as an apprentice."
"What a pity."
The moment those three words were uttered, it was as if a heavy hammer had fallen from the sky, and boiling water had poured out of a pot.
Lu Jiu was thrown away with great force, coughing and clutching his throat. As if possessed, he pushed away the thugs who rushed up to help him.
"Get out of the way!"
Seeing Xie Xubai abandon him and rush towards the child's location, he seemed both panicked and shocked, and subconsciously shouted.
"Idiot, come back here! Are you looking for death?!"
It's too late.
The moment Xie Xubai saw the boiling water being poured in front of the child, he knew that there was too little time, and even if he ran until his legs gave out, he wouldn't be able to stop it in time.
His mind simply went blank.
The thugs surrounded him, trying to subdue him. Xie Xubai didn't have time to look or pay attention. By the time he realized what was happening, he had already taken a leap and stretched out one hand.
Time seemed to stretch on endlessly, and the expressions of the man with the mustache and the others were sluggish and slow.
The child looked up, his bewildered and desperate gaze piercing Xie Xubai's wide-open fingers like a barrage of arrows.
—Give me a little more time, just a little.
No, no, no!
Just as the boiling water was about to touch the child, Xie Xubai finally couldn't help but use his mental power.
A dazzling golden light shot out from his palm, like a shooting star, and enveloped the child's head.
The next second, because he used his mental power, the entire space began to shake violently under the impact of the force, teetering on the verge of collapse, and a chaotic crackling sound of electricity rang out.
In the courtyard, the mustachioed gang, the helpless children, the old, dilapidated house—everything Xie Xubai could see was like a shattered television screen, pieces of which were slowly falling off, revealing the large red curtain behind them.
The singing was melodious and moving, and the stage was filled with the sounds of gongs and drums.
Xie Xubai was once again confronted with a group of faces painted with greasepaint, their lips slicked back with lipstick, holding a moon lute and a gong, smiling at him with strange excitement.
That was the accompaniment band that played music on stage before the play started, and they remained in the same position.
It turns out that he had remained in his seat at the Hongyin Theater the entire time, watching the play.
But was it really just a play?
Xie Xubai's chest heaved, he clenched his fingers, sat up, and looked at the stage.
The stage, which originally housed only the beautiful woman, was suddenly filled with a huge crowd of people, including the fat man who had previously begged Xie Xubai for mercy.
Xie Xubai suddenly noticed something, and his gaze flickered.
The fat man's attire had changed; he was no longer dressed as a theater waiter. He wore a white jacket and a brocade robe over a long gown, along with black cotton trousers—clearly the same look he had when he was still in that dilapidated courtyard.
Looking around the fat man, there was a group of pale-faced theater staff. But when they put on white coats and black robes, they were clearly the thugs who aided and abetted the evildoers!
Everyone's faces became clear—except for the children and the man with the mustache, almost everyone else was present, and their numbers matched up.
Only the boy known as "Ninth Young Master" was different. He stood quietly with his back to Xie Xubai, dressed in a red robe, isolated from others, all alone, as if trying to blend into the red curtain of the theater. His expression and face were not visible, and he was still the size of a young boy.
Was it all an illusion just now, or did this group of people suddenly go on stage and put on a show that made the audience feel like they were there?
wrong.
Xie Xubai stared intently at the fat man's face and noticed that the man was unusually nervous, his lips were trembling, and his forehead was covered in cold sweat.
Seemingly feeling guilty under Xie Xubai's gaze, the fat man almost collapsed to the ground, his legs giving way. He finally couldn't help but shriek and demand, "Lü Jiu, you stupid idiot who'd be kicked by a donkey, how—how dare you let him watch this show!!"
What's so scary about fictional dramas that people wouldn't dare watch?
Unless the play is not fiction, but exposes one's past sins, things that actually happened.
Xie Xubai propped himself up on the chair and stood up, a buzzing sound blaring in his ears.
He didn't see those children on stage... What would have happened to them in the original true story?
At that moment, Xie Xubai's spiritual energy lingered in the air, as if it had caught something. A jumble of sounds rose from his mind, all mixed together.
He vaguely heard people screaming, many people, many voices, men, women, young and old, screaming hoarsely, dying with their eyes wide open.
"Kill them...!" "Kill them!" "It hurts, it hurts so much, ahhhhhh—" "Make them pay with their lives!"
Xie Xubai gasped for breath, almost losing his balance, when suddenly a hand supported him.
Xie Xubai suddenly turned his head and was met with a half-mask. Beneath the mask, a pair of narrow, almond-shaped eyes gazed at him quietly.
Numerous emotions surged forth like a tide, only to vanish in an instant with the wind.
The beauty chuckled softly, but no one knew that he swallowed hard, swallowing the bitter taste that spread across his tongue. His laughter was melodious and captivating as he slowly sang, "You villain, your deeds deserve a thousand cuts—"
The show is not over yet.
"The world is governed by cause and effect, and retribution is inevitable. How can we tolerate the wicked going unpunished while the innocent die in sorrow?"
The gongs and drums sounded, the scene was bustling, and the spotlight above the stage suddenly shone on Xie Xubai and his companion, creating a lively atmosphere.
The beauty stepped back, standing in the dim shadows, and continued to clap her hands and sing to Xie Xubai, who stood alone in the light: "My esteemed guest, you are the most honored guest today, so please give your opinion—"
"Is he sentenced to be banished to the eighteenth level of hell, never to be reincarnated?"
"Should we break his limbs and bones, grind them to dust, and send them to the spirit of the dead?"
The fat man suddenly realized what was happening and cried out in panic, "No, we can't let him comment on the play!"
"Stop him!!"
Just as they couldn't get close to Xie Xubai's seat, they couldn't leave the stage until Xie Xubai judged how the play should end.
Now that things have come to this, the rights of onlookers are finally clear.
Watching a play can immerse you in it, and commenting on it can determine the fate of the characters.
If the play is well-crafted, only showcasing its own hardships and difficulties to the outside world, some viewers might feel pity and change the ending for it.
But the fat men never expected that Lu Jiu would not only fail to seize this opportunity to change their fate, but would also tear off everyone's fig leaves and drag them down to hell even at the cost of mutual destruction!
The situation has reversed both on and off screen.
Originally, Xie Xubai, who had been turned into a child, was being held captive and his life was in danger. Now, he had become a group of fat men who knew they couldn't stop it, and they were crying and begging Xie Xubai to spare their lives on the stage.
Countless gazes converged on Xie Xubai, filled with both fervent expectation and fearful dread.
With everyone watching intently, Xie Xubai finally made his move.
But she raised her calm eyes, turned her head, and said to Xie Kaile on the second floor, "Lele, call the police."
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Author's Note:
I'm updating once every three days now, gradually switching to every other day, and striving to return to daily updates soon.
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