Bring Heaven Down

The time ticked by, and Director Cheng waited for Lai Mingjie at their usual spot. The cakes had been laid out, and Director was having slice by slice. He gazed at his watch again and wondered why his senior was late. He kept on eyeing at the people around them, in case someone would talk about seeing Lai Mingjie or something.

However, a bunch of eyes flew to the door when it opened. Even Director Cheng felt violated and mocked when a human walked in the café. It was a normal scene that would make oblivious humans leave the café. However, the human only stopped at the door and had the audacity to look around. That was the only time when Director Cheng twitched.

"...Xu... Xu Rouguang?" He murmured as he recognized the man that walked in. Xu Rouguang ignored the glares given to him by the patrons and even by the staff. None of them had said anything, and so he didn't leave. He then cast his gaze at the old man. Director Cheng suddenly felt like he would be drenched in cold sweat as the general made his way towards him.

"Director Cheng..."

"M-Mr. Xu... why are you here?" He only squeaked as the man bowed at him. He dared not to make eye contact with anyone else.

"Ah, I... I ran into Director Lai earlier this week. He didn't look good... is he doing fine now?" Xu Rouguang kept his head low, trying to look polite despite blatantly marching to this place. Did he know Lai Mingjie would be there? He then saw the cakes on the table. His eyes flickered in confusion.

"Mr. Xu, please. This is... a member-exclusive café. You can't just venture inside this place." Director Cheng chuckled, patting the arm of the man. "I understand your sentiments, but please rest assured. Director Lai is doing fine."

Of course, he would be asking around. Based from what Lai Mingjie said, he was beaten into a pulp, and Xu Rouguang's coming turned his state upside-down. He felt no pain or any trace of last night's beating. Whatever happened to Lai Mingjie was probably Xu Rouguang's doing, and something experimental perhaps.

Not seeing Lai Mingjie himself, Xu Rouguang only nodded his head and understood that he shouldn't be there. He only excused himself before leaving. He laid a final gaze at Director Cheng before walking out of sight. The old man sighed before leaning at his seat. He kept his eyes on the cake slice and hoped that he wouldn't be kicked out of the café. However, he felt someone was standing next to him.

His eyes lifted from the cake to another candy in front of him. It was a gorgeous female demon who was donned in barmaid attire. She cast her gaze at Director Cheng, and he could see the seething rage coming from the depths of her soul... even the intense fear that hid in it. Her complex emotion made him frown, ignoring the glacial glare she was giving him.

"Louyan... tell me... why was he here? Did you tell him about this place?" The woman spoke with his cold voice. It was like the Easterlies that would freeze everyone who tried to venture into the night.

"I didn't have the time to ask. I had to shoo him—" Louyan was on an old demon, but there were others in this world that was a lot older. Take Emodao for example... and this lady as well.

"Cut the crap, Louyan!" The woman slammed the table with her fist, making the glass and cakes wriggle in place. "You do realize that letting that immortal in here could implicate my café. What are you and Emodao going to do if he suddenly went on a rampage and destroy my shop?"

"Immortal?" The patrons murmured. That was a human... not an immortal... right?

Director Cheng only looked at her before speaking in an apologetic tone, "Empress Botangca, please let me explain. I didn't know how he found this place, but believe me, he's not capable of causing trouble. He doesn't even know what he is..."

Botangca pulled back and eyed at the curious and confused expressions of her patrons. Even her staff had the same faces. Her eyes widened for a moment before sitting down on the seat next to Director Cheng. She then whispered in fear, "Louyan, are we the only ones who knew that was General Xu Rouguang of the first battalion?"

He shook his head. "Empress Botangca, I'm sure you have met the man as he sent your head flying as well. Trust me, he was only a human to everyone else's eyes. Those killed by the man were the only ones who could recognize him."

"Does Emodao know?"

"...yes, in fact, he was looking for him." He then glanced at his watch again. "Jie should be here now, but he's running terribly late. I wonder what happened..."

"I will scratch that shrimp when I see him again." Botangca bit onto her lip before escaping back into the kitchen. She said nothing else... and so did her staff. The patrons could only shrug their shoulders and continue eating.

True to what they feared, Lai Mingjie was being attacked... again. Last Monday, he was beaten up into a pulp; and today, he was receiving more blows again. Perhaps, Lai Mingjie's luck had run out, and he's now taking in all the misfortune. All because he ran into Xu Rouguang if he would blame the general.

Lai Mingjie was left in a fetal position again, with his arms protecting his head. Blood had pooled around him as he kept on receiving lashes one after another. The lash had thorns, and bits and bits of his flesh came along his blood at every whip.

"What's up with this, Little Emodao?! Too scared to fight back now? Where's my feared demon king? Where did he go, huh?!"

"Cowards!" Lai Mingjie roared, but he shielded his face to keep them from ripping his lips apart. His clothes were already soaked in blood, and even the blue scarf had been ripped by the whip. "When I rise again, I will kill all of you! I will bring Heaven down along with your entire bloodline!"

"You will never rise again! You're already dead the moment Xu Rouguang snipped your head off of your body!" Brother Blue laughed out and started kicking the man. "You're just a shell! A worthless shell up for us to play with!"

"How unbecoming."

The noises of the immortals all ceased. They started looking around and found no one else in the vicinity. A woman's voice echoed around them, and it made them all alerted; they felt no other living creature in the area.

Lai Mingjie made use of their distraction to force his broken body to move and run. His back received the most beating and open lacerations, and so he almost ran on all fours in his escape. His legs and arms were also weak, but they had to be moved. He wouldn't die from all of this, but he would be paralyzed in the hospital for the remaining three years—constantly in pain and lightheaded.

However, Brother Blue brandished his whip and lashed at him. Lai Mingjie tripped even at his pitiable stance, but before he hit the floor, his face landed on soft mounds. All of a sudden, a woman had appeared in front of Lai Mingjie and caught him as he fell.

Lai Mingjie didn't see who it was, but his guts only screamed for one name.