Revenge

Tylem was still standing at the array Emily had placed for him.

However, an odd look was on his face.

"Where are you going?"

Rising up, the ball of light had darted toward the distant corpses.

From its appearance, it was obviously very excited.

[I should follow it.]

Something within him pushed Tylem to do so.

Chasing after the ball of light, Tylem's eyes enlarged.

The ball of light was sweeping over the tens of corpses, growing at an alarming rate visible to the human eye. If it was previously the size of an apple, it was now as large as a watermelon.

Its actions looked very demonic.

"You..." Tylem asked, "Just what are you?"

Hearing this, the ball of light seemed to stop in its place, looking back at the curious youth.

The ball of light was now emitting a faint crimson color.

Then, out of the blue, the ball of light flew toward Tylem's heart.

Confused, Tylem instinctively dodged, the ball of light missing him.

When the ball of light saw Tylem evading itself, it became down spirited.

The two of them were evidently on the same boat, so why was Tylem avoiding a comrade?

"What are you trying to say?" Tylem was watching the ball of light 'jump' up and down, seemingly in an attempt to communicate with him.

The ball of light motioned toward his heart, and Tylem impulsively held his chest as a result.

"My heart?"

Tylem tightened his grip on the shirt.

The first thought that budded in Tylem's mind was obvious.

Cancer.

By cultivating, would he be able to avoid his predestined fate?

Tylem wasn't certain, cultivating on the qi-depleted Earth without proper guidance nor resources was far too difficult.

Weeks had passed, and he still was unable to ascend to the second stage of the Qi Building realm.

In the end, was he unable to avoid this cursed tragedy?

"I can't die."

The quivering body clenched both fists. Since his reincarnation, he had been trying to suppress the worries about the incurable cancer that would haunt him in the future. Now, he was unable to get the chilling thought out of his mind.

What if it couldn't be cured?

In just a few moments, Tylem felt a myriad of emotions, starting from a creature's innate fear of death.

Even though cultivators lived on the narrow border between life and death, all of them still feared crossing that thin line.

He couldn't die here. He had, at long last, found his place in the world.

The thought of being alone again made Tylem fearful.

"I think I understand what you're trying to say." Tylem looked at the ball of light. "To survive... we need to work together?"

The ball of light flew up and down in excitement, expressing its agreement.

"But can I trust you?" Tylem examined the ball of light.

This was the mysterious lifeform that had brought him into the cultivation world, giving him the chance of a lifetime.

Seemingly, their current relationship was some sort of mutual give and take; nothing was free in this world.

When the ball of light heard this, it stopped in place as if trying to understand Tylem's words.

Tylem never took his eyes off from the ball of light, forgetting to even blink.

"Don't think that I'm an idiot who you can hide things from."

"Whatever you are, I've been getting rather suspicious of you..." Tylem's eyes shone with a low glow. "Recently, it seems that I've been having thoughts that are quite unlike me."

Looking at the ball of light, he couldn't help but suspect it. It was too mysterious, its abilities unknown.

In truth, the thoughts were there in Tylem since the very start, but it had just never been so strong before the ball of light's intervention.

"I'm willing to cooperate, but if you think that you can get me to do your bidding, I will get rid of you in an instant."

Despite saying this, Tylem wasn't even sure if he could get rid of this mysterious lifeform.

The ball of light didn't move at all, giving Tylem the greatest attention possible.

Even though Tylem was just a child in its eyes, it did not underestimate him in the slightest.

The genius child noticing its subtle interference did nothing but strengthen this thought.

It had not attached itself to Tylem for no reason, after all. This link had saved both of their lives.

Seeing the peerless light in Tylem's eyes, the ball of light began to lower itself.

From the looks of things, Tylem's buried talent was beginning to blossom—the reason the ball of light had attached itself to such a tragic boy in the first place. Following this child, its future opportunities would be boundless.

It could not afford to ruin their relationship here. The two of them needed each other.

"Come." Tylem extended a hand, his palm open.

Like a pet greeting its master, the ball of light obediently sat on Tylem's palm.

Tylem's eyes softened at this sight. For now, it seemed that their relationship would not bring him any trouble.

In the end, despite the lifeform being a possible danger, Tylem was grateful to the ball of light. Without it, his future would be dim.

If it had never been a part of his life, Tylem would be able to do nothing but await his tragic fate.

Meanwhile, the ball of light seemed to understand Tylem's thoughts as it rubbed itself against the child's hand. It would do its best to not disappoint this wise child who knew how important it was to repay debts. Being with him for so long, the child's deep emotions had become a big part of its own composition. It, too, also hoped for a better future for the both of them.

Turning in the direction his mother was in, Tylem looked on with interest.

"Let's go." Tylem thought. "I want to see Keith's pain first hand."

* * *

"Wa-what, Father? Is that you?" Keith was deep asleep when Everett dragged him out of his bed.

"Unfilial child, who did you offend?!" With one powerful slap, Everett smacked Keith across the face.

"Father?!" Keith was in disbelief, his eyes fuming in rage.

Keith was still in a bitter mood from before, and being woken up in the middle of the night added to the unpleasantness in his heart.

Furthermore, this was the first time his father had ever hit him.

When Everett saw his son's desire to fight back against him, his rage soared many levels.

"Bastard, you want to fight back against your father?" This time, Everett sent Keith spiraling to the floor, leaving a deep-red mark on his son's handsome face.

Brushing his cheek, Keith saw the bright blood.

"This..." Shaking, Keith's face paled. "I'm bleeding?"

"Old man, have you gone crazy?"

Seeing the blood on Keith's cheek, Everett felt guilty. This was the first time he had ever seen his precious son bleed.

Raising him as a single parent, Everett had given Keith everything he had ever asked for, and he had always been an impressive child.

[Fuck... why is all of this happening?]

Everett was fuming, but more than anything else, he was fearful for their future.

It was at this moment that Keith noticed the two figures that loomed at his door.

For some reason, the masked woman standing at Kane's side chilled his heart.

"Who... are you?" Keith questioned, his eyes confused.

"You don't need to know that." Emily's voice was sharp, sending further chills down Keith's spine.

Switching her attention to the trembling Lin Family head, Emily smiled, "Your name is Everett, correct?"

"Then... Everett, I have a little task I want you to do for me."

"What is that... Madam?" Everett was unwilling, but the fear of death had enslaved him.

"Oh, it's nothing much." Emily responded in a casual manner. "I just want you to cut off your son's right arm."

"W-what?" Everett stuttered, and at the same time, the masked woman threw him a long samurai sword that appeared out of seemingly nowhere.

"You heard me." Emily giggled in a sinister manner. "You have three seconds."

This giggle was more demonic than that of the devil.

"Wait, Father?" Keith was unable to follow the sudden turn of events. "What's going on?"

"Don't tell me you're going to listen to this crazy bitch?!"

Everett heard his son's anxious calls, but the voice of Emily counting down was much greater in his ears.

"I..." Everett slowly picked up the sword. "Son, I'm sorry... Father is helpless here."

"You're kidding, right?" Keith screamed. "Father?!"

Since birth, his father had been an unbeatable hero in Keith's eyes, someone who was high above the masses.

Now, he was at the mercy of a mere woman, doing her bidding like a servant.

"Forgive me." Everett's eyes shone with a merciless light. "I will bring you to the best doctor."

"Please... father, no—stop!" Keith screamed and begged, but it was all for naught.

In one swift motion, Keith's dominant arm came flying off.

The nauseating smell of blood flooded the bedroom.

The deep-red blood came gushing out like a never-ending waterfall. Keith's face was covered in snot and tears.

There was no trace of that noble, perfect young master in sight. The grand Onel leader, who was admired by the masses, was nowhere to be seen.

Keith, at that moment, understood that even if he managed to live, he would never be the same again.

The grief in his heart made him weep tears of blood.

Who would admire him after he had become a worthless cripple?

Distressed, Keith rolled around on the floor like a newborn baby who yearned for his mother.

In the room, the main source of noise was Keith's endless screams; he sounded worse than a dying goat in the slaughterhouse.

"Well done." Emily cackled like a crazy lady.

"Then... is that enough, Madam?" Everett looked at Emily, his face of anguish begging.

"Enough?" Emily faced Everett like he was some clown. "Don't joke, please."

"It wasn't funny." Emily smiled as she picked up Keith's detached arm.

With this arm, Emily placed herself in front of Keith, who was down on the floor.

"Child, you're far too arrogant."

"Just because you have some power, you think you can play with the lives of others however you want?"

"You have no one to blame but yourself for landing the entire Lin Family in this predicament."

Keith's mind was a mess, and he could just about hear Emily's soft voice.

Weren't... these words very familiar?

Even while Keith was dying, his amazing memory remained intact.

. . .

"Who do you think are?" Tylem mocked. "You think that, just because you have some status, you can lord over others however you want?"

. . .

Recalling Tylem's words from back then, Keith had an inkling of realization.

"Are you—"

Nevertheless, Keith's voice was cut short.

Emily's hand moved so fast that not even Kane was able to see it coming.

In a flash, Keith's tongue was ripped out.

Glancing at the frozen Everett, Emily laughed as she threw the man Keith's detached arm.

"Hey, Everett." Emily giggled. "Please beat your son to death with this please."

"T-this still wasn't enough?" Everett was losing his mind, but he still gripped Keith's detached arm tightly. "What do you need to be satisfied...?"

"Satisfied?" Emily's eyes narrowed. "Nothing you do will ever make me satisfied."

[You raised the trash son who hurt my daughter and toyed with her life. For that, you all must die in the worst way possible.]

"Please... just tell us what we did wrong." Everett dropped to his knees, and at the same time, Kane also followed his master.

Everett, himself, was bleeding profusely from the ear, but he kept his mind sane in hopes of a comeback.

In the room, the current main source of noise was Keith flailing around, unable to even cry out.

"You want to know that bad?" Emily snickered.

"Please..." Everett pleaded, lowering his head.

It was a grand feat to make the domineering Lin Family head willingly lower his head.

"What's the point in knowing?"

This interrupting voice had not come from the masked woman. It was the sound of a boy.

Surprised, Everett lifted his chin. This was a brand-new voice he had never heard before.

"People like you who have lived at the top since the beginning would never understand."

The masked Tylem walked through the open door, leaning on the wall.

"It's you?!" This was in the minds of both Kane and Keith.

Keith, however, was of course unable to speak.

Suddenly, Tylem's figure distorted, appearing in front of the scarred Kane.

Of course, Tylem had not forgotten about the dying boy, but he planned to save him, the main course, for last.

Tylem wished to take his sweet time with Keith, the boy who toyed with Lynne's life.

He rejoiced at Keith's current agony.

"Bastard, I still need to pay you back for what you did."

"Looking down on us, how can someone like you, a lapdog for these trash, speak to me like that?"

Kane was in shock at how fast the youth moved.

Leaving Kane no chance to react, Tylem slammed the scarred man's face into the wall of cement.

[Honey, I told you to stay still.] Emily inwardly sighed. [Doing the dirty work is the job of an adult.]

Warming up his wrist, Tylem grinned.

Angered, Kane still managed to pick himself up shortly after as he rubbed his bloodied brows.

It was one thing for this masked woman to take him down as she was likely the famed Winter's Edge leader.

It was not shameful to lose to such an amazing person.

But how dare this mere child have the gall to challenge him like this?

Kane, as a respected underworld boss himself, was unable to take it lying down.

Charging at Tylem, he went for the boy's thin neck.

It was a Brazilian kick that was amazingly executed with a surprising downward tilt from high up.

Even if the person in front of him was an elite champion boxer with amazing reflexes, that person would not be escaping him today.

"..." Emily watched, ready to step in.

"Hmph." Tylem, like an agile fox, ducked beneath the kick with ease.

Then, while Kane was open, Tylem punched the man's abdomen.

"Bam!"

Kane was easily over a hundred kilograms, but he was still sent flying regardless.

Finally, Everett also managed to realize who this strong masked child was. [The student who had defeated Keith.]

Tylem Dusk.

Now, everything was coming together in Everett's mind—the reason all this madness had occurred.

It was because Keith had offended this mysterious student, and to their bad luck, Tylem had an incredible backing.

Winter's Edge. Eying the masked woman, Everett was certain that no one else in Beijing possessed such great might.

Tylem, the mysterious transfer student, was backed by Winter's Edge, the undisputed ruler of Beijing's underworld.

"Furthermore... Lynne had addressed Tylem as brother."

The person who Keith had threatened to kill.

Everett's face darkened, realizing there was no chance to earn their forgiveness tonight.

"You... brat." Kane clenched his gut as he raised his face, a gun instantly appearing in his hand.

Seeing Kane's finger that was sliding down on the trigger, Tylem pushed every fiber in his body to its maximum potential.

Tylem felt like he was burning up, and for the first time, he felt like he was moving far too slowly.

With his keen senses, he could discern that his hand was moving too slow compared to the minimal time Kane needed to pull the trigger.

[I need to improve more.]

The bullet flew toward his brain. Tylem had now confirmed that he could not beat gun experts.

Previously, it was just speculation, but he was certain now.

Regardless, faced with the prospect of death, Tylem's heart couldn't help but tremble.

Coupled with the array, Emily had assured him that he would be safe as long as she was here, but in front of a bullet, humans became nervous by instinct.

"That's enough." Emily stood in front of Tylem, repelling the bullet.

For the rest of his life, Tylem would never be able to forget this moment.

Right now, Tylem stared at his mother's steady back, which seemed like it could take on the entire world for him.

"For doing that, you will be the one to die first in this room." Emily observed Kane's frightened face as a swiping sound took over the room.

"Thud." Everett and Keith saw their strongest worker's head slide off his body, making contact with the cold, hard floor.

The scar-faced man had been loyal to them from beginning to end, even after he had become someone special with a great status. It was something worthy of admiration.

Kane's incredulous face still showed doubt and unwillingness even at death.