Chapter 13

From his sleeve, Zhao Yang retrieved a small bottle containing five pills. He uncorked the bottle and poured all five pills into his hand. Signaling for Jing to approach, Zhao Yang planned to ensure the PM's son couldn't resist. Compared to the inexperienced boy, Jing was a seasoned fighter. She effortlessly restrained the boy's arms with one hand, while her free hand held his chin, forcing his mouth open. Squatting in front of the trembling figure, Zhao Yang spoke in a low voice.

"I pity you, so I'll spare your life... But don't think it will be easy," Zhao Yang whispered, his gaze shifting between the pills and the boy, his smirk ever-present. Holding five differently colored pills, he inserted them one by one into the boy's mouth, ensuring they were swallowed. Then, he explained the effects of each pill, instilling terror in the boy's heart.

"The red pill will prevent you from ever cultivating again. The blue one will render you mute. The green one will cripple you. The yellow one will keep you from dying, and of course, my favorite—the black one—is poison. It acts slowly, so don't worry, you won't die too quickly. Every day, for the rest of your life, you'll experience excruciating pain until old age finally claims you. Isn't it fun? It took me quite some time to concoct these pills. Do you realize how difficult it was? Aren't you going to thank me?" Zhao Yang taunted, looking at the boy with utter ridicule.

Jing and the others couldn't help but tremble as they listened to Zhao Yang's words. The request for gratitude for creating such malevolent pills sent shivers down their spines. Their young master truly embodied evil, surpassing even the most wicked of beings. Zhao Yang then handed a larger bottle containing white pills to one of the guards, instructing him to administer them to the other child. He then turned his attention back to the boy, fetching a water container and forcibly making him drink it.

The pills given to the boy wouldn't take effect unless they were consumed with a special type of water infused with various herbs. As the pills began to take effect, the boy's body started convulsing violently. Overwhelmed by the pain, he eventually lost consciousness. The pills consumed by the other children caused them to lose half their powers and erased their memory of the events that transpired. After making the campsite appear as if it had been attacked by bandits, the group departed as though they had no involvement. Before leaving, Zhao Yang didn't forget to leave a black handkerchief with a single red rose at the scene. After all, if they wanted it to appear as a bandit attack, they had to play the role convincingly.

The following morning, a commotion erupted in the mansion's front hall. Zhao Yang, still dressed in his nightgown, nonchalantly walked out of his room and made his way to the front hall. Without bothering to knock, he entered the hall where approximately twenty people stood before his grandfather, who wore a worried expression. Zhao Yang approached his grandfather and took a seat beside him.

The individuals at the lower ranks couldn't help but give a disapproving glance to the young boy who had entered without changing his clothes or knocking. One of them even voiced their displeasure.

"Doesn't the young master of the Zhao family have any respect for his elders? Not only did you not change out of your nightgown, but you also entered without knocking. To make matters worse, you didn't even greet us elders and simply sat down. Such disrespect," the elderly man expressed with evident disapproval. Hearing these words, Zhao Yang couldn't help but smirk.

"And who are you to demand that I greet you? Even my grandfather doesn't complain when I don't greet him. Do you think you're more important than him? Moreover, this is my house, and I do as I please. If you're unhappy about it, the door is right there. You can leave," Zhao Yang coldly retorted, his voice laced with disdain. The elderly man grew furious and was about to respond when a middle-aged man signalled him to hold his tongue.

"Speak. What is it that you need from me?" Zhao Ai interjected, uninterested in prolonging the drama with these family heads. The middle-aged man who had previously intervened stepped forward and greeted Zhao Ai.

"General Zhao, yesterday my son, along with a few other children, went camping. Unfortunately, they encountered a horrifying incident. They were attacked by powerful individuals, and as a result, my son was left crippled. I request that the General dispatch some people to investigate," the Prime Minister spoke, his tone filled with desperation.

Smirking at the thought of what he had done to the Prime Minister's son, Zhao Yang couldn't help but let out a snicker. Unluckily for him, his laughter was heard by everyone in the room, and the men below shot him dirty looks.

"Please forgive my rudeness, but what does my grandfather have to do with this? Shouldn't you all be seeking the Minister of Justice's assistance for an investigation? Why should my grandfather help you? When I was attacked by bandits, did any of you come to investigate?" Zhao Yang questioned, his gaze sweeping across the room. Silence hung in the air until one of the men stepped forward and spoke. It was once again the Prime Minister who responded.

"Second young master, it is true that we should have come to your aid when you were injured. However, we are all very busy individuals. Furthermore, the Minister of Justice would merely imprison the culprits, but we desire their death," the Prime Minister replied truthfully.

"It appears that you all want my grandfather to do your dirty work. But ask yourselves, are you worthy enough for that? Unless you want to antagonize the Zhao family, I suggest you seek the Ministry of Justice's assistance for this case," Zhao Yang coldly stated, giving a disdainful look to the individuals present. After addressing the matter, Zhao Yang had a private conversation with his grandfather before retiring to his room to continue his cultivation.

In the blink of an eye, a year had passed since he had exacted his revenge. Since then, Zhao Yang's body felt lighter, and his days in the Da continent had been peaceful. Within that year, his sister-in-law had given birth to a beautiful baby boy. The family of five spent their days either working or cherishing their time together. Once Zhao Yang turned 17, he decided to embark on a journey to the Demon Kingdom. However, only his grandfather knew the true reason for his departure. His older brother didn't think much of it, assuming Zhao Yang was merely going out to explore. With the maps he had collected, Zhao Yang was able to locate the Demon Kingdom. Although the distance didn't seem far, he knew that for someone like him, who had no experience in travel, the journey would be long. And he was right—it took him nearly a year to reach the Demon Kingdom.