CHAPTER 10: The Curse’s Bond

Zhiyun?!' The trio thought in unison as they recognized the boy.

He stood silently beside a tree, his head lowered, his expression obscured in the dim light.

"Who's that?" the leader asked Bao, narrowing his eyes.

Bao smirked and waved dismissively. "Just a slave from the Wu Family, boss. Nothing to worry about."

The men visibly relaxed at Bao's words, some even smirking as they turned their attention to Zhiyun.

"This kid ruined our fun."

"Yeah, let's teach him a lesson!"

Three hooded men stalked toward Zhiyun like predators, their weapons glinting faintly in the shadows.

The leader, however, didn't share their confidence. His eyes lingered on the boy, a trace of unease flickering in his gaze.

'Something's off,' he thought. 'How could a mere kid sneak past my senses and get so close?'

He extended his spiritual sense toward Zhiyun, probing his cultivation level.

'Qi Condensation Level 5? Hmph, nothing special,' he concluded, brushing off his suspicions.

"Zhiyun! Run and get help!" Enshi shouted, his hoarse voice strained as he forced the words out. Blood seeped from his cracked lips, his head pressed mercilessly into the dirt beneath a hooded man's boot.

"If he can even run," the hooded man mocked with a cruel laugh, grinding his foot harder against Enshi's skull.

Enshi looked up through the dirt and blood, his gaze locking onto Zhiyun. The boy hadn't moved an inch. The hooded men were mere steps away, their sneers growing as they closed the distance.

'Run, Zhiyun! What are you doing?!' Enshi's thoughts screamed in desperation. But his plea faltered when Zhiyun raised his head, his eyes meeting Enshi's.

Zhiyun's lips curved into a chilling smile, a smile Enshi had never seen before. It wasn't the smile of a frightened boy or even a bold one. It was cold, detached, and brimming with malice.

Goosebumps prickled across Enshi's skin as they stared at each other for what felt like an eternity, though it lasted only a heartbeat.

The unsettling moment was broken when one of the approaching men talked.

"You little rat! Do you have a death wish?" the man snarled, grabbing Zhiyun by the collar and lifting him off the ground.

Zhiyun didn't struggle. His body hung limp, completely unfazed, his head tilting back slightly as a cold, unsettling smile spread across his lips.

The first hooded man stepped closer, annoyed by Zhiyun's lack of reaction. "Hey, I'm talking to you! Move, or I'll break your—"

Before the man could finish, Zhiyun's hand shot out like a viper. A faint, ominous flicker of energy coated his palm as he gripped the man's wrist.

Crack!

The sharp sound of bones snapping echoed in the air. The man screamed in agony, clutching his limp wrist as he stumbled back.

"What the—!" another hooded figure exclaimed, lunging toward Zhiyun in fury.

Zhiyun's head tilted slightly, his cold gaze now piercing through the man. With a simple twist of his body, Zhiyun sidestepped the attack and struck the man's neck with the edge of his hand. The man collapsed to the ground, dead, before anyone could react.

The third man hesitated, his confidence faltering as he saw his companions incapacitated within seconds. "Y-you brat!" he yelled, pulling out a dagger and charging at Zhiyun.

Zhiyun's smirk widened. As the blade came dangerously close to his chest, he moved with inhuman speed, catching the dagger's blade with two fingers. The metallic clang of steel meeting flesh rang out, but to everyone's shock, Zhiyun's hand didn't bleed.

With an almost casual flick of his wrist, Zhiyun twisted the dagger out of the man's hand and plunged it into the attacker's neck. The man screamed and collapsed to the ground, bathing at his own blood.

The other hooded men, including Bao, stared in disbelief.

"Boss, this kid—he's no ordinary brat!" one of the men shouted in panic.

The leader's eyes narrowed as he reevaluated Zhiyun. The boy still stood calmly, his cold eyes never wavering, his hands loosely by his sides.

"Who… are you?" the leader asked, his voice laced with caution.

Zhiyun slowly raised his head, his gaze locking onto the leader with a chilling intensity. His voice, calm yet dripping with malice, sent shivers down everyone's spine.

"I am nothing more than a servant" Zhiyun scoffed.

The forest fell silent. The tension in the air thickened as the leader clenched his fists, his instincts screaming that this boy was far more dangerous than he appeared.

"Kill him!" the leader barked, snapping his remaining men out of their stupor.

The two hooded men rushed toward Zhiyun including the one restraining Enshi at once, their weapons drawn, their murderous intent visible.

But Zhiyun didn't move. He simply stood there, his smirk deepening as a sinister, oppressive aura began to radiate from his body. The faint glow of demonic energy swirled around him like a dark flame.

In that moment, Enshi and the siblings felt it — an overwhelming sense of dread. This wasn't the same Zhiyun they had known. This was someone, or something, entirely different.

Something terrifying.

Zhiyun's cold eyes followed the two men advancing toward him. Both were at the peak of Qi Transformation a decent level, but hardly a concern to him. His focus shifted beyond them, settling on the true threat: the man standing near the young Miss

A Radiant Core cultivator.

His mind wandered back to the events of the past two days, where he had been forced to play a reluctant savior

————-

Flashback

Zhiyun stood motionless, his sharp eyes fixed on the temple engulfed in roaring flames. Smoke billowed into the air, and the crackling fire illuminated the surrounding forest with an eerie glow. Despite the chaos, his expression remained calm, almost indifferent, as though he were watching a trivial event unfold.

It had been two days since he arrived at the location the mercenaries had mentioned before their deaths. For forty-eight hours, he had remained in the shadows, silently observing the area, experimenting with the restrictions of the strange curse that bound him to the siblings.

Initially, Zhiyun had hoped there might be a loophole, some way to circumvent the contract's demands. If there's a path to avoid following these ridiculous conditions, why shouldn't I take it? However, the longer he tested its boundaries, the more evident it became: there was no breaking it.

Annoyance flickered in his usually composed demeanor. His experiments had yielded some notable discoveries, but they only served to confirm how tight the curse's grip truly was.

The first limitation was painfully clear—he could not kill the siblings or cause any serious harm.

On the first day of his arrival, Zhiyun decided to test this by throwing a small pebble at the younger boy. The stone hit the boy's back with a soft thud but caused no significant damage. No curse reaction. Encouraged by the absence of pain, Zhiyun pushed further, releasing a faint thread of killing intent directly at the boy.

The reaction was immediate.

Pain exploded in Zhiyun's chest like a thousand needles piercing his heart. He staggered, clutching his chest as his vision blurred, the curse's cruel grip searing through him. It was as if his very soul was being punished for his defiance.

Through this, he came to a cold conclusion: he could not kill or endanger the siblings, but the curse seemed lenient about minor injuries or discomfort.

"As long as it doesn't threaten their lives, I can still make them suffer a little," Zhiyun muttered under his breath, a faint smirk creeping onto his face as his mind entertained the idea of toying with the limits.

The second restriction was even more frustrating.

Not only was he forbidden from causing harm, but he was also obligated to ensure their safety.

Any situation that put the siblings in danger whether he was physically present or not triggered the curse's excruciating punishment.

This became undeniable as he stood now, watching the temple burn. A group of hooded men prowled through the flames, their intentions clear as they moved to capture the siblings.

The moment Zhiyun sensed the danger, the familiar stabbing pain exploded in his chest, forcing him to intervene.

Grumbling under his breath, he had no choice but to assist from the shadows, manipulating events to allow the siblings to escape unnoticed. Only when they were safe did the pain finally subside, leaving Zhiyun seething with irritation.

'So, I can't let them die, either,' he thought grimly, his sharp mind piecing together the curse's conditions.

'No matter how far, no matter how indirect if they're in danger, I'm forced to intervene.'

It was an infuriating realization. The Demonic Emperor, once feared by all, reduced to a glorified nanny.

Shifting his gaze from the escaping siblings, his eyes settled on a group of six hooded figures standing near the burning temple ruins.

Five of them were Core Transformation cultivators at their peak. However, the sixth figure stood out. His aura was overwhelming, suffused with a confidence that came only from immense power.

"A Radiant Core cultivator," Zhiyun murmured to himself, narrowing his eyes as he assessed the group. His gaze lingered on the leader, sharp and calculating.

Before Zhiyun could further analyze the situation, the Radiant Core cultivator's head snapped toward him, his piercing gaze scanning the area with precision. Despite the hundred-meter distance between them, the man had sensed his presence, locking onto the faint trace of killing intent Zhiyun had yet to fully suppress.

Zhiyun's lips curled into a smirk. "Impressive. That one's bad news," he muttered, retreating further into the shadows. He made a silent decision to remain hidden, continuing to observe both the hooded group and the siblings from a safe distance.

He wasn't ready to confront them just yet. For now, patience was his ally.

End of Flashback