Ethereal World: Vicious Cannon Fodder's Immortality Road - Chapter 837

Chapter 837: Master, Who Tortured You?
She didn’t even turn her head; their fates had long been sealed.

“Master, are you feeling any better?” As the others coerced twenty individuals to yield their treasures and inflicted suffering upon them, she moved closer to Xiong Zi Ying, with Zhizhi following her. Her master had been unnervingly silent since she and her companions arrived.

Sensing his need for a private moment, she conjured a barrier that separated them from the chaos outside, leaving the rest to her partners.

Zhizhi acknowledged her with a nod before returning to Huan Huan’s side, where they continued to compel the captives to relinquish their valuables. Sometimes, killing wasn’t the harshest punishment; allowing someone to live with the weight of losing everything they cherished was an even greater torment.

“Xiao Yueyue, I’m deeply ashamed. As your master, I brought you pain because of my conflict with the Shenlian clan. I mistook you for just another pawn in my vendetta against them. Even after I changed my perspective and no longer wished to use you as a weapon against the Shenlians, the shame of having such terrible thoughts about you still plagues me.” Xiong Zi Ying’s voice trembled as he bowed his head, hesitant to touch her, as if fearing his presence might tarnish her purity.

Xiong Yi Chen, momentarily surfacing from within Xiong Zi Ying, spoke with a voice laced with remorse. “I apologize for the way I’ve treated you. Once I have avenged my loved ones, I promise to make amends for all the wrongs I’ve imposed upon you.”

Both Xiong Zi Ying and Xiong Yi Chen had envisioned numerous scenarios for the day they confronted the descendants of the Shenlian clan in her presence. Would she turn her back on them, aligning with her bloodline? After all, she bore the same heritage as her father from that clan. Who would stand alongside outsiders to harm their own kin?

Yet today, they were proven wrong. She stood resolutely beside them without hesitation, defending them fiercely. Today, she and her companions wielded the strength to safeguard them. They understood that, even against seemingly insurmountable foes in the future, she would repeatedly choose to protect them.

“Master, how many times must I remind you? You have shown me nothing but kindness from the very beginning. Your heartfelt sincerity is genuine. As for the grievances with my father and the Shenlian clan, let me handle it. When I find my father, we will uncover the truth together. Didn’t you always teach me that appearances can be deceiving?” She grasped his hands firmly, lending her strength to keep him from collapsing.

Her master looked frail, and she couldn’t fathom what these people had done to him. His beautiful scales were marred, blood seeping from the wounds where scales had been lost. Fresh scars crisscrossed his back, stark reminders of past torment.

Her eyes burned with a fierce combination of fury, rage, and concern.

“I believe in you, Xiao Yueyue. I will stand by you until you find your father… Just… please forgive me and my brother.” Xiong Zi Ying vowed, a promise he never thought he would make to the child of his adversary.

In that moment, the girl in front of him took a place in his heart that no one else could ever replace.

This time, Xiong Yi Chen seemed to harbor no denial.

“Master, please be honest with me if you seek my forgiveness,” she said, her grip tightening on his arms as her intense gaze pierced through his pale pink eyes.

“What is it, Xiao Yueyue?” Xiong Zi Ying felt a knot of anxiety form in his stomach under her penetrating stare.

“Who hurt you? These scars on your skin tell tales of torment, as if numerous people used you for their violent games, like a punching bag. And these exquisite wrists of yours—there’s a bruise, a remnant of heavy chains that must have once bound you. As for your snake tail, it’s as if someone mercilessly ripped out your scales, leaving you to bleed and heal on your own. And your hair—who dared to cut it? It’s so much shorter than the last time I saw you. You cherished your hair deeply; Fen Fen adored it too, didn’t you? Who inflicted all of this upon you?” Her eyes glimmered with an ominous red light.

Each word she spoke drained color from Xiong Zi Ying’s face yet filled his eyes with unshed tears. Was this what it felt like to be cared for and loved? She noticed every scar of his suffering. He enveloped her in his arms, pulling her close to his strong chest, as if she were the very essence of his existence.

How could he experience such joy amidst the cruelty and chaos of his life? How could he ever consider himself worthy of her after all that he had done to her? In comparison to what she had selflessly extended to him, he felt inadequate.

“What’s this look in your eyes, Master? Do you think you’re unworthy of me? That can’t be true! You are the greatest master in existence. Those who have hurt you, and manipulate from the shadows, will pay for their actions,” she declared, emitting an oppressive aura that pressed heavily against the twenty people who dared to glare at them with venomous hatred.

“Shen Xian wouldn’t stoop to such barbaric tactics; he disdains such filth, no matter how much he despises me. Your suffering stems from them, doesn’t it, Master?” Her gaze shifted to the twenty trembling figures outside the barrier.

Xiong Zi Ying remained silent, holding her closer, seeking solace in her warmth. After a long silence, he finally replied: “Xiao Yueyue, I accept your kindness. But my enemies are also from your clan and those in power above. I cannot permit you to endanger yourself because of me. I shall confront this on my own.”

“Aren’t your loved ones’ lives in their grasp?” she suddenly countered.

Xiong Zi Ying was taken aback. He had forgotten that crucial point.

“If you retaliate against them, they will retaliate against your loved ones, and their anger will be taken out on those imprisoned in that cold cell. Master, please trust me. Let me resolve this for you, just this once. May I?” She caressed his face gently, soothing his restless heart and calming the turmoil that threatened to drown him. She recognized the red glow in his eyes that surfaced when anger consumed him.

Taking a deep breath, Xiong Zi Ying felt the warmth of her care washing over him; slowly, tranquility returned to his being.