Chapter Forty-Six: Helplessness!

Purple lightning surged across the ground, rushing forward before coming to a gentle halt right beside Yufan’s chest and back, as if awaiting a command from the Soul Fiend. Carrying a tray, the Soul Fiend walked step by small step toward Yufan, then lightly lifted a leg, stepped onto Yufan’s head, and slowly crouched down.

"Little brat, will you speak or not?" the Soul Fiend said. "If you don't, today you shall die without a place to be buried."

"Alright! I'll speak. Let them go, and I'll take you there!" Yufan replied, a hint of playful provocation lacing his words.

"Really?" asked the Soul Fiend.

"Why would I lie to you? Please lift your foot, you're about to crush me to death," Yufan said with a deadpan expression.

Hearing this, the corners of the Soul Fiend's mouth curled into a cold sneer. He slowly lifted that immensely heavy foot away from Yufan's head, though he did not move it entirely aside; instead, he hovered it in mid-air, as if it could descend again at any moment.

His eyes, resembling bottomless black holes, stared straight into Yufan's, revealing a trace of amusement and scrutiny.

Taking advantage of the moment, Yufan drew in a deep breath of the damp, cold air. His chest rose and fell with a barely perceptible tremor, yet his gaze remained exceptionally steady.

"Just a moment ago, you said you wouldn't talk even if it killed you. Why are you talking now? I find it very hard to believe you." The Soul Fiend's voice was low and magnetic, every single word sounding like a threat squeezed out from between his teeth, carrying an unquestionable chill. His suspended foot swayed slightly, as though it could transform into a fatal blade and plummet at any second.

Fine beads of sweat seeped out onto Yufan's forehead, blending indistinguishably with the humid, chilling air around him. He raised his head, locking eyes with the bottomless abyss of the Soul Fiend's gaze without the slightest retreat.

"Because I know that even if I stubbornly refuse to speak, you will only use even crueler methods on me and my companions. And I am willing to take a gamble—trading my life for a glimmer of survival for them."

Though soft, Yufan's voice was remarkably clear. Every word sounded like an oath bursting forth from the depths of his soul, firm and resolute.

An undeniable determination flickered in Yufan's eyes. He straightened his back; although his body still trembled slightly from the earlier crushing weight, the courage to lay down his life for his companions made him appear remarkably towering.

It was as if he were making a silent promise: "I will take you there! Let them go—that is my only condition."

In the night wind, the fine, icy strands of rain seemed to yield to his resolve at this very moment, and the surrounding clamor and unease appeared to come to a standstill.

The Soul Fiend gazed into Yufan's determined eyes. After a brief silence, he slowly lowered his suspended foot, heavily planting it back onto the ground and sending out ripples of invisible force.

The vessels on the tray rattled slightly from the impact, sounding exceptionally clear in the quiet night.

The Soul Fiend's gaze was as sharp as a falcon's, sweeping back and forth between Yufan and the two bound companions before finally resting back on Yufan. His tone carried unquestionable authority: "Don't try any tricks on me! Every subtle movement of yours escapes not my eyes."

With that, he flicked his fingertips, and a faint wave of soul energy quietly dissipated. The wooden vines binding the two companions seemed to sense something, beginning to writhe slowly—not releasing them immediately, but gradually loosening at a delicate pace.

Moonlight pierced through the dense clouds, casting mottled shadows upon the rain-soaked earth, adding an eerie silver glow to the tense confrontation.

A flash of hope sparked in the eyes of the two companions, yet they dared not let down their guard even a fraction, fearing this sudden change might merely be another deeper trap.

***

The night grew deeper still, the fine rain weaving like a textile as it gently patted every inch of earth. The Soul Fiend's voice echoed through the curtain of rain, carrying unquestionable power.

"Within two days, the wooden vines binding those two will naturally untie!" With those words, his figure shifted slightly, seeming to melt into the night and leaving behind only a faint afterimage.

Yufan watched the silhouette gradually vanish into the darkness, a complex storm of emotions churning in his chest.

The Soul Fiend slowly raised his left hand, his fingertips lightly touching the void as if invisible forces were surging.

As his arm slowly lifted, the thorny wooden vines tightly binding Yufan across the ground began to writhe once more, as though imbued with life.

The vines interlaced with one another, their dagger-like thorns glinting coldly under the moonlight. Yet under the Soul Fiend's manipulation, they gradually softened, the barbs slowly retracting back into the vine stems until they vanished completely.

Feeling the constraints loosen, Yufan's body gave a slight shudder before being lifted gently into mid-air by that invisible force.

He looked down at his own body, seeing that the once tightly coiled vines had now become soft and docile, resembling a tamed behemoth devoid of any threat.

Yufan's garments fluttered softly in the breeze, the soaked fabric clinging tightly to his skin and outlining his resilient silhouette.

At last, Yufan's feet touched the muddy ground firmly, every step appearing exceptionally heavy.

He looked up at the Soul Fiend. The other man's profound eyes still flickered with an elusive glow, his left hand slowly lowering without completely releasing the invisible control over the spellbound vines.

Around Yufan's body, those seemingly docile vines still clung tightly, though no longer sharp or piercing; instead, they wrapped around him in a bizarre posture, like creepers in an ancient forest—both binding and protecting him.

Under the moonlight, Yufan's figure was drawn long, intertwining with the twisted wooden vines around him to paint a bizarre picture.

He tested moving his arm slightly, feeling that though the vines had not been entirely removed, they no longer imprisoned him with their former severity.

Every slight movement tugged at the surrounding air, making even breathing feel heavy and laborious.

Several faint yet striking wounds on Yufan's face appeared and disappeared in the moonlight, fresh blood slowly trickling down his resolute jawline to drip onto the muddy ground, instantly diluted by the rain into an unnoticeable pale red.

Rain and blood intertwined, sketching the contour of his unyielding spirit.

His gaze remained sharp, as though those few wounds were merely badges of his heroic resistance.

Yufan clenched his teeth as the wind blew gently, caressing the blood on his face. Every passing moment felt thoroughly resolute and enduring. Though his movements were slight, they exuded a formidable sense of strength, as if proclaiming his defiance to the endless darkness.

The fine rain continued to fall, yet it could no longer diminish the burning flame within his eyes—a flame representing a yearning for freedom and a steadfast defense of his companions' safety.

***

Yufan drew in a deep breath of the damp, cold air, his rising and falling chest revealing an unquestionable resolution. He strode forward, the mud beneath his feet seeming to sense his determination and ceasing to drag him down, making every step appear exceptionally firm.

In the night wind, his figure flickered amidst the interweaving moonlight and rain strands, resembling an envoy walking between the netherworld and the light.

"Lead the way!" His voice was low and powerful, every word erupting from his chest cavity with unquestionable authority.

That pair of resolute eyes stared straight ahead; even though the path ahead remained unknown and fraught with danger, it failed to shake him in the slightest.

Yufan turned his head and said, "Senior Sister, Xingchenzi, if you don't wish to wait for me, you can leave. There's no need to wait. If I die, remember to burn some incense for me."

Yufan's words echoed in the chilling air, carrying a trace of subtle bitterness and resolution.

He slowly turned around, rain and tears mingling on his cheeks to blur his vision, though they could not blur the steadfastness in his eyes.

His two companions, Senior Sister and Xingchenzi, stood not far away, their eyes filled with complex emotions—worry, reluctance to part, and a hint of helplessness.

Senior Sister's eye rims were slightly red. She gently bit her lower lip, as if wanting to say something, only to be choked back by a lump in her throat.

She stepped forward, wishing to approach Yufan, but an invisible force pulled her to a halt, leaving her with no choice but to watch him helplessly.

Xingchenzi clenched his fists tightly, anger and unwillingness flashing in his eyes. He understood all too well what Yufan's decision meant, yet he also knew that any attempt to persuade him otherwise at this moment would merely make him a burden.

The burly man revealed only half his face in the night, his gaze as sharp as a falcon's.

Abruptly, he thrust out his left hand, his broad palm appearing capable of swallowing all obstacles. This sudden thrust, carrying an irresistible force, instantly shoved Yufan toward the muddy ground.

Yufan's body carved an arc through the air as mud splattered everywhere, the damp, cold sensation instantly engulfing his entire body.

Yet, Yufan refused to yield. He lashed out with his legs, the muddy earth seeming to serve as leverage for his counterattack. His leg muscles tensed like a coiled spring awaiting release.

The instant he hit the ground, he used the momentum to roll, absorbing most of the impact before adjusting his posture with astonishing speed. Bending and extending his legs, he steadily braced his body and slowly rose to his feet.