Chapter 102: Curse

“Let’s begin, Tie Shu, there’s still time.”

He spoke.

In Biao Nu’s dream, Yun Muchen had already reached this stage, cruelly smiling at her.

Tie Shu appeared out of nowhere.

Biao Nu was bound to the iron tree, its sharp branches slowly growing and gradually merging with her body.

She could feel the iron tree growing vividly, watching helplessly as she grew old and withered in this long solitude, unable to move.

Ten years passed in the blink of an eye, then a hundred, then a thousand.

The iron tree grew extremely slowly, and the process was unbearably long. The prisoner didn’t know how long it lasted; it felt like a few minutes, yet also like several centuries.

The intense pain was secondary; the most terrifying part was that she couldn’t move.

She was trapped here, from youth to old age, and then from old age back to youth.

As someone most unwilling to wither in loneliness, someone who craved glory, wealth, and luxurious indulgence… this solitude was the greatest torment.

“Let me go… please… let me go… I can’t take it…”

Biao Nu’s pleas couldn’t produce a sound; she had already become one with the iron tree.

Loneliness, and endless pain.

She didn’t know which deity had imposed such cruel punishment. At this moment, she was willing to spend the rest of her life praying and repenting, donating all her family’s wealth, just to leave this cursed tree.

But it was futile.

If repentance worked,

then what use was hell?

In this world, not everyone deserves a chance to reform.

Another thousand years passed.

Ten thousand years.

(Harmonious)

Tragically, during this time, she showed no signs of dying. Not dying meant eternal suffering; she was trapped in this endless cycle of seals.

When the torture ended, her mind was blank; her soul was almost erased, and she lost her independent human thought.

Yet, at a wave of Yun Muchen’s hand, her consciousness instantly returned to the moment a thousand years ago, when the torture had just begun.

The resistance she had numbed over time was immediately gone without a trace.

She had to face the game anew.

She begged for unconsciousness but could not get it; she begged for death but was denied. This drove her into extreme rage and madness.

She even saw her muscles rapidly healing.

This sign of recovery plunged her further into despair.

“No no no no—don’t!”

Her tongue grew back; she could speak and beg for mercy, but it brought no relief.

Because the restoration of flesh meant more pain, more torment.

“Fun, isn’t it?” Yun Muchen clapped as he approached. “But don’t worry, we still have many interesting games ahead.”

The fifth game was named: Cheng Luo.

…

Then came Tong Zhu Pao Lao, crawling naked up Dao Shan, crawling across Bing Yuan, frying oneself in You Guo, skinning, crushing under Ju Shi, smashing in Chun Jiu, Wu Ma Fen Shi, dousing eyes and throat with La Jiao Shui, Ling Chi, Ren Zhi, Mo Cheng Rou Jiang, and being sawed in half from between the legs to the head.

After all eighteen games, Biao Nu and Yun Muchen’s gazes were vacant, as if shocked senseless.

“Feeling better?” Kelulu whispered in my ear.

Through the contract resonance linked to my lower abdomen, I could see what they had just dreamed.

I nodded, my mind completely calm.

Then shook my head and said, “This is only a dream, far from enough.”

“I know, but now it’s your turn.” Kelulu looked at me with pity in her eyes and said softly, “It’s time to let them know why they must endure these tortures. Who gave them these tortures… and that in the future, they will pay back even more.”

I nodded.

Transforming into the form of Yun Xian,

I adjusted my mood and posture, a contemptuous smile playing on my lips as I stepped out of the attic.

Slowly descending the stairs, I approached the mother and son.

“Long time no see.”

“Yun… you… you are…”

Both were too weak to move, the dream’s impact too strong to regain control over their bodies yet.

They stared at me with hatred and fear.

“Did you enjoy the dream just now?”

“It… it was you?!“ Yun Muchen wildly lunged at me, but his legs were still weak, and he collapsed with a thud.

“Kind of, yes. But I can assure you, your dreams tomorrow, the day after, will also be my doing.”

Two streaks of scarlet evil runes lit up at my fingertips, rapidly imprinting onto Yun Muchen and Biao Nu’s minds.

“This is the Yi Meng Zhou. From now on, every night, every sleep, you will endlessly repeat the dream you just had. And if it’s not a full set, you definitely won’t wake up.”

They truly panicked.

“Yun Xian! I’m your mother!” Biao Nu screamed, “You ungrateful wretch! Don’t you feel any gratitude for how we raised you?!”

“If you had any gratitude, I wouldn’t be working this hard to repay you.” I sneered without remorse. “Enjoying it? Regretting it?”

“Re…”

“Whether you regret it or not,” I cut her off mercilessly, “it’s too late.”

“Yun Xian! Don’t think you can do whatever you want!” Biao Nu became hysterical, “The Mu Family has countless ways to break your curse! If you want to leave here alive today, kneel and apologize!”

“Pfft—”

Hearing Biao Nu’s trust in the Mu Family between the lines, I couldn’t help but laugh.

In her eyes, the strongest forces in the world were the Spirit Association and the Shi Jia Hao Men. To her, they represented the most powerful powers, capable of anything.

She believed that if I could do it, those greater powers certainly could as well.

Sadly, her vision was as narrow as a mouse’s; she couldn’t see beyond this world.

“I could have killed you, if you hadn’t reminded me of those past events… maybe you wouldn’t have had to suffer this.”

“But now, I’ve changed my mind.”

“I’m going to take away everything you care about most, and then, in endless torment, you’ll neither find life nor death.”

“Today’s suffering is only the interest.”

My fingertips lit up with Mo Yun’s light again, tracing dense scarlet runes in the air.

“Lend me a drop of blood.” I whispered to Kelulu in the attic.

She pricked her fingertip; her blood was summoned by my hand and merged into the scarlet runes.

The runes shimmered brilliantly, and I immediately imprinted two new sets of runes into their minds.

“From today on, you will develop a physiological hatred for the Mu Family.”

“Whenever you step through the Mu Family’s gates, or see any of the Mu Family’s bloodline holders, you will feel an uncontrollable urge to kill… You will want to slaughter them all! Deep from your heart!”

Those words plunged them into an icy abyss.

“No… Yun Xian, don’t do this… Yun Xian! I spent my whole life finally getting Muchen to marry into the Mu Family! Yun Xian! You unfilial bastard! Yun Xian!!!”

Ignoring their wails, I turned around refreshed, taking Kelulu with me as we teleported away.

Next, we just wait for the show to begin.