Chapter 627: Death

Chapter 627: Death

Two slaps sent Li Sui’s head tilting slightly to one side, yet she did not feel pain—because this head was not her own.

Though there was no pain, a new emotion stirred within Li Sui: anger.

Slowly, she raised her hand and, mimicking his gesture, slapped him across the face. “Crack!” The young man's jaw dislocated with a sharp snap, and his left cheek visibly swelled.

He clutched his throat, staring at Li Sui in shock—both amazed by the force of her blow and startled that she had dared to retaliate.

“I want to kill you,” Li Sui said again, slapping him once more. His head rang with a dull buzz.

Only now did he finally react, clutching his jaw in terror and whimpering as he desperately fled.

Li Sui did not chase after him. Instead, she walked over to the old man beside her and reached out to help him up.

But the old man ignored his own injuries, instead showing great concern for Li Sui. “Nier, Nier, are you alright? Does your face hurt?”

Unlike before, Li Sui now sensed genuine worry and care in his words. After listening carefully, she asked with confusion in her voice, “Who is Nier? I’m not Nier—I’m Li Sui.”

“No, no, no! You *are* Nier! You’re my daughter!” The old man shook his head wildly, pulling Li Sui toward the house.

When she looked down at herself, suddenly understanding what had happened, she realized the man mistook her for the deceased woman.

She opened her mouth to explain, but for some reason, a strange tugging sensation made her reluctant to speak.

They walked on like this, and Li Sui was once again led behind the blacksmith’s shop.

She was placed back on the bed, surrounded by the couple’s warm concern and attention.

It felt comforting, yet also disorienting—she couldn’t understand why everything seemed so familiar to her.

As they spoke, Li Sui felt a sudden daze, and fragments of memory flickered in her mind, as if she truly had become the woman named Nier.

The outside grew quieter, and she realized it was time to go. Otherwise, her father would worry.

That tugging feeling returned—but this time, Li Sui didn’t resist staying. She was Li Sui, not Nier.

After hesitating for a moment, she set down the bowl of sugared water in her hands and said to the two people before her, “I’m not Nier. Nier is dead. I’m sorry.”

The couple, who had been laughing and chatting just moments before, froze in silence. Then, the old man panicked, “Nier, don’t say nonsense! Did you hit your head on the way here? I’ll go get a doctor right away!”

Seeing they still wouldn’t believe her, Li Sui stood up. Her skirt suddenly flared upward, revealing writhing black tendrils emerging from within. A white dog’s head without skin appeared beneath.

Then, the body of Nier bloomed like a flower, revealing the true form of Li Sui inside.

She opened her mouth full of sharp teeth and spoke to the two before her: “I’m not Nier. I’m Li Sui. Nier really is dead.”

Yet Li Sui noticed that the two stood motionless, eyes wide, unresponsive.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, gently tapping them with her claw. The couple collapsed instantly.

At that moment, a wave of unbearable sorrow and fear surged through her chest. She didn’t want such a feeling—something she had never experienced before. It was too painful.

Standing in place, Li Sui felt lost and helpless. Looking at the bodies on the floor, she didn’t know what to do. She had seen many corpses with Li Huowang, but she had never feared them like this.

Fear drove her into action. She smashed open the door and ran straight toward the inn where Li Huowang lived.

Not far from the door, she saw Li Huowang waiting in a corner.

With tears streaming down her face, Li Sui rushed forward, slashed open his belly, and crawled inside, closing her eyes and refusing to think or hear anything.

Li Huowang didn’t ask any questions. He simply reached into his own stomach and gently patted her head.

Compared to the carefree girl who followed him without a thought, the Li Sui standing before him now seemed older, wiser, and more aware of emotions she had never understood before.

“Let’s go home,” Li Huowang said, turning to walk toward the inn.

But suddenly, he stopped, as if remembering something. He turned and headed toward the town center.

Following the footprints, Li Huowang arrived at a wooden building. With one kick, he shattered the door and stepped inside.

“Shit! You little brat, you—” The young man, mid-treatment, slammed his hand on the table, freezing mid-sentence upon seeing Li Huowang’s appearance.

“Clatter,” the torture kit spread out before him. “Choose or shall I pick for you?”

“No liking what you see? Fine.”

Li Huowang tucked the kit away, his expression twisted with fury, lunging forward. Amidst the screams, he bit off the man’s ear.

“How dare you bully my daughter! You’re asking for death!”

Inside the upper room of the inn, when Li Huowang opened his eyes again, it was already the next day.

He reached out and found that Li Sui was gone from his body. Turning his head, he saw her crouching by the window like a dog, watching the sky outside.

“Are you okay?” Li Huowang sat up, walking to the wooden basin to wash himself.

But Li Sui, unusually silent, remained motionless, like a terrifying statue.

After placing the towel on the rack, Li Huowang came to her side, gazing at her terrifying profile.

He reached into his pocket, pulled out a blood crust, and held it up before her.

When he saw she didn’t bite at it, he knew that last night’s events had deeply affected her. She was no longer the Li Sui who didn’t even know she could die from losing her head.

Just as he prepared to offer some comfort to his daughter, she turned her head toward him.

“Dad, please don’t die, okay?”

“Huh?” Li Huowang was confused, but seeing the desperate longing in her eyes, he nodded softly.

“Okay, I promise. I won’t die.”

Li Sui stretched out her arms covered in tendrils, embracing Li Huowang tightly. Her tentacles wrapped around him like a cocoon.

“Dad, I think I understand what death means now. I don’t want you to die. I don’t want Mama or Second Mother to die either. I’ll protect you with everything I’ve got!” Her voice trembled with emotion.

“Don’t worry. We’ve survived so much already. If I wanted to die now, it wouldn’t be that easy.”

With a creak, the door opened. Liu Zongyuan entered, eyeing the tangled Li Huowang with hesitation.

“What do you want? Spit it out.”

“It’s morning. Master Ji Xiang says we should be on our way.”

Liu Zongyuan turned and left, leaving the room.

Li Huowang’s expression turned serious. He pushed away Li Sui’s tendrils and walked toward the door.

“Li Sui, follow me. Today we should reach Yinling City!”

Li Sui was about to follow when she quickly picked up the blood crust from the ground and stuffed it into her mouth, chewing slowly.

With each bite, her body’s tendrils twisted slightly, undergoing subtle changes.

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Next chapter updates at 11:30 PM.

(End of Chapter)