Chapter 941: On Purpose
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

Pei Ziheng’s expression was gloomy, and he turned his head slightly.

She grabbed onto those official documents tightly, distorting the thick and white papers and leaving behind ugly marks. “I don’t want you to die…” She murmured, tears rolling down her cheeks. “I beg you, please don’t be like this, don’t make me feel as though you will leave me anytime, anywhere…”

Pei Ziheng said mutely, “Everyone has their own lives.”

She cried, “That’s not your life! Pei Ziheng, if you die, I’ll… I’ll follow Li lei back to the headquarters, give birth to a pile of children and anger the life out of you!” She was incoherent, not caring that her words carried ill language.

His expression was shocked, and after a long while, he suddenly said with a low tone, “Xiao Ling, if I die, just live a quiet life with Li Lei. Let him protect you, take care of you, give birth to a bunch of kids, and let them be filial to you when they grow up.”

It was then that she was shocked still. “What are you saying?”

He closed his eyes, and even breathing seemed to hurt. If possible, why would he have let go of the women he loved to someone else? However, he was going to die… He could not protect her anymore, could not see her live blissfully without worries. She was so pure that any small trick was sure to hurt her…

He could only let that man protect her.

In the years and time that he could not reach, he hoped that she would continue to be blissful.

Xia Ling cried while shaking her head. Looking at him, she cried furiously, “Pei Ziheng, you’re not allowed to die! You’re not allowed to die, do you hear me?! If you die, I’ll never be happy! I will be depressed for a lifetime, do you understand!”

She screamed and fell down to kneel beside his feet.

He mourned and hugged her tightly, letting her head rest against his legs. “You’re so cruel.” Stroking the crown of her silky smooth long hair, he muttered, using a volume so small she could not hear. “Xiao Ling, you’re so cruel, do you know that?” Did he want to live, to watch as she and Li Lei lived happily, to be filled with jealousy and not be able to escape it his entire life? However he… still wanted to promise her…

He shut his eyes and said softly, “Okay, I won’t die.”

As if he could decide it.

That day, she stayed by his side for a long time.

Since he had already promised her not to die, he did not have to look so laboriously at the documents anymore. The two of them took a walk in the little garden as a form of recuperation. Pei Ziheng deliberately chose a few happy stories to tell her, making her laugh, while she, for his health, cooperated by laughing out.

Everything seemed so harmonious.

Until all of a sudden, without warning, she collapsed under a lilac tree.

“Xiao Ling!”

“Madam!’

Pei Ziheng and the bodyguards all changed their expression, shouting in unison.

They carried her into the bedroom anxiously, called a family doctor, and then the bodyguard gave another call to Li Lei. Very soon, Li Lei hurried over. “Pei Ziheng, if anything happens to Xiao Ling I will settle it with you!” These were the first words that left Li Lei’s mouth when he stormed in, while he went to Xia Ling’s side with the greatest speed.

“Xiao Ling, Xiao Ling?!” He called urgently, “Wake up, don’t scare me!”

At the side, the Pei family’s doctor said, “Mr. Li, don’t rush, Miss Ling just fainted because she was a little exhausted. It’s not much, she just has to rest for a few days. I gave her a bit of grape sugar, she is sleeping soundly now, and the baby in her tummy is also safe.”

Li Lei’s line of sight fell to her still flat belly.

After two months of pregnancy, it was still not obvious, but it was a period of infant instability, and she could not afford any turmoil. “Baby, you have to be well…” He stuck his face to her tummy and said softly.

Finally, the Li family’s doctor was here.

The doctor repeated a set of tests on Xia Ling and told him, “Sir, Madam is indeed fine. She was just overworked, combined with her emotional sorrow. She will be fine after resting for a while. Pei family’s doctor…” He said, nodding to his fellow doctor. “Handled it very well.”

After hearing this from someone he trusted, Li Lei breathed a sigh of relief.

“I’m bringing her away.” Li Lei glanced over at the sleeping Xia Ling.

“Sir, Madam’s current situation makes it inconvenient to move around. It’s best to wait until she has woken up.” Li family’s doctor stopped him. Li Lei hesitated. This was Pei family’s house, Pei family’s bedroom! How could he let his woman sleep on his bed with a peace of mind?!

Pei Ziheng smiled. “Don’t you love her? Yes, this is my bedroom, my bed. Xiao Ling has slept on this bed countless times, even the mattress was chosen by her. She likes this bed and is sleeping comfortably. Are you going to move her, ignoring her safety, just because of your jealousy?”

Li Lei said with a low voice, “Don’t make me punch you.”

It was not that the Pei family did not have any guest rooms, he just chose to make her sleep on his own bed!

It was so deliberately done on purpose! On! Purpose!

Pei Ziheng said provocatively, “Sure, come beat me. Best if you wake her up, and let her see just how childish and rash is the man she has married.” He was fearless now, with nothing to lose. But Li Lei was different. He was a man who was over-concerned about her and refused to let her suffer any ounce of grievance.

If that was the case, then even if he died, it would be of no regrets.

As expected, Li Lei forced himself to calm down and unclenched his fists. He turned, leaned over, and looked at the woman sleeping on the bed. “Xiao Ling, I’m here. I’ll accompany you.”

The sleeping her moved a little and grabbed hold of his hands.

“Li Lei…” Her voice was as low as a mosquito’s.

Li Lei was ecstatic. Fiercely repressing his inner joy, he said gently to her, “Yes, I’m here.”

“I’m sorry…” She still had not opened her eyes. As if she was still dreaming, even saying a few words seemed to take a lot of energy. “I’m… afraid…”

“Afraid of what?” He hugged her body, and she did not retaliate.

“Afraid…” She stopped for a long while, and when he thought that she had fallen asleep again, she said gently, “Afraid something will happen to Ziheng… and… our baby…”

His heart trembled, and he looked up, taking one glance at Pei Ziheng who was not far away. Even when his woman was sleeping, she was still thinking about that man! And even called him “Ziheng”! Not Pei Ziheng, and not some bastard beast, she had clearly called him the title of the past life when they had fallen in love! So familiar and lovely…

Ziheng.

Pei Ziheng’s face revealed a victorious smile.

Li Lei, however, felt thousands of red burning charcoal fires in the depths of his heart, as if there were countless needles stabbing it, but he had no choice other than to control it, using an even gentler voice to say, “The baby is fine. Ziheng… he’s fine too.”

In her sleep, the corners of her lips revealed a hint of a smile.

“Li Lei…” She found a comfortable position in his arms and murmured, “You’re the best. I love you the most.” With that, she spoke no more and fell into a deep sleep.

Chapter 942: Visiting the Sick
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

He was a little shocked. The countless numbers of steel needles that were originally in his heart were now gone, followed by an uncontrollable joy that threatened to explode. So what if she was concerned about Pei Ziheng? The one she loved the most, was him!

They were partners for a lifetime!

A bright smile appeared on Li Lei’s face, and he gently planted a kiss on her forehead. “Sleep, I will be by your side the whole time.” A family of three, squeezing in the old but comfortable bed, enjoying the rare peaceful times.

And Pei Ziheng, he had already turned and left the room without his knowledge.

The long corridor, the dark room.

Pei Ziheng lit up a cigarette, taking in a deep puff.

He should be happy, right? To see Xiao Ling’s life being taken care of by such a loving man. However, why was a thick sense of unwillingness rising in his heart? His lungs were burning in pain, and it was hard to breathe.

Unexpectedly, he thought back of today at the study room, where she had cried and pleaded for him not to die.

If he did not die, would she not have to be sad?

Could it be that he would have a chance to snatch her back in this remaining long time?

His cold, handsome godly features were obscured by the thick dense smoke.

“Sir.” It was the Pei family’s doctor, who had followed him and saw him smoking. “Your lungs were never good, to begin with, stop smoking!” He said, shocked.

Pei Ziheng put out the cigarette. “Tell the hospital to prepare for surgery.”

“Surgery?” The doctor was shocked, changing his expression to one of solemnity. “Sir, you have really decided to undergo tumor resection surgery? You have to know, your condition now is not suitable for undergoing surgery, the risks are very high…”

“I know.” Pei Ziheng interrupted him, a little impatient. “Even if it fails, isn’t it just dying a few months earlier?” On the other hand, if it were to succeed… he would not have to die and could continue to be beside Xiao Ling.

Even if the chances were extremely slim, almost dismissable.

He had, however, endured enough of staring at her in some other man’s embrace, and not being able to do anything about it.

Be it life or death, why not make it quicker?

The doctor looked at him worriedly. The tumor resection surgery is normally aimed toward patients in the early stages of cancer, when the lesion has not spread and was easy to remove it cleanly, to control the condition and even cure it. However, to someone in the later stages of cancer? There were too many lesions in the body, and it was impossible to cut it cleanly! Moreover, the surgery would greatly consume the patient’s physical strength and will accelerate the patient’s death! Sir has long since been clear with them about the treatment plans—that is, no surgery, only conservative treatment to maximize the survival time—about a few more months probably. Then, after he has settled his family affairs and arranged his after-event, he could pass peacefully.

Now, however, where had he gone crazy?

The doctor spent all his efforts talking, but still failed to persuade Pei Ziheng. He had no choice but to go to his team of doctors and experts to re-establish the treatment plan. Just the thought of Pei Ziheng dying on the surgery table was enough to make the doctor want to cry.

The surgery plan was formulated intensively.

Under Li Lei’s care, Xia Ling also recovered day by day.

The Li family’s doctor said, “Madam, you cannot overtire yourself, nor have too many ups and downs in your mood. The first three months of pregnancy are the most critical. To say something unpleasant, I heard that young master Shaohui was very weak and thin when he was born. It was actually caused by your negligence of nutrients when you were pregnant. Thank goodness young master Shaohui was born safely… However, this time, you might not be as lucky as the previous time. So you have to take extra care of yourself, don’t put the cart before the horse!”

Xia Ling stroked her belly, her heart full of sorrow.

On one side was a child who had just been bred, on the other, a man who was about to die. How could she be calm?

However, in any case, she was indeed unwilling to see anything happen to the unborn child. After fainting at Pei Ziheng’s house, she lessened her visits and communicated with him mainly through WeChat and calls.

She learned that he was actively preparing for surgery.

[Is the surgery very risky?] She asked him on WeChat.

[I promised you I won’t die,] he replied. [I will grab hold of any chance.]

While talking, he coughed out fresh blood on the phone, turning it a flash of red. Pei Ziheng managed to recover from his fit with difficulty, but his heart was at peace. Great, thank goodness she was not there to see this scene, WeChat’s typing function was just too great. He wiped away the traces of blood on the corners of his lips and replied with a smiley face.

However, Xia Ling was not assured.

She researched on a lot of medical information, and said to Li Lei, “With his circumstances, the surgery has high risks. I’m suspecting that he’s lying to me, pretending that nothing is going to happen. I still want to see him with my own eyes.”

Li Lei frowned a little. “What about the child in your belly?”

She lowered her head and stroked her belly gently, then raised her head to look at him. “When the first three months have passed and the infant has stabilized, will you accompany me to visit him? That will be safer.”

He was finally more at ease since she had offered to let him accompany her.

He pondered over it and agreed to her request. “Okay, but you have to take care of the child carefully. Also, we’re coming back right after we see Pei Ziheng.”

She nodded.

The first three months finally passed, and she went to visit Pei Ziheng with Li Lei.

Li Lei knew, Pei Ziheng would not be happy to see him, and he did not want to have disputes with someone about to die, so he took the initiative to wait outside the hospital room. Xia Ling turned and walked towards the room, turned back halfway there, and saw the look of loneliness in his eyes.

Her heart twitched slightly, and she turned back, reaching out to lower his head and planting a kiss.

“I love you,” she said.

He stared at her with surprise and smiled. “Yes, I know.” He said with a very soft tone.

She then turned around and walked towards the hospital room. No matter how worried she was about Pei Ziheng, she understood that in this lifetime, the one she loved and wanted to grow old with was only Li Lei. She did not want her loved one to suffer just because of the fate of her past self. She was trying her best to minimize the impacts.

She opened the door.

Pei Ziheng was reading a book inside.

It was a beautifully framed picture, with a flying bird and a pair of white wings spread across the sky.

He raised his head to look at her, shocked. After a few moments, he closed the book and said, “Xiao Ling, why have you come?” Even with such a short sentence, he coughed numerous times, and blood spewed out from the corners of his lips.

Xia Ling looked on, her heart knitting tightly together. It had been only a few days since she had seen him? He was weak again, too thin to even be a human figure. His cheeks were deeply sunken, and the pale green blood vessels and bones could be seen clearly under his skin.

She wished that time could stop so that he would stop weakening further.

Finally able to control her emotions, she said with the calmest tone she could muster, “I came to see you. Have you been listening well to the doctor? How’s your body?”

Chapter 943: Be the Godfather
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

Halfway through, she could not help but choke on her words.

However, he smiled faintly. “It’s quite good. You see, I don’t even have to handle official business now. I take a walk every day, look at albums—” He gestured toward the album in his hands. “A beautiful bird, you will like it too.”

She glanced over at it. “Yes, I like it a lot.”

At an angle where he could not see, she secretly wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes.

Wearing the sick gown, he looked as thin as a bone shelf, yet was still pretending that nothing happened. “I was preparing for the surgery recently, and the doctor said that I could have the surgery soon. I will get well soon. Xiao Ling, you don’t have to worry.”

She nodded, sitting with him for a while and smiling, not knowing how bad her acting skills were, how her fake smiles were uglier than her crying. Pei Ziheng could not bear to see it, and in turn, advised her. “Go back, we have plenty of time.”

Plenty… of time…?

These few words were like the most uncertain questions in the world, who knew if they could be realized?

She could not bear to go, and said, “Pei Ziheng, Pei Ziheng…” She murmured but did not know what to say.

Pei Ziheng smiled warmly and elegantly, reassuring her. “Don’t be sad, the baby in your belly is more important. How can I die? I still want to see your child be born, and call me his Godfather.”

She was teased by him and smiled. “Okay, once the child is born, he will recognize you as his Godfather.”

“Li Lei will probably be very angry?”

“He will definitely be angry, and then call the child to bring the riches back to his own house. You have to be careful, don’t let the Pei family be emptied by the little guy.” Xia Ling sniffed, and was silent for a while, before saying in a low tone, “You have to get better.”

He nodded. “I promise.”

Afraid that she would be upset and injure her body, he persuaded her a few more times until she finally left.

Looking at her disappearing figure at the corner of the corridor, Pei Ziheng held onto the door frame for balance. He bent down and started coughing violently. The doctor had said that his condition was not good—let alone to undergo surgery, even whether he would stay alive till his surgery was unknown. He slowly sat down on the ground, an unbearable aching pain coming from all over his body. It was a cancer pain that was unique to the last stage of cancer. He had already been enduring it for a long time in front of her and was finally unable to hold it in any longer. He pressed the emergency button immediately.

Xia Ling was headed down the other direction and did not hear the bell sound.

She returned to where she had parted from Li Lei, but could not see him.

She looked around everywhere, and when she could not find him, she stepped out of the hospital and was almost knocked down by a speeding car. Behind her, someone pulled her back. “You are looking for death!”

It was Chu Chen.

She took some effort to get out of her shocked state to recognize the person, and asked a little awkwardly, “He’s going to die, isn’t he?” One’s physical state could not lie, and Pei Ziheng’s body was already at its weakest point. The chances of him living were slim. She was not stupid. Even if he did not tell her, she could see it.

Chu Chen’s expression was ferocious. “If you were to die before he dies, I will kill your whole family! You can die as and when after he dies, nobody is going to stop you!”

Indeed, he was really dying…

Even Chu Chen, who was such a loyal dog, was saying something so depressing.

Xia Ling shook her head and stared at him, suddenly saying something sarcastic, “Chu Chen, if he was to die, what would you do? An emperor has a courtier. If it was Pei…” She paused for a moment, swallowing back Pei Xiu’s name. She was uncertain if Chu Chen knew about the matters of the next successor. She only said, “If it was changed to someone else, I’m afraid you won’t be able to gain power? You should just take good care of him and pray that he lives to a hundred years!”

It was Chu Chen’s turn to sneer. “What happens to me is not your place to worry about. And so is his life and death.”

All these years, he had witnessed just how his boss had loved the woman in front of him, even when he was ridden with a terminal illness he could not forget about her. Other than Imperial’s stocks that could not fall into the hands of outsiders, a huge part of the other assets were all taken up by this woman when he was consulting the lawyer to do his will.

This woman, however?

She even came to the hospital with Li Lei to see Boss!

He was afraid that Boss would see the figure standing at the corner of the corridor and that his condition would aggravate. Hence, he had devised a plan to lure Li Lei away. Looking at Xia Ling, he said, “Li Lei is not coming back anytime soon, he has urgent matters to attend to. Seeing that Boss cares so much for you, why don’t I send you home so that nothing happens to you midway and Boss need not worry.”

Xia Ling looked at him. “Where did Li Lei go?”

“I saw him on the way here, he was on the phone and was dealing with a little business at the headquarters.”

The business over at the headquarters was complicated, and something big must have happened, or he would not have left so urgently without informing her. Xia Ling was, however, unwilling to just leave with Chu Chen. “I’ve received your good intentions, but I’ll just call for the driver to come pick me up.”

Chu Chen shrugged and watched as she took her call.

She was just talking to the driver when, all of a sudden, she heard Li Lei’s voice sound from not far away. “Xiao Ling! You have to be careful—” He sounded anxious, and his face was full of worry.

She raised her head, saw him run over towards her, but could not react in time before she felt her body being pushed into a car. The car was stuffy, and a man laughed inside. “Hi, we meet again, my cute little rabbit… Or should I call you ‘sister-in-law’?”

… Li Feng.

It was Li Feng!

All of Xia Ling’s body hair stood on end. This pervert, was he not locked by Li Lei in the headquarter’s dungeons? There was even someone to deliver him three meals a day and medicine, and that medicine was supposed to turn even a highly intelligent elite into an idiot once taken for long!

Why did he look fine?!

“You must be very surprised, how did I manage to escape?” Li Feng’s laughter was cold and slippery, like a snake-like breath that was licking her in the darkness. “Xiao Lei looked down on me, that makes me so upset… Speaking of that, that medicine is so interesting, I gave it to the people who guarded the dungeon, and they actually became idiots, falling onto the floor and spewing white foam from their mouths. It was convenient for me to take my keys, so I did and walked out of there gloriously…”

His smile was disturbing yet charming. “My cute little rabbit… I heard that you’re pregnant with my dear brother’s baby again? I am so happy! This time, what game shall we play?”

His cold hands pressed onto her belly, causing her heart to rise to an inexpressible fear.

“Li Feng! Don’t! Don’t hurt the child!”

He smiled. “Hurt? What do you consider as hurt? I’m the child’s uncle, I will definitely treat it well… Let me think, what kind of games will make it happiest?”

Xia Ling only felt a moment of her chest tightening, and before she lost her consciousness, she grabbed tightly onto the wrist of Li Feng and said with her final strength, “Li Feng! If anything happens to the child, Li Lei and the Xia family will not forgive you!”

Chapter 944: Abnormal Art
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

When she woke, she was in a strange and unfamiliar place.

Xia Ling supported herself with her hands and lowered her head to stroke her little belly immediately. Fortunately, the child was probably okay. She breathed a sigh of relief, and as soon as she raised her head, she saw a handsome yet demonic man smiling at her—Li Feng. Today, he was rather beautifully dressed, a large red peony flower embroidered robe clinging to his slender body, a carnelian ring on his fingers, and bright red lips beaming happily.

His voice was as soft as ever. “Welcome to my territory, my dear little rabbit.”

Xia Ling’s chest tightened, and she could not help but shrink her body back. If there was anyone else in the world she was afraid of more than a mad Pei Ziheng, it was Li Feng. This was a true madman, a pervert, a devil who killed without blinking and even reveled in it. Falling into his hands was like going into Hell.

She could not stop shaking but tried her best to resist it. She raised her head and said, “What do you want?”

Li Feng smiled at her, his gorgeous phoenix eyes wrinkling together, devious yet enchanting. “Don’t panic, my dear little rabbit, you have already been unconscious for three days and three nights. It’s thanks to my care that you have woken. You make me sad by being so wary of me.” He touched his chest deliberately with his sharp fingernail, crushing the peony flower brooch hanging off his robe, twisting it into a broken shape.

Xia Ling’s expression changed. So, she had been unconscious for three days and three nights? Li Lei should be driven crazy with worry?

She asked anxiously, “What about Li Lei?! He saw you grab me into the car, he must have contacted you!”

Li Feng smiled very happily. “Li Lei? My brother sure is stupid, I’ve already escaped from the dungeons for so many days, yet he still has not realized. These few days, I’ve been following you, and I finally caught an opportunity… Ah, Chu Chen that idiot, so concerned about Pei Ziheng, so I conveniently slipped him information about my escape, and he couldn’t wait to give a call anonymously to Xiao Lei to divert him away from the hospital rooms. And then the rest you already know. I am very happy to be able to capture you in front of Xiao Lei.”

Turns out it was all him!

Chu Chen was used by him to pull the trigger!

Xia Ling’s heart undulated, and she scolded Chu Chen’s ignorance quietly. But things had already come to this, and there was no other choice. She kept her emotions in check and asked Li Feng, “Where is this place?” Looking around, it was a Chinese-style room, with streaks of sunlight pouring through the mahogany carved window frame. The dust in the air danced, and at first glance, it seemed as though nothing was out of the ordinary. However, she saw with her sharp eyes past the fine-grained curtain of the bed to the wall, where two glasswares were arranged neatly. One of them was as tall as a human, and the other was only one foot tall.

It was filled with an unknown, pale yellow liquid.

Li Feng let her look on, even pointing ecstatically at a few of the machines to her. “You noticed too? Aren’t they beautiful? No… No, they are not perfect yet. Wait for me to put you and your child inside as specimens, these two bottles filled with formalin, then it can be called art.”

He smiled charmingly, as if he were talking about something really wonderful.

Xia Ling, however, felt shivers down her spine. She remembered how many years ago, when she had visited the Li family headquarters for the first time and had been captured to the Snake Hall, this man in front of her had said that he would turn everything Li Lei cared about into specimens.

Turns out, even up to this day, he had still not given up on this.

What to do?!

A huge sense of crisis hit her heart, making it almost stop pumping. Her brain turned at a fast speed as she tried to think. How could she stop this crazy man?! Her blood shot up to her brain, and she forced herself to stay calm to grasp more information. “Li Feng, why are you so stubborn about specimens?”

“Stubborn?” He tilted his head, smiling. “Don’t you think they’re beautiful? Actually, I have never understood why Xiao Lei was interested in those weak, ugly creatures, like cats, dogs, and rabbits. Oh, that’s right, and… you.” He looked at her, a sinister look in his eyes, making her heart tighten as she looked on. His expression changed all of a sudden and he smiled. “However, when I made them into specimens, I could understand Xiao Lei a little… they are really beautiful,” he said in dreamy admiration.

Xia Ling almost vomited, not knowing if it was a side effect of the glass bottles or if it was a psychological effect. She only felt that the air was filled with a foul formalin smell that made it hard to breathe, just as disgusting as the man in front of her.

She forced herself to stay calm and said softly, “Li Feng, beauty is not like this.”

“What qualifications do you have to discuss beauty with me!” Suddenly, Li Feng exploded with rage, turning to grab onto her slender neck. “Ye Xingling, who do you think you are?! Xiao Lei likes you, doesn’t he! He thinks you’re beautiful, right! So let me see, after you’ve become a specimen, let’s see if he will still feel something for you!”

His strength was too great, and she was suffocated at once. She struggled weakly, but it was to no avail, the oxygen in her lungs was getting thinner, and her vision was getting blurry. Was she… going to die here…

No, she could not die…

She was still pregnant with her baby, she must bring her baby safely into the world…

Just before her consciousness slipped away, suddenly, her neck was loosened, and air started to flow into her lungs. She coughed, taking large breaths of air, weak and feeble.

Li Feng looked at her from a higher level, seemingly a little unhappy. “The things that Xiao Lei likes are always so weak. Just one touch and it breaks, so boring.”

She panted for a really long time, before finding her own voice back. “You… You’re not going to kill me?”

Li Feng laughed. “Kill? That word is too violent.”

He knelt down and lifted her chin with two fingers, his words as cold and smooth as that of a snake. “I just want to make you into a specimen, that’s all. My little girl, do you know what is called a specimen?”

Only a ghost would know what kind of specimen this sick mouth was talking about?!

She did not want to know at all! However, at the time of crisis, she had to ask despite herself, “What is it?”

Li Feng smiled again but still did not answer. He licked his red lips and stood up. He walked over to the square cassette in front of the table, pressed the button, and a red light flashed—it was then that Xia Ling realized, this thing that was disguised as an antique cassette was actually a camcorder!

“Hi, Xiao Lei,” Li Feng said to the camcorder joyfully. “I haven’t seen you in three days, have you missed me? The farewell at the hospital, that must have made it very unforgettable for you… Don’t be too moved, I have an even more unforgettable present for you, hehehe…”

He turned, taking a dagger from the shelf on the side and then walking step by step toward Xia Ling.

Chapter 945: The Cruelest Revenge
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

An ominous premonition enveloped Xia Ling’s whole body.

Even if she was stupid, she understood then and there what Li Feng was trying to do, and she could not stop herself from saying, “Don’t fool around, Li Feng. Don’t do something that everyone will regret!”

Li Feng turned a deaf ear to her, and stood beside her, easily holding her in one hand, the other holding onto the dagger, slashing around her beautiful and slender neck. “I heard that you are a phoenix. I specifically made the craftsman create a knife with a phoenix totem. I even embedded it with a ruby stone. Do you like it?” His eyes flashed with a bloodthirsty and exhilarating light, making him look full of energy. “Very like you,” he said, licking his lips.

The disgusting and sickly expression made Xia Ling’s heart jump in her throat. However, she did not give up. “Don’t be like this, we’re all one family. We can talk it out, right? If you kill me, Li Lei will be sad!”

“He will remember me forever,” Li Feng said in a soft tone, the cold sharp tip of the knife touching her neck.

She did not dare to speak nor move.

Li Feng laughed. “You appear to be very frightened, why bother? Let me tell you how much of a beautiful thing this is—this dagger will go down your neck all the way, cut open your belly while you’re alive, and also cut the little thing in your belly in half… no, no, don’t worry, I will not cut it in half, it’ll be more interesting to dig it out whole. After digging it out completely, I will throw it into the formalin while alive in front of you, until it drowns, and you can only stare at it while bleeding out, with those beautiful eyes filled with desperation… You will then struggle and then die along with it. How perfect, it’s too perfect! Hahahahaha—!”

Crazy, he was really crazy.

Xia Ling could no longer care about the sharp knife that would cut into her throat. She opened her mouth to plead. “Don’t do this, please…”

Tiny beads of blood rolled down following her words.

Li Feng stared at her white neckline that was oozing bits of red, his gaze deepening.

He reached out a fingertip to wipe it away, bringing the fresh drop of blood to his mouth to taste, then saying with a hoarse voice, “No wonder Xiao Lei likes you so much… I like it too… This kind of blood…” He added a little more force, and more drops of blood oozed out.

Xia Ling could not bother about her pain anymore, her whole focus was on how to protect her baby and keep herself alive. Between the flint and the electricity, an inspiration suddenly dawned on her and she called out, “You think death is the most painful revenge for him?”

Li Feng was surprised, and he moved the dagger away. “Is it not?”

“Li Feng! Cough…” Her throat was hurt, making her words less fluent, yet she still said desperately, “Killing someone is the lowest practice, it’s impossible to make someone experience the maximum pain! The only way you can make him experience the greatest grief is to harm me in front of Li Lei, to let him witness the flesh-and-blood scene first-hand! To want to save me and yet be unable to, and have no choice but to watch as me and my child die in a place within his reach!”

She did not know if these words were useful to Li Feng, but she knew instinctively—Li Feng hated Li Lei!

Only this strong hate would justify him constantly finding trouble for Li Lei and trying to destroy his happiness at all costs! If that was the case… then let the hate be even more hearty!

She stared deadly at Li Feng, waiting for his reaction.

Li Feng was stunned for a while, then he murmured, “You’re right… Painful living, how could I have not thought of making Xiao Lei in so much pain he wished he never lived?” A strange smile appeared on his face, and suddenly, he was furious again. “It’s all your fault… it’s all your fault! It was you, because of you I was captured by Xiao Lei, captured by him to eat one piece of that medicine! Even though I only ate one piece before finding it strange, but how dare you! How dare you try to damage my unparalleled intelligence!”

He was furious. He put aside the dagger and slapped Xia Ling with great force. “If it was not for me having eaten that medicine, how could I have not thought of torturing you in front of him? Yes, in front of him! That’s much better than killing you in a video! Hahahahahahaha!”Read the next chapter on our vipnovel.com

He was happy and slapped Xia Ling again.

The crisp slap sound echoed in the room, and Xia Ling’s face was tilted to the side by his slaps, five finger marks appearing on her white skin. However, she could not bother about these. She stared intensely in the direction of the dagger, quickly calculating about how on earth to rescue herself!

Li Feng stared at her with a pair of snake-like eyes, his chest rising up and down. After a long while, he smiled. “I have changed my mind, I am going to keep you, and raise you… Until I have lured Xiao Lei out. When he appears in front of me and sees the living you just within his reach, I am going to slowly… slowly… dig out the little thing in your belly, letting him witness as you two die painfully… if I do that, he will definitely remember me forever, right?”

Li Feng laughed, his face arrogant and enchanting, like a dangerous blooming poppy.

Xia Ling only felt her whole body freeze up, but she breathed a sigh of relief internally. Finally, she could keep her and her baby’s lives for the moment. It was not that she wanted to bring Li Lei into this, but she understood Li Lei. Since he had already seen her being kidnapped by Li Feng, he would definitely come to rescue her! It did not make sense to have him not come.

For the sake of the present, she could only take things step by step.

She looked at the man in front of her who was laughing like a madman, moving her body carefully towards the direction of the dagger on the floor.

However, before she could reach the dagger, Li Feng grabbed her once again. “My dear little rabbit, the death penalty is unavoidable, and the living sin cannot be escaped. Don’t think that I don’t know, you only made this plan to keep yourself alive. However, I like this plan of yours… I am becoming more and more interested in you.”

His hands were cold and slippery, yet he held onto her really tightly, and no matter how fiercely she struggled she could not escape. An inexplicable fear found its way to her heart. It was strange. She knew that her life was not in any danger for now, but that sense of fear became even more intense. Her struggling agitated him, and his gaze hardened. Seemingly without any movement, he used one hand to flip her hand gently, clamping her two wrists tightly and holding it high above her head.

Xia Ling glared at him. “What are you doing?!”

He smiled, his fingers tracing along her still bleeding neck. He moved aside the cloth of her collar. “Your skin is so white… my dear little rabbit… don’t worry, I won’t hurt you, just be good and you will enjoy it…”

She suddenly realised what he was going to do. This… This beast!

“I am your brother’s wife!” She said, her voice trembling, not knowing if it was shock or anger.

“What belongs to Xiao Lei belongs to me too.” He chuckled, his hands moving quickly to unbutton her second button.

She was helpless and turned around to avoid it, but he used the weight of his whole body to press against her body. He whispered near to her ear, “Don’t waste your energy. Beware of my anger. If I become enraged and kill you in advance, then what would we tell Xiao Lei?”

Chapter 946: Dear Xiao Lei
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

She shuddered. “I, I still have a baby! If you do this, the baby will die!”

Li Feng laughed lowly, his teeth biting her earlobe. It hurt, and she suspected that her whole ear was going to be bitten off by him. His voice was still calm as ever as he said, “How could our Li family’s little baby be so weak?” His hands traced along the outline of her breasts, moving to her little belly and stopping there. “Little baby,” he said softly. “Look… Your father can see you through the videotape. You can’t die, don’t disappoint your father.”

Not far away, the video recorder on the mahogany carved table shimmered with a cold red light.

This pervert…!

He wanted to record him torturing her and send it to Li Lei!

Xia Ling started struggling as if her life depended on it, screaming sharply, “Li Feng, let go of me! You pervert!”

However, her resistance only made him suppress her with more force.

Li Feng’s voice was still very soft, and he even had an enchanting smile on his face. “I said it before, be good,” he whispered the words as if having a lover’s conversation. He put a little force on his hands, and with a “Ka” sound, one of Xia Ling’s straps were cut from her shoulder. “This is a tiny punishment. If you continue to not listen…”

A strange laugh sounded from his nose.

Xia Ling only felt a wave of pain in her arm, cold sweat flowed, and she stared as he pulled her clothes off, revealing the thin strap inside, yet she could not retaliate. Her brain was sounding loudly, and she pushed him with her good arm as if in a craze. He laughed loudly, riding on her body and reaching out to unzip his trousers.

Xia Ling did not know how she did it, but when she had come to her senses, she could only hear Li Feng screaming as if pigs were being slaughtered, and she had already retreated to the corner of the room.

Li Feng’s whole person had collapsed on the floor, his hands grabbing onto his private part and crying out in pain. Xia Ling came to a realization that she had reacted in the time of crisis and kicked his private part. Could she have disabled him with this kick? However, it was not the time to ponder about this. She grabbed the dagger on the floor hurriedly, pulled open the door and ran outside.

The corridor was very dark, as if it were built in a cave. The walls were natural stone walls, covered with moss, and there were snake totems everywhere. Occasionally, there were sporadic guards patrolling, probably Li Feng’s subordinates.

Xia Ling carefully hid from the guards, her head buzzing. She could only remember off the top of her head what Li Lei had taught her about survival when he was idle: [When lost, just head in one direction, where there is light, where there is wind, where there is the sound of water… that is the exit.]

She focused on the feeling of the direction of the wind, running towards it until finally, she saw a hint of light at the end. She was ecstatic and doubled up her pace. However, when she got there, a huge shock met her—it was not an exit. Underneath, it was clearly a cliff!

If it wasn’t for her quick brake, her whole body would have fallen off!

She was shocked senseless, and quickly took a few steps back.

The tip of her toes hit a small stone, and the stone rolled down off the cliff that was covered by the clouds and disappeared. A long time passed and yet, there was still no echo.

“This time, you have really angered me…” Behind her, a cold voice sounded.

Xia Ling turned around stiffly and saw Li Feng. That man looked extremely fragile, his big red embroidered peony robe wrinkled and his face extremely pale. He even walked with a limp, as if a hidden part of his body was still hurting. He stared at Xia Ling slyly. “You can’t escape.”

Xia Ling had nowhere to retreat, so she held up the dagger in her hand and pointed it at him. The mountain wind from the cliff blew, making her plain white skirt blow in the wind like clouds. Her hair was messy, and her face was as pale as Li Feng’s.

Li Feng licked his lips and smiled. “You think this toy will hurt me? Don’t be naive, little girl. Even if I don’t do anything, I just need to send two people here to guard you, and before three days is up, you will starve to death.”

Xia Ling knew he was right.

However, she was not willing to be made his prisoner again!

“You never intended to keep me alive till Li Lei comes, so what if I starve to death?” She glared into his eyes. “You tried to do something to me that even beasts would not do. Li Feng, if the baby was to die, I would not survive either. All the talk about waiting till Li Lei comes before killing us in front of him is all bullshit!”

Li Feng smiled sinisterly. “You want to die in front of my brother so badly? I don’t mind. I want to see if you can grab the opportunity too. Look—” He pointed to the ground.

Xia Ling lowered her head, and her breath almost stopped.

On the surface of the stone were a few drops of red blood that she had not noticed. At first, she thought it was blood that had dripped from her throat, but she remembered how she had torn off the corners of her skirt to wrap around her throat wound when she was fleeing and realized… this blood… was the precursor to miscarriage!

She stared at the bloodstains on her skirt, her sky darkening.

“I can save you.” Li Feng smiled sinisterly. “As long as you throw the dagger off the cliff and come back in quietly.”

Xia Ling could not trust him. However, there was no second choice. She forced herself to stay calm and emphasized to him, “Li Feng, don’t forget that I am the phoenix of Xia family! If anything is to happen to me, you and your whole family are finished!”

“Trying to threaten me?” Li Feng was not afraid. “If I was so easily scared, I would not have kidnapped you from S City’s hospital. Little girl, what does Li family being destroyed have to do with me? So what if the whole world was destroyed? What Li Feng wants to do… nobody can stop him.”

His narrow eyes glinted in the dark.

Xia Ling felt chills in her heart. What was the point of trying to negotiate with a person like this?!

Her body was still bleeding, and she could feel the warm liquid flowing down the outline of her inner thighs. The child… protecting the child could not wait any longer. She bit down on her teeth and threw the dagger off the cliff before walking by herself back to the corridor.

Face to face with Li Feng.

Li Feng raised his hand to slap her, hitting her so hard her head spinned, and she knocked forcefully against the hard mountain wall. Before waiting for her reaction, he grabbed her long hair again and pulled her head to hit against the mountain wall, once, twice…

Until fresh blood flowed from her forehead, staining her cheeks.

“There, you look much better.” Li Feng finally let go and let her fall slowly onto the ground.

He smiled, taking a miniature camera from his arms, and saying to the camera, “My dear Xiao Lei, did you see that? I am playing very happily with your dear little rabbit. Don’t worry, I will take good care of her, both her and her child will not lose their lives. They have to be alive in order to play with me, no?”

With that, he stuck out his tongue to lick the camera before closing it.

Chapter 947: Signal
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

Xia Ling was locked in the room again.

The red mahogany bed, the gauze, the appliances, Li Feng gave only the best for her to use. However, every day’s food was horrible, mixed with mud and sewage water, and the food was degraded. Yet, that constituted the whole of her nutrition. She tried to reason with Li Feng. “If you do this and my body can’t take it, then the baby won’t be able to take it too. We won’t live till Li Lei comes to rescue us, and will die straight away!”

Li Feng smiled enchantingly. “Don’t worry, how could I bear to let you die? Dear sister-in-law, I have long prepared a doctor for you. He will keep you and your child’s vital signs on the minimum safety line. Just the thought of Xiao Lei seeing how skinny and weak you are… Hahaha, I am so excited.”

He recorded down her appearance, messy hair and bloody body.

He did not even give her cutleries, and every time he walked in, he would throw the stinky food directly on the ground, the bed, on her body, and would watch as she struggled to kneel down and grab the food with her hands little by little. Often, the food would even have some lizards and cockroaches, and she would strike out in fear, but for the child, she had no other choice but to consume the food. Her face was pale and her spirit was getting even worse.

Li Feng was, however, very pleased. He sent videos to Li Lei every day, enjoying Li Lei’s look of rage yet helplessness. “My dear brother…” he said to Li Lei in the video, “Does your heart ache? What is there to be in pain over? These little things like crickets, you have eaten them on the battlefield those years. So have I, and so have so many of our family’s brothers. If she can’t even take such a small thing, how can she be your wife?”

Li Lei had to fight hard to keep himself calm. “She’s different, don’t go overboard!”

However, this was not even live messaging, nor two-way messaging—all these videos were sent to Li Lei’s email after rounds of transferring to different IP addresses. Li Lei had assorted all means, yet was still unable to find the origin of these videos. Li family’s satellite, Xia family’s positioning system, and even several government search systems in countries they were in good relationships with… all discovered nothing.

Xia Moyan told him, “Li Lei, you are the only one that can rescue her now. Xiao Ling is my closest relative. However, the fortune teller cannot see his own future, neither can he see his closest relative’s future. Hence, I cannot possibly use my metaphysics to accurately locate her. You have to find a way to rescue her.”

Li Lei could feel the enormous burden on his shoulders.

He forced himself to stay calm. “Li Lei, don’t worry, there will be a way, there has to be a way! Each day that I don’t find her means each day that she stays alive. Li Feng will not let her die so easily…” He splashed his face with cold water, opening his bloodshot eyes that had not slept for a few days and nights and resumed a new round of searches.

Xiao Ling, hold on…

However, as time passed, he knew better than anyone else, it could not go on like this.

Given Li Feng’s personality, he was sure to lure him to save her, and then find a way to torture them. However, seeing as how he had still not given the clue for him to rescue her, it only showed that Li Feng had still not fully prepared the means of winning. Once Li Feng gave the clue, however, even if he were to find her, it would be too late!

Li Lei was beginning to get more and more anxious, and he put all of the Li family’s manpower to participate in the search.

Xia Ling’s situation was getting worse.

The baby was four months old now, and she did not know if it was just an illusion, but sometimes, she could feel the baby moving in her belly. The baby seemed uncomfortable, really hungry and upset. She would touch her belly occasionally and comfort her baby while telling herself, [Xiao Ling, the baby is still so young, how could you possibly feel her emotions? It’s all just your own illusions from being captured for so long, it must be…]

Now, she was already using “her” to address her baby.

It was all thanks to Li Feng, who had made the doctor give her daily examinations and check on the gender of the baby. “Girl?” After hearing the news, Li Feng smiled slyly. “That’s great… With Shaohui, and now a baby girl, you and Xiao Lei are considered to have both dragon and phoenix now.”

Xia Ling looked at him with a mix of fear and wariness and did not speak.

Li Feng laughed to himself, lowering his head to look at his long and sharp fingernails. “I wonder, what would it feel like if I were to use this pair of hands to dig out your daughter in front of Xiao Lei? It… must feel really good, hahahahaha…”

Xia Ling sucked in a deep breath and said with a feeble voice, “I want to see him.”

“See who? Xiao Lei?” Li Feng was still smiling. “My little rabbit, no need to be anxious. Just wait till I have prepared for the execution, then I will let Xiao Lei in to reunite with you. Be good.”

Xia Ling smiled sadly, her eyes listless and empty. “I have been feeling that my physical condition is worsening, and I might not be able to hold on to that day anymore… Li Feng, I want you to tell him personally that I am pregnant with a girl. Please just fulfill my wish once, okay?” She crumbled onto the floor slowly, as if she would fall down at any second and would never wake up.

Li Feng looked at her for a long time.

A woman in trouble, a creature that was just so annoying and weak.

However, if he did not fulfill her wish, and if she were to suffer a blow and really die in advance, then how was he to continue this game? Li Feng frowned and pondered over it for a long time, before finally taking a step back reluctantly. “You have to keep this location a secret, and I will not let you and him communicate through live chat. However, you can record down whatever you want to say in the videotape, and he will be able to see it… I’m warning you, don’t play any tricks, or I won’t mind digging your child out in advance!”

She was ecstatic and promised not to play any tricks.

Li Feng enjoyed how fragile she looked in front of the camera, it was as if he was looking at a lover he had not seen for a long time. “Li Lei, I’m still alive. The child is still alive too. Don’t worry, Li Feng has given me a check-up—it’s a girl. You have to rescue us, then we can live with both son and daughter…” She said while stroking her belly.

Li Feng did not wait for her to say any more before shutting down the recorder.

Perhaps it was the sentence “You have to come rescue us” that pleased Li Feng, for, in the following days, his attitude towards Xia Ling was much better than before—even though she was still eating leeks, but she was not receiving scoldings and beatings from him anymore.

Xia Ling took the chance to recuperate and prayed silently in her heart for her tiny action to be noticed by Li Lei.

In S City, Li Lei carefully analyzed the video she had recorded, not letting go of any details. When he was watching it for the second time, he suddenly froze the video and enlarged the image, and the hint fell on the hand that she was caressing her belly with.

Chapter 948: Sniper
Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

When a pregnant woman caresses her belly, the palms are always facing inwards.

Xiao Ling used to do that too, but this time it was different. One of her fingers seemed to move inadvertently towards the outside, and there seemed to be something on her fingers. It was a kind of… moss.

Li Lei recognized the message she was trying to show to him.

He stood up hurriedly from his chair and ordered his subordinates. “Pass on the order to analyze what type of moss this is and where it grows, then send people to rescue her at the fastest speed!”

Xia Ling was imprisoned in the room.

She was giddy every day and could only differentiate time from when they delivered food to her.

She had no idea what was going on in the outside world, and no idea whether the message she had painstakingly conveyed to Li Lei was understood—that type of moss was the kind she had grabbed from the walls when she had knocked down Li Feng and was escaping from the room. When Li Feng grabbed her hair and slammed her violently against the walls, she had endured the pain to hide the moss.

She had prayed to God, Please let luck stand by my side this time…

Perhaps her pleas were heard by God, for some time later, Li Feng suddenly slammed the door and strode into the room. He was still wearing a beautifully embroidered cotton robe. However, that robe was like his anxious feelings, having been torn by the stones on the walls while he was on the way, thus looking really pitiful.

He grabbed a handful of her long hair and dragged her out without pity, saying, “You vile person, you still sent Xiao Lei a message behind my back! I should have thrown you into the pit to feed the snakes! Come, aren’t you looking for death! I will torture the devil in you to death today!”

Xia Ling staggered as he dragged her, and she endured the pain, forcing herself to keep up with his pace and not let herself fall.

They passed through the labyrinth of dark corridors, and when she was completely lost, panting and unable to hold on any longer, Li Feng threw her onto a stone platform.

She gasped and panted at the shock, her belly aching dully.

She protected her abdomen in panic, yet still listened as Li Feng laughed coldly. “Still worrying about your child while you’re on your deathbed? Just wait a while and she’ll be there to be buried with you! Look…” He pointed to the bottom of the platform. “These are the children I have collected from all over the world, how marvelous…”

Below the platform was a burst of stench.

Xia Ling looked down and discovered that they were in a huge cave. Below it was a snake pit of one or two hundred square meters, with all kinds of colorful snakes swimming inside, slithering and spitting out their red forked tongues with a stinky stench. A narrow bridge that looked very unstable was hung above the snake pit, swaying dangerously, reaching her side of the platform. Above the platform was a sling, which Li Feng was tying her to with great agility.

“What are you doing!” Xia Ling struggled.

Li Feng smiled happily. “Do you hear that sound? Xiao Lei has brought a group of people to attack here. He is so desperate, how could I not give him a little surprise? Just let us see, will he conquer this place sooner, or will I cut open your throat and feed it to the snake first!”

His crazy yet sharp voice echoed in the empty cave.

At that time, Xia Ling could hear the sounds of gunshots from outside, which became denser and denser, and so were the fighting sounds.

After a while, she could indeed see a bunch of people rushing in. The head of the group was drenched in blood, a beautiful face amidst the dim light of the dark cave, murderously staring at the side of the platform. “Li Feng! Let go of Xiao Ling!” It was Li Lei, he was finally here.

Xia Ling almost cried out in excitement, and she shouted, “Li Lei!”

Li Feng smiled unrulily. “Welcome to the snake pit, my dear brother. You sure have a deep affection for my sister-in-law. I wonder what kind of method was used, for you to be able to find this place in advance?” He said, pinching Xia Ling’s chin from behind his back using his full force, as if he were trying to break her bones.Read the next chapter on our vipnovel.com

Li Lei’s voice was cold. “Let go of her!”

Li Feng smiled with pleasure, slicing through Xia Ling’s clothes with the fingertips that were wearing sharp-armored nails. He conveniently sliced through her weak body, making long traces of blood appear. “Since you are in such a hurry… Xiao Lei, I don’t mind opening her stomach up in front of you.” He licked Xia Ling’s earlobes, added more force, and his sharp fingernails entered Xia Ling’s body as if slicing through tofu!

Xia Ling screamed out in pain. She was afraid Li Lei would be worried, so she held back and endured the pain quietly. Her face was pale, and sweat dripped from her forehead bead by bead. She turned to her side instinctively, trying to avoid bringing harm to the child in her belly.

At the end of the snake pit, Li Lei’s eyes were bloodshot, and he raised his gun to take aim at Li Feng.

However, the range of the pistol could not hit Li Feng who was only a few hundred meters away. Li Feng laughed broadly, gently turning the armor of his fingernail that was embedded in Xia Ling’s belly. The pain almost made her faint. “I will let you see just what is inside the opening of the belly!” Li Feng took the armor out of her belly, raised it high, and was about to become even more vicious!

Suddenly, a red spot appeared on the cave wall beside Li Feng’s body.

It was a small dot, but the cold spot made people feel chilly.

“A sniper?!” Li Feng’s expression changed, immediately looking at the source of the spot. However, the terrain of the cave was too complicated, and from his viewpoint, there was only pitch black in the depths of the cave. “No, impossible…” Li Feng murmured, suddenly raising his voice at Li Lei. “I understand this cave too well, the only sniper position that can shoot inside here is too far! With such a distance, even the world’s best sniper will not be able to shoot. Don’t think of trying to scare me!”

Li Lei was very calm, on the other hand. “Whether it’s true or fake, you can try it out.”

Li Feng looked at him gloomily, then laughed slyly all of a sudden. “He can’t shoot me! The red dot is beside me on the wall! Hahaha! If he could have shot me at this angle, he would have already! Right?! Hahahahahahaha…”

Li Lei frowned. This crazy brother of his, how was he still so prudent at this juncture? He was right, the positioning of the sniper did have its limits, and even though it was only a difference of a few meters, he indeed could not hit Li Feng. Otherwise, Li Lei did not doubt that the sniper would have blown Li Feng up into pieces at first sight!

He looked at Li Feng coldly and said, “You’re right. With this position of yours, the sniper can’t shoot you. But if you open up Xiao Ling’s abdomen, you can believe that the moment you reach out your hand, the sniper will shoot it and disable it!”

Li Feng looked at him enchantingly. “Your sniper position is too far, I don’t believe there’s anyone in the world with such accurate aim.”

Li Lei said, “The one aiming at you is called Xia Moyan.”

Xia Moyan!

Brother was here too!

Xia Ling’s spirit was jostled, and she struggled to tell herself to hold on and cooperated with Li Lei to frighten Li Feng. “Brother’s marksmanship has always been accurate, you can’t use a normal human’s standards to assess him!”

Chapter 949: I Will Rescue Xiao Ling Even If I Die
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

After hearing that the sniper was actually Xia Moyan, Li Feng hesitated.

Xia Ling was right, how could he use common sense to assess The Preceptor?

He narrowed his eyes and looked at Xia Ling. It would be wonderful if he could die together with Xia Ling, then Xiao Lei would not be able to forget about him for his entire life… However, the speed of a bullet was faster than that of a dagger, and he understood clearly that even before he could cut open Xia Ling’s belly, the bullet would have disabled his arm!

Do not make unnecessary sacrifices.

Having thought through this point, Li Feng laughed slyly. “It’s such a pity, my dear sister-in-law, that I can’t cut your child out of you myself. But don’t worry, I have prepared an alternate plan in preparation for this kind of situation. Look.” He pointed to a tiny platform not far away, where there was only a chainsaw on it, as well as a huge meat grinder. The two machines were connected by steel cables, which sprawled across the snake pit and were connected to the chains that held Xia Ling’s hands together.

Xia Ling’s face turned pale once again.

Li Feng laughed like a child who had just expressed his love for his toys to adults. “The chainsaw and meat grinder aren’t bad, right? Xiao Lei, your beloved woman will be hung across the snake pit with the steel cable, and then longitudinally slashed by the chainsaw. The baby in her belly will also be sliced into two parts… After that, their bodies will be ground into pieces of meat, flowing into the snake pit piece by piece and feeding my snakes! Interesting, isn’t it? Hahahahaha!”

With that, he pressed roughly on a red button, and the cable started to turn slowly!

“Xiao Ling!” Li Lei shouted, so anxious that his tone had changed.

Xia Ling was hung on the steel chain, completely unable to resist against the huge mechanical force, and was slowly heading towards the direction of the chainsaw! Li Lei did not have time to think much further, he stepped onto the narrow bridge that linked the snake pit to the platform not far away, on his way to save her. However, the moment he stepped onto it, a snake flew up ferociously from the pit and tried to bite him!

He dodged it instinctively, relying on the intuitive response from all those years of knives and fire, only able to avoid it by using the instincts he had developed by facing life-and-death situations. The narrow bridge under his feet shook violently, almost throwing him into the snake pit. He stabilized himself, shocked, and heard Li Feng’s laughter sound from somewhere. “Oh Xiao Lei, this is the little bridge that I have prepared just for you. Is it fun? Hahaha! There are countless of these flying snakes, it will definitely be enough to make sure your journey is filled with joy, just be careful not to be bitten by them. Oh, and be careful not to fall into the snake pit, your dear little rabbit is still waiting for you to come rescue her! Hahahahahaha…”

He did not know what equipment he had used, but his voice seemed to come from all directions.

Li Lei raised his head to look and saw that Li Feng’s figure was no longer at the platform where he originally was.

He took a deep breath and focused all his attention on concentration. No matter how difficult the obstacles, he was going to strive his best to rescue the woman he loved!

“Li Lei!” It was Xia Ling’s voice. Her hands were tied up in mid-air, and she was sliding closer towards the chainsaw. Her voice carried her tears as she cried, “Go back! Don’t come here! Do you hear!”

Those snakes were colorful and had beautiful triangular heads, and at first glance, it was obvious that they were poisonous!

Li Lei bit his lip and did not answer. He advanced towards her step by step, he had to get to her before she was sawed in half by the chainsaw! Another snake leaped, and he ducked it yet again. On the other side, another flying snake flew at him in a smashing angle, trying to bite him, and it looked as though it was impossible to escape it!

“Li Lei!” Xia Ling cried out.

“Peng!” A gunshot sounded, and a sudden burst of blood was seen in the air. The snake that had been flying at him was hit by the bullet, and was instantly broken into two! The snake fell weakly before falling into the snake pit, and the tens of thousands of snakes inside fought over it for food. In a flash, all that was left was its white skeleton!

Xia Ling looked on with shock, almost forgetting that she was in danger herself, and only praying for Li Lei to be safe.

Li Lei clenched his teeth and continued advancing. Another snake leaped up, and this time, he did not need to dodge, for the bullet landed on the snake’s body firmly. Like its unfortunate predecessor, it burst into a ball of blood mid-air and was quickly gobbled up by his fellow companions.

That was…

Xia Moyan’s sniper rifle.

Stable and accurate.

Xia Ling was right, he was indeed not an ordinary person. No sniper in the world could hit at a distance like that, but he could. He was hiding behind a hole far away, narrowing his eyes to aim inside the snake pit, taking cover for Li Lei so that he could advance. One shot, another shot…

The two men worked together seamlessly, and Li Lei was nearing the rooftop little by little.

Another snake leaped up. Xia Moyan pressed onto the trigger, and a shot was about to go off when suddenly, someone came out from behind and stabbed a dagger into the back of his heart!

Xia Moyan was concentrating on his mission, and when that person appeared, he was completely unprepared. He only moved slightly to the side by instinct, barely avoiding the critical spot, but he still snorted and was immediately injured.

“Ah… I thought you were so powerful, but The Preceptor is just this much.” A cool, slimy voice sounded. It was Li Feng. This was the snake cave, his old nest, and when he was being aimed at by the sniper at the rooftop just now, he had already guessed the location of the sniper’s ambush and had come over quietly after pressing the chainsaw’s button.

He lifted his leg to turn Xia Moyan’s body, seeing how Xia Moyan’s white clothes were now stained with his fresh blood. He smiled happily. “Being able to kill The Preceptor myself… I am truly excited…” He slowly leaned down and was so excited that his whole body was trembling. Although his main target was Li Lei, it was undeniable that being able to step on Xia Moyan, whom the whole world feared, brought some kind of thrill to him!

He licked his lips and raised the dagger in his hands, then stabbed Xia Moyan.

Although Xia Moyan’s identity was honorary and had the technique of metaphysics to predict things, in the face of a real gunfire war, he was only good at his sniper skills. At close combat, he was simply not Li Feng’s rival, a man who had experienced countless wars. He could only watch as the dagger head towards his heart and stab into it, and yet he could not dodge it.

At the time of life and death, suddenly, another gunshot sounded.

This time, it was Li Feng’s chest that opened like a bloody flower. His eyes widened, and he slowly fell down, incredulous. “Who… You…” That gunshot had not hit his critical point, and he struggled, wanting to look back.

Xia Moyan looked behind him too, his expression calm as water. “You’ve arrived.”

Behind him, a tall God-like figure stood there, and although his face was sallow and full of illness, his cold bloodthirsty eyes made him seem like the Death God from Hell.

Pei Ziheng stepped forward, kicking Li Feng away and pulling Xia Moyan up.

“Li Lei still has not finished crossing that bridge, cough.” He coughed and said to Xia Moyan. “Continue firing to protect him. And even if he dies, we still have to rescue Xiao Ling.”

Chapter 950: Shirt Drenched in Blood
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Xia Moyan’s injury was critical, and his white shirt was soaked in blood.

However, for his sister’s safety, he still hoisted his sniper gun forcefully and used all of his willpower to aim accurately at the flying snakes in mid-air. One time, two times, he maintained the life passage on the short bridge.

Li Lei had already been bitten by the snakes twice.

These kinds of snakes were poisonous, and although he already knew that Li Feng liked poisonous snakes before he had come to rescue her, and had done some protective measures for this purpose—such as antidote shots—but after all, it was impossible to be completely unaffected, and the injury caused his movements to become dull and awkward. He struggled to advance in the midst of the protection of the gunshots before finally arriving at the platform where Li Feng was previously standing. He closed the chainsaw’s button immediately.

The steel chain in the automatic operation stopped.

Xia Ling, who was suspended in mid-air, also stopped just a few inches away from the chainsaw.

However, she was in another isolated platform.

“Xiao Ling, hold on!” Li Lei yelled at her.

Xia Ling stared after him, her eyes filled with tears. The corners of her skirt were almost rolled into the chainsaw—if he had not arrived on time, she and her baby would have already turned into a puddle of mud by now. However, the excruciating pain of her lower body was becoming more intense, and she did not dare think about what condition her baby was in. She forced herself to focus all of her attention on Li Lei, and said in a crying tone, “Be careful!”

Li Lei was covered in blood, and it was hard to differentiate whether it was caused by the enemy or by the snake who had just bitten him.

He gestured an “OK” sign to her and took off his outerwear, tying it into a rope and hanging it on the steel chain, then sliding over in her direction. The strenuous exercise made the blood in his body flow even faster, and the poison spread, making his head feel giddy. He held onto his breath and slid over to her side of the platform, carefully releasing her away from the steel rope. “Xiao Ling, are you okay?!” He asked anxiously.

Xia Ling swallowed and did not say a word, only knowing to shake her head.

He surveyed her. She was wearing a thin dress, and the slashes across her chest done previously by Li Feng were almost impossible to cover. What was even more terrifying was that her white fair skin now had traces of long thin bloodstains left behind. If it had cut a little deeper, it would have been enough to open up her belly!

Afraid, Li Lei helped her tidy her clothes before carrying her on his own back.

“Hold on to me,” he said to her. “This platform has snakes in all directions, I am taking you back to the platform on top. After that, we will cross the bridge from there and head to somewhere safe.”

The pit was boiling with snakes, and they arched their heads, slithering and spitting their red forked tongues as they looked at them on the platform. Xia Ling looked up over at the platform he had leaped from, her voice slightly unstable as she asked, “Can we climb over?”

Between the two platforms, there was a slope.

They were currently at the lower levels, which was why Li Lei could use the tied clothes as a rope to sway down so quickly. However, swaying back there from the bottom level to the higher level was much more difficult.

Li Lei’s voice was stable and powerful, just like a mountain, calming her heart. “It’s okay, you just have to grab on tightly to me. I will not take you and our child’s lives lightly.”

The child…

Xia Ling could only feel unbearable pain in her lower belly, and she did not know how the child was. Was it still alive? She continued to heal, yet more and more snakes were gathering below the platform. A few of the snakes even used the help of their accumulated companion’s strength and almost flew up the platform several times!

It would not be long before the platform fell into the midst of the snakes.

There was no other choice.

Xia Ling recognized the situation quickly and hugged on tightly to Li Lei’s back.

Li Lei said, “Hold on tightly.” He climbed the thick steel rope with great force, alternating his hands and slowly moving towards the upper platform with much difficulty. His physical strength had always been good, and even with someone on his back now, he was still stronger than most ordinary people. Furthermore, Xia Ling had lost so much weight these days, relieving him of further burden.

However, even though that was the case, carrying the weight of two adults and climbing up against gravity was much more difficult, and sweat dripped from his forehead bead by bead, soon drenching his whole body. The hand he was gripping the steel chain with was trembling, and a few times he almost slipped. However, at the thought of his back carrying the lives of the woman he loved and his own child, he gritted his teeth and carried on no matter what…

Xia Ling did not dare speak nor move, and even her breathing was taken with care.

She was afraid that she would distract him, making him lose his grip accidentally and fall into the terrifying snake pit. Underneath the steel rope, countless colorful snakes were gathering at the places where his sweat and blood dripped on, and their hissing sound grew louder still. The flying snakes continued to leap at them, trying to bite their bodies.

Through the soaked clothes, she could feel his muscles trembling and stretching out, as if every force in the body was being squeezed and used without mercy, working hard for their survival without reservation.

Suddenly, one of his hands slipped, and the two of them lost their balance and almost fell into the snake pit.

“Ah!” Xia Ling cried out in shock.

Li Lei stabilized his body in shock. This slip had, however, retreated them back by almost half a meter. For God’s sake, when he was climbing just half a meter just now, he had felt like a century had passed…

He gasped vigorously, sweat dripping off him.

At his feet, flying snakes leaped one after another, and even with Xia Moyan’s sniper’s protection, all the snakes could not be hit accurately due to his injured state. One thick snake almost touched Li Lei and Xia Ling’s feet but was kicked away fiercely by Li Lei.

“Li Lei!” She looked over at the platform that was still far away, opening her mouth and her voice carrying her tears. “Put me down… if only one of us can survive, just put me down!” She was afraid. An unprecedented fear filled her. She was truly afraid that he would not make it to the end, and let the family of three perish together in the snake pit.

If God had decided to let her die, then she did not want to drag him down too.

Li Lei panted heavily and stopped for a while before saying, “Don’t be ridiculous.”

One bite of lip, one forceful movement, and they moved up again with great difficulty.

The steel cable was dangerous, and the snakes below were piling up higher and higher. There were always snakes leaping up, and one of them even managed to bite his calf. She could hear his yelp of agony, yet he still gritted his teeth and climbed upwards.

Xia Ling hung onto his back, the clothes on his lower body tying a marvelous knot and clinging onto his waist, binding the two together. At that moment, she only wanted to find a tool and cut off the clothes that were blocking her from fulfilling her intentions. Maybe then he would have less burden and could make it across the platform alone.

Her tears fell like broken beads of a necklace.

Unfortunately, there were no tools, and even if she let go of her hand, she would not fall directly into the snake pit and would cause him even greater disturbance by causing a sudden loss of balance. Xia Ling was both afraid and anxious, what on earth could she do?