NOVEL WEB Chapter 1 - Blood Night
Blood, a sea of crimson staining the ground. In the obscurity of night, the acrid scent of blood permeated the air.
Dressed in a red embroidered robe, a youthful man stepped through the gates of the Zuo's Mansion, each footstep imprinting a trail of bloody marks on the stone floor.
The blade rose and fell, claiming the life of anyone within his gaze, their demise brought about by the chilling three-foot-long ice blade.
His eyes bore a fiery red hue, his pallid complexion accentuated his unsettling appearance, while his lips took on an eerie shade of purple. He resembled a malevolent spirit, yet also seemed akin to a puppet devoid of consciousness.
“Ah…” An agitated elderly woman rushed forward, her legs buckling in terror. “Putong!” She collapsed onto the bluestone path, prostrating herself and pleading for mercy. “I beg for my life, I beg for my life…”
The man in crimson lowered his head to regard her, the extended blade poised at her head, his eyes chillingly devoid of emotion, akin to a demon's.
“You deserve to die too!”
The elderly woman trembled uncontrollably, gradually raising her head under the dim illumination. She could now discern the visage of the approaching figure. Her pupils contracted, and a pang of agony coursed through her as she whispered, “Lord Third…” before silently succumbing to the ground.
Within the Zuo's Mansion hall, a once joyous and harmonious gathering had transformed into an eerie stillness, disrupted only by the measured approach of footsteps, drawing ever closer.
The man in crimson forcefully kicked open the door, instantly ushering in a biting gust of cold wind, causing those present to involuntarily shudder.
As everyone beheld the young man standing at the threshold, his long hair billowing in the wind, they were frozen in astonishment, their eyes brimming with disbelief.
“It's you…”
“Shaoqing…”
“Lord Third…”
Zuo Shaoqing entered, his long blade stained with fresh blood. His icy gaze scanned each person's face, and he let out a hoarse chuckle, “Well, well, it seems everyone's gathered here…”
Master Zuo was the first to react; he slammed his hand on the table and stood up, pointing at the unhinged young man, his voice rising, “You wretched boy! What in the world do you think you're doing?”
“Hehe…” Zuo Shaoqing advanced toward him, a sardonic grin stretching across his pallid face, “What do you suppose, Father? While I was in hell, you all enjoyed your little heaven. I can't just let that be.”
With a sweeping motion of his long blade, he severed the path of escape for a maid who had attempted to flee, an utterly gruesome sight that sent the entire room into a chorus of horrified screams.
“Tonight… None of you shall even dream of leaving this place!”
“Son, do you comprehend the gravity of your actions? Would you slay your own father and mother? Those gathered here are your flesh and blood! Do you have no fear of divine retribution?”
“Matricide and patricide?” Zuo Shaoqing let out a low, chilling laugh, his handsome face contorting strangely, “And what if I do?”
Lifting his head, he met the enraged gaze of Zuo Yunwen with unwavering eyes, his voice level, “In truth, our father-son bond came to an end six years ago. As for the so-called mother, didn't my mother die? I refuse to accept a usurper as my mother.”
“You…”
Zuo Shaoqing flicked his finger and pointed at Zuo Yunwen's acupoint. He turned around and stared at the youth who was in the first position on the left side. The corner of his mouth slightly lifted, “Big Brother, I haven't seen you for six years. How have you been?!”
Zuo Shaoyan was much calmer than the others. His usual cold expression didn't change much at this moment, but he said calmly, “Third brother, today is a family banquet. It's great that you're here. How about we sit down and have a drink together?”
Zuo Shaoqing used the tip of his sword to lift Zuo Shaoyan's chin and drew a bloody mark on his fair skin. He said sarcastically, “Haha, big brother is indeed a good official that everyone praises. Such mental fortitude… Tsk, tsk. I admire you, little brother, for not a single bit of shame was shown on your face when you personally sent me out.”
He changed his tone and sinisterly said, “I've been waiting for this day for six years. If I didn't want to see you guys again, would I have to endure six years of living a life worse than death?”
“Third brother…”
Zuo Shaoqing silenced him with a menacing glare, his eyes bearing a sinister, almost devilish intensity that sent shivers down people's spines.
“Since we were kids, Big Bro, you were the one I trusted the most,” he began, his tone tinged with disappointment. “I believed you were different from the rest of the Zuo Family, that you wouldn't hesitate to stand by those who were valuable to you. But look at us now. It's only the direct descendants sitting here, and you're the one above us all. Can you honestly speak of kinship with me without feeling a sense of irony or shame?”
His sword extended, releasing a vivid crimson stream. Zuo Shaoqing gazed at the once composed eyes that had now turned fearful and remarked, almost cheerfully, “If it weren't for the fact that my time is running out, I'd prefer not to let you all meet such an easy end.”
Paying no heed to the cries of agony, Zuo Shaoqing wielded his saber with icy detachment, each stroke carrying the ominous call of death. In a matter of moments, he had maimed most of those in the room, finally pressing the blade's edge against the neck of Mrs. Xue, his wife.
“Mother, this will be the last time I address you as such,” he uttered solemnly. “Your sons and daughters have all descended into the underworld. I imagine you must be eager to join them, right?”
“You… You wretched offspring! If I had known, I would have killed you too!”
Zuo Shaoqing's eyes grew colder, his voice void of any warmth as he inquired, “So you're confessing that my birth mother met her demise at your hands?”
“And what if I did? That harlot dared to seduce the old master while I was pregnant, carrying a secret burden within her womb. Allowing her to live all these years was already a mercy!” she retorted.
Zuo Shaoqing slapped her and shouted, “Do you think Zuo Yunwen is irresistible to all women? Do you believe they're all eager to share his bed? Back then, he was the one who thrust my mother into such a situation.”
“If it wasn't for her…”
Zuo Shaoqing didn't have the mood to continue listening. The Qi and blood in his body surged up, almost bursting out of his throat. He ended Mrs. Xue's life with a single slash, then he walked up to Zuo Yunwen.
After opening Zuo Yunwen's acupoints, Zuo Shaoqing looked at his trembling legs and sneered, “Are you scared?”
“I don't know… Your mother, she…”
“So what if you know?” Zuo Shaoqing interrupted him, “You will kill that wicked woman for my mother? Stop joking around, what does my mother count as? It's just an aunt, I'm not that naive.”
Zuo Yunwen closed his eyes, gritted his teeth and said, “It's my fault towards your mother!”
“It's too late to say that now…”
Zuo Yunwen's eyes widened with fear. In his memory, this son had always been timid and frail. Despite making strides in his studies, he still lagged behind the favored eldest son.
After a six-year absence, the once introverted young man had transformed into someone resolute and ruthless, now proficient in martial arts. Was this destiny's way of playing tricks on people?
In the past, when Mrs. Xue had proposed trading him to benefit the Zuo Family's official prospects, he had hesitated for days before consenting. His lifelong aspiration was to elevate the Zuo Family to the pinnacle, restoring the grandeur of his grandfather's era.
Today, his eldest son had ascended to the position of a fifth-grade Assistant Minister of Revenue, with a promising future ahead. Perhaps he could eventually reach even greater heights.
“It's over…”
Zuo Shaoqing turned away and left the parlor, standing by the door until he heard the sound of someone collapsing.
Thunder rumbled, and a lightning bolt struck right in front of Zuo Shaoqing. He was taken aback, muttering to himself, “Patricide and matricide… was it heaven's lightning judgment? If it wants to strike, then strike…”
Despite the agony of his reversed meridians, Zuo Shaoqing pressed on, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth as he moved forward with great effort.
A brilliant light descended from the heavens, piercing Zuo Shaoqing's Baihui point. The crimson figure slowly descended, a tranquil smile gracing the corner of his lips.
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