"Please, just kill me."
"Ahhh~~~~ I can't take it anymore, I really can't hold on!"
"My lord, I know I was wrong, I really was wrong! Please, just kill me, I beg you, let me die!"
Under the burning of the flames and the torment that followed, the people of the Zhao Manor had lost all hope of living. They had even begun to beg for mercy.
But Chu Feng paid no attention whatsoever to their pleas.
Under these circumstances, the wretched screams of the Zhao Manor's people grew increasingly chilling — and increasingly unbearable.
However, the people of the Zhao Manor, perhaps terrified by Chu Feng, did one thing right.
Even though their pleas for mercy went unanswered, they did not curse Chu Feng.
But even so, Chu Feng continued to ignore them entirely.
This suffering was exactly the punishment he intended to inflict upon them.
"Chu Feng, why don't you just kill them outright?"
Song Xi spoke to Chu Feng. He was actually pleading on behalf of the Zhao Manor's people — not asking Chu Feng to spare them this time, but merely hoping Chu Feng would grant them a quick death.
But in the end, he had gone soft-hearted.
Song Xi's reaction was likely due to the fact that his mother appeared to be doing fine now. What he didn't know was that his mother only looked fine — in reality, she wouldn't live even three more days.
Seeing this, Chu Feng called Song Xi aside and finally told him the truth about his mother.
This was something Chu Feng couldn't hide forever. Song Xi would find out sooner or later. Rather than letting him be struck by the blow at the last moment, it was better to let him prepare himself mentally in advance.
"Chu Feng, you… you're not joking, are you?" After hearing Chu Feng's words, Song Xi could hardly believe it — or perhaps he simply didn't want to accept the reality. A bitter smile spread across his face.
"Do I look like I'm joking?" Chu Feng asked, his expression extremely grave.
"No," Song Xi said.
"They did this to your mother, and you're still thinking about pleading for them? When are you ever going to harden that soft heart of yours, Song Xi?" Chu Feng asked.
"I was wrong." After uttering those four words, Song Xi fell silent.
However, he only remained quiet for a moment before forcing a smile onto his face. He stopped pleading for the Zhao Manor's people and turned around to resume caring for his mother.
Chu Feng also felt it wasn't right to keep letting the elderly woman listen to the bloodcurdling screams of the Zhao Manor's people.
So he took Song Xi and his mother away from the area, leaving the people of the Zhao Manor behind.
In Chu Feng's eyes, they were as good as dead. No one could save them.
Back at Song Xi's former residence, Chu Feng reconstructed a dwelling just as it had originally been.
Song Xi, his mother, and Aunt Jing could all live together once more.
Chu Feng did not leave either. He wanted to stay and accompany Song Xi's mother through her final days.
Song Xi's mother had been unconscious for a long time, so she didn't really know anything about Chu Feng.
Even learning his name had only happened when she was being interrogated under duress by the Taishan Gate, where she first heard the name Chu Feng.
But as for how Chu Feng and Song Xi had met — she had no idea.
So she had been asking questions about Chu Feng ever since.
On the second morning, Song Xi's mother suddenly said she had something to discuss with Chu Feng in private, and she forcibly sent Song Xi and Aunt Jing out of the room.