Chapter 132: Where Karma Fails to Form, Retribution Takes Its Place

Seeing this, my eyes widened sharply. I pulled my head back while grabbing hold of the tongue with one hand.

I gave it a hard yank, and a "Spell to Break Evil" in my hand instantly transformed into a talismanic flame, which I slammed directly onto the snake-like head. The flames spread rapidly along the tongue and into the blonde man’s mouth, causing him to howl in agony. To prevent the fire from consuming his entire body, he ruthlessly bit off his own tongue, which had morphed into a serpent. The severed head fell to the floor, writhed a few times, and was reduced to ashes.

"Trying to run!"

The blonde man seemed surprised by my ferocity. Once he scrambled to his feet, he turned and dashed toward the window. If I let him escape today, there was no telling when this matter would be resolved. I stood up and kicked him in the back. He stumbled forward two steps, landing right by the windowsill. A look of joy flashed across his face as he prepared to vault out, but I lunged forward, grabbed him by the hair, and dragged him back to the floor with all my might. I then sat on his stomach and clamped one hand around his throat.

All of this happened in an instant. Once he was subdued, I looked at Wang Lei and asked, "Is this the one?"

Wang Lei nodded frantically. After a moment’s thought, I dragged the man into the living room. At my call, Song Zhong and Wang Song came out. When they saw the blonde man pinned beneath my feet, they looked at me, then at each other in confusion.

"Who is he?" Song Zhong asked, pointing at the blonde man.

I looked directly at Wang Song and said, "He is the one trying to ruin your son."

Upon hearing this, Wang Song stared at the blonde man in astonishment. His body instinctively leaned toward him, yet he seemed gripped by fear. I rolled my eyes and said, "He is a human."

Hearing this, Wang Song’s fury ignited. He rolled up his sleeves, grabbed the blonde man by the collar, and slammed a fist into his face. Wang Song was venting his rage; he had spent these past few days in constant terror. He had already lost his younger son and seen his family torn apart; he could not bear to lose Wang Lei as well. Ever since Wang Lei started acting strangely, Wang Song’s first instinct had been to blame his younger son for tormenting his older brother. Realizing now that it was this blonde stranger, he felt immense guilt and shame, and he poured all his pent-up emotions into beating the man.

Wang Song’s blows grew increasingly vicious. I felt that his current behavior finally matched his rugged appearance.

"Jiang Huai, shouldn't you stop him? Aren't you afraid he'll kill him?"

"Kill him?" I pulled a Red Square Seal cigarette from my pack, lit it, and watched Wang Song as I replied softly, "No. He is already a dead man."

A dead man?

Song Zhong stared at me, his face full of bewilderment. Just as he was about to ask, I walked over to Wang Song and placed a hand on his shoulder. "That’s enough."

"Let go! He wanted to destroy my son! I’m going to beat him to death!" Wang Song’s eyes were bloodshot. He tried to shake off my hand, only to find that my grip was as firm as a pair of iron pliers. A second later, Wang Song realized what was happening and looked at me in shock. I offered a faint smile, released him, and patted his shoulder. Wang Song instinctively stepped back.

The blonde man had been pummeled for several minutes, yet there wasn't a single bruise or scratch on his face.

"You can't beat him to death. I said he was a human, but I never said he was a living one."

As soon as the words left my lips, I dragged the blonde man up and had Song Zhong fetch a hemp rope from my backpack. It was just an ordinary rope; I wasn't shameless enough to try to get one like the special ones my grandfather used to give me. Once I had the man bound, I pasted talismans on his chest and back. I sat down in front of him and looked at him with a smile. "Who are you?"

The blonde man let out a cold snort. "I advise you to release this Lord, otherwise, none of you will have a place to be buried!"

Hearing this, I feigned terror and patted my chest. "Oh no, what do I do? I’m so scared. I’ll let you go right now!"

As I said this, I actually stood up as if to untie him. But halfway through, I suddenly clamped my hand around his throat and forced his mouth open. His tongue had already grown back.

I spat on the ground and looked at him with a strange expression. "You keep calling yourself 'this Lord'—what exactly are you? Your tongue turns into a snake, you bite it off, and it grows back, yet you have no heartbeat or breath. Can you even be called a living person?"

I shifted my gaze, moved behind him, and placed my hands on his shoulders. "What are you? You’d better tell me voluntarily, or you’re going to suffer."

The blonde man gave a scornful laugh. He claimed I lacked the ability to do anything to him and warned that if he revealed his true identity, everyone who knew would have to die. Although I suspected he was bluffing, I didn't want to gamble with the lives of Song Zhong and Wang Song.

I looked at Wang Song and said, "I’m taking him away for now. I’ll tell you more once I’ve figured this out."

"This... you're just taking him away like this?"

I nodded, looked at Wang Song with a smile, and countered, "Why? Do you want to deal with him yourself?"

Although Wang Song hadn't finished venting, he was genuinely afraid to face the man now that he knew he wasn't a living being.

After getting into the car, I had Song Zhong drive us to the Baolian Ancient Temple instead of back to my shop. I didn't let Song Zhong follow me inside; I told him to wait for me while I dragged the blonde man into the heart of the temple.

As soon as we entered, the blonde man’s eyes lit up, and he began inhaling the atmosphere of the temple with gluttonous intensity.

"Jiang Huai, I didn't expect you to have such a fine place! Hahaha! Are you afraid? Are you trying to use the malevolent yin energy in this temple to supplement yourself? Let me tell you, this energy is nowhere near enough, and don't think for a second that I will forgive you!"

I grinned at him. The next second, I grabbed his hair and slammed his head against the base of a dilapidated Buddha statue. I formed a hand seal. "By the order of the law!"

I slapped my palm onto the crown of his head. His entire body began to vibrate at a high frequency, and his eyes rolled back. White smoke began to rise from the point where my hand met his skull.