Chapter 246: Chapter 39: Two Choices_3
"I... I won’t choose. I’ll take the blame myself. I just beg you, spare them, spare my wife and child..."
But before Ye Nan could finish, a heavy slap struck his face.
Wanping coldly withdrew his hand, ignoring the piercing cries of Ye Nan’s child, and shook his head.
"I said it’s a choice between two, and that’s final. There’s no room for not choosing!"
"So, who will it be? You have ten seconds. If you can’t choose, don’t worry, I’ll choose for you!"
"Ten, nine, eight..."
Wanping ignored Ye Nan, who was kneeling and wailing relentlessly in despair. He also ignored the cries of the woman and child, casually counting down.
Like the tolling of a death knell, Wanping’s voice hammered relentlessly at Ye Nan’s heart, suffocating him.
"One..."
When the count reached one, Wanping calmly looked at Ye Nan, still kneeling and pounding the ground in despair. He shook his head in disappointment.
"ZERO!"
"I’ll do it... Let me do it..."
Just as Wanping finished counting to zero, Ye Nan’s wife slowly stood and walked directly to him.
"Let me do it. Let me test the poison for you... But... can I say a few words to my husband and child first?"
Wanping pursed his lips, raised an eyebrow, and nodded.
Ye Nan’s wife slowly walked to Ye Nan’s side, held his head tightly, and gently kissed his forehead.
"When I’m gone, remember to take good care of yourself and our child. Always cover yourself well with a blanket at night; you have rheumatism, so watch your health. Also, there are some elementary school textbooks in Xiao Ye’s room. No matter how busy you are, you must find time to teach Xiao Ye a little..."
Listening to his wife’s everyday chatter, words he had once found tiresome, Ye Nan now perceived in them a profound concern and a deep unwillingness to part.
"I beg you... I’m begging you... please, spare us... I beg you..."
Ye Nan kept kowtowing to Wanping, his forehead bleeding from the impact, but Wanping only offered a single sentence in response.
"Sis, time’s up..."
Ye Nan’s wife forcefully wiped the tears from her child’s face and straightened his clothes. Then, she turned, walked to the dining table, picked up a bowl of thick soup, and gulped it down!
Through blurred eyes, Ye Nan watched his wife set down the empty bowl. He saw her body collapse limply, then melt into a pool of viscous blood. Then, numbly, he stared as Wanping, seated at the table, slowly began to clap.
"Your wife has proven your loyalty. That’s good. Very good!"
Wanping slowly stood up. Perhaps the acrid stench in the air was too strong; he frowned and covered his nose.
"You used poison. I’ve verified that. You’ve done very well!"
Wanping walked over to Ye Nan and lightly patted his head.
"Excellent. I’m a reasonable man. Like I said, I wouldn’t blame you for not poisoning Wen Yu. See? Isn’t this perfect? You’ve proven you *did* use poison, so this matter no longer concerns you."
Seeing Ye Nan on the ground, staring dazedly at the pool of viscous blood that had been his wife, Wanping shrugged and slowly walked over to Ye Nan’s child.
"Little buddy, what’s your name?"
Ye Nan’s child looked at Wanping, shivering violently. Xiao Ye, having just lost his mother, was too grief-stricken to utter a complete sentence.
Wanping gently stroked Xiao Ye’s head and said softly, "Don’t be sad. Your mom has just gone to a place without conflict. She’ll be very happy there."
Seeing Xiao Ye still weeping, Wanping gently lifted the child and walked to the living room window.
Wanping pointed to the somewhat dreary, overcast sky and spoke to Xiao Ye, cradled in his arm.
"Look, your mom went there. She’ll definitely be happy there."
Behind them, Ye Nan slowly rose to his feet. His voice was hoarse as he began to speak.
"Sir, if you have no further business, could you please return my child to me?"
Wanping turned, a smile on his face, and said to Ye Nan, "Ye Nan, has your child ever been bungee jumping?"
"What are you doing? What do you think you’re—"
Before Ye Nan could finish, Wanping grabbed Xiao Ye by the collar and then hurled Xiao Ye out the window!
Mid-air, Xiao Ye let out a heart-rending cry.
"Daddy, save me...!"
SPLAT!
Ye Nan stumbled forward a few steps in a daze, staring at the large splatter of blood on the ground. His lips trembled, but no sound escaped him until Wanping’s voice slowly echoed.
"I’m a very reasonable person. When I counted to zero, my choice was your child. It’s a pity your wife volunteered to die."
"Naturally, I wouldn’t stop someone who actively seeks death. But her choosing to die doesn’t mean I had to change *my* choice."
"So, Ye Nan, your wife died for nothing!"
Ye Nan slowly turned his stunned face, his eyes gradually filling with a savage, bloodshot glare as he stood motionless, staring at Wanping.
Faced with that gaze, filled with hatred and murderous intent, Wanping simply shrugged.
"Since my business here is done, I’ll be leaving."
Just as Wanping was about to leave Ye Nan’s home, he seemed to recall something and took a large quantity of food and water from his space ring.
"Look, I almost forgot these. I never shortchange those who do my bidding. Since you truly did use poison, it means you’ve completed my task. Well, at least half of it!"
"These are your rewards for the task."
Wanping tossed the supplies onto the ground. Then, staring intently at Ye Nan’s blood-red eyes for a moment, he laughed.
"I think you should thank me. After all, these supplies are enough to last you half a year. Don’t you agree?"
Ye Nan stared fixedly into Wanping’s eyes for a long moment, then slowly parted his lips.
"Thank... you..."
A red liquid, whether blood or tears it was impossible to tell, trickled from the corner of his eye. His mouth stretched into a wide, distorted grin, revealing yellowed teeth. A horrifying, grotesque expression contorted Ye Nan’s face.
It was impossible to tell if this expression was one of weeping or laughter...
Wanping nodded, satisfied. He gently cupped the back of Ye Nan’s head and whispered in his ear, "...That’s more like it..."
"So you see, I’ve killed your entire family, and still, you have to thank me."
"Tsk, tsk. This world... it’s becoming truly interesting!"
With that said, Wanping gazed into Ye Nan’s wide, staring eyes and lightly patted his cheek.
"I’m very satisfied with your performance. A grown man, crying and whimpering like that? What a sight!"
"Live on. Remember, you must live steeped in hatred and regret! Regret how weak you were, how powerless!"
"Also, I’m leaving. No need to see me out. Goodbye."
"Mm, perhaps it’s better if we never meet again. After all, I still have to go to Yanjing to exact my revenge."
After speaking, Wanping walked straight out of the room.
Wanping suddenly turned back, a smirk playing on his lips as he said to Ye Nan, "You’re welcome!"
BANG!
The door slammed shut, and Wanping’s footsteps slowly faded down the hallway.
Ye Nan stood motionless in a daze for a very long time. Slowly, he raised his head. Gazing at what was once his warm home, he began to laugh.
His laughter grew louder and more terrifying, until it was impossible to distinguish from weeping. Indeed, it became hard to tell what kind of creature could even produce such a horrifying sound!
The terrifying, ear-piercing sound echoed throughout the entire building, like the howl of a demon from hell itself!