Chapter 95: Aftereffect
Ling Yu thought as she stared at him with expressionless eyes, patting Fluffy’s head with the back of her hand, careful not to get it stained with blood from her hand.
"I’m sorry, I didn’t control my strength and went too far. Were you afraid?" Ling Yu’s voice was especially soft as she patted it gently.
"Coo..." As if confirming Ling Yu and assuring her, it let out a cry as it took her patting with closed eyes. It’s trust in her that does not waver even for once.
His men, who had followed him at a distance, were frozen outside the shed, staring with pale faces. None dared to enter. The scent of fear clung to them, heavier than the smell of blood.
Ling Yu wiped her bloodstained fingers on a rag lying nearby, her face calm as though nothing had happened. "If you cannot control your men," she said flatly, "then I will."
Shen Ming’s smile widened, though his eyes were still cold. "Control them? No. You literary destroyed them. And yet..." He glanced at the boy behind her, still clutching the remains of his torn shirt to his chest. "...I cannot even blame you. Your actions send a clearer message than any rules could."
Ling Yu didn’t answer. She turned, gently tugging the boy to stand straighter. His knees wobbled, but he clung to her presence like a lifeline. Fluffy nuzzled against his cheek, chirping comfortingly.
[Survivor has imprinted partial trust.]
[System Warning!]
[Shen Ming’s Favorability has changed — ’Wary Interest’ → ’Dangerous Obsession.’]
Her gaze flicked briefly to Shen Ming, not caring what he thought about her.
The metallic stench of blood hung in the air like a suffocating shroud. Ling Yu’s fists, though delicate in appearance, were drenched in crimson. Droplets slid down her pale wrists, pooling at her fingertips before dripping onto the ground with a dull patter. Around her, Shen Ming’s men lay sprawled like broken dolls, bones shattered, faces caved in, groaning in agony, unable to even crawl away.
Her breathing was steady, unhurried. She hadn’t fought like one forced into desperation. Rather, Ling Yu had fought with purpose and precision. Her rage that sharpened into discipline, cruelty honed into efficiency. Every strike had been placed to cripple them without mercy, to ensure these thugs would never again raise their hands to anyone.
Fluffy, perched on her shoulder, had its fur bristled up like a spiked halo, it’s tail lashing with a mixture of excitement and pride. Its little eyes glittered mischievously, and even though it couldn’t speak human words, its aura radiated smug satisfaction. It nuzzled her cheek, smearing some of the blood onto her already pale skin.
Then came the flood of system messages.
[Unknown Cosmic Deity is ecstatic!
][Unknown Cosmic Deity laughs: "Crush them harder, Little Fang! Break their bones until their cries reach the heavens!"]
[Unknown Cosmic Deity has gifted 50 Gold Coins.]
[Ares, God of Bloodshed, enters the stream.]
[Ares sneers at the lower being.]
[’Oh? I thought this world’s players were soft. But this girl... this girl knows how to paint the earth with screams. Delightful!’]
[Ares has sponsored 200 Gold Coins.]
[Unknown Cosmic Deity is glaring at Ares for trying to hog the spotlight.]
[Unknown Cosmic Deity hisses and shows hostility to other beings.]
["She’s mine to sponsor first, don’t you dare!"]
[Bastet, Goddess of Guardianship, enters the stream.]
[Bastet observes the Hunter.]
[’For the sake of protecting one stranger, she was willing to defy the wolves. I approve.’]
[Bastet has sponsored 100 Gold Coins.]
[Your Sponsor Count has increased to 26.]
[Warning: Excessive sponsor attention may draw hostile cosmic interference.]
Ling Yu blinked once, calmly dismissing the glowing panels that flooded her vision. She didn’t need them right now. What mattered was the silence that followed, the silence of absolute dominance.
The rescued man, still trembling on the ground, his torn shirt barely clinging to his frame, stared up at her with wide, tear-streaked eyes. His golden skill book hovered faintly above him, casting a divine glow that only she could see. He looked as though he couldn’t decide whether to worship her or to fear her.
Meanwhile, Shen Ming’s smile twitched. His jaw tightened, and his hand that were tucked discreetly behind his back clenched so hard that his knuckles whitened.
This wasn’t what he had planned.
He had brought Ling Yu here intending to parade his authority, to show her how helpless the common people were without his benevolent rule. She was supposed to be charmed, cornered into admiring his "strength," then indebted to him for his protection.
Instead, she had turned the stage upside down.
His men, his enforcers, and his carefully maintained image of dominance were bleeding in the dirt, groaning like pigs before slaughter. And the woman he’d intended to seduce stood before him like a blood-drenched goddess, her presence eclipsing his.
She turned her head slowly, an ethereal smile curving her lips. It was dazzling, almost holy, and yet the fresh blood still dripping from her knuckles twisted that beauty into something indescribably terrifying. Her eyes gleamed with a cold light that seemed to strip away the masks people wore and pierce straight into the marrow of their bones.
"Since I’ll join your camp anyway," Ling Yu said softly, her voice carrying like a bell in the silence, "isn’t it better to show your people who’s boss beforehand?"
She tilted her head, smile widening just a fraction. "Don’t you think so too... Leader Shen?"
The honorific should have been respectful. Instead, it felt like a knife pressed to his throat.
Shen Ming swallowed hard. His instinct screamed at him to retaliate, to reassert his authority. But before he could even form words, his sponsor’s warning cut through his thoughts.
[Divine patron has interfered in the scenario.]
[Message: "Do NOT provoke her. That woman is not someone you can afford to cross. Her sponsors are... not ordinary. Control your pride if you wish to survive."]
Shen Ming’s heart skipped a beat.