Chapter 116
Chapter 116
I knew the demon before me was beyond redemption, utterly devoid of any shred of humanity.
But my father had also committed sins that defied the laws of heaven. Every time I tried to curse this man, he would drag my father into it, leaving me speechless.
“Why the silence?”
Du Ruhai grew smug, his tone becoming provocative. “You keep calling me a demon, claiming you want to kill me for the sake of so-called justice. Then why don’t you kill your father? Because he’s your father, you’ve chosen to remain silent. This is the ‘humanity’ you people speak of.”
I felt like a defeated rooster, my face dark and sullen, unable to find a single word to refute him.
Old Zhao Seven let out a heavy sigh and asked, “Why did you do all of this? What was it for?”
Du Ruhai sighed as well, his smile fading. “I wasn’t bullied as a child, and I didn’t lack for love. There was only one problem: I was poor.”
“So, when I grew up, I stole money and spent my time in and out of jail. Later, Chen Mo’s father gave Li Yujiao and me a large sum of money, and I started killing people. It was actually because of Chen Mo’s father that I discovered an opportunity to transcend my social class.”
Old Zhao Seven asked, “The Seven-Deaths Life-Exchange Technique?”
Du Ruhai nodded, his lips curling upward. “Exactly. I already had the idea back when I killed the first family. I wanted to transcend my class; I wanted endless wealth. So, after I fled to Lanjiang City, I killed seven more people and successfully performed a Soul Seizure on the tycoon of Lanjiang City, the CEO of Weihai Group, Du Ruhai.”
“However, I didn’t realize I was being played. When Chen Guowen and Chen Mo’s grandfather gave me the Seven-Deaths Life-Exchange Technique, they gave me a flawed version. It meant that even after the Soul Seizure, I had to ensure my original physical body stayed alive. I also had to ensure that the other person’s soul remained compatible with my original body. As long as he lives, I can live. If he dies, I die too.”
“This massive flaw has been a constant headache. Because Du Ruhai’s soul isn’t naturally compatible with my body, he became a vegetable. To keep him alive, I have to spend a fortune every year on all kinds of precious medicines to preserve his life.”
Du Ruhai pointed at me and cursed, “Your father and grandfather are two absolute bastards. They were willing to harm others just for your sake. Your father was too cowardly to do the dirty work himself, so he sent me. I went, and I helped them save your life. But the moment I needed something, they burned the bridge behind them and gave me a fake version.”
“I know what they were thinking. They hoped that after I used the flawed version, the defects of the Seven Deaths for Life Exchange would kill me. That way, no one would ever know what they did fifteen years ago. But unfortunately for them, they miscalculated. As long as I have money, I can keep my original body from dying. Even if it costs me millions or tens of millions a year, I don’t care.”
Finishing his piece, Du Ruhai sighed again. “So, this humanity you talk about is nothing but selfishness. No one is truly any more noble than the next person.”
I frowned. “What does what happened fifteen years ago have to do with my grandfather?”
“It seems you really don’t know,” Du Ruhai said with displeasure. “The one who truly knew the Seven-Deaths Life-Exchange Technique was your grandfather. He was the one who taught it to me. Your father, that coward, didn’t know a damn thing. His only role was acting as a messenger to stay in contact with me.”
“That grandfather of yours… damn him. Back when I used the seventh victim to trade with him for the Seven-Deaths Life-Exchange Technique, you were already on the verge of death, yet he still dared to play me. Your family’s treachery is truly ancestral!”
My heart trembled once more. It turned out my grandfather was the true mastermind…
From beginning to end, my father had simply been following my grandfather’s instructions…
“Then why haven’t you ever gone after Chen Mo’s family all these years?” Old Zhao Seven suddenly asked.
Du Ruhai ran a hand through his hair and gritted his teeth. “Because I only just realized that the Seven Deaths for Life Exchange his grandfather gave me was flawed. I always thought it was my own fault-I thought the defects of the Seven Deaths for Life Exchange were random!”
Old Zhao Seven looked like he wanted to laugh, but whether out of consideration for me or Du Ruhai, he held it back.
He asked, “Since you successfully performed a Soul Seizure and gained wealth and status most people couldn’t achieve in a lifetime, why continue doing such wicked things?”
“I’ve looked into it. You were the one who arranged for the car that killed Du Yuwei.”
I had been immersed in grief, but hearing Old Zhao Seven’s words, I was struck by a fresh wave of shock.
Du Yuwei’s death… was also orchestrated by Du Ruhai?
Didn’t he love her to the point of obsession?
“It seems you’ve done quite a bit of digging into me since we met.”
Du Ruhai’s face darkened, and his emotions suddenly became volatile. “Do you think I wanted to do that? I raised her for fifteen years! I gave her the best of everything, including my love! I even killed Li Yujiao for her!”
“And the result? She refused to truly accept me; she even fell for another man! I had no choice but to have someone run her over. Now that she’s dead and a ghost, who else can she seduce?”
“Tell me, who would love a ghost?”
My skin crawled as I listened to him.
Was this how a human being was supposed to think?
“You lunatic!” I roared. “You’re out of your mind! Did you ever even see her as a person?”
“How could I not?” Du Ruhai snapped, his temper flaring as he punched the iron cage. “I never married. I gave her all my love. You say I didn’t see her as a person? You’re full of shit!”
Old Zhao Seven asked, “If you loved her, why take her life? And since you’ve already killed her, why try to bring her back?”
With an air of superiority, Du Ruhai said, “Fifteen years ago, when Chen Guowen and his father resurrected Chen Mo, I witnessed the entire thing. I know exactly what the defect was in that particular exchange. After countless simulations and calculations, I reconstructed the entire process.”
“I plan to use the complete version of the Seven Deaths for Life Exchange to bring her back. Although the complete version still has a defect-the same one manifested in Chen Mo-it’s exactly what I need. This defect will ensure she truly falls in love with me.”
I grew agitated, gripping the bars of the cage. “What exactly is wrong with me? What is my defect?”
Du Ruhai looked at me playfully. “I can give you the answer, but not now. The truth is enough to make you lose your mind, and I don’t want you breaking down just yet. When you break, when you laugh, and when you cry-all of that is for me to decide.”
I slammed my fist against the cage, filled with a rage I was powerless to act upon.
What was my defect? Why hadn’t I noticed anything wrong all these years?
Old Zhao Seven shook his head. “The Seven Deaths for Life Exchange used by Chen Mo’s grandfather wasn’t the complete version either. Otherwise, Chen Mo wouldn’t have that defect.”
Du Ruhai narrowed his eyes, skeptical. “How would you know? What right do you have to say that?”
Old Zhao Seven replied, “Because I have seen the true, complete version.”