The Game Of Immortality

"I'm old and useless," he thought bitterly, his heart aching with every step on his cane. "If only I were stronger, younger, maybe I could do something…"

The villagers spoke among themselves, their unease growing as they watched Zhan Ting disappear into his small home.

Meanwhile, Sun Qing remained unmoving, his cold gaze fixed on the crowd.

Moments later, Zhan Ting emerged, alongside him the same girl that Lin Fang saved.

Sun Qing remained motionless, hovering like a vengeful spirit over the crowd. His eyes burned with suspicion, scanning the two figures emerging from the house.

His gaze locked on the girl, and recognition flickered in his expression. His frown deepened as he descended from the air, his boots hitting the ground with an almost deafening silence.

His aura rose like flames, choking the gathered villagers as Sun Qing's voice cut through like a blade.

"Old man," he said coldly, his gaze drilling into Zhan Ting, "what are you hiding from me? This girl is perfectly fine, yet you tried to deceive me. Both of you are hiding something!"

Zhan Ting's forehead dripped with sweat, his trembling hands gripping his cane for support. His lips quivered, struggling to form words under Sun Qing's piercing glare.

"I-I don't dare," Zhan Ting stammered, his voice weak and panicked. "I-I was ignorant, esteemed master. Please forgive this humble—"

Before he could finish, Sun Qing's hand lashed out, the slap echoing like a thunderclap through the square.

Zhan Ting's frail body flew backwards, his cane clattering to the ground as he crashed into a stone house.

The impact of his body hitting the stone house was brutal.

Zhan Tign's head struck the wall with a sickening crunch, blood pouring down his face. A jagged piece of his skull was missing, and his lifeless body slumped to the ground in a heap.

A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. The village elder's face turned ashen, his mouth agape. He stumbled back a step, his hands trembling.

"Zhan Ting… he's dead," the elder whispered, horror dripping from his tone.

His fists clenched at his sides as anger and fear waged war within him. 'Idiot! Why would you lie? You've brought danger upon all of us! I hope this ends without more bloodshed…' He thought, his eyes darting toward Sun Qing's looming figure.

The girl stood frozen, her mind struggling to process what had just happened. Her father—her only family—lay crumpled on the ground, blood pooling beneath him.

She took a shaky step forward, then another, her hollow eyes fixed on his lifeless form. Tears spilt silently down her cheeks, her body trembling as she neared him.

It was as if the heavens shared her grief. The bright sky dimmed, grey clouds gathering swiftly.

A cold wind swept through the village.

The first drops fell hesitantly, then more, then more until the skies opened fully, crying in tandem with the girl.

Sun Qing watched her with no emotions, his presence as unyielding as the rain. He didn't allow her time to mourn.

He stepped forward, his hand shooting out to grab her by the hair. The girl gasped, her hands flying up to clutch at his wrist, but alas, the girl's strength was no match for his.

Sun Qing lifted her slightly off the ground, forcing her tear-streaked face to meet his. His voice was calm and devoid of any emotions.

"I will ask you one question, answer truthfully, and I will spare your life."

The girl's lips trembled, but she didn't respond immediately. Her tears mixed with the rain, and the villagers watched with bated breath, their expressions a mix of terror and helplessness.

Sun Qing's patience was thinning, his tone dropping a degree colder. "Do not test me, girl. Speak now, or I will send you to your father."

The villagers exchanged uneasy glances, some turning their heads away, unable to watch the unfolding cruelty.

The girl's breaths came in ragged gasps, her voice barely audible as she finally forced out a shaky response.

"What… do you want to know?"

Sun Qing's cold eyes bore into Xia Ting, his presence as oppressive as the stormy clouds overhead.

"My son… he died a day ago," Sun Qing said, his tone low, though anger simmered just beneath the surface. "Do you know anything about it?"

Xia Ting's face remained blank, but inside, her heart plummeted into an abyss. Her thoughts spiralled, her mind racing as she tried to calculate her chances.

'He'll know if I lie!' she thought frantically, her breath catching in her throat. 'I can't lie to him… but if I tell the truth… I'm dead!'

Her fingers trembled as she clutched at her wet clothes, her mind conjuring a desperate image of Lin Fang—his handsome face, the way he had saved her once before.

For a fleeting moment, hope sparked in her chest.

'Please… save me,' she begged silently, her thoughts like a prayer.

But no hero appeared this time. There were no gallant footsteps in the distance, no flash of a righteous knight in white armour cutting through the rain.

She was alone...

"Answer me!" Sun Qing's shout cracked like a whip, the force of it making her flinch. 

"I—" Xia Ting stammered, her voice barely audible over the sound of the rain.

She swallowed hard, forcing the words past her trembling lips. "I met a person in the forest… but he was fighting another person. I'm not sure if that's who you mean..." 

It wasn't a lie.

She had met Sun Zhao, and Lin Fang had fought him to protect her. But she carefully omitted her involvement, changing the narrative to make it seem as though she were nothing more than an accidental witness.

Sun Qing's expression hardened, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "Do you know what they look like?" he asked, his voice now carrying his restrained fury.

"Y-Yes," Xia Ting replied quickly, her mind scrambling to recall Lin Fang's and Sun Zhao's features.

She described them carefully—their height, body stature and so on.

The more she spoke, the tighter Sun Qing's fists clenched at his sides.

His anger was now materialising, radiating off him in waves that made the villagers shrink back instinctively.

When she finished, Sun Qing stared at her in silence for a long, agonizing moment. His gaze was so cold it felt like ice pressing against her skin.

Finally, he leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a chilling tone.

"Is there anything you are hiding from me?"

Xia Ting froze.