Chapter 497: Cruel Metamorphosis
Translator: chuchutrain Editor: Rock, DavidT
As such, Li Xue's coercion of Ling Chen, while cruel, was something that was needed! This was especially when there was still remnant forces of the NanGong Family present. To Li Xue, this was the best opportunity for Ling Chen! If she could surpass her own limits here, then her future would no longer be clogged up. If she refused to do the final blow, then she would also lose the right to be the most loved of Ling Tian, and also the position of Ling Tian's spokesperson! Li Xue would then suggest for the Ling Family Courtyard to have a change of leading personnel…. But neither Li Xue nor Ling Tian would want to see a change in the head.
Ling Chen only felt her brain in a perplexed mess. While her hand still held on to her sword, facing the eyes in front of her begging for pity, she could not make the final blow. However, she suddenly felt her elbow jolting forward without control, followed by an agonized wail…. The sword in her hands had already pierced through the man's chest….
A look of despair appeared on that person's eyes, and he stared straight at Ling Chen as a stream of blood slowly flowed out between his lips. He started to produce gurgling sounds in his throat before he slowly slumped onto the ground. He had truly died this time!
The first one!
Ling Chen let out a loud cry, her voice extremely sharp and piercing as her figure suddenly retreated. On the sword that she still held, drops of blood flowed off from the body of the sword. Her heart was even more perplexed at this time, together with an unspeakable feeling of disgust rising up within her. She suddenly spun around, beginning to vomit in copious amounts as though trying to flood the dams and seas.
It was only after a long time that Ling Chen finally straightened her waist. Her face still remained pale beyond belief, a disorderly look in her eyes, with her body tottering on the spot as though she had no more strength left. The palpitations of her heart, the fear, disgust, still lingered within her mind, impossible to get rid off.
Ling Lei and company were naturally the most heartbroken upon seeing Ling Chen's state, but none of them opened their mouths to prevent this situation. For them, as killers belonging to the First Pavilion, the top-tier assassins of this world, they were crystal clear on the feeling one would have upon killing someone for the first time, for they had walked the very same path long ago. Everyone present knew of Ling Chen's drawback, but nobody dared to force this big sister of theirs! Now that Li Xue had decided to be the villain this time around, Ling Lei and group did not know whether to be resentful or to feel gratitude towards her!
To utilize such methods to force Ling Chen to metamorphosize, only Li Xue would be capable of such a feat. Even Ling Tian was not an exception, for he could not force himself to perform such a matter!
Li Xue coldly stared at Ling Chen, the emotions within her eyes constantly fluctuating, but she suppressed her emotions. She knew that being softhearted to Ling Chen now would be detrimental to her, Ling Tian, as well as all the Ling Family members in the future! Li Xue would never allow her history to be repeated in this life, thus she chose to be ruthless!
If no one wants to be the villain, then let me take the role!
If you people cannot bear to do it, then I'll be the one with the heart of stone!
"Good! Wasn't that a relief, quick and simple? Right now, lift up your sword, and aim towards the second person. Kill him!" Li Xue crossed her arms and coldly continued. Standing by the side, Ling Lei and the rest cast their worried gazes towards Ling Chen, but nobody dared to breathe a word. This was a process she had to go through, and all of them present understood that.
The only person who could not understand this entire process was Ling Chen!
"No! Nono…." Ling Chen began to tremble, "Sister Li, I… I can't do it… stop forcing me, I beg you…"
"Sister Chen, you must do it!" Li Xue softly, yet firmly replied, "The people in front of you are all our enemies. If they do not die, then we will be the ones who die instead! The logic is simple. Ok, calm yourself down, do not panic… that's right! Now, exert all your strength!" As she spoke, the sword on Ling Chen's hands pushed forward once again, and blood spurted; she had killed another person.
"From today onward, these 96 people present, you have to kill 10 every day, splitting these people up into 10 days to kill! Starting from the fifth day, every person you kill must be through a unique method, such as piercing their heart, or beheading, and dismembering. Whatever the case, by the end of 10 days, the lives of these 96 people, including NanGong Yu, must all be ended by your very own hands! You have to try all sort of methods to end their lives, do you understand me?!" Li Xue looked at Ling Chen in pity, but she did not get soft-hearted.
"I…. I can't!" Ling Chen began to feel another wave of nausea. "I… won't be able to! I can't…"
"As for today's quota of ten people, you've only fulfilled two! Continue!" Li Xue seemed to not have heard Ling Chen's protest, "There are still eight more, hurry and finish up so we can all return. If you really wish to bring them back to the base before beginning your slaughter, that's also up to you."
Li Xue's words were said in an indifferent tone, with a hint of mischievousness, as though saying, "There're eight grapes left, hurry and finish them!" Her tone sounded amazingly casual.
However, the moment Ling Chen heard the words 'If you really wish to bring them back to the base before beginning your slaughter, that's also up to you', she could not help but turn around and vomit once again. These were humans that she was talking about, living humans! Slaughtering? Could it be that her Sister Li Xue treated them as livestock?
"This is your mission! You have to complete it. So long as you finish this mission, after the ten days, I can rest assured in leaving you to do whatever you want, neither will I interfere in any of your decisions! However, if you cannot do it, then that would be failing to live up to his expectations!" Li Xue coldly stated. "You had best hurry up, right now there's only Ling Lei and the rest, all of which are assassins of the First Pavilion and have thus seen past life and death. The scene doesn't matter much to them, but if you do this back in the base, then it will affect the influence and prestige which you hold! Once that is negatively impacted, you will also directly affect his career! I believe you do not wish to see such a scene, right?"
Ling Chen's lips trembled, as she lifted up her sword with difficulty. Suddenly the sword in her hands seemed to have multiplied by thousands of times in weight, seemingly impossible to hold...
"Some people are like venomous snakes, seeing them makes you disgusted, and killing them even worse. However, if you fail to eliminate them, allowing them to bite you in return, that would result in your fatality. At that time, the one dead would be you instead." Li Xue indifferently remarked, "A human life is actually similar to that of a pig, or a snake. In the end, it's just a life. You, me, Ling Tian are all the same. It's either you die, or I die. As such, might as well live, it's better than dying."
"I hope that you can think this through quickly, because..." at this point, Li Xue's eyes flashed brightly, "...in the future, the number of people that die by your hand will not end at 96. It will be multiplied by hundreds, even thousands of times! If you do not adapt fast enough, by that time, just the blood spraying into the air will make you faint! It would only make you become the fish on someone else's chopping board!
Li Xue's eyes stared at the distances, her voice unbearably lonely as she continued, "You can never imagine how crazy the battlefield is, how violent. If you cannot get used to bloodshed soon, then you will be unable to set a single step on the battlefield, let alone command thousands of troops! By that time, if you're still sentimental and soft-hearted, you will only send all your comrades into their graves!"
"As such, these people in front of you have to be killed, and killed easily at that! Even if you feel like you're undergoing a thousand types of torture, so much pain that you wish you were dead, you still have to kill!" Li Xue heartlessly looked at Ling Chen. "If you feel that you cannot make a move, then I can help you."
Ling Chen immediately perked up at that. "Sister is great! Come help me."
However, Li Xue's lips twisted into a bitter smile. "My idea of help is something you cannot accept. Do you want to hear it?" Still smiling at Ling Chen, she continued, "I'll lock you in together with them and kill a few, filling up the room with the smell of blood before sealing the door. Only when you've killed all of them will I then let you out. Believe me, I will do as I said. Once I decide on something, no one can stop me, not even him!"
Seeing the smile on Li Xue's face, Ling Chen suddenly felt as though she was looking at a ghost, and with a 'wa' sound, she vomited once again!
This Sister Li Xue was too ruthless! Throw everyone inside, kill a few people to add on to the bloodshed? Thinking about this image, Ling Chen felt as though she was going to faint, let alone mention being there in person.
"If you want to kill them on your own, I will give you 10 days. If you want my help, that will be different, for the time you walk out will be the time the training ends. If you agree to it, I can arrange it for you. By the way, if you can kill all of them present in one day, that is a good and simple way to settle everything as well." Li Xue concluded.
"I…. I think I'll do it myself…." Ling Chen could acutely feel her dry lips, and with difficulty swallowed once in fright.
"Then begin. We don't have that much time." Li Xue gazed up at the sky. "The lady from the Shui Family should be just about arriving to look for you."
Ling Chen took in a deep breath, suddenly snapping her eyes shut and brandishing her sword, sending the head of another person flying into the air! Her arm waved around crazily without stopping, finally stopping and returning to her side. All the while, her eyes remained closed, and only felt droplets of something warm splashing onto her face, while her stomach started to heave once again.
Li Xue sighed in dissatisfaction, but seeing her pale white face, she knew that Ling Chen had probably reached her limits. She could only gently speak, "Today shall be considered a special day, we will stop here. Sister Chen, remember clearly that these people are all out to harm you and him. If you land in their hands, you won't have a chance to beg before being cut into pieces! Unless you are willing to see your beloved being dismembered rather than killing your enemy, I suggest you stop being soft-hearted. I will not force you anymore! However, you had better take out your ruthlessness if you do not want to die in someone else's hands. Kill all the people here within 10 days, and that would be the best help to your man, allowing him to carve out his career in the heavens!"
Seeing Ling Chen with her head down in deep thought, Li Xue stood in silence for a moment before commanding, "Drag these people back to the Ling Family Courtyard."