She paused in the middle of getting dressed and turned to look at him. "What am I doing?" she asked, a little baffled.
Hu Yan stared at her unblinkingly, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "You soothed my rampaging spiritual power. You must want something in return, right? Is it Star Coins? Crystal Cores? Or have you just thought up a new way to torture me?"
Then, as if something occurred to him, his expression changed drastically. "What did you send Lang Qin and the others to do now?!"
His words made Bai Zhi's heart clench. As she recalled the things the original owner had done, she suddenly realized why this all seemed so familiar. 'Isn't this from a novel I've read?'
In the novel, the original owner served as a foil to the heroine. The heroine was radiant and resilient, whereas the original owner was her cruel older cousin.
The heroine had a wonderful personality and great abilities; everyone loved her. The original owner, in contrast, was from a poor family yet was greedy and lazy.
They lived on a remote planet, a spaceship ride away from the Main Star. The original owner's father had once saved five Beastmen, which was why, despite being dirt-poor, she had five Beast Husbands. His only dying wish was that they protect his daughter. If not for those five Beast Husbands, the original owner would have likely starved to death that first winter after her father died.
But what did she do? Out of jealousy toward the heroine, the original owner constantly beat and berated her five Beast Husbands. Whenever the heroine showed any concern for them, the original owner would later subject them to a series of horrific abuses, making them all hate her to their very cores.
After all, the situation was utterly infuriating. Her Beast Husbands earned money for her to spend, and she repaid them with abuse. Anyone would find that unacceptable.
She also frequently forced them to take on high-risk missions for the huge payouts, knowing that if they died, she would receive an additional death benefit.
Yet she wouldn't spend a single cent of the money they earned on them. As a result, they were left shirtless year-round, their bodies covered in innumerable scars.
Today, the original owner had promised to behave. But when the heroine saw Hu Yan's injuries, she pitied him and asked the original owner to apply some medicine. This sent the original owner into a jealous rage, and she nearly strangled Hu Yan in bed.
'So it's completely normal for Hu Yan to think that way. If I were in his shoes, I'd want to kill the original owner, too.'
In the book, the original owner's constant provocations eventually led to her being killed by her Beast Husbands.
Bai Zhi's expression grew complicated at the thought. She had finally been given a second chance at life, only to find out she was destined to be killed by her own Beast Husbands…
'Luckily, I have the Godly Rich System now. I can shower them with kindness. Hopefully, when the time comes, they'll spare me for the sake of all the good I've done for them.'
'Otherwise, with my slender arms and legs, I wouldn't last a single blow from any of them.'
Bai Zhi cleared her throat and said with a serious expression, "Don't worry. I won't make them do anything dangerous again."
Hu Yan was clearly unconvinced. As he watched her with suspicion, Bai Zhi used her Light Computer to call the others.
Yan Yichen and the others had just found the tracks of a High-level Beast. When they received Bai Zhi's message telling them to come back, they all assumed it was a trick.
'After all, she never gives up until she gets what she wants. Why would she call us back now? This call is probably just a test to see if we actually went.'
Lang Qiu said with a frown, "We've already found the Feathered Dragon Beast's tracks."
Bai Zhi replied, "Stop looking. Come back immediately."
The sound of her voice filled Yue Junxiao with disgust. He subconsciously touched his injured arm—a wound not from hunting, but from the whip Bai Zhi had used on him the day before.
Lang Qiu still had over a dozen needles embedded so deep in his body that he couldn't remove them himself. He needed to go to a clinic, but they had no money.
Yan Yichen asked with a frown, "What now? We just found the Feathered Dragon Beast's trail. Are we really just going to go back?"
Lang Qiu stared at the tracks on the ground, thought for a moment, then said, "I'll call Hu Yan. We'll find out what she's up to."
Hu Yan roared, "The Feathered Dragon Beast? You sent them to Zone C?! Don't you know how dangerous Zone C is?! You actually sent them there! Bai Zhi, you're as vicious as ever! You used me to threaten them, didn't you? You might as well have just let my spiritual power run rampant and kill me!"
Seeing Hu Yan's fury, Bai Zhi felt a headache coming on. 'The original owner really left me a huge mess to clean up.'
She could only say, "Didn't I tell you I wouldn't treat you like I used to? They'll probably call you to confirm. Just tell them to come back. I'm going to go find Sang Mo."
Hearing that she was going to Sang Mo, Hu Yan assumed she was going to torture him. His face paled, and he shot up from the bed.
When the call connected, he spoke rapidly, telling them to return.
When Lang Qiu and the others heard that Hu Yan's voice sounded normal, they knew he was probably all right and decided to head back for now.
Besides, at their current strength, they couldn't guarantee they could defeat the Feathered Dragon Beast even if they worked together.
Following her memories to the basement, Bai Zhi was met with a shocking sight.
Chained in the basement was a man covered in wounds. His upper body was bare, and his lower half was a black snake's tail, stained with blood. Countless scales, glowing with a faint light, were scattered near his tail. Aside from his face, there was hardly an inch of unscathed flesh on his entire body. A few black scales glinted coldly at his temples. Every visible part of him was covered in whip marks, cuts, and other unidentifiable wounds.
He looked up at the sound of the door opening, his face as cold as frost. His crimson eyes locked onto her, and his voice was laced with ice. "What is it today? Ripping out my scales? Carving my flesh? The whip? A branding iron?"
Bai Zhi was terrified by the sight, especially after hearing his bone-chilling words. Looking at his wounds, she managed to choke out, "I... I came to let you out."
But Sang Mo was unmoved, letting out a cold laugh. "Let me out?"
His scarlet eyes glared at Bai Zhi, veins bulging on his neck in fury. He struggled, making the chains that bound him CLANG against each other. "Stop putting on an act! You're just here to torture me, aren't you? Then do it!"
His state terrified her, and she instinctively took a step back. 'I knew the original owner tortured him, but I had no idea it was this bad. She didn't even treat his wounds. If it weren't for his powerful Beastman constitution, he would have been tortured to death long ago.'
Bai Zhi found the key on her person and was about to unlock the chains when Hu Yan suddenly darted out to block her path. His exquisite face was grim. "He can't take any more of your torment. If you haven't had your fill, take it out on me."
A sinister glint flashed in Sang Mo's dark eyes as a bloodthirsty smile slowly curved his lips. "Hu Yan, move. Let her. I want to see what else she has in store for me!"
Bai Zhi glanced at Sang Mo. Not wanting them to see her fear, she feigned composure and dangled the key in her hand. "I'm just trying to unlock his chains."
She hooked the key on her fingertip and held it out to Hu Yan. "If you don't trust me, you can do it."
Hu Yan's narrow eyes narrowed further, his gaze fixed on her with suspicion. Her behavior today was just too bizarre.
Bai Zhi stood there calmly, letting him scrutinize her.
After a long moment, he took the keys from her hand, walked over to Sang Mo, inserted one into the lock, and gave it a gentle twist.
"CLICK—"
The lock sprang open.
Hu Yan was taken aback. The key was real.
Sang Mo merely glanced at the open lock, speaking in a low, indifferent voice. "She was drunk the other day and said she was going to sell us to a black market Gladiatorial Arena for another payday. Find a way to kill her. I'll die with her before I let her get away with it!"