Chapter 46 - Secrets Buried Deeply in the Night

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Feng Yao slowly let out a breath.

Haaa...luck doesn't seem to be on my side today, huh?

Her fingers tightened around her dagger as she glanced around. Countless figures enshrouded in the darkness stared intensely at her. Only their bright eyes that shined from the fading sunlight were visible in the shadows.

The angry roars of the creature from before were still loudly echoing through the air as it stumbled around and crashed into the walls, but no one paid it any attention, including Feng Yao. 

How could she when she was already in a situation like this?

...Now how am I going to get out of this mess?

At that moment, a rough voice sounded out from her left, fiercely spitting out words as if they were condemning her. 

"It's another disgusting outsider. Who do they think they are to come in and destroy our beautiful village?"

Feng Yao was slightly stunned.

They've still retained their intelligence?

Another voice suddenly interrupted from the other side. This time it was a female voice, although it was much more harsh and full of malicious hate.

"Hah! Doesn't matter as long as we skin and gut them all."

The woman speaking took a small step out of the shadows, her bloodshot eyes still staring unnervingly bright at Feng Yao. It was as if her twitching fingers could already imagine the sensation of hot blood gushing through her fingers as she sliced open Feng Yao's neck.

Feng Yao, however, did not listen to her words. Instead, her attention was completely focused on the woman's look.

Just like the creature that she had fought earlier, this woman's eyes were an eerie shade of light gray, so light that they almost looked white when compared against the redness surrounding them.

However, that was where the similarities ended. 

Her appearance looked almost the exact same as any other young girl you'd find in the kingdom. And her face, although extremely pale, had features that were considered quite pretty. 

If it wasn't for her tattered and filthy clothing that was permanently stained in blood along with her wild and messy black hair, she could have easily passed as a normal citizen. 

Seeing the woman move out of the shadows, the other person also stepped out while growling a vicious threat.

"Experiment 23! You just try and take this kill away from me again! You dare to go against me now that Master isn't here?!"

This time it was a younger man. Hundreds of scars covered his body from his face down to his legs. It was to the point that it was almost impossible to see even the slightest outline of what he had looked like before the hideous maiming.

And just like the woman, the tattered clothing covering his body had long been coated in thick layers of dried blood, but it was as if he didn't even notice.

Their master? That man has left?

The woman's face distorted as her lips twisted upwards into an ugly sneer.

"You can't measure up to me, Experiment 31. Master clearly made me stronger than you! And it was clearly my kill last time! If it wasn't for you interfering, Experiment 7 wouldn't have snatched the prey!"

"Now, now. Let's all play nice!" 

An innocent-sounding giggle appeared, just as another young woman stepped into the light. Her face that had yet to fully mature held a bright grin, showcasing sharp little canines that looked as though they were stained red.

"Experiment 7!"

"Yes, yes. I'm here." The young girl, or Experiment 7, made a face. "Keep your stupid voice down though. Your unsightly face is making me nauseous."

The woman's face abruptly darkened at the young girl's mocking tone. The sneer on her lips vanished and her unhealthily pale face suddenly held a fearsome craze as if she was hovering closely near the line of insanity.

"Experiment 7! You really want to die?! Hahaha, I don't mind granting you your wish! I've always wanted to pull out that disgusting tongue of yours before ripping out your heart and pinning it on my wall!"

"Sure, sure!" The girl brightly smiled back. "As soon as I kill this outsider first, you can try all you want!"

Feng Yao was silent the entire time as she watched.

These people have to be the products of that man's human experimenting.

The first creature that she had fought against, although it no longer retained any human consciousness, had seemed to possess an unnatural ability of agility and strength that was almost impossible for a being as emaciated as it was to have.

And going based on this conversation in front of her, it sounded like these three people also had their own special upgrades. 

...That's a bit scary. Many of these people were already skilled criminals and martial artists before coming to hide in the wandering village. 

If all of the people here are the ones that survived the experiments, just how much stronger are they now?

Feng Yao lowered her eyes and secretly glanced around, scanning over the faces of everyone that she could see. Although the skies had already gotten quite dark, the faint moonlight allowed her small glimpses of people's features.

Unfortunately, none of them were familiar to her.

She was ashamed that she felt a slight sliver of relief at realizing that that man was not here. But more than that, she felt a heavy wave of frustration rise up in her heart from being a step behind his scheming mind. 

It felt like she had reverted back to those times as a child, obediently obeying his commands without realizing the countless amounts of people she unknowingly sentenced to death with each sentence she spoke in that large room.

But if that man isn't here...then where is he?

And more importantly...if he truly did leave, then there's no way that he'd leave this many people roaming free on their own.

Her eyes flickered back up to stealthily watch the three people still viciously arguing.

Suddenly, she realized something.

There were countless other people waiting silently in the darkness, but why were they not attacking her either? 

She could see it in all of their eyes. There was the same wild, almost maniacal light in every person's predatory gaze on her.

But, not a single one of them made a move.

What am I missing?

Feng Yao took a closer look at the people in the shadows. 

About half of them had some type of hideous deformity while the others looked almost normal. Most of them still seemed to have kept their human appearance after the experiments. 

Unlike the three people that had stepped out though, many of them were carrying weapons such as axes, daggers, and swords. It seemed that they weren't as powerful as the three.

As she ran her eyes across the figures surrounding her once more, there was one thing that she suddenly noticed that was the same for every person.

They all were hostile towards each other.

...I see. No wonder no one is attacking. 

The three most powerful ones are currently in a power-lock. They want to be the first one to get to me, but they also don't want to be the first one to move.

All of the other people hidden in the shadows, on the other hand, are just waiting for the three to begin fighting so that they'll have a chance to fight and seize the final kill. 

Feng Yao lowered her face so that no one could see her mocking eyes.

But none of them realize that this power struggle of being the first person to kill the prey is actually just a big game. 

That man has always been fond of brainwashing others into playing "games" for his own entertainment. 

No wonder he decided to just leave the villagers in this state. It's like killing two birds with one stone.

Any outsiders that stumble upon this horrendous place will immediately become the next slaughter target in the game while the experimental humans that he created will eventually all kill each other.

All of these villagers have long been poisoned and will soon self-destruct. You can see it in their bloodshot eyes how they're slowly succumbing to their instincts and insanity. Just like how that first person ended up.

"Oi. Disgusting outsider."

Feng Yao looked up, her expression already expertly wiped clean of any emotion as she made eye contact with the woman.

The woman saw Feng Yao's blank face and immediately sneered.

"What? Nothing to say? Too scared to move?" 

A deranged smirk distorted her lips. 

"Well don't worry too much, you'll soon be hanging up on my wall. I'll make sure that you won't be split up into too many pieces. Who knows, maybe you'll even be my first victim that'll actually be able to find all of your body parts in the underworld! Hahaha! Hahahahaha!"

Feng Yao didn't interrupt and instead listened to the woman loudly laughing, hearing the beginning of madness slowly starting to creep in at the edges of her shrill voice.

With each harsh syllable that was spat out, her eyes began to redden even more. It was to the point that the tears filling up her eyes from laughter looked as if they would spill over as bloody tracks running down her deathly pale cheeks.

But as usual, none of the others around seemed to notice that anything was strange. It was as if their minds had been brainwashed and numbed to the point that they could no longer tell what was normal and what was not.

I pity them. But I can't afford to.

They're all incredibly strong, especially that woman. Out of everyone else, she seems the most unstable. 

...But then again, that also means she's the best person to target.

"Hahaha! I'm so excited, I can't wait! Should I start by cutting your tongue or your eyes out first? Or maybe..." 

A small cutting knife suddenly appeared in the woman's hand as she excitedly licked her lips.

"...should I go straight for your lungs? Hahaha, you'd be just like a fish out of water. Desperately gasping, eyes opened wide, mouth curled into a silent scream, yes it'd be wonderful! Ahahaha! Hahaha!"

"Experiment 23!"

Feng Yao only slightly glanced at the knife before looking up at the dark sky. She could sense everyone's murderous eyes all intensely trained on her, creating an ominous tension that threatened to swallow her whole just like the cold night. 

But her dark eyes were clear, and her blank face was unreadable.

...Is it time?

Slowly, bit by bit, the corners of her lips gradually began to raise upwards.

Fighting insanity with insanity. I wonder who's going to lose first?

"Ha ha..Hahaha..."

An uneven and chilling laugh leaked out of Feng Yao's lips as her lips continued to morph into a frightening smile. 

"Hahaha...hahaha!"

The sound of her crazed voice rang out into the dark night, crawling over their skin just like a predator breathing heavily down their necks.

Even the woman had stopped laughing, her expression twisted into a ugly look as she stared at Feng Yao with a scrutinizing gaze. 

"What's wrong with you?"

Hearing the question, Feng Yao abruptly stopped before she lowered her eyes to meet the woman's. 

It was as if the person who had previously been sitting motionlessly on the snowy ground had suddenly vanished, devoured by this unnatural persona that had unknowingly been silently lurking in the shadows. 

"Me?"

Feng Yao's smile abruptly twisted into a condescending sneer.

"I should be asking you that. For someone that Master abandoned here, how hopeless do you have to be?"

"You--!" 

The woman's nostrils flared with anger as she impulsively took a step further out of the shadows. It was with that step that a crack was created in the delicate balance between everyone else waiting silently on the sides. 

One by one, their eyes began to change as they also took a step closer towards Feng Yao, not wanting to lose to the woman who had taken the initiative. 

The other two powerful individuals that had earlier been arguing with the woman had also already stepped closer, their eyes carefully watching for an opportunity. Strike too early and you'd be instantly tackled by the woman. But attack too late, and you'd miss the chance to kill the target.

To what had originally started out as a game had now become their way of life. They were all unable to realize that they were still stuck in the game that their master had brainwashed them into playing.

"Face it! You've been abandoned. No better than a worthless animal left here to rot like a dying corpse!"

"Shut up, shut up, shut up! You don't know anything! Master didn't abandon us! He would never!" The woman screamed, interrupting Feng Yao. But Feng Yao joyfully continued, her bright eyes full of sadistic laughter.

"Hahaha! No wonder Master didn't want to take you when he disappeared! I bet he must've told you a stupid lie like how he needed to leave because there were bad people after him. But you want to know what?"

Feng Yao sneered.

"It was actually because you were so disappointing that he left! You forced your own Master to leave!"

"You liar!! Master told us he'd be back soon! We just need to follow his orders! That's right, that's right! Hahaha, what do you know?! What right does that dirty and disgusting mouth of yours have that you can speak Master's title?" 

The woman's eyes were so red that they looked as if they were glowing in the dark. With each scream that escaped her mouth, another step would be taken forward. 

And with each step, the more restless the others became.

 "I'll hack you to death! I'll murder you! Skin you alive and pin you on my wall so that Master can see you when he comes back! You'll be worse off than a pig! Hahaha, ahahahaha!"

However, Feng Yao didn't seem to hear her taunt as she stood up. The wounds on her leg were still slightly bleeding from earlier but it was as if she couldn't feel it. Her bright eyes were full of mocking laughter as she looked down at the woman in the exact same way that she would to an ant.

From between her lips came three words that were disdainfully spit out. 

"A. Failed. Experiment."

The woman's eyes abruptly widened. It was as if Feng Yao's words had mercilessly shattered an invisible barrier. Before she could react, memories she had long forgotten began to endlessly flood into her mind.

"...Mas...ter...it hurts...When will...this stop...?"

The man in front of her with the beautiful white hair gave her a gentle look as if answering her question with his warm smile.

Both his appearance and his mind was just as brilliant as the sun. He was their savior, their god. 

He was their master.

Whatever came out of his mouth would be the truth. He could foretell the future and was the only person who could keep them safe.

Without him, they were nothing.

 Just like usual, he softly reached out to pat her head, the cool touch of his fingertips slightly bringing relief to her skin that had long been burning like fire from the poison that was eating away at her veins. 

It felt as if her entire body was being dipped into boiling water. 

But she didn't mind. He was only making her stronger. With another dose, the pain would go away and she'd become better than before.

Her eyes desperately watched the movement of his lips, waiting for him to tell her about his newest creation.

However, that never happened.

"Experiment 23, you used to be such a beautiful thing." 

A soft smile appeared on his handsome face as he caressed her burning cheek, his voice still just as low and charming as it was when he first arrived at the village. But his words in contrast to that gentle tone was as different as heaven and hell.

"What a pity that you've also become a failed experiment."

Feng Yao watched as the woman stumble, both of her hands covering her face.

"Ah, it can't be...no it can't be. It's not true, not true! Master--master didn't abandon us! Not us, not me...He wouldn't...he wouldn't..."

Suddenly, without any warning, the woman abruptly snapped her head up to stare unblinkingly at Feng Yao. Her eyes were a glowing with a wild unrestrained look of violent hatred.

"No...It's because of you!"

In the next instant, she had already launched herself towards Feng Yao, her abnormally sharp fingernails stretched out towards her neck. The knife that had earlier been in her hands had already been forgotten in favor of wanting to personally rip out Feng Yao's heart with her bare hands. 

But before the woman could even take a second step, chaos suddenly erupted all around them.

It was as if everyone had been waiting for her to snap and make the first move. With the unspoken agreement between everyone broken, they all simultaneously shot forward and aimed towards Feng Yao. 

A flurry of snow flew wildly in the cold winter air as everyone began to fight. Those who were stuck in the back could only attack those nearby in an effort to get closer towards the middle. 

Weapons flew and splatters of blood quickly bloomed across the ground like vibrant spring flowers. Raw flesh was viciously bitten and torn off by sharpened teeth while countless blades flashing in the darkness flew like arrows, easily slicing through flesh and bone. 

They had been waiting for this moment to go all out. This was a game that they were familiar with playing, but they still couldn't get enough of it each time. 

Their faces were all full of excitement, desire flooding through their veins from the rush that they'd get with each spray of blood that splattered in front of their crazed eyes.

However, in the center where Feng Yao was, it was even worse. 

She didn't even have the smallest fragment of a second to breath. As soon as the first step had been taken and the delicate balance between everyone had broken, Feng Yao had been forced to constantly fight for her life. It felt as if she even did as much as blink, she'd suddenly find herself pinned to the floor as a dead body under somebody's hands.

Someone's blade came flying at her at that exact moment. Without thinking, Feng Yao immediately ducked while simultaneously twisting her body and forcefully kicking out the knee of the person closest to her. 

"Ahhhhh!"

A loud and painful crack of bones breaking sounded out, but it quickly blended into the background as Feng Yao's feet immediately went on to pivot and land another solid hit onto an older woman's chest. The woman was quickly knocked backwards, loudly crashing into the young girl who had been right behind.

Luckily, many of these villagers had not been incredibly strong martial artists before their transformations. It allowed her to barely keep up with the constant barrage of attacks. Otherwise, there would be no way that she'd still be alive.

Stabbing her dagger straight into the neck of the man who had suddenly appeared in front of her eyes, Feng Yao twisted her grip before ruthlessly ripping out the knife and launching it straight into the heart of the person who had jumped at her from behind. 

Her only dagger had been thrown by her, but in an instant, she had already tucked and rolled away from an incoming axe while simultaneously picking up a

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