Chapter 10: Worse Than Death

“Lin Yu, don’t kill him! If you do, you won’t be able to escape either!” Su Ruoxi, seeing the murderous intent in Lin Yu’s eyes, hurriedly tried to stop him.

Killing someone at will was against the law; she didn’t want Lin Yu to become a criminal because of this. Besides, Wang Wan was the only son of the Wang family in Jinling. If he were really killed, the Wang family would never let this go, and their power was something Lin Yu could never contend with.

“Thank the rule of law for saving your life.” Lin Yu gave his wrist a light flick, and Wang Wan’s body was thrown aside.

Wang Wan, spared from death, collapsed on the ground and began retching uncontrollably. Gradually, he regained his senses. Standing up slowly, he muttered, “You’re finished, you’re finished!”

Having lost all reason, Wang Wan pulled a dark object from his clothes and aimed it at Lin Yu.

“Lin Yu, watch out!” In a flash, Su Ruoxi reached out and pushed Lin Yu aside.

A thunderous explosion split the night.

Bang!

A flash of fire streaked through the darkness.

No one expected Wang Wan to have a gun, let alone that he would actually fire it. The sound of a gunshot almost always meant someone would die or be seriously hurt. Everything happened too quickly, like lightning.

Unfortunately for Wang Wan, his opponent was Lin Yu.

The very moment Su Ruoxi pushed him away, Lin Yu sensed the impending danger. Seizing the opportunity, he pulled Su Ruoxi into his arms, rolled away with her, and avoided the bullet entirely.

Seeing Lin Yu dodge the shot, Wang Wan, his eyes wild, pointed the gun and fired several shots in quick succession.

“Ah!”

“Ah!”

“Ah!”

Wang Wan, his eyes bloodshot, screamed in rage, firing blindly. Even when the magazine was empty, he kept pulling the trigger, shrieking, “Die! All of you, die!”

Everyone’s attention was riveted to the scene.

With so many shots fired, even a legendary indestructible hero would have been riddled with bullets, let alone an ordinary man of flesh and blood. Yet when all eyes turned back to where Lin Yu stood, a collective cry of shock erupted.

Lin Yu was still standing, not a single wound on him, holding Su Ruoxi tightly in his arms.

Su Ruoxi had seen much in her life, but never anything as harrowing as this. Her whole body trembled uncontrollably, tears streaming down her cheeks like broken kites.

“It’s alright. Don’t be afraid. I’ll protect you.” Lin Yu gently patted her back, his voice soft and comforting.

After making sure she was unharmed, Lin Yu raised his head slightly, his expression dark as he looked at Wang Wan.

Wang Wan stared back in disbelief, as if looking at a monster.

“Die! Die!” Wang Wan hesitated only for a moment before reaching for a spare magazine and reloading.

But this time, Lin Yu gave him no chance. Like a ghost, he shot forward in a blur. In the few seconds it took Wang Wan to reload and raise his weapon, Lin Yu was already in front of him.

“The road to heaven you refuse to take, but you insist on breaking into hell.”

Before Wang Wan could even pull the trigger, Lin Yu struck, slapping the gun from his hand.

Realizing he was no match for Lin Yu barehanded, Wang Wan scrambled desperately for the fallen weapon, convinced that as long as he could get it, he could kill Lin Yu.

But after nearly getting ambushed before, Lin Yu would never again allow anyone such a chance to threaten him or Su Ruoxi. As the saying goes, mercy to the enemy is cruelty to oneself.

Wang Wan was finished. Lin Yu would give him no further opportunity to cause harm.

Only one path remained for Wang Wan: death.

Lin Yu grabbed Wang Wan, who was crawling on the ground, and lifted him effortlessly with one hand.

“Hmph, do you dare kill me? If you kill me, can you bear the consequences?” Wang Wan’s eyes were full of terror, but he forced himself to sound defiant.

“Kill you?” Lin Yu shook his head. “Why should I kill you?” He smiled faintly.

If he wanted Wang Wan dead, it would be easy—just a quick twist of the neck. But as a master physician, Lin Yu knew that for Wang Wan, death would be the easiest escape. He had no intention of granting him such relief.

“That’s too easy for you. I’ll make you wish you were dead.”

As he finished speaking, Lin Yu drew out a silver needle and, with blinding speed, struck dozens of acupoints on Wang Wan’s body.

With a slight smile, Lin Yu calmly withdrew his needle and released his grip. Wang Wan collapsed to the ground, limp and motionless, as if the very breath had left him.

“You…” Wang Wan tried to speak but found he lacked even the strength to form words.

“What did you do to me?” he finally managed to gasp, terror and confusion in his eyes.

Lin Yu looked down at him, his tone icy. “I’ll let you live for one more week. In that time, you’ll feel tens of thousands of insects gnawing at every inch of your flesh, every organ in your body. The pain will start on the surface and work its way deeper and deeper, until even your heart is devoured. Only then, amid endless agony, will you finally die.”

Hearing this, Wang Wan’s face turned ashen, his eyes filling with utter despair.

He knew he was finished, and at the hands of someone unimaginably cruel. He had imagined many possibilities, but never this—a fate more terrible than death.

“You… you’ll die a miserable death!” Wang Wan cursed him with his last ounce of strength.

“That’s something to worry about after you’re gone,” Lin Yu replied coldly, utterly without pity. “Make the most of your remaining time.”

Lin Yu’s gaze swept over the crowd. “Take him and disappear from my sight. Now.”

No sooner had he spoken than Wang Wan’s terrified lackeys rushed to collect their fallen boss and carry him away. In just a few minutes, the dozens of men who’d been present were gone without a trace.

With Wang Wan dealt with, Lin Yu turned to Su Ruoxi.

She was still trembling, every nerve taut with fear. In her twenty-some years of life, she had never experienced anything like this. When the shots rang out, she thought for certain she was about to die.

As Lin Yu approached, there was undisguised terror and unease in her eyes.

He gently drew her into his arms, patting her shoulder in reassurance.

He could feel her shaking, and knew just how terrified she was inside.

“Don’t be afraid,” Lin Yu said warmly, trying to soothe her. “I promise, as long as I’m here, no one will ever hurt you.”

Hearing his words, Su Ruoxi slowly lifted her head, her eyes still clouded with fear, stirring a deep ache in his heart.

“Are you sure… is it really over?” she asked in a trembling voice.

“It really is,” Lin Yu replied with a gentle smile. “It’s all over now.”