Chapter 84 - Killing: Determination / Regret
"You don't need to say it. I'll take care of him myself." Shangguan Bing Xue did not even look at Bai Zemin, but her words startled him noticeably.
"You will take care of him?" Bai Zemin frowned and looked at her with a hint of mockery as he said coldly, "What? Could it be that you have the courage and determination to end his life?"
The reason for his mocking tone stemmed from the fact that he did not believe she would dare to dictate the punishment he would sentence and carry out. From Bai Zemin's point of view, Shangguan Bing Xue was just a spoiled little princess who threw tantrums by acting cold and untouchable.
She turned her face and looked at him so coldly that her cold looks in the past seemed like child's play in comparison, "You don't know anything about me."
Bai Zemin couldn't help but his eyes widened slightly more than usual and under his incredulous gaze, she took a step forward. Her delicate white hand shimmered and the temperature began to plummet as a wave of frost formed around it before turning into a dagger of ice.
"Bing Xue?" Chen He opened his eyes wide and muttered in shock.
Wu Yujin's face also changed and her expression became complicated as she looked at her friend slowly moving forward. Still, she didn't seem to have any intention of stopping her.
Unlike most people, due to her status, Wu Yujin had also seen many cruel things in the past and knew that even the previous society was just a jungle with rules; but after all, a jungle was a jungle no matter how much it was decorated.
"Hey... This must be a joke, isn't it? Bing Xue!"
Lian Xuan bellowed and tried to back away in fright. However, under Bai Zemin's intense gaze, Zhong De kept him on his knees even if he was also scared of what was about to happen.
During the past few days, Lian Xuan's mental condition was becoming more and more unstable to the point that several times wild and crazy ideas appeared in his mind but he forcibly restrained them. However, when the slightest opportunity presented itself, he did not even hesitate for a second and took it gladly.
Too bad, that was one of his biggest mistakes.
Shangguan Bing Xue stopped a step away and shook her head as she said coldly, "We risk our lives, we scavenge for food, we rack our brains trying to think of the best way to keep you all safe... But what do we get in return? Nothing. Everything would be easier if we left you behind because honestly all of you are a heavy burden... However, instead of doing that, we support and feed you while keeping you safe."
Her words were not just for Lian Xuan to hear; they were for everyone present.
The survivors who had done nothing wrong nodded and looked at the people who had been dragged out with anger-filled gazes. Many of them even couldn't help but raise their voices as they cursed them and complained. However, when Shangguan Bing Xue's voice sounded again, the rest of the voices were immediately silenced.
"We ask for nothing in return except that everyone behaves themselves... That you don't add more weight on our shoulders and that you don't make things more complicated than they already are." She looked at Lian Xuan and her eyes flashed with a chill as she said, "Approximately twenty people died because of your selfish acts and you still want to live...? Go to hell, you scum."
Under the terrified look of Lian Xuan, the shocked look of many survivors, and the disbelieving look of Chen He, Shangguan Bing Xue raised her slender arm and swiftly struck downward.
The ice dagger was extremely sharp and easily penetrated the center of Lian Xuan's skull, ending his life just like that. What was most remarkable was that even as his corpse slumped to the side, not even a drop of blood came out of the wound as the ice dagger had become a natural insulating layer, sealing everything tightly inside.
The place fell into a stony silence and even Bai Zemin himself could not help but stare at Shangguan Bing Xue. After several seconds, he admitted, "I guess you're right and I don't know anything about you."
Daring to kill a person took some courage, but it was possible for anyone who set out to do so and even more so in this world where death was practically easier to obtain than a piece of bread... But the hard part was to keep calm after doing it.
Shangguan Bing Xue's expression was cold and indifferent as always and her hand did not even quiver as she performed the act nor did she flinch at the end. Although she had just taken the life of a human being, it was as if it was nothing otherworldly to her.
Obviously, she was also someone who had her own past and her own story to tell.
Seeing that she said nothing, Bai Zemin simply shook his head before looking at Fu Xuefeng. He asked in a deep voice, "You dare to kill a person?"
Fu Xuefeng's face changed greatly and a frightened expression shone in his eyes. He was brave, brave enough to fight and kill enemies of other races... But killing humans whose sins were not worthy of death was hard for him to do.
Bai Zemin also seemed to realize his answer without having to hear it from his mouth. He nodded and silently took out a strange looking knife from his backpack as he said, "This dagger is a rare grade treasure, on the same level as my sword but slightly inferior. If you kill him this dagger is yours then."
[Agarth Dagger (Rare Grade Treasure): A dagger focused to finish off the enemy at lightning speed. Can cut metal with ease. When equipped, it automatically increases Agility by +12 and Strength by +5].
The dagger was the item that came out of the Orange Orb he obtained when defeating the First Order Shadow Tiger. Bai Zemin already had his Xuanyuan Sword and felt more comfortable wielding it compared to the Agarth Dagger; therefore, instead of keeping it, he decided to give it to one of his direct subordinates, which in a way meant increasing his own power.
Fu Xuefeng's gaze lingered on the dagger. He knew that what Bai Zemin was doing was tempting him and it was indeed working. However, he took too long to decide and his chance was snatched away by someone else with greater determination.
"I'll do it."
A female voice rang out.
"I dare to kill people."
Bai Zemin looked at the pretty Cai Jingyi, who had a slightly pale face but whose eyes glittered with determination, and nodded with a smile as he casually pointed at a survivor, "Here. Take this dagger and kill him, it will be yours from then on."
Cai Jingyi took a deep breath and nodded, walking towards him and taking the dagger in her hands. The resolve in her eyes burned even more fervently as she saw the weapon's stats; she was determined to seize every opportunity to become stronger no matter how vicious it was.
That was precisely why she was willing to take the risk of fighting and took Bai Zemin's hand at that time. Besides, Cai Jingyi was a smart girl and knew that facing other human beings would only be a matter of time considering that within this group alone there were already so many problems.
Her thinking was simple: Since sooner or later I will have to kill if I want to survive in this world and still retain some dignity, then better sooner than later.
If it was about courage, perhaps Cai Jingyi was slightly inferior in comparison to Fu Xuefeng... But if it was about determination to accomplish goals, she definitely surpassed him by far!
Seeing the dagger in Cai Jingyi's hands, Fu Xuefeng could not help but regret and quickly exclaimed: "W-Wait! I will do it!"
Too bad, his chance had already passed.
"Too late." Bai Zemin coldly refused and remarked, "If you want to become stronger, you will have to take the chances I give you when I give them to you. Otherwise you'll have to manage on your own to get power."