434: Chapter 78 Dou Mei

"Yuan Tao, Dou Mei, only one of you can live, or you both die. Choose for yourselves."

As soon as Meng Li finished speaking, a fierce light flared in Yuan Tao's eyes, and he lunged toward Dou Mei like a hunting leopard.

Only one lives, or both die.

For Yuan Tao, a senior member of the All-Sex, this required no hesitation; it was definitely better for a Fellow Daoist to die than for him to perish.

His Magical Artifacts had been confiscated by Meng Li, his apprentice Han Dan was nowhere to be found, and his strength was reduced by seventy or eighty percent.

Although Dou Mei was not skilled in direct combat, her abilities could still influence the battle once activated.

Under these circumstances, Yuan Tao could not guarantee a sure victory.

Since it was a matter of life and death, he had to strike first. He dashed to Dou Mei and threw a punch at her face.

Dou Mei hadn't expected Yuan Tao to attack without a word, and since she wasn't good at combat, she didn't react in time. She took the punch squarely, stumbled backward, and crashed into the wall behind her, her head spinning.

Seeing this, Yuan Tao immediately pressed his advantage, pouncing forward to grab Dou Mei by the throat, intending to strangle her to death.

Feeling the threat of death, Dou Mei instinctively grabbed Yuan Tao's hand, trying to pry it off while unleashing her ability with all her might.

Instantly, many pollen-like particles of light drifted out from Dou Mei's body and surged toward Yuan Tao.

Yuan Tao was startled, thinking to himself that this was bad, and instinctively tried to dodge.

But Dou Mei knew this was the key to turning the tables, so she held onto his hand tightly without letting go.

In just a second or two, all those pollen-like light particles entered Yuan Tao's body.

Afterward, the fierce and vicious look on Yuan Tao's face rapidly dissipated, replaced by a weak and sorrowful expression, as if he had thought of something sad. The hands he had clamped around Dou Mei's throat loosened, and he covered his face, sobbing.

"Father, your son is unfilial; I still haven't managed to kill Lu Jin to avenge you!"

"Your son is unfilial!"

"That old thing is just too strong!"

As he spoke, he knelt down with a thud, loudly weeping while blaming himself.

Seeing this, Dou Mei continued to channel her ability while gasping for air, adjusting her state.

By the time she had composed herself, Yuan Tao, affected by her ability, had curled up into a ball, clearly trapped in feelings of self-reproach and weakness, unable to pull himself out.

Dou Mei immediately channeled her Qi into her hands, grabbed Yuan Tao's head, and twisted it with force.

Yuan Tao was killed instantly.

A ball of Qi flew out from his corpse, entering Dou Mei's body first, before a portion of it split off to Shen Chong.

Feeling her strength increase again, Dou Mei turned to look at Meng Li, her face gloomy and her eyes filled with a hint of ruthlessness: "I have already killed two people as you asked. Can you let me go now?"

Meng Li did not respond, turning instead to look at Shen Chong: "Only absorbed the Qi of two people, and your reason is already affected."

"And her ability is specifically meant to soothe emotions."

"The side effects of this contract of yours are a bit significant."

Shen Chong smiled awkwardly: "Gao Ning and Yuan Tao are not ordinary Inhumans."

"That is true." Meng Li nodded.

Although Gao Ning and Yuan Tao had performed poorly when facing him, one was among the Four Madmen, and the other was a core member of the All-Sex. Neither their methods nor their cultivation of Qi could be compared to ordinary Inhumans.

Immediately, Meng Li raised his hand and struck with a palm.

Shen Chong was instantly sent flying, landing in front of Dou Mei.

Once he realized what happened, he coughed up blood and looked at Meng Li, confused: "Why..."

"To silence you, of course." Meng Li replied expressionlessly, then sighed: "Just one Divine Mechanism Hundred Refinements already brought trouble to my door. If people found out I also knew Restraining Spirits and Dispatching Generals, I'd probably be annoyed to death."

"Such a simple principle, surely you couldn't have failed to consider it?"

Shen Chong was silent, his expression full of bitterness.

Of course he had considered it, but the gap between his strength and Meng Li's was too vast. Even knowing he might be silenced, he didn't dare to resist.

Because that would only lead to a faster death.

He could only hope for luck, wishing that Meng Li would value his ability and let him go. He had even prepared himself to kneel and beg for mercy.

Just like those he had once reaped.

Thinking of this, Shen Chong hurriedly pleaded: "Spare me, I will absolutely not tell anyone about this. If you don't believe me, you can place a Restriction on me. I can be your dog; from now on, whatever you tell me to do, I will do."

"I only beg you to spare my life."

Meng Li ignored him and turned to look at Dou Mei, who was standing to the side looking wary: "Kill him, and I will let you live."

"Why should I trust you?" Dou Mei asked, her eyes flickering.

Meng Li said indifferently: "You have no other choice, unless you want to die."

Dou Mei was silent, took a long look at Meng Li, and then, just as she had killed Gao Ning and Yuan Tao, snapped Shen Chong's neck.

However, what happened next was completely different from before.

No ball of Qi flew out from Shen Chong's corpse to merge into Dou Mei's body; instead, several balls of Qi were drawn out from within her and dissipated into thin air.

Meng Li's gaze narrowed as he asked Dou Mei: "How do you feel?"

Dou Mei thought carefully and replied truthfully: "It feels the same as before I signed the contract. The Qi obtained from killing has all disappeared, and the restless urge to improve strength through slaughter caused by the side effects is also gone."

Meng Li understood immediately.

With Shen Chong dead, the source of the contract ability was gone, and the usury contract would automatically become void.

That made sense.

With that thought, he beckoned to Dou Mei.

Dou Mei's expression changed slightly: "You said you wouldn't kill me."

Meng Li smiled: "I did say I wouldn't kill you. But you know a bit too much, so I have to leave some means on you."

"This way I can be at ease, and you can be at peace, right?"

Dou Mei thought about it and realized it made sense, so she obediently walked over to Meng Li and stood still.

"Relax your mind, do not resist."

Meng Li instructed, raised his finger to condense a ball of black and white intertwined light, and tapped it into the center of Dou Mei's forehead.

Dou Mei followed his instructions.

As the black and white light entered, she immediately felt as if something had been added to her, and at the same time, she established a faint, indescribable connection with Meng Li.

At this moment, Meng Li said: "Try thinking of something detrimental to me."

...