Xiyue’s Cruelty

Su Xiaoxiao’s vision swam with black, the agony so intense she nearly succumbed to unconsciousness. But Xiyue had no intention of releasing her so readily; instead, she channeled a surge of spiritual energy, compelling Su Xiaoxiao to endure the excruciating torment without respite.

Xiyue, now utterly ruthless, seemed intent on inflicting maximum pain upon Su Xiaoxiao. She pressed relentlessly, her fingers tightening around Su Xiaoxiao’s throat as she pinned her down onto the plush, velvet-covered blanket.

“Open!!!”

Only by fully breaching her depths would Xiyue truly savor the sensation of conquest and pleasure.

Su Xiaoxiao was consumed by terror and tension. The inherent self-preservation of a mermaid, however, stubbornly refused to yield to Xiyue’s desires, refusing to open.

Xiyue perceived this as deliberate defiance, and her actions grew increasingly brutal. Su Xiaoxiao’s delicate face was utterly devoid of color from the agony, and cold sweat drenched her entire back.

She lacked even the strength to struggle, her hands falling limply onto the blanket. Tears streamed from the corners of her eyes. “It hurts…”

“It hurts so much…”

“Ah…” Su Xiaoxiao was beyond uttering a sound, her body convulsing with pain. Tears cascaded uncontrollably as she watched Xiyue ruthlessly claim her body, utterly powerless to resist.

In truth, Xiyue and Su Xiaoxiao had coexisted rather amicably these past few days. It was as if, after a period of tumultuous struggle in the darkness, they had finally discovered a fragile equilibrium.

This, surprisingly, was the first time Xiyue had ever unleashed such savagery, seemingly intent on destroying Su Xiaoxiao.

Even during their initial encounter, Xiyue had not been this merciless. Now, despite knowing Su Xiaoxiao could not bear it, she deliberately prolonged the agony.

Even Su Xiaoxiao’s most tender flesh had been ravaged and wounded by Xiyue’s brutal ministrations.

The sight of the crimson stain did nothing to quell Xiyue’s fury. Her grip on Su Xiaoxiao’s neck tightened instinctively. “Pain? Even if it hurts, you will endure it. This is entirely your own doing.”

“Wuwu…” The agonizing suffocation caused Su Xiaoxiao’s face to flush crimson from oxygen deprivation. Her body, it seemed, had already transcended the sensation of pain.

The crimson jade bracelet on her wrist began to grow searingly hot, the delicate red threads suspended within it pulsating fiercely, casting an increasingly vivid, fiery glow.

Only then did Xiyue halt her actions. She merely withdrew her hand, ceased her movements, and observed Su Xiaoxiao with cold detachment as the latter coughed violently, struggling desperately for breath.

Su Xiaoxiao continued to choke and gasp. Xiyue, catching the metallic tang of blood, cast a glance downward. A large, glaring crimson stain had already blossomed across the pale blue blanket.

Xiyue ground her teeth, then finally withdrew from Su Xiaoxiao’s body.

She retrieved a handkerchief, meticulously wiped herself clean, and smoothed her dress. Then, with a sneer of revulsion, she flung the soiled, blood-soaked cloth onto Su Xiaoxiao’s face before departing without a backward glance.

****

Su Xiaoxiao curled into a tight ball on the bed, shivering violently. She coughed incessantly, the spasms so severe that blood now welled from her mouth.

It was not until the charcoal embers in the room had long since died, leaving a frigid chill, that she slowly began to reclaim a sliver of consciousness from the pervasive cold.

Merely attempting to rise from the bed nearly sent her spiraling back into unconsciousness from the excruciating pain, her body once again drenched in a cold sweat.

Su Xiaoxiao pulled the bedding over her, concealing the brutal marks of her ordeal. Her throat felt searingly raw, as if gravely injured; she could only manage dry coughs, utterly unable to produce any sound.

Her lips were split, and a bruise bloomed at the corner of her mouth, a testament to Xiyue’s bite. On her forehead, another bruise had mysteriously appeared, a silent record of an unknown impact.

Xiyue had vanished to an unknown destination, and Su Xiaoxiao was consumed with worry that she might lash out at their clansmen in a fit of madness. She yearned to rise and search, but the moment she pushed herself to her feet, she collapsed back to the ground.

Even her ankle bore the tell-tale blue-black marks of Xiyue’s cruel grip…

Physically drained, Su Xiaoxiao was overwhelmed by a profound sense of helplessness, which only intensified her self-loathing. Tears streamed down her face until, finally, she wept herself into an exhausted sleep.

She had been abandoned there for an entire day, without a drop of water or a morsel of food.

The drowsy Su Xiaoxiao remained trapped in the throes of nightmares, only to be jolted awake by the resounding thud of a door being forcefully pushed open.

Xiyue entered, her face a storm cloud of gloom. Gu Yan trailed behind her, clutching a medicine box. With just a single glance at Su Xiaoxiao, Gu Yan’s eyes widened in horror, then she turned a disbelieving gaze upon Xiyue.

Su Xiaoxiao… she…

Gu Yan parted her lips, yet not a single word escaped.

Following closely was Chitang, bearing dishes and water. Their ears drooped, and upon closer inspection, a faint tremor was discernible throughout their frame. Under the oppressive aura of the Demon Lord, they dared not even spare Su Xiaoxiao a glance.

Su Xiaoxiao knew, with a certainty that chilled her to the bone, that her current appearance must be truly ghastly.

Xiyue’s face remained utterly devoid of emotion. She settled into a nearby chair, pointedly refusing to cast even a single glance in Su Xiaoxiao’s direction.

Chitang swiftly placed the food down and exited the room with haste. Gu Yan, meanwhile, approached the bedside to begin examining Su Xiaoxiao’s wounds.

Her forehead, the corners of her mouth, her ankles, knees, wrists…

The visible injuries alone were more than enough to send a shockwave through Gu Yan.

As for the hidden areas—her throat, chest, waist, and lower body—those unseen wounds could only be described as horrifying and utterly barbaric.

Upon their arrival, Xiyue had already issued a stark warning: should Gu Yan dare to get so close to Su Xiaoxiao again, or overstep her bounds with unnecessary words, she would no longer be welcome in the Demon Realm.

“You…” Gu Yan couldn’t help but whisper, “Are you alright?”

Su Xiaoxiao first offered a weak nod, then slowly shook her head, her finger hesitantly tracing her neck.

She parted her lips, but only a faint, raspy sound emerged; she was utterly incapable of forming a single word.

“What happened to your throat?!” Gu Yan was aghast. ‘Surely Xiyue wouldn’t have poisoned Su Xiaoxiao to render her mute?! That little mermaid’s voice is so beautiful; how could she possibly bear to silence it?’

In a flurry of panic, Gu Yan formed a quick hand seal and examined Su Xiaoxiao’s throat. She discovered that the vocal cords were damaged, and the inner lining of her throat was severely lacerated.

‘How could this have happened?’

Gu Yan didn’t need to ask, nor did she need to glance at Xiyue; she already knew the answer with grim certainty.

Su Xiaoxiao’s lips were still wounded, and in her distress, she instinctively tried to bite them. Gu Yan quickly intervened, gently murmuring, “You just need to rest well and avoid speaking for a while. You’ll recover in a few days.”

Having spoken, Gu Yan deliberately turned her head, hoping to gauge Xiyue’s reaction. Yet, Xiyue remained utterly motionless, her demeanor as cold and indifferent as ever.

Helpless, Gu Yan could only turn her attention back to Su Xiaoxiao.

Due to Xiyue’s earlier warning, Gu Yan dared not linger for long, nor could she speak extensively with Su Xiaoxiao. She eventually brewed and brought a bowl of medicine, but because of her damaged throat, Su Xiaoxiao struggled to swallow. She took an agonizingly long time to drink, managing to consume only half the bowl before it grew completely cold.

Xiyue watched the entire ordeal unfold, her gaze devoid of any pity. Instead, her eyes sparkled with a cruel mixture of mockery and vengeful satisfaction.

This was the very nature of demons: selfish, reckless, brutal, and utterly devoid of compassion.

With such difficulty in drinking the medicine, eating solid food was entirely out of the question. In the end, Su Xiaoxiao could only manage a few sips of water.

Gu Yan turned to Xiyue. “She needs a bath.”

Xiyue remained silent, clearly disinclined to grant Su Xiaoxiao any comfort. However, Gu Yan pressed on, adding, “That particular wound needs to be treated, otherwise it will continue to bleed…”

Only then did Xiyue concede, adding with deliberate cruelty, “Indeed, it should be treated. Otherwise, who will sate my desires?”

Lying on the bed, Su Xiaoxiao heard those words and began to tremble uncontrollably.

‘Why was Xiyue treating her this way? What had she possibly done to deserve this?’

A few minor demons brought a wooden tub brimming with water into the room, then swiftly departed. Gu Yan, too, knew she could not remain.

No one could offer Su Xiaoxiao aid. Xiyue remained seated, as unmoving as Mount Tai, her arms crossed over her chest. She watched, as if observing a play, as Su Xiaoxiao awkwardly inched her way off the bed, stumbling with every few steps, nearly toppling over in her clumsy pain, and shedding silent tears.

Xiyue merely observed with chilling indifference, uttering not a single word. Yet, the overwhelming pressure emanating from her presence rendered Su Xiaoxiao breathless, terrified that any misstep might provoke Xiyue into another brutal outburst.

The moment the torn flesh of her lower body met the water, Su Xiaoxiao’s vision swam with black. A familiar searing pain flared in her chest, and she began to cough again, gasping and choking with every spasm.

Witnessing Su Xiaoxiao’s desperate struggle, teetering on the brink of collapse, Xiyue’s hand, resting casually on the edge of the bathtub, clenched tightly.

Su Xiaoxiao’s back was turned to Xiyue. Her fair skin was marred by a patchwork of bruises—blue, purple, and still-fresh streaks of blood, along with distinct teeth marks. If one were to witness her front, the sight could only be described as truly horrific.

Two distinct, deep bite marks marred her delicate skin, inflicted by Xiyue with deliberate cruelty as punishment for Su Xiaoxiao. Being of the same s*x, Xiyue knew precisely how agonizing a bite in that particular spot would be.

The pain was truly unbearable; every single moment immersed in the water was an agonizing torment for Su Xiaoxiao.