The ice-cold fingers of death tightened their firm grip on the Fox Den, slowly squeezing away all traces of life.
The air within the Fox Den was suffocating due to the stench of blood. The walls of the main cavern were awash with splatters of deep red.
Every harsh wet breath he struggled to inhale ignited new flames of fire and agony burning throughout his body.
Bai Zhi stared at the familiar granite ceiling above him. A cold numbness was beginning to deaden the throbbing pain that had been consuming his entire being. He could feel his life and cultivation steadily draining away. His end was drawing near. He reached out with one last bit of strength to feel for his wife and children. Regret and sorrow overwhelmed him when he felt no signs of life from his loved ones. They were all dead, brutally ripped away from their peaceful lives by violence and hate.
A pair of cruel green eyes moved into Bai Zhi’s line of sight, depriving him of any semblance of last-minute comfort or escape from reality as he felt himself fading into the nothingness.
A sneer twisted the sadistic features of the Demon King as he looked down at his prey, pressing the sharp blade of a silver dagger against Bai Zhi’s chest.
“You chose wrong, Bai Zhi.” The voice was cold and unfeeling. “But then…you always were a sentimental fool.”
Bai Zhi opened his mouth to respond but the deep cut running across his throat made speech impossible. The Demon King laughed, a high-pitched menacing sound that echoed throughout the cavern of the Fox Den.
“Where are your allies now?” The Demon King looked around mockingly before turning back to Bai Zhi. “They’re nowhere to be found. How typical.” He smiled, revealing sharp canines before leaning closer. “I will be sure to desecrate the bodies of your family before tearing them to shreds.”
A strangled cry of outrage gurgled out of Bai Zhi’s torn throat as he brought a hand up, the sharp claws of his fox extended, and lashed out at the man taunting him. Lines of crimson appeared across the Demon King’s cheek as blood seeped from the wound.
A booted foot slammed down on Bai Zhi’s hand, grinding it into the stone floor.
The Demon King looked up and beyond Bai Zhi. “Take his claws.” The green eyes turned back to Bai Zhi’s, grinning at the pain he saw swirling in the brown depths of his victim. The Demon King laughed again as Bai Zhi was unable to suppress a deep moan of pain as the claws were torn from the tips of his fingers.
“Any last words, Bai Zhi?” The Demon King leaned closer with a grin. The grin widened after a long moment filled with no noise other than Bai Zhi’s ragged breathing. “That’s right. You can’t speak. I forgot. How inconsiderate of me.”
The merciless green eyes narrowed at him dangerously right before Bai Zhi felt the blade of the dagger plunge into his chest.
A garbled sound escaped Bai Zhi as he felt every inch of the sharp silver slice through his flesh until it pierced his heart. The frosty chill of demon cultivation followed the heat of agonizing pain within his chest. Immediately, sight and sound began to fade from his mind as dark silence began to creep in along the edges of his consciousness. He struggled to find one last burst of awareness when he sensed a familiar, beloved presence racing towards him. A tear streamed from one of his eyes as he realized who it was.
No, Xiao Wu…no…
Bai Zhi’s last thought was one of anguish for his precious daughter.
