Chapter 84: Between Life and Death

Chapter 84: Neither Dead Nor Alive

The assassins stared wide-eyed, frozen in place like statues with their weapons slung over their shoulders. Only one thought echoed in their minds: “Is he even human?”

Seeing their silence, Shi Bai helped himself to the bottle of wine, poured another glass, and downed it in one gulp. “Ah! Excellent wine!”

The assassins snapped out of their daze, exchanged glances, and the one holding the blade lunged at Shi Bai.

Shi Bai made no attempt to dodge.

The blade shattered instantly. They fired their guns—the bullets ricocheted, killing or injuring half their number. A rocket launcher appeared, but Shi Bai chopped it apart with a single hand. “How can you play with things like that in a hotel? Who will pay if you blow up the furniture?”

Terror-stricken, the remaining assassins turned and fled. With a single palm strike, Shi Bai unleashed ten golden dragons, reducing the assassins to dust.

The female host was so frightened she could not utter a word, standing in place, trembling.

Shi Bai approached and lifted her chin. “Don’t worry, I won’t kill you. Tell me, who sent you?”

She looked at Shi Bai in terror. “I can’t say!”

“What are you afraid of?”

“If I tell you, I won’t survive.”

“As long as I’m here, no one can harm you.”

“No!” She clutched her injured hand. “I can’t tell you—if I do, I’ll wish I were dead!”

Shi Bai gazed at her coolly. “Do you really think staying silent will make any difference?”

She was stunned. “What do you want from me?”

A smile played at the corner of Shi Bai’s lips as he gently lifted her injured hand. “I’ll heal this for you.”

Terrified, she shrank back. “Don’t touch me!”

Shi Bai let out a cold laugh and, ghostlike, appeared at her side, landing a punch on her wounded hand.

She screamed, but as her cries continued, she suddenly paused, staring in astonishment. “It… it doesn’t hurt anymore?”

She flexed her hand. “It’s really healed!”

Unable to contain her excitement, she jumped up and down, but soon turned to Shi Bai, bewildered. “Why did you save me?”

Hands in his pockets, Shi Bai replied, “Save you? What are you thinking?” As he spoke, he clasped her hand and kissed the back of it like an English gentleman.

“Ah!”

The host fell to the ground in pain—her hand was broken again.

Shi Bai smiled faintly. “Now, tell me—who sent you to kill me?”

She wailed in agony. “I can’t say! I really can’t! Please, just spare me!”

Shi Bai frowned. This woman was rather stubborn. With a sigh, he grabbed her injured hand and punched it once more.

She screamed again, but quickly stopped, looking at Shi Bai in confusion. “What are you doing?”

He sniffed and, grabbing her hand, kissed it again.

Another scream, another round of writhing on the floor.

“Here we go!” Shi Bai kicked her hand—she was healed once more.

“Again!” He grabbed her hand and slapped himself with it, sending her rolling across the floor.

“Keep moving!” Another kick, and she was healed.

Breathing heavily, Shi Bai stood with hands on his hips, glaring at her. “Speak!”

The host lay on the ground, tears glistening at the corners of her eyes. “You bastard… you’re not even human! Wuwu…”

Seeing her cry, Shi Bai was momentarily at a loss. Still, he couldn’t let matters rest without uncovering the truth. “As soon as you tell me who’s behind this, I’ll let you go—and I’ll deal with him so he can’t threaten you again.”

She shook her head suddenly. “It’s useless. My parents, my siblings—they’re all in his hands. If I tell you, they’ll all die.”

“That can be handled,” Shi Bai said. “I’ll take care of him before he gets the chance.”

“No, you don’t know how powerful they are.” Tears ran down her cheeks, reaching her lips. “It seems… my only way out is death.”

Suddenly, she pressed her fingernail into her mouth and bit down hard. Shi Bai saw clearly as her features turned ashen and twisted, her entire body taking on a purple hue. She swelled up like a rotten tomato, fur began to sprout from her skin.

Shi Bai turned away just in time, almost vomiting. “Damn!”

He hadn’t expected her resolve to be so absolute—that she would truly die for her family.

Forcing himself to look at her corpse, he entered a state of unprecedented calm.

“So this is death… this is life…”

“In the end, is it all just decaying flesh?”

“Beauty and bones, dreams and illusions—nothing more…”

After a moment’s stillness, he suddenly stood up, strode over, and kicked her with all his strength. Then he grabbed a chair and smashed it down on her body.

With a heavy crash, as if time itself turned back, her swollen, furry corpse rapidly deflated, the decaying exterior shrinking and returning to normal. Her ashen, twisted face regained its fullness, her lifeless heart started to beat again, and her still blood began to flow.

With a deep gasp, she abruptly opened her eyes and sat up, clutching her chest.

“Where… where am I?”

She looked around in confusion. “Am I dead?”

Shi Bai squatted nearby, smiling faintly at her. “You were dead.”

She jumped in fright, staring wide-eyed at Shi Bai. “You… don’t tell me you’re dead too?”

Shi Bai reached out and pinched her cheek. “If I were dead, could I still pinch your face?”

She swatted his hand away, wincing. “You jerk! Even after death you won’t leave me alone!”

Shi Bai laughed heartily. “Look again—are you really dead?”

She inspected herself, stood up, checked all around, went to the bathroom, turned on the tap, washed her face, and looked in the mirror. Everything was normal.

“Could it be… I’m not dead? Impossible! I clearly took poison!”

Shi Bai strolled over, bracing himself against the doorframe. “You did take poison, and you did die. But I brought you back.”

“Liar!” she shouted. “That was cyanide! No one, no medicine on earth can save someone who’s taken cyanide!”

“Oh?” Shi Bai raised an eyebrow. “But I can.”

“Impossible!” she shouted, shaking her head. “I remember my heart stopped; I lost consciousness. How could I possibly be revived?”

Suddenly, she sneered, a cold glint in her eyes. “I must be dead, and you must be dead too. I don’t know why, but since I’m dead, you can’t bully me anymore!”

With that, she lunged at Shi Bai. “You bastard, you tormented me enough while I was alive!” She tried to grab Shi Bai by the throat.

But with a snap, her hand broke once again.

“Ah!” She rolled on the floor, screaming. “Why? Why do I break my hand even as a ghost?”

Shi Bai smiled. “Because this ghost is stronger than you.”

She looked at him, then suddenly began to sob. “Even in death, I’m still bullied…”