Chapter 1157: Kill Me

“Oh no…”

Qiu Shiliu shifted backward, but the cramped, dilapidated corner made it impossible to even turn around—there was nowhere to hide.

Sure enough, as Little Xuanwu approached the corner, she immediately spotted the foot Qiu Shiliu had left exposed beneath the straw.

Her head snapped up, and a sharp gaze pierced through her tangled, dirty hair, locking onto Qiu Shiliu.

Qiu Shiliu’s heart leapt into her throat, her right hand clenching into a fist. Whatever this little girl really was, she was undoubtedly Xuanwu.

If necessary, Qiu Shiliu wouldn’t hesitate to beat her to death right here.

But to her surprise, Little Xuanwu didn’t attack. Instead, she hurried back to the stove, scooped out the corn cobs with a wooden stick, and—without caring if they were scorching hot—clutched them in her hands before walking over and respectfully placing them on the ground in front of Qiu Shiliu.

Then, she quietly retreated to a distance, watching Qiu Shiliu with fearful eyes.

Qiu Shiliu didn’t know what to do. She glanced at the corn cobs at her feet, then back at Little Xuanwu, and finally asked, “What are you doing…?”

“I stole them…” Little Xuanwu murmured. “Giving them back…”

……

Xuanwu lost control again, raging like a mad beast, leaving countless wounds on Fatty Turtle’s bloated belly.

Soon after, “Maki” and “Rampant Growth” worked in tandem, sending vines erupting from the ground to entangle Xuanwu. But she tore through them like they were nothing, as if driven by some overwhelming frenzy, charging straight for Fatty Turtle.

Fatty Turtle actually took a step back. Xuanwu’s strength was inhuman—each punch she threw demanded every ounce of courage he had just to endure.

Luo Shiyi quickly activated his “Forget Sorrow,” temporarily dispelling Fatty Turtle’s fear.

“This crazy woman…” Luo Shiyi muttered, stepping beside Fatty Turtle. “Turtle, doesn’t she seem more like… some kind of animal now?”

“Animal…?”

“I can’t quite put it into words,” Luo Shiyi said, studying Xuanwu’s form.

She had no face—no expression to read. Even when she was usually cold and unreadable, you could still glean something from her eyes.

But right now, she was nothing but a killing machine. Silent. Relentless.

“Nine!” Luo Shiyi shouted toward the distance. “If we don’t hurry, we’re all gonna die here!”

Bai Jiu was clearly busy directing people and giving Jiang Shi orders, offering no response.

“Eleven, don’t rush Xiao Jiu,” Fatty Turtle said, stepping forward. His massive frame sent a faint tremor through the ground. “The ‘Annihilation Day’ is coming anyway. I’ll hold the line here.”

“Brother Ba, you—”

“Feels damn good to be the hero for once,” Fatty Turtle chuckled. “You all call me ‘Turtle’ most days, but in times like this, I suddenly become ‘Brother Ba.'”

Luo Shiyi frowned. “You’re not seriously getting cocky just because I called you ‘Brother Ba,’ are you?”

“Who? Me? Cocky?”

“Dying here doesn’t solve anything,” Luo Shiyi said. “If you’re gonna die, at least let me help.”

“Jiang Shi still has your ‘Forget Sorrow’ on him. Don’t die—just get crippled,” Fatty Turtle said.

“Fair point. Crippled is good. If I’m crippled, Brother Shi doesn’t have to die.”

With that, the two steeled themselves and charged at Xuanwu once more.

……

Qiu Shiliu frowned slightly, bending down to pick up the corn cob. It was still warm and unnervingly hard to the touch.

“You were… eating this?” she asked, trying to engage with Little Xuanwu. The girl seemed so different from the terrifying Xuanwu—just a child.

“Mm…” Little Xuanwu hesitated. “I gave it back. I thought no one wanted it. I found it over there.”

Qiu Shiliu shook her head, holding up the cob. “You can’t eat this.”

“Okay. I won’t eat it,” Little Xuanwu said, quickly hiding the half-chewed cob behind her back.

“Damn it…” Qiu Shiliu scratched her head. “That’s not what I meant. You can eat it if you want, but it’s not good for you.”

“Good for me…?”

“Shit… why am I even caring about you…?”

Suddenly, Qiu Shiliu’s expression darkened. She hurled the cob to the ground and lunged forward, grabbing Little Xuanwu by the collar of her tattered clothes.

The girl didn’t resist, simply closing her eyes.

Qiu Shiliu knew something was wrong. Xuanwu wasn’t a child—which meant this whole world was fake.

“My teammates are being slaughtered by you out there, and here you are, pretending to be pitiful?” Qiu Shiliu hissed. “You think looking like a kid will stop me? Starvation or death—which do you think is worse?”

Little Xuanwu stayed silent, eyes still shut.

Enraged, Qiu Shiliu lifted her and slammed her onto the ground.

A patch of skin tore from the girl’s head, blood quickly streaking down her face. Yet she didn’t react, only climbing back up and closing her eyes again.

Qiu Shiliu took a deep breath, trying to steady herself.

This was beyond bizarre.

She was assaulting a malnourished, half-starved child—one who had just tried to eat a discarded corn cob and was now suffering her brutality for no reason.

By any moral, social, or ethical standard, Qiu Shiliu was the monster here.

But was that really the case? Xuanwu had probably killed more people than Qiu Shiliu had ever met…

“It’s not real…” Qiu Shiliu whispered. “None of this is real. You’re Xuanwu’s weakness. If I kill you, she dies. Isn’t that what you want? I’ll grant your wish.”

With that, she pinned Little Xuanwu down and wrapped her hands around the girl’s throat.

But just like the real Xuanwu, the child didn’t struggle. She simply lay there, waiting to die.

Qiu Shiliu couldn’t help but glance at her face. Time hadn’t marked her, but humans had.

Her hair fell away, revealing a face covered in horrifying scars.

Even as Qiu Shiliu tightened her grip, her eyes trailed down to the girl’s arms and legs—every inch marred by bruises and wounds that made her stomach churn.

After nearly a minute, Qiu Shiliu faltered.

This felt more real than any kill before. She could see the girl’s face turning purple, her strength fading.

Before she knew it, her hands had loosened.

“Cough…” Little Xuanwu gasped, gagging slightly, but she quickly composed herself. “Kill me.”

“You…” Qiu Shiliu’s lips trembled, unsure how to handle this suffering child.

When Qiu Shiliu didn’t move, Little Xuanwu slowly opened her eyes.

Only then did Qiu Shiliu notice—the girl’s right eye, always hidden beneath her hair, had two pupils.