Chapter 43

In the small room behind the hall, Shimu waved the knife in his hand and shouted loudly, "None of you come any closer, or I'll stab him to death!"

In his hand, he was still holding the unconscious young master Weitianchong.

This wasn't Shimu's doing, but rather Weitianchong had just gone through the door ceremony and was now in a deep sleep.

Lady Zheng Shufeng, along with Qin Daguanshi, Tang Jie, and others, rushed over. Seeing the scene, they were almost shocked into fainting. Fortunately, Tang Jie managed to catch her in time. Lady Zheng Shufeng cried out, "Child!" and tears streamed down her face.

"Shimu, do you know what you're doing? Let go of the young master!" Qin Daguanshi shouted angrily.

"Shut up, it's all because of you that I lost my chance!" Shimu shouted.

At this moment, his hair was disheveled, his face was fierce, and his eyes were filled with despair. The knife in his hand kept pointing here and there, and then at the young master in his hand. He looked like a criminal surrounded by the police, tears streaming down his face.

He shouted at everyone, "Why... why won't you give me a chance... I'm willing to serve for life... I just want a chance... I can't accept it... I can't accept it!"

He screamed hysterically.

At this moment, Weidanbai and others, who had received the news, also rushed over. When the old lady of the Wei family saw the scene, she cried out and fainted directly, causing a commotion in the manor.

Seeing his son in danger, Weidanbai was both shocked and angry. He shouted at his wife, "Look at what you've done! If you hadn't insisted on choosing Tang Jie, how could this have happened?"

Lady Zheng Shufeng, hearing her husband blame her, could only endure it and asked in a low voice, "Where is Master Lu? Why hasn't he been called over yet?"

"Someone has already been sent to invite him; he should be here soon," Qin Daguanshi hurriedly replied.

The wet nurse was so frightened that she screamed, "Shimu, are you crazy? Your mother entrusted you to me to take good care of the young master, but look what you've done! What am I supposed to do now?"

The wet nurse was almost crying to death.

The relationship between people is such that when one prospers, all prosper, and when one suffers, all suffer! Because of Shimu's actions, no matter how this matter ended, her days in the Wei manor were destined to be difficult.

"I don't care!" Shimu waved the knife and said, "I just can't accept it, I can't accept it! I've served the young master for so many years, who has ever shown me any consideration? You beat me, you scold me, who cares about me? Why? Why should a newcomer like Tang Jie get such treatment, while I, as a companion, can't stay with the young master... I... I can't accept it!"

As he spoke, he began to sob.

"Bold and wicked creature!" At this moment, a deep voice came from afar, and three figures flew over. The leader was Master Lu, and the three Spirit Masters of the Wei family had finally arrived together.

Before Master Lu even landed, a beam of spiritual light rose from his hand, and he was about to form a spell, but Shimu suddenly pointed the knife at Weitianchong's eyes and shouted, "If you move, I'll kill him!"

Master Lu, clearly not expecting Shimu to be so resolute, was taken aback. He didn't dare to release the spirit sword finger, and the spiritual energy rebounded, causing him a slight impact. He wobbled in the air, almost falling.

The three Spirit Masters were stopped by Shimu's move. For a moment, no one dared to act, and they looked at each other. Master Lu was about to speak when Shimu shouted, "Shut up, no talking, no moving, if you dare to use any spells, I'll kill him no matter what!"

Shimu was dedicated to cultivation and knew a lot about the abilities of different realms in the cultivation world.

Although Spirit Masters of the Transcendent Realm could ascend to heaven and descend to earth, they needed to form spells, just like mages need incantations. Only at the Purple Mansion Realm, after comprehending the heavens and earth, could they use spells effortlessly. Such abilities were called divine powers, meaning "divine thoughts connect the heavens and earth, all spells are born from a single thought."

Therefore, when he shouted, the three Spirit Masters didn't dare to move at all, fearing that they might accidentally harm the young master.

Shimu stared at the three of them and shouted, "Back off! Stay further away, or I'll kill him!"

The three Spirit Masters looked at each other and had no choice but to step back. They were usually high and mighty, and Shimu was like an ant to them, but now they were helpless.

Seeing this, Tang Jie couldn't help but shake his head.

Why did you have to shout? If you had used an invisibility spell and flown over from behind, and then cast a spell, wouldn't that have been it?

Now, Shimu had forced them to the point where they didn't dare to move a finger. If one of the Spirit Masters were to disappear, the knife would likely stab into Weitianchong's eye, and even if he didn't die, he would be crippled.

No matter how great their abilities, they had no experience with hostage situations, and thus were completely useless in this situation. Indeed, not everything can be solved by brute force.

"What can we do, what can we do!" The old man was stomping his feet in anxiety and pointed at Lady Zheng Shufeng, "Look at what you've done, what you've done!"

When something goes wrong, people always try to shift the blame, as if everything was Lady Zheng Shufeng's fault.

Lady Zheng Shufeng took a deep breath. She knew she couldn't panic, but this was the first time she had encountered such a situation, and with her son in danger, her mind was in turmoil, and she didn't know what to do.

It was Tang Jie who said, "Madam, let me handle it."

"You?" Lady Zheng Shufeng looked at Tang Jie in surprise.

Weidanbai said sternly, "Nonsense, even the Spirit Masters are at a loss, what makes you think you can solve it?"

He didn't care about Tang Jie's life, but if Tang Jie's actions led to Weitianchong's death, Tang Jie wouldn't have enough lives to pay for it.

"I can get close to him," Tang Jie replied. "He hates me, and if he has the chance, he will kill me. I'll give him that chance."

Weidanbai sneered, thinking that if killing Tang Jie could save his son, he would agree. He was considering whether to use this to negotiate with Shimu.

In fact, the reason Tang Jie wanted to go was that he knew if this situation wasn't resolved soon, he would be the next to suffer.

Shimu hadn't proposed killing Tang Jie, which only meant one thing: this was a sudden act, not a premeditated one. Therefore, he hadn't made any demands, and it was more like a hysterical outburst. The endless fear and terror hidden behind his fierce appearance confirmed this.

But if this standoff continued, and he regained his senses and made demands, the situation would become more complicated.

So he had to take the initiative!

Letting Shimu stab him once, Tang Jie might not die.

But if the Spirit Masters of the Wei manor pointed at him, he would have no tomorrow.

Lady Zheng Shufeng asked, "Are you sure you can get close to him?"

"We have to try."

"No, I won't agree!" Weidanbai shouted.

"I agree!" Lady Zheng Shufeng said.

"You?" Weidanbai looked at his wife in surprise.

Lady Zheng Shufeng said, "Didn't you say that last time when he stabbed the horse, Master Lu thought his action was fierce and decisive, not something an ordinary person could do? If so, let this extraordinary person do something extraordinary again."

"But what if..."

"Do you have any better ideas?" Lady Zheng Shufeng countered.

Weidanbai was speechless.

While Weidanbai and his wife were confronting each other, Tang Jie had already walked out of the crowd and approached the wooden house.

"Don't come any closer!" Shimu pointed at Tang Jie and shouted, staring at him intently, the knife pointing at Weitianchong, as if he would stab him if Tang Jie came any closer.

Tang Jie stopped and said, "Don't be so nervous. I'm not a Spirit Master, I don't have the power to kill you from this distance. I just want to tell you something... to guard against Spirit Masters, a knife isn't enough. You need to know that there are countless immortal techniques in the world, some of which you've never even heard of. Maybe there are Transcendent Realm Spirit Masters who can cast spells without forming them. They might not be using them now because they're afraid of hurting the young master. So..."

His words were partly true and partly false. It was possible to find a few Transcendent Realm techniques without casting limitations, but such techniques wouldn't be in the hands of the Spirit Masters hired by the Wei family.

But Shimu, in his current state of mind, didn't think that far.

Tang Jie pointed at the door, "So, to guard against Spirit Masters, you need to close the door. If they can't see inside, you'll be safer."

Shimu looked at the door, then at Tang Jie, and suddenly shouted, "Don't try to trick me, you want to take advantage of me closing the door to let the Spirit Masters attack, right?"

If he went to close the door, he would have to temporarily leave the young master. Even if the Spirit Masters needed time to cast spells, there were some that could be released instantly. Dealing with Shimu didn't require any major spells.

Tang Jie's expression changed slightly, and he scratched his head, "You figured it out, this is a bit tricky."

"Go close the door!" Shimu pointed at Tang Jie and shouted.

Tang Jie shrugged and walked to the door. He stopped at the door, grabbed the handle, and gave Shimu a disdainful look, as if he were looking at a dead man.

This look made Shimu shudder, and he pointed at Tang Jie and shouted, "It's all because of you, all because of you! You made me lose everything, I'll kill you!"

"Stop being foolish, Shimu," Tang Jie shook his head.

He pulled a chair in front of Shimu and sat down, "I'm right here, Shimu. If you really want to kill me, come over and stab me in the chest. But Shimu, do you really have the courage to do it?"

Shimu stared at Tang Jie, but the knife didn't move.

"What? Afraid? You found out that killing isn't so easy, right? Some things are easier said than done. Look at you now, you can't even hold the knife steady. Even if I put my neck in your hands, you probably wouldn't be able to stab me," Tang Jie looked at him sympathetically.

He smiled and shook his head, "It's okay to be afraid, being afraid of death isn't shameful. If you're not that kind of person, don't do that kind of thing. We all make mistakes, it's nothing, just correct them. Holding the young master hostage is a serious crime, but the young master is still safe. If you let go now, it's not too late!"

"Will they let me go?" Shimu asked, trembling.

"Well, there will be punishment, but I promise I'll plead for you and ensure you don't die."

"You? Why would you help me? You want me dead!" Shimu shouted again, alternating between fear and madness, in an extremely unstable state.

Tang Jie shook his head and smiled, "Shimu, you're overestimating yourself. In my eyes, you've never been an opponent, not even worth my attention. Hate you? Honestly, you're not worth it. If I really wanted to hate you... you'd be dead already."

"You're lying! I hit you, I always caused you trouble!"

"Did I ever retaliate?" Tang Jie countered.

Shimu was speechless, thought for a moment, and shouted, "You couldn't retaliate, you're a coward, you're afraid, you're too scared!"

"Me, a coward?" Tang Jie laughed, "Could someone who's afraid kill a horse in front of the young master? Could someone who's afraid walk over here and ask you to stab me? Why are you shaking? Who's the real coward here?"

Shimu trembled even more.

Tang Jie sneered, "Also, do you think I couldn't deal with you if I wanted to? Do you know how Ji Zixuan left? Do you really think it was all your doing?"

Tang Jie looked at Shimu and said, word by word, "It was me! I asked Manager Qin to work with the elders in the manor to help you plan; it was me who bribed Yan Zhi to incite you to go against Ji Zixuan; it was me who asked Shiming to invite the old man and the madam to witness the show. Without me, Ji Zixuan and I would have gone to the academy together, do you understand?"

This shocked Shimu completely, "It was you... all of this was your doing?"

"Yes, it was me! I don't like hurting people, but if I really wanted to, I could ensure you wouldn't even know how you died. The one who really squeezed you out wasn't me, but Shimeng. If they had to choose between me and Shimeng, the madam would still choose me! Shimu, I've never seen you as an opponent. In my eyes, you're just a spoiled, ignorant child," Tang Jie said coldly. "You're a bad person, you deserve a lesson, you deserve a good beating, but you don't deserve to die. I promise, if you put down the knife and come out with me, I'll use my future to ensure you don't die. This is your last chance!"

When he said the last chance, Tang Jie's small maze array was already complete. If he activated it, Shimu would be trapped, and he wouldn't be able to harm Weitianchong.

But Tang Jie wanted to try.

He wanted to see if he could persuade Shimu to give up on his own.

On one hand, he didn't want to reveal his array skills, and on the other, he wanted to give Shimu a chance.

"No! No! No!" Shimu shook his head in disbelief. He couldn't imagine that he had been manipulated all along. He shouted hysterically, "Tang Jie, you're a bastard!"

"Are you angry? If you're angry, you can go out and tell the old man and the madam," Tang Jie smiled. "Even if you're not convinced, it doesn't matter. You've always been a tool in my hands, a weapon I used against others. Now your mission is complete, it's time to end it!"

Whether he confessed voluntarily or out of anger, as long as he went out, it would be fine.

As for informing, well, it's no big deal. Even if he didn't deny it, the madam wouldn't care.

People are quick to forgive past mistakes.

"I'll go tell the madam... I'll go tell the madam... They'll believe me, they'll understand me, it wasn't my fault, it wasn't me... All of this was your plot!" Shimu said incoherently, as if he had found a lifeline, and a glimmer of hope rekindled in his eyes.

It was clear that his mind was on the verge of breaking.

He dropped the knife.

He stood up and walked out of the room step by step, muttering, "I'll tell the madam... The madam will believe me... You admitted it yourself..."

He passed by Tang Jie, staggering.

Seeing his state, Tang Jie could only sigh in his heart.

No matter what, it was good that the situation was resolved.

Even an amateur negotiator can fool an amateur kidnapper. Tang Jie was quite satisfied with his performance.

Taking advantage of Shimu's departure, Tang Jie dismantled the array he had set up to avoid leaving any traces. He checked on Weitianchong, who was fine, and picked him up.

At that moment, a loud scream came from outside the room.

"Oh no!" Tang Jie was shocked and rushed out with Weitianchong, only to see Shimu lying in a pool of blood. Master Lu had just retracted his hand and was wiping the blood off with a white handkerchief.

"Chong'er!" Lady Zheng Shufeng shouted and rushed over.

A group of people gathered around, taking the young master from Tang Jie and surrounding him, as if afraid Shimu would come back and kidnap him again.

Only Tang Jie stood there, stunned, looking at Shimu on the ground.

He's dead!

His skull was shattered, and he died on the spot, his eyes wide open, staring at the sky above.

"Why?" Tang Jie glared at Master Lu, "Why did you kill him? He had already put down the knife and surrendered!"

"Rubbish, how dare you speak to a Spirit Master like that?" Weidanbai scolded Tang Jie.

Master Lu looked at Tang Jie strangely and said casually, "Shimu held the young master hostage, a grave act of treason. Killing him was just and right, what's so strange about it?"

"But I promised him that if he released the young master, the Wei family wouldn't kill him. I used my future to ensure it, I promised him!" Tang Jie shouted. "He didn't do