"How about we play it like this? Han Yizhou, why don't you choose who gets to live? Your wife and son… or you?" Hunter knew that it would only be a matter of time before the rebels would start targeting Han Yizhou. The reward for his head was huge but not many knew that he was the next in line in Azure's royal family since he was hiding by using another name.

Lu Mengjie was gritting her teeth as she glared at the man who was threatening her husband.

​​

"I'll give you five seconds to decide." Hunter smirked. "One…"

Another knife came flying, this time, stabbing Han Yizhou on his leg which caused him to fall on his knees.

"Bastard! Stop it! Don't hurt him!!" Lu Mengjie's eyes were burning. She could tell that Hunter and his men were already a group of experts. Even she wouldn't be able to defeat him.

"Two…" The man continued to count. He threw another knife but this time, he aimed it at Lu Mengjie. He intentionally made it miss, only causing it to fly past her cheek. Blood oozed out from the cut that appeared. "Oops, I missed."

Lu Mengjie's body trembled. Her heart was beating like crazy out of fear. Little Peanut's cries continued to fill the room. She looked at her son, his face turned red from the cry. Tears welled up in her eyes. She hugged him protectively and tried to calm him down.

"Three." Another knife came flying towards Han Yizhou, stabbing him on his other leg. "Why are you so quiet? I'm asking you a simple question, why are you not offering your life?"

Han Yizhou's lips were stretched into a thin line. He wanted to tell him to let his wife and son go but that meant that he would have to die there. The backup help that he told Spider to call wouldn't be able to come in time.

'What are you doing?' Yong Liwei's voice was heard in his head. He had been ordering Han Yizhou to let Lu Mengjie and their son leave, to choose his family. After they leave, he was planning to take over the body. He couldn't take the risk of attacking the men when Lu Mengjie and their son were still in the room. Aside from that, he didn't want her to see a bloody scene.

Han Yizhou hung his head down and clenched his fists as he remained quiet.

"Oho? Is Mr. Han choosing himself over his family?" Hunter taunted.

He had feared death the most so now, Han Yizhou was hesitating even if the woman he loved and their son was in danger. He couldn't look Lu Mengjie in the eyes anymore, he was a coward.

'Don't you love her?'

He loved her, he loved Lu Mengjie so much that was why feared death… he could not bring himself to offer his life for her since he wanted to be with his family. His body trembled at the dilemma he was put in.

Hunter's laugh filled the room. "My, my, I never thought that you value your life more, Mr. Han. I guess you have now made your decision. Your wife and son's lives over yours."

"Y-Yizhou…" Lu Mengjie was looking at her husband in disbelief. "W-what are you doing?" It was not like she wanted him to choose who gets to live and die but what surprised her the most was seeing him kneeling on the ground with his head down, it was as if he had given up trying to save them.

"I love you… I love you more than anyone…" He mumbled as he tried to convince himself with those words just so he could muster up the courage to fight and yet, why couldn't he bring himself to sacrifice his life just so he could save her?

'You love her? That's bullshit.'

The leader of the group turned to the men who were holding Lu Mengjie down before he finally gave the order, "Kill them."

"P-Please… even if it's just my son… d-don't kill him. Please… He's only a baby..." Lu Mengjie begged. Her face was wet with tears. "Have mercy… please..."

The two men stared at her with cold eyes. One of them finally took out a gun and aimed it at Lu Mengjie's head.

She embraced her son protectively and shut her eyes tight when she realized that these people were used to this kind of work. There was no use begging. Was this the end for them?

Thud!

No, that was not the sound of a gunshot.

"You're hopeless without me," a bone-chilling voice was suddenly heard.

Everyone turned towards the man kneeling on the ground. The knife that Hunter threw earlier that stabbed his left leg was now missing. "Touching what's mine…" His brow twitched when he took out the knives from his shoulder and right leg, he groaned in pain as he did but that didn't stop him from getting up. "I shall make you wish you were dead."

Lu Mengjie slowly opened her eyes and saw a dead body in front of her. The man who was pointing the gun at her earlier was now stabbed on his head. It was the same knife that Han Yizhou received earlier. She slowly turned to her husband who was now standing. His face was void of emotions but the beads of sweat that rolled down his forehead were enough proof that caused her to think that he must be in deep pain.

What caught her attention the most was the sudden change of air around him. It was frightening and sinister.

Everyone's attention was on Yong Liwei as he held both knives in his hand.

"That soft coward has finally done it alright." It was as if he was talking to himself.

"Oho? You still have strength left in you? So does that mean that you're offering your life instead?" Hunter remained calm. He didn't look worried at all since he was underestimating the man before him although he had to admit, the man got skills in throwing a knife alright. The speed was even faster than his.

Yong Liwei's chuckle echoed in the air. For some reason, his laughing made one's bones tremble.

The men in the room couldn't help but notice the change. What was happening?

Blood wasn't visible on his black clothes, but there were traces of blood beneath his shoes as he began walking toward Lu Mengjie and his son.

"Stop right there or I'll kill her!" The man behind Lu Mengjie aimed his gun on her head. He could just kill her right there and then but for some reason, his survival instincts were telling him that if he did, he would also lose his life.

Yong Liwei stopped, his eyes were still locked at the woman whose face was filled with tears. The side of his lips crept up into a small smile. "Now that I'm here, you're crying again."

Bang!

Thud!

The man behind Lu Mengjie who was using her as a shield against Yong Liwei, fell on the ground, dead.

"My appearance fee is expensive," a man's lazy voice was heard, coming from the kitchen. Everyone turned to the new arrival and there stood Lu Mengjie's brother, Xia Liqin, with a gun in his hand. "And making Jiejie cry will cost you your life."