Chapter Thirty-Six: Returning the Favor Twice Over (Part Two) Please add to your favorites and support with red votes!

In reality, Black Serpent had no idea that he was essentially doomed. Finding a hospital now would be unimaginably difficult, and in this world filled with constant danger and mutated monsters, how much strength could one possibly retain after having their internal organs shattered? Unless an Awakened One possessed a unique healing ability—something not everyone was as fortunate as Liang Jing to have. The white life source he wielded was even more effective at treating internal injuries than external wounds.

"Ah! This is bad, Boss Black Serpent!"

"It's over! Run…"

"Stop moving, are you trying to get us killed? Don’t drag us down with you!"

The subordinates of Black Serpent, who had always regarded him as godlike since his awakening, were thrown into chaos when their leader was so easily dispatched under the "release the hounds" command. Some, closer to Black Serpent, worried about him; some wanted to flee; and a few, the smarter ones, tried to keep their heads down.

Sss… Sss…

The mutated black-backed dog’s flesh sizzled as if doused with concentrated acid, wisps of white smoke rising from its body, but it seemed unfazed. It charged at the panicking subordinates who tried to escape, ignoring the severely wounded Black Serpent coughing blood on the ground. With a crunch, the dog snapped the neck of a subordinate right before Black Serpent’s furious, stifled gaze. The man’s eyes remained wide open, his head twisted at an unnatural angle.

A wave of dread swept over the remaining subordinates. No one dared to move or utter a word, fearing that the slightest action would draw the wrath of this savage demon. Terror gripped them. The previous monsters had died in agony under Black Serpent’s poisonous mist, yet this beast, though corroded by venom, showed not a hint of pain. How cruel and merciless must it be?

“I warned you not to act rashly. If anyone dares to make a move, for every one who tries something stupid, I’ll kill that one, and then the person closest to him, and so on. You can decide for yourselves. The ones implicated will be those nearest the offender,” Liang Jing declared, clearly enjoying himself, casting several playful glances at Black Serpent and his men. The grudge against the Zhang family had been festering since Jia Yujin’s imprisonment; endless oppression and humiliation had only steeled him further. Liang Jing had longed for this chance at revenge, and the rage from nearly losing Old Jia moments ago only fueled his interest in tormenting these minions.

“Now, you all have a task: betray Black Serpent. How you prove your betrayal is up to you. If you don’t, well…” Liang Jing’s playful tone grew darker, eyes never straying from Black Serpent, though he remained wary of any desperate counterattack.

His words silenced the subordinates. Fear of Black Serpent’s past ruthlessness and his poisonous abilities kept them frozen.

“What? Black Serpent is gravely injured. With me here, what can he possibly do? You’re all so close—could he even release his poisonous mist? He’s not immune to his own toxins. I’ll count to ten. If no one acts by then, I’ll start killing,” Liang Jing threatened.

“Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five…”

“Liang—Liang, Boss, if I do it, will you spare me?” one of the subordinates stammered.

“Four, three, two…” Liang Jing answered only with a cold glance, his countdown unbroken.

A wail, then a loud crack—the first subordinate’s head exploded under Liang Jing’s hand. Lying on the ground, Black Serpent suddenly realized that Liang Jing was playing the same cruel game he himself had played with Jia Yujin’s group. Regret and rage warred within him, all the blood and energy in his body surging uncontrollably, his skin flushing red. No one else noticed, but Liang Jing did, and he kept three steel balls in hand, ready to strike at any moment.

The others exchanged nervous glances. Remembering Black Serpent’s deadly poison in battle, Liang Jing’s logic seemed sound, and their terror eased slightly.

“I—I’ll do it!” Death looming, someone finally stepped forward. There was no escape, so they might as well take their chances—perhaps survival lay down this path.

“Me too!” “I’ll do it!” came the chorus.

With one person taking the lead, the rest quickly volunteered to “betray” Black Serpent. The difference between them and Jia Yujin’s group, who would rather die than betray, was stark—evidence of the gulf between their loyalties. In truth, Black Serpent had always treated his men harshly; beatings, curses, even crippling injuries and death were common. They followed him for profit, not loyalty. How could they see as their true leader a man who’d killed those who’d risked everything to save his life? They called him Black Boss, but never with true respect.

“You! All of you…!” Black Serpent, overwhelmed with rage, tried to curse them, but a mouthful of blood—stained with fragments of his ruined organs—gushed out, draining the color from his face before it flushed red again with unhealthy heat.

Seeing his men betray him so decisively, Black Serpent’s already warped mind became even more twisted. Compared to Jia Yujin, his own wretchedness was thrown into sharp relief. All he could do was glare with venomous, triangular eyes, powerless to do anything but seethe with hatred.

“Boss Black Serpent, don’t blame us, we’re just trying to survive. You’re beyond saving now, so consider this a final good deed before you go,” the lead traitor said, his voice trembling as he addressed the fallen leader.

“Get away from me! How do you plan to prove your betrayal? I’m warning you, you’re signing your own death warrant! I’ll kill your whole family…” For Black Serpent, pride and reputation were everything. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have clung so obsessively to Jia Yujin. This betrayal was the ultimate humiliation. He’d suffered betrayals before, but none had ended well—even their families had paid the price.

“Fine! If you’re going to be so ruthless, don’t blame us for doing the same. I’m no coward,” the first traitor retorted, realizing that if he went through with this and Black Serpent survived, retribution would be inevitable. He knew Black Serpent valued face above all, and so—

With a roar, Black Serpent tried to unleash his poison, but something was wrong. His blood and energy surged uncontrollably at a furious pace, his head threatening to burst.

The traitor spat in Black Serpent’s face, then kicked him hard in the head, grinding his foot into Black Serpent’s face as if to worsen his injuries—or finish him off.

What followed was cathartic. Each subordinate, harboring their own grievances, had never dared show it before. Now, with survival at stake, what future could there be if they didn’t take this chance? They unleashed their pent-up hatred—not just betraying him, but beating and humiliating him, hoping to end him for good.

“Damn it, Black Serpent? More like a pathetic worm!”

“A worm? He’s nothing but scum, worthless trash…”

“Hey, Old Shen, did you see that? Today I’m avenging you—just watch how I get payback for you!”

Red-faced, eyes bulging, Black Serpent endured every insult and blow, utterly powerless in his unknown state. If rage could kill, he’d have exploded a thousand times. His body, now tougher than ever, somehow withstood their murderous assault. Still alive, still conscious, his fear only grew.

The subordinates spat on him, tore off his clothes and pants, humiliating him further as they beat and kicked him. Even after more than half of them had taken their turn, Black Serpent remained alive, their terror mounting.

When one of them began to pull down his pants, intent on urinating on Black Serpent’s head, Black Serpent’s mind finally snapped. With a primal scream, his whole body shot upright—

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