Unconventional [Rebirth] - Chapter 73

The one-eyed man was utterly petrified by Jiang Rui’s sudden appearance. When his eyes fell on his short blade—now nothing more than a piece of scrap metal—he let out a frantic shriek, let go of the weapon, and collapsed onto the floor, scrambling backward in terror. No one knew better than him the sheer horror Jiang Rui projected in that moment.

“Brother! Waaa… Brother!” Xiao Xiao and Tong Tong wailed, struggling on the ground. Their once fair and lovely faces were covered in grime and streaks of blood.

Jiang Rui’s heart ached. With a mere thought, the ropes binding the children snapped and fell away. He scooped both girls into his arms, their hot tears soaking into his shoulders. Over their heads, his gaze turned icy as he looked at Zhou Yan, who had scrambled up to hold a gun against Zhou Yongping’s temple.

Jiang Rui took a step forward. Zhou Yan’s arm shook violently as he jammed the barrel harder against his cousin’s head. “Stop! One more step and I’ll blow his brains out!”

Jiang Rui ignored him. He could hear his uncle’s muffled voice telling him to take the twins and run. Instead, Jiang Rui calmly set the girls on the ground and performed two hand seals to soothe their spirits, letting them fall into a deep, safe sleep.

He stood up, dusted off his sleeves, and gave a thin smile. “Some people just never learn.”

Then, under Zhou Yan’s wide-eyed, horrified gaze, Jiang Rui began to walk forward with agonizing slowness.

Step one: The man who had tried to stab Xiao Xiao clutched his left eye and collapsed, rolling on the ground in a cacophony of wretched screams.

Step two: A frantic Zhou Yan tried to pull the trigger, only to realize he was completely immobilized. He could do nothing but watch as the youth—beautiful as a painting—walked up and effortlessly plucked the gun from his frozen hand.

Jiang Rui tossed the weapon aside like trash. Ignoring the thugs as if they were ghosts, he helped Zhou Yongping up and whispered a soft apology.

“Ruirui… let me see the children,” Zhou Yongping croaked.

Jiang Rui nodded. Eschewing further secrecy, he gave his uncle a medicinal pill. Under its influence, Zhou Yongping’s wounds began to heal at a visible rate as he floated gently through the air toward his daughters.

The scent of fear—a pungent, foul smell—filled the shack. Jiang Rui wiped his nose with a look of disgust, mentally replacing the stench with a crisp floral fragrance.

He turned his attention back to Zhou Yan. The man was still conscious but catatonic with terror. Jiang Rui crouched beside him, a rusted, ancient-looking dagger appearing in his hand.

“You are very afraid of dying,” Jiang Rui whispered, tracing the blade lightly over Zhou Yan’s face, ignoring the growing puddle beneath the man’s chair. “This dagger is called Wu Shi (Void-Eater). Against a mortal, it only takes one scratch. Your body will rot day by day for seven days until you decompose into nothing. During those seven days, you will feel everything but won’t be able to scream for help… and even if you want to kill yourself, you won’t have the strength to move a finger.”

After carving the word “REPAY” into the man’s skin, Jiang Rui stood up. He sent a telepathic message directly into the man’s soul: “The debt you owed these sisters across two lifetimes is settled today.”

“Ruirui,” Zhou Yongping called out. He was standing now, holding his daughters. He looked at the remaining thugs and shook his head. “Let it go.”

Jiang Rui paused, looking at his uncle for a long moment. “Fine.”

Zhou Yongping let out a breath of relief. “I saw nothing today. I’ve already called the police. When they arrive, everything here… I did it. It has nothing to do with you. Understand?”

Jiang Rui blinked, then gave a warm, graceful smile and nodded.

By the time the police arrived, the twins were still asleep. Jiang Rui had carefully masked his uncle’s miraculous healing. The one-eyed man was carted off to an ambulance, though the doctors would never find a medical reason for his sudden agony.

On the drive back, Zhou Yongping looked at Jiang Rui through the rearview mirror several times. “Ruirui.”

“Yes, Uncle.” Jiang Rui sat upright, using the term of respect with genuine sincerity for the first time.

Zhou Yongping smiled sadly. “I don’t know who you are now, but there’s an old saying: ‘Retribution follows action.’ You are very powerful now, but…”

“I know,” Jiang Rui smiled. “I know.”

Back at the house, the family reunion was a sea of tears. Jiang Rui released the sleep charms, and the twins immediately burst into wails as they hugged their mother. Little Yuan Yuan joined in the chorus, and He Fumei—disheveled and frantic—held them all in a tight embrace.

Jiang Rui chose not to magically heal the twins’ minor bruises. He didn’t want to create a subconscious belief that their cousin was an omnipotent god; that would be unhealthy for their growth.

However, once the crying subsided, the sisters shuffled over to Jiang Rui and tugged on his sleeves. “Cousin… sniff… Cousin…”

Jiang Rui surrendered immediately. “Auntie, the girls must be starving.”

As He Fumei hurried to the kitchen, Jiang Rui sat with the sisters. To his surprise, they began to tell him a “secret.” Ever since the incident began, they had felt a simultaneous heart-palpitation. When one was in pain, the other felt it instantly.

Jiang Rui realized that under the influence of the Phoenix Bracelets he had given them, their natural twin telepathy had evolved. They were beginning to sense each other’s fortunes and calamities.

“In the future, if this happens again, you must tell Mom and Dad immediately, okay?” Jiang Rui whispered, stroking their hair.

“We know, Cousin!” they chirped in unison.

When Zhou Yongping emerged from the shower, Jiang Rui stood up to let him take the girls to wash up. The twins pouted, tugging on Jiang Rui’s hands. “Brother wash us! Brother wash us!”

Jiang Rui froze, his face turning a shade of red as Zhou Yongping stopped mid-stride. “Be good. I… I have to help Mom with dinner.”

He bolted into the kitchen. The twins blinked at their father, then shared a knowing look. “Brother is shy!”

Inside the kitchen, He Fumei’s hands slowed as she chopped vegetables. “Ruirui… what do you think of your uncle?”

Jiang Rui remembered how, in his past life, his aunt and uncle had divorced after the kidnapping. “He’s a good man,” Jiang Rui said firmly. “He does honest business. You can’t blame him for what happened.”

He Fumei began to cry. “I don’t want to, but I keep having nightmares… I dreamed that Tong Tong’s face was ruined and she lost an eye. She became… broken.”

Jiang Rui’s heart tightened. He placed a hand on her shoulder. “Auntie, Tong Tong is fine. Today, the knife was aimed at Xiao Xiao, and Tong Tong protected her. Their bond is stronger than ever. The things you dreamed… they are false. They never happened.”

He Fumei looked at him, her gaze slowly becoming steady. She took a deep breath and wiped her tears. “I’m just terrified… sorry you had to see that, Ruirui.”

Jiang Rui shook his head with a smile, but his hand, hidden behind his back, was clenched into a white-knuckled fist.