Journey to the End of the Night Chapter 1531 - 949: Blazing Fire

Soon, additional torches were brought by some villagers. Taoist Huang clutched one, the crimson-orange flames reflecting a murky, malevolent gleam within his eyes, while the intersecting wrinkles etched upon his face resembled desolate mountain ravines.

With a sinister grin, perceptible only to Shu Ci, he forcefully yanked her hair, pulling her upright. Then, in a savage display, he thrust the blazing torch, crackling and alive, directly before her face.

The flickering flames, like grasping tongues, nearly scorched her eyelashes. The intense heat radiated towards her face, causing her eyeballs to feel as though they were boiling.

Taoist Huang, embodying pure malice, deliberately aimed to instill terror, eager to elicit screams and witness her humiliation. However, to his profound disappointment, the severely wounded woman before him did not even flinch.

Far from showing fear, her eyes held a mocking, glacial smile. Unperturbed and fearless, she calmly observed the flickering inferno, her gaze remaining utterly still.

This unnerving composure caused a ripple of unease in Taoist Huang's heart. This was hardly the reaction one would expect from an ordinary person.

By this point, any contemplation was no longer feasible. With a merciless gleam in his eyes, and under the watchful eyes of the assembled crowd, the oil-soaked torch was brutally pressed against Shu Ci’s delicate face, grinding and rolling back and forth.

The sheer cruelty of the scene seemed to cause everyone present to instinctively hold their breath. Aunt Wu, unable to bear the sight, averted her gaze and discreetly wiped away her tears.

They had all anticipated a piercing, miserable shriek to rend the morning's tranquility. Yet, to their astonishment, the torch seemed to be applied to a lifeless form. Apart from a faint scent of scorched flesh wafting through the air, not a single sound escaped her lips.

Shu Ci's unwavering stillness sent a crawling dread through everyone's hearts.

A hushed voice inquired, "D-Daoist, why isn't she making any sound?"

Taoist Huang had never encountered such a phenomenon. In his understanding, even if she were a mountain spirit or some other spectral entity, she should still possess a body of flesh and blood. The searing pain of fierce fire would undoubtedly be unbearable. Even with exceptional willpower, the agony of flesh being incinerated – it was something no one could endure without some outward reaction.

It wasn't merely her resemblance to a corpse; even Taoist Huang felt as though he were burning one.

By the time a significant portion of Shu Ci’s once beautiful face was marred, forming grotesquely peeling, red-burned blisters, the visage was irrecoverably ruined.

Women are inherently drawn to beauty; this inclination extends even to demonic beings. Yet, confronting this devastation, Taoist Huang could detect absolutely no tremor in her emotional state.

Her gaze was sharp and frigid, and when it fell upon him, it was as if she were surveying a man already dead.

Despite her current predicament, captured and awaiting her demise, she exuded an aura of supreme superiority, as if observing a toddler's tantrum.

Underneath that piercing stare, Taoist Huang felt an icy chill cascade down his spine. His throat constricted, and every hair on his body stood on end. Instinctively, he averted his gaze, unwilling to meet those pupils that resembled deep, fathomless pools of darkness.

With a sharp slap, he flung the torch aside and released his grip, allowing Shu Ci’s lifeless form to slump limply to the ground.

His finger trembled as he pointed at Shu Ci, his face contorted with intense fury. "Monster! You are truly a monster!"

Upon witnessing Shu Ci's horrific state, the crowd felt no empathy whatsoever. They perceived her terrifying visage as even more ghastly, akin to an Evil Ghost, and instantly recognized her as no ordinary mortal.

A tremor of fear coursed through their hearts. They all harbored the conviction that allowing this strange woman to continue living would inevitably invite great calamity upon them.

"She must have consorted with some demonic abomination! What normal person would not fear pain? Quickly, gather more firewood! Burn her to death!"

Taoist Huang issued a string of low, guttural commands. Soon, a pile of firewood was amassed around her. He strode forward with an air of arrogance and declared harshly, "You malevolent fiend, this Daoist offered you a chance. You refused to repent and persisted in causing harm. The Heavenly Dao operates in cycles, and Heaven shows no mercy! This Daoist shall slay this demon today and cleanse the world of your malevolence for all living beings!"

He retrieved the torch once more. Gazing upon Shu Ci’s ravaged face, a fleeting sense of pity mingled with boundless satisfaction washed over him, a cruel light glinting in his eyes, even as his lips uttered pronouncements of benevolence and righteousness.

"It is a good thing that your face is disfigured; this way, you are prevented from using that alluring, foxy appearance to deceive men and cause them harm, swindling them out of their wealth! Such a shameless visage is most fitting for you. This Daoist today..."

Before he could utter another word, a figure suddenly burst forth from the assembled crowd. Taoist Huang suffered a brutal blow straight to his face—his cheek collapsed inward, a bone snapping audibly, and the bridge of his nose was utterly flattened. He emitted a piteous howl and tumbled lifelessly to the ground.

This abrupt turn of events elicited gasps of astonishment from all present. They were on the verge of rushing forward to ascertain which audacious wretch dared to lay hands upon the venerable immortal in broad daylight.

"You dare! How could you dare strike this Dao—" Taoist Huang clutched his severely deformed and crooked face, blood streaming from his nose, tears erupting from the intense pain, yet he still attempted to maintain his dignity.

Just as he prepared to rise, a heavy foot descended forcefully upon the wrist that held the torch.

He shrieked once more, feeling as though the very bones in his wrist were being pulverized into dust. All pretense of dignity vanished as he frantically pleaded, "Lighter! Lighter! It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!"

The torch was wrenched from his grasp. In the very next moment, intense heat engulfed Taoist Huang’s cheek. Upon opening his eyes, he beheld nothing but a terrifying inferno blazing directly before him.

"Ah! Ah!!" Utterly terrified, he wrenched his head back with all his might, screaming like a panicked old rooster, completely unconcerned with his image.

Baili An swung the torch in his hand with considerable force. The countenances of the onlookers surging forward were bathed in the stark red glow of the flames. Their expressions were etched with sheer terror, and none dared to advance any closer.