But the man behind Liu Qiaozhi seemed to be deliberately teasing her.
His voice, modified by magic, was mechanical and indistinct. The black - cloaked man said in a deep voice:
"Why are you running? Don't you know that disobedient children will be punished?"
Liu Qiaozhi felt the pressure from behind, which made her tremble involuntarily.
Her face grew paler. Her eyebrows knitted together. Her two eyes stared fixedly ahead. Countless thoughts churned in her mind, making her want to scream, but she couldn't utter a single sound.
The more Liu Qiaozhi thought, the more afraid she became. Countless terrifying speculations lingered in her mind, like a cold - blooded snake slowly crawling over her heart, making her hair stand on end and feel utterly desperate.
Liu Qiaozhi's intuition told her that if the man behind wanted to kill her, it would be as easy as crushing an ant.
It was the oppression from absolute strength.
It made even her soul tremble.
What terrified her most was that she wanted to run but couldn't.
The black - cloaked man behind her deliberately kept her in suspense and didn't tell Liu Qiaozhi his purpose.
The black - cloaked man deliberately dragged out the time to wear down Liu Qiaozhi's psychological defense. He wanted to strike with one blow.
The black - cloaked man knew that the more afraid a child was, the easier it was for them to yield.
He didn't allow Liu Qiaozhi to turn around. He deliberately prevented her from seeing his appearance.
The fear of the unknown was even more intimidating.
Liu Qiaozhi had been the controller of the illusion for so many years. For the first time, she felt the pressure that she could be crushed at any time.
Outside, the storm showed no sign of stopping. Instead, it grew stronger.
Liu Qiaozhi watched as the dim light in the house in front of her flickered on and off.
It was the lightning outside, striking down one after another. And right after the lightning came the thunderous roars, which made people's hearts skip a beat.
Suddenly, a hand landed on Liu Qiaozhi's shoulder. Then it slowly stroked her hair.
Liu Qiaozhi's whole body stiffened. She felt as if a cold snake had coiled around her from behind.
She could only stare helplessly with wide - open eyes, waiting for the judgment of fate.
The black - cloaked man drawled slowly:
"Liu Qiaozhi, aren't you lonely after all these years?"
Liu Qiaozhi didn't want to answer him.
She tightly shut her mouth and said nothing.
Her reaction dissatisfied the black - cloaked man.
Liu Qiaozhi felt the force on her hair increase. The sudden pain made her face contort involuntarily.
Even the thunder outside grew louder. Liu Qiaozhi felt as if her scalp was about to be torn off. She quickly answered him:
"Lonely."
Liu Qiaozhi thought that answering him would ease the force on her head.
But the black - cloaked man's emotions were unpredictable.
Liu Qiaozhi felt that her scalp was on the verge of being ripped off. To save her hair,
she hurriedly asked, "What do you want? What do you want to know? I'll tell you everything."
Upon getting this answer, the force on the black - cloaked man's hand suddenly disappeared.
Obviously, this was the answer he wanted.
The black - cloaked man stroked Liu Qiaozhi's hair as if rewarding her. Feeling the tremor under his hand, he said with a smile as if soothing her:
"Do you know the saying 'A wise man submits to circumstances'?"
Although the black - cloaked man's tone was smiling, Liu Qiaozhi still heard the threat in his words.
Liu Qiaozhi didn't understand. The long - lasting tension in her brain made her exhausted.
Liu Qiaozhi didn't want to die in the dark. As if she had nothing to lose, she said:
"Just tell me what you want. Don't beat around the bush. I don't understand."
This time, the black - cloaked man laughed out loud. He said:
"I really appreciate your courage. Among all the evil spirits I've seen, you're one of the few who dare to question me. Should I say you're young and fearless or just brainless?"
"Aren't you afraid that I might get annoyed..."
"And crush you on a whim?"
The black - cloaked man's cold voice sounded beside Liu Qiaozhi's ear.
Unexpectedly, although Liu Qiaozhi was afraid, she still mustered up the courage to say:
"Life and death are predestined, and wealth and honor are determined by heaven. If today is my time to die, I'll accept it. Maybe this is just my fate. I don't deserve happiness."
Liu Qiaozhi thought of Liu Yun'er's departure and her mother's scolding. The past welled up in her heart.
Yes, she was always so close to happiness yet so far away. Just when she thought she could have a new life, she was pulled back into the abyss.
She drooped her eyes dejectedly, surrounded by sadness.
The black - cloaked man suddenly fell silent. As if talking to himself, he repeated what Liu Qiaozhi said:
"Don't deserve happiness?"
Then he seemed to come to his senses.
His tone was no longer playful but extremely serious.
The black - cloaked man finally answered Liu Qiaozhi's question directly:
"My purpose this time is very simple. As long as you obediently listen to me, I'll help you create a world that belongs only to you. I'll let you weave your own illusions and become the master of the world.
"You can reunite with Liu Yun'er in it and have real friends.
"All these can be achieved in your illusions, and only I can help you. All you need to do is listen to me, make a contract with me, and follow my orders."
The black - cloaked man thought that Liu Qiaozhi would surely agree immediately.
But to his surprise, Liu Qiaozhi only answered him with silence.
Liu Qiaozhi kept silent, which made the black - cloaked man unsure.
According to his understanding of Liu Qiaozhi,
a child as starved for love as her was extremely rare.
For a little kindness from others, even if she knew it was like a moth flying into the fire, she would rush forward without hesitation. She needed warmth.
Whether it was kindness or malice, as long as it was good to her, Liu Qiaozhi would give everything.
The black - cloaked man was originally 100% confident that he could win over Liu Qiaozhi.
Suddenly, Liu Qiaozhi interrupted the black - cloaked man's thoughts.
She asked in a somewhat hysterical tone:
"Why do you think I want to go back to my old life? Why do you think I want this false friendship? And on what basis do you barge into my house and threaten me?
"On what basis do you randomly guess about me as if you know me well? No one in this world is willing to understand me at all."
Liu Qiaozhi's tears slid down her cheeks drop by drop. She sobbed softly.
Faced with this series of questions, the black - cloaked man, who originally thought this task would be easy, was at a loss for words.
He felt that somehow, all the fear on Liu Qiaozhi's body had dissipated, and she was completely wrapped in sadness.
"This won't do. She must be afraid."
The black - cloaked man steadied himself. He had to win her over. Liu Qiaozhi's ability was very important to him.
He grabbed Liu Qiaozhi's hair again, hoping to make her yield with violence.
The black - cloaked man didn't answer any of Liu Qiaozhi's questions. He said viciously:
"I'm only giving you two options now. I have plenty of time to wait you out. It's up to you whether you want to live or die. One is the way to life, the other is the way to death. A smart person should know how to choose.
"Unless you want to disappear into thin air like this, leaving no trace in this world and disappearing silently. Then you're really a poor wretch, unloved. You'll even die alone."
The black - cloaked man's words were extremely malicious, full of contempt.
As soon as the black - cloaked man finished speaking,
a confident voice suddenly came from behind him.