Chapter Twenty-Four: The Death Penalty Is Nothing!

The boy beneath him laughed wildly as he stuck out his tongue, licking the palm of Mu You’s hand, the taunt in his eyes unmistakable. At this moment, Mu You wished nothing more than to press down just a bit harder, to crush that hateful, mocking face once and for all.

“How about this?” the boy proposed, his tone sly. “I’ll let the two behind you go, but you must let yourself be captured by me. Three arrows—if I hit you, you become my human hound. If I miss, I’ll let you go for good, never bothering you again. How’s that?”

Seeing Mu You hesitate, the sharp-chinned youth pressed on, coaxing, “Do you take me at my word?”

“Do you mean it?” Mu You asked, voice low.

“Of course.”

“Very well.”

With that, Mu You released him, signaling to He Jing to take Xu Chen and leave at once—he would handle things himself. He Jing shot him a meaningful look, understanding this rare chance, then hoisted Xu Chen onto her back and hurried away.

The boy dusted himself off, picked up his bow and arrow, and, to Mu You’s shock, aimed at He Jing’s retreating figure, drawing the bow taut.

“What are you doing?!” Mu You roared.

The boy just laughed. “Nothing—just messing with you.”

Seeing Mu You so rattled amused the boy greatly; he turned the bow back toward Mu You, grinning. “My word is good. But I truly don’t understand: you, a leader among the condemned, why risk yourself for two subordinates? What are you plotting?”

As he spoke, he drew the bow to its fullest.

“Step back—ten meters. Too close isn’t fun.”

Mu You obeyed, retreating as he spoke, “If it were before—just this morning, even—I’d have used these people as pawns, let them scout and die for me. I thought that was the only way to survive.”

He stopped just beyond ten meters, watching the boy’s every move. “But now I realize: only when people act of their own will do they reach their true potential. They might die for you, and you’d risk your life for them. Perhaps… that’s the bond between the condemned.”

“All dead—what use is a bond?” The bald youth seemed baffled.

“You’re not one of us. You don’t understand what it’s like, after all hope is gone, to find warmth and comfort in each other. It makes you feel there’s still meaning in life. And that meaning—it survives only as long as we witness it together. If anyone tries to destroy our faith, we’ll fight them to the end. We’re not afraid of death—we’re afraid of living as walking corpses, like you.”

The boy seemed to grasp something, but his smile grew ever more malicious. “Never thought my whim would kill two birds with one stone. What a pity, that Xu Chen…”

Whoosh!

Still talking, the boy suddenly loosed an arrow at Mu You.

Mu You barely registered what he meant. The sharp whistle of the arrow cut through the air, streaking toward his face. He dodged right in a flash, lifting his left arm high; the arrow pierced his prison uniform, skimming past his armpit.

“You!” Mu You gasped, watching the boy nock another arrow, drawing it fully, aiming at him. He instantly fell silent, focusing all his senses on the boy’s movements.

“Not bad—keep it up.” The boy was surprised Mu You could dodge at such close range, and this time he drew the bow even tighter. “You’ll need to stay alert—I might let fly at any moment.”

As he said “whoosh,” he jerked his body, startling Mu You into rolling aside.

The boy burst out laughing, gleeful at Mu You’s tension, his twisted amusement fully satisfied.

“How much do you know about Xu Chen? I know everything about him. That’s why I said it’s a shame.” The boy’s t