Venerable Demon King & The Doting Immortal (QT) novel Chapter 334

Chapter 334: Cost of betrayal

Xiao He knelt there, trembling, his hand clutched against the ghastly wound on his other hand, blood seeping through his fingers before forming a small pool of blood on the ground. Each shudder of his body spoke of a fear that gnawed at his insides, rendering him a mere husk of the man he once was.

Xiang Yu loomed before him, his disdain radiating from him like heat from the sun-baked earth. His dark eyes bore into Xiao He with a predator’s intensity, unyielding and cold. The silence between them was thick and stifling. It felt as if the world had drawn its breath and paused, waiting for the inevitable conclusion.

When the silence dragged on, Xiang Yu’s patience wore thin. He moved with the grace of a predator stalking its prey in the tall grasslands, each step deliberate and echoing in the stillness. The sharp glint of the dagger in his hand caught the light as he walked behind Xiao He, the blade poised like a coiled serpent ready to strike.

Gripping Xiao He’s hair, he yanked him back sharply, forcing his head to tilt upwards, exposing the vulnerable curve of his throat. A grimace twisted Xiao He’s face, the roots of his hair tearing free.

The steward watched, panic etched across his face. His heart raced as he raised his hands in a futile gesture, desperate to intervene. "Your Highness, please... this isn’t the answer! You can’t kill him... it will only lead to trouble!"

His voice trembled, thick with urgency, but Xiang Yu remained unmoved, his gaze locked onto Xiao He with an evil glint that suggested he was all too willing to follow through on his threat.

"Please," Xiao He’s voice quivered, breaking through the oppressive silence. Tears flowed freely, mingling with the snort running down his nose. "Your Highness, wuwuwu, please spare me..." he begged in a brittle voice.

Xiang Yu regarded him with a chilling calm. "He knows what to do. His life isn’t in my hands, but his own," he stated flatly, the words like a death sentence.

Xiao He’s breath hitched and he stammered, "I I was promised. I was promised I would be your attendant, to take Han Xin’s place. She said all I had to do was tear his room apart, the more damage, the better! Then she would use this to remove Han Xin from your palace, and I—I will have his position!" The confession spilt from him in a frantic rush, each word laced with a mixture of fear and desperation.

The steward’s eyes narrowed upon hearing this. He had never trusted the imperial consort, Peng Xiu’s mother, and now, her daughter seemed to embody the very scheming nature.

The memory of Peng Xiu’s childhood antics flashed through his mind. Her innocent facade always hid her heart that beat for power. She had always craved what belonged to Xiang Yu, weaving her pitiful tales to elicit sympathy, but now, she had shed that mask for something far more sinister.

Xiang Yu took away the dagger and released Xiao He’s hair, allowing the man to crumple to the ground in a heap of misery. "See... was that so fucking difficult?" Xiang Yu said

Xiao He’s breath came in ragged gasps as he wiped the remnants of his tears and snot from his face. Xiang Yu stood over him his dark eyes glinting with disdain at Xiao He’s pitiful state.