Venerable Demon King & The Doting Immortal (QT) novel Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Was Li Hua even human?

Soon the sun set and the dark sky was covered in dark stormy clouds. Thunder rumbled, shaking the very walls. Rain cascaded in torrents that people couldn't see anything through the curtain of rain.

Li Hua was there lying in wait, her anger simmering like the thunderstorm outside. A flash of lightning formed a sharp crack in the sky illuminating the room and casting jagged shadows across her face.

Just then the door creaked open and Xiang Yu stumbled in, his tattered clothes clinging to his skin, rainwater pooling at his feet. His mother had told him that she wanted fresh loquats growing over the mountain. She complained that the ones sold by the vendors weren't fresh so he had to take a four-hour hike up the mountain and another four-hour hike back thus he had no idea that something happened.

His eyes widened as they met hers that were brimming with resentment. His mother was sitting in the dark, rage etched into her features. The lightning flashed again creating an eerie atmosphere. Li Hua's anger was a force of nature, and Xiang Yu, drenched and hollow-eyed had stepped into the jaws of a voracious beast.

The room crackled with tension, and the air charged like a lightning storm. Xiang Yu's body stood frozen, every nerve in his small body numbed. His senses had already warned him of what was coming. "Mother," he rasped, his voice barely audible but she paid no heed. She rose from the chaise, her movements deliberate, like a predator closing in on its prey.

Her hand once gentle when playing the guqin instantly turned vicious. She slapped him across his face sending him sprawling on the floor. The loquats he had had his hands scratched and knees scrapped for spilt from his sling bag, rolling across the floor like lost marbles.

Xiang Yu cupped his throbbing cheek the stinging pain making his ears ring. His eyes devoid of emotion watched as his mother locked the door. His weak body trembled involuntarily his breathing heavy. He crawled backwards biting into his lip tightly as though trying to suppress something dark from coming out.

The dimly lit brothel which was usually packed with travellers and merchants in town for business, was quite empty tonight due to the heavy rain. They were only hosting a handful of clients. A young woman sat gracefully, her delicate fingers playing soothing melodies from the pipa. The wine flowed and some perverted clients were groping the courtesans followed by flirtatious giggles.

Because of this, it was hard to miss the chaotic sounds coming from upstairs. There were the sounds of a chair being flung against the wall, a door being struck with force, and a table overturned followed by loud thuds. The women exchanged glances, their expressions telling.

A young courtesan burst down the stairs, her eyes wide. "Sister Hua!" she cried. "She's hitting her son!"

The other courtesans followed after her. They had expected Li Hua to react this way after what happened today. It's just that they expected a slap or two followed by some harsh scolding but what Li Hua was doing now was far from it. One of them tried to open the door but they found out that it was locked from the inside. It seemed Li Hua did it on purpose. She didn't want them to interfere.