Chapter 355: Particularly Valued
Grandma Wu knew that the old man intended to leave this rural homestead to Wu Xiaoguang as a last resort, and she had no intention of competing with her grandnephew for it. So when it came to the rent for the cellar, she showed no interest in negotiating.
Her generosity only made Wu Xiaoguang seem more petty.
“Grand-aunt, you really don’t want any of it? Since you said so, don’t regret it later!” Wu Xiaoguang hurriedly settled the matter in front of everyone.
Director Ouyang Ouyang, along with Song Zhibai, also came to pay their respects at the funeral. Seeing the long-awaited opportunity finally arise, Ouyang Ouyang couldn’t wait, despite the somber occasion, to have the lease contract delivered immediately and finalize the deal on the spot.
Director Ouyang was indeed offering a high price—an astonishing 200,000 yuan per month for a mere rural cellar. However, much to Wu Xiaoguang’s regret, Ouyang was only renting it for a month.
One month was enough time to complete all the necessary filming for the movie.
Since Xu Youyou didn’t think much of Wu Xiaoguang, she assumed he would try to squeeze more money out of the production once filming began.
“Boss, don’t worry. I know what kind of person Wu Xiaoguang is. Our company’s lawyer, Mr. Wu, drafted the contract. Every clause is airtight to ensure he can’t pull any tricks,” Director Ouyang reassured Xu Youyou.
But to Xu Youyou’s surprise, Wu Xiaoguang disappeared after receiving the money. By the time the film crew wrapped up shooting in the cellar, there was still no sign of him.
When Xu Youyou heard about this, she didn’t think much of it. She assumed he had run off to gamble again. Now that her task was complete, and after spending so many days in Hunan, it was time for her to return to Shanghai.
Deep in the mountains of western Hunan, in a dark cave, Wu Xiaoguang was bound tightly and suspended in midair.
“Big brother, spare me! I can return the money, I swear! Just let me go! I’ll give you as much as you want—my grand-aunt has money! Just let me call her!” Wu Xiaoguang pleaded desperately.
But the man guarding him remained expressionless, unaffected by his cries.
The cave was deep in the wilderness, at least an hour’s walk from the nearest village. No matter how loudly Wu Xiaoguang screamed, the only response was the chirping of birds in the forest.
Before he could shout any further, a sudden, blood-curdling scream echoed from deeper inside the cave.
What terrified Wu Xiaoguang was that it wasn’t just one scream—there were multiple, both male and female. At least three people were screaming.
“Big brother, what’s happening inside?” Wu Xiaoguang asked, his face filled with curiosity.
The guard, a man in black with a long scar on his right cheek, had been ignoring him. But now, he suddenly smiled and said, “What else? Killing, of course.”
Wu Xiaoguang turned pale.
Half a minute later, a foul stench filled the air, and drops of liquid trickled from Wu Xiaoguang’s pants onto the ground below.
The guard shot him a look of disgust. “I thought you had guts, but you’re scared so easily. If you’re such a coward, why did you mess with our Dragon King?”
Wu Xiaoguang now deeply regretted his greed. He never imagined that his insatiable desire for money would cost him his life.
“Big brother, please! I’ll do anything! I’ll work for the Dragon King for free! Not just for free—I’ll hand over all my wealth if necessary! I have money, and so does my grand-aunt!”
The guard seemed intrigued, stroking his chin with a smirk. “You make a good point. But you’re wrong about one thing—human lives are quite valuable to the Dragon King.”
At first, Wu Xiaoguang didn’t understand. But moments later, realization dawned, and he began trembling uncontrollably.
The guard sneered. “So scared over something this trivial? How boring.”
Deep inside the cave, a desperate voice echoed.
“My Gu family has worshipped you for thirty years, giving you everything you demanded. Why are you doing this to us?”
The Red Dragon King chuckled. “Your Gu family served me, and I granted you thirty years of wealth and prosperity. Isn’t that enough? Since you claim to give me whatever I ask for, why do you resist now?”
“You all want to destroy Xu Youyou, don’t you? I’ll use her closest blood relatives to deal her the cruelest blow. Isn’t that a fitting reward for your service?”
Father Gu’s eyes burned with rage as he struggled against his restraints, but it was futile. He could only watch as his own blood dripped onto the sinister altar below.
The stone altar was engraved with three interconnected black skulls. Now, Gu family members were seated on it, their blood soaking into the engravings.
Madam Gu, the weakest among them, had already collapsed, her body lifeless.
Beside her, Gu Fengchuan was deathly pale, too overwhelmed to question the Red Dragon King. Instead, he stared at his father. “Dad, you asked Mom who her favorite child was. Did you already foresee this? Were you planning to sacrifice me to protect the family’s wealth?”
Father Gu, already weak, was so enraged by the accusation that he nearly jumped. “How could I have known we’d be sacrificed? If I had known, I’d rather have given up all our wealth than end up here!”
The Red Dragon King lost interest in their bickering. Instead, he raised his hands, forming intricate symbols, while chanting an eerie, bone-chilling incantation.
At the same time, in a hotel room, Xu Youyou watched as Xu Fang finished packing her luggage. Her focus, however, was entirely on the wooden box before her.
For days, she had resisted the urge to open it, despite her overwhelming curiosity. She had kept the treasure securely locked in her personal safe.
The system had already marked her task as complete, yet no reward had appeared.
“System, are you withholding my reward because I haven’t opened the box?” Xu Youyou asked.
The system’s response was uncharacteristically vague: [You could say that.]
Xu Youyou, having been with the system for so long, had never heard it speak so ambiguously.
“What exactly is inside this box? You seem to value it a lot,” she mused.
