Chapter 29: Let Go of My Goddess

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“You’re talking nonsense, you’re making things up, you, you, you... I... I... I’ll kill you!” Even though she had chosen to believe Yakshi, Yanalie still couldn’t accept the truth—her mind was in disarray, and she was completely incoherent.

“Kill me? Of all people, I’m the last one you should hate. You ought to thank me—without me, there’d be no you, and without you, there’d be no home.” Yakshi finally spoke the words that had weighed on his heart, though he still failed to make himself clear.

“I... I... you... you...” Yanalie stammered, unable to find her words, swaying unsteadily.

Lu Hu reached out to steady her, but he too was so shocked by the melodramatic revelation that he failed to notice the two broad-faced women had already stepped down from the tiger-skin throne and were now sashaying toward them.

“Xiaoli, don’t you believe me? That old bastard tried to harm your mother. She refused, and he ended up killing her by accident. My mother died of grief too. We both grew up motherless—you know that! You were just a little thing then, so pink and cute. I used to come hold you every day, and one day I walked in on him on top of your mother. I grabbed you and ran. Later, my father couldn’t bring himself to kill you, so he raised you. Marry me, Xiaoli. I’ll make you my queen, and I’ll love you for a lifetime—never enough.” As Yakshi spoke, he left the tiger-skin throne, pouring out his heart, his words coming unchecked, his feelings raw and sincere, walking toward Yanalie as he spoke.

Taro Kametani, the Glutton, pulled him back. “Hey! You can’t do that. Yanalie is mine. I really, really like her.”

Yakshi kicked him hard. “Get lost, you damn fool! Try to take Yanalie from me and I’ll kill you myself!”

Taro Kametani landed on the ground with a thud, clutching his stomach and groaning.

“Show your teeth!” Their master having been struck, the four little Dachshunds erupted in a frenzy, baring their teeth and howling as they drew their narrow blades, gripping them in both hands, ready to charge.

“Bakayaro! Baka! Sore wa dame da!” Taro Kametani, even in this critical moment, knew where his priorities lay and barked at the four Dachshunds, stopping an internal brawl just in time.

Meanwhile, the two broad-faced women had made their way over, one of them smirking as she pressed up to Lu Hu, pursing her lurid red lips as if to kiss his face.

“What are you doing? Get away from me.” Lu Hu instinctively dodged, and his supporting hand slipped from Yanalie.

Suddenly, the taller woman waved her hand, sending up a cloud of black smoke. Lu Hu instinctively raised his arms to shield himself.

“It’s a trap!” In a flash, Lu Hu felt a wave of dizziness, his vision blurring. He quickly held his breath, trying to inhale as little of the toxic gas as possible.

Seizing the chance, the two women pinned Yanalie between them and, as her mind went blank and she failed to react, swiftly dragged her toward the tiger-skin throne.

“Damn you, let go of my goddess!” An Shizhu roared, ready to fight.

But the four Dachshunds had already rushed over, their narrow blades forcing An Shizhu and the others back.

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Yakshi landed a punch that sent Lu Hu sprawling. “Tie him up!”

A few guards leapt forward and, in a flurry of hands, bound Lu Hu tightly like a bundle of straw.

The rest of the guards had already surged forward, weapons drawn, forming an impenetrable circle around An Shizhu and the other eight.

“We’ll fight. We might as well. We’re dead either way; kill one and it’s worth it, kill two and it’s a bonus,” An Shizhu muttered, ready for a desperate stand.

“Don’t be rash. The goddess has a knife at her throat. If we make a move, she’ll die. Better to live and wait for another chance,” Shi Zhenxiang whispered, pulling An Shizhu back.

At this moment, Taro Kametani and Yakshi faced off like two fighting cocks, eyes locked, silently gathering their strength, each ready to strike a fatal blow.

Yakshi eyed the little weakling before him, thinking he could squash him with a slap, and was itching for a fight.

“You, try it, and she’ll die,” Taro Kametani taunted, seeing Yakshi readying himself but not caring, craning his neck provocatively and gesturing at Yanalie behind him.

The broad-faced woman’s long blade pressed against Yanalie’s throat.

“Touch her and I’ll kill you myself!” Yakshi could only threaten with words; he dared not act.

Seeing Yakshi’s hesitation, Taro Kametani grew more smug. “You’ve got plenty of women. But Xiaoli is mine. She’ll bear little Kametanis for me. We’ll be closer than family, thriving together.”

He ordered the two women to take Yanalie to his room.

Yanalie offered no protest, allowing herself to be led away.

Taro Kametani gave Yakshi’s furious but helpless face a mocking pat, then swaggered off behind the women.

The four Dachshunds sheathed their blades and followed closely. With An Shizhu’s group now tied up, their only duty was to guard their master.

“You bastards, touch Xiaoli and I’ll feed you to the tigers. Just you try me,” Yakshi fumed, desperate and powerless, reduced to empty threats.

“What are you standing around for? Drag these rebels to the gate and feed them to the tigers!” Yakshi, turning and seeing Lu Hu and the others trussed up on the floor, finally found a target for his anger, barking the order at the guards.

The guards surged forward and, as if hauling sacks, dragged Lu Hu and his companions by the feet out the door.

“And you lot—what are you waiting for, appetizers? Get out there and eat some rebel meat! Out, out, out!” Yakshi, in his fury, kicked and drove the four tigers and four bears clustered around the throne, sending them scurrying away, tails between their legs.

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Still unsatisfied, Yakshi caught up with the slowest, clumsiest bear at the end of the line, kicked it over, pinned it down, and rained punches on its head until blood poured from its nose and mouth and it lay motionless, dead.

“What are you all standing around for, like corpses? Use your eyes! Drag the dead bear out and feed it to the dogs!” Yakshi barked at the soldiers again.

Outside the hall.

“Bro, I told you we should’ve fought, but you wanted to wait for a chance. Well, here’s your chance. In another minute we’ll all be tiger food. I could die of frustration,” An Shizhu grumbled, glaring at the tiger approaching him, not even considering whether or not he should be afraid, still venting to Shi Zhenxiang by his side.

“Big bro, I didn’t expect it to turn out like this either. Don’t be mad. Even if we weren’t born on the same day, at least we’ll die together. Tomorrow we’ll be tiger dung, forever remembered as legends, our bodies infamous for a thousand years. No one will ever rival us,” Shi Zhenxiang tried to comfort himself and An Shizhu with bravado, though it was far too late for regrets.

“Damn it, are you picking on us? Why go after just us two? What, you think I’m fat and have more meat?” An Shizhu yelled at the tiger sniffing at him.

Feng Cheng, who was faint-hearted, face streaked with tears and snot, pleaded with a black bear, “Brother Black, Uncle Bear, please don’t eat me! I’ve got a three-year-old mother at home, and a child over sixty, and my wife just got pregnant again. My whole family’s counting on me—if you eat me, how will they survive?”

“What are you talking about? Your wife’s pregnant again? No wonder your hair’s so green—wasn’t me, though, I’ll have you know.” Yan Ban, who’d always looked down on Feng Cheng, seized the chance to mock him.

Yan Ban and Feng Cheng’s wife had always had a flirtatious, unclear relationship, and the two often bickered.

Yan Ban, though bold, was a stickler for cleanliness. “These beasts are too much. If you’re going to kill us, fine, but why toss us in the snow, surrounded by tiger dung and urine? It stinks.”

An Shizhu burst out laughing. “At a time like this, you’re still worried about cleanliness? You’ll be dung yourself in a minute!”

“Will you all shut up? Look, what’s the boss talking to that tiger about?” Shi Zhenxiang craned his neck, trying to avoid the tiger’s maw, but still kept an eye on their idol—Lu Hu, lying on the ground.

And indeed, Lu Hu was deep in conversation with the tiger…