Hell's Handbook

“You are… Shen Wu?!” A nasty glint flashed in Su Jin’s eyes. This man was none other than the one he was about to hunt down. He didn’t expect to find Shen Wu this easily.

“Where’s my wife and daughter?” Shen Wu asked directly. He didn’t look like how he did before Su Jin shut himself up for ten years. He no longer looked like a child who couldn’t grow up but had become a tall and handsome young man.

Su Jin was a little surprised, but he quickly snapped back, “Why, you actually still care about them?”

“Of course! That’s my daughter and my wife! Of course I’d care,” said Shen Wu without hesitation.

Su Jin raised his voice, “You little bastard, how dare you lie to my sister! I thought that even though you weren’t a good guy, you had some limits. But it turns out that you don’t have any limits!”

Shen Wu scoffed and glared at Su Jin. “What do you mean I lied to her? If I didn’t love her and still married her and had a child with her, then yes, that would be lying to her. But I love her, I love Su Qing, and I’m with her because we have a genuine relationship. How could you call that lying!”

Su Jin didn’t know what to say for a moment. He frowned and replied, “Do you think I would believe you?”

“Is there a need for that?” Shen Wu didn’t back down and went on, “Su Jin, I hate you and I wish I could drink your blood and eat your flesh! But… I love Su Qing and that has nothing to do with you. I love her for who she is and that’s why I was willing to marry her and have a child with her. So please, please… give my wife and child back to me!”

Su Jin stared straight at Shen Wu and felt that the look in Shen Wu’s eyes seemed sincere. More importantly, the look in his eyes had changed. In the past, Shen Wu always looked arrogant and unbridled, and he refused to bow to anybody in the world. Even when it came to the will of the universe, he seemed more like a partner and not a subordinate. Shen Wu behaved like he was born an actual god.

But now, Shen Wu had become human. He still had that arrogant look in his eyes, but at least he had other emotions too. Su Jin could sense the gentleness in Shen Wu’s eyes when he talked about Su Qing. Could it really be that… his younger sister had managed to change this man?!

After some silence, Su Jin said, “You can see them if you want. You just have to join my temple and allow me to change your godhood. You’ll be able to be with Su Qing for the rest of your lives after that.”

Shen Wu frowned and said, “I didn’t think that after you arrived at this stage, you’d become despicable too. Then again, at least I won’t really have to worry about Su Qing and Yuan’er, since despicable people generally live longer lives. Also, I’m very sure that as long as you’re still alive, they’ll be well taken care of.”

Su Jin paused for a moment. It was true that he was being underhanded now, but he wasn’t going to let Shen Wu take his sister and her daughter away just like that.

“So, you’re not willing to do that?” asked Su Jin.

Shen Wu nodded and said, “Of course not. But don’t misunderstand, I’m not willing only because I don’t have trust in your temple. If I allow Su Qing and Yuan’er to stay in your temple, I’m afraid that they’ll end up dying with you in the near future!”

Su Jin’s lips started twitching. This part of Shen Wu hadn’t changed at all. The way he spoke remained just as annoying. But Su Jin also knew that he was right. Even though he had managed to come this far, he was still a long way from the will of the universe and Hell’s Handbook. Once their showdown began, the chances of him being victorious were still extremely slim.

“Su Jin… I know you love them and that’s why I’m able to speak to you nicely right now,” said Shen Wu with a sigh. In this moment, he was no longer a god but just a husband and father. “Entrust them to me, won’t you? They’ll be the safest with me. Even if you lose the battle in the future, at least I’ll be able to protect them. And if the will of the universe loses, you will definitely take care of them… so that’s the safest choice, isn’t it?”

Su Jin couldn’t help but nod in agreement. Shen Wu was right. Both of them were on opposing sides, so if he passed the two of them to Shen Wu, he would be able to guarantee their safety regardless of who won the final battle.

When Su Jin didn’t respond for a while, Shen Wu went on, “Su Jin… we’re enemies, but at the very least I know you weren’t an idiot, and that’s why I respected you as a strong opponent. Don’t tell me you’ve left your brain behind after becoming someone almost on the same level as the will of the universe?”

Su Jin glared at Shen Wu for his sarcasm and said, “Fine. Don’t disappoint me, or I’ll throw you into the depths of despair.”

“Oh wow. So scary,” said Shen Wu with a scoff.

Su Jin disappeared, then reappeared in less than a second. But this time, he reappeared with Su Qing and Yuan’er. Su Qing and Shen Wu immediately embraced each other.

Su Jin suddenly felt like he was a father watching his daughter get married and leave the house without turning back. So he called out to her, “Su Qing, I’m giving you the right to choose. Are you certain you want to stay with Shen Wu?”

Su Qing nodded and said, “Jin, I’m not a child anymore. This is my choice… you will support me, right?”

“If I didn’t support your decision, I wouldn’t have brought you here,” Su Jin sighed. He didn’t know how to express what he felt now. Su Qing told him that he and her daughter were his only relatives. But that was the same for him too.

He looked at the three of them and suddenly let out a sad laugh before turning around to leave, but Su Qing suddenly grabbed hold of his hand, then hugged him and burst into tears.

Su Jin patted his sister’s head. This silly girl.

He said quietly, “Don’t cry, we’ll see each other again, I promise.”

“You never keep your promises,” wailed Su Qing as she cried even harder.

Su Jin rubbed his nose awkwardly. It was a little embarrassing to be exposed like that by his own sister. He looked toward Shen Wu and said, “Shen Wu… remember what I told you.”

“Of course. If I disappoint you, you’d throw me into the depths of despair. I won’t forget that,” said Shen Wu flippantly with a shrug. Shen Wu said that he would remember, but Su Jin felt like this guy wasn’t serious about it. Perhaps he ought to just kill Shen Wu and alter his sister’s memories. That way, he wouldn’t have to lose two of his relatives!

Shen Wu noticed the look in Su Jin’s eyes and seemed to understand what Su Jin was thinking about, so he suddenly put on a solemn expression and said, “Brother-in-law, don’t worry! I promise to take good care of them!”

“Who’s your brother-in-law?!” yelled Su Jin in response. But then again, there was nothing he could do about that, since that was a fact now.

He took Yuan’er in his arms and wanted to touch her little face, but his rune creature body was so rough and he was afraid of hurting her.

A sadness suddenly filled his heart. He had come to a point where it had become too difficult to even touch someone he loved. Could the day come when… he became like the will of the universe and he would have to be all alone in this world?

Su Jin shook his head and threw that scary thought out of his head. He handed Yuan’er back to his sister, then looked at her as his body slowly faded away.

After Su Jin disappeared, Su Qing was stunned for a second before she anxiously tried to grab at him, only to grab a fistful of air. Shen Wu walked over to comfort her, only for her to step hard on his toes.

Shen Wu blinked in surprise before he noticed the sad but furious look in his wife’s eyes. He quickly played along and howled, “Ow! Ow! That hurt! Spare me please, wifey!”

Su Qing got even angrier at his clearly insincere performance and said, “My brother told me about the feud both of you had! Did you try to get close to me back then because you wanted to take revenge?”

“That’s not true! We did have a feud, but most importantly, I ended up getting thrashed all the time and he even managed to kill me! I’m the victim here!” Shen Wu protested.

Su Qing glared at him, “My brother is not the type who would go around killing the innocent. If he tried to kill you, it only means that you deserved it. What terrible things did you do?!”

Shen Wu fell silent. He tried to think about his past, which wasn’t really too long ago. It was just about ten years ago. Why couldn’t he remember what happened before he met Su Qing? It wasn’t that long ago.

At that moment, Su Qing leaned against Shen Wu’s chest as she said in a cracked voice, “Shen Wu… I’ve lost everything already, I can’t afford to lose you too…”

He blinked in shock, then gently caressed his wife’s face as he murmured, “Don’t let your imagination run wild. I’ll always be by your side.”