The Significance of Lou Benwei

Dark Shadow Island.

Lu Benwei, milk, Centipede, Doggy, and others gathered on the beach.

Among them was Bai Mei, who had obtained the Supreme Golden Bone thanks to Lu Benwei's fortuitous encounter.

Bai Mei, clad in a nightgown, was vigorously stirring a rusted, broken iron pot filled with sand.

Beside the makeshift "stove," an assortment of "seasonings" was arranged in chipped pots and bowls—tree leaves, twigs, withered petals, and vines plucked from who-knows-where.

With utmost seriousness, Bai Mei picked up two leaves and tossed them into the pot, continuing to stir.

Not far away, Lu Benwei bent over, neatly planting seedlings in the sand. Occasionally, he straightened his back to stretch, or took off his straw hat to fan himself.

"Hoeing millet under the noon sun, sweat drips into the soil beneath!"

Lu Benwei glanced at the sky. "Time for lunch."

With that, he set aside his farming tools and circled the beach, heading back "home."

"Darling, darling, I'm back."

He placed his straw hat aside and walked toward the "kitchen," wrapping his arms around Bai Mei's slender waist from behind.

"Ah, my wife's cooking smells divine."

Lu Benwei leaned in to sniff the pot, his face filled with delight. Then, he pinched a bit of fine sand and sprinkled it into the pot. "Darling, your husband likes it salty—add more salt, okay?"

"O-okay, husband."

Bai Mei's cheeks flushed crimson as she lowered her head, clearly struggling to stay in character.

"Waaah! Waaah!"

From a nearby cradle woven from straw, Centipede—swaddled tightly with a white cloth wedged between his legs—let out a loud cry before whimpering in a babyish voice, "Dada… Mama…"

"Oh dear, the baby's crying! Darling, keep cooking. I'll soothe our little one."

Lu Benwei scooped Centipede from the cradle, cradling him gently. "Shh, my sweet baby, go to sleep."

"Sniff… sniff…"

Centipede obediently whimpered before closing his eyes.

The young couple sat down for lunch while Doggy wagged his tail, circling the table excitedly.

"Darling, don’t forget to feed the dog. He’s been eating poop again."

Lu Benwei picked a "bone" (a rock) from his bowl and tossed it on the ground. Doggy immediately pounced on it.

And so, in the midst of their bustling day, the family’s happiness carried on…

"Bro, bro, how was my acting?"

Centipede yanked off the white cloth between his legs and scampered over to Lu Benwei, eager for praise.

"Bro, bro, what about me?"

Doggy also rushed forward, competing for approval.

"You all did great, but Bai Mei was the best."

Lu Benwei praised generously, scraping off a speck of bone dust as a reward for Bai Mei.

Nearby, milk and Spirit King shed bitter tears, their faces full of grievance. "Bro, can you include us next time you play house?"

"Next time, next time."

Lu Benwei laughed heartily, savoring the memory.

"Ah, having a wife feels so good!"

"When will I, Lu Benwei, ever find true love?"

Seeing this, Doggy, Centipede, and the others immediately started flattering him, with even milk joining in.

"Bro, you’re so handsome—true love will come soon!"

"Yeah, yeah! The only reason you haven’t found love yet is because no woman is worthy of you!"

"That’s why you must endure loneliness for now. After all, exceptional men are often alone."

Lu Benwei basked in the praise, patting Doggy and the others’ heads in approval.

But just as the group was enjoying the moment, Lu Benwei suddenly stood up, his hollow skull gazing at the sky.

"Dare someone defy our master’s will?"

His demeanor shifted entirely.

Seeing this, Doggy and the others also straightened up, their expressions turning serious.

"Bro, what’s wrong?" Doggy asked nervously.

Lu Benwei waved his hand, sending a surge of memories flooding into Doggy, milk, and the others’ minds.

They saw their master entering an altar.

Witnessed him crushing all obstacles to seize the inheritance before emerging.

Then, at the celebration feast, they saw their master tell Xu Zhu to make Feng Qianyue the island’s ruler…

And after their master left, they saw Xu Zhu and the others go back on their word, completely ignoring their master’s decree and attacking Feng Qianyue and Feng Lingbei…

Rage erupted from Doggy and the others.

"How dare anyone in this world defy our master’s will? Do they not know the meaning of death?!"

"Big bro, what do we do?"

Doggy’s eyes gleamed with malice.

"If there’s something our master can’t handle, then it’s up to me, Lu Benwei, to handle it."

"If there’s an ass our master didn’t wipe, then it’s up to me, Lu Benwei, to wipe it."

"Isn’t that the very purpose of my existence right now?"

Lu Benwei smirked coldly, raising his hand to tear a massive rift in the sky before striding through.

Doggy and the others followed closely behind.

Withered Cliff Cave.

Bai Ji looked down smugly at Feng Qianyue, lashing her repeatedly with a whip.

This was no ordinary whip—it was the Soul-Suppressing Whip.

Each strike inflicted not just physical agony but also brutalized the soul.

Even at full strength, Feng Qianyue would have suffered greatly from a single strike—let alone now, with her dantian shattered and no defenses left.

Under Bai Ji’s torture, Feng Qianyue was already barely recognizable as human.

But Bai Ji wasn’t done. She lifted a bucket of liquid—a hundred times more corrosive than brine—and splashed it over Feng Qianyue’s wounds.

The moment the liquid made contact, white smoke erupted as the wounds bubbled and boiled like scalding water, a horrifying sight.

"Ah—!!!"

Pinned down by Soul-Suppressing Nails, Feng Qianyue let out a bloodcurdling scream. The dual torment of body and soul left her on the verge of collapse.

"You wretch, did you really think you could oppose me?"

Bai Ji yanked Feng Qianyue’s hair, forcing her battered yet still beautiful face upward.

"Weren’t you so smug before?"

"Especially when Yi Feng walked out of the altar—weren’t you so proud then?"

"You must’ve been thrilled when he struck me, huh?"

"Let’s see how high you can jump now."

She slapped Feng Qianyue across the face before dragging her up again.

"You’re probably hoping Yi Feng will come save you, aren’t you?"

"But he couldn’t care less about you. According to my informants, he’s already long gone."

"So no one in this world can save you. Give up. Just enjoy the torment I have in store for you."

"Ahahahaha—!"

Bai Ji’s face twisted into a vicious grin as she cackled wildly.

But then—

Tap… tap… tap…

An abrupt sound of footsteps echoed from the dark corridor.

Bai Ji narrowed her eyes.

From the shadows, several figures emerged, walking toward her.

Backlit by the light, their faces remained indistinct, only the outlines of their dark robes faintly visible.