Blood burst forth, as it cut through the flesh like tofu, dribbling over, into Li Haoli's open mouth.
He looked up in surprise and in fearful wonder, as Hui stood over him, dripping blood from her arm, before he began to lap it up desperately, feeling slowly recovering to his bones and sinews.
However, unlike his chaotic thoughts at this moment, Hui's thoughts were clear. She was very thankful to Li Haoli, because he had made it so that she wouldn't fall into the same trap of her previous life and depend on men to save her in this one as well. Although he had done many horrible things to her, at least he hadn't helped her in any way. Her own mind had tortured her in so many worse ways than he could ever do, and all that pain that he had inflicted on her was merely what she deserved for being so useless and weak.
After all, Li Haoli didn't look scary to her. Although he could kill her at any moment these past months, she'd never truly been scared of him. He had only looked a bit pitiful and pathetic to her. She had even named him meddler, because he was hurting so bad in his own life, he couldn't help but hurt everyone else's as well.
She turned around, after finishing what she came to do, turned around to leave
'Li Haoli.' She thought to herself. 'You try to hurt me. But you don't know how to hurt me. That isn't your fault. It is because I have already hurt myself in ways that no one can come close to. I don't want you to have to feel the hurt I've felt, I don't want anyone to have to feel it, I just want to thank you for saving me, and as thanks, this is my gratitude.' She began to step away, her walking disjointed, dizzy from the blood loss, and the chain's still sending paralytic signals through her body (she was also malnourished).
Li Haoli merely watched her turned back with an unreadable expression.
The snake that had injected its venom into her 6 months ago was the one which had no true cure, only a way to neutralize the effects slightly. However, Hui had a new body, and the medicinal properties in her body had many anti-poison effects, plus, there were already many poisons stored inside of her. The green-eyed diamond snake merely added its own contribution, and her body had evolved, building itself around it, until it was able to neutralize any of the effects of it.
Normally, anyone who had been bitten by the snake, would've died after three months, even if given the antidote, unless the venom was removed through cultivation practices or a doctor's qi circulation method. But Hui was able to live with it inside her even till now, without any negative effects. She could probably become a poison genius at this rate. Unfortunately, she had no desire for that path, and the constitution was wasted on her.
However, Hui wouldn't make it to the door, afterall, Li Haoli was quick to get to his feet, as soon as the antidotes kicked in. He leapt from his place on the ground toward her, but she wasn't ready yet, not to fall back into that torturer's hands, and thus, she forced her weakened legs to run, only for the chains to catch on something and trip her. Her knees slammed into the ground, followed by her elbows, protecting her face. And then his hand gripped her ankle, she tried to kick him, but he was pulling her back, dragging her back toward him. And then his arms surrounded her, her weak body unable to fight back against them, when suddenly she felt a soft touch on her head. What was that? Was that a…? And indeed, as she looked up, it was.
"Sh, sh." Li Haoli comforted her, "It's okay, I won't hurt you anymore, sh sh." Li Haoli crooned as he kissed her forehead unceasingly, wrapping her in a gentle embrace. However, Hui merely narrowed her eyes, fixated on his own one, that seemed to be fixated on something else, something in the distance, as if he were not considering her at this moment, but another thing altogether..
Her life was once more in the whims of another's hands. However, the next couple days Li Haoli made good on his promise and gave up torturing her. Instead, he treated her gently, giving her nice things and never laying his hands on her, except to pick her up, pat her head fondly or to put her to bed, which he also allowed her to have. A comfy bed.
Until finally, there came a day where he needed to leave again. However, this time he brought her with him, as if he didn't wish to be separated anymore. He got her a mask and cloak and attached the chains to his belt, having her carry his things that he couldn't fit in a spacial ring. With her superior strength, this wasn't a big issue. However, many people gave him odd stares, before they let him go. It wasn't rare for a demonic cultivator to directly take a small demonic being or child as a slave, and judging from the size, this was probably a rat demon, which were good minions for miscellaneous labor, but otherwise useless.
After leaving the fortress, they headed into the mountains, and Li Haoli even made sure to pick her up to take her over the difficult terrain. Little words were exchanged, but Hui felt his behavior was a little surreal.
When her questioning stare finally got the better of him, she found out the mission this time was to deliver some special items to a demon monarch in the mountains.
Finally night time fell, and they camped out, after gathering firewood and eating their meal, they both just sat there silently, Hui staring at Li Haoli's face. He still had that unreadable expression on him, and she couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking.
Finally he spoke. "Hui, Hui, why do you keep looking at me that way?" He commented flirtatiously, leaning his chin down onto his hand and tilting it slightly. "Do you perhaps like this great one?"
Hui continued to stare at him, before standing up and walking over. She pulled a burnt stick out of the fire, and with the charcoal end, began to write on a rock.
'Li Haoli. You can change.'
He scoffed at her, but she just looked at him, before erasing a part of it and rewriting her words.
'Li Haoli. You are able to change'
She looked up at him, into the deepest parts of his eyes, seeing no response. She rewrote it again.
'Li Haoli. You want to change'
He turned away, feeling she was being a bit ridiculous, but after she rewrote it again, she placed her hand on his thigh, and he couldn't help but glance over once more.
'Li Haoli. You are willing to change.'
Li Haoli scoffed. "What does all of that matter?"
Hui just stared at him for a very long time, before her hand began to move once more, although her eyes didn't follow. He could see the earnestness in every movement she made.
'Li Haoli. I want you to change.'
Li Haoli felt something in his heart, that had long since died begin to writhe and stretch, as if trying to break the bonds he had tied it with years ago.
He wasn't sure if he hated the feeling or loved it, but it made him uncomfortable, and he sought to rid himself of it, throwing his arms around Hui and pulling her close. "Oh Hui, oh Hui, you're really incorrigible, always asking such difficult things of me!" He pushed the little girl into the crooks of his arms in front of him, pulling his large nose down to sniff lightly at her hair, enjoying the freshness of it.
Hui barely tolerated being treated like a toy, she was hoping for change, but it seemed he was the same man, even if his treatment of her was different right now. But it wasn't like she could escape anyway, so she just shifted herself until she was comfortable and fell asleep.
Meanwhile, a man lifted his hand, flipping up his eyepatch, and two eyes watched her sleeping, an unreadable expression still in the depths of the irises.