Noah tugged at her arm, speaking with disdain. “Isn’t it normal for crows to appear in the countryside? Stop falling for tricks!”
“Miss, you’ve studied abroad for years, receiving the best education. Do you still believe such absurd talk?”
“In my view, he should be buried, and Mother Teresa can exorcise the so-called evil from him. Then we’ll see if he dares spout nonsense again!”
Noah raised his hand, and at once someone shoved me toward a nearby pit.
I glanced down—the hole was as deep as a man’s height—and instantly realized Noah never intended exorcism. He meant to kill me!
My frown deepened, and I warned Vivian once more.
“You broke my soul-calling incense and destroyed my vestments. Those spirits are already stirring!”
“If you won’t let me in, then when midnight strikes, the Lawson Family will be buried alongside you for your ignorance!”
Noah rolled his eyes. “Ridiculous! Monsters don’t exist in this world.”
“Even if they did, the Lawson Family has Mother Teresa. I hired her to protect us. Nothing will happen!”
“You little fool, you’d better worry about yourself first!”
He shoved me into the pit, and soil was thrown over me immediately.
Unwilling to wait for death, I clawed at the earthen wall, trying to climb up.
But Noah had men guarding the edge. Each time I surfaced, a shovel cracked against my head.
Blood streamed down my forehead, dizziness threatening to overwhelm me.
Yet Vivian and her bodyguards only roared with laughter at my wretched state. “Miss, look—he’s just like a dog!”
“Why not keep him alive? Throw him in your amphitheater to fight wild beasts for entertainment. Wouldn’t that be amusing?”
Vivian kicked the man between the legs.
“Idiot! My imported beasts are priceless. Ten of him couldn’t match one of them.”
“And he reeks of disease. You want me to lock him with my precious creatures? Do you want them dead?”
“Yes, yes, of course! How could I forget? This fool deserves to die! Let’s bury him!”
The soil quickly rose against my chest.
I struggled to breathe, yet forced out words one by one.
“Vivian… you’ll pay for this folly!”
“With a descendant like you, the Lawson Family is bound for ruin!”
Vivian spat thick phlegm into my face. “Bastard! Still stubborn on the brink of death!”
“Looks like I’ve been far too merciful with you!”
Beside her, Noah’s eyes shifted slyly, and he offered a cruel idea.
“Miss, why not bring Black Tiger over?”
“He’s been training to hunt live prey recently.”
The moment he finished, they wheeled out a cage holding a Tibetan mastiff as massive as a tiger.
Catching the scent of blood from my head, it grew frantic, snarling and growling nonstop.
Vivian, delighted by its reaction, lifted her hand to signal its release.
But before she could, a powerful voice cut through the night.
“What are you doing!”
I looked up and saw the village chief appear at the Lawson Family gates.
His eyes fell on me—half-buried, my bloodied head exposed—and his whole body trembled with fury.
“You’re insane! How could you treat Lucas Lawson like this? He’s the village guardian! Dig him out at once!”
