Mu Shaoqing’s gaze was sinister as he stared at Lin Qinghe, who lay weakly on the ground, lifted into the air by an unseen force.
Mu Shaoqing raised his right hand, tightening it slightly. A whip crackling with lightning materialized in his hand, and without hesitation, he lashed it down hard onto Lin Qinghe.
"Mmph--" Lin Qinghe trembled violently from the pain, a groan of agony escaping her tightly clenched teeth.
Seeing this, You Rong’s eyes turned even redder, as if they could bleed, and he roared, "Mu Shaoqing! You bastard! Don't touch her!"
Mu Shaoqing sneered, unconcerned by You Rong's fury. He stared at the pale and weak Lin Qinghe, then raised his hand and whipped her again.
Lin Qinghe’s pained cry was even softer this time. Her head drooped listlessly, as if she had fainted.
However, her faint breaths told Mu Shaoqing and the others that she was still conscious, not unconscious.
Mu Shaoqing seemed to confirm that Lin Qinghe had lost her power and become as fragile as a human, no longer to be feared. His previous trepidation vanished. He circled the suspended Lin Qinghe once, sneering, "Lin Qinghe, you've been the ancestor of the blood race for nearly ten thousand years, always so high and mighty, enjoying the reverence of countless blood beings. You never thought this day would come, did you?"
Lin Qinghe slightly lifted her head. Bloodstains still clung to the corners of her mouth. Two long whip marks snaked across her waist and arms, still oozing blood.
Enduring the pain, Lin Qinghe gritted her teeth and glanced in You Rong's direction, completely ignoring the smug Mu Shaoqing. This act undoubtedly infuriated Mu Shaoqing, and he whipped her again.
"Ah--!" Lin Qinghe cried out in pain. The whip had torn through her flesh, leaving her bleeding profusely. It was evident Mu Shaoqing had put his full strength into the blow.
"It's easier for me to kill you now than an ant. How dare you still put on such an attitude! What right do you have to look down on me!" Mu Shaoqing said, his face a mask of dark fury.
You Rong clenched his fists, veins bulging on his forehead. Disregarding the dagger that had already cut his neck, he struggled desperately. Du Qingfeng couldn't restrain him and signaled to a nearby snake tribe member for help. With the snake tribe member's assistance, they barely managed to subdue You Rong.
Lin Qinghe closed her eyes, taking a moment to recover from the tearing pain. She slowly lifted her head, looking at the cold and cruel Mu Shaoqing. She let out a cold, broken laugh and said intermittently, "You now... are nothing more than... nothing more than... nothing more than trying to save face. Have you forgotten the past six months, hiding like a rat in a sewer, afraid to show your face, your pathetic state?"
"You!"
Mu Shaoqing was enraged, glaring at Lin Qinghe. He recalled the embarrassing days of hiding after escaping the laboratory, a period he only began to recover from after seducing the leader of the snake tribe. This was a period Mu Shaoqing never wanted to mention.
At that time, fearing his whereabouts would be discovered, he dared not feed on human blood, nor could he openly obtain blood from the hospital blood bank. He could only subsist on the blood of beasts.
Lin Qinghe’s mocking gaze stung Mu Shaoqing, as if she had witnessed his ignominious past firsthand. Enraged, Mu Shaoqing lashed out with his whip several times in succession.
"You're so stubborn! Let's see how many more hits you can take! After all, even if you die, I can absorb your power!"
Mu Shaoqing’s ferocity escalated, each blow delivered with his full might. He struck more than a dozen times consecutively. Lin Qinghe, who could still speak faintly earlier, now hung her head lifelessly. Her entire body was a mess of torn flesh and open wounds, bleeding profusely. Blood dripped down, forming a large pool on the ground beneath her feet.