TDU Chapter 52: Judgment’s Domain

Chapter 52 Judgment’s Domain

Xiao Xiao effortlessly smashed a table with one hand, then bent down to pick up a broken wooden board embedded with protruding nails. She turned, moving slowly toward Qiao Jiajin, her expression cold and determined.

"Hey!!" Qi Xia's alarm spiked as he realized the gravity of the situation. "What are you doing?! Stop—"

"Their deaths are inconsequential," Xiao Xiao said with chilling calmness. "It's no loss if they die. I'll show you."

"Don't!" Qi Xia yelled in panic, "I understand! I'll do whatever you want, just put that weapon down!"

But Xiao Xiao seemed oblivious to his plea, methodically raising the board in her hand, preparing to strike.

"I'll agree to all your conditions! You don't need to prove anything to me!" Qi Xia shouted desperately, realizing that Xiao Xiao was beyond reason. His voice strained with urgency as he turned to Qiao Jiajin, who still lay motionless. "Hey! Qiao Jiajin! Stop playing dead! Get up!!"

But before Qiao Jiajin could stir, Xiao Xiao brought the wooden board crashing down. The nails pierced directly into his skull with a sickening crunch.

"All hail Judgment’s Domain," Xiao Xiao declared, a serene smile spreading across her face.

Qiao Jiajin's body convulsed, his limbs violently for a few moments before finally going limp.

"Hey... Qiao Jiajin..." Qi Xia's voice trembled, his widened eyes fixed on the motionless figure before him. His lips barely moved as he spoke, almost pleading.

"Say something, Qiao Jiajin... What the hell are you pretending for... The bear didn’t kill you... how could nails...?"

But there was no answer—only the sickening sight of blood spreading beneath Qiao Jiajin's still form. Qi Xia knew, deep down, that no one could survive a nail driven into their brain.

Qiao Jiajin was gone.

"Qiao..." Qi Xia whispered, staring in disbelief at his fallen comrade. His mind raced, but a single sentence echoed relentlessly:

{You have brains, I have strength, let's team up.}

"Qi Xia, look." Xiao Xiao said with a smile, "Their deaths are inconsequential."

"AHHH————"

A blood-curdling scream tore from Qi Xia’s throat as a searing, agonizing pain erupted from deep within his mind. In an instant, his limbs jolted back to life, but all he could do was clutch his head in torment, rolling on the ground, writhing in agony.

Xiao Xiao froze for a moment, seemingly taken aback to discover Qi Xia regained control of his body.

The excruciating pain lasted longer than its predecessor. Qi Xia felt as though the nail that had killed Qiao Jiajin hadn't just pierced his comrade but had driven itself into his own brain, twisting and turning, ravaging his mind with a torment that made death seem like a mercy. 

Two minutes later, Qi Xia's headache vanished as abruptly as it had arrived. He rose to his feet, his face a mask of emotionless calm.

"Amazing, Qi Xia," Xiao Xiao laughed, her tone laced with an unsettling delight. "You’ve managed to resist my {reverberation}?"

"I suggest you stop this madness before you go too far," Qi Xia replied coldly, his voice sharp as steel. "If you have something to settle, direct it at me…"

"No," Xiao Xiao countered, her expression resolute. "You need to grasp that these people are disposable. You can kill them just as easily as I can."

"Why would I ever do that?" Qi Xia's gaze was icy, devoid of any warmth. His entire demeanor was distant, like a man severed from emotion. "I am nothing like you lunatics. Don't you dare compare me to your twisted kind."

"It seems you still don't understand," Xiao Xiao sighed, shaking her head in mock disappointment. With a flick of her wrist, she yanked the nail-ridden board out of Qiao Jiajin's skull. Blood dripped from the nails as she casually shook it off, her gaze shifting toward Qi Xia. "Once I've killed them all, you'll naturally come to understand."

Without waiting for a response, she began walking toward Tian Tian.

"Enough, you lunatic..." Qi Xia muttered through gritted teeth, his voice taut with anger. "We’ve clung to life against impossible odds. What gives you the right to decide who lives and dies?"

"That's why I keep telling you—it’s all inconsequential," Xiao Xiao replied, raising the bloody board once more.

This time, Qi Xia didn't hesitate. He charged at her with full force, hoping to knock her off balance. But despite the sheer impact, Xiao Xiao remained rooted to the spot, as if his assault were nothing more than a passing breeze.

Seeing that brute force wasn't enough, Qi Xia swiftly shifted tactics. He wrapped his arms around Xiao Xiao's waist, which felt as solid as a load-bearing pillar, and tried to shove her backward.

Xiao Xiao was forced back two steps, her expression darkening. "Qi Xia, all I've tried to do is show you the truth, yet you resist. Such a waste." she said, shaking her head. Then, with a swift, brutal motion, she grabbed his neck and tossed him aside like a small, helpless animal.

Qi Xia crashed into the wall with a painful thud, a groan escaping his lips. The woman in front of him was unnaturally strong, undoubtedly the product of rigorous training.

"All hail Judgment’s Domain," Xiao Xiao murmured with a chilling smile. The wooden board in her hand descended once more, the nails piercing through Tian Tian's skull.

In that moment, Tian Tian's voice echoed hauntingly in Qi Xia's mind:

{I’m only here because I didn’t belong there.}

The excruciating pain surged through Qi Xia's head once more, forcing him to the ground, clutching his skull and screaming in agony.

Tian Tian was dead.

The unbearable pressure in his head felt like it was about to tear his mind apart. Darkness swallowed his vision, and his thoughts began to unravel as his consciousness slipped away.

Just before the void claimed him completely, he heard the echo of the distant bell tolling.

…

"Xia, look at this!" Yu Nian'An excitedly held up an old, worn-out shirt in front of Qi Xia as if showing off a prized possession. "Look at what I did."

She pointed to the chest pocket, where a small patch of a cartoon goat had been neatly sewn over a tear.

"I patched the hole in your shirt! How’s that for a job well done?"

"You did a great job," Qi Xia responded, nodding while shoveling another mouthful of instant noodles into his mouth. "But why not just buy a new one?"

"To save money, of course!" Yu Nian'An grinned. "Once we have enough money, you can buy all the shirts you want. But for now, we have to make do."

Qi Xia paused, putting down his fork. He looked at her thoughtfully and said, "Xiao An, we won’t have to wait much longer. If my plan succeeds, we'll have two million soon..."

"I believe you." Yu Nian'An smiled and nodded,  "Xia, there are many paths in this world, and everyone walks their own. I know you'll find success."

"Nm." Qi Xia nodded, a sense of calm washing over him. He wanted to say more, to share something deeper with Yu Nian'An, but something outside the window caught his eye.

The sky, a deep red, was eerily lit by a sun the color of dirt.

Qi Xia blinked his eyes, feeling something was a little strange.

"What’s going on..." he muttered, turning back to Yu Nian'An—only to find her face had morphed into Xiao Xiao's.

Xiao Xiao smiled, her lips curling into a familiar, sinister grin. "All hail Judgment’s Domain."

The next moment, two haunting figures appeared behind Xiao Xiao—Qiao Jiajin and Tian Tian. Their faces were ghastly, with blood and brain matter oozing from their shattered skulls. Their eyes glared at Qi Xia with fury and deep-seated resentment, their unspoken accusations hanging heavy in the air.

“Y—You all… I…” Qi Xia stammered, dread seizing his chest.

Panic surged through him, and without a second thought, he bolted from his chair and dashed toward the door, desperate to escape this nightmarish reality.

This had to be a nightmare.

But as he flung open the door, dread crashed down on him like a tidal wave.

Before him stretched an endless corridor, its oppressive walls lined with thousands of identical doors. Eerie figures wearing animal masks were emerging one after another, flooding the entire hallway.

…

"Qi Xia! Qi Xia!!" A frantic voice echoed in the distance, pulling him back to consciousness.

His eyes fluttered open, and Lin Qin's tear-streaked face hovered above him. 

"Lin..." Qi Xia winced as a sharp pain shot through his skull, "What’s going on?"

Lin Qin's eyes brimmed with fear and relief, her voice trembling as she spoke, "I was so scared... I thought you were dead, just like Qiao Jiajin and Tian Tian..."

The memory of the horrifying events flashed through Qi Xia’s mind, sending a cold shiver down his spine. Slowly, he rose to his feet, his eyes falling on the lifeless bodies of Qiao Jiajin and Tian Tian nearby.

His heart sank, and he was left in a daze.

This was no nightmare—it was a reality far more terrifying than any dream.

"Qi Xia... What exactly happened..." Lin Qin's voice cracked between sobs, her face pale with fear. "Who... who killed them?"

Qi Xia didn’t respond immediately. His gaze lingered on her, his expression devoid of emotion. His voice, however, was filled with cold suspicion as he asked, "Why... are you still alive?"