Kill

Wang Family Money House.

The spacious hall was brightly lit.

Twelve burly thugs sat around a large table below, noisily fighting over wine and meat.

Seated in the main position above them, Wang Gou'er had a sinister look in his eyes.

Beside him stood an elderly man in a blue robe, his hair and beard completely white, squinting his dim eyes as he stitched up Wang Gou'er's wounds with a golden needle.

The wounds on his chest had already been sewn shut.

Most of the gashes on his face had also been stitched.

But the old man, his vision failing with age, kept missing his mark. With blood smeared across his face, Wang Gou'er cursed, "Old Zheng! Can't you fucking see where you're sticking that needle?"

"You just jabbed my damn nose!"

The old man, Zheng Huaiyi, was the proprietor of Yunzhou's Huichun Hall—the same man who had sold Yang An the fake medicine.

"My apologies, my apologies. Age has dulled my eyes, especially at night. Please bear with me, Master Gou."

Zheng Huaiyi, already ninety years old, chuckled hoarsely.

The green gourd hanging from his waist swayed unsteadily.

Wang Gou'er grumbled, "Just be careful!"

Zheng Huaiyi nodded repeatedly. As he continued stitching, blood seeped along the threads. Wang Gou'er, who refused anesthetic, gritted his teeth so hard they nearly shattered, trembling from the pain.

When it became unbearable, he took a fierce swig of liquor.

For years, whenever Wang Gou'er returned from bloody skirmishes, Zheng Huaiyi had been the one to patch him up.

The two shared a deep bond.

As Zheng Huaiyi worked on his face, he asked curiously, "Master Gou, you’ve never been one for women like this old man. Why the sudden obsession with Yang Ning? And to get hurt like this over her..."

Wang Gou'er was fuming inside.

He was nothing more than a dog on a leash, a black glove for his patron. His orders were simple: retrieve Yang Ning as quickly as possible. Some high-ranking figure wanted her—who it was or why, Wang Gou'er didn’t know.

Then came the Yang family’s misfortune.

Li Yan had offended Lin Hao, the son of Yunzhou’s military governor.

After Li Yan killed Lin Hao’s prized beast and injured him in the process, Wang Gou'er saw an opportunity. He orchestrated a scheme to force Yang Ning into submission.

He’d done this kind of thing countless times before.

Li Yan was just a low-ranking constable, and the Yang siblings were nobodies. Wang Gou'er had thought it would be a surefire success.

But then Yang An appeared out of nowhere.

Not only did he fail to capture Yang Ning, but he nearly lost his own life in the process.

Once the wounds were bandaged, the lingering pain left Wang Gou'er scowling. Not daring to reveal his patron’s involvement, he snapped, "Why the hell do you care? Maybe I just felt like having a woman for once!"

"Heh heh, no offense meant."

Zheng Huaiyi grinned lewdly.

After hours of stitching, he was exhausted. Sitting on a stool, he took a sip of wine, his murky old eyes darkening with lust as he recalled Yang Ning’s delicate features and curves.

"True enough. A married woman does have her own charm."

"When you’ve had your fill, Master Gou, perhaps this old man could also... sample the delights of the Yang family’s young wife?"

The woman was meant for his patron—no one else could touch her.

Wang Gou'er ignored the question.

Instead, he asked, "Did you find the Earth Dragon Fruit I asked for?"

"Found it! Just today!"

Zheng Huaiyi set down his cup and pulled a sandalwood box from his sleeve. Inside lay an oval fruit glowing with a golden radiance.

Proudly, Zheng Huaiyi declared, "A second-tier spirit herb, this Earth Dragon Fruit! And this one’s nearly two hundred years old—almost a third-tier treasure!"

"Once I gather a few supplementary ingredients, we can brew a tonic."

"With its power to refine flesh and strengthen bones, it’ll surely help Master Gou break through to the second revolution of the Mortal Phase and reach the eighth rank!"

"The eighth rank..."

Wang Gou'er’s eyes gleamed with hope. Though nearing fifty and his cultivation beginning to wane, his martial spirit hadn’t died yet. Clapping Zheng Huaiyi’s shoulder, he said, "If you help me reach the eighth rank, I won’t forget your service."

"You honor me, Master Gou." Zheng Huaiyi bowed repeatedly.

The thugs below, still feasting, rose to toast Wang Gou'er.

"May Master Gou’s martial fortune flourish!"

"May he ascend to the eighth rank without delay!"

Wang Gou'er waved them off. "Enough of that. Right now, there’s something more urgent!"

The thought of Yang An filled him with venom.

Pointing at his stitched face, he snarled, "That bastard Yang An humiliated me like this!"

"Such a debt must be repaid!"

"If I don’t flay him alive, snap his bones, and wipe out his entire bloodline, how can I keep my name in Yunzhou City?"

"If I fall, every last one of you worthless scum will follow!"

"So tomorrow, I want every ounce of your cruelty unleashed. If the Yang family isn’t torn apart, I’ll tear you apart instead!"

"Yes, sir!"

The dozen thugs roared in unison.

Among them was Chen San, the man Yang An had knocked out with a single punch.

His eyes darting shrewdly, Chen San stepped forward with a fawning grin.

"Master Gou, if we’re fighting tomorrow, shouldn’t the brothers have some fun tonight?"

"We’ve got fresh goods in stock."

"Let the men loosen up, and they’ll fight harder tomorrow!"

At this, the other thugs perked up, their gazes pleading as they stared at Wang Gou'er.

Wang Gou'er hadn’t clawed his way up from beggar to underworld boss—controlling multiple money houses and commanding respect in Yunzhou’s shadows—by sheer brutality alone.

He knew how to manage men.

And managing men was simple: reward and punish clearly. Without tangible benefits, why would anyone bleed for you?

Wang Gou'er scoffed at Chen San and the others.

"Filthy dogs, always thinking with your crotches!"

"Fine, have your fun tonight."

"But remember—after you’ve emptied your sacks, I want every drop of your savagery tomorrow."

"Yang An and that Li Yan..." Wang Gou'er’s voice turned icy. "I don’t want a single unbroken bone left on their bodies. And I don’t want them breathing past dawn."

The thugs howled with bloodlust.

"Master Gou, we’ll tear Li’s house apart!"

"That damned Yang An dared to hurt you? We’ll capture him alive and make him beg for death!"

"Exactly! And since the pretty boy looks like a painted whore, why not break him and sell him to a brothel? Might fetch a good price!"

"Brilliant! Hahaha!"

As his men’s morale soared, Wang Gou'er leaned back in his chair and took a sip of wine. Turning to Zheng Huaiyi, he said, "Master Zheng, bring out the new goods for inspection."

"At once, Master Gou."

Zheng Huaiyi clapped his hands. Moments later, two thugs dragged in their so-called "fresh goods."

Six young women—kidnapped from who-knows-where—were shoved forward.

Each had fair skin and delicate features, their beauty undeniable.

Most of them were about fifteen or sixteen years old, and the youngest one looked only eleven or twelve, with a rather lively and charming appearance.

She was wearing a cyan dress and holding a jade flute in her hand.

She was forcibly dragged up by the villains. Seeing the room full of villains, the little girl in the cyan dress immediately cowered in fear and cried out, "Don't come near! Don't touch me! Otherwise, you'll regret it!"

The little girl in the cyan dress was extremely beautiful.

She was far prettier than the other girls.

Wang Gou'er was so mesmerized that he, who had been in no mood because of his injuries, now got interested. He asked Zheng Huaiyi, "Where did you kidnap this little girl? Why is she holding a flute?"

"According to the old woman, this little girl looks good but has a problem in the head. She was lured here with a piece of candy when she was on the road," Zheng Huaiyi pointed at the little girl's head and laughed. "And she cherishes this jade flute as if it were her life and won't let anyone touch it."

As he said that, Zheng Huaiyi motioned for several villains to go and grab the little girl's jade flute.

The villains had just walked over.

Before they could even touch the flute, the little girl immediately lay down on the ground, using her small body to tightly protect the jade flute and hugging it desperately in her arms.

She roared fiercely like a little beast.

"Don't touch it! Stay away! Get out of here!"

The villain got angry and raised his hand to hit her, but Wang Gou'er stopped them. He asked the little girl with great interest, "Can you play the flute?"

The girl in the cyan dress replied, "No, the flute belongs to my young lady! No one but my young lady is allowed to touch it!"

"Hahaha, no wonder she has such delicate skin. It turns out she's a maid from a wealthy family," Wang Gou'er looked at the girl in the cyan dress with increasing satisfaction, licked his lips and said, "It doesn't matter if you can't play the flute. I'll teach you later."

"Take this one to my room. The others are yours!"

Wang Gou'er pointed at the little girl in the cyan dress.

Hearing this, two villains immediately grabbed her by the arms and dragged her towards the inner room.

"Let me go! Let me tell you, my young lady will come looking for me soon! If you bully me, she'll kill you all! Every single one of you!"

"Wuwuwu, young lady, come and save me!"

"Keke promises that she'll never run around or eat things given by others again!"

The little girl named Keke burst into tears.

Tears streamed down like a gushing faucet.

Her little feet in the bamboo - embroidered shoes kicked wildly. In no time, the two villains holding her got kicked several times.

However, she didn't have much strength.

It didn't hurt when they were kicked.

The villains holding her joked, "Don't even think your young lady can find this place. Even if she does, once she's here, she'll probably be in the same plight as you!"

Keke cried even more bitterly.

As for the other girls, their situation was even more miserable. Those villains pounced on them like hungry dogs. The sound of torn dresses and the desperate wails filled the air!

Wang Gou'er laughed a few times.

Just as he was about to take the little girl named Keke back to his room.

"Knock, knock, knock."

Suddenly, the discordant sound of knocking on the door rang out.

Keke, with a tear - streaked face, exclaimed in surprise, "It's my young lady! My young lady has come to save me! You're all doomed! You're all going to be finished!!"

Wang Gou'er frowned.

Who would come knocking on the door at this late hour?

Could it really be the young lady of this little girl? So what if it was? Wang Gou'er was very confident in his powerful background in Yunzhou. He sneered indifferently.

He glanced at Chen San and motioned for him to open the door.

Chen San, who had been the first to pounce on the girls and had even taken off his pants, didn't dare to disobey Wang Gou'er's order.

He could only reluctantly put his pants back on.

He opened the door half - naked and said angrily, "Who is it! Knocking on the door like it's the gates of hell at this late hour! Want to die…"

However, before he could finish his words.

When he saw who it was and met those cold, emotionless eyes, Chen San was so frightened that his blood seemed to freeze and his body went stiff.

A cold light flashed across his neck.

Before he could let out a scream.

He was grabbed by the hair by Yang An and had his head cut off.

The first one.