After Dai Hao finished speaking, neither Abe Lips nor A Lang seemed to grasp the situation right away. They glanced at Zuo Shan’s expression and had no choice but to admit that the blood spider had indeed been eaten by me.
Abe Lips’ attitude did a complete 180. He clasped his hands and asked, “May I ask for your name, sir?”
I stood up and left, leaving my deeds unspoken. Dai Hao chuckled and said, “He is Mr. Xiao, from China.” Abe Lips pondered for a moment. “Mr. Xiao? Never heard of him. Mr. Ma, is there such a person?”
Ma Ruoxing shrugged. “Actually, my ranking in China is 1,425th. There are still over a thousand people ahead of me. It’s not unusual for a master’s disciple to exist…”
Abe Lips gaped. “1,425th?! There are that many people?!”
The last thing I faintly heard was Abe Lips cozying up to Zuo Shan. When he learned of Zuo Shan’s secret, he suddenly thumped his chest and declared, “No matter whose ‘stick’ you fancy, I, Abe Lips, can get it installed for you. Use it however you like…”
Zuo Shan’s lips trembled, tears welling in his eyes as he tightly embraced Abe Lips—the same hands that had just been pawing through vomit on the ground.
I took two steps away before a wave of nausea surged from my stomach. I hurriedly ran to a nearby sewage ditch and vomited, quickly expelling the remaining alcohol and the revolting remnants of the digested blood spider.
In the ditch, hundreds of black spiders crawled out, regaining their freedom and returning to nature. The ditch itself reeked strangely, with a continuous flow from behind a wooden plank wall, where black, powdery dust could be seen.
The area behind the wooden wall was heavily guarded, likely where Dai Hao processed opium. Countless poppy pods were delivered inside, where skilled workers cut them open to extract the seeds, grinding them into the initial form of the drug. Some of the product was refined further, while the rest was shipped out.
After vomiting, I felt much lighter. Turning around, I saw the Jade Corpse standing beside me, her eyes filled with grievance, her breath reeking of alcohol as if she were drunk.
“Don’t stand out here. You should stay in the shade,” I said with concern. The Jade Corpse silently followed me back, holding my hand as if she were on the verge of tears.
Her hand was ice-cold!
I laughed. “What’s wrong with you?”
No matter how much I asked, she didn’t respond—like talking to a wall. When she sighed, she became even more beautiful, as if all the world’s grace had been poured into her.
As I led her back to Xie Lingyu’s hut, I noticed Abe Lips staring at the Jade Corpse with lustful eyes, drooling at the corner of his mouth after finishing his business.
Little Rascal barked furiously at Abe Lips.
I snapped, “Mr. Abe, maybe you should go find a man instead.” Abe Lips, unfazed, retorted, “I was just looking at you.”
“You’re insane…”
Zuo Shan, supported by Zeng Jie, humbly asked, “Mr. Abe, how exactly should we prepare for the ‘stick replacement’ method you mentioned earlier?”
Abe Lips glanced at Zeng Jie with an ambiguous look.
Zeng Jie immediately waved his hands. “No, no! I may be a monk, but I’d rather keep my own ‘stick.’ And it wouldn’t be right for my master to use mine…”
Abe Lips’ implication was obvious—before replacing the stick, he needed one to begin with. His gaze at Zeng Jie was clearly assessing whether the monk was willing to sacrifice his own for his master. Zeng Jie, being sharp, understood immediately and refused outright.
Abe Lips shook his head. “You lack filial piety. Wouldn’t you even sacrifice your treasure for your master?”
Trembling, Zeng Jie knelt on the ground. “Master, I swear I’ll find you a powerful one…”
In the distance, Ruan Nan clutched a grenade, glaring viciously at Zuo Shan, his other hand gripping the skull of Ruan Jinluan, his teeth grinding audibly.
Zuo Shan helped Zeng Jie up. “I’ll remember your kindness. Make sure it’s a good one—you know your master is old. I really want to be a real man for once.”
Abe Lips left with a flourish, his deeds unspoken, followed by Ma Ruoxing and A Lang. A Lang, who had once clashed with Zuo Shan, looked at him sympathetically. “Don’t worry, Mr. Zuo. What’s meant to be will come. For now, load up on turtle eggs—bull’s pizzle would be even better. That way, when the time comes, you’ll be ready…”
Tears of gratitude welled in Zuo Shan’s eyes again. Zeng Jie’s back was drenched in sweat—had his master just nodded, he would have lost his manhood…
—
When I returned to the hut, I saw several large bottles on the ground and realized why the Jade Corpse was upset. Apparently, she had gotten her hands on some strong liquor and started drinking. Xie Lingyu caught her, scolded her, and now she was here, sulking and seeking my comfort.
I burst out laughing. “Your cousin has quite the tolerance!”
Xie Lingyu was furious. “Alcohol leads to trouble! What if she gets drunk and some lecherous person takes advantage of her?”
I waved my hand. “Don’t look at me—I’m not that kind of person. But yeah, some perverts might be after her. Better be careful.”
Xie Lingyu sighed. “Exactly.”
Just then, two female soldiers brought in the female prisoner, now dressed in slightly cleaner clothes, her body scrubbed free of dirt, revealing a delicate face. Her hands were tightly bound with rope.
The soldier said politely, “The general’s orders! The woman has been cleaned. We’ve brought her to you.”
The prisoner kept her head down, her long legs instinctively pressed together, silent the entire time.
I nodded. “You can go. I understand.” The soldier added, “If she resists, just tell us—we’ll kill her.”
I knew what “kill” meant.
The prisoner shuddered at the word.
After the soldiers left, Xie Lingyu frowned. “They treat her like she’s not even human—ready to kill her at a whim.”
The woman had a mixed-race appearance, with a wheatish complexion and several scars on her body and face. She suddenly cried out, “Help! Take me, or I’ll be killed!”
Xie Lingyu found her a pair of longer pants and helped her change.
After questioning, we learned she was a journalist who had come undercover for a story, hoping to win some prestigious award, but ended up imprisoned and subjected to inhumane treatment. Seeing that Xie Lingyu and I were kind, she begged us to save her.
Her name was Anna—a beautiful name.
As I pondered what to do, the Jade Corpse was already snoring loudly.
In broken English, I told her, “We’re guests here too. We can’t save you.” The spark of hope in Anna’s eyes dimmed instantly. Xie Lingyu coughed twice, and I realized someone might be eavesdropping outside.
I slapped Anna across the face. “Bitch, come with me.”
I dragged her to my room, locked the door and windows, then untied her. “Sorry about that. Are you okay?”
Anna sobbed uncontrollably, her eyes brimming with tears.
She must have said “help” a hundred times. Worried about eavesdroppers, I pressed a hand against the bed and shook it violently, signaling her to stop crying.
I told her that if things worked out, I’d ask Dai Hao to take her back.
Overwhelmed with gratitude, Anna began undoing her clothes, about to remove her pants. I stopped her.
“You don’t have to thank me like this.”
Anna looked at me, confused. “I’m yours now. You can do whatever you want with me.”
I shook my head. “You’re not mine. You belong to yourself. No matter the circumstances, remember—you are always loyal to yourself. Your body is yours alone.”
Anna nodded and covered herself again. Bai Yueming, lying by the bed, watched everything, drooling again.
Anna looked at the baby and smiled, complimenting his handsome features, saying he’d grow up to be a heartthrob.
I remembered the madman’s wild, long-haired appearance—whether he was handsome or not was debatable.
Suddenly, Bai Yueming reached out and placed his hand on Anna’s chest, giggling. I shook the bed once more, then let go. The eavesdropping soldier outside smiled and left.
The legendary quick shot.
That evening, Dai Hao hosted a grand banquet. After the afternoon’s events, Zuo Shan revered Abe Lips like a deity. Ruan Nan still sat beside me, restrained by Dai Hao’s presence. However, Zeng Jie kept giving Ruan Nan ambiguous looks, as if plotting something.
A Lang and Ma Ruoxing sat together. Midway through the meal, Dai Hao clapped his hands.
“Since you’re all here, let’s enjoy some traditional entertainment. Tomorrow, we’ll head to the corpse-nurturing grounds.”
I thought, “Is the competition starting?”
As soon as Dai Hao finished speaking, a group of veiled, enchanting women emerged, their seductive dance captivating the men in the hall.
I wasn’t a lecher, but who would refuse such a sight? Among the dancers, one stood out—a mesmerizing figure spinning swiftly in the center, drawing every man’s gaze.
Especially Abe Lips, who looked at her as if she were a delicious meal.
Mid-spin, the dancer’s veil slipped off, revealing…
The more-feminine-than-a-woman Rose.
Who was actually a man.
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