Xia Liu Yi could see nothing and barely hear. Roaring, he swung the washbasin wildly around himself, unable to tell whom he struck, who retreated, or who charged back in. A blade suddenly ripped across his back. He kicked behind himself, sending attacker and weapon crashing away.
The agony of flesh tearing open pulled him out of his blind rage. The movement of air around him became sharply distinct. He spun into a high side kick and caught another attacker beneath the chin. The man flew backward, scattering blood and teeth across the floor.
The others froze. Xia Liu Yi had felled someone with every move, and for several seconds none dared approach. He reached behind himself and wiped away a handful of blood. His expression became even more vicious. Trapped in suffocating darkness, his years of fighting experience made him calmer rather than more frantic.
He raised one knee.
Crack!
The plastic basin snapped into two pieces.
He gripped one half in each hand, bent his waist, spread his legs, and assumed the opening stance of a twin-blade fighter.
Every man around him stepped back.
The title Twin Blade Blood Asura was not empty boasting. They remembered how he had once fought alone in an alley and cut down more than forty men. The thought chilled them. One attacker began visibly trembling.
Shrimp Skin had never imagined that Xia Liu Yi could remain so terrifying while blind.
“What are you afraid of?” he screamed. “He can’t see!”
To prove it, he rushed forward with a paper shiv. Xia Liu Yi raised one plastic blade to block, twisted his wrist through a tight flourish, and struck. Shrimp Skin’s hand went numb, sending the shiv spinning away. Xia Liu Yi reversed the movement and stabbed. Shrimp Skin shrieked and staggered back, blood opening across his chest.
It took him several frightened cries to calm down. When he looked at the wound, however, he saw that it was not fatal. Xia Liu Yi held only thin plastic. More importantly, he had defended from one position without pursuing. Blind, surrounded by roaring water that destroyed his hearing, he was ultimately constrained.
Shrimp Skin laughed strangely. His courage returned. He snatched a sharpened toothbrush handle from another man and attacked again. Seeing him move, the others found their nerve and rushed Xia Liu Yi together.
Xia Liu Yi moved rapidly within the circle, staying almost chest to chest with the men as he slashed, trapped, and stabbed at close range. Screams rose continuously, though fresh cuts accumulated over his own body. Six men closed around him while the two previously kicked away waited for opportunities at the edge. Xia Liu Yi hooked one attacker by the neck and slammed him onto the floor. Hearing the circle tighten, he roared, spun, and swept both plastic blades outward. As the others recoiled, he took several quick steps and launched into a double kick, sending another man flying.
He landed beneath a curtain of scalding water. It struck one shoulder and arm. Xia Liu Yi grunted and recoiled, only for the man he had thrown down to drive a sharpened toothbrush into his left calf.
Xia Liu Yi screamed in fury and kicked the man aside with his right leg. Barely able to stand, he staggered and raised his guard again.
“His right hand is a bluff!” the fallen man shouted through the pain. “He hasn’t put any strength into it!”
The others immediately attacked from Xia Liu Yi’s right. He instinctively spun to kick, but agony tore through his injured left calf.
Thud!
He fell. Two more blades cut into his shoulders and back. He rolled away from the remaining attacks and tried to spring upright, only for a foot to strike his temple. He collapsed again, his mind spinning and his ears filled with such violent ringing that the outside world almost disappeared.
The attacker moved in for another kick. Xia Liu Yi caught his leg and dragged him down. The others swarmed forward. He frantically raised the basin pieces, but several blades still struck his arms and legs.
“Kill him!” Shrimp Skin roared through the buzzing.
Another kick struck Xia Liu Yi’s head. His consciousness finally broke. He fell forward, dimly sensing air move toward his face—another attack. He raised an arm automatically.
A stronger rush of air came from the side.
Thud!
Someone kicked the attacker’s leg away. The man fell, followed by a shrill scream as a foot crushed into his lower abdomen.
Xia Liu Yi remained on his hands and knees, drifting between awareness and darkness. Fierce fighting sounded nearby.
Someone was standing in front of him.
Protecting him.
A hand caught his arm and hauled him up. Xia Liu Yi leaned heavily against the person’s shoulder, struggling for breath.
“You’re not dead, are you?” asked a cold voice.
Qin Hao.
“Why are you here?” Xia Liu Yi panted.
“That’s all you can do?” Qin Hao asked bluntly.
“I don’t have a knife!” Xia Liu Yi shouted. With his left hand, he seized Qin Hao’s right wrist and drove the paper shiv backward over their heads. It pierced the raised arm of someone approaching from behind. Before the attacker’s scream had fully formed, Xia Liu Yi kicked him away.
Seeing that he could still fight, Qin Hao placed the shiv in his hand. “Take it. There are eight. I’ll handle six. You handle two.”
“Four each!” Xia Liu Yi snapped.
“You’re blind, you can’t stand, and your right hand is useless.”
“Shut up!”
Xia Liu Yi roared and forced his murderous energy back to life. Together, he and Qin Hao charged. Qin Hao kicked Shrimp Skin in the face yet again. Xia Liu Yi caught the arm of the man beside him, turned, and hurled him over his shoulder. The instant the man struck the ground, Xia Liu Yi stabbed him in the stomach.
The shower room filled with screams.
…
The stench of blood saturated the darkness. Gradually, the movement around them faded. Xia Liu Yi heard the final attacker collapse, followed by groans from every direction.
His strength disappeared. He sagged, and Qin Hao caught him.
“Shrimp Skin,” Xia Liu Yi forced out. “Still alive?”
“No one died,” Qin Hao replied coldly. “I owed you for saving me. I don’t kill for you.”
Xia Liu Yi had no energy to care about the disdain in his voice. He swallowed blood and ordered, “Take me to him.”
Qin Hao breathed in sharply, plainly unwilling to be commanded, but supported him across the room.
Shrimp Skin lay against a nearby wall. It was impossible to tell where he had been injured, but his breathing shook violently. Xia Liu Yi seized his hair and slapped him hard. Shrimp Skin coughed up blood.
“Don’t kill me… Please…”
Xia Liu Yi lowered himself beside him because he no longer had the strength to stand.
“I’m not going to kill you,” he said tiredly. “We’re going to talk.”
“Talk… Yes. Fine. As long as you don’t kill me, I’ll say anything.”
“Who warned you that I was planning to deal with you? One of my men?”
“N-no. Big Scarhead tried to buy one of my followers. The follower told me.”
Xia Liu Yi sighed. Big Scarhead possessed plenty of brute strength but far too little cunning. He still lacked caution.
“Were you behind Big Scarhead’s stabbing?”
“One of my men did it. Then he pushed the toothbrush into Big Python’s hand.”
“You also bought the officer outside? He tied up Limping Sha and stuffed sand packets into the shower pipes. Then you brought your men in to kill me and planned to make it look as though Limping Sha and I murdered each other.”
“Yes.”
“I did intend to kill you,” Xia Liu Yi said. “Not merely because you’ve been blind to your own limits in here. Three years ago, Fat Seven and Xu Ying conspired to murder Azure Dragon, and you were Fat Seven’s deputy hall master.”
Shrimp Skin shook violently. “I-I didn’t know anything about that.”
Xia Liu Yi released another weary sigh.
Then he drove the blade into Shrimp Skin’s thigh.
“Ahhh! Ah! Ahhh!”
“Quiet.” Xia Liu Yi held the knife in place, his tone almost soothing.
Shrimp Skin covered his own mouth and sobbed through the pain.
“I have no patience for wasting time. Your mother lives at 36 Tai Wo Hau Road, correct?”
Shrimp Skin nodded frantically, then remembered Xia Liu Yi could not see him.
“Yes, yes… No! Please! My mother knows nothing! Please don’t—”
“Tell me the truth and I won’t trouble her. Start at the beginning. What exactly did Xu Ying and Fat Seven plan three years ago? What did it have to do with Inspector Hua?”
“Yes. I’ll tell you everything. Xu Ying approached Fat Seven first. He wanted to replace Azure Dragon as Boss and asked for Fat Seven and Inspector Hua’s support. Azure Dragon had refused to cooperate with Fat Seven’s port business, which made Fat Seven furious. Xu Ying promised that he would cooperate and offered to double Inspector Hua’s annual payment. Then they planned to destroy Azure Dragon’s reputation, force him to step down, and keep him under guard…”
“Keep him under guard?” Xia Liu Yi pushed harder on the knife. “That was murder and usurpation!”
“It’s true! I’m not lying! At first Xu Ying didn’t intend to kill Azure Dragon, and Fat Seven hesitated too. I kept telling Fat Seven not to do it. Azure Dragon valued loyalty and had enormous standing in the underworld. If Xu Ying killed him and seized power, no one would support him. If Fat Seven backed a traitor, the others would turn on him too. But several days later, Inspector Hua suddenly visited Fat Seven and insisted that Azure Dragon had to die…”
“Why?”
“I-I don’t know. Inspector Hua wouldn’t change his mind.”
Xia Liu Yi’s fist clenched until the joints cracked.
“What happened next?”
“Xu Ying said that simply killing Azure Dragon could never be justified under underworld rules. He wanted to set a trap and frame you. Later Azure Dragon died, and you disappeared. Fat Seven thought the plan had succeeded and opened champagne to celebrate. But then you returned, killed Xu Ying, and became Dragon Head. Fat Seven wanted to kill you too. Inspector Hua stopped him. He said Azure Dragon’s death was enough, that it didn’t matter who took power, and they shouldn’t allow the matter to grow any larger. Besides, you knew nothing and posed no threat. Fat Seven believed Inspector Hua was protecting you because he didn’t want to lose your payments, so he planned to kill both of you… Then you killed Fat Seven instead. He deserved it! I knew about the plan, but I never took part. I was only one of his dogs. Please don’t kill me…”
Xia Liu Yi’s expression was so dark and cold that Shrimp Skin trembled uncontrollably.
Yet when Xia Liu Yi spoke, his voice was perfectly calm.
“What happened today was a planned assault. Qin Hao and I acted in self-defense. If a single one of you lies when giving a statement, I’ll invite every one of your mothers to celebrate Children’s Day. Understood?”
“Yes! Understood!”
“Qin Hao.”
“Mm?”
“When the doctor comes, remind him to clean my eyes first.”
“Mm.”
“Untie Limping Sha and send him to call the officers.”
Qin Hao obeyed. Xia Liu Yi leaned back against the wall and lazily patted Shrimp Skin’s impaled thigh. Shrimp Skin silently wept and did not dare move.
“Relax. I won’t kill you. In fact, I should thank you.” A tired smile touched Xia Liu Yi’s mouth.
“Now I can apply for medical parole.”
…
Curtains divided the painfully white hospital room into several small spaces. On the innermost bed, Xia Liu Yi lay wrapped like a mummy. One leg hung suspended, gauze covered his eyes, an intravenous drip ran into his left hand, and his right wrist was handcuffed to the bed rail.
The silence was absolute.
After waiting without hearing so much as a breath, Xia Liu Yi finally asked, “What’s wrong? Are you crying?”
“No.” He Chu San, seated beside the bed, finally answered. His voice was calm.
“How did you get in?” Xia Liu Yi’s medical-parole request was still under review. He remained under close guard, and two officers should have been stationed outside.
“…” He Chu San wore a stolen white coat and identification badge, disguised as a doctor. He fell silent again.
Xia Liu Yi waited. He Chu San said nothing.
His temper flared.
“We finally get to see each other, and you’re sitting there mute. Speak!”
He Chu San drew a slow breath. “I don’t want to.”
“What’s wrong? Elite He is disgusted because I might be blind?”
“You won’t be blind. The doctor said that if your recovery goes well, they can remove the bandages in several days.”
“Then why are you refusing to speak? Don’t want to talk to me? I’m already like this, and if you still don’t want to say anything, then get the hell—”
He Chu San covered his mouth.
Xia Liu Yi heard the harsh, unsteady rhythm of his breathing. He Chu San struggled for a long time to control himself, then finally removed his hand.
“Brother Liu Yi,” he said quietly, “I truly want to lock you away.”
“Huh?”
“I want to handcuff you to a bed and never allow you to go anywhere. If you try to fight, I’ll break your legs before you can. If you let anyone hurt your eyes, I’ll dig them out myself first. If you try to run, I’ll fuck you to death.”
“…”
“I’m finished.”
“…”
Xia Liu Yi sat with his mouth hanging open. After a long while, he smacked his lips.
“Don’t take advantage of the fact that I can’t see. You aren’t He A’San, are you?”
His mouth was covered again—this time by He Chu San’s tongue.
Boss Xia was kissed without mercy for more than three minutes. Finally, breathless, he struggled free and waved his handcuffed arm uselessly.
“Cough. Fine. Fine. I know it’s you.”
He Chu San returned to his seat, bowed his head, and fell silent again.
Xia Liu Yi decided that the young man had been shocked senseless by the severity of his injuries.
“I’m really fine.” Boss Xia lowered his pride and tried to soothe him. “Prison weapons are scraps and bits of rubbish. I was only stabbed a few times. What do injuries like this matter? You should’ve seen me back—”
“Don’t talk about the past!” He Chu San snapped.
Xia Liu Yi closed his mouth, his expression hardening. He was already burdened by heavy thoughts. He was temporarily blind, trapped in bed, and in pain everywhere. His mood was terrible. He Chu San had somehow sneaked into the hospital the moment he heard the news, and Boss Xia’s heart had barely risen to Heaven before the young man dragged it down and stepped on it. He had been showing Xia Liu Yi a sour face from the moment he arrived. No matter how much Xia Liu Yi indulged him, there were limits.
Xia Liu Yi stopped speaking.
The silence returned, cold enough to freeze.
“I’m leaving,” He Chu San said as he rose. “I’ll come back tomorrow.”
“…”
Xia Liu Yi turned his face away. He heard He Chu San walk directly toward the door.
Fuck your mother. Little bastard.
He raised the hand connected to the intravenous drip and pressed it to his chest. The place beneath it was empty. The doctor had removed his jade Buddha while treating the wounds.
Little bastard…
A heavy weight suddenly struck his chest.
He Chu San had rushed back and wrapped both arms around him, burying his face against Xia Liu Yi’s shoulder. His breathing trembled on the edge of sobs.
Xia Liu Yi stopped breathing for a moment. Feeling the unnatural shaking in He Chu San’s body, his own heart ached. He worked one hand free from between them and laid it on the young man’s hair.
“Brother Liu Yi…” He Chu San’s voice shook with pain beside his ear. “Why can’t you simply stay safe? All I want is for you to be safe. Why is such a small wish always impossible?”
Xia Liu Yi stroked his head and sighed. “I’m sorry.”
“I don’t want apologies after you’ve already been hurt! I don’t want to see you lying in a hospital bed like this again. I only want you to be all right!”
“Foolish boy. Don’t be sad. I’ll recover.”
He Chu San held him as though letting go would mean losing him. Xia Liu Yi’s heart softened into water. He wanted to embrace him properly, but his right wrist remained chained to the bed. All he could do was continue stroking his hair.
After remaining against Xia Liu Yi’s shoulder until his breathing finally steadied, He Chu San asked, “If your medical parole is approved, you won’t have to return to prison, will you?”
“Mm. That’s right.” Xia Liu Yi had only a little over a month left on his sentence. Recovering in hospital would consume most of it.
“Then I’ll visit every day.”
“Mm. Good.”
He Chu San straightened and looked at him seriously. “You promised me you would go legitimate.”
Xia Liu Yi stiffened. “Mm. I did.”
“I’ll prepare everything you need. Any of your brothers willing to leave the underworld will have steady work and enough to support their families. You won’t need to worry about what happens to them. When you say you’re leaving that life, you must truly leave it.”
“I will.”
He Chu San kissed the stubble on his chin. He seemed completely calm again. “I have to go. If I remain too long, the nurse making rounds will find me.”
“Go.”
This time, the young man’s footsteps paused constantly, every few steps revealing his reluctance. Xia Liu Yi listened until the sound disappeared down the corridor.
Then he released a long, exhausted sigh.
Looking back over everything since they met, Boss Xia gloomily realized that He Chu San had always known exactly how to control him. Who else would dare throw a tantrum before Xiao Qi Hall’s Dragon Head, threaten to lock him up and fuck him to death, then climb into his arms for comfort and still make demands afterward?
Xia Liu Yi angrily scratched the bed, wishing he could drag He Chu San back and spank him until the room echoed.
A voice suddenly came from behind the curtain beside him.
Boss Xia nearly fell from the bed.
“I never expected you actually liked men. Is that your lover? That little rabbit has quite a temper.”
“Limping Sha? Why are you here?”
“Why wouldn’t I be here? That fucking officer stabbed me before tying me up. You bastards fought forever, then talked forever. If you had waited any longer to untie me, I really would have died!”
Xia Liu Yi scoffed. With that powerful voice, everyone else would die before him.
“You were beaten badly, Twin-Blade Xia. Even you have days like this?”
“Give it a rest. While I was fighting for my life, you were standing naked beneath the shower. You have the nerve to mock me?”
The two unlucky bosses traded insults through the curtain. When they became too agitated, both pulled at their injuries and had to stop to hiss through the pain. Once it subsided, they sighed together, overcome by the miserable absurdity of their situation.
“Hey, Limping Sha. We count as brothers in misfortune now, don’t we?”
“Uncle and nephew in misfortune. I’m one generation above you.”
“Tch. Old bastard.”
“You fucking…” The handcuffs on the other bed rattled several times. Limping Sha eventually gave up. “Xia Xiao Liu, your temper is too foul, and you’re far too arrogant.”
“Thank you.”
Boss Sha fell silent, choked by anger. After enduring for a while, he spoke again.
“You’re getting out next month?”
“That’s right.”
“Fucking lucky.”
“Not like Boss Sha. Once you recover, you still have twenty years left.”
Boss Sha was silenced again. Finally, he said resentfully, “Enough, Twin-Blade Xia. Say less for once. I, Sha Jia Jun, rarely ask anyone for help. I’m swallowing my pride to speak to you. At least make it easier.”
“Oh? You need my help?”
“I hid some money before I was arrested. No one knows. Once you get out, find it and give it to my wife and children.”
“You have plenty of followers. Why not use them?”
“I still don’t know which traitorous bastard sold me to the police. I trust none of them.”
“You trust me?”
Boss Sha sighed. “You’re unpleasant, but like Azure Dragon, you still understand loyalty. If you wanted to harm me, you could have stabbed me in the shower and blamed Shrimp Skin. Instead, you saved me. I owe you my life. From now on, your brothers in prison are my brothers. After you leave, I’ll protect them.”
Xia Liu Yi laughed. “Then I’ll trouble you, Brother Sha.”
“You should call me Uncle Sha!”
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