He Chu San carried the food box into the basement. As soon as he stepped inside, he froze.
The room was in complete disarray. Quilts, pillows, mattresses, and sheets were torn apart and piled haphazardly on the floor. The wooden bed frame had been completely dismantled, leaving behind only a bare iron frame.
Xia Liu Yi lay sprawled on the empty frame, one arm tucked beneath his head, staring blankly into space.
He had spent the entire night dismantling the bed, determined to remove the post anchoring his ankle shackle. However, upon finishing, he realized that He Chu San had anticipated this move. The frame beneath was made of iron and firmly welded to the ground.
Shit! You damned brat!”
That very damned brat now stood there, sighing with mock admiration. He placed the food box on the bedside cabinet and settled himself on one of the cold iron crossbars.
“How is it that I seem to be raising a lion? You’re far too skilled at tearing things apart.”
Xia Liu Yi let out a snort and lazily rolled onto his side, facing him. “Tearing apart a bed is nothing. When I was young, I crashed a car and broke my leg. Azure Dragon locked me in solitary confinement for a month. I managed to smash through the wall to escape.”
He Chu San laughed helplessly. “And then?”
“They caught me. Locked me up for another month.”
Shaking his head, He Chu San reached out and smoothed the messy strands of his hair. “When will you ever learn to behave?”
Xia Liu Yi lifted his gaze and asked in return, “When will you let me out?”
He Chu San remained silent, only smiling faintly.
That smile made Xia Liu Yi’s chest tighten painfully.
Locked in this room for so many days, he had long overcome disbelief, rage, hysteria, and despair. Finally, he reached a state of calm reflection. By now, he understood that beneath He Chu San’s gentle facade lay deeper intentions.
He seized He Chu San’s hand and pressed it against his cheek, sighing.
“I know you didn’t conspire with Qin Hao or kill Dong Dong. You’re not that kind of person. The explosion at Azure Dragon Villa was to cover her escape, wasn’t it? You dug a tunnel and switched the bodies. Otherwise, if you intended to kill her, why blow up the villa in front of the police.”
He Chu San gazed at him with quiet warmth, remaining silent.
Xia Liu Yi continued, “All this started because of me. I was the one who hid things from you and forced you into this situation. If you’re angry, lock me up and punish me however you want. But I’m worried about you. What exactly are you doing? Don’t lose yourself in it.”
He Chu San gently caressed his face.
“I used to want to ask you the same question—‘What exactly are you doing?’ Only later did I understand your burdens. You live too alone. Whatever happens, you bear it yourself and solve it yourself. I don’t blame you—I ache for you. But you’re not alone anymore. You have me. You can rely on me… ask things of me… don’t keep pushing me away. Don’t you understand? I am your lover. Whatever it is, I can bear it with you.”
Xia Liu Yi murmured, “I can’t bear to. You’re so clean—I don’t want to stain you.”
“And I can bear to see you like this?” He Chu San replied softly. “I know you want revenge for Azure Dragon. But will reckless killing bring justice? If you and Sister Dong Dong had discovered Qin Hao first, what would you have done? Have you considered the consequences? Once you step down that path, there is no turning back.”
His fingers traced Xia Liu Yi’s brows, his voice trembling with restrained anguish.
“And if something happened to you… how am I supposed to go on?”
A deep, aching bitterness welled in Xia Liu Yi’s chest. He lifted his arms, and He Chu San leaned into him. The two clung tightly together atop the cold, unforgiving iron frame.
“I’ve thought about it!” Xia Liu Yi choked out. “I don’t want to do this—I don’t want to leave you! I know killing is wrong, but it’s all I know! I don’t know any other way! I even considered giving up—but every time I close my eyes, I see Azure Dragon and Xiao Man! They died so horribly… their eyes are still open…”
His voice trembled with grief and fury.
He Chu San pressed a kiss to his temple, murmuring softly, “Hush… I understand. Don’t worry. I’ll accomplish the vengeance you seek for you.”
Xia Liu Yi snapped back to awareness. “What did you say?”
He pulled away, gripping He Chu San’s shoulders. “You know who I’m after? How much do you know? What have you been doing all this time?!”
He Chu San opened his mouth—
But before he could speak, a commotion erupted upstairs. Xiao Ma’s furious roar rang out, accompanied by the clash of violent struggle.
He Chu San sighed softly. “So soon… I had hoped to share a meal with you first.”
“Xiao Ma?” Xia Liu Yi straightened. “He found this place?”
He Chu San rose as well. “Once you wake, you’ll understand. Just don’t ruin my plan. Otherwise, I…”
He stopped.
There was nothing he could use to threaten Xia Liu Yi. Otherwise, I’ll never forgive you? For his safety, Xia Liu Yi would accept even that.
So instead, he leaned forward and kissed him.
Xia Liu Yi, already wary at the words “once you wake,” thought he meant to drug him again through a kiss. He resisted fiercely—
But a chill struck his shoulder.
Another injection.
Fooled three times over, Xia Liu Yi’s vision darkened with fury.
He Chu San whispered in his ear, “I made congee… steamed buns. Heat them before eating. Be good. Trust me—everything will be alright.”
In that gentle tone, Xia Liu Yi suddenly sensed something irrevocable.
He clutched He Chu San’s arm desperately, forcing his eyes wide—
But under the crushing tide of fear and dread, his strength faded, and he collapsed into unconsciousness.
……
BANG—!
With a thunderous crash, Xiao Ma kicked open the basement door and stormed in.
His face contorted into a murderous fury, and in his hands, he held a bloodstained iron rod. Veins bulged along his arms as his blazing eyes swept across the room.
He Chu San, seated by the bed, rose to his feet.
Behind him, Xia Liu Yi lay bound on the iron frame, his limbs shackled at all four corners. His eyes were closed, and his head lolled weakly. Clad only in undergarments, his body bore scattered marks of intimacy.
At the sight, Xiao Ma’s rage exploded beyond control.
With a roar, he charged forward, swinging the iron rod straight at He Chu San!
……
“Bang—!” With a heavy crash, Kevin kicked open the door to a VIP suite in a love hotel. Master Qiao, who had been slumbering soundly while cradling his buxom young girlfriend, Lai San Mei, was startled awake. He cast a gaze of thunderous rage toward the doorway.
Several bodyguards held guns to Kevin’s head. The leader explained, “Boss, this kid says he has urgent business with you…”
Kevin was in a wretched state, with abrasions on his forehead, looking as though he had recently survived a fierce battle. Breathless, he gasped out, “Boss, trouble! Ma Ru Long led men to raid He Chu San’s nest, and they’ve rescued Xia Liu Yi!”
“That goddamn useless waste!” Master Qiao sat up, shoving aside the whimpering Lai San Mei. “I told that bastard to kill Xia Liu Yi early on. Has that damned homosexual got shit for brains?! How is he? Is he dead yet?”
“Not yet. He’s been taken to the ancestral hall of the Xiao Qi Hall. It seems they’re about to execute the Gang Law! Boss, what should we do now?”
Master Qiao heard the man wasn’t dead and calmed down. He rubbed his temples with a headache while glancing at Lai San Mei. Despite her affectation, she was perceptive and immediately approached him to massage him.
Master Qiao laid back, enjoying the beauty’s gentle touch. After a while, he snorted, “Wait and see. Bring me the mobile phone and everyone else—get out.”
A bodyguard quickly offered the phone and hurried out with Kevin. Lai San Mei giggled and reached to rub Master Qiao’s chest, only for him to fix her with a cold, murderous glare while dialing. “Are you not a person?”
Lai San Mei shivered and, with her chest bouncing, scurried out in quick, tiny steps.
……
Xia Liu Yi was running breathlessly through a deep darkness, unsure of his surroundings or destination. He felt only a bone-piercing remorse and terror, desperately trying to rush toward the distance to salvage something. With a frantic gasp, he suddenly snapped his eyes open!
His heart thundered against his ribs, aching with every beat. Gasping, he rolled off the bed, but his legs gave way and he tumbled to the floor. The person guarding the bedside jumped up to support him. “Boss! You’re awake?!”
Xia Liu Yi clutched his chest, looking at him with pain and dizziness. It took a moment for clarity to return; his eyes instantly welled with moisture as he cried out with a tremble, “Xiao Ma?!”
“It’s me! Boss!” Xiao Ma’s eyes also brimmed with tears. “I’m back!”
Xia Liu Yi embraced him tightly, overwhelmed with joy. “You’re really alive! It’s enough that you’re alive…”
Recalling the scene before he lost consciousness, he quickly pulled back, gripping Xiao Ma’s shoulders as he asked in a panic, “Where is He Chu San?!”
Xiao Ma’s face contorted into a mask of deep-seated, murderous rage. “That treacherous bastard is tied up outside! The brothers have all gathered, eagerly awaiting your awakening so we can execute the Gang Law!”
Xia Liu Yi, jolted awake, exclaimed urgently, “Execute what Gang Law?!” He leaped out of bed, his voice filled with disbelief. “Are you all insane?!”
“Boss!” Xiao Ma pursued him, his urgency palpable. “Do you not comprehend yet? That kid took a beating and confessed with his own mouth! He kidnapped you, blew up Cui Dong Dong, stole the ledgers, and declared your disappearance to the world so he could seize the throne! That bastard hid you away; we barely managed to find the basement to rescue you. Kevin under him saw the tide turning and fled with his men…”
Xia Liu Yi was utterly bewildered by Xiao Ma’s ramblings. Both furious and anxious, he hastily grabbed a set of clothes by the bed, threw them on haphazardly, and charged outside barefoot and stumbling. A’Mao and A’Nan, who were guarding the door, hurriedly followed Xiao Ma. As they ran, A’Mao attempted to testify, “Boss, it’s true! He locked the two of us up as well! It was Brother Xiao Ma who rescued us!”
“But Mr. He didn’t hurt us…” A’Nan hesitated, only to be slapped in the head by Xiao Ma.
Xia Liu Yi couldn’t spare a word for them. After running several paces, he recognized this place as Xiao Qi Hall’s ancestral hall—the venue where the Dragon Ascension Assemblies, initiation rites, and the execution of “Gang Law” were held.
He burst into the Great Hall from the back rooms. Inside the vast chamber, the furnishings were simple yet solemn. Two rows of wooden chairs lined the sides, and in the center stood a grand sacrificial altar. Upon it sat a life-sized statue of Lord Guan. Beneath the statue was a chair made of blood-sandalwood, its armrests carved into two lifelike, fierce-eyed dragon heads with bared fangs—this was the Dragon Throne of the Xiao Qi Hall.
Dozens of the Hall’s high and low-ranking leaders stood in a circle, their emotions boiling as they cursed loudly. “Damn it, this unlucky prick tricked us all for so long! Beat him to death!”
“We trusted him so much, yet he plotted against the Boss! He even killed Cui Dong Dong! He has the heart of a wolf and lungs of a dog!!”
“Betraying brothers—Three Blades and Six Holes!”
“What Three Blades and Six Holes! This total piece of shit! Hang him up and give him a thousand cuts!”
“Make way!” Xia Liu Yi bellowed.
Seeing the Boss awake, everyone showed pleasant surprise and shouted “Boss!” as they quickly cleared a path.
Xia Liu Yi first noticed a trail of blood on the floor. A sudden chill ran down his spine as he pushed through the crowd and rushed forward. He saw He Chu San hunched over, kneeling and crawling on the hard, cold ground, his head bowed low. He was covered in blood and filth, his clothes tattered. A trickle of blood seeped from his cracked lips, and his eyes were half-closed, his consciousness seemingly blurred.
Xia Liu Yi felt as if struck by lightning, his heart twisting in agony. Just as he was about to rush forward, a figure blocked his path. Black Chicken whispered urgently, “Boss, Consultant He told me to ensure you don’t interfere. He has a plan.”
Xia Liu Yi’s eyes nearly split from rage as he struggled against Black Chicken’s grip. Black Chicken hissed, “He warned me that if you go over there, all his hard work will be for nothing!”
“What is he trying to do?” Xia Liu Yi whispered. Before Black Chicken could respond, Xia Liu Yi seized his arm back with an iron-clamp force so heavy it made Black Chicken’s face contort in pain. Xia Liu Yi’s eyes were bloodshot as he repeated viciously, “What is he trying to do?!”
“I don’t know, Boss!” Black Chicken lowered his voice, which was already raspy from pain. “He sent someone to contact me early this morning. He only instructed me to stop you and provided me with the location of Cui Dong Dong. I don’t have any further information.”
Xia Liu Yi turned his head to look at He Chu San on the ground. At that moment, He Chu San lifted his head, giving him a reassuring look, signaling him not to act rashly.
Confused and conflicted, Xia Liu Yi froze in place. Black Chicken seized the opportunity to guide him toward the Dragon Throne before the statue of Lord Guan.
Xia Liu Yi sat rigidly on the Dragon Throne, his gaze fixed on He Chu San. He Chu San hung his head in silence. Xia Liu Yi watched as blood trickled down He Chu San’s pale face, each drop was a drop of acid that corroded a massive, bloody wound within his heart.
This was the He Chu San he had held in his palm, protected in his heart, and couldn’t bear to see him lose even a single hair. He couldn’t comprehend the foolishness of this fool’s actions.
Suddenly, Xiao Ma arrived. Seeing He Chu San kneeling there, his anger flared anew. He rushed forward and delivered another fierce kick. “Complete piece of shit!”
Xia Liu Yi’s heart trembled violently, mirroring the swaying of He Chu San’s body. He wanted to leap up and devour this “good brother” who had just returned from the dead. But after the kick, Xiao Ma hurried to his throne, draping an overcoat over the thin-clad Xia and placing a pair of shoes by his bare feet. Meeting Xiao Ma’s worried and concerned gaze, Xia Liu Yi couldn’t utter a single curse.
He could see that Xiao Ma was truly unaware of the truth. He could see that except for Black Chicken, this entire room of brothers and sisters had been deceived by He Chu San. He couldn’t blame anyone present. But where in this world was there a fool like He Chu San, who would meticulously craft the appearance of betrayal and deliberately seek his own demise?
What was this idiot trying to achieve?
He Chu San knelt with his head lowered. The trauma to his head caused a buzzing in his ears. Through the distorted noise, he heard Xiao Ma above him reciting his crimes. Each shout was accompanied by the deafening jeers and curses of the Hall members. Amidst the chaos, Xiao Ma’s voice rang out like a great bell, reading the Gang Laws: “Betraying the Hall! Plotting against the Big Boss! Three Blades and Six Holes!” The words struck the cold floor with a resonant force before bouncing into He Chu San’s ears.
He Chu San chuckled softly, recalling the familiar scene from four years ago when Xu Ying usurped the throne. The lines were etched in his mind, having been rehearsed countless times last night in the kitchen while making buns until they were second nature.
“Traitor! What on earth are you laughing at?!” Xiao Ma bellowed, his voice filled with rage.
He Chu San erupted into an eerie, loud laugh, mirroring Xu Ying’s actions years ago. He swallowed a mouthful of blood that surged up his throat and rasped, “I’ve earned so much for the Hall, leading everyone to prosperity—which part of your indulgence in eating, drinking, gambling, and whoring didn’t originate from me?! Cui Dong Dong monopolized the position of Deputy Hall Master, refusing to grant me any real power, only allowing me to be a mere ‘Consultant’! And you, Xia Liu Yi, you fool—calling that traitor Qin Hao your brother and showering him with every advantage! What you refuse to give, I will seize for myself! Three Blades and Six Holes—I refuse to submit!”
Xiao Ma lunged forward, pulling the Dragon Blade from the Dragon Staff and hurling it at He Chu San from a height.
He sneered, “Greedy dogs always love to bark! Do you think you have the authority to dictate whether you submit?!”
He leaned in close to He Chu San’s ear, his voice low and menacing. “Listen up, you piece of shit! Be wise. Choose the right moment and stab yourself to death to end this suffering, rather than enduring it alive. Don’t forget the oath I swore—after you’ve endured these Three Blades and Six Holes, I’ll cut out your heart and grind it as a sacrifice for Cui Dong Dong’s grave!”
He Chu San crawled at his feet, his head lowered. His blood-stained arm reached slowly toward the Dragon Blade. Pale, slender fingers trembled slightly as they gripped the hilt. Through the faint buzzing in his ears, he heard the cry of a cuckoo from outside the window—the signal he had agreed upon with the lookout stationed outside.
The audience had arrived, and his play was about to begin.
He spoke again, but only they could hear him. He whispered a single line, “Brother Xiao Ma, I’m sorry.” Xiao Ma’s heart raced with alarm, but he misinterpreted the apology. He thought He Chu San was trying to ambush him. Instinctively, he dodged back from the blade’s edge. A flash of white light flickered before his eyes. When he regained his composure, he realized the blade’s light had vanished into He Chu San’s own abdomen!
Futile Devices Scans 
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