Chapter 55: The Wind Rises

"Why?" Long Yin didn’t agree right away but voiced the doubt in his heart. The other seemed to have a phobia of crowds, cautiously guarding his own tiny territory, unwilling to let anyone in or venture out himself. Long Yin had thought he wouldn’t come seeking him for some time yet, so the fact that he showed up now was truly unexpected.

Gongliang Yi gazed at Long Yin, pushed up his heavy glasses, licked his thick lips, and finally spoke, "Because you’re opposing the Crown Prince!"

Long Yin kept his eyes on Gongliang Yi, who nervously adjusted his glasses again and again. Long Yin smiled, "So?"

"So..." Gongliang Yi swallowed. "So I beg you to save Jian Ming!"

Jian Ming? Long Yin recalled the sullen young man and was surprised these two knew each other—one a lackey, the other a student in the Free Classroom of the Card Artisan Academy. How did their paths cross? And their relationship was deep enough for the other to come running for him. Long Yin studied Gongliang Yi, "You’ve already gone to see the Crown Prince?"

Gongliang Yi froze, then nodded, casting a guilty glance at Long Yin. "I’m sorry, I went to him first, but..." He lowered his voice in embarrassment, "I couldn’t even get through the door."

His honest admission made Long Yin’s heart soften a little. Long Yin said, "I know who you mean by Jian Ming. How did you two meet?"

"Big Brother Jian Ming took care of me when I was little," Gongliang Yi glanced at Long Yin, then continued, "His family ran into trouble. His sister was taken into the Bai family, so he signed a death contract with them."

"Is that all?" Long Yin leaned against the wall, arms crossed, a faint smile on his lips as he looked at Gongliang Yi. "Never mind, I don’t care what you’re trying to hide. I just want to know—what are you willing to give up to save Jian Ming and his sister?" If the other had come to him first, Long Yin would have helped without conditions. But since he weighed his choices and approached the Crown Prince first, Long Yin wasn’t about to act for free, even though he truly wanted to save the boy.

"I..." Gongliang Yi pushed his glasses up again. "I... I only have myself!"

"You?" Long Yin laughed, then stood up. "Alright, you’ll work for me for five years. Can you do that?"

Gongliang Yi nodded vigorously. "I can! As long as you can save Jian Ming and his sister, ten years if you want—I’ll do it!"

"Ten years?" Long Yin shook his head. "I don’t need that long." Five years was to give the other a buffer and a chance to grow. With his methods, it wouldn’t take a year before the boy would be loyal to him alone.

When Long Yin looked over to where Duolin had stood, he realized the man had slipped away at some point. He could only glance at Yuan Shaolin, whose face was expressionless. Long Yin looked at Gongliang Yi, "Let’s go?"

Gongliang Yi was dazed. "Go where?"

Long Yin smiled, "To fetch someone."

Fetch someone? Gongliang Yi dumbly followed Long Yin out. Yuan Shaolin lifted his eyes at Long Yin’s departure, hesitated, then silently followed.

All the way, Gongliang Yi’s heart pounded irregularly. The other’s small back looked so slender, yet seemed to hide infinite strength. Seeing Jian Ming’s miserable state again, his heart wrenched. His family couldn’t afford to offend the Bai family, so he could only watch Jian Ming, who’d cared for him like a big brother, sign the death contract. He lived in guilt, even though it wasn’t his fault. But every glance at Jian Ming’s suffering increased his self-reproach, so he avoided looking at the boy—at least that way, Jian Ming wouldn’t feel worse.

Seeing Jian Ming covered in wounds again made him feel terrible. Was Big Brother Jian Ming going to be beaten to death? Clenching his fists, he went to Zun Garden, but hadn’t even gotten through the door before being thrown out. Miserable, he walked back, but when passing Long Yin’s dorm, he pressed the doorbell on a whim. When he realized what he’d done, he hid. The door opened and closed. After thinking it through, he mustered his courage and rang again—only to hide once more, unable to face the other. In a blink, a cold man caught him and threw him into Long Yin’s room. What happened next—the pledge to serve for five years—still made him happy.

...

"Hey! Don’t play dead! Get up, I’m not done beating you yet!" Bai Yi kicked Jian Ming, who lay on the floor covered in blood.

Ni Zheng came over too, tutting as he circled Jian Ming, then glanced at Bai Yi, "You didn’t really beat him to death, did you?"

"How could I? He’s tough as nails. Last time, just to mess with him, I got mauled by that stupid bear. Luckily my dad’s powerful—found a senior healer Card Artisan for me, or we’d still be in the hospital. Just thinking about it pisses me off, hmph!" Bai Yi kicked Jian Ming again. Jian Ming’s face was twisted beyond recognition, blood leaking from his mouth, possibly with ruptured organs. He spat blood in great gulps. Ni Zheng cried out, "Bai Yi, don’t kill him! If you kill him, where will I find such a willing lackey again?"

"Hmph, better off dead. I’m sick of his face—always so gloomy, it annoys me!"

"Ugh, quit spitting up blood..." Bai Yi kicked him a few more times in disgust. Jian Ming’s half-closed eyes were filled with searing hatred and a touch of bitterness. Dying like this was too worthless. He forced himself to endure—he still had a sister to protect.

Just then, Ni Zheng caught the hatred in Jian Ming’s eyes. He whistled, patting Bai Yi’s shoulder. "Oh, Bai Yi, your lackey wants you dead!"

Bai Yi’s eyes narrowed cruelly. "You worthless cur, you want me dead? I’ll show you what it means to wish you were dead!" He ground his heel into Jian Ming’s foot, the sound of breaking bones clear. "Want me dead, hm? Want me dead..." Bai Yi’s once-handsome face was now twisted and sinister.

Ni Zheng watched Jian Ming suffer in silence and whistled again. "Now that’s a tough guy. Should bring Feng Shao over to see this. If it hurts, just scream, Jian Ming. Come on, scream!"

Through sweat-blurred lashes, Jian Ming cast Ni Zheng a look of utter disdain. Ni Zheng shouted angrily, "Bai Yi, are you weak? Stomp him like this!" Ni Zheng stomped on Jian Ming’s fingers. The sound of bones breaking echoed; Jian Ming couldn’t help but throw his head back, nearly passing out from the pain as blood gushed from his mouth. He grabbed Ni Zheng’s leg with his bloodied hand, making Ni Zheng shriek and kick him in the head. The world went black for Jian Ming—was this death?

Bai Yi shoved Ni Zheng away in rage. "Why’d you do that? You’ll kill him too quickly!" Bai Yi crouched and stuffed something into Jian Ming’s mouth, his eyes glinting maliciously. "I won’t let you die so easily."

Ni Zheng yelped, "Bai Yi, you wastrel! That’s top healing medicine—your father must have given it to you!"

Bai Yi lifted his chin proudly. "Of course! My dad gave me a whole jar! Giving this cur one pill is just a down payment for his sister’s services—ha! My dad promised, once this cur dies, his sister will inherit his job as my lackey!"

Ni Zheng said sourly, "Your dad treats you so well!" Bai Yi was even more pleased and called Ni Zheng over. "Come on, let’s do it together!"

But when Jian Ming heard Bai Yi’s words, his eyes widened in fury. They never meant to spare his sister. Beasts! If he died, he would take these two with him! Summoning unknown strength, Jian Ming leaped at Bai Yi. Bai Yi hadn’t expected the healing pill to give him such energy. Though he wasn’t hurt, Bai Yi was enraged and snatched a fruit knife from the table, stabbing it into Jian Ming’s thigh.

His face twisted with hatred. "You cur, I’ll drain your blood drop by drop..."

Ni Zheng leaned on his hand, sneering, "Wow, Bai Yi, he’s a real tough guy. You’ve stabbed him so many times and he hasn’t made a sound..."

"A tough guy?" Bai Yi sneered suddenly. "If I cut off that part of him, do you think he’ll stay tough?" Ni Zheng’s eyes lit up, clapping his hands. "Great, let’s try!"

Jian Ming’s eyes shrank in terror at the flash of silver. He twisted his waist, dodging just in time, but the effort drained him completely. Bai Yi’s eyes narrowed. "Dodging? Hmph. Ni Zheng, hold him down!"

"Alright!" Ni Zheng, excited, stomped on Jian Ming’s stomach, making him vomit blood. "Now he can’t move, quick!"

Jian Ming watched helplessly as Bai Yi approached, knife raised, and shut his eyes in despair—bang!

But the expected agony never came. Opening his eyes, he saw Bai Yi’s knife stuck in his own leg. Bai Yi knelt, stunned.

"Can’t move, can you? Feels good?" Long Yin smiled, his gaze frosty. "What should we play first? How about we start with a little... slice?"

Ni Zheng was nearly in tears. How had this fiend burst in so quickly? Dad, help! "You—you... I’m the heir to the Ni family! If you hurt me, my father won’t let you go!"

"The Ni family? Oh!" Long Yin grinned. "I’m so scared!" He slapped Ni Zheng’s face several times, each blow as precise as those his second sister had taught him, making Ni Zheng howl in pain.

A look revealed a tooth flying from Ni Zheng’s mouth. Long Yin sneered. "Hand over Jian Ming and his sister’s death contracts!"

Ni Zheng wailed, "I don’t have them on me..."

"Not my problem. Call your servant—bring the contracts and the people to the school. Or I’ll cut it off right now." Long Yin’s gaze flicked below Ni Zheng’s waist as he smiled.

At the mention of cutting, Ni Zheng’s legs went weak. Long Yin stepped back, took Ni Zheng’s comm, and pressed the cold blade against his lower body. Terrified, Ni Zheng quickly dialed.

A helpless yet doting voice answered. "Zhengzheng, what trouble have you gotten into now?"

Under Long Yin’s knife, Ni Zheng managed a whiny tone. "Dad, I want Jian Ming and his sister as my lackeys. Talk to Uncle Bai for me!"

"Zhengzheng, there are plenty of lackeys at home. Why fixate on Bai Yi’s? Come home and I’ll let you pick from a hundred."

Long Yin’s eyes narrowed. Ni Zheng sobbed, "Dad, I only want Jian Ming and his sister! If you don’t bring them to the school, I’ll want nothing else, waah!"

"Alright, alright, don’t cry. I’ll have them sent to your school in half an hour, okay?"

"The contracts, too!"

"Yes, yes, stop crying!"

Once his goal was achieved, Long Yin ended the call and signaled Yuan Shaolin. Yuan Shaolin immediately released the silencing artifact card locking Bai Yi in place. Freed, Bai Yi screamed, "Ni Zheng, you coward! What did you just do?"

"You’re the coward—you’d do the same if you were threatened! Easy for you to say when you’re not the one at risk!" Ni Zheng shouted back, terror in his voice.

Amused by their bickering, Long Yin checked on Jian Ming. Gongliang Yi, teary-eyed, pleaded, "Big Brother Jian Ming’s dying, please save him!"

Long Yin patted Gongliang Yi’s shoulder and looked at Yuan Shaolin, who clapped his left hand and sent a throne-level recovery card to envelop Jian Ming.

"I’ve already notified the academy’s medical squad. They’ll be here soon—don’t worry." Gongliang Yi nodded, "Thank you!"

Long Yin shook his head and glanced at Bai Yi and Ni Zheng. Gongliang Yi, usually timid, picked up a vase and smashed it over their heads, making them bleed, and cried in outrage, "You scum!"

If he’d hesitated even a moment, or if Long Yin had been a step slower, Jian Ming would have died today. Gongliang Yi’s hands trembled as he gripped the broken vase, staring at the bloodied pair.

The medical team soon arrived. Gongliang Yi got into the ambulance with Jian Ming, but Long Yin stayed behind. After a while, the contracts arrived, along with a little girl. She shrank from Long Yin and the others, afraid. Pointing at Bai Yi and Ni Zheng, Long Yin asked, "Do you recognize them?"

The moment she saw them, the girl’s eyes flashed. She lunged, biting and hitting, while Yuan Shaolin used artifact cards to freeze the two in place. Though the girl was mute, the scene was like a pantomime—a small child taking revenge on the two, a sight both bitter and moving. She bit until blood ran from her mouth, as if she would never stop. What hatred could drive such a timid-looking girl to this frenzy?

Yuan Shaolin eventually restrained her final outburst.

Long Yin approached, "Taking revenge yourself feels good, but it dirties your hands. Watch carefully how two so-called brothers turn on each other like dogs." He turned to Bai Yi and Ni Zheng. "Today, only one of you leaves here alive."

"There’s a knife. Whoever stabs the other in the chest walks out." He tossed the knife at their feet, stood back with arms crossed, and Yuan Shaolin switched to a rare artifact card, sealing them in a transparent cage.

Adjusting the room’s cameras, Long Yin smiled innocently, "Begin. Whoever hesitates dies first. Whoever hesitates gives their life to the other."

Watching them lunge for the knife, Long Yin’s smile turned cold. He never liked to think the worst of people, but reality always pushed his limits. Was it that he overestimated the meaning of friendship, or that these two sullied the word beyond repair? Or was this simply human nature?

Had they chosen to resist him together, he might have spared them both. But they disappointed him. Perhaps he should never have had hope for such scum. Long Yin watched the two tear each other apart, his face growing colder. Glancing at the little girl, he saw her staring, dazed. Long Yin sighed. He knew his actions would scar the girl forever.

But she would not regret it. She needed to vent her hatred. If she was doomed to live in hell, she might as well get her revenge.

Long Yin didn’t want to watch anymore. Some part of him still clung to hope, and he loathed seeing that hope dashed again and again. He stepped out of the blood-soaked room, stood by the door, and listened to the savage, bestial breathing and struggle from within. Long Yin narrowed his eyes slightly.

A storm was coming...