Chapter 18 Li Xin
Li Xin returned home in the dead of night, carelessly shutting the door behind him. He didn't bother to lock it or light a candle, and made his way to his bed in the dark, collapsing onto it with the stiffness reminiscent of a corpse that had gone cold.
"Eh." Li Xin gazed blankly at the ceiling, reflecting on the day's events. Today, he had yet again cleaned up after the depraved scion of the Li Family, who had brazenly barged into another man's home in broad daylight and brutally toyed with his wife until she died, all in front of her husband. Afterwards, he even instructed Li Xin to kill the entire household, both young and old.
Li Xin never considered himself a good person; over the years, he had done plenty of the Li Family's dirty work. Sometimes, he wondered whether he'd descend to the eighteenth level of hell after death. But today's incident had redefined his understanding of beastliness—not out of profit or passion, but pure bestial instinct. What's more, the Third Young Master Li didn't think he had done anything wrong, instead laughing like a child. This was no longer human behavior but that of a beast in human skin.
At that thought, Li Xin heaved a long sigh.
"Why does Boss Li sigh?" A clear voice cut through the silence.
Li Xin sat up straight; in the darkness, a shadow sat quietly at the square table in front of the bed, watching him. Without any light, Li Xin could only discern a figure, yet he felt the shadow piercing into his heart with its gaze.
"Who are you?" he asked as he fumbled for a weapon at the head of the bed, remembering a dagger hidden under his pillow. However, his search turned up empty. He couldn't believe it and felt around again, but still found nothing. Indeed, it had been so long since he'd last used the dagger he had almost forgotten about it; it had been missing since he last changed his bedding and was likely long gone.
Li Xin's tense body relaxed, abandoning any thoughts of resistance. The figure was sitting at the square table less than three feet away from the bed, and Li Xin had just passed by the other side of the table completely unaware. If the figure had harbored any intention to kill, Li Xin would probably have already been on his way to the eighteenth level of hell.
The shadow watched Li Xin's reaction but remained silent.
"Sir, if you have any orders, just say them. As long as it's nothing too outrageous, I, Li Xin, will do everything in my power." Since the visitor wasn't there to kill him, the request must be for something else. Facing life and death circumstances, Li Xin was ready to promise anything to stay alive first and foremost.
"Oh? As the head of the Iron Saber Association under the control of the Li Family, you have helped carry out many deeds that violate the Heavenly Dao, and now you've suddenly taken on the role of a good person. Furthermore, you agree without even asking what it is. What if what I ask you to do is a deadly task? Or something against the Li Family's interests?" Qing Yu curiously remarked.
Indeed, the visitor in the dead of night was Qing Yu, and Li Xin was the leader of the Iron Saber Association within the Li Family's reach. Most of the Association's members were enforcers from brothels, usually not involved in many other matters except for bullying men, coercing good women into prostitution, and the like. Their reputation was a hundred times worse than that of the murderous Five Tigers Sect.
Li Xin responded with a wry smile, "The Heavenly Dao brings reincarnation, and one who commits too many vile deeds must fear retribution. I, Li Xin, know I deserve punishment, but I fear it will fall upon my wife and child. That's why I've never married or had children over these years. I only wish my elderly mother to live out her years in peace. As for the rest, when my life is nearly over, what else can I care about?"
Hearing Li Xin's reply, Qing Yu laughed, "You're not being honest. You only talk about fearing for your wife and children, not your parents. You must be hoping for retribution to befall your irresponsible father, right?"
Li Xin, who had been very composed until now, burst into a rage at the mention of his father. No longer caring if he offended, he shouted, "He's not my father! He's a beast, a beast, they're all beasts!"
"You're full of resentful energy. It seems you truly hate the Li Pingsheng's family." Qing Yu clapped his hands.
Li Pingsheng was the Patriarch of the Li Family, the same beastly Third Young Master Li's father mentioned earlier—and Li Xin's father, the result of a drunken indiscretion.
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"But you're wrong about one thing: your mother was affected after all. This afternoon, while you were dealing with the aftermath, Li Qiuyan was heading home and happened upon her. He killed her on impulse. Of course, to win over a qualified enforcer like you, the Li family has suppressed the news. That's why you haven't received word of your mother's death until now. Perhaps tomorrow, you'll be told your mother died of an illness."
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Li Qiuyan is none other than Third Young Master Li.
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Li Xin collapsed suddenly, sliding from the edge of the bed to the floor. Dead, his mother, the one who had sustained him until now, was dead.
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Why, why? Li Xin found it hard to believe. He had committed so many heinous acts just to make himself useful in the eyes of the Li family, to safeguard his mother. Yet, while he was still cleaning up Li Qiuyan's messes, Li Qiuyan had casually murdered his mother.
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Li Xin had no reason to disbelieve Qing Yu's unilateral account—he knew well the true nature of the beast in human skin that was Li Qiuyan, as well as the Li family's modus operandi. All of this must be true; Qing Yu had no reason to deceive him. Besides, regardless of everything else, the death of his mother had to be true; a falsehood wouldn't fool him. This could only mean that the news suppression by the Li family confirmed their involvement, and it related to a core member of the family.
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Li Xin felt an overwhelming darkness closing in, pressing down on his heart as if it were being crushed by an iron grip, with nothing but darkness before his eyes—a darkness even blacker than the blackest night.
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"I can help you get revenge."
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This voice sounded like a sharp sword piercing through the endless darkness before him.
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Li Xin lifted his head to look at the shadowy figure before him.
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"I'll help you if you help me. I just so happen to have the Li family in my sights. That's why I sought you tonight."
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When Qing Yu heard the news that afternoon, he immediately remembered the profile on Li Xin, the Li family's illegitimate son. Fortune had presented itself suddenly, and seizing the opportunity, Qing Yu chose the perfect moment to appear when Li Xin was most vulnerable, shattering his psychological defenses with a single blow.
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"How can I trust you? Trust that you have enough power?" asked Li Xin, his voice hoarse.
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The leader of the Iron Saber Association might sound imposing, but in reality, he was merely the leading dog among those kept by the Li family, with followers that were paid by the Li family, and the Li family was their object of loyalty.
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Qing Yu's approach to Li Xin proved he didn't have enough power to confront the Li family head-on. Even if he had the strength to strike at the Li family, the other two families would not stand idly by—everyone understood the principle of mutual dependence.
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"To kill a man, you don't always need force; there are many other ways. Tomorrow, you will witness a spectacular show. Trust me, you'll find it very gratifying—a truly excellent spectacle," Qing Yu said softly, uttering chilling words.
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At that moment, moonlight streamed in through the window, illuminating Qing Yu's face.
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Li Xin looked at the somewhat youthful face before him and found it hard to believe that the words he had just heard had come from the mouth of this young man. However, the more terrifying this youth was, the greater his hope for revenge.
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He bowed deeply, prostrating himself on the ground: "If it means making the Li family pay, Xin is willing to lay down his life for you, my lord."
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