Diding Alliance (1)

"Can you count?"

"Of course."

"Count to ten thousand and seventy-seven, and then do as I say."

"..."

"What's wrong? Was I not clear enough? You can still back out."

"No... why ten thousand and seventy-seven?"

"Oh, counting to ten thousand is just right, and seventy-seven is an extra bit. It's my lucky number," Ling Zichong once said with a mischievous smile. "July 7th is my birthday. If you remember, give me a gift next time."

"Start now?"

"Start now."

When Qi Jiafu counted to one hundred and four, he was taken into a fragrant little room where two fragrant girls were waiting for him.

When he counted to one hundred and five, the blindfold over his eyes was removed.

And then he almost couldn't keep counting.

The two girls were real "girls." Compared to them, the servants at the Qi mansion were like talking wooden dolls.

"I'm Xiaotai."

"I'm Xiaoxian."

"We'll make you smell nice and fresh."

"And then we'll eat you."

"Why aren't you saying anything?"

"He's scared. Everyone from up there is like this."

They giggled and whispered to each other, their black and brown hair entwined, curling around their smooth shoulders.

Qi Jiafu thought indignantly... four hundred and eleven.

Xiaotai had a pair of snow-white, slender arms, and Xiaoxian had a pair of light brown, sturdy legs that seemed ready to dance at any moment. They wore heavy, white robes, not minding if their robes got half-wet, clinging wetly and showing off their young curves. They filled a giant wooden tub with hot water, sprinkled in jade fragments and bottle after bottle of strange things. They were focused and happy, not even glancing at Qi Jiafu—as if they were skilled cooks washing their vegetables.

Three thousand two hundred and ninety-seven... girls really take a long time to prepare for a bath.

"Will you wash yourself, or shall we help you?"

Qi Jiafu was twenty years old, and he made the choice a twenty-year-old man should make.

The black copper ring was removed, severing his connection with the Windshadow Riders. Two beautiful and soft hands touched every corner of his body in what was probably the gentlest search he had ever experienced.

Warm water soaked his wounds, blood and grime dissolved, and pain came from all directions. But there was something in the water that quickly alleviated the pain. Relaxation and tingling sensations moved over his body, his throat felt dry, and a certain part of his body gradually went out of control. But a voice like iron counted in his head: eight thousand nine hundred and twenty-five...

"Do you want us both, or just one?" Xiaotai's soft arms wrapped around his neck.

"Just one, her." Qi Jiafu pointed at Xiaoxian.

Xiaoxian looked a bit surprised, but the surprise quickly turned to calm. She gently put down the bucket of hot water and walked towards him with light, dance-like steps.

Xiaotai kicked an empty water bucket and left.

Xiaoxian had honey-colored skin and eyes like lakes, with hair as thick as seaweed, curling down to her waist. Qi Jiafu, young and inexperienced, had never seen a living woman's body, but he knew this was a rare beauty. Perhaps Xiaoxian wasn't that beautiful on her own, but whenever she moved, every part of her body seemed to dance to a rhythm.

"Why me?"

"What? You don't want to?"

"I do. I came here by choice."

She wasn't the kind of girl who evoked pity, but her eyes held an abyss of sorrow, seeming like they could shed invisible tears with a blink.

Qi Qingran was also beautiful, but her beauty was like a flower or a painting, making people want to step back and quietly admire. But this girl... could make any man lose his mind and rush forward.

Xiaoxian's sleeveless robe was tied with a large knot on her left shoulder. With a twist, the robe loosened and fell. Her body was light and full of allure, but the pain in her eyes grew heavier. She silently slid into Qi Jiafu's arms, whispering like a prayer: Oh River God...

"Do you say this to everyone?" Qi Jiafu's hand gripped her neck, the thick hair and slender neck fitting perfectly in his grasp.

"Yes."

"Where is the person you loved last time?"

Xiaoxian's lips held a slight smile, her hand caressing his chest. "I didn't ask you where the person you love is now."

"You can ask. I don't have one."

"You're lying to me."

"I said I don't have one."

"Then you're lying to yourself." Xiaoxian hugged him tightly, closing her eyes. "Hold me tight, don't move, just hold me tight."

Without hesitation, Qi Jiafu held her tightly. He didn't close his eyes—closing his eyes always made him see things he shouldn't see.

Ten thousand.

Ten thousand went by too quickly, damn it!

Xiaoxian was waiting, waiting for an embrace to dispel the sorrow in her eyes.

"You should go find that person," Qi Jiafu whispered in Xiaoxian's ear. "I guess you know where he is."

"And what would that change?"

"Finding him wouldn't change anything, but finding him is still better than this."

Xiaoxian opened her eyes in anger. "Do you know what you're saying?"

"I'm talking about a slave."

Xiaoxian's eyes seemed deeply hurt by his words.

"From the first moment, you were looking at the brand on my hand. I don't think it's because it looks particularly good." Qi Jiafu paused, "Ten thousand and seventy."

"I searched, and I found him. He doesn't love me, he only loves freedom."

Ten thousand and seventy-seven. Qi Jiafu reached out and brushed Xiaoxian's left neck, adding three final words: "He lied to you."

He donned his first long-sleeved bathrobe and walked out.

In his palm, a wax pill was nearly melted. Qi Jiafu carefully opened it to reveal a map as thin as cicada wings—he had not anticipated that the underground city would be so vast.

Ling Zichong clearly did not want him to know too much. This map was not very detailed, but it was enough to discern that besides the public trading areas, each of the Four Young Masters of the capital had their own territories. One of these territories was larger than the others combined, likely belonging to Shao Yishi.

A small path, scratched out with a fingernail, wound its way to a tiny room in another area.

"Password?" The passerby asked lazily, as if inquiring about the weather.

"Fish Eyes and Pearls." Qi Jiafu replied casually.

——This is a world of passwords. You might find that every door, every passage, every area… requires a different password. The one I've given you will only get you to that room. If you wander off, I guarantee you'll die horribly.

——I believe shaking off those girls won't be difficult for you, but you mustn't harm them. If you hurt anyone here, your life afterwards will be far from pleasant.

——Come to me, and I'll tell you why you're here. This is a gamble. I can't guarantee you'll walk out alive.

——Make your decision.

I have already decided.

The first character a person learns shouldn't be the one branded on their arm, no matter what it means.

Qi Jiafu walked forward. This underground world was not as dark as he imagined. There were far more people coming and going than he had expected.

Most of them were young, and they greeted him warmly and eagerly. They were a diverse group, almost drunk with euphoria and an arrogant happiness. Young men and women clung to each other in brazen postures, moving forward like conjoined twins, their faces pale from years without sunlight.

A large group of young people, about seventeen or eighteen, approached, blocking the corridor.

"Is there something wrong here?" As if reading his mind, a girl wrapped in a translucent shawl stopped and winked at him.

Her friends didn't even glance at her, continuing their playful chatter as they moved forward.

Qi Jiafu was embarrassed. The girl's sheer outfit was rather revealing, showing off her recently matured curves. He didn't know where to look. After his eyes darted around, he finally focused on the girl's left shoulder—there was a golden dandelion decoration, intricately crafted, with numerous fluffy seeds covering her shoulder.

"I recognize this bathrobe. Xiaotai brought you, didn't she?" The girl's fingers slid along the edge of the bathrobe, lightly touching Qi Jiafu's chest. "Xiaotai always has good taste."

"Thank you." Qi Jiafu took a step back.

"You're really uptight… Are you new here?"

"Yes."

"You don't have to worry so much here. As long as you don't wander or ask too many questions, you can do whatever you want." Her eyes began to sparkle, and she smiled excitedly. "I love breaking in newcomers. I like watching you slowly… become free."

"Do you really think this is freedom?" Qi Jiafu thought it, so he said it.

"Of course." It was clear the girl truly liked it here. "No restraints, do whatever you want. As long as you have a skill, any skill, you can trade for what you need. At first, it's a bit strange, but you'll get used to it quickly. Up there, you were a slave. You've done well to get here. I've met slaves just arrived who tear off their sleeves as the first thing they do." Her fingers traced the brand on Qi Jiafu's wrist. "It's a beautiful mark."

Qi Jiafu didn't pull back his wrist, continuing her train of thought: "No need to worry about where what you want comes from, even if it's sometimes dirty or unfair, right?"

"Fair?" The girl laughed. "Hey, little slave, you're talking to me about fairness? Hey, don't frown. If you don't like me calling you that, you can fight back with any word you want… Do you mind telling me, did you get here through clean means or fair ones?"

Qi Jiafu said nothing, the people around the girl laughed, but not mockingly.

"I didn't mean it like that. I'm just curious." Qi Jiafu really was just curious: "Did Shao Yishi teach you to say these things?"

"Who is Shao Yishi?" The girl frowned, realizing she wasn't here for such a complicated conversation. "Where are you going? Come with us, we need a boy."

Qi Jiafu shook his head: "Sorry, I'm not interested."

The girl looked directly into his eyes, surprised: "I understand now. You're sick."

"No."

"Liar, you are… If you're sick, you shouldn't be wandering around, so others don't waste their time with you."

"What do you mean by… sick?"

The girl took the dandelion brooch from her shoulder and pinned it to Qi Jiafu's bathrobe, patting him lightly: "If you're sick, wear this… Alright, alright, my illness is cured, so I'll give it to you. Say hi to Xiaotai for me." She patted his cheek, her voice teasing and sultry: "If you ever get better, come find me. I live in Cave Seven, Path Three, District Eight. Remember?"

"Got it."

They parted ways amicably. The girl watched Qi Jiafu leave, hugging her shoulders. At the first intersection, he paused, opened a hidden door in the wall, and went inside. The girl was startled—"Oh my god, why is he going to that terrible place?"