Jun Jiuli forcefully rapped the handle of the whip against Chen Fangze's nose, causing his high, straight bridge to collapse.
Chen Fangze twitched all over from the pain, tears streaming down his face uncontrollably. Then, he closed his eyes and fainted.
Just then, his phone rang. The screen displayed a number without a saved name. Jun Jiuli picked up but remained silent.
"Little bro, want to come out and play with me? Mangzi just got a new batch of goods, and every single one of them is a real gem."
Jun Jiuli, mimicking Chen Fangze's voice, replied, "I won't be coming. You guys have fun."
"Oh, you're keeping your treasure all to yourself now, huh? Introduce them to us brothers another day."
"Sure, we'll talk about it some other time."
"Alright then, I'll wait for your news. Don't forget tomorrow's transaction. It was hard enough to get in touch with Mr. Tang, don't mess it up for me."
"You can rest assured with my handling of things."
"Okay, then I'll hang up now."
"Mm, alright."
After hanging up the phone, Jun Jiuli casually tossed it onto the bedside. There was nowhere to sit in the room, so she had to make do with sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Shuiwa, check what they're up to."
"That Mr. Tang is a weapons smuggler. Chen Fangze has considerable influence in City A, dealing in loans and operating casinos. He has quite a few men under him, so he naturally needs those things. The country has very strict controls in this area. It's very difficult for him to obtain them from abroad on his own, so he can only buy them at high prices from people who have established channels."
"Pinpoint their transaction location and leak the information to the police."
"Understood."
By the time Chen Fangze woke up, it was already midnight. His limbs were stiff and he couldn't move. His dark eyes darted around. He struggled to turn over, fumbling with the chain in his mouth. He broke out in a sweat trying to get it out. Seeing the commotion he was making without Jun Jiuli noticing, he breathed a huge sigh of relief. He managed to sit up and tried to use his relatively nimble fingers to unlock the chains on his feet. The searing pain almost made him pass out, and he gasped for air continuously.
"What are you doing?"
The darkness of the space coupled with the hoarse voice sent a shiver down Chen Fangze's spine. This was the first time he had felt so terrified in many years. The moment he spoke, his face throbbed, but he had to endure it and pretend to be calm. "You can't defeat me. Let me go, and I won't hold today's events against you."
"You're insane."
"Zhao Jinxiu, do you think you can walk out of this villa unharmed after injuring me? The outside is full of my bodyguards. You'll have trouble even getting out of this room. Don't overestimate yourself. Before I lose interest in you, try to please me. If you push me too far, you know what consequences you'll face."
"Tch, since I'm going to die anyway, I might as well take you with me."
"Aren't you afraid of implicating your family? If I die, someone will avenge me. Your father, friends, classmates, and teachers will all pay the price for your impulsiveness." He straightened himself and spoke with renewed authority. "Dawn is approaching, and my men will be knocking on the door soon. You only succeeded because I was caught off guard. Even if you're incredibly skilled, you can't fight against many. You won't escape my grasp. If you remain uncooperative, I'll strip you naked and feed you to the dogs."
"That's a good idea. I'll remember it."
"What do you mean?"
"You don't need to know."
"Hmph, putting on a brave face. Do you think I'm afraid of you? Unless you strangle me right now. Zhao Jinxiu, have you ever killed anyone? Do you dare to kill? Hahaha~"
"I don't dare to kill people, but you're not one. Killing you would be eliminating a scourge for the people."
"Do you know what it feels like to kill? I killed for the first time when I was ten. That person was so detestable, I hated him, so I acted. I wasn't punished for it; instead, my father commended me. But even though I felt happy, I couldn't sleep at night. The moment I closed my eyes, I saw his wide-eyed expression. The blood that flowed stained my sleeves, getting into my eyes. Those hands felt like they could never be washed clean. Do you want to experience that feeling? Ordinary people can't handle it. You are beautiful, pure, and shouldn't be doing this. Be good and obedient, don't try to resist me, and I will treat you very well. I like you. I'll pretend today's events never happened, okay?"
Shuiwa: "Host, he's treating you like an idiot. Teach him a lesson."
Though it was pitch black, Chen Fangze could feel Jun Jiuli getting closer. He was on high alert, his hairs standing on end.
"Don't be impulsive. Killing can be addictive. Do you want to become like me? Or do you want to be arrested? My darling, if I die by your hand, will you dream of me every night?"
"Heh, after your description, I'm starting to want to try killing too."
"Heh, then come over. Let me see if you have what it takes, big brother."
Chen Fangze pricked up his ears, his nerves on edge. Although his hands and feet were restrained, he could still exert force. He refused to believe that he, Chen Fangze, after living for so long, couldn't handle a woman. As long as that presumptuous woman dared to approach him, he would definitely be able to capture her.
Chen Fangze felt something reaching for him. He swiftly swatted it away. The touch on his skin was icy cold. Before he could figure out what it was, his neck was tightly constricted, and then his limbs were also pinned to the bed.
"Holy hell, Zhao Jinxiu, what is this thing? Are you a damned demon? Let me go!"
Chen Fangze's intestines were already regretting their existence. His mind raced, trying to find a solution. He warned himself not to panic, to stay calm, but he still couldn't explain what had just happened. It seemed he was doomed. Thinking about it, he had no regrets. His twenty-odd years of life had been spent indulging in pleasure; he had done and experienced more than many who were seventy or eighty. "Damn it, dying like this is worth it," he told himself. But few people could remain cheerful when facing death.
Chen Fangze swallowed and, in a very small voice, asked, "You demons, you can't just kill people, can you? What do you want? I'll try my best to get it for you."
"I don't want anything, I just want to experience the pleasure of killing."
As Jun Jiuli spoke, the vine clinging to his neck tightened further. Chen Fangze could no longer speak. He felt dizzy, as if he was about to perish, but then the vine loosened, allowing him to gasp for air. He was tormented like this until dawn. Chen Fangze began to feel that death would be a release; constantly hovering on the edge was truly damned frustrating.
"Cough, cough, cough, ancestral spirit, what exactly do you want? I've seen clearly now, you don't want me to die either. It would be better for both of us if you just say it. Continuing like this will only waste time, and I won't dare to resist. Just treat me like a subordinate and order me around."
Shuiwa: "Get lost, scumbag! You still want to latch onto my host? Ptooey, truly shameless."
Jun Jiuli: "Don't worry, I find subordinates like you too unsightly."