Chapter 83: Evil Begets Evil

Dazed and disoriented. Pitch-black darkness. Everything swayed and trembled.

Qiao Wan’er forced herself to resist the nausea, slowly opening her eyes, but saw nothing but darkness. Deafening heavy metal music blared in her ears, so loud it made her stomach churn. She sensed something nearby, swaying back and forth—whether real or merely the effect of her dizziness, she couldn’t tell.

Suddenly, the music cut off. Footsteps approached her, drawing closer with every beat; her heart trembled in terror. Four figures, each wearing an animal mask, stood before her—lion, leopard, tiger, and serpent—looking down at her. She bit her lip, hoping the pain would keep her conscious.

She gazed at the masks, her face drained of color, her body shivering uncontrollably. There was no way to tell, from their masks and attire, whether these four were men or women.

Instinctively, Qiao Wan’er tried to move back, but discovered that her hands and feet were bound, unable to shift even an inch. “Who are you? Why have you brought me here?” she demanded.

The lion-masked figure leaned closer, gripping her chin and sneering, “Someone paid us to entertain you here tonight. Who do you think we are?” The voice was electronically altered, cold and mechanical, impossible to distinguish.

Qiao Wan’er pressed on, refusing to give up. “Was it Lu Yao who hired you? She’s just a small-time lawyer, she couldn’t pay you much. I’ll give you ten times her price—just let me go, I’ll transfer the money right now!”

“Too late. We never go back on our deals.” The lion mask patted her cheek, letting out a terrifying laugh. The distorted, sinister laughter chilled Qiao Wan’er to the bone; she shook with fear, growing paler by the second, as if standing on the edge of death.

The tiger mask pushed the lion aside, gently caressing Qiao Wan’er’s face with a finger, and said with a hint of pity, “However, we can give you another option.”

At those words, Qiao Wan’er edged closer to the tiger mask, her voice trembling, “As long as you don’t hurt me, I’ll pay anything. You must know who I am—I’m the eldest daughter of the Qiao family, we have more money than you can imagine!”

“We don’t want your money. We want reputation in the underworld.”

“Then what other options do I have?” she pleaded.

The tiger mask stared at her, deliberately silent, letting her anxiety build; after savoring her fearful expression, he finally grabbed her jaw, leaned close to her ear, and whispered wickedly, “Our client wanted us to play a game with you—four of us, no clothes, a free-for-all. But since you’re willing to pay ten times the price, I’ll send only one of us to play with you.”

Hearing this, Qiao Wan’er’s body tensed, her breath halted, cold sweat pouring down her back. She had been cherished by Qiao Wanliang for so many years; never had she suffered such cruel humiliation. She had preserved her purity for Ye Zehong—how could she be violated by these masked strangers?

“I’ll give you ten seconds to decide,” the tiger mask said, rising to his feet and coldly counting down, “Ten, nine, seven… three, two…”

The suffocating countdown filled Qiao Wan’er with despair; the only sound left in her ears was her desperate, silent screams. Tears began to flow, and her mind replayed every cruel deed she had committed over the years.

Was this the punishment for her wickedness?

(End of chapter)