Volume Three: The Turmoil at the Xuanwu Gate Chapter 82: Utter Depravity

Regarding everything that happened in Chang’an, Li Mingyu was naturally utterly unaware. He had been unconscious for an unknown length of time; when he finally awoke, his eyes burned with searing pain, and his hands and feet were bound tightly. He had no sense of where he was.

Unable to see, Mingyu could only focus intently on listening, trying to perceive his surroundings. Beneath him was a pile of straw, and he could not hear the cold wind howling outside—so this must be indoors.

Hmm? Breathing sounds—two of them—indicating guards stationed in the room. Their breaths were hurried and irregular; clearly, they were not trained fighters.

While Mingyu was calculating his options for escape, he also cursed himself inwardly. Damn it, I’ve stumbled in the gutter this time, all because my experience in the underworld is lacking.

Pride and arrogance are indeed dangerous, he thought bitterly. I boasted of my martial skills, but ended up flattened by a bag of lime. I wonder if Hou Jie was quick-witted enough to flee after seeing me ambushed. If he escaped, he could return to the Prince of Qin’s manor for reinforcements—especially with Xiao Hei’s help, finding me shouldn’t be difficult.

At this moment, with the situation unclear, Mingyu dared not make any moves. He continued to feign unconsciousness, his mind racing as he plotted a way out.

Suddenly, the door creaked open, accompanied by a gust of cold air.

A child’s voice spoke, “Boss Liu, I’m back. Here’s today’s takings.”

The sound of coins falling onto a table.

A domineering voice barked, “Just this much? Damn it, Little Stone, you lot are getting more useless by the day!”

Another sly, drawling voice chimed in, “Little Stone, with the New Year approaching, the West Market in Chang’an is full of wealthy merchants. If you all worked harder, how could you bring back so little? I suspect you’ve been dishonest—maybe you kept a share for yourself?”

The child protested, “Hu San, stop making things up! The cold weather lately has us in thin clothes, our hands and feet frozen stiff, and we can’t eat enough, so we’re less nimble. We’ve been caught several times already—if we hadn’t pretended to beg and surrounded the victim to help, Little Pearl would have been beaten to death today!”

The domineering voice said, “Enough, let’s leave it at that. Little Stone, go downstairs.”

The child asked, “Boss Liu, what about today’s meal?”

“Bah! With takings like these, you still want food? Get lost!” the domineering voice cursed.

The child pleaded, “Boss Liu, we haven’t eaten our fill for two days now. If we don’t eat today, everyone might starve. Besides, if we’re weak from hunger, tomorrow’s takings will be even worse.”

A sharp slap rang out, followed by the domineering voice’s furious shout, “You dare talk back! No stolen coins, no food—that’s the rule set by the boss himself! Looks like you need a lesson, and today I’ll give you one!”

The tirade continued, accompanied by the muffled sounds of fists and feet, and the child’s cries of pain—all of it clear to Mingyu’s ears.

Hearing this, Mingyu immediately understood: this place was the den of a criminal gang. These bastards controlled a group of children, forcing them to steal in the marketplace every day, withholding food unless they brought in a certain amount. The child called Little Stone had returned with too little, so he was beaten.

Though Mingyu’s heart burned with anger, he was helpless, his hands and feet bound. All he could do was continue feigning unconsciousness, waiting for an opportunity.

After a while, perhaps exhausted, the man cursed, “Get out of here!” and the sobbing child left.

“Liu, calm down,” the sly voice said. “These kids never learn. The weather’s getting worse—colder and colder. How about I go fetch some wine, heat it up to warm ourselves?”

“Fine, and get some food, too. After all that exertion, I’m hungry,” Boss Liu replied.

“Right away,” said Hu San, the sly one, pushing the door open and leaving.

Soon, the sly voice returned, “Ha! Speak of the devil—I just went out and ran into Deadly Sword. He gave me most of a jar of wine and a whole leg of lamb, told me to keep a close eye on this kid, make sure he doesn’t escape.”

Boss Liu said confidently, “He can rest assured; this kid’s still unconscious, he won’t get away.” Then he added, “But don’t drink too much. Warm yourself, but remember, there’s a batch of new merchandise coming soon. Don’t mess up the boss’s business, or dying would be a mercy.”

Hu San replied, “Don’t worry, Liu. We’ve done this work many times, everything’s arranged perfectly.”

“Good. This batch is something the boss stressed repeatedly—nothing must go wrong.”

The two began heating wine and eating meat. Hu San asked, “Liu, do you know where today’s batch came from?”

“No idea. I’d guess either Shandong or Henan. Those places weren’t under Tang’s rule until recently, so it’s easier to get people from there.”

Mingyu had been confused, but now he realized: “merchandise” meant people. Could these scoundrels be trafficking children?

Hu San sighed, “I hear there are many kids in this batch. If we can keep them all, let Little Stone train them for two years, they’ll start earning money. We’d be counting coins every day to the point of laughing in our sleep!”

By now, Boss Liu had drunk a bit and began spilling secrets. “Ha, you’re dreaming. Some of these kids go straight to the noble families, trained from young as house warriors. The good-looking ones are bought by brothels, raised as pleasure boys for entertainment. The rest get picked by agents, sold as slaves or maids to the wealthy. Only after everyone else has chosen do we get what’s left.”

Hu San realized, “Ha! No wonder we always get the rejects. Damn it, they’re all so stupid, can’t even steal a purse properly!”

“What can we do? They have bigger mouths, we have smaller ones. But I’ve got a new trick—any kid who doesn’t obey or can’t steal gets their legs broken and tossed onto the street to beg. Even the smallest mosquito leg is still meat—waste not, want not!” Boss Liu gave a sinister laugh, revealing an even more vicious plan.

Hearing this, Mingyu was furious, his rage nearly bursting from his chest. These people were truly evil—worse than beasts. For silver, they trafficked children, tearing families apart. Some were sent to noble families as warriors, some sold to brothels for pleasure, some trained as thieves, some crippled and left to beg—all methods utterly depraved, truly venomous and rotten-hearted.

From their conversation, it was clear this was not their first time; for a few strings of coins, they had destroyed countless families, leaving people ruined and bereaved. They wore human faces, but their hearts were those of beasts—utterly devoid of conscience!

Mingyu suppressed his fury, determined that these fiends, whose crimes angered both gods and men, must not be allowed to live and continue harming others. Once he escaped, he would make sure not a single one avoided retribution!

By now, the wine and meat had been consumed. Boss Liu burped, saying, “It’s about time. I’ll go check if the merchandise has arrived. You stay here and watch the kid!”

“Rest assured, Liu. With me here, he won’t escape!” Hu San replied, drunk enough that his tongue was thick.

With a creak, Boss Liu left, shutting the door. Only the sounds of Hu San slurping wine remained.

Mingyu thought, Opportunity waits for no one—if not now, when?

Having made up his mind, he suddenly cried out, clutching his stomach and rolling in the straw.

Hu San was startled, but then remembered the kid was bound tightly. He’d been told repeatedly to keep him alive for the higher-ups to torment, so he must not die prematurely.

Hu San staggered over, muttering, “What are you howling for? Damn you!” and bent to inspect him.

Though Mingyu could not see, he smelled the strong scent of wine approaching—his chance was at hand. Summoning his strength, he performed a swift kip-up, launching himself at Hu San.

Caught off guard, Hu San was knocked to the ground, uttering a cry of pain and trying to call for help.

Though Mingyu’s hands were bound, his elbows were free. Using his hearing to locate Hu San’s head, he brought his elbows down with all his might.

He was versed in modern combat techniques, and now employed the deadly “elbow strike” from Muay Thai.

A trained Muay Thai fighter’s elbow strike can deliver up to two tons of force. Even in modern matches with strict protections, accidental deaths occur, attesting to its lethal power.

Moreover, Mingyu possessed innate strength, and now, enraged, he showed no mercy. His elbow shattered Hu San’s skull, whose legs kicked briefly before he died—dead beyond any hope of revival.