Shackles of Humanity

"Everyone, follow me!" Old Fu shouted.

The diners in the main hall were scrambling around like headless chickens, unsure of what to do. At his words, they immediately followed. Old Fu didn’t lead them outside. Instead, he took them into the restaurant’s basement. Inside, another flight of stairs led even deeper underground into what turned out to be a small bomb shelter.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Luo Kai turned to Old Fu and asked, "Does this happen often?"

Old Fu’s expression was grave as he shook his head. "This is the first time. Ironwood Castle has three defensive perimeters. It should be impossible for Nanzhao to break through. I fear there’s been an unexpected development in the war."

The bald man who had flipped Luo Kai off earlier sneered, "More than unexpected, it’s downright perilous. I’m afraid the Xingma Kingdom is going to lose this time."

A pot-bellied merchant exclaimed in shock, "That can’t be right! Weren’t the reports saying we were winning one victory after another?"

"Hmph. You actually believe those lies? The Nanzhao Kingdom is incredibly powerful. The Xingma Kingdom has been fighting for months and is still stuck at Tieheng Mountain, making zero progress. There’s no way we can win this war. If you ask me, that Great Lord Yiven of ours is up to something else."

The muffled thuds of explosions overhead continued for over ten minutes before gradually fading away.

Everyone pushed open the entrance, which was buried under rubble. The world outside had turned into a wasteland, littered with mangled corpses and burning buildings.

Old Fu said to Luo Kai with a worried look, "Xiaoluo, I’m going to go gather some information. You be careful on your own."

Luo Kai nodded. He thought for a moment. ’I’m in a strange place and don’t know a soul. I should probably give this thing to Old Fu and let him handle it.’ He quickly ran to catch up.

"Old Fu, wait up! There’s something I need to talk to you about."

"What is it?" Old Fu asked, turning back in confusion.

Luo Kai pulled him over to a collapsed wall and handed him the slip of paper.

The moment Old Fu glanced at it, his expression changed. In a low, serious voice, he asked, "This is top-secret intelligence from the Military Punishment Department. Where did you get it?"

Luo Kai explained how he had come by the note, then said, "Old Fu, you must have connections with the military’s top brass, right? I’m entrusting this to you."

Old Fu seemed lost in thought as he stared at it. After a moment, he said, "Alright. But Minister Zhang could never be a spy. Besides, the Military Punishment Department has its own unique writing system. The note’s true message isn’t this simple."

"Ah, that’s complicated. Do you know anyone in the Military Punishment Department?"

Old Fu gave him a profound look. "No, but I know someone who can decipher it. Xiaoluo... you are truly a great benefactor to our Black Stone Heavy Industry."

Watching Old Fu’s back disappear, Luo Kai couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. A strange thought popped into his head, and he couldn’t help but tap his temple. ’I’m being too paranoid.’ He glanced around. ’Right, I still need to find a way to slip out of here.’

He had only taken a few steps when a coarse laugh came from behind him. "Hey, kid. You’re not a soldier, are you? A soldier wouldn’t be such a wimp. Hmm... let me guess. With skin that soft and smooth... heheh, whose boy toy are you?"

’This guy just won’t let it go,’ Luo Kai thought. ’It’s true what they say: kindness is mistaken for weakness. If I don’t put you in your place, you won’t know who you’re messing with!’

A flash of killing intent rose in Luo Kai. He turned his head and said icily, "You’ll get a chance to see whether I’m a wimp or not."

"I want to find out right now!" The bald man shot a look at his companions, and they surrounded Luo Kai..

Luo Kai was already prepared to make a lethal move, but a sliver of doubt suddenly held him back. ’Why does this guy keep provoking me? Can it really be just because of that minor incident earlier?’

The bald man grinned menacingly. "Kid, you want to walk out of here, or be carried out?"

Luo Kai considered for a moment, then suddenly smiled. "Neither. Just tell me what you want."

The bald man stepped forward and hissed, "Come with us quietly, or I’ll snap your neck!"

"Fine. Lead the way," Luo Kai said without hesitation.

"Heheh, good boy. Don’t worry, I’m not interested in pretty faces!"

The bald man led Luo Kai on a winding path to a ruined building. The ground was littered with shattered wine bottles, and pools of burning liquor filled the air with an intoxicating aroma. A large group of soldiers was busy trying to extinguish the flames.

The bald man licked his lips, a look of deep regret on his face. He walked around to the back of the ruins, lifted a section of the floor, and revealed a staircase leading down. It appeared to be another underground shelter.

Luo Kai dutifully followed them down and was immediately taken aback. The underground space was actually a bar. Large numbers of scantily clad men and women were scattered about, drinking and laughing boisterously, as if the bombardment overhead had never even happened.

Seeing an outsider arrive, all eyes in the bar turned toward them. A few provocatively dressed women even shot Luo Kai a flirtatious glance.

The bald man led Luo Kai toward the back and opened the door to a private room. Inside sat a beautiful woman with long, wavy red hair.

"Sister Hong, I brought him."

The red-haired woman gave a slight nod. She looked Luo Kai up and down for a moment before elegantly lighting a cigarette and asking, "What’s your relationship with Black Stone Heavy Industry?"

Luo Kai didn’t answer. He sat down with a commanding presence, grabbed a cigarette from the table, and lit it for himself. After taking a long drag, he noticed a bottle of wine on the table and immediately began to chug it. He drained the bottle, let out a satisfied belch, and said with a grin, "Good wine. Just a little weak."

The red-haired woman’s brow furrowed slightly, clearly displeased by Luo Kai’s crude behavior. The bald man at her side immediately swung his hand toward Luo Kai’s head.

"Hey, kid! Didn’t you hear Sister Hong talking to you?"

A cold glint flashed in Luo Kai’s eyes. He whipped a backhand across the man’s face. The slap was as fast as lightning, striking first despite being a counter. The bald man only felt a searing pain explode across his cheek before his entire body was sent flying, crashing hard against the far wall. His vision swam with black spots as he opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of blood and shattered teeth.

Luo Kai sat back down and continued, "Fine wine and a beautiful woman. It’s a shame there’s a fly buzzing around, being a nuisance."

The red-haired woman glared at him, her beautiful blue eyes blazing with fury. "You’re courting death!"

Luo Kai met her glare, his voice chilling to the bone. "I wouldn’t mind killing all of you." As his words fell, an invisible pressure enveloped the area. The air seemed to grow heavy, making it hard to breathe.

"Heh. To think we’d actually provoke someone so formidable."

The red-haired woman was silent for a moment, then suddenly let out a soft laugh. She stood and extended a hand toward Luo Kai. "Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Hongyun, vice-captain of the Sun Mercenary Corps."

Luo Kai ignored her outstretched hand, relighting his extinguished cigarette. "I don’t believe we’ve met."

The red-haired woman withdrew her hand, her smile unwavering. "It was all a misunderstanding. We only invited you here, sir, to learn a bit about Black Stone Heavy Industry’s situation. Nothing more."

"Black Stone Heavy Industry? Black Stone Heavy Industry is just a trading group. In Longyang County, it’s considered a major power, but on a national scale, it’s nothing. Why are you interested in it?"

"Hmm... It seems we really did get the wrong person. You don’t seem to know much about the Black Stone Trading Group, sir. My apologies. Please, take this as a small token of our apology." The red-haired woman pulled a few glittering Gold Coins from her pocket, placed them on the table, and pushed them over.