Chapter 113: The Defiled Hand

Xu Chuyin had never been in such a wretched state. His entire body was soaked through by the water that had been poured into the cage, the moisture seeping into his bandages, yet no one cared.

He leaned against the cage, lost in thought. The journey was long; he reckoned they were heading to a private airstrip to be flown back to the country, or perhaps to be handed over directly to domestic police.

His eyes were filled with desolation, but a man does not shed tears easily, and this was nothing... he consoled himself. After all, it was just one life. Having reached this point, he felt he had no regrets; he had brought this upon himself.

"Tsk, what a mess."

Xu Chuyin mocked himself. Deep down, he swore that if he could escape death this time, he would seize what he wanted by any means necessary. He would never yield it to another again; even if it cost him his life, he would not hand her over to anyone else.

If Li Yanyan could find a way to survive in desperate straits, why couldn't he? She had become a spirit within him, inspiring his parched soul—like wild grass that cannot be burned away, only to sprout again with the spring breeze.

As he closed his eyes to rest, he could not see the scenery outside the vehicle, but he could hear the rush of traffic.

"Boom—"

A massive impact threw the vehicle off its path, tilting it violently to the left. Had his right hand not been restrained by iron handcuffs, he would have been tossed aside. Under the jolting, his wrist was sliced by a long, deep gash. He bit his teeth together, enduring the pain, and wore an excited smile. Where there is movement, there is hope; silence would have been the worst outcome.

Then came the sounds of fighting outside. In the darkness, his hearing grew sharper. Holding his breath, he heard the sound of keys unlocking the rear of the vehicle.

The doctor opened the door, trembling as he reached to unlock Xu Chuyin's cage. He held a knife, likely intending to use him as a hostage against the uninvited guests outside.

But just as the doctor opened the cage—

"Rip—"

A hand emerged from behind the doctor's neck, gliding fluidly across his throat. The doctor shrieked in pain, clutching his neck. Although the blade hadn't severed the carotid artery, it was enough to make anyone recoil.

The blood spurting from the doctor's neck splattered directly onto Xu Chuyin's chin.

As the doctor collapsed, a cocky, flamboyant face came into view.

Phoenix eyes, tattoos. He pulled off his face mask and lit a cigarette. He wore a low-profile, black windbreaker designed for ease of movement. His eyes narrowed as he surveyed Xu Chuyin's wounds. The corners of his mouth tilted slightly upward; he took a deep drag, his eyes suddenly darkening.

He took a stride into the vehicle and quickly used the keys snatched from the doctor to open the door. Finding that he couldn't undo the handcuffs, the man irritably threw the cigarette butt down, intentionally landing it on the doctor's back, making him flinch.

"I can't undo these damn cuffs. Get the water cutter."

The water cutter was a high-pressure machine. Xu Yaochuan had mobilized many men today, specifically choosing this spot to snatch him back.

With the water cutter in hand, Xu Yaochuan gestured, and several local men from Aomeng lowered the cold weapons they had been holding to the necks of the transport guards. One of them quickly took the driver's seat.

Xu Yaochuan slammed the door shut, and the vehicle sped off in the opposite direction. The ten Xu family SUVs following behind them quickly split up, heading toward different intersections. It took less than five minutes to complete the entire operation—clean and efficient.

In the darkness, Xu Yaochuan precisely cut through the handcuffs and shackles.

Then, he placed the cigarette from his mouth onto Xu Chuyin’s cracked, cyan-tinted lips.

"You damn animals! Look what they've done to you! That two-faced, beastly Fu Yanyan—I swear I'll find a chance to kill him! You've suffered, brother. I'm late. Thank god you're still alive!"

For once, Xu Yaochuan wasn't spewing profanities. He patted his brother's shoulder in earnest, looking genuinely pained as he comforted him.

The gesture made Xu Chuyin’s shoulder tremble in agony; he recoiled, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.

"Serves you right. I told you, don't go chasing after that woman, but you insisted on courting death!"

"Brother... you aren't late. I'm fine. I made you worry. If it weren't for her, I'd be dead long ago... *cough, cough*..."

Xu Chuyin spoke the truth. Fu Yanyan had been determined to destroy the Xu family; if not for the "Little Mermaid," he would have been dead and buried.

"I suppose that woman has a conscience, pleading for you."

Xu Yaochuan’s palm still throbbed with a dull ache from the deep wound left by a blade last time; he expected there would be lasting damage.

"Brother... I owe her..."

Xu Chuyin knew, of course, that Yanyan had only spared him because she wanted to uncover certain secrets.

Xu Yaochuan, however, was furious.

"If you’re a man who stands to pee, don't keep pulling this crap! Can't you act like a man? Always 'I owe her,' 'I owe her'—if you're going to die, die like a man! Rape Fu Yanyan's woman, checkmate him, and if we're going to go crazy, let's all go crazy together! Last time, I gave you the chance, brother, but you were useless! You had such a good opportunity to take her body, but you played the 'pure lover' card, risking your life to protect this dead woman! You're just like your mother—there's something wrong with you!"

He scolded him for a long time, frustrated by his lack of resolve, before continuing.

"Even though Fu Yanyan is a love-struck fool, at least he’s ruthless! He’ll do anything to reach his goal, no matter how dirty! You’re nothing, just a loser who wallows in self-pity! In the end, didn’t that woman run off with Fu Yanyan anyway? If I were chasing a woman, I’d get it done in one go, not like your childish games. It’s outdated."

***

In a vehicle elsewhere.

The route was filled with beautiful, lush scenery and rolling mountains. Passing through here meant they had reached the Fu family’s private airport.

Fu Yanyan wore a crisp, white suit, his appearance perfectly composed and calm.

He had received word minutes ago that Xu Chuyin had been snatched away mid-transit.

He had anticipated such a possibility. At this moment, his face remained serene as he gently rested the woman’s head on his shoulder.

"A-Hua, if you're tired, sleep a little longer."

Zhong Huayan had caught a glimpse of her assistant's text message.

Her pupils trembled slightly. Then, the woman's slender fingers gently toyed with the man's prayer beads.

"A-Yan, Buddha says the right hand is the unclean hand—it toils and absorbs the world's malice. The left hand is the hand of compassion and charity, which is best suited for prayer beads. I think, A-Yan, the beads would look better on your left hand. Some things should just follow their course; there's no need to struggle so hard. You could use your right hand less, and let your heart find some peace."

Fu Yanyan understood the subtext, of course.

He consciously moved the beads to his left wrist. With a face as gentle as a spring breeze, as elusive as a moon reflected in the water, he smiled slightly and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

Cutting weeds by the roots to prevent future trouble had always been his nature.

But he didn't intend to pursue them—not out of kindness or mercy, but because death by a thousand cuts is only cruel and interesting if done slowly, one slice at a time.

He had to be a bit of a hypocrite to stay with A-Hua forever.

Otherwise, those pests would keep popping up to cause trouble, which was truly annoying...

"A-Hua, I won't ever do these things again—the killing and the extermination. Even though I hate that they hurt you, we should deal with these problems through proper legal channels, not by acting recklessly."