Li Shuying surged forward the instant she heard that cry, her hand already reaching for the heavy red curtains.
Before her fingers could grasp the fabric, Zhang Junyi seized her wrist and pulled her back sharply.
"What are you doing?" he hissed in a low, urgent voice. "Do you want to die here?"
Another scream tore through the chamber.
It was followed by muffled sobbing and then, cruelly, a burst of loud laughter from beyond the curtains.
Li Shuying's composure shattered.
Tears spilled down her face as she struggled desperately against Zhang Junyi's grip.
"Let go of me!" she choked, her voice breaking. "My brother… what are they doing to him?"
Heizi, standing nearby, stiffened as realization dawned upon him.
"That lacquey… is your brother?" he whispered in disbelief.
But Li Shuying could not answer. Her entire being strained forward, her body trembling with panic and fury as she tried to break free.
Another scream echoed louder this time followed by even harsher laughter.
Then voices emerged clearly from within.
"I am about to win this round, Master Kui," someone said in broken Mandarin, his tone eager.
A second voice responded with amusement, "Not bad… you have grasped the essence of the game, Brother Dai."
Zhang Junyi's grip tightened as he saw Li Shuying's desperation. A flicker of pain crossed his own face.
"Didn't I tell you not to come?" he muttered, his voice strained. "You won't be able to bear what's happening in there."
Li Shuying suddenly stopped struggling, turning toward him with tear-filled eyes.
"Then tell me!" she demanded hoarsely. "What is happening? Why won't you tell me?"
Zhang Junyi fell silent.
It was Heizi who answered, his voice low and heavy.
"Your brother… is being used as a lacquey in a game called Wanku Ju."
He paused, looking at her with unmistakable pity.
"Little girl, you should leave. If you see too much and lose control, not only will you die you will drag us down with you."
Li Shuying shook her head violently.
"No… no…" she whispered, choking on her tears. "Brother Heizi, I have to save him… he's in pain… can't you hear him?"
As if in answer, another scream rang out raw and helpless.
From inside, a voice snapped impatiently:
"Hey! You useless wretch, why are you screaming like it's your first time? Keep quiet! If you keep making noise, you won't be paid this round."
Li Jianhua's trembling voice followed, broken and submissive:
"it's painful, Master…"
That was the breaking point.
Something inside Li Shuying snapped.
With a sudden burst of force, she twisted her body and used a precise movement from her martial training, throwing Zhang Junyi off balance. He stumbled and fell hard to the ground with a muffled groan.
Before either of them could react, she rushed forward and grabbed the curtains.
She pulled.
They did not move.
Her eyes darted across the edges and then she saw the curtains were nailed into place.
Her breath quickened, panic rising, but she did not stop. Her fingers searched frantically along the seams, until she found a narrow gap between two overlapping panels.
Without hesitation, she pressed her eye to it.
The hall beyond was brightly lit, in stark contrast to the dim chamber she stood in. Several men sat leisurely, their robes flowing, their postures relaxed as though attending a banquet.
At the center, two men occupied elevated chairs, a low table between them. On it lay a board and dice.
And before them Li Jianhua stood bare-backed, his body trembling. Two burly men restrained him firmly on either side, their grips unyielding.
His back was covered in wounds. Cuts upon cuts, some dried and darkened, others fresh, blood still seeping slowly down his skin.
Li Shuying's vision blurred.
Her mind struggled to comprehend the scene.
Then the robed men rolled the dice and leaned back with a sigh.
"It seems this round is yours, Brother Dai," he said calmly.
Without haste, he reached for a thick needle lying beside him. Holding it over a candle flame, he sterilized it. Then, with complete indifference he stepped forward and drove the needle into Li Jianhua's back, carving another mark into already broken flesh.
Li Jianhua's body convulsed violently.
A muffled cry escaped him but one of the men clamped a hand over his mouth, forcing the sound back into his throat.
The hall erupted in laughter once more.
Li Shuying's breath stopped. Her world went silent. Her mouth opened and a scream rose within her, but before it could escape, a hand clamped tightly over her lips.
Zhang Junyi, having forced himself up despite the pain, had rushed forward and restrained her, his grip firm, desperate.
"Don't!" he whispered harshly against her ear.
Li Shuying's eyes burned with fury as she struggled, ready to strike him again..
But than her gaze suddenly shifted toward the man in robe. She saw his face clearly. And in that instant she froze. All movement ceased. Even her rage seemed to falter.
Seizing that fleeting moment of stillness, Zhang Junyi did not hesitate. He tightened his grip on Li Shuying's arm and pulled her away from the curtains with force, dragging her toward the door.
She did not resist.
Not because she had calmed down, but because she no longer seemed aware of anything around her.
Her mind had gone blank.
Zhang Junyi did not notice the depth of her shock. With hurried steps, he pulled her through the dim chamber, Heizi already moving ahead to clear their path.
The three of them slipped out of the room, then across the courtyard, keeping low and silent.
Heizi moved swiftly, his familiarity with the place evident. Near the eastern passage, two guards stood watch, but with a few casual words and a practiced air of authority, Heizi managed to draw them away, creating a narrow window of opportunity.
"Quick," he whispered.
Zhang Junyi wasted no time. Gripping Li Shuying firmly, he pulled her along as they slipped past the opening, out through the side, and into the outer yard.
From there, they did not stop.
They ran until the courtyard was nothing more than a distant shadow behind them. Only after nearly a mile and a half did they finally slow down. Their breaths came heavy.
Zhang Junyi bent slightly, catching his breath, then straightened abruptly and turned toward Li Shuying, anger flashing across his face.
"Do you have a death wish?" he snapped in a furious tone. "Have you no regard for our lives? Even if you don't care about yourself, you should at least think about the rest of us! You were about to scream in there, do you understand what that would have meant?"
Heizi stepped in before the words could escalate further.
"That's enough," he said calmly, though his voice carried weight. "Her brother was being tortured before her eyes. How could she not lose control?"
Zhang Junyi clicked his tongue, frustration still evident, but he said no more.
Li Shuying, however, remained silent.
A short distance away, a large, weathered rock jutted out from the ground. She walked to it slowly and sat down, her movements mechanical, her gaze distant.
Her mind was still trapped in that hall. Still staring at the face of the man in robes.
A chill passed through her body.
Master Kui.
Her fingers curled tightly, nails pressing into her palms. She knew him from her privious life. Her breathing grew uneven as memories surged forth, vivid and merciless.
It was him, the very same man.
The one who had once been brought to their house by Wang Chunhua, introduced with honeyed words as a benefactor, someone who could arrange work for her mother in the food factory in the county.
Theh the next day her mother had disappeared. Eight months pregnant… and gone without a trace.
At that time, Li Shuying had been too powerless to question, to resist, to understand, because one after another, the pillars of her world were collapsing right infront of her eyes. First her father, then her elder brother, and finally her mother.
Three lives, torn from her within half a year.
Her chest tightened painfully.
Only after her death… in that dark void… had she learned the truth from that accursed novel that her mother had not vanished. She had been sold. Sold like livestock into a brothel.
And the man responsible as the same man she had just seen.
Master Kui.
Li Shuying's eyes burned red, her vision trembling under the weight of fury. Her fists clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned pale.
And now that same man had dared to lay his hands on her brother. The image of Li Jianhua's bloodied back flashed before her eyes again and again. A storm rose within her, violent and uncontrollable.
That damned man, In my previous life, I never had the chance to settle that debt. And now… you dare touch my brother in this life as well?
A faint tremor ran through her body, not of fear, but of something far more dangerous.
Then, without warning, she lifted her gaze to Heizi. "I want to kill that Master Kui." The words fell cold and steady, as if she were merely stating a simple fact.
Zhang Junyi froze. For a heartbeat, he simply stared at her, as though he had misheard. Then disbelief flooded his face.
"Have you lost your mind?" he burst out in a fierce tone. "Do you even hear yourself? You want to kill him? He runs an entire gang! Do you understand what that means? And that's not all. He has eight trusted men around him, people say they are professionally trained, skilled in martial arts. They are not ordinary thugs you can deal with casually!"
But Li Shuying did not so much as glance at him.
Her attention remained fixed on Heizi. "That Master Kui…" she said slowly, her voice quiet but precise, "the deal he was making just now, was it human trafficking?"
Heizi's body stiffened. He looked at her sharply, his eyes widening in shock. "H...how do you know that?"
Zhang Junyi's expression changed just as abruptly. He turned toward Heizi, disbelief written all over his face, "He actually traffics people?"
Heizi did not answer immediately.
His gaze shifted between the two of them before finally settling on Li Shuying. There was certainty in her expressions that made denial meaningless.
After a moment, he exhaled quietly and nodded, "It's true."
His voice lowered, as though even the open air could not be trusted.
"Before Liberation, Master Kui worked under a drug lord across the Soviet border. He used to handle supply routes into China. Back then, there were no strict controls, such things were traded openly in many places."
He paused briefly, then continued. "But after Liberation, everything changed. The state tightened cross-border regulations, prohibited the open sale of narcotics, and established public security forces to maintain order. His old business collapsed overnight."
A faint bitterness crept into his tone, "He couldn't even operate his gang openly anymore. His income dried up… and a man like him would never accept that quietly."
"That's when he turned to human trafficking. Fewer risks, higher profit and harder to trace if done carefully."
Zhang Junyi's hands clenched into fists, "That beast…" he muttered through gritted teeth.
Heizi nodded grimly.
Li Shuying absorbed everything without visible reaction. Her face remained calm, almost detached, "If I want to kill him… is it possible?"
This time, Heizi did not answer, he hesitated.
Zhang Junyi immediately cut in, his voice sharp, "Don't be ridiculous, Li Shuying! That man is not someone you can deal with. Even if by some miracle you succeed, what then? What about the Public Security forces? Do you think you can escape the law? This isn't something you can simply walk away from."
Still, she did not look at him. Her gaze remained on Heizi, unwavering. She had already seen his hesitation, and she understood it. Slowly, she reached into her pocket.
"When people act," she said calmly, "they either do it for survival… or for benefit." Her fingers withdrew a neatly folded stack of notes. "I will not ask for help without offering something in return." She held the money out in her hand. "This is sixty-five yuan."
Zhang Junyi's eyes widened instantly and Heizi's breath hitched as well. Neither of them had expected for Li Shuying to pull this stunt.
Li Shuying's voice remained steady. "I will add another thirty-five yuan. One hundred yuan in total. But only if you help me eliminate that beast."
For a moment, the three figures stood frozen in place, two stunned, one utterly resolute.
Zhang Junyi stared at Li Shuying, his lips parting as if to speak, "You..."
But before he could finish, Heizi's voice cut through the tension, "It's possible."
Li Shuying did not react outwardly. She simply gave a small, almost imperceptible nod.
Zhang Junyi, however, turned sharply toward Heizi, "You've lost your mind too?" he demanded in a low voice. "Do you even understand what you're agreeing to?"
Heizi did not immediately respond. His gaze drifted toward the distant outline of the abandoned factory, his expression growing complicated.
After a long pause, he spoke quietly, "To be honest… when I first learned what Master Kui was truly doing, I regretted joining the Hei Lang gang."
His voice carried a subdued heaviness, "But by then, I was already trapped in the mire. Many times, when I saw them traffic women and children… I wanted to intervene. Even if I could not fight them, I thought of going to the Public Security Bureau, reporting everything."
He gave a bitter smile, "But my legs would not move. I have a family too. If I acted recklessly… it would not be just my life at stake."
Silence lingered for a moment before he continued.
"So I hardened my heart. Endured what I could not change. And told myself… I would earn enough money, take my family, and leave this place, leave this country if I had to. Start over somewhere far away."
His gaze shifted to the money in Li Shuying's hand, "But in the Hei Long gang, I earn two yuan a month. Less than the lowest factory worker, who earns at least six."
A trace of self-mockery touched his tone, "What can I save? What can I even eat?"
He shook his head slowly, "I've been planning for a year… but plans alone don't fill one's pockets."
Then he looked at Li Shuying again, this time with a steadier gaze, "But now… perhaps there is a way. But you will have to provide the plan. I cannot come up with something like that on my own."
Li Shuying nodded without hesitation.
"Then tell me everything," she said calmly. "The structure of the Hei Long gang, its core members, outer members, operations."
Heizi inclined his head and began.
"The core of the gang consists of nine people, Master Kui himself, and eight men he trusts absolutely."
His tone turned serious.
"There used to be more. Some took the blame for his crimes for him and were executed by the Security forces. Some fled abroad. Others left the gang entirely."
He paused briefly, "But the eight who remain… are the most dangerous. Each one is capable, trained, and utterly loyal to him."
"The rest of us guards like me are not part of the core. We handle watch duties, errands, basic security. About thirty-five men in total."
His finger pointed more precisely at the abandoned textile factory, "That abandoned factory… it has several warehouses. Among them, Warehouse Three and Warehouse Eight are used by Master Kui."
His voice lowered.
"He keeps the trafficked women and children in warehouse three."
Zhang Junyi's expression darkened, "And if the place is raided?" he asked.
Heizi gave a cold smile.
"He simply denies everything. The factory does not legally belong to him. On paper, he has no connection to it."
He paused, then added meaningfully:
"But… there is something else."
Both Li Shuying and Zhang Junyi looked at him,"In Warehouse Eight, there is a hidden section. Only Master Kui and perhaps his most trusted eight subordinates knows about it."
His eyes narrowed slightly, recalling the memory.
"I discovered it by accident once while guarding the warehouse at night. Inside… he keeps weapons. Advanced ones, smuggled, from the United States. Along with gold, antiques, and jewelry from the old era."
Zhang Junyi sucked in a quiet breath.
Li Shuying, however, remained composed. "Is there anything," she asked, "that can be used as evidence to ensure he is detained?"
Heizi fell into thought. After a moment, he shook his head slightly, "He is extremely shrewd. Every time something goes wrong, he pushes the blame onto someone else. That is how he has survived this long."
Then, as if recalling something, he added, "However… there is a ledger."
Li Shuying's eyes sharpened slightly, "A ledger?"
Heizi nodded, "He keeps it close to him at all times. It records transactions, deals, movements, accounts."
He hesitated, "I don't know if it would be enough as evidence… but if anything could tie him directly to his crimes, it would be that."
Silence fell again.
Li Shuying lowered her gaze slightly, her mind already moving, piecing together fragments of a plan.
Then, suddenly, something else came to her.
She turned her head toward Zhang Junyi.
"You said you are part of the Dong Tian gang," she said evenly. "How many members does your gang have?"