Brother Wang, Let's Talk

Wang Biao stripped off his clothes, revealing lean muscle, and his gaze toward Lin Fan turned hot and greedy.

Lin Fan suppressed a wave of nausea, but managed to keep his composure.

If the other party had been a woman, he could have gone along with it heart or body. But since it was a man, Lin Fan had no interest in going that route.

The more his stomach churned, the more clear-headed and alert he became.

"Brother Wang, I'm not sleepy yet. Let's just talk..."

"Were you also brought here against your will?"

"After we've had our fun, you can ask whatever you want, and I'll tell you."

"Do you prefer being on the bottom, or on top?"

Wang Biao licked his lips, asking impatiently.

"Brother Wang, actually, I have a disease."

"What disease?"

Wang Biao frowned, staring straight at Lin Fan.

"An infectious one, you know what I mean."

Lin Fan's mind raced as he spoke quickly.

"Do you take me for a fool?"

"Anyone who becomes a Menial Disciple has already been screened by the sect—healthy youths, both male and female."

Wang Biao let out a scornful laugh.

"Brother Wang, give me one more day to think it over, alright?"

Lin Fan took a step back as he spoke.

As he talked, his right hand quietly slipped into his pocket, gripping something cold.

Wang Biao said nothing, his eyes flickering. The atmosphere grew tense.

"No. You don't have a choice."

"Either you agree to give yourself to me, or don't blame me for turning ruthless and throwing you out the door."

"You don't know yet, do you? At night, without a shelter to protect you, without the Everlasting Lamp to light the way, the evil spirits that surge from the darkness will devour a person completely."

Wang Biao's voice turned harsh and threatening.

He was always the one making demands of others—he never gave anyone a chance to bargain.

"Since that's the case, then I'll go along with you, Brother Wang."

Lin Fan looked as if he had resigned to his fate, and walked straight toward Wang Biao.

"That's more like it."

Wang Biao smirked smugly, as if he had expected this outcome.

"Stick with me, and I won't treat you badly."

Wang Biao moved to undress Lin Fan.

But at that moment, Lin Fan suddenly acted.

He coiled strength into his left fist and drove it straight at Wang Biao's face.

They were close, and Lin Fan's sudden attack caught Wang Biao off guard.

Bang!

But the next second, a large hand clamped down like a steel vise, firmly catching Lin Fan's fist.

Wang Biao's face turned cold. "You'd better know what's good for you."

"Brother Wang, what if I don't?"

Lin Fan suddenly smiled.

That was when Wang Biao felt a chill at his throat. Somehow, a razor-sharp little knife was already pressed firmly against his neck.

The blade gleamed coldly. With just a little force, it could slit his throat open.

"Put the knife down. Let's talk this out."

Wang Biao's scalp went numb.

"Brother Wang, can we talk now?"

Lin Fan showed a friendly smile.

"Yes, of course we can."

Wang Biao forced a smile.

Only now did he realize that this newcomer wasn't someone he could easily push around.

Lin Fan didn't put the knife down. Instead, he asked on his own, "You just said there are evil spirits at night. What's that about?"

With a blade pressed against his neck, Wang Biao could only answer truthfully: "Deep in the cliff beside the Hidden Scripture Pavilion lurks a terrifying demonic evil. Once night falls, it surges up from the ravine."

"Only the huts and the Everlasting Lamps can hold it back."

That was also why most Menial Disciples lived in pairs.

On one hand, they could watch each other's backs against the demonic evil; on the other, it conserved the Everlasting Lamp's consumption.

Just as the two were speaking, sudden noises came from outside the door.

"Slap, slap..."

It sounded like someone was violently pounding on the door, while at the same time, an extremely chilling cold seeped through the cracks into the room.

Fortunately, the lamplight flickered, blocking most of the chill.

"It's the demonic evil!"

Wang Biao's face shifted slightly.

The commotion outside grew louder, shifting from pounding to a heavy "thump, thump" of ramming against the door.

Lin Fan was both startled and suspicious—what in the world was that thing outside the hut!

"Quick, brace the door! If it breaks open, even the Everlasting Lamp might not save us both."

Wang Biao said hurriedly.

"I'm not lying to you. Just a few days ago, several Menial Disciples had their doors smashed in and were devoured by the demonic evil, leaving only bones."

Seeing Lin Fan still unmoved, Wang Biao explained again.

Though he was furious at Lin Fan for threatening him with a knife, with the demonic evil ramming the door, one misstep could leave them both dead.

"You go brace the door."

Lin Fan hesitated, but didn't withdraw the blade. Instead, he kept it pressed against Wang Biao's throat, signaling him to move forward.

Wang Biao's face was full of resentment, but under the threat, he obediently went to the door, sat down, and used his body to hold it shut.

Lin Fan peered through the crack, trying to see the demonic evil outside, but it was pitch black—he couldn't make out anything.

"Don't waste your effort. Everyone who's seen the demonic evil is dead."

Seeing this, Wang Biao snorted coldly in mockery.

Lin Fan didn't bother arguing and pressed on: "Does that thing come every night?"

Wang Biao turned his head away, refusing to answer.

He'd figured it out by now—Lin Fan didn't dare kill him. Holding the knife to his throat was just for self-preservation.

Seeing this, Lin Fan really had no way to deal with Wang Biao.

If he actually killed him, who could guarantee the Blood Demon Sect wouldn't come after him?

And so the two remained locked in a standoff, until the pounding outside the door quietly faded away.

"The demonic evil's gone. You can put the knife down now, can't you?" Wang Biao said irritably.

"I can put the knife down, but how about we keep some distance between us, Brother Wang?"

Wang Biao frowned, but quickly returned to normal. "Fine."

Lin Fan backed off a few steps, keeping a safe distance from Wang Biao. If the other man dared to make a move, his blade wouldn't show mercy.

Wang Biao narrowed his eyes, a hint of coldness in his gaze toward Lin Fan.

But he made no move to attack, only saying coldly, "Since you're unwilling to submit to me, leave this hut once dawn breaks."

"Fine."

Lin Fan nodded slightly.

Since they'd already burned bridges, there was no point in sharing a room.

Soon, the morning sun rose.

The doors of many huts opened, and Menial Disciples filed out one by one.

But almost every one of them had a haggard look on their face, as if they hadn't rested well.

Lin Fan also walked out quickly.

"You were disrespectful to me last night, but you're still a hot-blooded young man. I rather admire that."

"One more piece of advice for you—go swap out your Everlasting Lamp right away. Otherwise, you won't last a few days."

Wang Biao had also come out, giving Lin Fan a cold reminder.

"Thanks, Brother Wang."

Lin Fan offered a word of thanks.

"From now on, we're strangers."

Wang Biao gave a cold snort, then turned and swept off with a flick of his sleeve.

Just then, Lin Fan suddenly spotted two figures hurrying toward him.

As they drew closer, Lin Fan could make out their black robes and strange masks—they were Formal Disciples of the Blood Demon Sect.

These two didn't spare Lin Fan even a glance; they strode straight into a dwelling and dragged out two corpses, their flesh half-devoured.

Lin Fan's heart jolted. In just a single night, someone had already died—likely from a demon breaking in last night and feasting on their flesh.

What exactly were these demons?

He had thought that being a Menial Disciple in the Hidden Scripture Pavilion would let him scrape by, but now it was clear this place was far more dangerous than he'd imagined.

Human life was as cheap as grass. Lin Fan let out a soft sigh, then turned and walked into the Hidden Scripture Pavilion.