Act 2 · One Must Fall · Those Who Act Arbitrarily Are Bound to Lose

Foreword:

A single beautiful word is worth more than a thousand pieces of gold.

[--Ge Hong]

[Part 1 - Watchdog]

The lights in the lobby of the Boke Grand Hotel flickered, casting a dim yellow light that projected the ferocious and terrifying shadows of the monstrous beasts.

The slippery, sticky liquid burst open, and from the darkness came the sounds of animals tearing and growling as they fought for their food.

Their teeth chattered, and chains wrapped around their necks clashed violently, producing heavy notes.

Bu Liuxing nervously swallowed, his expression resembling that of the famous yellow Shiba Inu.

Jason was even more tense—so scared he dared not breathe. But at this moment, he had to finish the act.

Throughout his travels, he has experienced countless life-or-death crises.

--The trip to Zero Platform was the most dangerous and perilous one.

There was no protection from armed employees, and no help from waiters.

Behind him were thirty-five fully armed cannibalistic demons and more than forty guns.

Before him stood the Mongolian head steward, who was 228 centimeters tall and weighed nearly 400 pounds.

Mr. Jason's mind was racing, he was racking his brains, and even the Lapis Lazuli on his wrist began to glow involuntarily.

--Look! See clearly her physical body, the limbs and torso wrapped in that fur coat and scarf belt.

She was incredibly strong, like a mammoth, with arms thicker than my waist.

If I were to confront this "monster" head-on, it would only take one exchange. My fragile spine and skull would be like an eggshell before her massive fingers; a mere pinch would send blood and flesh gushing out.

--See clearly her spiritual essence, the unease hidden beneath her feigned sleepiness.

She just killed two people.

One was a lover she bought for her own amusement, and the other was a mistress with whom he had an affair.

She showed no mercy, turning them into two fresh, juicy, skinned frogs, hanging them in the hotel lobby, their dripping blood used as an accompaniment to butter tea.

Without a doubt, the hotel's manager is a ruthless criminal who kills without blinking an eye. She has more than just these two lives on her hands. She can no longer go to heaven, and hell may not accept her either. She can only stay on earth, waiting for someone stronger and more powerful than her to take away this cannibalistic dog's life.

Even after leaving this hotel, there are still all sorts of demons and monsters, and all sorts of bizarre and scumbag people ahead on the road.

Jason suddenly realized--

The path he aspired to, the things he always upheld, were so precious and extraordinary; a life of mediocrity was not shameful.

What is shameful is their compromise with power and violence, their lack of remorse when harming others, their indifference to killing and bleeding as if it were drinking water or eating—they spout platitudes about benevolence and morality from famous figures, yet disappear like the wind after committing the crime, and when recognizing relatives, they are unwilling to even open their eyes for a second.

He was the most vicious and terrifying person I had ever met in my life.

These are the guard dogs at the Skull and Bones Society's outpost.

It's hard to say—I, Jason Megan, will walk out alive.

It's hard to say whether I'll live to see the little waiter again.

It's such a pity I haven't asked her name, or even her number.

How dare I be so arrogant, so spoiled and reckless?

Wendy, my dear girl.

I may follow in your footsteps, for the great cause of the station, on its glorious path.

They've vanished forever into the underground world.

"What are you daydreaming about?" The head manager, head held high and chest puffed out, said impatiently, "I need you to hand over the Radiant Stone. Did you hear me? Or...?"

Suddenly--

--A terrifying spiritual pressure suddenly descended.

That pure malice was like a narrow, cramped elevator suddenly plummeting downwards, threatening to crush Meteor and Jason into a bloody pulp.

A Xing's hand went limp without him realizing it, and Jason slipped out of his grasp, falling heavily to the ground.

The head manager suddenly opened his eyes. His golden eyes were very unusual; they were linear pupils with the features of a wild beast, as menacing as a snake. "Or are you hiding something? Are you Qingjin? Or Guangling Zhixi? Are you a spy sent by the station?"

A rough, huge hand pressed down on Bu Liuxing's cowboy hat.

A Xing's head, compared to the shopkeeper's broad Five Fingers, looked like a ridiculous toy.

Meteor tried to draw his gun several times, but ultimately suppressed his anger. He felt a sharp pain in his ankle, which Mr. Jason held firmly in place despite the terrifying spiritual pressure, urging A Xing to stay conscious.

This is not the time to bare our fangs.

"What are you talking about? My stone." Meteor pulled out the Life-Saving Lock from his collar, intending to send away the Fusou Wannian. "Isn't it right here?"

"Ugh!--" A sharp, piercing cry escaped the head steward's throat, like the screeching of metal cut by a sharp object. Her thick face contorted with excitement. "It's a red stone! A romantic and courageous Rose Shining Stone! Powerful! Powerful!"

Before the meteor could make any other moves--

He felt a sudden tightness in his body, and his neck was almost torn off by the head manager's rough movements.

With a "snap," the golden necklace symbolizing Fusou Wannian broke and fell into the hands of the head manager.

This bloated, powerful, and deformed behemoth extended its long tongue and frantically licked the gold and silver life-saving lock.

"Excellent, excellent, excellent, excellent, excellent! Excellent, excellent, excellent, excellent! You're really good~!" The head shopkeeper held A Xing's brilliance stone, bowed his head, hunched over, and grinned broadly. "You're a good baby! You're a very good baby! You handed the brilliance stone to me, just like handing it over to the station's BOSS, and we became family. Family members can't lie to each other, and they can't deceive each other—I believe the BOSS also told you that honesty is the most precious thing in the underworld, so little baby can't lie! So I have a question for you..."

The head manager's expression and tone changed drastically.

--From being filled with joy to becoming cold and gloomy.

"Why does this lock, this pyroxene, smell like Wool Sheep? Why does it smell like those lowly laborers?"

Bu Liuxing quickly explained, "My girlfriends are Wool Sheep —two of them!"

The head manager paused for a moment, then said, "It's very difficult to convince people, very, very difficult, but I..."

Her enormous head hunched forward, revealing yellowed teeth and a bright red tongue, as she lunged at A Xing.

A Xing felt like he was about to die—that this giant beast was going to bite his neck off.

The long tongue licked the cold sweat from A Xing's forehead, and the head shopkeeper's eyes grew brighter and brighter.

"You don't lie, you didn't lie, you're an honest little darling!"

Then, the head steward asked, "So why does this radiant stone have a pungent wasabi smell? It's a dish from the Mimir Hot Spring Market, made by a scavenger. My men said that if you're on your way to the Hot Spring Market, this scavenger will stop you halfway there. If you can't give me a reason, I'll chop you up and feed you to my little pet."

"Yes," Bu Liuxing was just about to make up a simple lie.

"It was me!" Jason jumped to his feet. "I made this dish. I used it to lure him here. I poisoned the food, intending to knock him unconscious, kill him, and get his logbook and crew identification!"

The long tongue swept across Jason's cheek, like a resounding slap.

"Did I give you permission to speak?" The head steward's face darkened as he savored Jason's drink. "Hmm, you weren't lying either. Things have become simpler."

Meteor quickly said, "Yes, shopkeeper! This guy tried to harm me, but he can't beat me!"

Jason quickly said, "I ran and he chased, he chased and I ran, and finally he caught me and brought me to this place. My food cart is gone too."

The head manager asked suspiciously, "Is it really that simple?"

Meteor and Jason nodded in unison. "It's that simple."

"No! I must find out!" The head manager stared with his large, golden eyes, trying to see through the two little ones before him. "You! What's your name?"

A Xing shouted back, "Bu Liuxing!"

"You mean this scavenger next to you—" The shopkeeper's fingers moved from A Xing's face to the wound on his abdomen. "—wanted to stab you to death and take your kidney to get a loan? Is that what you mean?"

Bu Liuxing nodded. "That's right!"

The head steward blew into A Xing's ear. "Let me see your wounds. After all, you look full of energy, walk with a normal gait, and carry such a big person with seriously injured organs, yet you still managed to find the entrance to Zero Platform. It's hard for me to believe you—little darling. Just show me your wounds, and I'll return the Radiant Stone to you and treat you well."

Jason's expression changed drastically, and he felt uneasy.

--This is bad.

The injury on that big, clumsy guy's back must be fake!

He's not a professional actor; he would never stab himself in the back.

Before Jason could finish thinking...

Bu Liuxing took off his spirit robe, revealing his strong muscles.

There was indeed a fresh knife wound near the kidneys in the abdominal muscles—the wound was extremely deep, and as the medical bandage was removed, blood foam kept oozing out with A Xing's deep breathing.

Jason was deeply shocked--

--Is this kid serious?

Did he really stab himself? The wound was so deep! I could even see the incision in his scrotum!

Is this true? He endured such painful injuries and carried me all the way here?!

Bu Liuxing, I felt your determination and anger! Your passion was like a bullet that pierced my heart!

"Wow, that's terrible." The head shopkeeper squeezed out two tears, feigning concern as he returned the radiant stone to Bu Liuxing. "You've had a long journey, my darling. Wait for me, we'll heal it right away."

Bu Liuxing frowned and endured the pain, hanging the Fusou Wannian back around his neck.

The head steward bustled back and forth in the front hall, preparing a cup of butter tea for A Xing. The freeze-dried powder from White Lady in the tea could heal A Xing's injuries.

But when Meteor received the teacup, his expression turned ugly.

There was blood in the cups and saucers; it was human blood—the blood of two skinned corpses from the hall.

"What's wrong? Aren't you ready yet?" The head steward's tongue darted around Bu Liuxing's cheek again, trying to glean useful information from the sweat. "You're scared, you feel disgusted? Haven't you ever eaten human flesh? Drinked human blood? You don't even know the rules of the Skull and Bones Society? Your waiter... is still alive and kicking? How dare you?"

"How dare you insult me with something like this?!" Bu Liuxing roared, smashing the cup to pieces.

He was so enraged that the cold sweat on his cheeks instantly turned scalding hot.

"How dare you serve me the blood of these two vile women?! Shopkeeper! These two are the worst of the worst! One is ungrateful! The other stole my love!" He pointed at the skinned corpse in the hall, his eyes bloodshot. "How can their blood be compared to that of my servants?!"

Infected by A Xing's intense emotions, the head shopkeeper stared in surprise at the bright red gemstone, and suddenly realized something.

--This little guy probably doesn't have enough power to kill his own servant, so he can only come to the Skull and Skull and Bones Society for help.

Mr. Jason was quite surprised and didn't know what to say for a moment.

Tears welled in the head shopkeeper's eyes, tears of heartache and pain—she was crying for the child's strong sense of self-esteem.

She made another cup of butter tea, this time without any additional ingredients, and handed it to Bu Liuxing.

"Drink this as an apology for offending you. If it doesn't appease you, you can hit or scold me if you want."

Bu Liuxing snatched the teacup and drank it all in one gulp. He then paced back and forth in the hall, ran up to the shopkeeper as if to throw a punch, but stopped in anger. In the end, he vented his anger on the furniture—he was a professional demolition expert, and in just two rounds, he had practically turned the entire front hall upside down.

Jason didn't dare to breathe loudly. Hearing A Xing's heavy breathing and roars, his immense anger seemed completely genuine.

Even the monstrous beasts lurking in the shadows retreated, tightening their chains and hiding in even darker places.

The head manager watched coldly, his eyes showing both disappointment and surprise.

She observed the impetuous young man closely, and was surprised by the power he displayed after his injuries healed.

The stone beams cracked with each self-inflicted impact, the wooden tables and chairs were torn to shreds in his hands like fragile chocolates, and the metal shelves were instantly reduced to bent scrap metal with just a few vicious kicks.

His physical constitution is exceptionally good.

--Being able to become a member of Skull and Bones Society would be an incredibly joyous occasion.

The Big Leader must really like him. He seems simple-minded, straightforward, and has strong desires. Even strange creatures like the Wool Sheep can become his female companions, two at a time. Taming and controlling monsters is no problem for him either. In Mimir Hot Spring, raising monsters is a very valuable skill.

"Spare my furniture. I'm touched that you didn't lay a hand on me." The head manager smiled faintly, but his eyes turned vicious. "Welcome to our family."

Bu Liuxing, panting heavily, leaned on his knees to regain his strength.

The head shopkeeper came up behind A Xing, his rough hands stroking A Xing's thighs, then moving down to his buttocks and waist, trying to understand the speed and strength within this body.

"It smells so good, really so good. It's a pity you haven't eaten the waiter's flesh yet." The head steward shoved A Xing into the side hall's corridor. "Without going through this ceremony, our brothers and sisters won't accept you."

A Xing was propelled forward by an immense force, nearly falling face-first into the mud. He abruptly turned around and demanded, "What do we do now?! What else do you want from me?!"

The head manager clapped his hands, and immediately his men followed Bu Liuxing, lifted him up, and prepared to send him elsewhere.

The shopkeeper said slowly, "You'll need to complete a family recognition procedure, like the complicated and lengthy stamping and signing process of the Council of Five Kings. The first thing we'll do when we enter is greet the family's adorable dog—if you survive, hehehehehehehehehehehehehe."

With a rampant, twisted grin, the head steward licked his lips excitedly. "Hehehehe. If you survived, it proves you're strong enough! You can fight off these vicious dogs, you're a genuine gem—you two! Take him to the kitchen! Let him play with our little dog for a while!"

Jason Megan didn't move.

He watched with tense anxiety as Bu Liuxing was dragged into the darkness with a gun pointed at him.

You can still hear the shooting star's screams and cries for help.

"No! Help me!"

Jason's keen Inspiration allowed him to see everything clearly.

Suddenly, a cold light shone from the door at the end of the corridor—illuminating the face of the monstrous beast.

Those were two enormous canines.

To describe it in more detail, it should be a large dog with one body and two heads, resembling a Doberman Pinscher.

Their mouths were enormous, with bits of flesh stuck between their teeth, and they spewed out a foul and disgusting stench.

Excluding its tail, it is about 230 centimeters long, with strong and agile limbs and alert and cunning eyes, as if it has already possessed human intelligence.

It licked the palm of the Skull and Bones Society and Bones henchman, scratched at the kitchen door with its claws, and opened it to welcome its two good brothers.

They roughly threw A Xing through the kitchen door, and the two-headed dog leaped in, like a starving woman from Washington, D. C., much like the savage grin of a human when they have food and their mouths are agape.

It slowly closed the door, its two heads fixed on Jason in the hall, and a strange laugh, like "hehehehe," could be heard coming from its throat.

It seems to be saying--

"--You're next."

The door was tightly shut, and the entire corridor became pitch black.

[Part ② - Cooking Skills]

"You're next!" The head manager suddenly waved his hand, and the spirit on his arm abruptly dragged Jason to his front.

"Are you a scavenger?"

Jason frowned and gritted his teeth. "I have nothing left. My waiter is dead."

The shopkeeper's tongue brazenly licked at Jason's face, demanding sweat, demanding [truth].

"You're a great cook?"

Jason: "Yes."

Shopkeeper: "You want to steal Bu Liuxing's organs? Go find a private lending company to get money for them?"

Jason must remain clear-headed under the terrifying Inspiration Pressure and tell the truth, "No! It's just a hobby; I want to do something bad!"

The shopkeeper suddenly became interested; she felt that these two guests were truly exceptional.

"Just because of a hobby? You'd kill someone?"

"Hmph," Jason sneered, "I made a delicious sweet and sour pork rib dish with cyanide in it, guaranteed to knock him unconscious. Too bad I miscalculated."

"Hahahaha! Hahahaha!" The head manager exclaimed excitedly, "Excellent! Excellent! Excellent! Excellent! You're a real talent! Even in the Skull and Bones Society, you'd be one of the worst scumbags! But why?"

The head steward approached Jason, his expression fierce as he met Jason's gaze.

"Why would you be short of money? Why would someone with such excellent cooking skills be short of money? If you really have that skill, if you really know how to process ingredients from monsters, you shouldn't be a scavenger."

"Don't measure my hobbies by money, are you insulting me?" Jason, true to his word, impatiently stated, "Can someone who frequently poisons food do proper kitchen work?"

The wet, warm tongue left Jason's face.

The head steward squinted, staring suspiciously at the thin Dacian.

"May I have your name?"

Jason: "Jason Megan."

The head shopkeeper asked, "What's the deal with your Lapis Lazuli? You were supposed to be a Lapis Lazuli Guards, hunting down people like us. How did you end up on this path?"

Jason chuckled softly, "The character for 'food' is composed of 'person' and 'goodness.' Since I have no conscience, I can only resort to crooked means."

The head manager beamed, "Excellent! You're so eloquent! A single well-chosen word is worth a thousand pieces of gold! So..."

She released Jason, tossing down two boning knives. "So be prepared, always prepared—prepare to catch ingredients thrown from the kitchen."

Jason's eyes darted around nervously. "Which one are you talking about?"

The head steward's smile was frivolous and smug, "Of course, it's the first thing you see. Whether it's a human head or a dog's head, take it and use it to cook."

Then his expression turned cold and ruthless. "What's with that uneasy look on your face? Are you sympathizing with Bu Liuxing? Jason Megan? Do you even have any compassion? Or are you a coward? You can't even cook human flesh? Are you a terrible cook? Can't you make this dish well?"

Jason said calmly, "No, dog meat tastes better than human meat. After strenuous exercise, humans produce a lot of creatine. The skin and muscle structure of apex predators allows their bodies to dissipate heat quickly and have long endurance, but it also makes their meat very tough. I have never sympathized with Bu Liuxing. If I could, I would only hope that the dishes I cook would be more delicious."

"Hahaha, you really know how to talk!" The head steward looked down at Jason with arrogance, "So, let me have a bite first? Let me have a bite of your meat first?"

Jason: "Are you serious?"

The head manager said, "Scavengers are all victims of Blood Butterfly Loan Shark. You must be used to seeing and accustomed to the separation of flesh and blood. Cutting yourself and taking a piece of flesh isn't a difficult thing, is it? Are you lying to me? Is it really that hard to cut off the tenderest piece of flesh from your body?"

"Pfft--"

A blue flame flickered in Jason's eyes as he twisted his body and moved the knife into the soft flesh of his thigh near his buttocks.

The intense pain caused his arm to spasm, followed by a surge of scalding soul energy forming solidified threads that helped sever more than two inches of fleshy essence from his arm.

He peeled and removed the tendons from the sashimi, then deftly and decisively tossed it into the hands of the head manager.

At the same time, he also felt dizzy, as the loss of his physical essence affected his nerves, and the nerve damage caused by self-harm would take several hours to recover.

The head steward acted very quickly, serving the head chef a cup of butter tea.

She gently licked the sashimi, then saw Jason drink the butter tea. As soon as his injury healed, he got up, took out sauce and wasabi from his tattered clothes, and sprinkled the seasoning on the sashimi.

The head steward swallowed the hard-won food, making a terrifying "crunch crunch" sound as he chewed, blood and juices spurting from the corners of his mouth. "Mmm, you all smell delicious!"

Jason's SAN value plummeted. He couldn't comprehend the cannibal's inner joy and the satisfaction on his face as he devoured human flesh.

At this very moment.

A loud noise came from the kitchen.

The sounds of bombardment and smashing.

Gunshots rang out, along with the sound of animal claws scraping through steel.

The howling of hunting dogs, the roars of humans.

The two gatekeepers were laughing loudly, cheering on the dog.

The gate seemed to be slammed by some enormous monster, emitting dull thuds.

Even the door lock couldn't contain the monster in the kitchen; the heads of two hounds suddenly squeezed out from the crack in the door!

Only--

This time, they weren't laughing.

The smiles on the faces of the gatekeepers also froze.

Looking down at the hounds, they saw their terrified expressions; their ears were tucked back, turning into airplane ears, as they struggled frantically, seemingly trying to escape this hell.

Their throats were gripped by two broad, powerful hands.

Bu Liuxing peeked out from the crack in the door, forming a three-headed hellhound with the two-headed hound.

A Xing revealed a bright yet terrifying smile, tugged at the hounds' necks, and tried to take them back to the kitchen to continue playing.

"Hehehehe. Jason Megan, listen up, if you try to be autocratic, you're bound to fail. After I deal with these two beasts, you might be next!"

The door slammed shut, and the terrifying clanging of chains wrapping around the doorknob, reinforcing the fragile doorway, could still be heard.

Jason Megan is on fire.

He saw clearly and heard clearly.

That kid is declaring war!

He's provoking me! I can understand every single word he says to me!

He's reminding me! He wants me to take the initiative and fight back!

This fortified stronghold operates on the law of the jungle. If I continue to feign weakness, taking more of my physical essence and using lies to cover up more lies, these insatiable cannibals will only push their luck and demand more from me. I will not have a good end. I must use fire to fight fire!

Bu Liuxing, your lines were excellent; you're a professional actor. I underestimated you!

I cannot act unilaterally; I am not alone.

You are always by my side, fighting alongside me!

The warrior is not alone!