Got It

After making sure the Awakened had left, Little White Tiger trembled as he pulled four syringe-like objects, each as thick as a finger, from the corpse.

They were four silver tubes, with glass-like sections in the middle and a drop of blood shifting inside each.

Yes, blood.

Black blood.

Little White Tiger clutched the four cold tubes, his shoulders shaking.

He fought back his wild elation. He had found it.

There was no box, but the Awakened had said the box contained the Demon Ancestor's Blood.

Only the Transformed had black blood.

"No wonder I couldn't find the box. There never was one-you swallowed everything."

Little White Tiger examined the corpse carefully. Unfortunately, the man had been dead for some time, and there was no way to identify him.

The only distinguishing mark was a strange circular symbol tattooed on his chest.

"You must've been somebody."

With a chance at survival in sight, Little White Tiger's spirits soared.

He dressed the corpse again, then took off his own shirt and laid it over the man.

Anyone who could find the Demon Ancestor's Blood probably had a formidable background.

Little White Tiger had no time to investigate the man's identity further. Shuffling footsteps were already approaching the door.

"Little White Tiger, time to go."

Someone knocked. The guards from upstairs had come for him.

Little White Tiger frantically looked around. There was nowhere to hide the tubes.

Even if he put them back inside the corpse, he would never be able to come back for them.

Click, click.

The lock on the iron door rattled.

With no time left, Little White Tiger steeled himself.

"Old man, I hope you swallowed these tubes instead of shoving them up the back door."

Little White Tiger felt his scalp prickle. He pulled a loose hemp thread from his shirt and tied the tubes together, then forced them into his mouth, fighting the urge to vomit.

He tied the other end of the thread to a tooth so he could pull the tubes out of his body once he got outside.

But time waited for no one. The iron door opened with a piercing screech.

"What are you doing?"

A guard stepped forward and shoved Little White Tiger, who was sitting beside the corpse.

Little White Tiger turned his head, and the guard shrieked, stumbling backward.

Little White Tiger was bare-chested, blood still smeared around his mouth and both hands stained red.

"Had your fill? Then let's go."

Little White Tiger wiped the blood from his mouth and walked out of the cell, his gaze resolute.

The chatterbox lay on the floor, waving at Little White Tiger through the food slot. "Tiezi, safe travels. We'll pick up our chat in the next life."

In excellent spirits, Little White Tiger flipped him the middle finger.

As he passed the Awakened with the burned face, the man took the cigarette butt from his mouth and put it in Little White Tiger's. "Have a nice death."

"Thanks a fucking lot."

Little White Tiger raised his chin and swaggered out of Underground Level Three.

A bone-chilling wind struck Little White Tiger. He breathed in the fresh air, a smug look spreading across his face.

The entrance was already crowded with prisoners who had come to watch. Most of them held grudges against Little White Tiger.

They all had brothers who had died at Little White Tiger's hands during the prison fight.

Yet they couldn't help looking at him with respect.

Little White Tiger's ruthlessness had left a lasting impression on every one of them.

Niu San stood at the front, giving Little White Tiger a thumbs-up from afar.

"Brother, I've got to say it. You've earned my fucking respect."

"Boss."

"Brother Tiger."

Seven or eight bandaged youths watched Little White Tiger through tear-filled eyes. Guards kept them apart, and Little White Tiger smiled at them.

He swept his gaze around. Mr. Li and the Warden stood shoulder to shoulder in the distance, watching Little White Tiger.

At the sight of Little White Tiger bare-chested and empty-handed, disappointment flickered in Mr. Li's eyes.

"Hey!"

Seeing Mr. Li turn to leave, Little White Tiger shouted.

"I found it!"

Mr. Li hadn't looked back, but when Little White Tiger shouted that he'd found it, Mr. Li's body jolted and he whipped around.

His gentle eyes flashed with a beast's intensity.

As the guards escorted Little White Tiger toward the execution ground, the two passed each other.

Mr. Li lowered his voice and demanded sharply, "Where is it?"

Little White Tiger pointed at his head. "Tubes. Silver at both ends, glass in the middle."

Mr. Li's breathing grew heavy, white vapor puffing out with every breath.

"Where are they?"

"If I tell you now and you kill me, who the fuck am I supposed to complain to?"

Little White Tiger shrugged. "I want out."

Mr. Li exchanged a glance with the Warden, then paced back and forth, torn and anxious.

Without permission from the Warden, the guards kept Little White Tiger where he was.

"What if you're lying to me?"

Mr. Li finally asked after a long hesitation.

"To you, I'm just small fry. If I lie, just kill me. What's the difference, one bullet or two?" Little White Tiger held out a hand nonchalantly. "Give me a smoke."

Mr. Li's refined, mild manner turned icy. He stared into Little White Tiger's eyes, trying to determine whether he was lying to save his own life.

It wouldn't have been the first time.

But Little White Tiger's eyes were unwavering, and he met that stare without backing down.

"If you're lying, you'll die horribly."

Mr. Li finally gave in. Little White Tiger had described what was inside the box, leaving him no choice but to believe him.

Unless he had seen it himself, how could a street thug possibly know what the containers holding the Demon Ancestor's Blood looked like?

"One more condition." Little White Tiger seized the chance to raise his price. "Get my brothers out too."

"That will take time. But I promise no one will give them trouble while you're gone." Far from refusing, Mr. Li became even more convinced that Little White Tiger had truly found it.

Otherwise, where would Little White Tiger have found the confidence to make demands?

"I want to make a call."

Little White Tiger kept pushing his luck.

Mr. Li still didn't refuse. He took out his phone and placed it in Little White Tiger's hand.

Right in front of Mr. Li, Little White Tiger deftly dialed a number.

"Hello?"

A young man's low voice came through.

"Dumbass."

"Holy shit?"

"Yeah."

Their exchange sounded like code, leaving the others baffled.

"I'm getting out soon. How are things on your end?" Little White Tiger asked with concern for his brother.

"If you'd called one fucking minute later, I'd have snuck into Old Xie's house," the voice on the other end declared arrogantly. "You're getting sent off today, so I was going to drag Old Xie out of town and bury him to keep you company."

Little White Tiger laughed and called him a dumbass, but a rare hint of tenderness appeared on his face.

Only with his brothers did Little White Tiger show his true feelings.

"Pull everyone out. I'll be out soon."

Little White Tiger offered no explanation, and the other man needed none.

"Done."

The young man on the other end answered, then ordered the people beside him, "Say hello to Old Xie. Let him know I'm in town."

Rat-tat-tat!

A barrage of gunfire erupted.

"CNM, Old Xie! Wash that neck and wait for me!"

"Help..."

Rat-tat-tat!

The sounds of bystanders fleeing, wounded people wailing, and return fire came through the phone.

"Pull out!"

Having vented his fury, the young man roared, "If any fucker dares chase us, I'm not leaving! Fuck you! You want to fight to the death? Every last one of you, get on your knees and watch me go!"

Little White Tiger ended the call. Mr. Li took back his phone with an appreciative look. "Crazy Old Ninth, wild Old Eighth. They certainly live up to their names."