Shackles of Humanity

He cautiously made his way down the steps into a rather large Underground Space. A faint humming, like the turning of machinery, echoed from the depths of the passage. The walls on both sides were lined with dim Fluorite Lamps, bathing the corridor in a sinister, eerie light. He felt a strange stickiness underfoot—it was dried blood. The walls were also splattered with crimson flecks.

A door on the left was cracked open, revealing only pitch-black darkness inside. Curious, he peeked in and was instantly scared out of his wits. The room was piled with more than a dozen desiccated corpses. Their shriveled gums were pulled back in silent screams, their deep-set eye sockets staring straight at him. A wave of cold, malevolent energy washed over him.

Luo Kai couldn’t help the goosebumps that broke out across his skin. ’Is this the lair of a psychopathic killer?’

He pressed deeper, arriving at the source of the mechanical sound. Peering through the ajar door, he saw a huge, bulky machine inside. Two men were turning a crank to keep it running, while a third poured a container of crimson blood into a funnel on top.

As the machine operated, two pipes at its base continuously dispensed fluids of different colors. One tube extruded thick, scarlet blood, while the other released a somewhat murky, clear liquid.

A thought struck Luo Kai. It looked like some kind of Centrifuge used for separating blood. ’What are these people doing?’

The old woman was also in the room. Lu Qing was lying at her feet, apparently unconscious from some kind of drug.

The old woman ripped the mask from Lu Qing’s face. Seeing the girl’s features, she couldn’t help but chuckle. ”She really is a pretty little thing. You boys are in for a treat today!”

”Thank you, Mei Ma!” the men exclaimed, overjoyed.

”Heh heh. Work hard, and you’ll be well rewarded. Is the blood supply still sufficient?”

”Not really. The Slave Trade asked if we could relax the age restrictions.”

The old woman, Mei Ma, stated adamantly, ”No. They must be around twenty years old. If you’re really out of stock, find some here in Longyang City. Just be careful when you do.”

One of the men stared at Lu Qing on the floor, practically drooling. He stopped what he was doing and said with a lecherous grin, ”Mei Ma, what made you take action yourself today? This girl is a real looker.”

Mei Ma’s dry, brittle fingers stroked Lu Qing’s cheek as if caressing a beloved toy. ”Count yourselves lucky. I just happened to run into her on my way back. Don’t break her. I have a great use for this little one’s skin.”

”Yes!” the men hastily replied.

Mei Ma stood up and opened a nearby backpack. Inside was a leather case containing an ugly, monstrous monkey covered in long, pale-red fur. The creature’s eyes were shut, but its chest rose and fell faintly. It was alive.

Mei Ma placed the monkey on a table and firmly secured its limbs and neck with shackles. She then took out a needle, connected it to a bag of the separated blood, and began infusing it into the monkey’s body like an IV drip. The moment the needle pierced its skin, the monkey’s chest began to heave violently, and the pale-red fur on its body turned a deep crimson.

Luo Kai was puzzled. ’Any living creature should experience blood type rejection,’ he thought. ’But this monkey seems fine.’

”Alright, I’m leaving. This monkey has a savage nature. If it regains consciousness, it will fly into a rage and kill itself. Remember to give it Anesthesia every day.”

”Yes!”

After setting up the IV drip for the monkey, Mei Ma turned and walked toward the door.

Luo Kai took a deep breath. His heart began to pound, his blood churning like a dragon within him as a familiar, immense Power flooded his body. He shot forward like a cannonball, throwing a vicious punch at the door. The thick steel panel was blasted off its hinges, sent flying into the room with tremendous force and speed.

A massive fist followed right behind the flying door, aimed straight for the old woman. Her reaction was incredibly fast. Instead of dodging the surprise attack, she met his fist with her own, clearly confident in her Power. A deafening BOOM erupted on impact, the concussive Fist Power shattering the thick steel door. Both fighters stumbled back a few steps. After a brief pause, they lunged at each other again, instantly exchanging another flurry of blows. The whoosh of their fists filled the entire Underground Space.

The men operating the machine, momentarily stunned, also rushed forward. They were all masters proficient in Body Techniques, but the corridor was too narrow. The force waves from the dueling pair’s punches were so sharp that they couldn’t find an opening to join in.

Luo Kai’s expression grew grim. He accelerated his heart rate again, pushing the Power he could summon to its absolute limit. A series of CRACKLES and POPS echoed from his bones. Aside from Liu Hou, this was the first opponent who could clash head-on with his Mighty Dragon Fist. The woman’s Power was ferocious and unmatched. With every collision, a sharp pain shot through the bones in his hands. If not for his dedicated cultivation of the Soft Body Technique, which made his bones unbelievably resilient, she would have already shattered them.

Little did he know, the old woman was even more horrified. She had become a Martial Artist over a decade ago. Later, her personality became twisted, and she secretly used the Skin Transplantation Skill to mutilate many innocent young women, which led to her being wanted by the Body Technique Association. While on the run, she joined a mysterious organization. All these years, she had cultivated her Body Techniques without pause, confident that even an average Martial Artist would be no match for her.

Although the Underground Space was dim, she could tell her attacker was a young man in his early twenties. He looked like the same youth from the railcar who had confronted her over the girl she’d abducted. She knew that there were no shortcuts in Body Techniques; mastery required long years of relentless training. Reaching the rank of Martial Artist by thirty was already the mark of a genius. How could her opponent be so young?!

’This is a busy city district,’ the old woman’s thoughts raced. ’If I can’t end this quickly, I’ll be exposed.’ With a sudden roar, her body began to swell and expand. Her clothes tore apart as she transformed into a brawny, fierce woman nearly two meters tall. She now blocked almost the entire passage, and the three men behind her who wanted to help could only stare helplessly.

Luo Kai retreated a few steps and launched a flying kick at the woman. However, it felt like kicking an iron plate; the rebound from the Great Strength sent him flying backward. He landed in a slight crouch, grunted coldly, and swiped his hand across his pant leg. A flash of cold light revealed a Three-bladed Military Dagger in his grasp. He lunged, thrusting the dagger diagonally at the old woman.

After her transformation, the brawny woman’s Power had risen to another level. In a pure contest of physical strength, Luo Kai was no longer her match. But humanity, after all, was a species that excelled at using tools. The Military Dagger in his hand arced forward, constantly changing direction mid-thrust. It would pause for a split second, feinting an attack, then a defense, making its trajectory completely unpredictable.

The brawny woman was forced to a halt. The higher one’s level of Body Technique Cultivation, the sharper their mysterious Sixth Sense becomes. She could already feel the threat of death from this Military Dagger. She was extremely confident in her own body; even ordinary bullets would struggle to harm it. But her opponent was no ordinary person. Moreover, the moment the Military Dagger appeared, an icy aura that made her skin crawl filled the air. It was clearly a blade of incomparable Sharpness!

Just then, Luo Kai lunged forward slightly. The previously twisting and weaving thrust suddenly accelerated into a direct, piercing strike.

After her transformation, the brawny woman’s speed and Power had greatly increased, but her reaction time was now a fraction slower. Furthermore, she had chased him into the tunnel, and the narrow Space gave her no room to Dodge.

PSST. With a soft sound, the dagger pierced the brawny woman’s shoulder. At the same time, her fist smashed into Luo Kai’s. It was a trade of blows.

Kneeling on the ground, Luo Kai coughed up a few mouthfuls of dark blood. He felt as if her punch had dislocated his shoulder blade. Despite the serious internal injury, a savage grin spread across his face. The Three-bladed Military Dagger was world-renowned for one reason: its ability to make a wound bleed uncontrollably!

The brawny woman clapped a large hand over her shoulder, but blood gushed out between her fingers. No matter how she tried to staunch the flow, it was useless. If she didn’t get immediate treatment, she would bleed to death even if her opponent didn’t land another blow. For the first time, panic showed on her face. She gritted her teeth, intending to retreat. She still had three companions behind her. Although their Body Technique Cultivation was far inferior to her own, they could buy her some time.

How could Luo Kai let her escape? Enduring the searing pain in his shoulder, he charged forward again. He channeled the power-generating techniques of his Mighty Dragon Fist into the Military Dagger, unleashing an unstoppable, decisive thrust!

The brawny woman’s massive body crashed to the floor. With the obstruction gone, the three men at the back finally saw the outcome of the fight. Terror filled their eyes. They exchanged a look, let out a unified shout, and charged. They knew that if their activities were exposed, their deaths were certain. Their only option now was to fight for their lives.

Luo Kai’s fighting style had completely changed. In the past, he had always relied on the ferocious Fist Power of the Mighty Dragon Fist to defeat his enemies. But with the Military Dagger in hand, he shifted to a more subtle and sinister style, mimicking the striking techniques of a Snake-man. The Military Dagger twisted and weaved with vicious, deadly grace. In a few moments, all three men lay dead at his feet, victims of his blade.

Normally, it would have taken Luo Kai quite a while to deal with these three men. But with a weapon in hand, his efficiency increased severalfold. No matter how mighty his Fist Power was, it was ultimately a blunt weapon. His opponents could effectively parry or dodge to avoid lethal damage. A weapon was different. This was especially true for a weapon like the Three-bladed Military Dagger, which was designed for one purpose: killing.