Shackles of Humanity

The four guards outside the door were leaning against the wall, dozing off. When they saw the door open, they instinctively straightened up to salute. In that instant, Luo Kai struck like lightning. He grabbed two of the guards’ heads and gave them a vicious twist while simultaneously kicking the other two in the chest. A series of muffled grunts followed as all four guards crumpled to the ground.

Luo Kai dragged the four guards’ bodies back into the room and picked up a pistol, tucking it away. Firearms were too loud; he needed a melee weapon. It would be best if he could get his Military Dagger back. He carefully recalled the building’s layout. This place wasn’t just where the Dragon Shark Pirates imprisoned their Blood Slaves; it was also a storage area for important items.

Aside from the stationary guards, a patrol passed by every few minutes. ’I don’t have much time.’ He slipped out the door. Rows of Fluorite Lamps hung on both sides of the corridor, and the thick stench of blood assaulted his nostrils. He crept to the next room, pressed his ear against the door to listen for a moment, then took out a key and opened it. Even though he already knew what was inside, seeing it with his own eyes still made his expression change.

This room was much larger than the one he had been imprisoned in. A dozen or so people lay packed together, their skin deathly pale and their breathing faint. Prolonged injections of anesthetic drugs had put them into deep comas. In medical terms, they were all in a vegetative state. Even with immediate treatment, it was doubtful many of them would survive.

Luo Kai closed the door, his face expressionless. He checked several other rooms and found the same situation. After a moment of contemplation, he headed deeper underground where the security was even tighter. There was a guard post nearly every five steps in the corridor. Fortunately, the guards today were clearly not focused; they were all lying on the ground, drowsy.

To Luo Kai, these men were like lambs to the slaughter. He moved like an assassin hiding in the shadows, silently creeping up to two guards and snapping their necks before moving on to the next pair. The silent slaughter continued. In less than five minutes, all the guards in the corridor had been dealt with.

He opened the door to a room filled with vertical racks displaying all sorts of weapons. His own Three-bladed Military Dagger was right there among them. Luo Kai finally breathed a sigh of relief. Now that he had his weapon back, his chances of escaping were much higher.

Besides the weapons, there were also two solid wood chests. They were filled to the brim with gleaming Gold Coins. A single Gold Coin was worth ten thousand Star Dollars, and the coins in the two chests were estimated to be worth at least ten million. Even Luo Kai couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement. He casually grabbed a handful of Gold Coins and stuffed them into his pocket.

Just as he was about to leave, the corner of his eye caught a glass tank in the corner. A transparent, finger-shaped crystal was floating inside. ’This must be valuable, too.’ He walked over and tucked it into his clothes.

He carefully left the room and reached the end of the corridor, where he suddenly stopped, a conflicted look on his face. After a moment, he turned back and walked to another door. He found the corresponding key based on its number and opened it. Inside the room was a steel-cast cage. A monkey covered in red fur was bound to a large bed inside—it was the Blood Monkey!

Compared to the one he had rescued last time, this Blood Monkey was much larger, almost bigger than a grown man. A pair of long fangs jutted out from its lower jaw, giving it a ferocious appearance. What was truly horrifying was the small hole cut into its chest, through which its beating heart could be clearly seen.

Luo Kai was reminded of the practice of bear bile farming from his previous life. People would cut an opening into a bear’s gallbladder and insert a catheter to continuously extract bile without killing the animal. It was the same here. As soon as the Blood Monkey formed Blood Essence, it could be taken directly. ’To these people, life is merely a tool.’

This Blood Monkey’s constitution was extremely tough. Sensing the presence of a stranger, it struggled to open its eyelids. Its bloodshot eyes were filled with savagery. Its fang-filled maw opened and closed slightly, as if it wanted to roar, but in its current state, it couldn’t even kill itself.

Luo Kai sighed to himself. He stepped forward, opened the cage, and sliced through all the steel cables binding it. Looking at its enormous size, he started to worry. ’If I have to carry an animal this big, I’ll never be able to escape.’ He wondered if he could use a flow of water to break down the drugs in its system.

No sooner said than done. He tried to calm his thoughts, and his consciousness gradually extended out from his body, searching for a resonant frequency in the surroundings. Unfortunately, there were no water pipes here, and the moisture in the air was too sparse. After a long effort, he only managed to gather a single, fist-sized droplet of water.

Moreover, when his consciousness touched the Blood Monkey, it was immediately repelled. A living being’s frequency clearly possessed a free will of its own; it was impossible to resonate with.

After trying for a long time, he finally gave up. ’It makes sense, I suppose. If I could control the blood in other living beings, wouldn’t I be invincible?’

”Sorry, but I can’t take you with me,” Luo Kai said, waving his hand to disperse the droplet of water. He turned to leave.

As Luo Kai took step after step, the savagery in the Blood Monkey’s eyes gradually faded, replaced by a strange curiosity as it stared at him. When it saw Luo Kai about to leave, it grew anxious. The fur on its body stood on end, and a low, hoarse HRRGHH sound came from its throat.

Luo Kai turned back helplessly. ”I can’t save you right now. Once I get back and recover from my injuries, I’ll figure out a way to get you out.”

The Blood Monkey clearly didn’t understand what he was saying. Its large eyes darted around, eventually looking down and pointing toward its own chest.

Slightly confused, Luo Kai walked closer and peered into the small hole in the Blood Monkey’s chest. A walnut-sized, blood-red tumor hung just below its heart. He asked tentatively, ”Is this the Blood Essence? Are you telling me to take it?”

The Blood Monkey’s eyes darted up and down frantically.

Luo Kai hesitated for a moment before reaching in. He pinched the blood-red growth between his middle and index fingers. It was hard to the touch, not like a tumor but more like a stone. He looked back at the Blood Monkey for confirmation. ”You really want me to take it?”

After getting confirmation, he applied a little pressure with his fingers and gently plucked it off. He held it up in front of the Blood Monkey and asked, ”Now what?”

The Blood Monkey opened its mouth wide, drool trickling out, as if to say it wanted to eat the Blood Essence.

”Oh.” Luo Kai nodded and brought it to the monkey’s mouth.

A look of panic appeared in the Blood Monkey’s eyes, but its body was completely out of its control. Its throat convulsed, and the Blood Essence slid down automatically.

Now the Blood Monkey grew even more frantic. It tried to stick out its tongue, making a retching motion.

Luo Kai was completely baffled. His time was limited, so he just waved his hand. ”I have to go. Don’t worry, once I’ve recovered, I’ll definitely come back to save you!”

Watching Luo Kai’s figure disappear, the Blood Monkey’s face showed a look of dejection. What it had actually meant was for Luo Kai to eat the Blood Essence, but this incredibly stupid human had actually fed it to the monkey itself!

...

Grand Commander Pang Kun of the Dragon Shark Camp was lying in bed. He had just finished giving the subordinate in charge of logistics a severe dressing-down. Today, a large number of soldiers in the camp had shown signs of dizziness and vomiting, as if from some kind of food poisoning. The camp’s sanitation had always been a concern, but the pirate soldiers were used to being lazy and couldn’t be disciplined like a regular army.

He had wanted to get a comfortable night’s sleep, but he tossed and turned, unable to drift off. When one’s Body Techniques cultivation reached a certain level, their mysterious Sixth Sense would become increasingly accurate. Feeling heavy-hearted, he got out of bed and went to patrol the camp. The Dragon Shark Camp was silent tonight. The soldiers weren’t even interested in gambling, and even the guards on patrol had no energy, each having found a corner to sleep in.

With a grim expression, Pang Kun walked to the logistics and equipment building. Here in Longyang County, no faction would dare launch a sneak attack on the Dragon Shark Camp, but it was better to be safe than sorry. He decided he should go discuss it with Fourth Sister and take some precautions.