Chapter 21: Questions and Doubts

These past few days had been particularly brutal for Lin Lei. Not only had he been plundering the "Half-Demons," but also witnessing that terrifying ritual. The erosion he endured and the impact on his mental state represented the most severe affliction of his entire life. However, thanks to his own source energy rank and self-strength improvement, his resistance against source energy erosion had been greatly enhanced, and his self-control ability had been elevated as well. Yet the ability to control oneself did not mean that negative emotions were absent from his heart... In fact, at this very moment, he was still restraining the brutality deep within his soul. Otherwise, the man before him would not only have his wrist twisted. Looking at the fair, voluptuous flesh of the beautiful woman in front of him, the raw desire deep within Lin Lei's heart was stirred, but he was still able to control it. He stepped forward, delivering a chopping strike to the woman's earlobe and carotid artery, causing her to immediately roll her eyes and faint. Lin Lei dragged the unconscious woman's body and tossed it into the bathroom. When he returned, he ran into Hua Chenshan, who was frantically covering his hand and trying to flee outside, only to be kicked back by Lin Lei. He locked the door again. Hua Chenshan curled up on the floor, snot and tears everywhere, his eyes pitifully gazing at Lin Lei. "I'm not a bad person," Lin Lei tilted his neck, stepped forward, and grabbed the man's hair: "I ask you a few questions. Answer honestly and I'll let you go." Hua Chenshan sniffled, cold sweat drenching his pale face, and nodded heavily. Only then did Lin Lei reach out and pull the hand that had been forced into his mouth. "Ugh~" The intense discomfort made Hua Chenshan dry-heave repeatedly, coughing up a mouthful of blood. His body trembled violently; his remaining hand clutched the other arm that had lost its palm, yet he struggled desperately to suppress any loud cry. Chen Fan asked, "What is your name?" Hua Chenshan sobbed, his voice hoarse: "Xie Jielun..." "Age." "Thirty-eight." "Which gang are you from?" "The Purple Dragon Gang..." Indeed, it was a member of the Purple Dragon Gang. Lin Lei nodded, inwardly certain, then sneered coldly, "You know Zhou Haoran, don't you?" Upon hearing the name, Xie Jielun's body shook, but he quickly shook his head vehemently. "I don't know!" Lin Lei grabbed the man's hair and slammed him onto the glass coffee table beside. Boom! Crack! The glass coffee table shattered completely, the man's face reduced to pulp and pierced with shards of glass, yet his screams grew even more wretched. "I ask again, Zhou Haoran... you know him, right?" Lin Lei seized the man's hair once more, hoisting him up with a mild smile on his face. He swallowed hard, the man wailing in grievance, "Zhou Haoran wasn't killed by me... Boss Long ordered it, and I just helped dispose of the body..." Hearing this, Lin Lei was momentarily stunned. Zhou Haoran was already dead? Originally, the one Lin Lei had come to trouble was Zhou Haoran himself; this Hua Chenshan and his little brother had been secretly instructed by Zhou Haoran... He hadn't expected such an outcome either. He frowned and asked again, "Who is Boss Long... also, what is your relationship with Zhou Haoran, any grudges, why kill Zhou Haoran?" Upon this, Hua Chenshan was stunned for a moment, his face showing hesitation, but he answered anyway: "Boss Long is named Long Wentian, he's my boss, the third in command of the Purple Dragon Gang, and also the behind-the-scenes owner of Tianmei Song City." "Zhou Haoran is Boss Long's old friend, and came to rely on him after Boss Long made a name for himself, so he's half a Purple Dragon Gang member..." "As for why kill Zhou Haoran, I don't know the specific reason, but it seems that relying on his relationship with Boss Long, Zhou Haoran did something he shouldn't have..." Lin Lei's eyes flashed. He raised an eyebrow, then lowered his head again, gripping Hua Chenshan's head once more: "You... causing trouble for Qi Fangyan, was that also instructed by Boss Long?" Hua Chenshan's face was swollen like a pig's head; upon hearing this he was stunned. He lifted his head, unable to help but glance at Lin Lei. Lin Lei slapped the man's head back down to the ground. Boom! The ground was littered with glass shards; the man's body trembled violently. "Should I ask again?" This Xie Jielun's body shook, yet he said with a sobbing voice, "No need, no need..." Only then did Lin Lei release his grip: "Speak!" Xie Jielun sniffled, "I don't know the specific reason, but it seems for Boss Long's some plan, involving Qi Fangyan; previously Boss Long had Zhou Haoran try to approach Qi Fangyan..." Upon hearing this, Lin Lei's eyes flashed. A trace of puzzlement arose in his heart. Zhou Haoran approaching Qi Fangyan was not for her beauty, but for another purpose? "This..." Lin Lei finally understood why, even though Zhou Haoran's "hobby" was so special, he still actively sought out Qi Fangyan. He had originally assumed his tastes were broad, sparing no women, but now it seemed there was another reason. Yet once this was clarified, the doubts in his heart grew even greater. What special trait did Qi Fangyan possess that would make the third-in-command of the Purple Dragon Gang specially send someone to approach her? For someone like Long Wentian, simply sending people to forcefully act on Qi Fangyan would have been sufficient. Lin Lei narrowed his eyes, "Do you know the reason? Your Boss Long, having people approach Qi Fangyan... what exactly is the purpose?" Xie Jielun sniffled, "I don't know the specific reason, but I know that Boss Long specially raised a 'Ducks Group,' not many people, but these individuals are all handsome, all pretty boys, and like this Zhou Haoran, Boss Long often sends them out to approach different women..." "However, none of those women were as valued by Boss Long as this Qi Fangyan..." Lin Lei raised an eyebrow. Yet the doubts in his heart were not reduced in the slightest. On the contrary, they grew more severe. But no matter what, the mastermind behind today's events was that Long Wentian, and that man had no good intentions—this was certain. The Xie Jielun before him was merely a pawn; the key lay with Long Wentian. Lin Lei raised an eyebrow and asked, "Where is your Boss Long now?" Hua Chenshan swallowed, "Boss Long usually lives in room 301 on the third floor of the Song City; he should have already rested now, his schedule is always very regular..." "Understood!" Lin Lei nodded, then reached out and grabbed Xie Jielun's head, hoisting him up: "Next life, be born as a good person." "Please... don't..." Xie Jielun's face flashed with panic and fear; his body twisted desperately, but he could not struggle free. Lin Lei pressed down on the man's head and smashed it violently to the ground. After the boom, the ground tiles were smashed into small pits; blood splattered everywhere. Xie Jielun kicked with his legs, his body instantly stiffening... Lin Lei flipped him over to confirm he was indeed dead, then patted his hands and stood up. Lin Lei held himself to the standard of a good man; although he could not kill every bad person in the world, those who actively came to him, he naturally would not spare. Afterwards, Lin Lei picked up the handgun from the ground that Xie Jielun had been carrying, stuffed it into his pocket, and walked out of the suite openly.