Underworld: Starting with conquering countless lustful beauties

Back in the car, both Monkey and Chen Fang breathed a sigh of relief.

"Fengzi, what did the cop say to you? Why did he let us go?" Chen Fang asked curiously.

"He said we should walk the right path from now on." Chen Feng closed his eyes, a wave of exhaustion washing over him. "Back to the game."

Two o'clock in the morning, in the magnificent top-floor office.

Jiang Hong had been waiting for news. When she saw Chen Feng, covered in blood, push open the door and enter, even this woman who was used to seeing big scenes couldn't help but be moved.

She walked over quickly, wanting to help Chen Feng, but the smell of blood made her frown slightly. However, she did not back down. Instead, she reached out and wiped the blood off Chen Feng's cheek.

"You won?"

"Zhao Biao is finished." Chen Feng sat down on the sofa, his voice hoarse. "From now on, Victory Road belongs to us."

A gleam of wild joy flashed in Jiang Hong's eyes as she poured Chen Feng a glass of strong liquor: "Great! I knew I hadn't misjudged you! From today onwards, you are the deputy manager of Jinbihuihuang, and the venue on Shengli Road will be entirely under your management."

Jiang Hong took a brown paper bag out of the drawer.

"One hundred thousand!"

"Let's treat the brothers! You decide how to distribute the money!"

"Thank you, Sister Hong!"

"Sister Hong." Chen Feng took a sip of his drink; the strong liquor went down his throat and slightly dispelled the chill. "Before Zhao Biao left, he mentioned someone."

"Who?"

"Ninth Master".

Upon hearing those two words, Jiang Hong's hand, which was pouring wine, trembled violently, and the red wine spilled onto the table, resembling a pool of glaring blood.

"Ninth Master..." Jiang Hong's expression turned serious.

This momentary loss of composure was extremely unusual for Jiang Hong, who was usually unfazed even in the face of a collapsing mountain.

"Ninth Master..." Jiang Hong murmured the name, her expression turning serious. She put down the wine bottle, but instead of wiping the wine stains on the table, she took out a slender cigarette from her pack.

Chen Feng, being very perceptive, went over and helped her light the fire.

The flickering flames illuminated Jiang Hong's beautiful yet slightly pale face. She took a deep breath, and amidst the swirling smoke, she seemed to drift into some distant memory.

"It seems there's no escaping this hurdle after all." Jiang Hong gave a wry smile and looked at Chen Feng. "Don't you find it strange? How could a brainless bastard like Zhao Biao have been able to cause trouble in Nancheng for so many years?"

"Many people say he has powerful backers, but no one can say for sure who they are," Chen Feng answered truthfully.

"He is indeed backed by Ninth Master, but not entirely." Jiang Hong flicked her cigarette ash, her eyes becoming deep.

Chen Feng frowned: "What do you mean?"

"Ten years ago, before Ninth Master had secured his position as the top dog in Donghai, he was once chased and killed. The brother who took three blows for Ninth Master and died in his arms was Zhao Biao's own brother."

Jiang Hong's voice was soft, yet it carried a cruel undercurrent of江湖 (jianghu, the martial arts world): "That man's only dying wish was for Ninth Master to take care of his younger brother in the countryside. So, Zhao Biao came to Donghai. Ninth Master gave him territory, resources, and even indulged his misdeeds. As long as Zhao Biao doesn't cause any major trouble, Ninth Master will protect him. Because protecting Zhao Biao is protecting Ninth Master's reputation for 'righteousness and integrity'."

"So it was just a talisman." Chen Feng sneered. "No wonder this bastard was so arrogant."

"Then do you know why I still went after him even though I knew he was backed by Ninth Master?" Jiang Hong turned around, her gaze sharpening.

"Take over territory?" Chen Feng replied with a puzzled look.

Not entirely.

"Because I know that Ninth Master has long been fed up with this greedy bloodsucker. The more useless Zhao Biao is, the more disappointed Ninth Master will be. My telling you not to kill him, but only to cripple him, is a gamble—a gamble that Ninth Master will go along with it and tacitly approve of our actions within this 'limit'."

"Sister Hong, between you and Ninth Master..." Chen Feng keenly sensed something amiss, "...it seems to be more than just a business feud?"

Jiang Hong took a deep drag of her cigarette and slowly exhaled. Amidst the swirling smoke, her eyes became hazy and distant.

"Chen Feng, how old do you think I am this year?"

"Uh..." Chen Feng was stunned for a moment, not knowing how to answer such a deadly question.

Jiang Hong chuckled to herself, a self-deprecating smile playing on her lips: "Thirty-eight. Twenty years ago, I was eighteen, a girl scavenging for garbage in the poorest shantytown of Donghai City."

Chen Feng fell silent. He couldn't imagine that this elegant and powerful woman before him had once come from such a humble background.

"That year, Ninth Master wasn't yet Ninth Master; he was just a somewhat well-known figure in the underworld called 'Ah Jiu.'" Jiang Hong's voice was soft, as if recalling a distant dream. "He took a liking to me. A wild girl who picked up trash, caught the eye of the most promising thug in Donghai at the time. Isn't that ridiculous?"

"He pulled me out of the mud, bought me pretty clothes, taught me to read and write, and taught me to drink red wine and coffee." Jiang Hong raised her hand, looking at her well-maintained fingers. "These hands, once covered in chilblains and wounds, were healed little by little by him."

"At that time, I thought I had met the best man in the world."

Her voice suddenly turned sharp, filled with years of suppressed hatred: "But I was wrong. I wasn't his woman, I was just his—tool."

"Tools?" Chen Feng frowned.

Jiang Hong suddenly turned around and looked directly into Chen Feng's eyes. At that moment, the fierceness in her eyes made Chen Feng's heart skip a beat.

"Chen Feng, do you know how Ninth Master rose to power?"

"Everyone in the underworld says he rose to power single-handedly, ruthless and incredibly loyal..."

"Bullshit!" Jiang Hong sneered, interrupting him. "That's all a script he had made up. Only a few people know the true history. And I'm one of them."

She walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, her back to Chen Feng, and her voice became low and suppressed.

"Twenty years ago, the true overlord of the East China Sea underworld was a man known as 'Third Master Huang.' That man had connections everywhere; even big shots in the province had to give him some face. Ninth Master... back then, he was just Third Master Huang's dog, responsible for running errands for him."

"Third Master Huang has a hobby—he likes young and beautiful women." Jiang Hong's voice began to tremble. "Ninth Master, in order to climb the ranks, gave me... to him."

Chen Feng's pupils suddenly contracted.

"He knelt before Master Huang and said in person, 'Master Huang, I've raised this girl for two years, and today I'm presenting her to you.'" Jiang Hong's fingernails dug deeply into her palms, and blood seeped out, but she didn't notice. "That year, I had just turned twenty."

The air seemed to freeze.

Chen Feng clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking. He had witnessed many human tragedies, but hearing Jiang Hong's account still sent a chill down his spine.

"And then?" he asked with difficulty.

"And then?" Jiang Hong turned around, a cruel smile playing on her lips. "Then Third Master Huang died. He died in his own bed, blood streaming from his seven orifices, like a dead dog."

"you……"

"I didn't do it," Jiang Hong shook her head. "It was Ninth Master. During the three years I served Third Master Huang, he kept putting slow-acting poison in his wine. On the day the poison took effect, he led his men into Third Master Huang's territory and took over everything."

"I was both a gift he gave to Master Huang and a spy he planted beside him." Jiang Hong's voice turned icy cold. "He used me, used me completely."

"Then why are you still alive?" Chen Feng asked the most crucial question. "Since you know all this, why doesn't Ninth Master kill you to silence you?"