Chapter 154: The Mysterious Mirror

Kuí Hǔ was caught off guard and inhaled too much of the stench at once. His eyes rolled back, and with a thud, he collapsed headfirst onto the ground.

The underlings who had run off were frantically fanning the air while pinching their noses. They glanced at Kuí Hǔ, who had fainted right on the edge of the stinky sock smell, then looked at each other in confusion. One by one, their eyes turned to Hóng Mèi. “Sister Hóng, what do we do about Brother Hǔ?”

Hóng Mèi snapped back to her senses, letting out an awkward laugh—maybe the joke had gone a little too far.

But in front of her subordinates, she still kept up her airs. Even with one foot bare, she stood on tiptoe, arms crossed, her posture seductive as she flashed a charming smile at the one who spoke. “What else? Of course, carry him back. The ground’s cold, you know. Hǔzi may be tough, but he’s injured and needs to rest up.”

No one dared argue. They all agreed at once, then exchanged glances before gathering around to play rock-paper-scissors. The two losers would be the ones to carry Kuí Hǔ and deal with the stinky sock jelly.

These two poor guys looked even more tragic than the ones who’d had to clean up the stinky tofu jelly earlier. They even put on two strips of white cloth, “generously donated” by their brothers, tying them over their noses to block out the smell. Only then, bracing themselves like warriors heading into a bitter wind, did they go over.

The guy who’d cleaned up the stinky tofu watched and couldn’t help but laugh. These two had it even worse than he did, and he immediately felt better about his own lot.

Meanwhile, Lín Qiú had already entered the innermost and safest room of Bloodthirst. His face was dark as he summoned someone hidden in the shadows.

“Master.” A man dressed in black, looking every bit the part of an ancient secret guard, appeared in the room, dropping to one knee and looking up at Lín Qiú with reverence.

Lín Qiú narrowed his eyes, his expression unreadable. “Go investigate those five people selling fruit in the plaza.”

“Yes, sir.”

The shadow guard accepted the order and vanished in a flash.

Once the man was gone, Lín Qiú stood up, reached out, and twisted the pen holder on the desk. Instantly, a rumbling sound came from the wall behind him.

He stepped inside. At the end of a narrow passage was a vast, hidden chamber.

Inside, crates of nutrient solutions were stacked haphazardly—mid-grade, high-grade, even top-grade, as if they cost nothing at all.

Energy guns and swords of every kind were there, including several of the latest models from across the interstellar world.

On the right, inside a transparent freezer, were baskets of fresh vegetables and fruit.

This stash was wealthier than what some minor nobles owned.

For the head of a small faction in Chaos City to possess all this was clearly abnormal.

Once inside, Lín Qiú’s mood visibly improved. He walked over to the freezer, picked up a bright red apple, and took a bite.

It was sweet, yes, but not crisp, and the flavor lacked freshness, tasting muddled instead.

His face fell again. With a scowl, he hurled the half-eaten apple to the ground, then stomped on it a few times before finally stopping.

Still fuming, he walked—shoes sticky with juice—to the stone platform in the center of the chamber. He pressed his fingerprint to the switch, and with a soft chime, a massive, cracked mirror rose from below.

The mirror was taller than a person, its round frame carved with two dragons, their claws bared, exuding an imposing aura.

A faint blue glow shimmered around the mirror, marking it as anything but ordinary.

But the mirror was far from perfect. Not only was half the surface missing, but the remaining half was covered in cracks, looking so fragile it seemed it might shatter at a touch.

Lín Qiú reached out, but quickly withdrew his hand before touching the surface, his expression turning even more sinister.

“Hmph, whatever. It’s just a few fresh fruits—no need to report it for now. I’ll wait until I’ve figured things out. Besides…”

A sharp glint flashed in his eyes. Those people on the other side were getting more and more arrogant, their promised supplies getting stingier each time. Did they really think he, Lín Qiú, was someone to be trifled with? He’d like to see how anxious they’d get without his test subjects.

And the cracks in this mirror were getting worse. He couldn’t use it as recklessly as before—he’d have to find a way to repair it.

He thought of the thing in Crescent Spring, narrowing his eyes. According to the rumors, it was just as mysterious as this mirror, radiating divine light. Maybe they shared the same origin.

Hopefully, that thing could fix the mirror.

Lín Qiú pressed the mechanism again, and the mirror sank back down, the stone platform returning to its ordinary appearance.

He then took two more baskets of apples, stowed them in his spatial ring, and turned to leave.

At the same time, Kuí Hǔ, who’d been carried back, was waking up.

A charming woman’s face lit up with joy as she threw herself at him, coquettishly patting his arm as usual. “Brother Hǔ, you’re finally awake! Mèi’er was so worried about you!”

Her little fists landed right on the arm he’d injured on a rock, making Kuí Hǔ grimace in pain.

Then he remembered why he’d gone looking for that pretty boy Zhōng Qiū, only to end up in this mess. He looked at the woman before him, his gaze suddenly turning cold.

Irritated, he shoved her away with one hand.

“Ah!” Hēi Mèi’er was caught off guard and toppled to the floor.

She scrambled up, her slender white neck craning as she looked at Kuí Hǔ in disbelief, eyes brimming with tears. “Brother Hǔ, what’s wrong? It’s me, Mèi’er, your beloved Mèi’er!”

Her tearful, delicate voice instantly doused Kuí Hǔ’s anger. He scratched his head in frustration. “It’s nothing. I just need some quiet. Go call Dāo Bā for me.”

“Alright.” Hēi Mèi’er obediently lowered her gaze, hiding the fury and coldness in her eyes. She got up, shot Kuí Hǔ a lingering glance, and left reluctantly.

“Someone, go find Dāo Bā. Tell him Brother Hǔ wants to see him.”

Once outside, Hēi Mèi’er pressed her lips together, her face tight and haughty. Pointing at a nearby maid, she snapped, completely different from before, “And you, go find out what happened to Brother Hǔ outside today.”

“Yes, Sister Mèi’er.” The maid shrank back and hurried off.

Another day of Sister Mèi’er’s bad temper—another day of suffering for her.

Sigh!

The maid let out a sigh.

Less than half an hour later—

Inside the room, Dāo Bā swaggered in after getting the message, plopping down in a chair. He grabbed the kettle on the table and gulped down the water. “Ah, Mèi’er is always so thoughtful, putting honey in the water. Tastes great.”

He let out a satisfied sigh, then looked at Kuí Hǔ with a teasing grin. “Brother Hǔ, did you upset Mèi’er again today? She looked all listless outside, eyes red like she’d been crying. Did you call me over to ask for tips on how to cheer her up?”

Kuí Hǔ shot him a glare. “No. I want you to look into those five people selling fruit.”

“Huh? Isn’t Sister Hóng already on it?”

Kuí Hǔ gave him a sidelong glance. “I told you to go, so go. Even if Sister Hóng finds something, she won’t tell me everything.”

Dāo Bā gave him a meaningful look. This dumb tiger was getting smarter.

“Alright, I’ll check it out.”"