Chapter 26: A Bloody Transaction

It turned out my guess was correct... Using this charm skill really does change one’s appearance.

In a dimly lit alleyway of the old district, Ren Ye, now transformed into a classical beauty, was leading the way. He felt strange and deeply uncomfortable, with an odd, hollow sensation as if something vital were missing.

Behind him, Old Xu proved to be a tough nut to crack. Carrying four large bags, he was panting heavily, yet he showed no intention of turning back; his conviction for impulsive consumption was remarkably strong.

"Young one... for something as simple as this, do we really have to go all the way out of the province?" Old Xu wiped sweat from his forehead. "Do you even have a place?"

"We're here, we're here."

Ren Ye slowly came to a halt. He noticed a side path leading to a small factory, flanked by a grove of trees with no one else around. "Come on, old man, right here!"

"Outdoors?!" Old Xu was stunned. "I'm wearing Ralph Lauren here! Your working environment really is cost-effective—I should be deducting your pay for this!"

"Oh, just come over here."

Despite his complaints, Old Xu followed the swaying Ren Ye into the side path, right beside the small grove.

*Whoosh!*

Suddenly, Ren Ye spun around. His eyes emitted a bewitching glow as he whispered, "Desire is human nature; who can resist my myriad charms?"

Old Xu looked up, and as their eyes met, his pupils became intensely focused and vacant, his face contorting into the stubborn, lecherous expression of an old pervert.

Noticing the shift, Ren Ye stepped into the grove and beckoned with a hooked finger. "Come here!"

Old Xu craned his neck, abandoning the four bags he was carrying, and followed like a devoted lapdog. "I truly... want to be with you...!"

"Shut up. Call me Master," Ren Ye commanded coldly from the shadows.

"Master...!" Old Xu’s eyes were locked onto Ren Ye, burning with a predatory intensity.

"What is your name?"

"Xu Ye."

"Where do you work?" Ren Ye asked, sensing a subtle, delicate connection forming between himself and the old man. No wonder Liu Ling'er had been so decisive about leading Er Leng into the secret room; once she charmed someone, she could sense their loyalty to her.

"I’m an associate editor at a Chinese web literature platform, and I run a small... small studio for submissions," Old Xu said, staring blankly, his voice trembling.

"Where did the ancient-style transmigration draft you revised for Ren Daguo come from?" Ren Ye asked the most crucial question.

"I’m collaborating with a short-drama company. They wanted a theme where the protagonist transmigrates into a useless prince, so I came up with the concept and the outline." Old Xu couldn't help but step forward, slowly raising his arm.

*Slap!*

Just as the palm was about to touch his chest, Ren Ye swatted the arm away and quickly asked, "Are you a player?"

"?"

Old Xu was visibly confused. "Wh... what player?"

Hearing this, Ren Ye was completely stunned. He could feel the subtle link between them; in other words, Old Xu wasn't lying.

After a moment of silence, Ren Ye asked again, "Does Ren Daguo, the one you are collaborating with, have a dominant role in this plot?"

"No." Old Xu raised his arm again. "He’s only responsible for revising parts of the plot, character settings, and details... Master, I... I really can't hold it anymore."

Ren Ye clenched his delicate fist and quickly scolded, "Listen to my command... forget the questions just now, forget your answers, forget... forget...!"

Old Xu’s pupils slowly grew hazy. He stumbled back, clutching his hair. "Wait, I... what did I just say...?"

*Whoosh!*

Taking the opportunity, Ren Ye turned to leave the grove.

*Rustle...*

As he moved, his body brushed against willow branches, creating a faint sound. Old Xu looked up, saw his "Master" preparing to leave, and panicked. "I... I can't hold it anymore."

"Go back!" Ren Ye turned and snapped.

"I want it so much... you’re so beautiful... so seductive...!" Old Xu shook his head incessantly, his remaining reason battling against a crazed obsession.

Ren Ye felt a chill run through his "feminine" body, a bad premonition rising in his heart. He suddenly recalled that Er Leng had once been dragged into a small grove. If there had been a choice, Liu Ling'er wouldn't have necessarily needed to engage in "outdoor passion" with him unless she had a high craving for it. But in such an environment, that possibility was near zero.

The only explanation was that those successfully charmed would indeed obey their "Master" unconditionally, but they also needed an outlet. Ren Ye deduced that the weaker the willpower, the stronger the obsession.

"I... I really can't hold it anymore!" Old Xu gasped heavily, his eyes blazing with madness as he lunged forward and grabbed Ren Ye.

The pungent scent of an older man filled his nose. Ren Ye, held tight, turned pale with fright. "Go back! Stand against the wall!"

"I’m not going back! Just once, I’d die for it...!" Old Xu opened his mouth wide, lunging for Ren Ye’s head as if to devour him.

"Don't get excited! I don't want you dying on me! It’s not worth a life, get back there, damn it!"

"I don't care anymore!"

"I... I’m calling the police!" Ren Ye was terrified. He tried to break free, but found Old Xu’s strength had increased significantly. With his hair disheveled, the man was busy using both hands and feet.

*Thud!*

In the struggle, Ren Ye tripped over his right leg and fell backward onto the ground.

"Here I come!" Old Xu leaped on top of him.

*Smack!*

Ren Ye gave him a hard slap across the face. "I am your Master!"

"It’s the Master I want!"

"I give up, I’ll give you five hundred bucks, just go walk it off, okay?!"

*Thud! Smack! Crash!*

The two could not reach a consensus. What started as a rational conversation turned into a scuffle and ended in a full-blown brawl. One never knows their true potential until they are pushed to the edge. Under the moonlight, Ren Ye beat the fifty-year-old man, while the man, fueled by an explosive sense of conviction, ignored the blows and insisted on "consuming" his prize.

...

About twenty minutes later, by the side of the main road, a young man appeared, carrying a single shoe. His clothes were in tatters, and his face was covered in saliva. Swaying with exhaustion, he approached an SUV and knocked on the window. "Quick... give me some water."

*Clang!*

Huang Wei, Gu Nian, Xu Peng, and the others jumped out of the car. Seeing it was Ren Ye, and observing his disheveled state, they were all stunned.

"What happened to you?!" Gu Nian asked with wide eyes.

"Ran into a crazy old man who tried to have his way with me." Ren Ye waved his hand weakly. "Quick, give me some water."

Huang Wei looked at Ren Ye with a blank expression, scanning his tattered pants, and asked instinctively, "Which 'way' do you mean? Should we get you tested...?"

"What are you talking about? I got into a fight with him!" Ren Ye’s face flushed red.

"Why... why would you fight an old man?" Xu Peng asked slowly after a full five seconds of processing.

"It’s a long story." Ren Ye looked at Huang Wei. "My dad is here."

Huang Wei turned to scan the surroundings and nodded knowingly. "Understood. I’ll make the arrangements."

...

In a standard apartment building.

*Knock, knock, knock!*

The door opened to reveal his father, cigarette in mouth. "You just went to buy some things, why did it take so long...?"

Before he could finish, his jaw dropped, and the cigarette fell to the floor. He looked at Old Xu—whose white suit was covered in green grass stains, hair standing on end, nose bleeding, and eyes bruised—and asked, "What on earth... happened to you?!"

Old Xu covered his nose, gritting his teeth. "You might not believe it, but I got beaten up by a street-walker. That woman must have been trained; her fists were like raindrops...!"

"?"

His father was completely baffled. "Why were you fighting her?"

"You think I wanted to? She threw the first punch... dragged me to that factory and beat the hell out of me. I don't know what happened; I felt possessed, like I’d lost my mind, and I almost forced myself on her. It was like I was cursed!" Old Xu grumbled as he walked inside.

"You should call the police," his father suggested.

"Are you stupid? What would I say? That I attempted to commit a crime and got beaten up for it?" Old Xu headed to the bathroom.

His father looked at the doorway. "So... you didn't buy the stuff?"

"Damn it! I was too busy fighting, I left the bags at the factory...!"

"You really are a talent," his father muttered. "Go back and get them."

"Fat chance. What if she’s still there to beat me up again?" Old Xu replied. "You go. Check the grove carefully."

A while later, his father left. Old Xu emerged from the bathroom, picked up the manuscript on the table, sat down, and muttered, "How can I revise this... to make it thrilling?!"

...

By the roadside.

Huang Wei left three people behind and drove away with Ren Ye in two cars.

"What were you actually doing there?" Gu Nian asked out of curiosity.

"Maybe I’ve just been too sensitive lately and overthought things." Ren Ye looked out the window, carefully replaying the events in his mind.

During the charm, Old Xu’s state had been stable, and the subtle link hadn't been broken. He hadn't lied. This meant all his previous deductions were wrong; the plot revisions made by his father and the story of Qingliang Town were likely just a simple case of overlapping creative ideas. This wasn't uncommon in the web literature industry; many authors’ ideas collided, while specific details and settings usually differed.

He had been too mentally strained by the Star Gate lately. He must have just... overthought it.

"Do you... want to take some medicine?" Xu Peng asked after a long deliberation.

"What medicine?" Ren Ye felt aches all over. "Does it work?"

"Shut up!" Huang Wei snapped at Xu Peng. "The old man might not have finished him off, but you certainly could! I must warn you seriously: do not give him any medicine, understand?"

"Oh," Xu Peng replied with a grievance.

Ren Ye retracted his curious gaze, touched his bruised cheek, and sighed, "Good thing I had Dad’s turtle soup tonight, otherwise I might not have been able to beat him...!"

...

In a small county in Xiangjiang City, inside a theater, a middle-aged man sat before a mirror applying makeup.

Beside him, a shifty-eyed young man whispered, "Mr. He, Wang Hong is dead. Her daughter and that kid have arrived."

"Let them in."