Ninety-seven: The enemy of an enemy is…?

Clang!

The iron door slammed shut with a piercing screech. Four people were thus imprisoned in the pitch-black basement. It was damp, sticky, and filled with a nauseating, musty stench.

"Damn it! Traitorous bastards!" Ming Tian kicked the wall in fury, only to be met with sharp, throbbing pain in his toes.

Though it was too dark to see one another, the emotions of each person were palpable through the sound of their breathing. There was An Luo’s confusion, Yin Chan’s resentment, and Zhao Yu’s despair. An Luo, that blockhead, probably hadn't even realized what had happened yet.

"Brother Ming Tian, tell me, what exactly is a 'Transmigrator'?"

"Get lost, I’m in no mood to explain," Ming Tian snapped, telling him not to bother him.

Yin Chan was a woman of few words, but the heavy rhythm of her breathing made it clear that even she, who rarely showed her emotions, was truly enraged. As for the young girl, Zhao Yu, she had curled up in a corner the moment they entered, emitting faint, despairing sobs. Being betrayed by a loved one was likely a fate far worse than being cuckolded.

Ming Tian didn't care much about what the other three were thinking; throwing a tantrum wouldn't solve anything. What now? Despite his bold words earlier, he was completely out of ideas.

Just as they reached an impasse, a familiar voice drifted out of the darkness.

"That voice... could it be you, Ming Tian? Hah! Who would have thought you’d see a day like this?"

That voice was... how could Ming Tian not recognize it? The man behind that voice was the very same one who had once nearly severed his manhood.

"Cui Jue?!" Ming Tian spat the name out instantly.

At the mention of the name, An Luo and Yin Chan were shocked. Even with their hands shackled, they strained to locate the source of the voice, bracing themselves for a fight. Sure enough, as their eyes adjusted to the gloom, a young figure approached, illuminated by a sliver of light coming through a fist-sized skylight.

It was indeed Cui Jue! Ming Tian never expected to run into him here.

"You bastard... I never thought I’d find you here!" Ming Tian’s rage flared. Ever since Cui Jue escaped at Purple Flower Mountain, Ming Tian had been fixated on finding this scum and hacking him into mincemeat.

"Hey, hey, hey! What are you shouting for?" Cui Jue, unhurried, blocked Ming Tian’s advance, a mocking grin on his face. "You’ve got the nerve to be angry at me? You blinded one of my eyes, and I haven’t even settled that score with you yet!"

Cui Jue leaned his face toward the light from the skylight and lifted his eyepatch, revealing an eyeball that had turned white from poison—a truly revolting sight.

"Like I give a damn!" Ming Tian was in the heat of his rage and didn't care about anything else. He lunged forward, intent on beating him to a pulp. *I let you get away at Purple Flower Mountain, but now that we’ve crossed paths again, I’ll show you how a father disciplines his son! I’m going to strip you bare, hang you up, and whip your corpse!*

"Wait, Ming Tian!" Just as Ming Tian prepared to strike, Yin Chan’s hand clamped onto his shoulder, stopping his impulsive charge.

"Yin Chan? What are you doing? Don't stop me! I’m going to twist this bastard’s head off and kick it like a ball!"

"Don't be rash." Compared to the hot-headed Ming Tian, Yin Chan was far more composed. "Arguing now is meaningless. Calm down."

Though she didn't speak often, Yin Chan always hit the nail on the head. Listening to her, Ming Tian felt his anger subside just a fraction. He took a long, deep breath and managed to cool down slightly—though, given his personality, his mouth was never going to improve.

"Hey, bastard!"

"My name isn't 'Bastard,' it’s Cui Jue."

"I don't care what your name is; I’m calling you that anyway."

"Call me whatever you want, then. What is it?" Cui Jue sounded utterly resigned, devoid of his former arrogance, replaced only by the lament of a tiger fallen into the flatlands.

Ming Tian couldn't care less about his state of mind and asked directly, "Why are you here? Aren't you the third-in-command of the... the... the Asshole Tearers? Didn't you put a bounty on my head? Why are you locked up here too?"

"Chaos Rippers! How many times do I have to say it? How many times do you have to get it wrong before you're happy?!!!"

After that retort, Cui Jue seemed to relax a little. He sat down on a broken wooden plank, and the grown man actually began to weep with indignation as he recounted his tale.

Back then, after escaping Purple Flower Mountain, Cui Jue had headed to Douhu Prefecture to buy herbs to detoxify his eye, which was the only reason he survived with one eye intact. Then, he bribed a local street thug, gave him the necessary information, and taught him a few things so he could pose as Ming Tian. The goal was to stall Ming Tian and buy time for his own plans.

Ming Tian suddenly realized what had happened and was instantly livid.

"You piece of [expletive]! So that bastard in Douhu Prefecture was arranged by you?!"

Cui Jue smirked. "Judging by your reaction, you must have suffered quite a bit, then?"

Suffered? Of course he had! [Expletive], he’d been locked in a flea-ridden, reeking hole of a prison for a whole day—who wouldn't be miserable?!

Cui Jue ignored him and continued. After going to South Langling Commandery, he contacted the local Chaos Rippers, issued the bounty on Ming Tian, and sent men to seize Yu Nizi. Anyone with even a basic understanding of Southern Qi history knew of the woman's importance, but the plan had been ruined by Ming Tian.

Cui Jue had been furious. At the same time, the Chaos Rippers had just invented explosives, so he formulated a plan, rushed to Jiankang overnight, linked up with the local branch, and wiped out the Transmigrator Alliance.

Hearing this, Ming Tian glanced at the bandages on his body that he hadn't yet removed. His liver felt like it was about to burst with rage.

"You bastard! So every bit of trouble I’ve had lately was caused by you?! Do you have any idea how close I came to being blown to smithereens because of you?"

Cui Jue paused, confused. "Huh? You were there?"

"You..." Ming Tian wasn't just feeling it in his liver; his entire heart, lungs, and kidneys felt like they were exploding. "Where’s the blade? An Luo, where’s your blade? Yin Chan, don't stop me! I’m going to mince this bastard into meat and make dumplings!"

"Brother Ming Tian, calm down! He’s a villain, but cannibalism is against the law!"

"Against your mother's [expletive]!" Ming Tian kicked the unsuspecting An Luo, sending him tumbling head over heels.

"That's enough. Stop the nonsense and let him finish," Yin Chan said, looking at the wretched Cui Jue with some interest, her expression as blank as ever. "So, how did you get captured by the resistance?"

At the mention of this, Cui Jue clutched his forehead.

"This... as the saying goes, even the wisest man makes a mistake. I’ve only been locked up for four days... alas... I never expected this."

As he spoke, Cui Jue looked full of regret and recounted the sequence of events. Only then did Ming Tian understand the truth...