Chapter Forty-Four: The Enchantress of Darkness

Chapter Forty-Four: The Wicked Beauty

When Shi Bai woke up, he found himself tossed into the back of a jostling, oversized jeep. His hands and feet were bound with ropes, and a filthy, foul-smelling rag was stuffed in his mouth.

Opposite him lay his second uncle, trussed up in the same fashion, though still unconscious.

Inside the vehicle were seven or eight people, all dressed from head to toe in heavy gear, helmets atop their heads, bulletproof vests hugging their bodies, and pistols strapped to their waists—there was an air of special operations about them.

Yet, incongruously, each carried a longsword slung across their backs, an odd combination that looked almost comical.

Shi Bai immediately recognized who they were. These people were from the martial world.

Having spent time with the likes of Ye Rulong, he could tell at a glance who practiced martial arts and who did not.

There were eight in total, seven men and one woman—and this woman was strikingly beautiful.

Her long ponytail accentuated her tall, slender figure; the black, tight leather jacket outlined her perfect curves. A pointed chin, fair face, and eyes cold as ice made it hard for anyone to meet her gaze.

Unconsciously, Shi Bai found himself staring.

But she quickly noticed. In an instant, she produced a dagger, pressing it against Shi Bai’s neck.

“You little brat, what are you staring at?”

Startled, Shi Bai hurriedly called up his system. “Custom mission: None of these people can harm me.”

“Custom mission accepted. Mission activated.”

Shi Bai grinned confidently, wanting to throw out a cocky remark, but remembered the rag in his mouth. He could only mumble for her to remove it.

The woman in the leather jacket ignored him, instead flashing a wicked smile. “Such a young boy, yet so bold.” She traced the dagger along his neck. “Careful, or I’ll dig your eyeballs out.”

Shi Bai let out a muffled laugh, his words coming out garbled: “Let me go, or you’ll regret it!”

Though she couldn’t make out his words, the meaning was clear enough from his expression. She frowned, “Looks like you won’t behave until you’re taught a lesson.” With that, she seized his cheek and pulled as if it were elastic, stretching it out long.

“Aaah!” The pain was excruciating—Shi Bai felt as though his face might be torn off. He craned his neck, trying to ease the force.

“Damn it! System, didn’t I start the mission? Why can she still do this to me?”

The system’s voice was cold: “Pinching your cheek is considered playful flirting, not harm. It’s beyond the mission’s scope.”

“What?!”

The woman grinned devilishly. “That’s what you get for ogling me.” She gave his cheek another vicious yank.

“Aaah!” Shi Bai howled. The pain forced his mouth open so wide that the rag tumbled out.

“You ugly witch, let go of me!”

This was the first clear sentence Shi Bai had managed to utter since being tied up—and it was possibly the most disastrous one. Everyone in the jeep turned to him, their faces saying: You’re doomed now.

Shi Bai’s heart skipped a beat as he looked at the woman in terror.

Her brows knitted, her beautiful eyes wide and ferocious. She looked ready to devour him.

“Who are you calling an ugly witch?!”

Once again, she seized his face, pulling even harder this time.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Please let me go!” Shi Bai pleaded, his face soon swollen, tears welling in his eyes like a wronged maiden in an ancient tale.

“How could you do this to me…? My face, it’s almost ruined by your hands…”

The woman laughed. At that moment, a young man approached—sword brows, starry eyes, remarkably handsome. He said to Shi Bai, “Good, you’re awake. Lead us to the mine and find the monster.”

Shi Bai was stunned. “Monster? How should I know about any monster? I don’t even work at the mine!”

The young man frowned. “This man is the mine owner, and you call him second uncle. Aren’t you two together?”

Shi Bai let out a bitter laugh. “He’s not my uncle—I just call him that. In fact, I don’t even know his real name!” His cheek throbbed with pain and he winced.

“Stop pretending!” snapped the beautiful woman. “If he’s not your uncle, why do you call him that? Are you an idiot?”

Shi Bai gave her a helpless look. “I am an idiot, that’s true, but I’m telling the truth. If you don’t believe me, wake him up and ask!”

The young man stared hard at Shi Bai, as if trying to read the truth from his face.

“Senior Brother Zhang, stop wasting time with him,” the woman said impatiently. “I’ve seen his type before. He won’t talk unless he’s taught a lesson. Let me break his arm first.”

Shi Bai’s heart skipped. He hadn’t expected such a beautiful woman to be so ruthless.

But he had his system—so she could try if she dared.

“Junior sister,” Senior Brother Zhang interjected, “I don’t think he’s lying. Look at him—he’s only seventeen or eighteen, probably still a student, not a hardened criminal.”

She glared at Shi Bai for a moment, then relented. “Fine, let’s wake the old man first.”

She grabbed a bottle of water and splashed it on the mine owner’s face.

The man startled awake, mumbling incoherently, squirming like a caterpillar in danger.

“Don’t move!” the woman snapped, slapping him hard. “Move again and I’ll beat you to death!”

Stars danced before his eyes, and he nearly fainted again. Surprised by the force of her blow, he stared at her in terror.

The woman found this amusing and traced her dagger over his face. “Old man, I’m going to take the rag from your mouth. But if you scream, I’ll cut off your head.”

He nodded furiously.

She yanked the rag from his mouth—it had been stuffed in so tightly that it came out with a pop, making everyone in the jeep burst out laughing.

She grinned. “Old man, tell me—is this boy your nephew? If you lie, I’ll sever your tendons.”

The mine owner glanced at Shi Bai, who met his gaze calmly, signaling him to say whatever he wanted.

Catching on, the man shook his head. “No! He’s not my nephew—I hired him to deal with the monster!”

Everyone was stunned, their eyes shifting to Shi Bai. “Deal with the monster? Him?”

The man was about to say more, but Shi Bai winked at him. So he said, “Yes, he claimed he knew martial arts, so I hired him.”

The woman burst out laughing, patting Shi Bai’s face. “Him? You really are a fool, letting a kid trick you. He doesn’t have an ounce of real skill.”

The mine owner hurriedly nodded. “You’re right, I’m a fool. But can you tell me why you’ve captured us?”

The woman’s eyes narrowed. “Did your mine uncover a monster?”

“That’s right. How did you know?”

She smiled faintly. “That’s not your concern. All you need to do is take us down there.”

He blinked. “So you’re here for the monster, too? Why didn’t you just say so? We’d be glad for the help!”

The group exchanged glances. The woman snapped, “Don’t try to play games! Is anyone else after the monster?”

“Who would dare? Not even the special forces could handle that thing.”

Everyone chuckled at that. Senior Brother Zhang exclaimed, “Heaven helps those who help themselves!”

He yanked the mine owner upright. “Good! You lead us in, we’ll get rid of the monster. But you must agree to one condition.”

“What condition?”

Senior Brother Zhang’s eyes turned cold. “No one must ever hear of this.”

The mine owner nodded quickly. “Of course! No problem at all!”

“Good,” said Senior Brother Zhang. “Now, you’ll take us into the mine. Make sure your workers are all gone—no one is to stay behind.”

The mine owner hesitated only briefly before agreeing. “Alright, whatever you say!”

The jeep continued toward the mine. Shi Bai sat there, filled with questions—what secret did this monster hold, and who were these people, really?

He considered using the system to summon Master Qiao, break his bonds, and cause a scene. But the beautiful woman’s presence, and the sense that they were hiding a significant secret, made him change his mind. He decided to play along and see what happened underground.

As for Ye Rulong, Shi Bai used the system to phone him, telling him not to go to the mine yet. He suggested they rest somewhere for a few days and only head over once things became clearer.

The vehicle drove on, and time passed swiftly. By six-thirty in the evening, Shi Bai, still in the jeep, heard the barking of dogs and the roar of machinery.

He knew then—they had arrived at the mine.