Chapter 33: He Lian Hates Being Deceived Most of All

With a grim expression, He Lian traversed a desolate, winding path before arriving at a sealed door.

The guard on duty lowered his voice: “Commander, Vice President Shen and Team Leader Ye are waiting for you downstairs.”

He Lian grunted in response.

As the door swung open, a gust of stale, humid stench blew over him. He stepped down the downward-sloping staircase.

Jiang Yu followed closely behind by two paces, looking up at the guard.

Having learned his lesson from the previous ‘salt-roasted ox tongue’ incident, the guard knew that his commander cherished this simple-minded girl above all else. He immediately stepped aside to let Jiang Yu in.

Yet, observing her frail, slender frame, the guard couldn’t help but knit his brows in concern.

The Commander is even bringing her to a place like this?

Isn’t that a bit too extreme?

Down below was a torture chamber. Given how ruthless and terrifying He Lian was, let alone Jiang Yu, even hardened men like them who lived on the edge of a blade would tremble at those sights.

Then again, a simpleton probably doesn’t know fear.

Muttering to himself, the guard shut the heavy door.

Jiang Yu walked lightly, stepping without making a sound. He Lian had already vanished around the bend of the staircase. The further down she went, the heavier the stench of blood and decay became in her nostrils.

Finally, she halted at the end of the staircase against the wall. Crouching in the dimness, she carefully poked half her face out.

Jiang Yu drew in a subtle breath.

The entire basement was lit by a single, yellowish lamp hanging overhead. The damp walls were lined with rusty torture instruments of every imaginable shape and size—some so overly complex that Jiang Yu couldn’t even begin to guess how they were used.

Unquestionably, every single one could make living feel far worse than dying.

Bound to a ceiling-high steel pillar in the center of the room was a bare-chested man, his head drooping so low that his face was hidden from view.

Shen Jin and Ye Xun were present as well.

The former sat in a chair to the left, crossing his legs. His refined, high-society aura was completely out of place in this barbaric setting as he lazily perused a file in his hands.

He Lian strode over, stepping through the thin mud mixed with blood-stained water.

Stripping off his upper garment, he instructed Ye Xun, “Wake him up.”

Ye Xun nodded, picking up a nearby high-pressure water gun and blasting it straight into the man’s face.

Shen Jin abruptly lifted his leg: “Watch where you’re aiming!”

Ye Xun: “…”

“Cough, cough!”

Splashed by the ice-cold water, the man opened his eyes and lifted his head. His exposed face bore strong, sharp European features. Upon seeing He Lian, his light blue pupils contracted slightly, and he instinctively hurled a curse.

He Lian glanced sideways, picked up a cigarette pack from the table against the wall, popped one in his mouth, and lit it.

“What kind of gibberish is that? I can’t understand a damn word.”

The man gnashed his teeth, continuing to curse him.

Shen Jin set the file down: “He’s a syndicate assassin from Sicily. However, records show he speaks Mandarin. If you can’t understand him, just beat him until you do.”

The corners of He Lian’s lips hooked up around his cigarette. Squinting slightly through the white smoke, he wrapped bandages around his palm layer by layer and gave his fist a accustomed squeeze. Taking two steps back, he drove a heavy punch straight into the man’s gut!

Pfft—

The man’s eyes bulged, and he instantly vomited blood, spraying a fine red mist onto He Lian’s shoulder.

His head dropped as he passed out cold.

Crouched in the corner, Jiang Yu flinched violently.

She felt that if He Lian applied just a little more force, his fist would burst straight out of the man’s back.

Shen Jin was startled as well, cursing, “Why the hell did you hit him so hard! Even Lu Zhishen took three punches to beat Master Guan! You’re taking a life in a single strike!”

He Lian raised his hand to take down the cigarette. Smoke drifted along his rugged, muscular contours as he said to Ye Xun in an indifferent tone, “Wake him up again.”

Ye Xun had no choice but to raise the high-pressure water gun again. It took quite a while before the man regained consciousness.

He Lian flicked away the ash: “What’s your name?”

Dazed and groggy, the man still refused to speak.

He Lian: “Ye Xun.”

The man complied, handing over a dagger.

He Lian stepped forward and grabbed the man by the ear.

Jiang Yu’s eyes widened imperceptibly, a surge of unprovoked excitement welling up deep in her pupils. It was as if the person tied to the pillar at this moment wasn’t some Sicilian assassin, but the beasts of the Song family.

The moment the ear hit the ground, her lips stretched into an unconscious grin.

However, the man was a tough nut to crack; even after that, he didn’t utter a single sound.

Losing all patience, He Lian took a drag of his cigarette: “He Shaoyuan sent you to kill me, didn’t he?”

Those words made the man swallow nervously.

Jiang Yu knitted her brows.

He Shaoyuan?

Surname He?

Seeing the man’s evasive gaze, He Lian pressed the lit cigarette butt directly against his shoulder.

Accompanied by a violent shudder, the stench of singed flesh drifted through the air.

He Lian let out a cold laugh, his eyebrows raised with unbridled malice: “My eldest uncle sure is something. Just because I finished off his son, was it really necessary to go all the way to Italy to hire someone to assassinate me?”

Shen Jin counted on his fingers: “This is the fourth one this year, isn’t it?”

Yet He Lian had no intention of killing the man. Instead, he grabbed his remaining ear, leaned close, and chuckled softly: “Go back and tell He Shaoyuan that his son brought death upon himself.”

He pointed to the bullet scar over his left chest, which almost overlapped with his heart.

“Besides, I’ve already paid back that life.”

“Even the King of Hell doesn’t dare claim my life. Tell He Shaoyuan to stop dreaming about avenging his son. If he tries a stunt like this again, I really will take back the He Group.” He Lian’s smile turned chillingly dark, a bloodthirsty glint flashing in his eyes. “After all, I am the only legitimate heir left in the He family, aren’t I?”

With that, he choked the man’s neck, continuing word by word.

“By the way, please pass another message to He Shaoyuan.”

“In my entire life…”

“I, He Lian, hate being deceived most of all.”

He Lian’s words rang out with absolute authority, echoing over the blood-stained floor and washing over the girl in the distance.

Jiang Yu stared blankly, looking like a bewildered goose.

Her hands hanging by her side pulled back in front of her chest, clutching her clothes tightly.

It wasn’t hard to tell that He Lian’s eldest cousin had died precisely because he had deceived him.

She was finished.

It seemed she would have to act dumb for the rest of her life.

Releasing his grip, He Lian knocked the man unconscious with a sharp elbow blow, saying nonchalantly, “Throw him into the trunk of He Shaoyuan’s car and leave a note saying that I, as his nephew, am sending him New Year’s greetings in advance.”

Ye Xun: “Yes, sir!”

His face still shrouded in dark gloom, He Lian turned around to grab another cigarette. But as his peripheral vision caught something, every hair on his body instantly stood on end.

“Holy crap!”

He bolted toward Jiang Yu, who was still frozen in place.

Where was any of his previous ferocity? His entire face was written with sheer panic!

Ye Xun and Shen Jin were startled as well.

The former hurriedly took off his jacket to wrap up the bruised and battered man, terrified that Jiang Yu’s innocent mind would be traumatized. The latter patted his chest frantically, repeating over and over how scared he had been.

Jiang Yu sat squatted there like a ghost.

A loud buzzing echoed in He Lian’s brain. Wiping his body frantically with his clothes, he yelled at Ye Xun: “Hurry up! Give me a towel! Fast, fast!”

Being closer, Shen Jin tossed a towel over.

Catching it, He Lian immediately used it to cover Jiang Yu’s eyes.

Shen Jin: “…”

He Lian’s heart hung high in his throat: “My little ancestor, when on earth did you run down here?”

If the little simpleton saw that scene just now, she would definitely be terrified.

And then she would surely avoid him at all costs.

It was over, completely over.

The sky he had just patched up was falling again.

Yet Jiang Yu reacted with none of that. She pulled down He Lian’s hand, stood up, and walked further inside with small steps.

He Lian stared at her, swallowing hard.

The little simpleton couldn’t possibly find a place like this fun, could she?

Jiang Yu walked over to the wall and looked up at the iron brush hanging there. Her eyes shone brightly, as if she could already picture the members of the Song family being scraped into ‘countless bloody ribbons’ by it. She smiled silently.

How wonderful.

He can even kill his own blood relatives.

He Lian, you truly are the blade I meticulously selected.

I will sharpen you until you are razor-sharp.

And then plunge you straight into the heart of the Song residence.

Seeing her smile, He Lian let out a dazed sigh of relief and exchanged a look with Shen Jin.

Neither of them felt as tense as they had a moment ago.

To be able to smile at torture devices…

Thank goodness she’s a simpleton.

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