Chapter 35: Lost

Second District.

Ice Spring Street.

At the end of the street, a mansion covering hundreds of square meters was noisy and lively. Numerous torches were scattered throughout the courtyard, and under the heat, the flying snow melted silently before it could touch the ground.

This place was usually uninhabited, as if it were an abandoned ruin, but only a very few people knew that the owner behind this mansion, which was large enough to buy half of Frost Street in the Third District, was named Ma Zhong.

And at this moment, this mansion had shed its original desolation and decay. Moving music played continuously, and the coquettish laughter of women and the loud laughter of men mixed together, as if it were a paradise of bliss.

"Brother Ma's mansion is really nice... It's a pity it's been abandoned for so long."

Qian Fan, wearing the black and red uniform of an enforcer, sat in the front row, squinting at the scantily clad women dancing on stage, unable to help but sigh.

"What's the pity? Brother Ma's mansion in the Third District is even bigger than this." Another enforcer sat beside him, raised his glass to clink with Qian Fan, and drank the fine wine in one gulp.

"I'm so envious... When will I be able to buy a mansion like this?"

"Once Han Meng is dead, no one can disrupt our business. In a few years, we'll each have one."

"Hahahaha, come, let's have another drink!"

"By the way, hasn't Brother Ma arrived yet?"

"He's on his way, said we should start having fun first."

Qian Fan nodded and was about to say something else when Bone Blade walked up to him with a smile, his arms around two dancers.

"Come, come, let's toast our Boss Qian! We had many misunderstandings before, but please take care of us in future business matters..."

"Boss Bone, you're joking. Brother Ma is the host this time, I'm just here to tag along." Qian Fan smiled. "But as for business, we'll definitely cooperate sincerely for mutual benefit..."

"Well said, mutual benefit!"

The nineteen residents of Ice Spring Street present stood up one after another to toast with Qian Fan. Some were in the arms business, some in drugs, some in the flesh trade... But at this moment, they all smiled so gently and harmlessly that if someone were to wander in, they would likely think this was a social gathering of business tycoons.

"Boss Qian, how was that batch of goods a few days ago?" Bone Blade seemed to remember something and lowered his voice with a smile. "That heart, and those organs, the quality was good, right?"

"Not bad." Qian Fan nodded slightly. "The buyer is very satisfied."

"It's not common to have a buyer with such deep pockets who can buy all the organs at once... That batch of goods went into Aurora City, right?"

Hearing the words "Aurora City," Qian Fan narrowed his eyes and said leisurely:

"Boss Bone, in this line of work, don't ask about things you shouldn't... Be careful not to bring trouble upon yourself."

"Hahaha, my apologies, I'll punish myself with a drink!"

Bone Blade drank the wine in his glass in one gulp, his eyes looking at the charming and plump dancers on the stage. The hand he had resting on the shoulder of the woman beside him slid down, and amidst a series of coquettish sounds, he began to play with her casually.

"Come to think of it, every time we come back, it's the same few programs... isn't there anything else?"

"What else do you want to see?"

"I heard that performances in Aurora City include singing, skits, magic, opera, and so on... How come we only have dancing here?"

"You said it yourself, that's in Aurora City... In a place like the Third District, where would you find so many tricks? It's good enough that we found you so many dancers and accompaniment."

"...How boring."

Bone Blade's cheeks flushed from the alcohol. He pushed away the two beauties in his arms and walked straight to the center of the stage. The dancers who were performing were disrupted and looked at each other in confusion.

Below the stage, the people playing the drums and wind instruments also stopped abruptly.

"Don't stop, keep dancing..."

Bone Blade's body pressed lightly against the back of one of the dancers, his hands wandering over her body like snakes, finally grabbing her wrists and controlling her dance steps like a marionette, making her move strangely and awkwardly on the stage.

The dancer's face turned deathly pale, but she didn't dare to resist and could only let Bone Blade manipulate her body. The other dancers glanced at Qian Fan below the stage and pretended nothing had happened, continuing to dance in unison...

The drums continued, the music played melodiously.

"Hahahaha, Bone Blade, your dancing is too ugly!"

"Better let me do it!"

"Don't, I think he's dancing quite well! Keep dancing, keep dancing! Hahahaha..."

"Who knew you had a talent for dancing? Give us a pole dance!"

“……”

The people from Ice Spring Street below the stage laughed, as if they had found some good fun, pushing the hot and noisy atmosphere to a higher climax.

Just then, a figure pushed open the mansion gate in the heavy snow and walked in slowly.

"What? Did Brother Ma finally arrive?"

Everyone looked back, their eyes falling on the front courtyard, but they all froze in place.

It wasn't Ma Zhong who arrived, but a boy in a bright red opera robe. He stepped silently across the stone path of the front courtyard, the flying snow dusting his hair with white.

In the pale world, that splash of vermilion was so dazzling and scorching.

Seeing the person's face clearly, most of the people in the room changed their expressions, as if recalling something, their eyes filled with resentment and malice.

Meanwhile, Qian Fan was slightly startled. He exchanged a look with the enforcer beside him and stood up from his seat.

"Brother Chen Ling, why are you here?" A warm smile appeared on his face. "What a coincidence, as soon as you left, the Second and Third Districts were unsealed, so we wanted to hold a celebration. I was just saying that we should have kept you here this morning...

Come, come, since you're here, sit down and have a drink."

Chen Ling didn't answer. He walked calmly through the snowy courtyard, his muddy soles stepping into the house, leaving deep imprints.

"No need." He said flatly. "I'm here to retrieve something..."

"Retrieve something? Did you leave something behind?"

Under everyone's gaze, Chen Ling walked through the banquet and stepped onto the stage step by step... His eyes were locked on Bone Blade the whole time.

"Yo, I was wondering who it was, it's the great Enforcer Chen..." The drunken Bone Blade sneered, let go of the dancer in his arms, and pushed her aside. "What, dressed like this, are you going to perform for us?"

Now that Han Meng was dead and Ma Zhong was back in control of the Third District, Bone Blade and the others didn't believe Chen Ling would dare to court death... Now, the Second and Third Districts were their world!

"Hahahaha! Come, let him perform!"

"Dressed like that, he's going to sing opera, right? Which one is he singing?"

“……”

Everyone was fearless at this moment. They held their wine glasses, their eyes full of mockery as they looked at Chen Ling in red.

Qian Fan's brows furrowed tighter and tighter. He vaguely felt that something was wrong.

"Chen Ling, just tell me what you lost... I'll find it for you."

"I lost a heart."

Chen Ling stared straight at Bone Blade's face.

"And my brother's life."

The next moment, a palm instantly pierced through Bone Blade's chest!!