Xin Long

Thud. Thud. Thud.  

Creak… Groan…  

A kennel—more precisely, a large shelter where hundreds of dogs were raised.  

Beside it stood a sixteen-year-old boy, his upper body bare, streaked with blood. In his hand, he held a butcher's knife, repeatedly hacking at the body of another young boy lying motionless on the table before him.  

His eyes were cold and emotionless. His lips moved slightly, chewing on something. His posture was unnaturally still, his expression calm, as if he were simply carrying out a routine task. His well-defined muscles and the scars covering his body stood out starkly.  

This boy was none other than Xin Long, a child murderer.  

…  

Xin Long could still vividly remember the expression of the boy in front of him—the vacant, frozen look in his eyes moments before death. To him, it was nothing more than a familiar sight, something fitting for his so-called victory.  

He had arrived here when he was thirteen. He had killed so many that he had long lost count. Butchering bodies and feeding them to the dogs had become nothing more than a monotonous routine. If he didn't do it, someone else would. "Kill or be killed"—that was the phrase they heard over and over again.  

As he was lost in thought, the cries of the hungry dogs inside the kennel snapped him back to reality. He glanced over at them and casually tossed a piece of meat their way.  

He liked these dogs. After all, they would one day feast on the people he despised. But at the same time, he knew that eventually, these dogs too would be discarded like scraps.  

As he was thinking, a voice called out to him from behind, along with the ringing of a bell.  

"Ding-ding-ding…"  

"Enough, Xin Long. Leave it. The others will take care of the rest."  

The speaker was Murong Jing, the leader of the Shadowmoon Reaper Sect. He was a man in his fifties, with streaks of white in his beard. Draped in a wool cloak, he carried a knife at his waist, his slicked-back hair emphasizing the sharp angles of his face. His cold, piercing gaze and tightly pressed lips made him appear all the more imposing. With his arms crossed at his waist, he stood watching.  

"…Alright."  

Xin Long replied without hesitation. He knew better than to say anything more. Any unnecessary words could lead to consequences far worse than death—pain beyond imagination.  

"Good… Go rest… Once this is over, I'll send something fun your way..."  

"…Alright."  

He answered like a man under a spell, devoid of emotion.  

With that, he turned and left.  

As he walked toward the sect's headquarters, his mind picked up right where it had left off, returning to the thoughts that had been interrupted.  

Pleasure... He understood what it meant. It had been about three months since this so-called "pleasure" entered his life. Everyone still alive in the sect knew about it as well. To him, it was something that trapped them all in a pit of indulgence—a tool to shackle them. A drug to suppress the mind.  

Mind-controlling drug...  

Like the other young men in the sect, he had been forced to take it. It stripped them of control, turning them into mere puppets. A single call, a single sound, and they would respond as if commanded. But unlike the others, the drug had no effect on him. No one, not even the sect leader, Murong Jing, knew about this.  

What they didn't know was that before he turned thirteen, he had traveled through forests and mountains alongside his father—a divine physician—learning medicine firsthand. Because of this, he had his own way of resisting the effects of the drug.  

Each time he killed, he would take the hearts of his victims and mix them with herbs before consuming them. A gruesome method, but a necessary one. And no one ever knew. No one ever would. Because in this world, he could trust no one.  

A friend today could become an enemy tomorrow.  

He had once allowed himself to have a friend. But on the very next day, as part of Murong Jing's so-called "test," he was forced to kill that friend. From that moment on, he understood—there was no such thing as friendship in this world. Kill or be killed.  

It wasn't about ego. It was about survival.  

From the moment he arrived, the young recruits had been forced to fight and kill one another. There had been around two hundred boys his age back then. Now, barely twenty remained. And for those who had survived this long, a final trial awaited them next week.  

"Chii-lii, chii-lii"  

The sound of a baby bird from a nest on a tree near the sect's building broke his train of thought, and he absentmindedly glanced at the tree.  

"The tree… if you want to take the baby bird on the tree, what will you do, son?..."  

The question his father had once asked came back to him. He remembered that, as a child, he had said he would climb the tree to take the bird.  

"If I can't climb the tree, what then?..."  

But his father had continued speaking, and he had to think for a long time before answering.  

"I would have someone else who can climb the tree do it, Father..."  

"What if they refuse to do it, son?..."  

"I'll stab them with a long knife..."  

"In that case, there's no guarantee you'll survive..."  

"I already got what I wanted, Father…"  

"then why would you take it if there's no guarantee of getting it in the best possible way, son? Remember this: when you want something that you can't do yourself, you need someone who can do it for you. Even if they won't do it, you can bribe them, force them, or pay them to do it. Always remember that…"  

Those words from his father left a deep impression on him.  

Cutting through his thoughts, he entered the sect's building.  

He then walked slowly to his designated room.  

As he walked, he felt the gazes of the people inside the building gathering around him. At that moment…  

"Xin Long, have you taken it again?"  

A voice from someone in their thirties—Bai Luo—made him glance up quickly. He met Bai Luo's eyes, who was watching him with a wary gaze.  

Bai Luo… Bai Luo was someone who had managed to succeed in everything the sect leader, Murong Jing, had assigned to him, and he had heard that he was someone who could get things done. Because of this, he knew what Bai Luo's question meant. It was an inquiry about whether or not he had consumed the heart again.  

He knew that the people alive in the sect were all wary of him, for he was doing something that none of them dared to do. They had accepted the oppressive life they led, but he had defied it.  

He focused on Bai Luo and simply said…  

"Yes."  

He didn't want to say more. The more words you say, the more mistakes you make. And he knew well that if he made a mistake, his life could become unbearable.  

At the end of his response, Bai Luo scrunched his face in disgust, making a repulsed expression. The people nearby reacted in the same way, their faces contorting with similar distaste. Seeing this, he swiftly turned away and left for his room.  

Even as he walked away, he could already tell—they would keep staring at him with those looks of disgust until he was completely out of sight.  

He couldn't take it.  

Better to mind his own business.  

Pushing open the door to his room, he stepped inside and glanced around. A bed, a small chest for clothes, and an array of weapons hanging neatly on the wall—all just as he had left them.  

It was a habit of his to check whether anything had been disturbed the moment he entered.  

Satisfied, he let out a small smirk before heading toward the washroom to clean the blood off his body.  

As he was washing up, he suddenly heard the door to his room being pushed open. Along with the sound of footsteps, a faint fragrance drifted into the air.  

How interesting.  

It seemed that entertainment had found its way into his room once again.  

Smirking, he stepped out from the water basin.  

He glanced down at the water—it had already turned a deep shade of red.  

Not that it was anything new to him.  

Pressing his lips into a thin line, he grabbed a nearby cloth, wrapped it around his lower body, and stepped out of the washroom.  

"Hm?"  

An involuntary sound of surprise escaped him at the unexpected sight before him.  

Sitting cross-legged on his bed, the seductress watched him with a teasing yet unreadable smile.  

Seductress Wei Wei… Like Bai Luo, she was also a ruthless killer handpicked by Murong Jing, the sect leader. At twenty-five years old, she was infamous within the sect for her ability to manipulate others with a hundred different tricks—seduction, deception, persuasion—whatever it took to get the job done.  

She was someone who had always carried out the sect leader's orders flawlessly.  

He hadn't expected her at all.  

That was why he was momentarily stunned.  

Shaking off his initial surprise, he silently cursed under his breath before fixing his gaze on Weiwei.  

Her long, straight hair cascaded down her shoulders, framing a pair of striking, deep-set eyes. A straight, delicate nose, crescent-shaped eyebrows, and lips that were neither too full nor too thin—all of it blended seamlessly into a face that exuded an alluring charm.  

Her golden-toned skin, a slender waist, and the gentle curve of her hips—partially visible due to her seated posture—hinted at a graceful yet tempting figure. Her long, shapely legs, only accentuated by the sheer fabric of her attire, left little to the imagination. The sight made his heart pound involuntarily. He could almost swear those captivating eyes were silently inviting him closer, luring him into a dangerous game.  

But instead of giving in, he spoke, his voice calm yet laced with underlying suspicion.  

"What are you doing here?"  

It wasn't a casual question—he genuinely couldn't think of a reason for her unexpected presence.  

A soft, teasing chuckle escaped her lips. "Oh, come on… You already know why I'm here, don't you? Don't make this hard for me, little brother."  

Her words, paired with a subtle sway of her body and a knowing smirk, sent an uneasy shiver through him. He could feel his pulse quickening, his thoughts tangling in disarray.  

Why was she here?  

Was Murong Jing trying to ensnare him, test his restraint, or break him using temptation? And more importantly, why had she—who had never disobeyed an order—agreed to this?  

After all, he was still just a low-ranking member in the sect. He knew one thing for certain: Weiwei had never slept with any of the other sect members before.  

His mind was a whirlwind of questions when he suddenly noticed her movement.  

She had risen from the bed, stepping toward him with a slow, deliberate grace. Her every movement radiated confidence, an unshakable awareness of the effect she had on those who laid eyes on her.  

And at that moment, he couldn't deny it—her presence was overwhelming.  

Wei Wei found herself moving off the bed and approaching Xin Long, who was lost in thought. She gazed at him, sensing something on his mind. His body, far too muscular for his age, along with his cold and composed demeanor, sent an unexpected shiver through her.  

She recalled how she had initially refused when the sect leader had assigned her this task. Yet, for reasons beyond her control, she had ended up in Xin Long's private quarters. And now… she almost felt grateful to Murong Jing for sending her here.  

The men she had shared a bed with in the past were all middle-aged or older—never had there been a young man of just sixteen among them. More than that, Xin Long was infamous within the sect. He was said to be a ruthless butcher, one who chopped up his victims alive and fed their remains to dogs, a man who would eat hearts raw without hesitation.  

Just thinking about it sent a tremor through her chest.  

Her delicate fingers reached out, tracing the scars scattered across his bare upper body. She slipped into his embrace, pressing close to his ear as she whispered seductively:  

"Heh… What are you thinking about, handsome? Let this Big sister be a part of it too..."  

She leaned back, looking up at him with glistening, sultry eyes.  

Xin Long, who had remained still as she touched him, suddenly chuckled softly. He leaned in, speaking with a voice as smooth as silk. But as he met her gaze—those damp, mesmerizing eyes locked onto him—his father's words echoed in his mind.  

"If you truly want something, you must be willing to coax, threaten, or even buy it with money. Never forget that…"  

Along with those words, another lesson from his father echoed in his mind:  

"You're still young, so this might not be the right time to talk about such things… But I worry… If something happens to me, you'll be left wandering aimlessly in this ruthless world… That's why I'll keep telling you things you need to know. Remember this well—if you remain weak and incapable, you'll never be able to control anything…"  

"And if you ever want to dominate a woman who doesn't love or desire you, then right before you take her, whisper sweet nothings into her ear. Use those very illusions to shackle her. That is the most effective way…"  

Those were words his father had once spoken. Back then, Xin Long had been too young to understand what desire even was. When he had asked, his father had merely smiled and said, "You'll understand when you grow older."  

Now, he did.  

If he wanted to control Seductress Wei Wei, he would have to do so with seduction itself. Once he passed the final test, there would be no avoiding it—he would leave this place under the sect leader's orders and become a contract killer in the outside world. Having Wei Wei's help would make his work much easier.  

Not only that, but he could also gain experience from her. She would be a useful asset. And one day, if the opportunity arose, he might even use her as a stepping stone to climb higher.  

At that thought, a faint smirk played on his lips. He reached out, brushing away Wei Wei's damp strands of hair as her glistening eyes remained fixed on him.  

"Heh…"  

Just as he did, a playful chuckle escaped her lips. Her arms wrapped firmly around his neck, holding him in place.  

Xin Long flashed another faint smile before locking eyes with her. Then, without a word, he turned and walked toward the darkened bedchamber.  

Not long after, as Xin Long and Seductress Wei Wei vied for control over each other, playful whispers and soft laughter filled the room.  

End – 1