The Only Hope

Huo Xuan frowned deeply. "What trouble could one meeting possibly cause?"

The Dragon Head chuckled. "The men watching me are exceedingly clever. If they discover your connection to Hua Buyi, they'll speculate endlessly—perhaps I'm using you to establish ties with him? Or grooming you to remotely control the Dragon Gate again? They might even think Hua Buyi sent you to infiltrate my organization."

Anger simmered in Huo Xuan's chest. He wanted nothing to do with this old schemer, yet now he was like yellow mud on trousers—indistinguishable from excrement.

"Don't glare at me like that," the elder said. "This is as much an opportunity as a challenge. You walked in here voluntarily. If you must blame someone, blame the heavens."

Huo Xuan drew a long breath. "I'll need to consult my master before deciding anything."

"Of course," the Dragon Head agreed. "But my support stands regardless."

"Seems I've boarded a pirate ship with no way off." To his own surprise, Huo Xuan felt strangely calm. "Very well. What exactly can you offer?"

"Patience." The elder smiled. "We have time." Raising his voice, he called, "Serve the meal!"

Attendants soon brought a table, chairs, dishes, and even a bottle of baijiu. The Dragon Head gestured for Huo Xuan to sit opposite him while others stood respectfully aside.

Unfazed, Huo Xuan ate heartily—he'd been starved after last night's ordeal.

The elder ate slowly, observing, "The breakfast suits your taste?"

Swallowing a mouthful, Huo Xuan pointed at a plate of stir-fried pork with peppers. "This one's poisoned."

The attendants paled, some breaking into cold sweat.

Yet the Dragon Head laughed, deliberately taking a chopstickful and eating it with rice. "To live, I must eat. How can I avoid their poison?"

Huo Xuan shook his head. "So you knew." His Buddha's Eye had instantly detected the swirling toxic aura in the dish—nothing escaped its perception.

The Dragon Head finished his meal leisurely. Setting down his chopsticks, he suddenly addressed Old Hu: "This makes sixty-three times you've poisoned me. When you first entered this prison, near death from injuries, who saved you? And this is your gratitude—sixty-three poisoning attempts?"

Old Hu—the same man who had earlier berated Huo Xuan—turned ashen. He dropped to his knees with a thud, trembling. "Spare me, Dragon Head. You know I couldn't refuse them..."

"Indeed, how many here truly can refuse?" The elder sighed. "Some of you were my subordinates, others became my brothers within these walls. All now call me Dragon Head."

The room remained silent as he continued:

"Each of you was once mighty—provincial powerhouses, regional legends. I once said combining your strengths could surpass even the Dragon Gate's might." His gaze softened. "Some betrayed me, yet I bear no grudge. Under duress, even I would yield. Old Hu, rise."

Shamefaced, Old Hu stood, head bowed low.

The Dragon Head's eyes swept across the room. "You all know escape from this place is impossible. But today, I offer hope—a path beyond these walls."

Every head jerked up in shock, eyes locking onto the elder.

Huo Xuan observed their piercing gazes—some fierce as tigers, others cunning as wolves or jackals—confirming these were no ordinary men. To command such formidable figures... this elder's capabilities are terrifying.

With a faint smile, the Dragon Head declared: "I formally take this young man as my disciple. Huo Xuan—thirty-ninth heir of the Divine Farmer Sect, protégé of Hua Buyi."

Complex emotions flashed in the men's eyes—hope, doubt, even murderous intent. None understood this sudden decision.

"Dragon Head, is he trustworthy?" A fifty-something man dared ask.

The elder countered: "Do you have alternatives?"

Silence answered. Whether trustworthy or not, Huo Xuan represented their only gamble.

"Years ago I promised your freedom, yet the chance never came." The Dragon Head's voice turned icy. "Now it's here. Choose—rot in this compound, or stake everything on one throw. Lose? You remain as is. Win? The future is yours!"

Old Hu stamped his foot. "I'm in!"

Like drowning men grasping at straws, the others quickly followed suit.

The elder raised a hand. "Don't decide yet. Consult the others after eating. Let's see how many dare bet their lives."

With murmured assent, the men filed out, leaving destiny hanging in the balance.

Huo Xuan's expression darkened. The Dragon Head's declaration had effectively welded him to this sinking ship. His "discipleship" would soon become public knowledge, reaching far too many ears.

As if reading his thoughts, the elder chuckled. "Rest assured—if they support you, today's events will never leave this room."

"How so?" Huo Xuan frowned.

"Before you came, we shared no common interest. Though they feared me, loyalty was absent." The Dragon Head's eyes gleamed. "Now? Our fates intertwine. They'll guard this secret to the grave."

"Not everyone may agree," Huo Xuan countered.

"Those who refuse will die." The elder's tone was casual, as if discussing the weather.

Huo Xuan's pupils contracted. For an instant, he glimpsed countless vengeful spirits swirling behind the old man, their collective bloodlust painting the air crimson. This is no ordinary leader—a true warlord who's walked through rivers of blood.

Their conversation lasted all morning. Huo Xuan learned the Dragon Head's true name—Chu Cangmang—and that he had a secret wife and daughter whose identities even his closest subordinates didn't know.

"Every inmate here is formidable," Chu Cangmang explained. "Each holds hidden trump cards to reclaim power if freed. For years, I've cultivated them, awaiting this moment."

"Are they all worth your effort?" Huo Xuan doubted. Among hundreds, surely some were worthless.

"Not all." Chu Cangmang's smile chilled. "After vetting, only thirty-seven—myself included—can truly aid you."

A cold realization struck Huo Xuan. "The remaining ninety-nine... they must die?"

The elder gazed upward, sighing. "In this place, what difference between early death and late?"

Silence followed. Huo Xuan was no bodhisattva—he wouldn't jeopardize himself for vicious criminals. Yet the sheer scale of impending slaughter left him unsettled.

That day, the guards in the watchtowers noticed something unusual—the Compound was eerily quiet. No one tended the vegetable plots, played basketball, or chatted under the sun. Every inmate had retreated indoors.

But the guards merely shrugged. As long as no one escaped, even deaths went unquestioned—such was Prison No. 4's rule.

By evening, only thirty-six men emerged from the cells. They carried large sacks to the garden, digging pits to bury them.

The guards' eyes widened in shock. While such incidents occurred periodically, typically only one or two bodies were buried as "fertilizer." Today, they were interring over a hundred!

"Report! Emergency in the Compound! A hundred turned into fertilizer!" a guard stammered, stomach churning.

In the control room, the warden shot to his feet, veins bulging on his forehead as he glared at the surveillance feed. Through gritted teeth, he spat, "Chu Cangmang, what the hell are you plotting?"

A pale-faced officer behind him asked, "Should we intervene, Warden?"

"Intervene? How many do you think would return alive from that den of demons?" The warden sneered. "Let them die—better yet, let them all kill each other off!"

Ultimately, Prison No. 4 took no action beyond intensifying surveillance.

Meanwhile, the thirty-six men packed the small room—some squatting, others standing—all eyes fixed on Chu Cangmang. Many still bore bloodstains.

Huo Xuan sat quietly nearby, his emotions conflicted.

Chu Cangmang spoke calmly: "I see you've all made your choices. Good. Now, reveal your trump cards."

Old Hu stepped forward first, glaring at Huo Xuan. "Don't you dare fail us."

Huo Xuan shrugged. "You're free to keep your secrets."

Eyes burning with anger, Old Hu snorted but continued: "Find a man named Chen Jie after you leave. Tell him you're the Avenger."

"That's it?" Huo Xuan raised an eyebrow, surprised by the simplicity.

Old Hu said flatly, "He'll disclose everything—my assets, family, trusted allies—all my secrets."

Nodding, Huo Xuan replied, "Rest assured, I'll ensure you lose nothing at the very least."