C11 Netherworld

"Are you really not afraid I'll kill your woman with one slash?" Scarface clenched his fist, gritting his teeth as he questioned Ye Fann. "Or do you really think if I let her go, you'll just walk out of here tonight?"

As Scarface's words hung in the air, the manager's screams echoed again. Ye Fann was true to his word; with each sentence, another cut landed on the manager's leg. This was the third.

"Ye Fann, you..." Scarface was furious.

"Let her go, damn it! Let her go!" the manager screamed, his voice hoarse and desperate, shouting at Scarface like a madman.

Bright red blood flowed from the manager's leg, staining the ground beneath him. Ye Fann stood in the pool of blood, his expression cold and fearless, exuding a chilling aura that sent shivers down the spine.

Scarface hesitated, gritting his teeth, while the manager continued to howl in agony, commanding Scarface to release the woman.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Ye Fann raised his knife again, ready to strike the manager's leg once more.

Finally, Scarface shoved Xinying forward. The tension in the room eased, though no one could quite understand why they had been so on edge.

"Xinying," Ye Fann said, handing his phone to her. "Call the last number in the contacts."

Xinying's eyes were filled with panic and worry, unsure of what to do, she took the phone and followed instructions.

"I've let the person go. Shouldn't you release our manager now?" Scarface picked up a knife and advanced toward Ye Fann.

Ye Fann stabbed the manager's thigh for the fourth time.

"Ah—" The manager was in unbearable pain, wondering why he was caught up in this mess.

Scarface halted, not daring to take another step forward.

Xinying was frozen in place, and Ye Fann reminded her, "Don't be afraid, make the call."

"Okay, I'll do it right away." Xinying quickly opened her contacts, found the last number, and dialed.

"Ye Fann, think it through. If you don't let him go and something happens from blood loss, you won't be able to pay for it with your life!" Scarface seethed with anger.

Ye Fann remained silent, holding the knife poised over the manager's leg, ready for a fifth strike.

"Hello?" Xinying's call connected, and a deep, resonant male voice came through.

"Hello, I... I, what should I say?" Xinying was so flustered she almost cried, turning to Ye Fann for help.

"Give me the phone."

"Oh, okay." Xinying quickly handed the phone to Ye Fann.

Ye Fann, eyes locked on Scarface and fully alert, spoke gravely into the phone, "It's me. Underground casino at Global Plaza. Get here now."

Ten minutes later, a group of about a hundred unidentified armed individuals arrived and swiftly shut down the entire underground casino. The manager was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment, while Scarface and all his associates were taken away. It seemed like this drama, sparked by gambling debts, had finally come to an end.

Late at night, Ye Fann strolled down the street hand in hand with Xinying. He wanted to walk, to clear his mind, before heading back.

"Who... who were those people?" Xinying suddenly broke the silence, clearly referring to the group that had dismantled the underground casino.

Ye Fann paused, a hint of mystery in his eyes. "Just some friends from around. I mean, how else could I have the nerve to marry someone as beautiful as you, right?"

Xinying blushed, her eyes wide as she looked at Ye Fann. "But those people were armed... they weren't some kind of criminal gang, were they?"

"I'm armed too. Do I look like a criminal to you?"

"What? You, you have a weapon..." Xinying started to say, then suddenly understood, her face turning even redder as she glared at Ye Fann. "You, you scoundrel!"

Ye Fann chuckled, wrapping his arm around Xinying's waist and pulling her close. "How about you? Those people..."

"No," Xinying shook her head, knowing what he was getting at. "No, but I'm glad you got there in time, or else it really would have been... bad."

"That's a relief." Ye Fann let out a long breath, finally feeling at ease.

Xinying opened her mouth as if to ask something, but swallowed her words and held back.

Meanwhile, at the Huang residence.

Xiaoshan had just gone to bed when she received a call. "Xiaoshan, the Phantom has appeared and took down a casino in Lin City."

"What?" Xiaoshan sat up abruptly. "The Phantom took down a casino in Lin City? Are you kidding me?"

"I'm not joking. It's true, just a few minutes ago."

"A few minutes ago? How can you be sure it was the Phantom?"

"We had someone on the scene who recognized the Phantom's emblem."

Xiaoshan was stunned. An emblem?

"You mean the Phantom boldly raided a casino and forgot to hide their emblem?"

"That's right, but it wasn't forgotten. It was intentional. They deliberately exposed themselves to draw the Eight-Armed Reaper. Listen, Xiaoshan, something big is about to go down in Lin City. Your mentor, that lunatic..."

"Your mentor's the lunatic. Want me to come over there and set you straight?"

"No, I mean..."

"Alright, I got it." Xiaoshan hung up, furrowing her brow in deep thought.

After a moment, Xiaoshan slipped out of her room and into her sister Shasha's room.

"What are you up to? Sneaking around in the middle of the night." Shasha was still awake, sitting at her computer reviewing documents.

Huang Xiaoshan gave a mysterious smile and sat on Huang Shasha's lap. "Sis, want a gift?"

"Hmm?" Huang Shasha raised an eyebrow, eyeing Xiaoshan like she was up to something. "A gift? What are you plotting now?"

Xiaoshan's eyes sparkled with intrigue. "An ancient treasure, the Cold Royal Seal, a priceless family heirloom of the Eight-Armed King, is right here in Lin City. Interested?"

At 3 a.m., Ye Fann hadn't gone home. Instead, he checked into a nearby hotel with Huang Xinying.

As soon as the door closed, Ye Fann eagerly pulled Xinying onto the bed, diving under the covers.

Ye Fann's body was strangely cold, shivering as if poisoned, even emitting a chill.

Xinying had seen this before. She gently undressed, using her body warmth to help him.

She had long suspected that Ye Fann's reasons for marrying into the Huang family weren't simple, but she never asked. The daily grind and her family's attitudes often overshadowed Ye Fann's mysterious aura, leaving her little time to ponder his secrets.

Gradually, Xinying fell asleep in Ye Fann's arms.

Suddenly, the phone beside them lit up.

Ye Fann glanced at his phone and saw a message from Bi Wenfeng.

"Xinying, it's true I have a fiancée, but that doesn't affect what we have. If you're willing, I can quietly support you. Your brother told me he owes a hundred thousand dollars in gambling debts. It's a small matter; I can take care of it for you. Besides, what future do you have with that loser Ye Fann? A woman needs to think about herself. There's nothing wrong with being realistic. Listen to me, okay? Just like when we were kids. Didn't you always listen to me back then?"

There was more, but Ye Fann couldn't be bothered to read it. He replied directly, "Listen, buddy, she's asleep in my arms. If you don't behave, I'll make sure you meet your maker personally!"

With that, Ye Fann blocked Bi Wenfeng from Xinying's contacts. He was about to put his phone away and cuddle with his wife when another message came through.

"Master, I advise you to be careful. Even though you've recovered and have the underworld at your command, the Eight-Armed King isn't someone to mess with. He controls the entire border now. Take it easy; I don't want to have to collect your body."