"Each guards their duty, each accepts their fate. It’s not time for our South Heavenly Gate to strike back. We can only keep waiting. If any of you can’t bear this anger and act rashly, they will undoubtedly pay a heavy price!"

After saying this, she bit her lip. At this moment, instead of encouraging them, she dragged down the morale... 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

"..."

Everyone present stayed silent, repressing their anger, simply enduring without speaking.

And doesn’t Zhang Mengjie also want to resist under this pressure?

Everyone knows well that if they really clash with Hongmen and the Green Gang, it will only push South Heavenly Gate into bigger danger. If everyone ends up dead, what’s the point?

"Right now! Even if our Zhonghai all falls, I only wish to protect the South District! Among the four districts, the South District has developed the best—it is home to Huayu and Tianyu. Even if we await the return of a single soldier, I hope that when Young Master Lin returns, the South District is still alive!" After saying this, Zhang Mengjie stood up, her hands supporting the table, and her sleep-deprived, red eyes swept across everyone’s faces before quickly disappearing from their sight... At this moment, everyone understood. Zhang Mengjie’s strategy is to endure and retreat. She would rather lose land than lose those brothers and sisters!

......

That evening... in a certain basement of the Hai Family in Yanjing...

Shuobude had already been imprisoned by Hai Zhilan, his cultivation destroyed, trapped in a cold and damp basement, his mind muddled, with only half a life remaining.

"Brother Shuobude, how have you been these days?" At this moment, Hai Zhilan’s cold and sinister voice echoed through the basement. Shuobude struggled to recover his senses, seeing Hai Zhilan walk in accompanied by an elder.

"Heh, Xiaolan. If you want me dead, just be straightforward, don’t be so wishy-washy like a girl." Shuobude laughed wryly.

"Fatty Shuobude, I can’t let you die yet. If you die, I won’t be able to explain myself. I still need to wait until South Heavenly Gate falls, then let you out to see." Hai Zhilan laughed heartily as he entered, glancing at the untouched white rice on the floor.

"What? Even dog food you won’t eat? Are you planning to starve yourself to death?" Hai Zhilan sneered. He bent down to pick up the bowl of rice, and Shuobude took the chance to kick his shoulder.

"You!" An elder prepared to step up and teach him a lesson.

"Alright, Elder, you can go out first. I have something I wish to say to him alone." Hai Zhilan didn’t get angry; on the contrary, his unstable face was smiling even more brightly.

After the elders left, Hai Zhilan picked up the bowl full of white rice and walked up to Shuobude. He reached out, grabbed Shuobude’s mouth, and forcefully shoved the bowl of rice into it.

"Won’t eat the food, planning to die? Well! I’ll fulfill you now, let you die more happily. Go ahead! Eat, eat, eat! Hopefully, you choke to death on the rice."

Due to Shuobude’s hands being bound by iron chains and unable to move, he could only let Hai Zhilan abuse him. This humiliation was more agonizing than death!

"What? Do you hate me now? Right. I like seeing you glare at me with that look the most. I love it when you hate me but can’t do anything about it. It’s quite satisfying!"

Hai Zhilan forced his face close to Shuobude’s.

"Pah!"

Unexpectedly, Shuobude opened his mouth and sprayed all the rice onto Hai Zhilan’s face.

"Kid. You think I haven’t seen all kinds of storms this life? Do you really think such cheap tactics can bother Young Master Lin of South Heavenly Gate? Let me tell you! He’s not back yet, but when he returns! It’s the day your entire Hai Family is doomed!"

"Slap!"

An enraged Hai Zhilan raised his hand and gave him a smack.

"Even if he returns now, what then? Facing the Heavenly Punishment Alliance, do you think he can withstand it?" Hai Zhilan was agitated, grabbing Shuobude’s collar.

Through gritted teeth, he said, "Do you know why I stabbed you South Heavenly Gate in the back? Why I wish for Lin Zifeng to die?"

"If not for him! At least my life would be ten thousand times better than now! My brother Hai Wuyan, though he usually resented me, never had the idea of kicking me out of the family or killing me! If not for him, why would I have such a falling out with my brother, even to the end where my brother died. You know I can see my brother’s spirit avenging me when I close my eyes!"

"And my sister! Though my sister Hai Lanxin is deep-minded, if he hadn’t killed my brother Hai Wuyan, my sister wouldn’t have been swayed by vile words to fight for the position of Family Head. My father wouldn’t have died at my sister’s hands!"

"And Elder Yu Shui and his daughter. If Lin Zifeng hadn’t confused me daily, how would I have the thought to kill them? Do you know how kind they were to me? Ever since I killed them, who can understand my feelings?

Now I’m afraid to sleep and close my eyes because when I do, I feel their presence around me. I feel they want to claim my life..." At this moment, Hai Zhilan seemed trapped in self-blame, gripping Shuobude’s neck and roaring, "When we first met, he promised to help me pursue Beiming Huang of the Beiming Family. Heh, until now, I haven’t even touched Beiming Huang’s hand, suffered ridicule from those sisters in the Beiming Family. Should I settle this account with him? Ah!!!"

"Hai! Don’t blame me for being incompetent while throwing all the blame on others. When you lived for twenty-some years, what were you even doing? Yet Lin helped you so much, risking his life supporting you, helping you gain the position of Family Head in Hai Family. And instead of gratitude, you backbite me now? Oh! Looking for someone to vent on, huh? Sorry, you’ve chosen the wrong target today. I can only give you the answer, ’Are you a big fool?!’ Oh, wrong, it should be eight words."

"Slap! Slap! Slap!"

Hai Zhilan grabbed his neck, raising his hands for several slaps, directly causing blood to spill from Shuobude’s mouth, then forcefully pulling him in front of himself.

His voice turned cold: "Stupid fatty. South Heavenly Gate ended up like this now thanks to me. And of course, whether South Heavenly Gate can overcome this ordeal depends on your fate. Oh, right, I forgot to tell you. That Dark Prison is a death trap, Lin Zifeng might return, but don’t get your hopes too high."

Hai Zhilan gently patted his fat face with his hand back, then poured the entire bowl of rice over Shuobude’s head.

(Thanks to the brothers and sisters who rewarded today, and the hundreds of bro and sis rewarders this week.)