When human lives were priced, this would happen. Every room had been turned into a shop and each shop was connected to a breeding area at the back. A metallic door separated the customers from the livestock. When the customers chose the livestock they wanted, they would contact the shop owner to release them. This was a gory and cruel place, but it was filled with joyous festivities.
The day was Feast Day. Even the sickest victim would crawl out of their holes and dangle out their tongues and hands like dogs to wait for kind merchants to gift them rotten meat. The merchants who normally would ignore these people became generous after night fell. The whole street was lively and peaceful. Endless Sustenance was taken out for sale. Hearing the sounds of haggling, laughing, and talking, blood vessels popped in Han Fei’s eyes. He wiped away the blood on his palms and looked down the corridor.
Flags made from various ‘animal’ skin hung on the door. It was very colorful. Every shop gave out this amazing smell. Every shop had a large signboard. Even the cart at the door was filled with samples for customers to try. There were price lists pasted on the wall. There was a strict standard for food here. Good smell, taste, and appearance were basic. The real good food had a special personality. ‘Consuming’ them would be an irreplaceable experience.
“Which floor do you come from?” The merchant smiled to welcome them. He stared at Han Fei’s wallet and could tell that he was carrying a lot of bone coins. “Today is Feast Day. Everyone will show off their best ingredients. If you’re interested, please come in to take a look. I’ve reserved some ‘meat’ that normally would be sent to above floor 50.”
“Lead the way.” Han Fei said lightly. “This way, please!” The merchant led Han Fei’s group into his shop. There were all kinds of slaughtered meat in the living room. However, they didn’t stop there but entered the adjacent room. “The 27th floor is the breeding floor, and each merchant has their own specific methods to breed the Sustenance. Because of that, every shop has a different offering of Sustenance.” The merchant took out a key and opened a steel door. It was fully dark behind the door. There were two rows of fridges, and they were stored with frozen meat. Noticing the lack of reaction from Han Fei, the merchant felt like he had encountered a real discerning customer. He led them to another door. This door had been specially modified so that the sound insulation was perfect. The door only opened for one-third of the way, but they could hear the screams already. “The freshest Sustenance is inside, but I only show them to my familiar customers.” The merchant hinted. “My familiar customers are those who do big business.” Han Fei took out the bone coins he found on the 26th floor and tossed them in his hand.
“This way, please.” The merchant showed Han Fei the most real side of this building. When humanity was destroyed and rules crumbled, humans would become the most inhumane of all animals. The victims were locked up in special rooms. The breeders would cultivate them based on the needed personality. The victims would be shaped into obedient Sustenance. Hearing the pleas for mercy, Han Fei, Evil Soul, and Mad Laughter had the same reaction. Han Fei tossed the bag of coins to the merchant. The man was happy. He stuck close to Han Fei. “I have a few more good stuff inside. They are Sustenance requested by the managers. Do you want to see them?”
“No.”
“How can that be? With the money you’ve paid, it’s enough for the best quality Sustenance.” The merchant happily pocketed the money.
“You misunderstand. The money is not to purchase the Sustenance.” Han Fei aimed Rest in Peace at the man, “But to buy your life.” The blinding light easily cut through the merchant’s body. His soul was rotten and had no humanity left.
“Save them!” This showed the basic difference between Han Fei and the tenants here. In his eyes, there was no Sustenance.
“Notification for Player 0000! You’ve discovered Special Citizen—Ying Ying.
“Ying Ying (High Quality Sustenance): A Sustenance that is impossible to raise. She is kept deep inside a special room. She is treated like a princess. She doesn’t know what is happening outside and believes that everything is good. There is a weak trace of God on her.
“Notification for Player 0000! You’ve discovered Special Citizen—Yan Nu.
“Yan Nu (High Quality Sustenance): Forever headstrong, forever angry, forever hates evil! He was once a Sin Seeker. Due to his reluctance to surrender to darkness, he was made into Sustenance by Disciples and Dictators.”
Han Fei saved all the Sustenance, and two of them caught his attention.
One of them was treated like a princess. She was pure, like a small flower. The other had experienced unimaginable torture. He had mutated into a monster due to endless healing and cutting of his body. Han Fei didn’t have any memory of Ying Ying. However, he had seen Yan Nu’s name in the police case file room. Similar to Ji Zheng, Yan Nu was not with the police. He was a normal construction worker who fought many criminals to protect a pregnant woman.
“Yan Nu, the Danger level Sin Seeker?” Ji Zheng recognized the man. Yan Nu refused to submit any evil. His life was simple and easy. This was why he was targeted by so many different forces. He was killed before he could collect many sinners’ names. Han Fei took out medicine to heal Yan Nu. He admired someone like Yan Nu.
“You were the one who saved me?” The large Yan Nu climbed up from the ground. He didn’t like to stay laid down.
“Welcome to the Bai Clan. He’s the building’s newest Sin Seeker, a crazy and incredible man.” Ji Zheng took out a bottle of alcohol from his pocket. He took a swig and handed the rest to Yan Nu. “You’re lucky to survive until we get here.”
“A new Sin Seeker?” Yan Nu knew what that meant. He lowered his head at Han Fei. “I’m a monster now, but I’ll help you find a way out.”
“You better rest.” Han Fei took out another butcher’s knife from his inventory. Ghost found many knives in Cattle Alley, and Han Fei took a few of them. “Take this.”
“Thank you.” Yan Nu shook off the chains. “What do you plan to do next?”
“Cleanse the building of all sins and save all the victims.” Han Fei turned and headed out. He didn’t say anything else, but there was something about him that made people want to follow him. He pulled back the thick curtain. It was still very festive outside. Everyone took out their best Sustenance waiting for the big shots from above floor 50 to come to visit. The breeding floors were exceptionally peaceful. But underneath it all, the smiling faces hid much dirt and ugliness.
“We should participate.” Han Fei summoned Nine Lives and Big Sin. “It’s time to feast.” Han Fei was braver than anyone dared to imagine. He used Evil Soul to control the Taboo. He spread the blood and flesh while Han Fei attacked the dissidents with his friends. The merchants had no idea they would one day be treated like animals too. It didn’t matter what was wrong and what was wrong. The festival was dyed red. Han Fei knew that many of Sustenance were presents for big shots, but he had no fear. Killing the breeders was the first step. His real target was the ones who ordered these Sustenances. Han Fei had Big Sin lead the way and clean all the way from floor 27 to floor 30. He saved many survivors, and six of them were unique citizens. These people should have been sent to the upper floors and served as food. However, Han Fei changed their fates, so they had a very high starting friendliness level with Han Fei. Six of them joined Han Fei willingly and became a member of the Bai Clan. Han Fei arranged for the survivors who couldn’t fight to move to the 25th floor. The rest followed Han Fei. After cleansing several floors, the Taboo couldn’t catch up anymore. The director could consume other blood and flesh and turn them into his power, but that required time. When Han Fei’s group reached the 30th floor, they met unprecedented resistance. The Night Police and Casino, as well as several big shots that came from the floor above 50 encountered Han Fei’s group. They were planning to attend Feast Day but ran into Han Fei instead. They didn’t waste time and started to kill. Thanks to Big Sin, Han Fei’s group took down the resistance. However, this caused the news about the Bai Clan to spread forever. The funny thing was, in the eyes of the Big Shots, Han Fei was the one breaking all the rules.
“The power of the Taboo can’t affect the higher floors for now. We better return to the 25th floor. We need to organize ourselves or try to conquer the lower floors.” Ji Zheng wiped the blood from his face. He didn’t expect that one day he’d join something like this.
“There should be other brain fragments in the building. I need a few of you to enter the stairwell with me. I want to release all the Taboos in the building.” Han Fei wasn’t an ambitionist, but the things he did were extremely crazy. Hearing that, even Yan Nu calmed down and reminded him. “The stairwell is dominated by the Taboos. Are you sure you want to do that? The higher we go, the more dangerous it’ll be as there’ll be more than one Taboo.”
“It’s guiding me, and I believe its judgment. He’s cleverer than all of us combined.” Han Fei took out the amber heart. There was a connection with the brain fragment that only Han Fei and Mad Laughter could feel. “There might be fragments in the stairwell. There is one on the 50th floor. If we want to leave the lower 50 floors, we need to pass the Taboo’s test. The False God probably used this method to find those who can help him control the Taboos.”
Han Fei’s heart suddenly gripped. A very weak presence was pulling on his soul, sending him incomprehensible messages. Han Fei realized it came from the bloody shadow. “What kind of trouble has it run into?”
The bloody shadow was stronger than a Large Lingering Spirit. Not even a Pure Hatred could kill it easily. However, it was now summoning Han Fei. “The shadow is getting closer to me!”
The shadow must have gone to the higher floors and was attacked by the other forces. “It must be Pure Hatreds. Others can’t injure the bloody shadow.” In the past, Han Fei would have run. But things had changed. The blood and flesh covered floor 25 to floor 29. With the director’s aid, Han Fei had power that could rival Pure Hatred. Pure Hatred was hard to kill for others, but Han Fei had their biggest weakness—Rest in Peace.
“A Taboo as strong as Pure Hatred, Big Sin, many special citizens and Rest in Peace…” Han Fei checked his menu. The exit button had lit up. “It’s worth a try.”
If he could kill one Pure Hatred, the black flame could help Little Eight break through. If not, he could give it to Ghost. He was the first Ghost manager chosen by Fu Sheng. He still had many secrets. With the decision made, Han Fei told the others to leave and set up the trap. Time ticked by. Han Fei, who hid on the 25th floor, sensed the bloody shadow getting closer. As the ceiling was punctured, the bloody shadow, who looked like Han Fei, fell through the hole. Its body was no longer red but was tainted with many black substances. Blackness represented pure sin.
When the shadow approached Han Fei, all the surrounding light got twisted. A masked man knelt upstairs and stared at Han Fei and the bloody shadow through the hole in the ceiling.
“Notification for Player 0000! The Night Police member who owns both King of Spade and King of Hearts has appeared. He might know the real identity of Big Ghost and Small Ghost!”
