Chapter 60

In the room on the second floor of the Huo Mansion, Luo Li’s taut nerves finally relaxed for a moment. He slumped into the corner and let out a long breath, then spread open his palm to reveal the congratulatory gift from the two paper effigy elders.

The gift wasn’t made of paper at all. Instead, it was a chest brimming with gold, silver, and jewels. Rich people were truly lavish.

Huo Jieqi stood in front of the mirror, loosening his tie and shrugging off his suit jacket. Luo Li tested the waters. “Is it okay now? I’ve already gone with you to meet them. Can you let… let Ghost Hand go?”

Huo Jieqi turned his head. “Where would I release Him? Since you promised A-gong and A-ma that you’d marry into the family, Ghost Hand is your son. Of course he’s staying here with us.”

Luo Li immediately balked. “How can you go back on your word like that? Wasn’t it just supposed to be meeting the elders once? I never agreed to anything else.”

Huo Jieqi seemed not to hear him. He merely hummed in acknowledgment.

…Infuriating!

Luo Li was helpless against him. He didn’t dare leave Leader Boss’s side either. If players took advantage of the moment to defeat this leader, all his previous efforts would go to waste.

Ghost Hand was called his son, but that wasn’t entirely accurate.

In this world, Ghost Hand’s lore marked Him as the offspring of the Ghost Mother, which was why they shared a mother-son relationship.

But in Luo Li’s eyes, Ghost Hand was nothing more than an obedient little pet.

Even so, he still had to figure out a way to rescue Him…

“If you let Ghost Hand go, He’s far too dangerous to leave in the mansion,” Huo Jieqi said.

He had unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, revealing glimpses of his solid chest muscles. The fitted fabric clung to his back, outlining every ridge and contour of muscle, while an overwhelming aura—the kind that belonged only to a leader boss—radiated from his entire body.

He smiled at Luo Li, but the expression sent chills down his spine. “Does Lili plan to abandon Him outside?”

It was that smile again…

Such a familiar feeling.

Luo Li counted on his fingers. “He’s already so big anyway. It shouldn’t matter if he stays outside.”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the door thudded heavily several times.

He jumped in fright, but Huo Jieqi wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him protectively behind his back. “It’s nothing. Just the wind.”

Just… the wind?

Luo Li didn’t have time to dwell on it before Huo Jieqi scooped him up into his arms and deposited him on the bed.

The boy’s red silk robe was fastened with intricate knotted buttons that had to be undone one by one.

Huo Jieqi was patient as he worked them loose, his gaze lingering on the small face half-hidden by strands of hair. The Little Mountain God possessed a beauty that could intoxicate anyone—his lips and eyes were flawlessly perfect. Even now, as Huo Jieqi undid the fastenings and removed his clothes, he seemed a bit uncomfortable but endured it without complaint.

It was probably because he knew that if he didn’t play along obediently, his little son would end up killed by this scheming member of the Huo Family.

Huo Jieqi made no effort to hide the pounding of his heart. When he slipped off the cotton socks, he cradled those tiny feet in his hands, reluctant to let go.

The Little Mountain God would never grow up, so he was exactly the same as he had been all those years ago…

So adorable.

A string of blood beads still hung around Luo Li’s neck. When it came time to remove his underclothes, he twisted away in resistance.

He looked up at Huo Jieqi with pitiful eyes. “It hurts.”

Huo Jieqi tensed at once. “Where?”

Luo Li pushed aside the blood beads and pointed to his chest. “Here.”

Huo Jieqi’s brows furrowed tightly. He tugged open the collar to inspect it. Luo Li felt a little awkward but allowed him to look.

A ring of bite marks marred the reddened skin, the tender tip swollen and quivering. Even the slightest brush of fabric brought faint pain. Huo Jieqi knew at a glance that it was his good son’s handiwork.

“Why didn’t you say something earlier?”

Huo Jieqi shot him a reproachful glance, and Luo Li’s voice immediately took on a choked, aggrieved tone. “You said your family has so many rules… I was scared, so I just held back and didn’t mention it.”

“I’m already so uncomfortable, and now you’re blaming me…”

In truth, Huo Jieqi hadn’t meant to blame him at all. But the thought of Luo Li enduring the discomfort throughout their time in the hall—standing, turning, with the fabric rubbing against the spot every time—stirred something fierce in him.

Unable to ask for help, feeling deeply ashamed, forcing back tears, and only occasionally furtively tugging at his clothes in humiliated secrecy… The image was enough to make the heat surging through Huo Jieqi’s body even harder to suppress.

He fetched some ointment and sat on the edge of the bed, keeping a calm expression on his face even as his Adam’s apple bobbed involuntarily.

“You’re too kindhearted.”

“That little bit couldn’t satisfy anyone. They were clearly just taking advantage of you.”

Luo Li flushed with shame and covered his ears. He didn’t want to hear it.

Fortunately, Huo Jieqi said no more. He gently applied the ointment until it was fully absorbed.

Luo Li felt much better and slipped his underclothes back on.

But the moment he finished dressing, he noticed that Huo Jieqi was still leaning over him, staring intently at his chest.

“What are you looking at… Ah…!”

His arms were suddenly pinned. Without a word, Huo Jieqi pressed his lips to the fresh patch of red fabric over Luo Li’s chest.

He kissed it, wet and sucking.

…

Ghost Hand saw the entire scene clearly from outside the door.

Mama…

His mama was getting married.

And he had said he would abandon Him outside, leaving Him to fend for himself.

Now this man in the room clearly intended to have new babies with his mama.

Once there were new babies, his mama wouldn’t be able to watch only him anymore. He might not even have food to spare for him.

After all, his mama was such a small person. He couldn’t support too many children.

Every tentacle on Ghost Hand throbbed with bulging veins. His massive body loomed before the door, pitch-black shadows filling every crack in the windows and floorboards.

He remembered that man. More than a decade ago, when Huo Jieqi was still a young man, he had one day barged into the cave where Ghost Hand lived with his mama.

The servants had said he had been sent there by the Huo Family as punishment. Unlike the other Huo clansmen, he was like his grandparents—a born traitor, in their words.

The Huo Family absolutely forbade defiance of the sacrificial rites. Ghost Hand was nourished by the flesh and blood of those sacrifices, allowing the family to reap ill-gotten wealth time and again—though that was never what He wanted.

Yet the young Huo Jieqi had shattered the stone statue’s head. Ghost Hand had nearly had his soul scattered to the winds that time.

But because the statue was damaged, his mama had been able to manifest. He had taken on the form of a black-haired, black-eyed boy, feigning ignorance as he hugged the battered Huo Jieqi.

Then his mama had left the cave, and Ghost Hand, unable to follow, had never seen him again.

Perhaps it was because of that incident that Huo Jieqi had set his sights on Ghost Hand’s mother…

No matter the reason, He would never allow Huo Jieqi to harm him.

Yet the reality was that Ghost Hand could do nothing. With the stone statue in his possession, Huo Jieqi could easily take His life.

Only low, feeble gasps leaked through the door seam, fueling Ghost Hand’s rage.

That man was surely bullying his mother—forcing him to bear children for his family!

Ghost Hand’s resentment seeped down the stairs, shrouding the entire Zhaohua Mansion in darkness.

Bern had no choice but to halt at the corner. Any farther, and the resentment would swallow him whole.

He noticed Chu Jing had also stopped behind him, his eyes fixed on the window as if awaiting something.

Bern followed his gaze. The mansion’s elevated position meant that from the second floor, they could see some of the view down the mountain.

At the base of the mountain, a group of unidentified men had gathered. All armed and geared up, they advanced with clear hostile intent.

Bern pondered for a moment before a grim suspicion dawned on him. “Did you bring these people?”

Chu Jing had already realized that the Jinzhou Chamber of Commerce wasn’t under his control. If he wanted those assets, he would have to turn his spearhead back toward the Huo Family.

Huo Yin had been right—putting all their bets on Luo Li alone was far too risky.

So if Chu Jing wasn’t a fool, he would have prepared a backup plan. In case something happened to Luo Li, they needed an escape route.

And that escape route was the armed soldiers now visible below.

“The Huo Family has made plenty of enemies in the past. When they heard I intended to destroy Zhaohua Mansion, they were willing to lend me a hand.”

Chu Jing gave a dry smile, his chapped lips curling. “If Huo Jieqi hadn’t insisted on kidnapping my little waste, I wouldn’t have needed to go after him.”

But now, it seemed such concessions were unnecessary.

“These men will be up the mountain soon to kill Huo Jieqi.”

Chu Jing pulled a grenade from his pocket. “I’ll provide cover for you in a moment. You go in, rescue Luo Li. Once Huo Jieqi is dead, we’ll have cleared the game.”

Bern started to say something but held his tongue.

He turned around. Ghost Hand still loomed at the door. Seeming to sense the disturbance below, He turned His head, His black tentacles snapping to high alert.

Bern paid no heed to the danger. The instant Chu Jing hurled the grenade, he lunged at the locked door.

As the door flew open amid the smoke, he caught a clear glimpse of the scene inside.

…It was empty.

…

“Cough… Cough.”

It was some time before Luo Li stirred groggily awake.

Still caught between dream and reality, he could only register the charred marks everywhere around him and the acrid stench hanging in the air.

He couldn’t quite recall what had happened. He remembered being held in Huo Jieqi’s arms, on the verge of drifting off to sleep. Then came a deafening explosion, and after that… he’d seen Ghost Hand.

Oh, right—Ghost Hand!

After the explosion, Ghost Hand had burst into the room!

Realizing this, Luo Li snapped his eyes open.

He was drenched in cold sweat, the lingering terror still gripping him. The moment it sensed his awakening, the creature nestled in his arms began panting excitedly, nuzzling deeper into the crook of his elbow.

Luo Li lowered his head. “Wa Wa?”

The humanoid monster clung to his waist, its tentacles reaching out in agitation to cup Luo Li’s cheeks, as if responding to his call.

Yet its face remained pressed against his lower belly, refusing to pull away.

Luo Li had no clue what he was doing, but right now he had a far more pressing concern: where was Huo Jieqi?

He was still inside the Huo Mansion, but Huo Jieqi was nowhere to be seen.

Ghost Hand looked up at him in dissatisfaction, uttering a few garbled syllables.

The meaning was clear: Why was Mommy thinking about him?

“This…” Luo Li had no good explanation. He could hardly tell him that Huo Jieqi was the Leader Boss, could he? Ghost Hand wouldn’t understand anyway.

But Ghost Hand’s interrogation was far from over.

“Why did you agree to be with him?”

“Are you going to have another child?”

Luo Li’s almond eyes widened in shock. “What the hell are you talking about? I haven’t!”

Ghost Hand didn’t buy it.

He pressed himself against Luo Li’s lower belly, rubbing wildly as if trying to confirm whether he was lying.

“There’s really nothing…”

Luo Li shoved him away in a flush of shame and anger, straightening his rumpled clothes.

Yet Ghost Hand stubbornly refused to budge, his body weighing down on Luo Li while countless tentacles coiled around him. Every syllable he uttered carried grave seriousness.

“Mommy isn’t allowed to have any other children.”

“If you must have one, it can only be mine.”