Chapter 1 A Deal with the Devil

"You want my Netherworld Fire? You've got quite the appetite. Aren't you afraid of biting off more than you can chew?" Qiao Yu said with a chuckle.

"Not afraid. If I choke, I'll take responsibility myself," Yin Yiran replied, smiling.

In truth, if he knew how to control the Netherworld Fire, he wouldn't have bothered with so much nonsense. He would have simply killed Qiao Yu and taken it.

But according to ancient records, no living person had ever mastered the Netherworld Fire.

That was why Yin Yiran needed to act so friendly with Qiao Yu.

His spies were everywhere on Lei Ze Star. He had been watching Qiao Yu since he first rose to prominence in the Guiyuan Gang.

"So, if I don't hand over the Netherworld Fire, my friends are as good as dead, is that it?" Qiao Yu asked calmly.

"Indeed. I cannot allow traitors within our human race. To be a part of the human race, yet unwilling to contribute to its strength, that is the act of a traitor."

Yin Yiran spouted moral platitudes, trying to brand Qiao Yu as a betrayer of the human race.

Qiao Yu wasn't angered. He simply inquired, "Esteemed sir, this is a difficult decision for me. And right now, I'm full and my mind isn't working too well. How about you arrange a bed for me, and I'll sleep on it before making a decision?"

Yin Yiran was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Very well. Friend Qiao Yu, you needn't worry. I am a man of my word. As long as you hand over the Netherworld Fire, I guarantee to deliver your friends to you safe and sound."

"And once I unify the Lei Triangle region, you, friend Qiao Yu, will be the most honored guest in the Lei Triangle!"

Hearing this, Qiao Yu couldn't help but smile. Yin Yiran hadn't even succeeded yet, and he was already making grand promises.

With such a talent for promises, it was a pity he wasn't starting a business in the Great Xia Empire.

"Alright, I'll give it some thought," Qiao Yu said with a nod and a smile.

"Someone, take friend Qiao Yu to rest and arrange the best guest room for him," Yin Yiran said with a smile.

Soon, two beautiful maids led Qiao Yu away. One of them was a beast-woman, a natural catgirl, also known as a *shou er niang*.

"Friend Qiao Yu, if you have any needs, these two maids are at your service. Rest assured, both are virgins."

"Alright, thank you for the City Lord's kindness," Qiao Yu said with a wave, leaving immediately.

Once Qiao Yu was gone, Yin Yiran's expression instantly darkened.

"City Lord, should Luo Li secretly monitor that kid? Just in case he tries anything?" Luo Li eagerly volunteered.

"No need. The people are already in the dungeon. He can't pull any tricks. Did you send that little wench to Niu Li Wang?" Yin Yiran asked.

"Reporting to the City Lord, I've already sent her. Niu Li Wang was very pleased and is planning to take that little girl as his three hundred and forty-seventh concubine in the next few days," Luo Li said with a smile, cupping his fist.

"Very good," a cold smile appeared on Yin Yiran's lips.

Niu Li Wang was a bull-headed beast-man, practically a local tyrant on Lei Ze Star. His strength was only greater than Yin Yiran's.

Although Niu Li Wang was a bull-headed man, he had suffered serious injuries in his early years and somehow obtained two dragon kidneys. Since then, his lust had been insatiable, almost to the point of being able to bed ten women a night.

Niu Li Wang's tastes were also quite peculiar. He didn't like beast-women, preferring the tender flesh of human women.

Ordinary human women couldn't withstand Niu Li Wang's desires. If he didn't change them, they would die in his bed. That was why Niu Li Wang's harem was growing ever larger.

By sending Mu Wan'er to Niu Li Wang, she would become a brainless puppet completely dependent on Niu Li Wang in less than five days.

When the deal was done, he would get the Netherworld Fire and then tell Qiao Yu the truth about Mu Wan'er being given to Niu Li Wang. Would Qiao Yu still care about him taking his Netherworld Fire?

And if Qiao Yu dared to go to Niu Li Wang, he would surely die at his hands. Then he could use this as an excuse to launch a war to unify the Lei Triangle region, killing Niu Li Wang with overwhelming force.

It was a chain of schemes, and Yin Yiran wasn't afraid that Qiao Yu wouldn't fall for it.

Yin Yiran was clearly very skilled at manipulating human nature.

Who could tolerate their woman being taken away by a bull-headed man? No man could stand for that kind of thing.

Meanwhile, back in his room, Qiao Yu summoned the Purgatory Zombie King.

"Little Lian, I have a task for you. Lie here and sleep."

Qiao Yu grabbed the quilt and covered the Purgatory Zombie King, then activated the Six Paths Power and rushed out.

He had to find Mu Wan'er and Sha Ren as soon as possible so he could start the slaughter directly. Being controlled by others was not in his nature.

With the Six Paths Power activated, Qiao Yu was practically in an uninhibited state in the City Lord's mansion. With the All-Knowing Insight, he could see three seconds into the future.

Therefore, as long as he stood at the door of a room, he could know what would happen after he entered. This eliminated many wrong choices for him.

Soon, Qiao Yu found the location of the City Lord's mansion's dungeon. He followed a jailer into the dungeon with the Six Paths Power activated.

As soon as he entered the dungeon, Qiao Yu couldn't help but frown.

The dungeon was filled with young and beautiful women, but they were like soulless husks, sitting naked and dazed on the cold, damp ground.

Some of the women were even sitting in their own excrement, completely unaware. Their fair necks or slender ankles were often shackled with thick iron chains.

"Damn it, this Yin Yiran is a beast in human skin," a cold glint flashed in Qiao Yu's eyes.

God knows what kind of torment these women had gone through to become so listless.

They had clearly been completely broken, and even their brains had probably shut down.

These people were now just masses of flesh without any self-awareness.

Qiao Yu took a deep breath and continued deeper into the dungeon. Soon, he found Sha Ren hanging on a rack in the depths of the dungeon.

Sha Ren was naked, his body covered in all sorts of wounds. Some of the wounds came from sharp weapons, others from blunt instruments. Clearly, Sha Ren had been subjected to severe torture.

Qiao Yu's gaze was even colder than before. He deactivated the Six Paths Power and directly released Sha Ren from the rack.

The sudden movement made Sha Ren struggle to open his eyes, which were swollen shut. When he saw who it was, he cried.

"Lord Qiao Yu, you've finally come to save me..."

Sha Ren's heart was filled with grief. After being captured by Luo Li, those people had used almost every torture method on him, trying to force him to reveal information about Qiao Yu.

But Sha Ren didn't know anything about Qiao Yu. He himself had only been picked up by Qiao Yu on a whim.

So, Sha Ren could only say that he didn't know, but as soon as he said that, he was subjected to even more severe torture.

Those who tortured him kept praising him for being tight-lipped and a true hero while they were torturing him.

Sha Ren was miserable. It wasn't that he didn't want to talk. Besides Qiao Yu's name, he really didn't know anything else!