Chapter 43: Killing: Mary Calls

Sitting in his slightly Chinese-style room, Louis savored the dessert.

Beside him, Fusheng wanted to speak but held back.

“Grandpa Fusheng, what’s wrong?”

“Young Master, the answer you just gave doesn’t sound like something a child your age would say. Lord Kanuo may already be suspicious.”

Fusheng spoke frankly to Louis.

He seemed utterly unconcerned about whether Louis had changed.

“Grandpa Fusheng, aren’t you worried I’ve been possessed?”

Fusheng smiled. “You wear the peach amulet, and when I held you, you felt exactly the same as when you were a child.”

Louis smiled too. “Don’t worry, Grandpa Fusheng. Grandfather isn’t foolish. The woman beside him is probably checking if I’m truly myself—after all, her scrutiny was obvious.”

He had already guessed his grandfather might suspect him upon returning.

After all, I revealed so many unusual things—if my grandfather, who built this empire from scratch, didn’t suspect me, that would be strange indeed!

Especially since I escaped from Emilia, that old witch.

Grandfather likely found Emilia’s estate while searching for me and uncovered some of its secrets. It’s only natural he’d worry. All he needs is to confirm I’m not a threat.

But who was that woman beside Grandfather?

Louis was curious. Since awakening his memories, the only human he’d ever encountered with special abilities was Emilia, that old witch. But since Mary Shaw and Jason existed, along with Madison and others, exorcists must exist too.

So what was her profession?

He was pondering this.

A knock came at the door—it was Grandfather’s servant coming to guide him.

Louis followed the servant toward the back of the estate, taking Jin Huang and Kong Nüe with him as he left.

Soon.

On a patch of grass, six bound Mexican men struggled desperately, hurling curses at Karl.

Karl’s face was expressionless; he merely tapped his cane.

The large men beside him each slapped one of the captives—bloodied teeth mixed with spittle flew through the air.

“Little Louis, these men are the ones who kidnapped you.”

“The five of them are from the drug gang, trying to use you to blackmail me. This one is from the human trafficking ring—they accidentally rescued you.”

The sequence was roughly this: they wanted to kidnap Louis to pressure the Kanuo family over business disputes, but hired an unreliable trafficker—or rather, one who deliberately wanted them to go to war with the Kanuos.

So he deliberately didn’t hand Louis over to them, but sold him instead.

That led to the Kanuo family going to war with them.

“Spit! Fuck! Karl! You old bastard, if not for that monster, you’d be dead already!”

“Hah! Kid, it was your black daddy who sold you. Too bad I didn’t let you taste big black g…”

“I heard your mom was a yellow monkey? Bastard! Hahaha!”

“...”

Louis’s eyes turned icy.

Karl looked at Louis. “How do you want them to die?”

Max stood nearby, his face twisted with discomfort. Don’t misunderstand—he wasn’t pitying these traffickers. He merely thought that while every member of a gang family must have bloodlust to survive in a world where “upper-class” men disguised as gentlemen and philanthropists devoured the weak, this was too childish!

His own children didn’t kill anyone until they were sixteen…

Louis smiled and snapped his fingers.

Hrrr~

A low, muffled growl rose from behind. Everyone’s hair stood on end; a powerful sense of threat surged forth.

Jin Huang, slender yet unnaturally agile, moved like a gust of wind—suddenly before one trafficker, who had no time to react, as razor-sharp canines clamped down on his throat.

Crunch!

Instantly, the throat bone shattered!

Another bite—severing the artery—blood gushed like a fountain!

But Jin Huang’s display was child’s play. The true horror was Kong Nüe.

It spread its wings and descended in an instant, the howling wind and grotesque, bloodied maw sending the trafficker into a scream of terror.

Under its terrifying bite force, it tore off one forearm, claws raking through clothing, carving bloody gashes, ripping open the belly to reveal the insides…

Wolves and dogs are the same species; both harbor latent savagery and brutality. Kong Nüe, forged by special methods, surpassed them all.

It even deliberately didn’t kill—controlling its strength, playing with its prey!

Utterly cruel!

Like a tiger—the vile, feline habit.

“Aaaahhhhh!!!”

“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!”

“God! Help!”

“Kill me…”

The scene grew so bloody that gang members turned away, and Max’s brow furrowed deeply. But what struck Max as most unbelievable was:

He could understand his father—he’d lived through chaotic times, seen too many severed limbs and corpses. Gunshot wounds were nauseatingly horrific. But Louis?

Why was he so calm?

A chill crept over him, inexplicable—yet immediately replaced by delight.

This was good!

In a gang family, you don’t fear cold-blooded cruelty—you fear weakness, sentimentality!

Especially in this era, with the anti-bribery law tightening, gang survival spaces are shrinking. Core members must have grit!

Yes, intelligence is essential too—otherwise, raw brutality is just stupidity.

The screams faded slowly.

Karl fondly patted Louis’s hair. “Good boy. Well done.”

Louis promptly supported his grandfather.

The two walked toward the front courtyard, bathed in golden, drowsy sunlight—almost warm. As for the traffickers’ fate?

No one cared.

…

Louis and his grandfather were both clever men, maintaining an unspoken understanding.

Grandfather never asked Louis about Zao Shen, winged head-dogs, or other such matters. To him, it was enough to confirm Louis was his grandson.

Thus, Louis lived here for a while.

Unfortunately, since the Ganshan Dog had not yet been fully cultivated, and Kong Nüe, this special large dog, was still immature, the next lineage—whether folk art or occult technique—remained unopened. He could only continue cultivating Cang Shu, striving to reach the point of concealing his soul’s vibrations.

But beyond cultivating Cang Shu, what he did most often was train with Max—shooting!

Yes, practicing with that tiny pistol!

Not only that—he underwent other physical training, euphemistically called “if you can’t fight, at least you must be able to run.”

After discovering Louis’s physical fitness was excellent, Max pushed him harder—making him practice throwing grenades, moving targets, and more—treating him nothing like a child!

For two straight months, Louis felt like he was dying every day!

Until a phone call came.

“Mary?”

The caller was Mary—but for some reason, her voice carried a faint tremble of tears.

(End of Chapter)