[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-paradise-of-reincarnation":3,"chapter-paradise-of-reincarnation-paradise-of-reincarnation-chapter-20":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Paradise of Reincarnation",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2273878,4446,"Chapter 20: Chapter Twenty: Deception and Blood Money","paradise-of-reincarnation-chapter-20",20,"\u003Cp>“Boom, boom, boom…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A continuous chain of explosions echoed from outside the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Clive Pirates had set fire to the Waste End Station, and the deadline for his main quest was now only a few hours away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After three days of meticulous preparation, the moment of harvest had finally arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Xiao moved through the descending night, heading toward the city gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the city, the Waste End Station.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here, explosions had merged into one roaring inferno, flames shooting skyward as vast piles of burning trash were blasted high into the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The homeless who had been resting inside the Waste End Station were jolted awake by the sudden blasts; fire began spreading across the mountains of garbage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time those homeless realized what was happening and tried to flee their shelters, the fire had already engulfed everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Piercing screams mingled with the explosions, painting a scene of hell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If hell truly existed, then the Waste End Station was it right now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Clive Pirates watched as the fire spread across the Waste End Station and began moving swiftly toward the city gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earlier, they had agreed with Su Xiao: once the Waste End Station was ignited, they would immediately head for the city gate, where Su Xiao would send someone to open it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clive, of course, would never agree to such a move—entrusting their lives to another’s word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So after their meeting, Su Xiao dispatched his trusted man, ‘Hank,’ to accompany the Clive Pirates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Hank had disguised himself as a pirate and followed closely behind Clive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hurry, the fire’s about to spread—once it does, we’re dead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clive roared, and his men instantly quickened their pace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three minutes later, the Clive Pirates reached the city gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Arriving before the gate, the pirates’ faces broke into smiles—they had completed their task, and now they only needed to enter the city and embrace their glorious new lives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially Clive himself, who was already imagining his life as a noble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luxurious mansions, exquisite food, and swarms of young, tender women.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that moment, Clive even considered abandoning his pirate identity entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bang, bang, bang~.” Clive pounded on the city gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Open up! We’re the Clive Pirates—the Waste End Station has been set ablaze!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Clive pounded the gate, silence fell—absolute, deathly silence. The only sound was the wind rustling through the flames; the city inside remained utterly still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, open the gate! The fire’s coming this way!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still no response. Clive’s heart began to race.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind them: a fire that consumed all. Before them: an unyielding city gate. They were trapped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In moments, they would be burned alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s going on? Why isn’t the gate opening?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clive’s eyes filled with bloodshot veins, like a furious beast, he spun and glared at Hank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hank’s lips turned pale—he had been sent outside by Su Xiao. Hank was merely an ordinary guard, unaware that the king had no intention of honoring his promise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, no, wait, let me try—I’ll try again!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hank’s words stumbled out; he had a creeping suspicion of the truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bang, bang, bang~! Open up! I’m Hank of the Guard Corps! Bai Ye, come out! Come out!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hank screamed, having dropped the formal title of “my lord.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bai Ye, I’ll kill you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clive understood—he had been deceived by Su Xiao. They were nothing but pawns, expendable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His bloodshot eyes turned to Hank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Burn him. Kill him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Clive spoke each word slowly, his men immediately bound Hank and dragged him to the nearby inferno, hurling him into the flames.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ahh~! It’s not my fault! Bai Ye, you’ll die a cursed death!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flames began to “kiss” Hank’s skin; his piercing screams lasted barely ten seconds before falling silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as the Clive Pirates neared despair, a low male voice rang out from the city wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, down there—you want to live?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every man before the gate shuddered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who are you? Show yourself!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clive, half-mad with rage, peered upward through the firelight—a thin, middle-aged man stood on the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Clive could speak, barrel after barrel of explosives tumbled down from the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the barrels land, Clive’s blood ran cold—behind them lay a sea of fire. They were being blown to pieces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Blow open the gate, and you might still have a chance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, the man on the wall withdrew into darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In less than two seconds of hesitation, Jin was the first to sprint toward the barrels, dragging them to the gate’s entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the gate, urgent voices rose—someone had noticed the chaos outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clive tore off his black cloak, revealing a golden armor suit. He raised his arm and fired a bullet into one of the barrels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Boom!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The explosion’s shockwave hurled the Clive Pirates backward; several unlucky pirates were pierced by flying debris and collapsed, dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of the hundred-strong pirate crew, at least a dozen perished in the blast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was worth it—the gate was blown open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind the shattered gate lay several broken corpses—members of the gate guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Clive Pirates stepped over the ruined gate and entered the royal capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a band of furious pirates—they would burn, kill, and plunder within the royal city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, you! Stop right there!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clive stared into a dark corner, leveling his shoulder-mounted gun at the shadow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t shoot! I’m the one who saved you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The middle-aged man from the wall stepped out of the darkness, fear in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why save me? I don’t recognize you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clive did not lower his weapon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have a grudge against Bai Ye. An enemy of my enemy is my friend.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cruel smile curled on Clive’s lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where is Bai Ye?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At the royal palace—he’s receiving the king’s reward. They say he’s been granted noble status.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words “reward,” “noble status”—they stoked Clive’s rage. Those were meant to be his.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bang.” A gunshot rang out—a fist-sized hole tore through the man’s chest. Clive had just killed his own savior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You bastard—you threw explosives at me? Trying to kill me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, Clive led his men charging toward the palace—he would kill Bai Ye, kill the king, and loot the palace to make up for today’s losses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The middle-aged man lay on the ground, blood trickling from his lips, his body convulsing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the Clive Pirates vanish into the distance, his eyes dimmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, a young man with a cigarette dangling from his lips stepped out of the shadows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“G-give the money to my wife and daughter—I’ve done as you asked.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Xiao crouched before the dying man, exhaling a plume of blue smoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good job. The money’s already been delivered.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s… that’s wonderful. Thank you, thank you~.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With those words, the man’s eyes went completely dark—he died from Clive’s bullet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This man was a death-row convict Su Xiao had rescued from prison. What had just happened was merely a transaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Xiao paid with gold; the man paid with his life—a fair, yet unfair, bargain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the Clive Pirates disappear into the night, Su Xiao dropped his cigarette and crushed it underfoot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Clive Pirates… don’t disappoint me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Xiao vanished into the night, racing toward the palace.\u003C\u002Fp>",1192,"2026-06-19T23:49:42.795Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","5ff3668c5559b31d727c08b0e648505b2b093d5dfd8513814063bbe10755014e","paradise-of-reincarnation-chapter-21","paradise-of-reincarnation-chapter-19",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fparadise-of-reincarnation-cover.jpg"]