[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-dragon-of-a-thousand-faces":3,"chapter-the-dragon-of-a-thousand-faces-the-dragon-of-a-thousand-faces-chapter-8":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Dragon of a Thousand Faces",{"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},2269654,4431,"Chapter 8: The Cruel Truth of Another World (Chief","the-dragon-of-a-thousand-faces-chapter-8",8,"\u003Cp>A familiar landscape, yet not quite familiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walking along the seaside street of the docks, breathing in the slightly familiar sea breeze and the crooked, ramshackle houses, Li En felt as if he had returned to his childhood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The same seaside town, the same chaos and noise under economic stagnation, and the same abundance of opportunity and risk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Slap!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ow ow ow! You big bastard!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The small cat-person Li En had knocked down was still cursing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when he saw those calm, icy pupils, he shuddered and tried to turn and run.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Give it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cold, scabbarded longsword rested against the small one’s neck; he instantly calmed down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A deflated wallet was returned. The kid was still muttering about “poor bastards.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Didn’t your mother raise you right?” Li En counted the coins, confirmed none were missing, then spoke again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She’s sick.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li En knew this kid—actually, they had a history. Literally: both debt and grudge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was one of the orphans adopted by the woman bodhisattva Li En had once helped; this little Will was one of them, and one of the few who managed to survive independently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The grudge came from the fact that Li En had destroyed his job.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“. What’s the point of stealing from me? I’m a paladin—I’ve got no damn money.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Paladins might be the moral peak, but they’re also the financial bottom. Oathbound Knights are the prime example—under their vows of “poverty and purity,” they barely survive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s hard to say whether a pickpocket has more money than a knight after payday.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hah, whoever steals your wallet becomes our new boss.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Li En understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d smashed Will’s job because he’d stormed the dockside pickpocket den and killed the previous bloodsucking gang leader.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now this cursing brat was actually warning him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let them come.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li En shook his head, left the kid behind, and continued his patrol.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wherever Li En passed, chickens flew and dogs barked—and that was exactly what he wanted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The familiar stench of fish filled his nose; a large ship nearby was unloading cargo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dockside port was the region’s largest hub of wealth, where rare materials from underground ruins sold for astronomical prices in other cities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in reality, this wealth had nothing to do with the docks; instead, it attracted stray dogs that brought endless trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among all districts of Huicheng, this one had unquestionably the worst public order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All kinds of gangs and criminal organizations thrived here, along with cross-border cults and illegal groups—from petty pickpockets to evil black wizards needing test subjects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tch, looking back, three days ago I moved into this cheap inn just to save money—classic outsider stupidity.” Reflecting, Li En realized he’d probably been too long in peace, never imagining even an inn in the slums had no safe zone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, the dockside police station could only patrol limited areas; maintaining order was out of the question—just solving serious crimes was a win.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was only natural that the noble youth had collected “tails” here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Basically, no one cared how many people went missing today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the number-one crime-ridden slum, it became Li En’s first choice as a vigilante patrolman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His Soul Hero Card had less than ten days left; he needed more “evil.” From what he’d learned, other ways to gain power were prohibitively expensive and costly—the Soul Hero Card was practically cheating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Here, he didn’t have to worry about lacking crime or villains—only about accidentally digging up something too big to handle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the distant opulent jade-palace rooftops and the endless red walls and green tiles, Li En gripped his sword hilt, then sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This architectural cluster, utterly out of place with the docks, was the slave market—and it was legal and taxed. Under this era’s law code, even a paladin like Su Er couldn’t enforce justice inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Su Er’s fragmented memories, he wouldn’t even sense anything wrong—only instinctively avoided it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li En loathed it with every fiber of his being.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the slave market existed precisely here, in the most chaotic slum district.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t rush, don’t push. Literate, this way. Illiterate, that way. Skilled, third line. Racially evolved, fourth line.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The throng over there wasn’t lining up for welfare—it was lining up to sell themselves into slavery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reality was that free citizens sometimes lived worse than slaves—assuming they sold their labor, not their lives. Commercial slaves, at least. War slaves and total bondslaves were treated as property.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Li En passed, he gripped his sword hilt; the guards stared. The “reckless mad knight” had become somewhat infamous these days; there were plenty of paladins who believed slavery was a sin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in the end, he walked on. His teeth bit into his lip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even if a counterfeit looks perfect, it’s still a counterfeit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Closing his eyes, Li En gave a self-mocking smile. Do you really think you’re a paladin who never compromises?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course. I’m just a coward who picks on the weak and fears the strong.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Er thought it was legal, because in his era, slavery was far more common and brutal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li En didn’t draw his sword only because he feared this overwhelming evil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“. I’m just a weak, ordinary person.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Synchronization increased by 1%】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And strangely, after recognizing his own weakness, Su Er actually resonated—or perhaps offered comfort?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li En shook his head and continued his patrol.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he was weak, if he was ordinary, then he’d start with what he could do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Do not commit evil because it’s small; do not neglect good because it’s small. Do what your ability allows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His “small deeds” had already changed others’ lives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How many children’s lives had he saved by eliminating the tail-collecting serial killer on the docks?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Helping that woman bodhisattva escape the snakehead—wasn’t that at least giving those orphans a better life? At least Will’s life had changed; maybe he’d even find a righteous path someday.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hah, this stubborn little brat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“. They really came.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li En sighed. His Dragon Eye had already seen the encirclement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind him, a lizard thief tried to blend into the wall; on the other side, two rabbit ears peeked out; behind the wall hung a spider and a bat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lizardfolk (reptiles), cat-people, dog-people, Corvids (bird-people), and Hornhoof (horse-cow-sheep folk) were jokingly called the Five Races because they had vast numbers, many subspecies, and high reproduction—but ranked lowest in racial stats.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If a lizardfolk followed the “Secret Scale Path,” they could easily gain “Skin Chroma” by forcibly shedding scales—the cheapest invisibility ability in this world. And this was one of the most widespread evolution formulas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this world, beast-bloodlines could be evolved and purified—but required specific materials and rituals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This knowledge and these assets were precious, rare wealth—and the foundation of noble bloodlines’ supremacy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just one full evolution could drastically boost physical strength and lifespan. Commoners didn’t just live poorly—they lived shorter lives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lizardfolk were stereotyped as thieves and pickpockets precisely because this widespread, universal evolution formula was used to mass-produce invisible thieves and assassins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This world is just too unfair.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, the Soul Hero Su Er gave no response—in his mind, this was perfectly normal common sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Similarly, the multi-tailed nobles all knew: the culprit was likely a noble cat-person, because among secret advancement paths, there was a powerful “Multi-Tailed Cat System.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Supposedly, this path involved high-tier fate power—they could use their tails to die in place, with countless other uses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But normal multi-tails evolved through cultivation; this twisted path was clearly abnormal, almost certainly tied to cults and demonic gods—undoubtedly a public enemy-level taboo. But some were born to ignore taboos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Maybe some noble is using them to extend his own life,” Talia said, sounding embarrassed and hesitant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this world’s understanding, leopard-people were also considered a cat-people branch—perhaps Talia, from the same region, had blood ties to the criminal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one cared if the docks gained a few more missing persons, just as no one cared if a cat-lord grew another tail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why Li En, who dared to stop a noble’s carriage and catch him red-handed, had solved a massive problem for the docks—arresting him on the spot with iron evidence meant the nobles couldn’t legally retaliate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even so, killing the spider-lord Diego had stirred trouble—his family would surely seek revenge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If not for his “fiancée” stopping them, assassins would’ve already been dispatched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sin Domain judgment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exorcise. Scabbard Slash!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facing the pickpocket gang’s encirclement, Li En resolved the matter quickly—under three minutes total.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t fully eliminate them because their sin-light wasn’t strong enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But immediately, he encountered evil worthy of his blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uncle Li En! My brother—he’s in trouble!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A small child grabbed Li En’s hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fifteen minutes later, in that ruined ruin, Li En saw the boy again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His hollow eye sockets stared coldly upward; he lay on broken bricks, a silver coin mockingly placed on his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if to say: you’re lucky to get this price.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His internal organs had been ripped out and piled aside; his body was unnaturally desiccated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bloody severed tail was a naked sneer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Will—the kid who had been hopping around just hours ago—was dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This… this was the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No one cares about an orphan’s disappearance or death.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No one cares about the cries of the weak.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No one remembers a petty pickpocket ever lived.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No—someone cared. Someone remembered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I will care.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li En’s index finger traced across his cheek, leaving a bloody scar etched into the skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Justice, perhaps, should never be compromised.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young man gripped the sword hilt tightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, he did not slacken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Soul Resonance: Synchronization Rate Increased by 3%】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to our patron Dongzhao for the patronage support — extra chapter delivered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1621,"2026-06-19T21:45:41.002Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","8d7053fa1eb893815e1556ea725c4cc6e7ea99b15fa0f9404812a4526063effb","the-dragon-of-a-thousand-faces-chapter-9","the-dragon-of-a-thousand-faces-chapter-7",362,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-dragon-of-a-thousand-faces-cover.jpg"]