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墨書 Inktalez
Human Sacrifice
I downed more than half a bottle of liquor in one go and got up to head to the bar's restroom, hoping to splash some water on my face to wake myself up.
A group of young men behind me also stood up. One with bleached hair casually said, "Hey guys, is this a challenge?"
"Then let's do it!" another young man with a dragon tattoo on his arm said as he took a drag from his cigarette and grabbed a beer bottle from the table, following closely behind.
I reached the sink and turned on the faucet to wash my face. The cold water splashed against my forehead, bringing me back to my senses somewhat. But that feeling of being watched hit me again. I suddenly looked up into the mirror and saw the young man with the dragon tattoo holding a cigarette in his mouth. He abruptly threw the beer bottle at my head.
I was already tipsy, and getting hit by a bottle left me dazed; pain shot through my head as I stumbled and fell beside the toilet.
Blood trickled down from my forehead along my nose.
I clung to the wall to stand up, confused about why he had attacked me out of nowhere. Behind him, seven or eight similarly aged guys rushed in. The bleached-haired youth shouted, "What the hell? You still dare to glare at me? Who do you think you are?!"
The bleached-haired youth charged at me and kicked my stomach. I raised my right hand to block it, but the restroom floor was slippery. As I did so, he lost his balance and fell backward, sprawling on the floor.
"Kill him!" the bleached-haired youth yelled. A group of them rushed over, punching and kicking me until I was backed against the wall.
Although I harbored something terrifying within me, I couldn't unleash it unless I sustained serious injuries, and using that power would significantly shorten my lifespan each time.
I could handle them one-on-one, but with so many attacking me at once, I could only curl up and protect my head in the corner, completely defenseless.
The bleached-haired youth got back up, shouting loudly as he kicked me in the temple. My head slammed against the wall with a thud, causing a buzzing sensation in my brain that nearly made me lose consciousness.
The sound of a toilet flushing came from one of the stalls as its door swung open. A young man stepped out while smoking. The sudden interruption caught everyone's attention; he glanced at me and then surveyed everyone else in the restroom.
"Get the hell out of here!" Huang Mao shouted, glaring as he kicked the young man, who immediately bolted out of the restroom.
Laughter erupted among the crowd, and then Huang Mao snatched the Glass Shard from the Azure Dragon Tattooed Youth's hand and lunged it toward me.
"Damn, do you really want to stab him to death?!" the Dragon Tattooed Youth yelled.
Huang Mao chuckled, "I’m just messing around. Look at how scared you all are."
"You've stabbed before; if you want to go to jail, that's on you. Just don't let it turn deadly when you're messing with these poor fools," the Dragon Tattooed Youth replied.
"You bastard!" Huang Mao kicked me in the stomach again, causing me to double over in pain.
"Don't provoke me," I said fiercely, picking up a piece of Glass Shard from the ground.
"Oh, picking up a broken Glass Shard and thinking you can fight us? How did someone like you even come into existence? Damn!" Huang Mao charged at me again.
At that moment, someone guarding the restroom called out, "The security is here."
Huang Mao halted his actions, grinning as he said, "Alright guys, let's go and keep drinking!"
Two security guards entered with their batons drawn and asked who was causing trouble. A group pointed at me: "It's him!"
Huang Mao feigned innocence. "Look at him; he smashed a bottle and is holding a Glass Shard like he wants to kill someone. He wouldn't listen to reason. This society is really chaotic these days."
A tall security guard approached me with his baton raised. "Put down what you have in your hand!"
I followed their instructions and threw away the Glass Shard in my hand. The group of young people burst into laughter, hurling various insults and mockery at me.
The Tall Security Guard shot me a menacing look, while another shorter guard pulled him aside and said, "Can't you see he was attacked by Binzi's people? Let's go."
The Tall Security Guard scoffed and pointed at the Glass Shard on the ground. "You better clean this up."
Once everyone had left, I touched the blood on my face, recalling Guo the Blind's words about Yang Sanqian leaving something dark within me that would greatly affect my character. If I felt even a hint of malice, I would become a killer by nature. Yet, I hadn’t harmed them; I had been humiliated like a dog.
It had always been this way over the years.
I looked at my reflection in the mirror, a pitiful sight. Dried blood clung to my hair, and my body and face were marked with footprints and bruises.
As I washed the blood from my face and head, the spot on my scalp where the Glass Shard had pierced throbbed painfully. Gritting my teeth against the pain, I pulled out a piece of Glass Shard, causing fresh blood to seep from the wound.
I was wearing loose clothing that was now soaked with blood. Holding my head to stem the bleeding, I stepped out of the restroom. A group of handsome young men and women sipped red wine while eyeing me with interest.
I glanced toward the booth where Wu had been sitting; he still hadn’t returned. Huang Mao’s gang was still there drinking, and one of them, a Purple-Haired Young Woman, pointed at me. The others immediately turned their unfriendly gazes in my direction.
I turned to leave the bar when the Tall Security Guard approached me again. He pointed at me and said, "Did you clean up the restroom before coming out?"
"It wasn't me who broke it," I replied.
"I did!" the Tall Security Guard shouted at me. "Go clean it up!"
His shout drew everyone's attention toward us.
“What’s going on here?” The bar manager walked over from the counter, and upon seeing me, pointed and said, “Aren’t you that… what’s your name again?”
“I’m Yang Hao,” I replied.
“Right, Yang Hao! Didn’t you used to serve drinks here a year ago? With that look of yours, are you back to dominate this territory after graduating?” the Bar Manager chuckled.
“Manager, this guy got into a fight with Binzi’s people. I told him to clean the restroom, and he still acted tough!” the Tall Security Guard said.
At that moment, a Sports Car pulled up at the bar entrance. A young man wearing sunglasses stepped out of the car. He walked to the entrance, took off his sunglasses, and said, “Hey, what’s going on? I just heard someone calling my name.”
Looking at the newcomer, I finally realized who Binzi was. A year ago, I had worked part-time at this bar. Back then, while serving drinks, I tripped over something and dropped a tray of Champagne on the floor. A group of people felt that I had ruined their fun and started berating me. I only showed a hint of dissatisfaction on my face, but they took it as provocation. The leader among them was Hao Bin.
At that time, Hao Bin pointed his finger at me and said, “Someone like you shouldn’t have any temper. You probably can’t even afford to pay for that drink. Get out of my sight—now!”
Afterward, I was called into the manager's office for a reprimand. He asked why I had offended a customer. I explained that it wasn’t intentional and that I had already apologized.
The manager shouted while pointing at the broken glass in the wooden tray, “How much is your apology worth? Do you know that drink costs over 800? That’s more than what you earn in a week working part-time!”
After finishing my part-time job, I only received half of my wages; the manager let it slide because I was a student.
During my four years in college, aside from a few people in my dormitory, I hardly knew anyone in my class. Later on, I found out that Hao Bin was actually my classmate.
While Five Ordinary would occasionally come to class to sleep, Hao Bin mostly just attended in name and had others take his exams for him.
There was one year when a scholarship that should have been awarded to me ended up going to Hao Bin instead because he was the distant nephew of our counselor.
The tall security guard smiled as he saw Hao Bin arrive. "Brother Bin, this guy just got into a fight with your men and smashed a bathroom glass shard. He was sweeping the floor and still had the nerve to act tough. Although our hotel doesn't suspect our guests' financial capabilities, I can't help but doubt him. He and his friends only spent 800 on that booth, and the drinks were complimentary, but they ordered six girls. Even if you add it all up, that's still 800. I really wonder if he has that kind of money."
"What? Six girls?" Hao Bin feigned surprise as he looked at my disheveled state. "You’re something else, graduating from college and already making a fortune. I never would have guessed you were this desperate. Damn, the most I've ever ordered at once was five."
Hao Bin shot a glance at my lower half, and the group behind him burst into laughter. The bar manager chuckled as he asked, "Brother Bin, what do you think we should do?"
Hao Bin patted the manager's shoulder and said, "This Mr. Yang Hao is my classmate. What do you think we should do?"
Upon hearing this, the manager's face turned awkward. "Oh, so he's Brother Bin's classmate. Should I give him a discount or charge it to your tab?"
Hao Bin immediately put on a serious face. "Do you think money grows on trees? Just give him a discount for my sake."
"How about a 10% discount?" the manager asked.
Hao Bin shrugged nonchalantly. "Why are you telling me about this? This bar isn’t mine; just give him a steep discount."
After saying that, Hao Bin led his group to the booth where the young man with yellow hair was sitting. Two security guards stepped forward to drag me to the back courtyard. From what I had seen before in bars, those who caused trouble without money or power would often be taken to the back for a beating. I didn’t know if anyone had ever died from it, but it was common for people to end up bloodied and soiled.
I said, "Hao Bin, don’t regret this."
"What?" Hearing my words, Hao Bin turned around and pulled me away from the guards. Grabbing my collar, he asked, "Me? Regret? How could I possibly regret?"
"You'll find out soon enough," I replied, looking at his smug expression.
"Fine!" Hao Bin then punched me and pressed me against the bar. He shouted, "You all don’t touch him; just leave him here for now. Let’s see what he can do to me later."
Hao Bin spat and turned to leave, while a few people beside him pointed at me and said, "You're dead meat."
The manager waved for the Tall Security Guard to return to the entrance. Leaning against the bar, he said, "You know, you're really something else. Talking tough with someone of that caliber is just asking for trouble."
I asked, "What do you think his caliber is?"
As I spoke, I pulled out my phone to call Wu, but his line was still busy.
"The effort you've put in your life won't even get you close to his level. Of course, I'm not there either, but I have a much better chance than you," the manager said dismissively before retreating back behind the bar.
"Just watch. From now on, I, Yang Hao, will not let anyone provoke me." I licked the blood from the corner of my mouth and smiled at the Bar Manager as I picked up a knife and fork from the bar.
"What do you think you're doing?" The Bar Manager glanced over and immediately shouted towards the entrance, "Security!"
Two security guards, one tall and one thin, rushed over at the call. I thrust the knife into the Tall Security Guard's eye with all my might. He screamed in agony while clutching his face, and everyone else turned to look as a group of thugs quickly charged in from various corners.
Watching them rush towards me, I suddenly drove the knife through my own palm, blood gushing out. Black characters began to seep from the wound, wrapping around my body like dark serpents.
My vision turned pitch black, reminiscent of the soul-stealing Black Gem in the night.
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