Chapter 57: Ruthless and Merciless

“Shi Xiaocai, I've had enough of you!” Dai Jin had never seen such a shameless monk—clearly rolling in money, yet always claiming to be a poor monk; clearly accompanied by a stunning beauty, yet forever pretending to be an ascetic sage. And the worst part was, not only was he formidable in real life, but he was just as skilled in the game! How was anyone else supposed to survive?

Back in the Buddha’s time, there were no video games, so of course the sutras never prohibited them. Shi Xiaocai was the master of sophistry.

Yuanbao said nothing, pouring all his effort into battling Shi Xiaocai, but to no avail—he was thoroughly routed. All he could do was silently curse the lax discipline of the Shaolin Temple for producing such an oddball as Shi Xiaocai.

At that very moment, the curtain to their private booth was lifted, and in walked a girl of seventeen or eighteen, with large eyes and long, flowing hair—a real beauty. Her outfit was revealing: a camisole and a miniskirt that accentuated her ample chest, narrow waist, and curvy hips. She sauntered in, her walk suggestive and swaying, immediately capturing the attention of all three at their computers.

“Beautiful!” Dai Jin was so excited he didn't know what to say, managing only to exclaim the word, “Beautiful!” before falling silent.

“Gentlemen,” the girl said, smiling seductively as she set several cans of drinks before them, “the boss sent me to bring you some refreshments.” With a mischievous glint in her eyes, she even winked at Dai Jin.

Dai Jin felt his soul being snatched away, stunned by his luck. At last, a beauty was interested in him, rather than Shi Xiaocai or Yuanbao. His heart pounded with excitement—perhaps he was more charming than he thought!

“Aren’t you going to invite me to sit?” The girl pressed close to Dai Jin, her generous chest brushing against him, sending shivers of pleasure through his body. Flustered, he stammered, “Uh, please, have a seat!”

She settled into the seat beside him, opening the drinks and placing them before the others. Dai Jin, his eyes glued to her voluptuous chest, longed to take a bite—she was simply irresistible.

Had Ling Tian been present, perhaps he would have sensed something amiss—such unsolicited attentiveness was always suspect, and beauties never fell from the sky for free. But the three of them, lacking his wariness, simply assumed their recent exploits had impressed the internet café owner, who had sent this girl to curry favor. They accepted it without hesitation.

“Thirsty, big brother? Have a drink. Once you finish, you can do whatever you like.” The girl nudged Dai Jin with her chest, holding the opened drink to his lips.

“Uh, thank you, you’re so sweet.” Dai Jin gulped down the drink, tossed aside the can, and immediately reached for her chest, the sensation so pleasurable he didn’t want to let go, squeezing and kneading greedily.

“You’re so naughty, big brother! Here, you two, have some drinks too.” The girl giggled, letting Dai Jin's hand roam, and handed the other cans to Shi Xiaocai and Yuanbao.

“Thank you.” Shi Xiaocai accepted, drank a few sips, and returned to the game. The girl held no particular appeal for him—though she was pretty, she didn’t compare to Song Xiaomei in either looks or temperament. Having resisted Song Xiaomei’s charms, he was hardly moved by this girl. But Yuanbao was a different matter. Coming from an average family, plain in appearance and chubby as his nickname suggested, he’d barely interacted with girls before.

“Thank you,” Yuanbao said, sipping his drink, his gaze glued to the girl's chest as Dai Jin fondled it. He lacked Dai Jin’s boldness, but his desire was no less intense—a man was a man, after all.

“Monk, are you better at games than me?” the girl purred, raising a can in a toast. “I know you don’t drink, so I brought you a special refreshment. Be a sport and drink up.” Seeing Shi Xiaocai set his can aside after only a few sips, she opened another and pressed it into his hand.

“All right, thank you.” Shi Xiaocai drank it all and put the empty can down. The girl’s attentiveness moved him; it reminded him of those who always tried to get him drunk to tempt him into breaking his vows. He sighed—he’d probably break his vow of celibacy sooner or later, such were the pitfalls of poor company. But at least this girl hadn’t forced alcohol on him or tried to seduce him.

Seeing Shi Xiaocai finish his drink, she smiled with satisfaction, took a few sips herself, and returned to flirting with Dai Jin. The two quickly became so intimate that it was as if Yuanbao and Shi Xiaocai weren’t even there.

Shi Xiaocai kept his eyes glued to the screen, but Yuanbao stared as Dai Jin stripped the girl down to her underwear, her ample chest now fully exposed to his gaze, the pink tips already firm. Dai Jin’s hand soon slipped beneath her panties, and the girl writhed and gasped with pleasure.

As she twisted, her chest undulated in a lovely arc. Yuanbao couldn’t hold back any longer, recalling scenes he’d seen in adult films where several men shared a woman. The image of the girl overlapped in his mind with those actresses.

Suddenly, Yuanbao reached out and grabbed both her breasts, the soft sensation making him moan with delight. Watching the orbs change shape in his hands, he felt a surge of accomplishment. No wonder men loved to touch women’s breasts—the tactile and visual pleasure was immense.

The sounds drew Shi Xiaocai’s attention. He glanced over and was stunned to see both Dai Jin and Yuanbao fondling the same woman. Mouth agape, he quickly turned away, muttering, “Amitabha!”

This was utter chaos—the world had truly changed for the worse! Shi Xiaocai always had a certain resistance to women; aside from his love of money, he never voluntarily sought out wine or women. Deep down, he was not a lecherous monk—he was simply fated to meet the entangling Song Xiaomei.

As the girl’s panties were about to be removed, Yuanbao’s eyes shone with anticipation, eager to see what secret garden awaited beneath.

“Shi Xiaocai! Dai Jin! Yuanbao! You three bastards, get out here!”

Just then, a shout came from outside the booth, the voice somewhat familiar. Shi Xiaocai paused his game, the other two stopped their advances on the girl, and they exchanged glances.

“Trouble?” Dai Jin tensed.

“Looks like someone’s not giving up,” Yuanbao muttered. “After all this peace, someone finally shows up again.”

“Let’s see what’s going on,” Shi Xiaocai said, standing up and leading the way. He was the main fighter; Dai Jin and Yuanbao could handle small fry, but for real threats, he was their best hope.

Dai Jin and Yuanbao stood reluctantly, both bitterly resenting whoever was interrupting their pleasure.

“Sweetheart, wait for me to deal with those punks outside, then I’ll come back and take care of you!” Dai Jin called over his shoulder as he and Yuanbao left, neither noticing the scornful smile on the girl’s face.

Outside, they found a dozen or so street punks. At their head were Baldy and Viper, both swaggering with newfound confidence as they strode toward Dai Jin, Yuanbao, and Shi Xiaocai.

Dai Jin’s anger flared—hadn’t he beaten these guys enough? And now they had the nerve to ruin his and Yuanbao’s fun—couldn’t they have waited until they were finished?

“Baldy, Viper—still not giving up? Don’t forget, Ling Tian is your boss now, and we’re his friends!” Dai Jin was itching to punch them, but, lacking Shi Xiaocai’s and Ling Tian’s skills, he hesitated since the two seemed to have something up their sleeves.

“Haha! Ling Tian? He wants to be our boss? Let’s see him beat Tiger and Lady Moon first! Today, you’re out of luck—since you’ve fallen into my hands, I won’t show mercy!” Baldy laughed wildly, looking at them with utter disdain.

Shi Xiaocai and the others were puzzled. Baldy and Viper had brought only their usual cronies, no outsiders—so where did their confidence come from? Maybe they had some trick up their sleeve—best stay alert.

With that thought, Shi Xiaocai stepped forward. His skills far surpassed theirs, and after sparring with Ling Tian, he’d grown even stronger.

“Baldy, since you haven’t learned your lesson, I’ll teach you one today—let’s see how tough you really are!” Shi Xiaocai said, raising his golden staff.

“Haha, you think I’d fight an unwinnable battle? Shi Xiaocai, today I’m going to give you a hard lesson—I’ll cripple all of you and show you this road isn’t so easy!” Baldy’s eyes glinted with malice.

To his mind, life on the street required ruthlessness—if you wanted a reputation, you had to stain your hands with blood. Ling Tian and his friends were strong, but too soft and naive to get anywhere.

“Hmph! All talk,” Shi Xiaocai scoffed, preparing to attack. But just then, Dai Jin doubled over with a cry, clutching his stomach, cold sweat pouring down his forehead.