Chapter Sixty-Six: The Fragrant Snow Lotus of the Dead

Mu You rubbed his hands together, determined to uncover every secret the Deadman’s Paradise was hiding. He asked, "The classification of deadman levels."

"Hello, Dangerous Deadman Mu You. Your current level is LV2 Dangerous Deadman. Above you are LV3: Class-A Deadman, LV4: Class-S Deadman, LV5: Class-SS Dangerous Deadman. Anything above LV6 is inaccessible due to insufficient clearance."

"Level of Dongguan?"

"Dongguan, Chief Physician of Twelve Surface Towers in Deadman’s Paradise, SS-class... Deadman!"

A chill ran through Mu You’s heart. Dongguan was also a deadman, and not just any deadman—an SS-class. He had thought she was one of the staff working with the Paradise, not an inmate.

"Level of the Wardeness?"

"Wardeness, codename Bionic Bird, peak Class-A."

"Deadman tamers?"

"Judges/Deadman Tamers: Deadman’s Paradise collects children who have committed murder from a very young age and secretly trains them (Judges), or selects from among the most incorrigible major criminals, forming a special deadman group under the 'Rehabilitation' program (Deadman Tamers). After thorough brainwashing, they are trained as assassins or bodyguards to protect the Warden, Mo Han. Their weapons are coated with a substance that rapidly ages the Meridian Soul-Breaker Worm, used to suppress or discipline rioting deadmen."

Mu You clicked his tongue in silence. This Deadman’s Paradise was depraved beyond words.

"Instructors at the Academy of Perfection?"

"Deadman Tamers: Feimo, You Tong, Wardeness, Right Tyrant."

"Judges: Super Monk, Nono, Fu Nian, Young Master Dian."

Images of the Tamers and Judges appeared on the interface. To his surprise, he recognized Right Tyrant—a former dangerous deadman from the Thirteenth Floor, now instructing at the Academy. So he had survived to the end and broken through to Class-A.

Mu You swiped the interface, his gaze settling on a Judge named Nono.

She was just a young girl, perhaps in second or third grade. In her photo, she wore a sweet smile, yet everyone chosen for this role was at least peak Class-A. How had a little girl like her come this far?

Mu You didn’t bother to dwell on it. Clenching his fists, he thought for a moment and typed a new question.

"Is there a way to kill Mo Han?"

"Yes."

Receiving such a direct answer made Mu You’s hands tremble. He licked his lips, unable to suppress the tension and excitement rising in him, and asked, "What is it?"

"Your clearance is insufficient. This question requires LV7 access."

"Damn it!"

He’d expected as much, but having the answer dangled before him and still out of reach was excruciating.

Finally, Mu You checked the contents of the vial in his hand.

"Nectar of the Corpse-Scented Snow Lotus, rarity level LV4, oral administration. Deeply unlocks the deadman’s genetic chain, accelerating the evolution of bodily functions. Value: 300,000 points."

Mu You’s eyes lit up. What in the world was a Corpse-Scented Snow Lotus? Was it, like the Meridian Soul-Breaker Worm, another supernatural species concocted by Deadman’s Paradise? And this tiny bottle, smaller than his thumb, cost 300,000 points—Dongguan was really investing heavily in him.

He uncorked the glass bottle, and instantly a refreshing fragrance seemed to pierce his soul. Even when he pulled his nose away, the scent didn’t fade; in moments, it filled the entire cell.

Mu You didn’t hesitate any longer. He tilted his head back and drank the nectar.

A wave of intoxication hit him immediately. He belched loudly and collapsed, dizzy, onto his bed. The fragrance lingered on his lips and tongue as he began to snore softly.

...

After leaving Mu You’s cell, Dongguan wiped her nose and headed toward the elevator. As she arrived, a card was handed to her.

Without looking up, Dongguan took it. "How much?"

"Two hundred thousand points. I was hospitalized with severe injuries before, so I’m short this month. I’ll make up the rest next month. I’m counting on you to save my brother’s life."

"For a dangerous deadman like you to get so much money, I can only imagine how many people you’ve swindled. Still, there aren’t many older brothers as diligent as you these days. All right, I’ll do my best to save him before the Class-A evaluation. If you fail, I’ll find a way for you to see him one last time before you die. Oh, and your brother’s condition is stable for now. I never would have thought you two would survive that car explosion."

As she spoke, Dongguan tapped her wristwatch, projecting a video into the air.

In the video, a handsome young man, his body ninety percent covered in severe burns, was being lifted from a tank of nutrient solution. The technician tore away the uneven patches of new and old skin, applied more medicine, then submerged him once more. The pale green solution was instantly tinged pink as blood seeped from his wounds.

Only his head remained above the surface, his eyes still lucid. Despite enduring torture that would break most men, he stayed calm, his body strapped to a human-shaped steel gurney that might as well have been made of paper. He lifted his head with numb resignation, staring into the camera—a gaze so empty, it seemed to pierce the audience, or perhaps to sink into a deeper abyss of despair.

"Yes, I never expected things to end up like this either."

Jing Fei watched his brother endure the cruelest torment imaginable, his voice heavy with sorrow and grief. Yet, his expression, turned away from Dongguan, brimmed with a vicious, almost satisfied malice.

Ding—the elevator doors opened.

"I’m off. Take care of yourself."

Dongguan never looked back. Apart from Mu You, she couldn’t care less about the tragic pasts of dangerous deadmen. As the SS-class Chief Physician, she had every right to disregard such people. The rest was just habitual—fulfilling requests, nothing more.

As Jing Fei closed his cell door, he slumped against it, his whole body trembling uncontrollably. His laughter was wild to the point of madness, tears streaming down his face.

He threw himself against the window, pressing his head hard against the glass, smearing it with sweat and tears. His vision blurred, but he stared down at the distant earth, as if his gaze could pierce the mountain and reach some secret laboratory. There, his brother, burned from head to toe, was enduring a punishment that filled Jing Fei with excitement—almost ecstasy.

"My dear little brother, don’t worry. I’ll never let you die. Back when you and our parents tried to have me take the fall for you after my accident—when I was barely conscious, I heard everything. All because I was adopted, and you were their real son. Was the difference in treatment really so great? I loved you so much, did everything for you! And you? You set your sights on your sister-in-law and tried to destroy me to get her, with our parents helping you steal everything I built. In the end, you tried to kill me and failed, and our parents drugged me, using my beloved’s life to force me to take the blame for you! Fine! Here I am! Did you think I wouldn’t find you, even if you ran to Deadman’s Paradise? Did you think I’ve been playing the coward all these years? I’m going to kill you with my own hands and destroy our parents’ last hope. The despair you gave me, Jing Fei will repay in full—with interest. Little Hui, don’t be afraid. The Academy of Perfection is about to open, and your big brother is coming for you... Ha...hahaha..."