Chapter 115 Can Her Hands Still Be Saved?
# Luminous City
Luminous City is truly a lawless zone where no government has control. Here, the world is split into two extremes. One is the wealthy district, where parties never stop and money flows like water every night, firmly controlled by an extremely mysterious nobleman—Mr. West. No one has ever seen his real face; they only know he wields enormous power.
The other is the poor district, where the air is always thick with decay and despair, ruled by a gang boss named Hawk under Mr. Zane.
Rumor has it that Hawk is ruthless and brutal, quick to kill, vicious to the extreme. The blood on his hands exceeds the water most people have drunk in their lifetime.
In Luminous City, only Mr. West and Hawk wear masks—one gold, one silver. Anyone who has seen their true faces no longer exists!
Luminous City is a paradise for shady deals. As long as you can pay the price, you can buy anything you want in this world, including souls.
When Emma entered Luminous City, it was already evening the next day. The moment she set foot on that desolate land, she could instantly smell blood in the air.
They checked into an unremarkable hotel in the wealthy district.
The room was plain and simple, but at least it was clean and tidy. There was no choice—they had to keep a low profile. She didn't want to get killed right after landing.
When entering the city, she wore a face mask with her cap pulled down low, wishing she could wrap herself up like a dumpling.
Night fell, and the lights came on.
Emma and Tom slipped over to the legendary Red House.
Red House was Luminous City's information black market. Here, as long as you could pay the price, there was no information you couldn't buy.
A little boy with bright red hair greeted them, though his eyes looked far too experienced for his age.
"Blue Moon?" The little boy tilted his head, his voice crisp.
Before Emma could speak, Tom jumped in with a grin, "Silent Whisper!"
The boy pursed his lips, clearly not too happy with this improvised password change, but still led them into a secret room.
"So, what do you want to know? Pay the right price, and you'll be satisfied." An elderly gentleman in his sixties walked out, wearing small round glasses and a somewhat old but respectable suit.
Emma didn't waste words. She pushed a photo across—it showed a lonely white building.
"I want to find this place."
The old man studied it for a while, tapping his finger on the photo.
"Water Tower Warehouse in the Western Forest. To get there, you'll have to pass through the Rubber Plantation."
He paused and added, "The Rubber Plantation is Mr. West's territory. Without his emblem, not even a fly can get in."
"Mr. West?" Emma raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, the god who controls the entire wealthy district, the lord of Los Castle—Mr. West." The old man's tone carried a hint of awe. "You outsiders, if you want to get anywhere in the wealthy district and can't meet Mr. West, you won't get far."
"Where can we find Mr. West?" Tom asked.
The old man's eyes rolled. "The arena reopens tomorrow. There's a good chance Mr. West will show up for the fun. You can try your luck there. If he's not there, you'll have to go to the auction, but that's got a much higher barrier to entry—most people can't get in."
Emma took out something golden and placed it on the table. "I want an entry ticket."
The old man's eyes locked onto the golden object and wouldn't move. He immediately pulled a small golden round token from his pocket and gave it to her.
"Take this." He added another warning, "Remember, never touch Mr. West's body, or your hand gets chopped off right away."
Emma and Tom exchanged glances, thanked him, and left.
As they were leaving, Tom looked back. He had a feeling that someone's eyes were watching them.
Meanwhile, after flying for a day and taking a four-hour boat ride, Evelyn also set foot on Luminous City's soil.
She carried a black travel bag, clutched a crumpled map in her hand, followed by a local guide and two burly bodyguards.
By the looks of it, she came prepared. Unfortunately, before she could even find her booked hotel, just as she turned a corner, several dark figures flashed by and she was cleanly kidnapped.
The travel bag was left lying alone on the ground.
Before long, a little beggar sneaked over, unzipped it, and tossed aside a few lipsticks, a powder compact, and a passport with disgust.
The little beggar only took the cash inside and ran off in a flash, leaving a mess on the ground.
The next evening, Luminous City's arena absolutely exploded. The arena had been closed for a year, and now that it was reopening, it was packed with people pouring in like it was market day.
By seven o'clock, the place was already full.
Tonight's main event—Man vs. Wolf Battle!
They said the winning warrior would not only get a million in prize money but also get residency in the wealthy district, plus a gorgeous beauty.
Five strong warriors were already in the arena, rubbing their hands together, their eyes full of desire.
Emma squeezed through the crowd, her eyes scanning the VIP section like radar, but she couldn't spot even a shadow of Mr. West. However, she did notice a man wearing a silver mask sitting in another VIP section.
The man looked extremely distinguished and imposing, surrounded by several bodyguards. If it weren't for his commanding presence, she might have mistaken him for Number Seventeen.
Number Seventeen was the fighter Evelyn often went to watch. Due to their different social statuses, she didn't dare connect the two.
"What a waste of a trip," she muttered irritably.
Just then, a tall man brushed past her, carrying a woman on his shoulder.
The woman wore a golden dress, her hair and face covered with cloth so her features couldn't be seen, but her big watery eyes and slender pale wrists were visible—clearly a beauty.
The moment the beauty saw Emma, her body struggled violently. Her frightened eyes stared at Emma desperately, making muffled sounds, trying to scream but unable to.
That look was full of despair and pleading for help.
Emma's heart skipped a beat.
"Emma!" Tom ran over, panting. "I found out! Mr. West didn't come here—someone saw him at the auction!"
Emma immediately turned around, "Let's go!"
The beauty watched her leaving figure in despair, making whimpering sounds as tears rolled down her face.
The party was held in a luxurious villa, filled with elegantly dressed people and flowing wine.
Emma changed into a low-key light blue dress and slipped in.
Soon, she locked onto a man wearing a golden mask.
The man stood alone in a corner. Even with the mask, his outstanding presence and perfect physique were hard to hide.
Before she could speak, she saw a woman being dragged out by two bodyguards. The woman shouted, "Mr. West, I was wrong! Please spare me! I won't do it again!"
An onlooker nearby whispered, "This woman is really bold, daring to touch Mr. West's hand. Looks like she won't be keeping those hands."
"Mr. West also said no one is allowed to wear blue dresses. Here comes another one with a death wish."
Everyone looked at Emma's dress color and broke into a cold sweat for her.
Emma froze. Was this Mr. West so twisted that he couldn't even tolerate the color blue?
But right now, she had no time to change. She took a deep breath and walked over. "Mr. West?"
The man turned at the sound, his eyes behind the mask cold as ice.
He raised one finger and made a beckoning motion. Two bodyguards rushed forward. Everyone waited to watch this woman's downfall.
Unexpectedly, the two bodyguards brought over a golden chair from the side and placed it next to Emma.
"Beautiful lady, please sit!" Mr. West's voice was magnetic and gentle, not at all like someone who had just been angry.
Unable to figure it out, everyone quickly scattered. The two bodyguards stood three meters away, creating a private space for them.
"Thank you!" Emma nodded, sitting down somewhat nervously, then got straight to the point, "Hello, Mr. West. I'm NOVA. I'd like to ask for your help!"
"Wait a moment!" With just a look from Mr. West, two waiters quickly brought over a square table. Then a line of chefs appeared, placing delicious dishes on the table—lamb leg, steak, thick soup, bread... and they even lit a candelabra.
Emma was stunned by this scene.
Mr. West raised his wine glass. "Miss NOVA, would you do me the honor of having dinner with me?"
"It would be my honor!" She nodded and raised her glass.
A crisp sound rang out as she reluctantly took a sip.
Mr. West elegantly cut his steak and chewed it gently. Seeing she hadn't moved, he asked, "Miss NOVA, do you look down on my dinner?"
"Oh, not at all." Emma quickly picked up her knife and fork. She was actually hungry and put the steak in her mouth to chew.
Mr. West carefully cut some lamb and placed it on her plate. Emma chewed with countless questions in her mind. She wondered if she'd mistaken him for someone else—was this the legendary demon?
After eating for a while, seeing Emma had eaten enough, Mr. West finally spoke slowly.
"Miss NOVA, what brings you to me?"
Emma wiped her mouth, then got straight to the point. "I'd like to borrow Mr. West's emblem."
The corner of the man's mouth curved into a playful arc. His voice was deep and pleasant but carried an undeniable sense of pressure, "Sure, but you need to trade something for it."
"What?"
"Two things." The man held up two fingers. "One is your body. Two is your soul."
Emma paused. "What exactly does Mr. West mean by soul?"
The man's cold eyes hooked onto her. "Be my slave for three years, at my disposal."
Emma thought this man was really quite arrogant, but on someone else's turf, she didn't dare push back hard.
"Sorry, I won't trade either of those things. Thank you for dinner. I'll be going now."
She stood up to leave.
Mr. West seemed to see through her thoughts and chuckled softly.
"Miss NOVA, don't you know that your face is worth a fortune in bounty? Standing here, tsk tsk, you're like a walking target—everyone's eyes have to look at you."
With that, he pulled out a simple golden silk eye mask from his pocket and put it on her without asking, covering most of her face.
It instantly matched his own, like a couple's set.
His warm fingertips accidentally brushed her cheek. "You need to learn first how to survive in Luminous City!"
Emma stepped back. "Mr. West, do you know me?"
"Of course. I was just about to invite you to visit the castle, Miss NOVA." His tone was forceful as he reached out to pull her into his arms.
Emma suddenly pushed him away, but in that instant of contact, her fingertips swiftly snatched something from him with lightning speed.
"Mr. West, I'll think it over carefully. Excuse me." She forced herself to stay calm and turned to leave.
"Miss NOVA, you've got some nerve!" He grabbed her small hand and dug out a small, delicate golden emblem from her palm.
Emma's face went pale. Could she still keep this hand?
Four bodyguards immediately closed in...