Chapter 228
Chapter 228: He Didn’t Just Harm Others—He Harmed Himself Too. For Money, He Even Sold Data.
With his head ground into the earth, Chong Luo Han couldn’t fight back. His limbs twitched weakly, useless.
Chong Xing Qi saw his grandfather being beaten and snapped on instinct—no thought, only rage.
Ice gathered into a blade and shot up from the ground, stabbing straight toward Jiang Tea Tea.
Jiang Tea Tea didn’t even move to dodge.
She turned her eyes slightly, gaze cold enough to freeze blood, and pressed her boot down harder, grinding Chong Luo Han deeper into the dirt.
Clang.
The ice blade shattered mid-flight.
Jin Lin caught the remaining shard, crushed most of it in his hand, and left only a short spike.
Then he drove that spike straight into Chong Xing Qi’s chest—toward the heart.
Chong Xing Qi’s mouth fell open in disbelief. Earlier, Jin Lin couldn’t even evade his ice. Now he struck through his guard with terrifying precision.
Jin Lin withdrew his hand and stepped back. “Little dragon cub. You attacked twice. Your ice is sharp. Your ability is strong.”
His voice turned almost gentle. “Now that ice is inside your heart. Wrap it with your ability. Keep it from melting.”
“If it melts,” Jin Lin said, eyes bright with cruelty, “your heart will explode.”
Chong Xing Qi’s knees gave out. He crashed down, clutching his chest. Blood seeped through his fingers. His face went paper-white.
The fearless, arrogant youth vanished, replaced by raw terror and pain.
Chong Ling Lan crawled to his side on hands and knees, eyes wide, not daring to touch the wound.
Chong Luo Han was a registered researcher. His son was the clan chief. His grandson was one of the most outstanding newly adult dragons.
From the moment Jin Lin attacked, that family had been united in defense of itself.
Now they were unraveling in public.
Jiang Tea Tea lifted her foot off Chong Luo Han’s head and kicked him hard in the gut.
The impact yanked him out of the ground like pulling garlic. He flew and slammed into the rubble, groaning.
It took Chong Luo Han a long moment to focus through the pain. When he did, he saw it: his grandson bleeding, his son kneeling, helpless.
Then he felt the weight of Chong Ming’s gaze.
And the weight of every other gaze around him—like blades hovering over his throat.
Jin Lin stepped in and crushed Chong Luo Han’s remaining arm in brutal sequence—wrist, forearm, upper arm—breaking bone until there was no way he could grab another syringe.
Then Jin Lin bent close, voice dripping murder. “Chong Luo Han. Tell me.”
“Who captured me? Who imprisoned me? Who drew my blood, cut my flesh, tore my scales? Who turned my body into drugs and pills for others to swallow?”
Chong Luo Han dropped to his knees, face ashen.
There was no hiding left.
“It was me,” he whispered.
His voice rose, shaking. “Three hundred and one years ago, you arrived in the Zhen Lin Empire. You met me. You treated me politely. You even called me brother.”
“And then I heard you could live a thousand years… and I got greedy.”
He swallowed hard. “When I realized you’d awakened water-element ability and wind ability—then lightning-element ability—my greed grew.”
“In the M31 star system, no one lives a thousand years. People who awaken three abilities are so rare you can count them on one hand.”
“And those few never live long. They die to mental power collapse and mental sea collapse. Average lifespan is eighty to one hundred twenty.”
Chong Luo Han’s eyes were wild now, trapped between fear and obsession. “But you were different. You looked young. Your power was full. You made me believe a person could awaken three abilities and still balance the surges.”
“And I…” He dragged in a breath. “I was a researcher. A researcher with a bright future and no direction.”
“So I got close. I invited you into my home. I fed you. I drugged your food and drink. I used an ability suppressor. I bound you and imprisoned you.”
“You were new. Your identity was missing. No one came looking.” His voice cracked. “So I treated you like my private specimen. Mine.”
“I wanted the secret of ability awakening—the secret of awakening three or more abilities. And longevity.”
“If I could find what made you different, I could benefit my clan, benefit the empire—benefit all beastfolk and pure humans across M31!”
Jin Lin snorted, contempt dripping from his voice. “So you ‘benefit’ everyone with my body. How generous.”
Chong Luo Han either didn’t hear the mockery or couldn’t stop. He kept confessing, faster and faster.
“I locked you up. I drew your blood, cut your flesh, tore your scales. I electrocuted you. I beat you.”
“I couldn’t solve your longevity. I couldn’t solve your abilities. I asked, and you only cursed me.”
“I kept you imprisoned day after day. Year after year.”
“Then later, I began cooperating with the Ability Research Institute.”
His voice grew frantic. “I used your blood, flesh, and scales to make drugs and pills.”
“But I didn’t know what would happen if someone ate them. So I fed them to my family first.”
“My family ate them—your blood, your flesh, your scales. And their bodies became stronger.”
Chong Luo Han lifted his broken arms weakly, almost pleading. “And me. I’m three hundred thirty-nine years old. My ability rank is only S-rank, but I look thirty, maybe forty.”
“It all comes from your blood, flesh, and scales. That means your body can change constitution. If it can change constitution, then awakening abilities is only a matter of time.”
“So I mass-produced them. I sold them cheaply or gave them away. I told the clan they could strengthen the body, help awaken abilities, and extend lifespan.”
His voice dropped into something like awe. “Not just thirty-eight. At least eighteen thousand dragons have eaten drugs and pills made from you.”
Jiang Tea Tea’s earlier accusation landed like a hammer: everyone claiming innocence was lying. They knew what they ate. They knew the effects. They just didn’t want the consequences.
A group of cub parents surged forward and began beating Chong Luo Han, screaming over each other.
“You told us your drugs could strengthen us, help awaken mental power, help us live longer—”
“But you never told us they were made from your own cruelty!”
“Now someone is here to kill us for it! Why should we pay with our lives for your sins?”
“If someone should die, you die!”
“My child is not paying for you!”
They turned toward Jin Lin, desperate. “Your Excellency Jin Lin, the debt belongs to him! Your enemy is him, not us, not our children!”
“Kill him! Kill his whole family if you want! They deserve it! Leave us out of it!”
Beneficiaries, cornered by death, scrambling to shove blame elsewhere.
Chong Luo Han took the beating without resistance, his status collapsing in real time—from respected researcher to something everyone wanted to tear apart.
His son and grandson could do nothing but watch.
Jiang Tea Tea and Jin Lin didn’t stop it. They watched coldly.
After a long stretch, Chong Ming spoke, voice quiet but absolute. “Enough.”
The single word hit every Yellow Dragon Clan member like a weight. Hands lowered. Feet backed away.
Chong Ming looked once at Chong Luo Han, then turned his gaze to Chong Xing Qi. “Your grandfather admitted his crimes. Do you still have anything to say? Any doubt?”
Chong Xing Qi trembled. His hand stayed pressed to his bleeding chest. At last, he lowered his head. “Commander-in-Chief… I have nothing to say.”
His voice broke. “But I ask you—spare my grandfather’s life.”
Chong Ming lifted a hand and pointed at Jin Lin. “Your grandfather imprisoned him for three hundred years. Tortured him for three hundred years. Used his body to make you what you are.”
“You’re asking me to spare him.” Chong Ming’s voice stayed even. “You’re asking the wrong person.”
He pointed again. “Ask him.”
Chong Xing Qi’s shoulders shook. His plan—to force Chong Ming to pressure Jin Lin—collapsed in an instant.
“Commander-in-Chief!” Cai Xi Chao’s voice cut in from the side.
She stepped forward, face pale with the weight of what she’d uncovered. “In addition to his covert cooperation with Li Ao, the former director of the Ability Research Institute… I found that Chong Luo Han also cooperated with dozens of illegal foreign research organizations outside the Zhen Lin Empire.”
“Including the insect clan and A Ba Planet.”
“They cooperated on research into immortality, abilities, and genes.”
“And Chong Luo Han is suspected of selling body data—genetic and ability data—of multiple species within the empire: Yellow Dragon Clan, Black Dragon Clan, White Tiger Clan, Gold Dragon Clan, White Dragon Clan, Canine Clan, and more.”
“Male and female beastfolk. Pure humans.”
Her voice sharpened. “He is suspected of trafficking up to one hundred million records.”