Page 106 of Cruel Devotion

Duck shut off the phone and put it in his pocket. “They apparently need my help.”

“Did they find Chanel's body?”

“No, but they found some of Yan's men. It'll probably be a big fight.” Standing by his chair, Duck watched the men come over. “So. . .I figured you would want me to get you out of here, instead of simply running off without saying goodbye.”

“That would be nice.”

“And we can finish our conversation about wolves and panties later.”

“Absolutely not.”

Chapter seventeen

The Essence of the Cloud Dragon

Monique

When is Lei going to return?

Once back in the tent, I undressed, put on my pajamas, searched for my phone, and never found it.

Did Lei take my phone?

However, I did find two books underneath my pillow just like Duck had promised.

Both were bound in rich, dark blue leather, butThe Essence of the Cloud Dragonwas the thickest.

I started with that one and made so many notes.

I couldn't deny that it was a window into the world Lei had grown up in. Every page revealed shocking history.

Hours passed, and I delved deeper, reading about traditions bound by stringent, often brutal codes.

The rituals, far from mere formalities, were definite tests of strength, loyalty, and resolve, designed to forge leaders and warriors out of the members.

One passage detailed a pivotal moment in Lei's life when he was just fourteen. It described his violent rite of passage, a bloody trial where Lei had to fight for the throne.

And the text didn't shy away from the details—it spoke of a young Lei, facing opponents much older and experienced, defeating them in a series of grueling combat.

But Lei's trials didn't end there.

On his eighteenth birthday, Lei faced another daunting ceremony. This time, it was a continuous six-hour duel with many challengers. There, he had to defend his position again and again. Apparently, this was to ensure that only the strongest and most capable leader would guide the Four Aces.

Lei's victory in this duel cemented his position as the undisputed leader.

As if that wasn't enough violence, the book also shed light on the paths of Duck and Chen.

Before Duck could take on his current role asRed Pole, he had to endure a series of strategic tests, designed to assess his intelligence, cunning, and loyalty. One night, he was taken from his bedroom without any warning and thrown into a forest, blindfolded with his hands and ankles tied. Of course, there was no food, water, or weapons given.

Duck was expected to return within seven days or face disappointment and no chance of ever being Red Pole. In fact, if he failed, the text explained that he would forever hold the lowest position possible with no chance of ever being promoted.

Somehow, Duck returned to the East on the third day, bruised, scarred, and starving, but alive.

Chen's journey was equally fraught with challenges. His ascension to the position of deputy mountain master was notjust a matter of inheritance or seniority. He had to earn it in the most direct and brutal way possible—by defeating his own father in a duel.

It happened right on Mount Utopia. The book included illustrations of their fight. And various shades of red splattered their figures. I could damn near see every strike to Song's body and every wound inflicted on Chen.

I couldn't imagine how it must have felt for father and son to beat the shit out of each other for hours.

---