Villain Saving System (BL)
Chapter 399 - 7.89 Not Again

Chapter 399: 7.89 Not Again

If it wasn’t for Moshe, Lu Yizhou would have been deemed as another traitor with his sudden declaration. For fuck’s sake, these high ranked members of the clan really reminded him of those wily old foxes slash board directors in the first world where he used to be CEO Lu. The manner of those directors urging him to get married to have an heir was awfully similar to these people advising Moshe to think of the matter clearly.

"No matter how you look at him, he is a very suspicious individual, Sir!"

"That’s right, we can’t afford to get you harmed too! What if this is all a trap?!"

"Boss, we beseech you to think again. Who is this fellow? How can he obtain such crucial information? I think that’s the most important thing we have to find out!"

"Boss—"

"Shut. Up." Moshe seethed, veins popping out of his neck. He showed a terrifyingly cold smile as he swept his gaze around the ones who had just talked. "You guys are just yapping and running your mouth as you please. Why don’t you talk to me again after you have obtained something instead of standing around here when we can save our time if we depart by now?"

They were flabbergasted by the harsh response. Since when did their leader become such a crude man? "T–This..."

Moshe was already gesturing for his men to prepare the cars. "I trust Aiden. If he wants to kill me, then he doesn’t have to resort to planning such a complicated scheme. He is powerful enough to slash my throat right now if he wants to. Right?" The last sentence was clearly directed toward Lu Yizhou.

Lu Yizhou had no idea whether to laugh or cry. If he said no, it meant he had to contradict Moshe’s words in front of everyone and in turn, making him look ridiculous. But if he said yes... wouldn’t he just make the situation worse?! He cleared his throat. "That is nonsensical. My loyalty lies with Mr. Mo and only Mr. Mo alone."

His answer seemed to appease Moshe because when he turned to the others again, the frost in his smile had thawed a bit. "I don’t want to hear such a thing ever again, understand?" After receiving a few jerky nods of approval, Moshe relaxed his stance and said almost in a soft tone. "Even if the one who relays the news today is not Aiden, I will still go. There’s a chance to save Kaede’s life, how can I not take it? I will still do it even though it is you guys who are in Kaede’s position now."

The wily old foxes blinked in shock as if not expecting that kind of sentence. "Sir..."

Seeing how touched they were by Moshe’s words, Lu Yizhou could only shake his head helplessly, amused. How sly and brilliant... Moshe had deflected the suspicion from Lu Yizhou and forced these people to remember their place at the same time. This carrot and stick method was really utilized so well!

Fortunately, Moshe’s men returned soon enough and reported that they were ready to depart anytime. Moshe took almost half of the men with him whereas the others were ordered to remain alert and guard the territory. This time, Moshe did not designate a driver and instead, chose to drive the car himself with Lu Yizhou in the shotgun seat.

Lu Yizhou fastened the seatbelt and couldn’t help muttering, "I will not slash your throat even if you threaten me to."

Moshe’s hard expression cracked to show a faint amusement. "Do you think I have not been convinced of your loyalty after all of the time we have spent together? That was a joke, silly man. I will interrogate you about this slowly after everything is over but right now..." He tightened his grip on the wheel. "We have to find Kaede. Alive."

"Do not worry, he is still alive." In time, 666’s voice rang in Lu Yizhou’s mind and confirmed his doubt. "And it’s not his eyeballs either."

"Hmm..." Moshe didn’t ask why he could know such a thing. Only his shoulders relaxed ever so slightly. "That’s good, then. So where are we going?"

Lu Yizhou grimaced. "They are heading toward the ocean. There’s an old, abandoned port there."

The two words ’port’ and ’ocean’ were enough to make Moshe understand. "That fucker...!" He slammed the wheel to the side and stomped on the pedal, bringing the car toward the highway. "He chooses to go to the place where he is supposed to die by my hands? Is he crazy?!"

Lu Yizhou shrugged. That was what he was thinking too. "Be careful. If I were as crazy as him, I would want to give my enemy the taste of their own medicine."

"Ha!" Moshe scoffed out loud. "Do you mean to say that he wants to burn me alive and throw my body into the ocean?"

"Yes." Lu Yizhou affirmed with a solemn face. "Moshe, I think that’s exactly what he is planning to do."

***

The journey to the ocean took around three and half hours. By the time they arrived, it was already past midnight. Thick dark clouds gathered in the sky and lightning struck intermittently, followed by a soft drizzle of rain that gently washed the ground with chill. The car’s windscreen wiper moved back and forth to clear the sight in front of them. They had parked a few hundred meters away to prevent the enemy from noticing them. From this position, the port looked particularly dreary and oppressive.

"Boss, we have detected signs of activity on the port!" Moshe’s men’s voice drifted out from the earpiece they were wearing. "I saw a few Cobalt Fang’s members around. Both Kaede and Zion are nowhere to be seen. Over."

"Good job." Moshe responded at once. "Get to your position. As soon as I give the signal, we will attack. Over."

Moshe tapped on his earpiece to cut the connection off. For a few seconds, he merely stared off into the distance with his eyes narrowed. Unable to resist, Lu Yizhou reached out to squeeze his hand in reassurance. It’s okay, I will be here, he tried to convey.

"Right." His marvelous lips curled into a thrilling smile. "Let’s end this once and for all."

Lu Yizhou nodded. Yes, it’s time to end everything.

The rain steadily got heavier as Moshe’s men filled into position and surrounded the port from all sides. Loud thunder reverberated across the sky and in between one breath and the next, the drizzle morphed into a downpour. It was both a curse and blessing. It would be easier to hide themselves but the visibility also lowered greatly.

Another report came in, signalling the start of the war. "Boss, we have caught sight of Kaede! Oh thank goodness, he is still alive!"

Lu Yizhou and Moshe’s eyes met in midair. The time had arrived! Moshe tapped on his earpiece with a sharp glint on his eyes. "Alright, listen well, everyone. We will start the attack from the east coast. Cut off their exit first and foremost and kill anyone who tries to resist. The first group will focus on defense. The second group, go in directly to rescue Kaede. Is there any question?"

"Clear, Boss!"

Lu Yizhou already strapped a gun to his waist and opened the door. The rain burst in, bringing with it the cold air of the night. However, before he could even slip one leg out, Moshe suddenly yanked him back by elbow, causing the door to slam shut once again. Lu Yizhou was not given any time to react when cold, slightly dry lips crushed into his almost bruisingly. He let out a groan and tilted his head to lean into the kiss, one hand sneaking behind Moshe’s head to grab his ponytail.

It was a short yet intense kiss. Both of them were panting by the time Moshe pulled away, warm breaths puffing out of their mouths that were barely a few centimetres away from each other. So close, yet not quite touching. Lu Yizhou’s throat was dry, yet he couldn’t bring himself to move.

Moshe was staring into his eyes with a gaze so intense that it almost burned, his golden orbs the only thing Lu Yizhou could see in the dark. And then, amidst their mingled breaths, Moshe reached out to press his thumb on Lu Yizhou’s bottom lip, stroking back and forth. The man’s lashes fluttered wildly, his eyes turning half-lidded to cover the myriad of emotions that was swirling within.

The chill did nothing to disperse the sparks that were flying between them. Like flint and steel, everytime they moved against each other, the air would burst out into an intense fire.

Lu Yizhou cupped Moshe’s cheek in one palm, his mind buzzing, torn between the reports that came in one after another from the earpiece and the overwhelming urge to stay here and just—

"Sweetheart..." Lu Yizhou rasped out hoarsely. A warning or a plea, even he was not certain.

One second he was still breathing in the air Moshe exhaled and in the next second, everything suddenly disappeared, leaving him bereft of warmth. Moshe had pulled away and exited the car without so much as a word, leaving a stunned Lu Yizhou behind.

"Fuck," Lu Yizhou chuckled deeply. He allowed himself two seconds to clear his mind before going after Moshe.

The rainstorm drenched him in no time at all, soaking him from head to toe. The port had turned into a battlefield as men from both sides fought tooth and nail, gunshots rang out one after another, easily mistaken as the fierce thunder.

Blood was spilled and bodies fell one after another, and amidst the chaos, Moshe marched in like a God of War with a gun held in each hand, undeterred by the rain as he shot down the enemies in front of him with terrifying precision. Lu Yizhou did not lose out either. His sole purpose was to watch Moshe’s back and cover his opening. Together, they became invincible.

"The east coast is clear! Over!"

"We are going in to save Kaede. Over!"

"Kaede has been secured! Unconscious, at least two fractured ribs and a few skin injuries. Internal organ damage still undetected. We are bringing him out now. Over!"

Moshe raised his voice to rival the rain, "Where the fuck is the Ice Madman?!"

No one answered. They had not seen Zion anywhere.

Lu Yizhou scanned the surroundings. They had been mainly fighting near the dock with the ocean merely a few meters away. Large cargos stacked up in the near distance, forming an enclosed barricade around the area. A lighthouse stood tall amidst the dark, old and beaten by age and weather. Think, think. If he was Zion, what would he do? Where would he hide to wait for Moshe?

The place where everything ended. The place where Zion was burned to death — the lighthouse!

As soon as the answer came to him, Lu Yizhou grabbed Moshe’s elbow. "I think I know where he is!" Moshe’s eyes widened in realization and he gave a nod.

Together, they rushed to the lighthouse. The door was wide open, further consolidating Lu Yizhou’s doubt. Spider webs dusted the ceiling and the air was filled with dust. And on the ground... there was a clear trail of damp footsteps. Lu Yizhou and Moshe shared a glance before they simultaneously sprinted toward the spiral staircase. It was narrow enough that only one person could go up at a time.

"Stay behind me." Lu Yizhou’s tone brooked no argument. When Moshe looked as if he was going to protest, Lu Yizhou cupped his cheeks and pinned him with a dead stare. "Sweetheart, listen to me this time. Please..."

He had ominous premonition — or to be exact, it was his radar tingling whenever his lover was close to danger. He had no idea what was waiting for them up there but there was no way he could let Moshe go first!

Lu Yizhou reloaded his gun and dropped a quick kiss on Moshe’s forehead. For a second that felt like eternity, both of them stared at each other. Moshe was drenched from head to toe, messy strands of hair were plastered to his face and his lips were pale due to the cold. He was so beautiful that Lu Yizhou couldn’t help planting another kiss, this time on his reddened nose. A small noise escaped from Moshe’s throat.

"Be safe," Lu Yizhou murmured into his skin.

Moshe exhaled shakily, "...Say that to yourself first, idiot."

This time, Moshe did not protest any longer when Lu Yizhou took the lead. The rain subdued the creaking sound of the old staircase as well as their echoing footsteps. But in exchange, they couldn’t hear any sign of activity upstairs either. Nearing the top of the stairs, Lu Yizhou frowned when he did not detect any other man. It couldn’t be... had Zion come alone?

Lu Yizhou recalled the original plot where Zion was tortured for a few days on the topmost floor of the lighthouse, until his blood seeped into the wooden floor and crawled along the brick walls, until his voice turned coarse and rough, until his vocal cords snapped and he could no longer say a word anymore...

He tightened his grip on the gun. He wouldn’t let such a thing happen to Moshe!

Lu Yizhou gave a signal for Moshe to be alert as they finally arrived on the top. The interior of the lighthouse opened up in front of them. The large window overlooked the dark ocean outside and the unused beacon stood in the middle. It was bare... save from a single chair which Zion was sitting on right now.

For a split second, goosebumps prickled Lu Yizhou’s skin because this was the exact replica of the scene in the original plot, except the fact that Zion was not tied up!

"You have come..." Zion’s voice echoed out. His eyes were nailed on Moshe, sharp and accessing. "I knew it is not a hallucination. Tell me, the images in my mind... the different sets of time that has passed, they are all real, aren’t they?"

Moshe stepped forward with his gun pointed at Zion. "I don’t know what you’re talking about."

Lu Yizhou stared at the protagonist, frowning. He was here alone, without weapon and protection. Exactly what was he planning? Should Lu Yizhou use his mind reading skill?

"Hmm..." Zion tapped his fingers on his thigh in contemplation. "Then how do you know to find me here? Oh, is it because of him?" He tilted his head toward Lu Yizhou. "Who is he? He’s not supposed to be here. This is a fight between the two of us, Moshe."

Lu Yizhou released the trigger of his gun. "Look at me, Zion Tenley."

Zion’s eyes didn’t stray from Moshe. "Why should I?"

Damn it! Lu Yizhou cursed inwardly. This was the moment he dreaded! As useful as the skill was, the set of conditions he had to fulfill to use it was such a pain in the ass! If he couldn’t get Zion to look at him, then he couldn’t say the words and the skill wouldn’t be activated!

Bang! Lu Yizhou fired the spot right beside Zion’s leg to trigger his conditioned reflex but this motherfucker did not even flinch! His gaze did not waver either!

"Shoot me." Zion said with a cold expression on his face. "As soon as I am dead, my men will set off the bombs in this place. What do you think will happen to the hundreds of people still fighting down there?"

Moshe’s pupils dilated but he managed to keep his composure in the end. Only his grip on the gun tightened to show his apprehension. "You’re bluffing," he snorted. "My men have checked this place. There are no bombs around here."

"Oh...?" Zion raised a brow. "I am sure you have checked the perimeter but what about... under the ground?"

Lu Yizhou’s heart lurched in his chest and his back broke out in cold sweat. Damn it! Did Zion just admit to planting bombs under everyone’s feet?! He gritted his teeth. [666!]

[666: O–On it! Wait... Wait a minute! Aaah, Host! He’s not lying! 666 has detected the abnormal amount of explosives below the dock!]

So that’s why Zion was so confident in facing them alone! He had hid his trump cards very well! The curse slipped out of his mouth, unbidden, "Damn you!"

"What...?" Moshe’s voice shook even though he never averted his gaze away from Zion. "Is he telling the truth?"

"We have to warn everyone to retreat!" Lu Yizhou was already reaching for his earpiece when Zion suddenly threw his head back and laughed out loud,

"It’s time!"

The hair on the back of Lu Yizhou’s neck stood on its end as loud warning bells rang in his mind. From his peripheral vision, he caught sight of a sharp glint that was contrasting to the pitch black darkness of the sea. That was... a passing ship?

In that moment, Lu Yizhou’s mind went utterly blank as instinct took over his entire body. Adrenaline rushed to his head and his feet moved to place himself between Moshe and the ship in the distance.

In that split second, the howling rain seemed to freeze and all sounds disappeared as Lu Yizhou’s body jerked backward.

He looked down to see... a hole. On his chest. Pierced straight to his heart. Oh no—

"LU YIZHOU—!!!!"

Moshe broke out into a mad dash toward him and from the corner of his eyes, Lu Yizhou saw Zion move for the first time. His eyes widened and he wanted to warn Moshe yet all that came out of his lips was wet gurgles along with the metallic stench of blood that trickled down his lips.

[System notification: Warning! Host’s physical condition is rapidly deteriorating! Detected a fatal wound to the vital organ! Commencing recovery process... Recovery process failed! The degree of the injury is too severe to be recovered!]

[System notification: Warning! Host’s physical condition is rapidly deteriorating! Host’s vitals are declining... 79%... 55%... 48%...]

[666: *screeches inhumanly*]

Lu Yizhou’s knees abruptly gave up on him but before he could fall, Moshe had caught him in time and both of them crashed to the ground with Lu Yizhou’s head cradled in the man’s arms.

Moshe’s face was pale, the ghastly kind of pale that Lu Yizhou had never seen before. And oh his eyes... those golden eyes that always shone with intensity, mirth, brilliance and slyness were currently clouded over in extreme terror as he fumbled to press on the wound over Lu Yizhou’s chest as if he could stop the bleeding this way. Soon enough, Lu Yizhou’s blood stained his hands with jarring crimson.

"No... nonononono! This is not happening!" He choked out tremblingly, gasping. His expression was stricken with fear. "I have told you to keep yourself safe! Why... Why did you do this?! I never give you permission to die! You’re not allowed to die, Lu Yizhou!!!"

Click. The muzzle of the gun was pressed against Moshe’s temple. Zion towered over them with a hostile smile. "To defeat the owner, you have to kill his watchdog first. And if the watchdog is overly ferocious... then you only need to focus on attacking its owner. A dog will always be a dog. It will stupidly protect its owner regardless of its own safety. See what happens?"

"No... no...!" Moshe seemed not to notice the gun as he was too frantic to do something to Lu Yizhou’s wound and wipe the unending stream of blood off Lu Yizhou’s lips. His hands and clothes had been utterly soaked in blood and he was trembling harder and harder as seconds passed. He desperately sought Lu Yizhou’s hazy eyes, demanding fiercely with bloodshot eyes. His tears fell one after another... dripping onto Lu Yizhou’s face like a searing brand. Goodness, how was it possible to feel more pain in his current stead? "Look at me, Lu Yizhou... I order you to keep your eyes on me...!"

Lu Yizhou’s hands twitched as he struggled to reach out to wipe the tears on Moshe’s cheeks. Don’t cry. He wanted to say. Don’t show such a face, please...

Zion shook his head, sighing in mock pity. "What a touching show. But enough is enough. Haven’t I always told you, Moshe? Everyone around you will someday become your weakness. Only when you’re alone will you become invincible."

No... Lu Yizhou coughed out more blood as a desperate glint flashed through his eyes. He wouldn’t. He had promised. He would not become Moshe’s weakness. This time, he would not repeat the same mistake.

Not again.

Zion’s finger tightened on the trigger. "Farewell, Moshe Morelli."

.

.

.

[Special Skill: Time Rewinder (Level 1)

Restrictions: This special skill’s usage will be limited to only one minute per world. Please attempt wisely.

All actions, words and events that have taken place will be completely lost. Do you still wish to proceed with this skill?]

[Yes.]

[System notification: Your special skill ’Time Rewinder’ is currently active! Congratulations you have successfully gone back one minute in time!]

.

Mini theater

This scene took place on the night after Lu Yizhou returned from beating Ezra up. He quietly slipped into Moshe’s bedroom and hovered beside the bed, drinking in the sight of Moshe’s peacefully sleeping face. Moshe had always looked alert when he woke up that it ached his heart to see how vulnerable he looked right now.

[666: Host, shouldn’t you treat your hands?]

At 666’s soft reminder, Lu Yizhou looked down to see his bleeding and swollen knuckles. Not good. What should he do if Moshe woke up tomorrow and saw this?

[666: *sigh* Host, 666 doesn’t say that so that you can hide the wounds from Moshe’s eyes. Why don’t you ever take care of yourself? Remember that our mission in this world is not to save the villain from his demise? It is to save his heart, no?]

Lu Yizhou’s brows furrowed in annoyance. [What are you trying to say?]

Another exaggerated sigh resounded in Lu Yizhou’s mind. He almost rolled his eyes at that. For a system, 666 was surely dramatic.

[666: What 666 is trying to say is... you should focus more on yourself rather than worrying about others. 666 can say for certain that if something happens to you, then the mission will ultimately fail. Host, our main goal is to save a villain’s heart. And who do you think that means?]