A few moments after leaving Yuki's room, Jonas found himself outside the room that belonged to Xiao Lin. Perhaps, they should have met much earlier. At least that way, Jonas could have had a definite answer on what to do with the mysterious top-five fighter. However, Jonas knew that he would never have commanded any respect had he tried to approach Xiao Lin without being a top-five fighter. Killing Wolf and beating Rodney White were two massive accomplishments that let Jonas speak to the other top-fives on equal grounds.

"It does smell like incense," Jonas wrinkled his nose and took a few light sniffs. He wasn't sure how the conversation would go, but he knew he needed to steel himself for a war of words—Xiao Lin gave off the impression that he was much more clever than the average Sinner. Jonas branched himself, knocked on the door, and waited.

"Come in, Jonas," said a smooth voice.

'Clever party trick,' Jonas thought to himself as he pulled open the door and entered the room. At first glance, the room appeared rather bare and minimalistic, like Ahmed's room. If Jonas hadn't known better, he would have assumed that Xiao Lin lacked furniture because he had just become a top-five fighter.

Jonas saw a platform that reminded him of a stage and a wooden table surrounded by large cushions for seating. There were unique green plants that he'd never seen before and a small bamboo fountain that created a peaceful atmosphere through the sound of falling water and a light humming noise.

Next to the wooden table was an incense burner shaped like a dragon, and in its mouth was a half-burnt stick that gently fumed away. Kneeling on one of the cushions was a middle-aged Asian man wearing soft silk robes and stirring an electric teapot.

“Jonas Ariel,” said Xiao Lin in a soft voice, like a gentle, blowing wind. “It’s a pleasure to see you again. Only this time, I'm glad we can speak.”

“The last time we saw each other, you didn’t get to see the best of me,” Jonas recalled being carved like a pumpkin and made to bleed out in the meeting room.

“Seeing the powers of an Original Sin was perhaps the best part of seeing you, though,” Xiao Lin gestured to one of the cushions, “Please, have a seat," Jonas accepted the invitation and knelt just opposite Xiao Lin. “Tea?”

“Sorry, I’m not a big tea guy," Jonas shook his head. "I'll take a beer if you have one."

“Unfortunately, I'm all out of ale,” said Xiao Lin. “I've never really liked the taste of tea, but I’ve been drinking it for almost two hundred years now.”

“If you don’t like it, why do you keep drinking it?”

“I’m Chinese,” Xiao Lin grinned. “It comes with the territory,” Jonas responded to the joke with a friendly chuckle.

“Sorry for disturbing you so late, Xiao Lin,” said Jonas. "I've wanted to speak to you for a while now. Unfortunately, I've been a bit busy and haven't had the time."

“Very busy," Xiao Lin was wearing a smile that wasn't a smile, and it seemed that he was trying to imply something. Then, he nodded his head. “I, too, have been wanting to speak to you for a while now, but alas, I usually keep to myself and have a hard time following through with social gatherings,” Xiao Lin lifted the pot of tea and poured himself a cup. Taking a sip, he smacked his lips together and scrunched his eyebrows. “Should have added whiskey.”

“I know what you mean. It’s hard to leave the comforts of a private room once you earn it.”

“And earn it, you did,” Xiao Lin smiled. “Though Wolf's old room isn't the only room you spent time in, now is it?” Although his voice was kind and playful, Jonas could feel there was jealousy and bitterness. It reminded him of high school, where guys would try to befriend him because their girlfriends wouldn't stop talking about him. Jealousy was a fickle thing that was born from insecurity. Perhaps, Xiao Lin was an insecure man.

“I'm not sure what you mean,” said Jonas while trying to appear modest. “Killing Wolf was insanely difficult. I got lucky,” he tried to steer the conversation away from him and Yuki.

“Alas,” Xiao Lin ignored most of what Jonas said. “I’ve lost my sparring partner ever since you started making waves. I feel like my technique might now be less refined,” Jonas internally sighed because he could tell that his new acquaintance was bitter about his and Yuki’s relationship.

“If you mean Yuki, feel free to spar with her anytime you want. I don't control her actions, and I don't see any issue with you two sparring. As long as she agrees, you can spar all day and night," his intent was clear as day: if Yuki didn't want to spar with Xiao Lin, that was his fault and had nothing to do with Jonas.

“That's fair enough,” said Xiao Lin, but his voice was less friendly. “To the victor goes the spoils. You're probably here to talk about your plans, right?”

“My plans?”

“The escape plans you and your companions have been putting together over the last few weeks,” Xiao Lin smiled devilishly. “I’m quite observant.”

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

“I'm sure Garth told you,” Jonas gave a carefree smile. "My plans always go well, if you haven't noticed. How do you feel about what I'm doing?“

“Me?” Xiao Lin sipped his tea. “How should I feel?” This response made Jonas feel like rolling his eyes. It was immature and spoke volumes about Xiao Lin's true character. He wasn't mysterious; the middle-aged monk was nothing more than a petty man pretending to be wise.

“You should be interested in joining,” said Jonas. “Also, you should be carefully considering the consequences of making a wrong decision,” the threat contained in Jonas' words took Xiao Lin no time to decipher; it caused him to stir uncomfortably in his cushion.

“That's very true,” Xiao Lin nodded. “We both need to consider the consequences of making a wrong decision. You shouldn't cross Howard Hurts."

“Unfortunately for me, crossing Howard Hurts is inevitable. Listen, Xiao Lin, I’m not one to beat around the bush. Ahmed, Yuki, myself, and half a dozen other fighters are making a break from this place. Wolf’s dead and gone; Garth and I have a deal for him to mind his business. Now, only three obstacles are in our way: Howard Hurts, Thomas Vale, and the guards.”

“I also prefer to be open and honest,” said Xiao Lin. “So, with the spirit of honesty, those are three large obstacles; you must admit.”

“We've got a good plan. The guards will be distracted using a riot. The fighters under my command will free the slaves, rally the rest of the barracks, and use those numbers to take out the guards. Now, with Garth hiding in his room, you, Ahmed, and Yuki will intercept the two leaders as they return from viewing the matches. They'll be distracted by the prison break, which allows me to launch a sneak attack. Eventually, it will be us four against their two, and our riot should be able to join us. With the odds stacked against him, Howard Hurts will have two choices: fight to the death, or let us walk free."

"Interesting," Xiao Lin sipped his tea once more. "What are the odds of the plan working?"

If you help us,” said Jonas. “I won’t guarantee success, but I will say that the chance of us escaping is extremely reasonable. I’d go as far as saying at least seventy percent.”

“Seventy percent?” Xiao Lin clicked his tongue and shook his head at Jonas, like a tutor who was patronizing a child for missing an obvious answer. “That is quite reasonable. However, Jonas, does that guarantee we all make it alive?”

“No,” Jonas felt irritated, but he tried his best to keep his tone friendly. “Even if we successfully escape, there is no way to guarantee that everyone makes it out alive. I’d be lying if I tried to say otherwise.”

“Four top-five fighters against Howard Hurts and Thomas Vale,” Xiao Lin pondered. “That’s pretty good odds. Too bad Mr. Garth is fond of this place, as he would have been a great help."

“Let me ask you something,” Jonas ignored the bit about Garth. “Do you want out of here?”

“Do I want out of here?” Xiao Lin repeated the question aloud. “I can’t say that I hate it here, and I also feel as if the outside world doesn’t offer as many benefits as my life right now. With every fight, I gain more power. I have access to luxuries, high standings, backing from Howard, and almost anything I can ask for.”

“But not freedom,” Jonas reminded. “You don’t have freedom. You can never leave: you'll be here forever.”

“Can freedom fill your belly?” Xiao Lin gave a dry chuckle. "Don't be ridiculous; none of us will be here forever. Do you think the Hurts gang will be relevant for hundreds of years? Like all gangs, kingdoms, and organizations: Howard Hurts and his associates will eventually meet their downfall, and I will use that moment to leave."

"So, what?" It was getting more difficult for Jonas to keep his tone polite. "You'll be his slave until someone else decides to kill him? That could take hundreds of years, and what if that person decides they want you to be their slave too?"

"That would be bad luck. However, there are worse things than being a luxury prisoner. Sure, the dummy slaves are caged and confused; they'll live in darkness their entire miserable existence while never knowing the greatness of Sin. They won't know the taste of fine wines, the texture of a good steak, or the feeling of soft fabrics. They come to Hell, ignorant, and walk themselves into the mouth of the beast. That's their fault, as we both know that only the strongest will survive. We have value, Jonas. We're like favored pets to our masters. You and I only need to follow orders, and we'll live better than most people on the surface."

"Jesus Christ," Jonas had lost control of his tone, and he didn't care if he sounded rude because Xiao Lin was insane. "I don't get you. You're strong and could obtain anything you wanted on the surface of Hell. Why would you remain a slave?"

"Ignorant," Xiao Lin gave an annoying laugh. "Yes, you're a big, strong man now, aren't you? When you escape, you can just walk into Sun City and take anything you want. No one will stop you because you'll be the king. There aren't terrifyingly powerful organizations filled with Sinners who prey on lone wolves like you. There aren't corporations that pay fully-trained security guards to deal with power-hungry Sinners who think they're above Hell's society. Jonas, you'll be able to live the grandest life you could ever wish for: just escape and take anything you want. It will go great for you," for a moment, Jonas' mind went blank as he tried to think of a retort.

It was true that Jonas' experience with Sun City wasn't the most in-depth; he had been enslaved early on and hadn't experienced much. If there were organizations that preyed on lone Sinners, Jonas would need to be wary of them.

"You're right about one thing: I don't know much about Hell's society or Sun City. All I know is I want to get out of this goddamn sewer. I want to breathe fresh air, eat real food that hasn't been spit in, and sleep peacefully without worrying about someone slitting my throat. I can't have any of that here in the Hurts gang, nor can you."

"So, you plan on escaping. To be honest, I don't think I'm interested in helping you," it seemed that Xiao Lin wasn't going to sway very easily. "Do you think Howard Hurts is bad? There are hundreds of men, stronger than him, who'll find you and make you wish you had never left your cage."

"I'm not afraid," said Jonas, and there was a courageous resolution in his gaze.

"You should be. Little Wrath City isn't a retreat where evil men escape normal society; it's a place where low-talent Sinners, and petty criminals, avoid provoking the monsters walking among men. Do you understand?" Xiao Lin was smiling and laughing and intended to provoke a reaction. "Foolish boy, go ahead and escape. What's waiting for you on the surface will make your skin crawl. The beasts of Hell don't live in sewers."

"Fine," Jonas sighed. He had given up any hope of convincing Xiao Lin to join their plan, and he lost all interest in having a debate. "If you want to stay, then stay. However, if Howard commands you to stop us?"

“Then I’d try to stop you, wouldn’t I?”