Chapter 8
Karmic hindrance
As the four individuals have yet to cleanse the filth from their bodies, JK and Anh Dao appear. A suffocating pressure of demonic origin envelops the entire space, making it hard to breathe.
Although JK agrees to let them go, the victims still feel fear, uncertain whether the old man is truly satisfied or will force them to endure humiliation once more. Even though JK seems pleased, the four remain unsure if he will keep his promise. Thus, Hoang Kim asks first:
- Do you only come personally to bring this to an end when you are satisfied?
A bodyguard brings over a chair, respectfully allowing JK to sit down. The old man flashes a sinister smile, his gaze sweeping across the three women. Since they have not yet retrieved their clothes, the girls panic, using their hands to cover their chests and pressing their legs tightly together, attempting to hide the filth still leaking from their bodies.
Anh Dao bends down, picking up the clothes that have fallen to the ground, but is harshly reprimanded by JK. It is clear that JK intends to humiliate these women. The blonde girl feels indignation for the victims but outwardly responds to the old man in a calm tone:
- Everything is over now. Consider this my plea to you, Father!
Anh Dao has never begged the old man for anything, but this time, she makes an exception for these strangers. As a woman, she cannot bear to watch other women suffer such humiliation any longer.
JK falls silent. Hoang Kim repeats the question once more:
- Are you satisfied?
JK takes a puff of his cigarette and then blows the smoke toward Hoang Kim's face.
- Satisfied? Of course. You all brought rain clouds and floods—if I weren't satisfied, would that mean I'm 'artistically' blind?
The bodyguards erupt in laughter, joining their master in crude remarks. Hearing filthy words is less humiliating than being naked in front of countless piercing gazes. Hoang Kim grabs onto the old man's weak spot.
- You said letting go meant no more humiliation for us!
JK shrugs and sneers:
- I never said I'd allow you guys to wear clothes!
The master and his servants scoff. Hoang Kim smiles calmly and adds:
- This brings you no benefit, but for us, it is dignity. Powerful people cunningly swallow their promises. Aren't you afraid of being betrayed for breaking your word? A moment of satisfaction in exchange for future regret—do you think it's worth it?
The subordinates chatter noisily, shouting loudly to express their absolute loyalty. Listening to these flattering words, JK lets out a sneering laugh. The old man has no interest in such trivial matters—he only wants to mock the victims once more. However, Hoang Kim's words seem to have an effect on him. His twisted pleasure is disrupted, and JK loses interest, waving his hand to order Anh Dao to bring clothes to the victims.
At the last moment, Hoang Kim remains worried about the mother and two daughters. The Lan sisters and Ngoc express their gratitude to Anh Dao, while secretly feeling grateful to Hoang Kim but not daring to say it outright. JK raises his eyes and watches as the mother and two daughters finish dressing.
- I still don't understand why you would burn yourself for strangers. You've had sex, and the task is done. Yet here, you've poured all your thoughts into them. Perhaps I guessed right—you have feelings for all three of them?
JK slightly parts his lips, revealing a sly smile, and looks at the girls, whose faces are redder than gac fruit:
- Oh? Why are your faces so red? Did I hit each of you right in your black hearts? – JK laughs gleefully – Haha, the culprit protects the victims, the victims develop feelings for the culprit, and in the end, they fall in love! So salty—so salty it's making me thirst to death! Hahahaha...
Seeing the smug smiles on the scoundrels' faces, the three girls feel both embarrassed and furious, wishing they could kill JK and his underlings with their own hands. Hoang Kim calmly puts on his clothes and says:
- Because we are still human!
JK chuckles, his shoulders tremble, and his old face twists into something half-human, half-demon:
- Are you still human? Are you all still human? – The old man sweeps his contemptuous gaze over each victim and sneers – A bunch of incestuous creatures—can they still be considered human?
The foursome with the mother and daughters, which occurs earlier, is indeed incest from a moral perspective. Although JK forces them, the four commit an immoral crime, and thus all bow their heads in shame. However, things are not as simple as the victims misunderstand JK's meaning. The old man shakes his head and stretches out his voice:
- Hey, do you think I'm comparing this crime to incest?
JK pretends to twitch at the bullet-like stares aimed at him:
- I really fear you incestuous bastards! - The old man pulls out a paper and throws it in front of Hoang Kim, sneering - How about you clean up this mess, national hero?
Hoang Kim picks up the paper and glances at it; his face darkens, and the hand holding the paper trembles. His pupils dilate, and bloodshot eyes angrily stare at the words. Ngoc and the daughters see that Hoang Kim is enraged; the girls panic and shift their gaze from him to JK. The old man makes a gesture as if pointing a microphone forward, 'interviewing' Hoang Kim:
- Tell me, how does it feel to commit incest?! Pleasure? Pain? Or both pain and pleasure?!
Hoang Kim suddenly roars and charges at JK. Bodyguards quickly rush over, grab his arms, and pin him to the ground. Hoang Kim screams wildly:
- JK, you damn old bastard, explain this to me clearly!
JK picks up the paper, throws it to the mother and two daughters, and says:
- Calm down. Only by making them feel guilty like you is it fair.
Hoang Kim's anger unsettles the three girls. They want to look, but the invisible pressure from the lifeless piece of paper fills them with fear. After hesitating for a long time, Ngoc bends down, picks up the paper, and begins reading:
"Genetic test results: Kim is blood type AB, Ngoc is blood type AB, Hang is blood type AB. Genetic feature matching shows the three share the same blood relation.
This result is officially confirmed by the Far East City Biotechnology Research Institute of Prehistoric Kingdom. Genetic test date: October 15; result confirmation date: October 20.
Verified and certified by: Director of Biology Department — Doctor Kim Lien."
The gene test results record in detail the matching gene sequences of the three individuals. Ngoc is shocked to realize Thanh Hang's true identity. Trembling, she turns to Hoang Kim, hoping he can deny this cruel truth. However, that final hope shatters when she sees the bitter tears welling up in the corners of the hero's reddened eyes. The pain of a strong man further confirms the authenticity of the gene sequence. Hoang Kim cannot change the fact that Thanh Hang is his biological mother.
He is bewildered and doesn't understand. JK wants to test Hoang Kim's genes—he needs to collect blood, skin, or hair samples. Yet JK has never approached Hoang Kim. Except for the end of athletic tournaments or Tet holidays, he is busy training and competing abroad all year round. That place is like a military camp, heavily guarded, making it impossible for outsiders to infiltrate. The old man has no way to steal samples for testing.
JK looks at Hoang Kim, who is frowning. His bloodshot eyes, streaked with red, suddenly shoot toward JK like sharp blades, as if he wishes to pierce him to death. At that moment, the mastermind's excitement is completely ignited.
- Tsk tsk, hero, why are you so tense? While you weren't home, I sent someone to sneak in and find something that could be used for gene testing. Heh, your mother is truly sentimental—she cherished your childhood hair like a treasure and carefully kept it in a pouch. A mother's love is as vast as the sea and sky. - The old man sneers - Calm down. Even if you kill me, people like you who've committed monstrous crimes no longer deserve to be considered human.
Hoang Kim dares not face his mother and sisters. The Lan sisters are full of worry, gently tugging at their mother's clothes and calling out to her repeatedly. Ngoc seems to have turned into a soulless corpse. She cannot hear the sobs echoing in her ears, nor see anything before her eyes. Everything is swallowed by darkness; her senses and soul seem to have completely died.
The two sisters pick up the piece of paper that has fallen from their mother's hand. The words of guilt swirl in their minds, twisting into images filled with desire. The intimate moments, the passionate kisses, the seductive allure of a heated breath bringing a bewitching sound to devour the soul... now turn into a terrifying echo from hell.
Sublimation and obsession leave indelible marks on the skin tainted with filth. The grime stirs waves of intoxicated yearning within, eternally possessing both the sullied soul and the defiled body. The sensation of sin turns into demons that pounce on the panicked spirit, licking the soiled bodies writhing in sin, tearing apart shattered hearts and souls.
The Lan sisters curl their bodies and tightly cover their ears with their hands until blood seeps out. Amid JK's demonic laughter, they nearly collapse into madness. In the blurry illusions, the high-pitched laughter echoes continuously. JK is ecstatic because those incestuous people cry their tears dry.
- Retribution! The mother's life eats salty food, causing the children's life to thirst![1]
Making love amid suffering and humiliation, Hoang Kim is the toughest person. He is banished to a hell of despair, his sanity is being torn apart as he fiercely struggles under the claws of ghostly shadows. In this battle of the mind, he fights hard to rise from the endless mire, questioning the root of karma:
- What does this have to do with my mother?
JK turns and smokes, flicking the ash onto Hoang Kim's hand. The old man leans back in his chair and begins to tell a story from the past:
- Thirty-three years ago, a young man fell in love with a girl at the age of the full moon. They spent a sweet period of love and jointly made a solemn oath of eternal fidelity.
JK is immersed in the curling smoke, as if lost in a dream, recalling those beautiful days of the past.
- The boy was only seventeen — at an age when one could break a buffalo's horn[2] — but stupid as an ox. Back then, he had nothing but burning passion, yet he naïvely believed in a love built on a thatched hut and two golden hearts!
JK speaks with deep resentment. Hoang Kim vaguely senses that JK is about to reveal the true reason behind tonight's incident:
- Despite his family's strong opposition, he resolutely abandoned them. For her, he worked tirelessly day and night, striving for a future filled with happiness.
JK gives a sarcastic laugh:
- Damn it, six months later, he never expected that the woman he loved would betray him and sleep with another man. She cheated on him and made him a fool.
This story reminds Hoang Kim of the phrase: "The mother's life eats salty food, causing the children's life to thirst!" He knows clearly who JK is mocking as "the woman who makes her child thirsty"—but he cannot accept that truth.
- She lay on her back and let that young master screw her all night. Then that bitch told him: 'We're not right for each other. Let's break up.' After that, she cut all contact and went on to live a luxurious life with that dead dog bastard.
The old man sneers with contempt, mocking his own past stupidity:
- Good deeds are rewarded. After receiving a great favor, he started accumulating wealth from the lowest jobs, and swore to the heavens that no matter the cost, he would become richer and more powerful than that pair of adulterous scum. In the end — the rest became history!
Hoang Kim hasn't yet figured out the truth. His heart is still in shock, and his countenance, filled with inferiority, turns pale with anger. The old man sneers coldly and turns to look at Ngoc, who cannot remain indifferent to the insults. JK exhales a puff of smoke, which merges with the burning hatred in her eyes. That searing gaze seems intent on incinerating not only herself but also the sinner who has dragged all four of them into hell.
The hatred of the victims is JK's ultimate pleasure, and he is so smug that he almost completely loses all semblance of his human form.
- Curse your mother—she was a slut, and you bastards must pay the price for this unforgivable sin!
Hoang Kim had lost his father as a child; his mother raised him alone for over twenty years. When he grew up, he urged her many times to remarry, but she chose to live in solitude. She had always been gentle and refined, never offending anyone. Even when Hoang Kim became a celebrity, she refused to appear on television or accept interviews. This model mother is certainly not an unfaithful or ungrateful woman like the one JK fabricated.
The pain of being mocked by JK drives Hoang Kim mad. JK flinches when he sees Hoang Kim's face distort in rage—for a moment, the old man thinks he is staring face-to-face with a monster. Hoang Kim lunges forward, wanting to tear JK apart, but the bodyguards hold him down by the nape and pin him to the floor. Like a wounded beast, he roars:
- My father was a chef, not some rich young master. You lied to me!
JK opens one eye and looks at Hoang Kim with a pitying gaze:
- Hey, how pitiful! Didn't your damn father and that whore mother of yours tell you that your grandfather went bankrupt? Because of that bankruptcy, your bastard father spent three years shining shoes, and your bitch mother worked as a waitress in a karaoke bar. I heard your bitch mother was the best catch in that place, but she was self-righteous and kept her dignity, never selling herself. Many men tried repeatedly to seduce her, but failed. In the end, they all raped her. A fate so cruel, of course, that humiliating past had to be hidden.
Hoang Kim's parents are humiliated by JK, and he cannot defend the honor of those who gave him life. His fury is so intense that he cries blood.
Ngoc came from an orphanage. The nuns said that thirty-three years ago, Ngoc was left in a cradle at the orphanage's doorstep. Although abandoned, she comforted herself, thinking perhaps the orphanage was burned down, and the nuns had no choice but to take her south. Her mother might have thought she was dead and therefore never searched for her.
For years, she has been restless, searching for her biological parents. That wish neither arrives early nor late but appears again amidst bitter tears, with cruel fate digging into her pain as she listens to JK reveal:
- Your mother hid her past, and your father was even more of a bastard. He once suspected that your sister was my daughter and forced your mother to have an abortion. He was unlucky, but your sister was fortunate. The doctor said that your mother was pregnant as a minor, and if she had an abortion, it would damage her uterus and body, causing infertility. In the end, your father could only force your mother to send your sister to an orphanage after she was born.
Ngoc refuses to believe her family can be so cruel, while Hoang Kim dismisses JK's words as nothing but garbage. His mind seems to be caught in a storm—screaming voices drag him into an endless death loop with no way out. He feels as though the entire world is collapsing before his eyes, and every memory of his mother is being brutally twisted by reality.
JK pulls a stack of photos from his pocket. The victims stare wide-eyed at the images, seeing a young JK gently kissing Thanh Hang on the cheek. They are half in disbelief. The old bastard casts a scornful glance at Ngoc:
- You think these photos are fake? - He says, pointing to Thanh Hang's neck. - Your mother had a birthmark on the back of her neck shaped like butterfly wings!
Hoang Kim's mother had always worn her hair long. Once, when she lifted it to wash, he had glimpsed that birthmark by accident. JK was a stranger, yet he knew something no one else could have known. Hoang Kim couldn't refute it—he could only nod slightly to Ngoc in confirmation.
Hoang Kim falls silent, but JK won't miss any chance to humiliate his enemies. He moves his hand to a private part of the photo, his lips curling into a sneer aimed at Hoang Kim, while glancing toward Ngoc's lower body.
- Your mother is just like her daughter—she has a lustful mole on her groin. Both mother and daughter are equally profusely hairy. Lust beyond limits. - The old man smacks his lips. - Tsk, indeed, mothers are the same as their children; sons and daughters are equally lustful. Especially daughters—are as lustful as their mothers. Lust comes from the inside out, from the flesh to the nature. The granddaughter is very promising; she may even be more lustful in the future!
The victim falls into madness, and JK once again shows some other photos. Ngoc cannot determine whether the couple in the pictures are her biological parents. She is puzzled, staring blankly at Hoang Kim, seeing him with eyes red from crying. All of this ruthlessly proves the cruel reality.
- The family went bankrupt, and your parents had to do some lowly work. - JK flips through a few of his favorite photos, smugly holding one close to Ngoc's eye, and says - What a pity. If you were my daughter, you wouldn't have to suffer like this!
There are photos of her father forcing her mother to abort at the hospital, and after her parents leave her at the orphanage, nuns pick her up from the cradle. All of this turns into obsession in her ash-colored eyes. JK does not let go—using a photo of Thanh Hang being gang-raped in an alley to shatter the victim's spirit.
The mother she longs to meet is the mother who suffers retribution for being forced to abandon her child. Her father, who also bears retribution, falls ill out of anger and eventually dies with his eyes unclosed. The mother and Hoang Kim silently cry beside the father's coffin. This tragic ending tears into Ngoc's heart like thousands of blades.
Hoang Kim still remembers all these memories to this day. The family eats today's meal, worries about tomorrow's life. Although they toil, they always love each other. However, on that night of destiny, warmth and happiness completely collapse. The sleeping tragedy from the past resurfaces once again. The wound in his heart and the guilt of incest deeply torment Hoang Kim. He holds his chest tightly, clenches his teeth, trying to stop the boiling blood from flowing out of the corner of his mouth. JK sarcastically laughs as he waves a bunch of photos.
- When I took these photos, I just thought that if I was upset, I could take them out to seek pleasure. I didn't expect these photos would become powerful tools for my revenge!
JK laughs loudly, throws the stack of photos into the air, and each one deeply plants fear into the victims' hearts.
- As a souvenir for you all!
JK deliberately picks up his ringing phone and turns on the speaker so the victim could hear:
- Boss, we've finished editing the Hoang Kim sex video clip.
Fear begins to come true, and nightmares drive the victim to rush toward JK. The bodyguards quickly take control of the scene. Things have escalated to this terrible point, causing the mother and daughter to scream and curse JK. His subordinates press the girls' mouths shut, leering lewdly and saying:
- Are you bored with life?
- Do you like being raped?
They ask for JK's permission:
- Boss, give us these three prostitutes as a reward!
- I've wanted to gang-rape these prostitutes for a long time!
The mother and daughter spit angrily at them. The subordinates try to use force, but JK stops them:
- Women are subdued by guns, not by hands!
The lecherous crowd pulls down their pants and violently tears the girls' skirts and clothes. Hoang Kim is afraid her family might be violated; he begs and endures humiliation, pleading with JK to let them go. Anh Dao cannot remain indifferent and allows the girls to be assaulted. Her conscience is torn apart by the filthy conspiracy. The accomplice, unwilling to bear shame and guilt any longer, the blonde girl whispers to JK:
- If the mother and daughter are raped, their feelings will become calloused, and incest will no longer be a taboo in their minds!
Hoang Kim and Ngoc and her daughter's feelings are hard to describe; normal emotions have been corrupted into incestuous sin. Hoang Kim hates his enemies to the bone, but family ties force him to bow before them.
When Anh Dao comes to rescue the victims a second time, she doesn't dare to beg and has to take a detour. The alarm's words please JK, who waves his hand to order them to leave. The green-beard demons, about to devour their prey, are forced to stop, becoming angry and silently cursing as they retreat. JK lifts the corner of his mouth into a cold smile as he looks at the girls sitting with their knees drawn up and their heads bowed.
Relatives suffer humiliation but cannot protect themselves. He is a victim and must bear part of the karmic punishment. Hoang Kim is laughed at by JK with sex videos on his phone; a mesmerizing voice echoes in the room, transforming into a naked, degenerate scene filled with lust toward the four victims. Guiltful moans cover their bodies, crawling into their minds and causing curses to enter their subconscious.
- Rest assured, I will not let the whole world admire you!
JK lifts the corner of his mouth, gazing at each enemy's face. The four are trapped by hallucinations of his strange smile, as if JK's mouth extends to the old man's ears. The old man looks exactly like a demon breaking open a grave, crawling out from the depths of hell:
- I just want to see how your husband—dad—mother—grandmother—react when they see their wife—children—granddaughters having sex like pigs and dogs! Hahaha…
He feels a tightness in his chest, heavy breathing, and his hands trembling uncontrollably. His eyes are bloodshot, as if they are about to explode. Anger shatters Hoang Kim's will. The ground is stained red with resentment as blood bursts forth. JK doesn't care how much pain the mother and daughter have endured. The old man is eager to take revenge on the unfaithful woman.
- Anh Dao and Zero stay behind to prevent the four from committing suicide, locking them in to make them suffer for their sins. After an hour, Zero takes the mother and daughter back home.
The old man pats Anh Dao's shoulder, winks at her:
- I've given Hoang Kim to you, absolutely no mistakes.
Anh Dao waits JK and the bodyguards leave the villa, until their footsteps completely fade away. She then quietly turns and steps out. Moments later, she rushes back, clutching three sets of clothes tightly. The mother and two daughters never blame her because the daughter must obey her father's orders. The girls thank the blonde lady for her kindness. All feelings are shattered by overwhelming karma. The Lan sisters resentfully turn their fiery eyes toward Anh Dao. The terrifying pressure makes her feel as if she is burning to ashes.
With an expressionless face, Ngoc fiercely slaps Anh Dao in the face—like thunder. Glasses fly out, crashing against the wall, shattering into pieces and scattering everywhere. Furious, Zero is about to rush forward to demand justice for her, but Anh Dao quickly stops him. She shakes her head and looks sadly at the victim. Her eyes still hold endless guilt deep inside; the burden of a thousand pounds still weighs on her, but her mind is no longer oppressed. Anh Dao does not wipe the blood from the corner of her mouth.
- Thank you! This slap has helped me feel a little more at peace!
Every time she thinks about the blonde girl helping JK, the mother and daughter hate her, always wanting to tear to pieces the one who pushed them into hell. They have not forgotten the scenes where Anh Dao repeatedly begged JK to spare them. She tried to bring neat clothes, bowed her head, and apologized. No one asked her to do these things, nor did anyone force her. She could have been so indifferent. Yet, Anh Dao was still willing to do small acts for her, and to those who had been insulted, these little gestures meant a lot.
The mother and daughter realize that when Anh Dao is about to be beaten, she has already foreseen all this but lets the victim vent her anger. The resentment softens slightly, and at the same time, the girls feel a kinship with those who have lost their autonomy. After all, Anh Dao is just a tool for revenge, and in JK's eyes, she is nothing more than a pile of lonely photos lying on the ground.
After forgiving the 'enemy,' the mother and daughter avoid the man who is once loving and caring but has now become their kin. Hoang Kim loses the courage to face his dearest person.
The four cannot approach each other to offer comfort; only stumbling along with heavy steps, each searching for their own corner. Some lower their faces, some hang their heads—torturing and cursing themselves amidst heavy thoughts, but unable to confide in anyone.
Footnote
[1] Vietnamese idiom:
It means that if you commit many evil deeds, your descendants will suffer bad consequences. Good deeds bring blessings, while evil deeds bring disaster.
[2] Vietnamese idiom:
Breaking the horn of a water buffalo at the age of 17 indicates a youthful, vigorous age full of enthusiasm.