Volume One: Blood-Stained Frost Prologue

“My Rolls-Royce… it’s right there in the parking lot. Whoever helps me get my girlfriend back, my… Rolls-Royce is theirs!”
On the winding road of Xiangming Mountain Scenic Area, a breathless, designer-clad young heir halted his pursuit, waving a Rolls-Royce key aloft and shouting.
Just over ten minutes earlier, he and his girlfriend had been strolling a mountain path…
The girl’s skin was fair, her smile bright, her eyes sparkling. Dressed in a white dress that accentuated her graceful figure, her long, straight black hair cascaded over her shoulders like a waterfall. She was youthful and stunning, her pure beauty drawing admiring glances from passersby.
Then, three monkeys tumbled out from the forest, surrounding the couple. They rolled, stood on their hands, bowed, and reached out, imploring for food.
Finding them adorable, the girl took out some snacks and, with a gentle smile, coaxed her boyfriend, “They’re so cute, take a picture for me!”
The young heir, doting and indulgent, nodded and stepped away to get a good angle. As he turned to snap the photo, the monkeys’ expressions shifted from innocent to fierce. In an instant, they hoisted the girl onto their shoulders and dashed deep into the mountains…
~~~
“Second Uncle, how much would even the cheapest Rolls-Royce sell for?” Beside a roadside stall, Yu Moulian asked while grilling sausages.
“At least five million and up!”
“Phew…”
Before his uncle finished speaking, Yu Moulian shot forward like a rocket, his feet barely touching the ground, knocking his uncle’s wig off in the process.
“Wait, I meant brand new and pre-tax…”
~~~
Yu Moulian, a hapless young man on Blue Star, twenty-three years old, born in the countryside to a poor family. His father died when he was three, leaving his mother to toil from dawn to dusk, struggling to raise and educate him.
Luckily, Yu Moulian was both clever and hardworking, eventually earning admission to a prestigious national police academy.
He had hoped to graduate and become an outstanding police officer, serving the people and protecting the nation.
But fate had other plans. During his senior summer, while working at a hotel, he witnessed the obese and repulsive Manager Wu drunkenly harassing Xiaolan, a female server, pinning her to the sofa in an attempted assault…
Yu Moulian, seeing injustice, intervened and pulled Wu away, trying to reason politely.

But Wu exploded in anger, hurling insults and curses at Yu Moulian, calling him a meddling fool. He summoned four henchmen to surround Yu, threatening a beating.
Yu Moulian, trained rigorously at the academy, was skilled and agile. Realizing reason would not prevail, he resorted to force, swiftly knocking the four attackers to the ground, their faces bruised and battered.
Infuriated, Wu smashed a bottle and lunged at Yu, but Yu dodged deftly.
With a shout, Yu delivered a flying kick, sending Wu headfirst into the wall, unconscious and promptly sent to the ICU.
Soon after, Yu was expelled from the academy for violating discipline and causing injury.
His classmates whispered that Wu’s family had powerful connections; Yu had unwittingly provoked the wrong person.
At that time, the three-year pandemic had just ended, the economy was in decline, and layoffs plagued every industry. Jobs were scarce.
Yu sent out thousands of resumes, but failed to secure employment, resorting to delivering food.
During one delivery, he watched as Xiaolan, the server he had rescued, exited a luxury mall—her hair styled in waves, draped in designer clothes, carrying shopping bags—arm in arm with the sleazy, corpulent Wu he had once kicked into the ICU.
The pair, obviously infatuated, laughed and chatted, kissing passionately as they got into a convertible Ferrari.
Xiaolan, radiant as a flower, pulled Wu’s pig-like face close and kissed him deeply, oblivious to onlookers, engaged in a fervent French kiss…
Yu Moulian was stunned. He sighed helplessly, “Ah! Life isn’t worth it.”
He donned his mask, got on his electric scooter, and rode away.
Misfortune rarely comes alone; at this time, his mother was diagnosed with early-stage cancer. After paying rent each month, Yu could barely afford food.
Watching his mother grow weaker, unable to afford treatment, Yu was perpetually anxious, unsure what to do.
With tourism booming after the pandemic, Yu’s hometown, Xiangming Mountain, began to thrive.
His second uncle owned a guesthouse near Dizang Palace, offering lodging, food, souvenirs, and snacks like barbecue and fruit juice. Business was good.
Seeing Yu in trouble, his uncle offered him a job at the guesthouse, inviting him home to work together and earn money to support the family.
Not only did his uncle provide a generous salary, but he also included room and board—so Yu could finally afford his mother’s medical expenses.

~~~
“Help! Save me!”
“You damn monkeys, let go of that girl!”
The girl’s cries for help and Yu Moulian’s shouts echoed through the mountains.
At this moment, apart from Yu, all other would-be rescuers had been left far behind by the monkeys.
As the sun set, Yu refused to give up. He chased on, venturing past the restricted area and deep into the mountains.
Raised in the hills, Yu was tough and resilient. Lean and nimble, with excellent stamina, he’d been nicknamed “Mountain Monkey” since childhood. His police academy training and recent food deliveries had only honed his endurance—he alone could keep pace with the monkeys without being left behind.
After several more miles, the monkeys carried the girl into a bizarre, gourd-shaped cave. Yu accelerated and followed them inside.
The deeper he went, the dimmer the light became. After walking several hundred meters, Yu was engulfed in darkness, unable to see his own hand. Fear crept in, and he considered turning back.
“Help! Please, someone help me! Ah, no…”
The girl’s voice echoed again from the depths of the cave.
“If I sell that Rolls-Royce, my mom’s illness could be cured!”
“That girl is so beautiful, and those monkeys were grinning so lewdly—what if she’s assaulted?! No, I have to save her!”
Yu shook his head to clear his thoughts, steeled his nerves, switched on his phone’s flashlight, and bravely followed the sound, reaching out into the darkness.
Suddenly, his phone malfunctioned, plunging him into darkness. Yu’s foot slipped and he felt himself plummet into an endless abyss…