Chapter 122: Die, die, die!

At this moment, Wen Wen spoke up, interrupting Tong Hua’s attempt to continue throwing cold water on the situation.

"The Wild Market is in such a state of chaos right now, and those people are all busy trying to kill each other. In the short term, a guy as non-threatening as him isn't even on Lei Yaoxing’s radar; he’s not a priority."

He was the only one who couldn't be wiped out at a time like this.

Chen Xingzhou was already on the verge of death.

Chen Yubo could also die; he could die at any time, and anyone could kill him—but he could not die by his hand. Otherwise, everything that happened tonight would be set in stone.

The label of "rule-breaker" would be slapped onto his head, and he would never be able to shake it off for the rest of his life.

Sometimes, the rules of the underworld are worth nothing, but at other times, they are heavier than mountains. When you hope that people will still believe your promises, it is best to act like a human being.

Unfortunately, what happened tonight had already stripped away half of Lei Yaoxing’s humanity. If he still had any aspirations for the position of the Speaker—where his word was law—he had to hold onto the other half.

"Since the people at the top are too busy to care about themselves, the only ones we have to deal with are a bunch of small-time nobodies and the flies that come buzzing as soon as they smell a stench."

Wen Wen said slowly, "As long as Chen Xingzhou is still lying in the hospital, you won't be on the threat list. The moment Chen Xingzhou breathes his last, you can jump ship completely."

"Looking at it this way, the situation is actually in your favor."

"..."

In the brief silence, Ji Jue instinctively glanced at Old Zhang. Old Zhang pretended not to notice and continued drinking his tea, so Ji Jue wisely shut his mouth.

Xiao An still hadn't figured out what was going on and looked at the exchange of glances between the two in confusion. Only the thick-headed Tong Hua, who always brought up the most awkward topics, exclaimed in shock:

"Sister Wen, you're so knowledgeable!"

"..."

Wen Wen glared at her irritably, her voice muffled: "Before I came to the Anquan Bureau, didn't I... have to earn some extra money?"

"I get it, I get it."

Ji Jue nodded with emotion, suddenly feeling a sense of resonance.

In this day and age, survival isn't easy; who doesn't have a side hustle, a part-time job, or some small hobbies, right?

For some reason, seeing that look of recognition—the 'so you're one of those too' expression—Wen Wen suddenly felt a surge of anger. Her fists tightened, but since there were outsiders present, she couldn't smash his dog head to maintain her image. She could only grit her teeth and continue: "Don't be happy too soon. Even if the big storms don't blow your way, you still have to survive the aftermath of this period. When giants fight, they don't care how many ants are under their feet."

She suddenly asked: "Among the confidants Chen Xingzhou left behind, there must be a few you can trust, right?"

"Uncle Lin!"

Chen Yubo answered without hesitation, "Uncle Lin is absolutely trustworthy."

As Chen Xingzhou’s confidant, assistant, and number one bodyguard, if Uncle Lin weren't trustworthy, Chen Xingzhou would have been dead long ago. What’s more, even before his brother made it big, Uncle Lin had already been looking after him in the shadows.

"Fine, then contact him."

Wen Wen made the final decision. She picked up the coarse tea from Ji Jue’s house, frowned, and downed it in one go. After the slight scent of alcohol dissipated, she couldn't help but sigh.

"That guy Chen Xingzhou..."

She said, "When I first came to Yacheng to take office, he was the first one to report the business details of the North Mountain District to me. If it weren't for his support, I, a lone commander, wouldn't have been able to hold this position."

Both professionally and personally, I owe him a favor.

Tianyuan cannot intervene in this matter, but Bai Lu can."

She looked up at the young man beside her, who was holding a teacup and blinking.

Xiao An.

In the entire North Mountain District, only Xiao An didn't need to worry about the issue of his stance.

Because he already had a mountain of problems to begin with.

As a member of the An family of Bai Lu hunters, the fact that he had joined the Anquan Bureau had already shocked countless people. Now, even if he jumped into the infighting and slaughter, it could be explained as a private matter.

What’s more, it was just skirting the edge.

"Ji Jue, this kid's safety is in your hands." She patted Xiao An’s head.

Xiao An was stunned for a moment, then smiled, showing no resistance:

"Okay."

For a split second, Ji Jue noticed out of the corner of his eye that Old Zhang seemed to want to say something but stopped, eventually saying nothing and just lowering his head to drink tea.

He seemed to be holding back laughter.

Beside them, Chen Yubo was completely bewildered. Watching Wen Wen’s arrangements, if his status hadn't been inappropriate, he might have asked directly: What about me? What about me? Am I not worthy of having a name?

Why are you giving a bodyguard a bodyguard?

What kind of nesting doll is this?

But then he thought, Xiao An protects Ji Jue, Ji Jue protects him, so by rounding it up, doesn't that mean the Anquan Bureau is protecting him?

His sense of security seemed to have increased significantly.

Before leaving, Old Zhang patted Xiao An’s head and gave a final instruction: "Protect him well, you hear?"

"Need you to say it!"

Ji Jue whistled, put his arm around Xiao An’s shoulder, gave a thumbs up, and said confidently: "With Xiao An and me, it’s absolutely stable!"

It’s back! It’s all back!

Doesn't this sense of security just shoot right up?!

Old Zhang smiled and said nothing. Instead, Wen Wen took one last look at Ji Jue and suddenly beckoned: "Come here, I'll add a buff for you."

"Huh?"

While Ji Jue was still stunned, he felt himself involuntarily bend over.

What followed was an unprecedented impact and sharp pain.

A ruthless punch!

Bang!

Ji Jue’s vision went black, and he almost yelped like a dog.

When he came to his senses, he realized the foreign spiritual essence had appeared on him. Pulling up his clothes, he finally saw a complex and bewitching emblem on his abdomen.

A blessing from Minerva.

Wen Wen’s spiritual essence was embedded in his body like a crystal.

He could feel the terrifying power within, like a mountain torrent or a volcanic eruption, yet at this moment, it was as quiet as stone. Even the spiritual essence flowing around it had slowed down significantly, as if it were about to be frozen.

Extreme motion and stillness actually appeared on the same person’s spiritual essence, switching at will; the explosion and stabilization of matter were just a thought away.

Ji Jue was amazed by such a profound change, not knowing how many qualitative changes and blessings had interfered with it.

It’s just that the location and the pattern are a bit...

Seems a bit off?

Oh no, what if I turn into a star-striving worker for the Anquan Bureau?

"Couldn't you have put it somewhere else?!"

"Where else? On your hand?" Wen Wen was amused. "That would work, and usually that's how it's done, but do you not want your matrix anymore?"

If it were purely for convenience, the best locations would be the palm or the back of the hand.

Unfortunately, those places were already filled with non-offensive arrays, not an inch left. The entry and solidification of foreign spiritual essence would only interfere with the matrix's operation, or even cause tremors and damage.

That was why she was 'forced' to give Ji Jue a hit on the stomach.

But then she thought, the head seems to work too; should she add another one for him?

Sensing Wen Wen’s eager look, Ji Jue instinctively retreated two steps behind Chen Yubo, shielding his friend in front of him. This made Wen Wen click her tongue, though in the end, she didn't punch Chen Yubo’s head off.

"Alright, the Sword of Minerva is yours."

Wen Wen waved goodbye at the end. "If you can win, fight; if you can't, run. With Xiao An there, he can at least save your life. As for the rest, it depends on your luck."

"This is all I can do."

For the sake of Chen Xingzhou’s past favor, she gave advice; for the sake of Ji Jue, she arranged manpower and gave the blessing and power of Minerva.

She had already done everything she could.

It could be said that she had fulfilled her duty.

If Ji Jue was truly stubborn enough to use this move and still couldn't settle things, and still refused to leave, then it could only be said that he was courting his own death.

Seeing that Ji Jue still wanted to say something, she clenched her fist and interrupted him with the crisp sound of rubbing knuckles: "If you really want to thank me, work hard for me in the future and treat me to a few more drinks when you make money."

"Alright, the people are here, you should go."

Outside Ji Jue’s door, an unmarked black sedan slowly came to a stop.

Uncle Lin stepped out of the car. Seeing Chen Yubo, he finally let out a sigh of relief. When he finally looked at Ji Jue and the people from the North Mountain District, he seemed to understand something, gave a grateful smile, and bowed.

The two sides had no contact, not even a word.

They brushed past each other and drove in different directions.

And thus, they went far away.

However, in the Anquan Bureau’s car... after dropping Tong Hua off at home and leaving, Wen Wen could no longer hold it in; she bent over and began to cough violently.

Heart-wrenchingly.

Her lungs emitted a hollow, tearing echo.

Blood seeped out from between her fingers, and before it could hit the ground, it quickly solidified into crystal-clear beads.

Crack!

Cracks appeared on the steering wheel between her tightening fingers.

In the passenger seat, Old Zhang seemed to have long been accustomed to this.

After getting out of the car to push it to the side of the road, he opened the trunk, found an iron box, and took out a pneumatic injector that had been pre-filled at the factory.

Aiming at her neck, the medicine was pumped in instantly, giving her a brief moment of respite.

Finally, Old Zhang reached out and pressed her shoulder.

The pure vitality of the Vortex Path manifested, emitting a glowing white light that circulated, repairing the old wounds of her body. Unfortunately, it could only futilely patch them up; it could not remove the shadow of spiritual essence that was nailed to her heart like a sharp blade.

That was the wound left by the Celestial.

When her condition finally stabilized a little, Old Zhang let go, crumpled the injector into a pile of fragments, and threw it aside: "If your body is injured, don't rashly use Minerva’s transcendent blessing. Are you really that unafraid of death?"

"I'm just worried."

Wen Wen leaned against the chair, her pale face still stained with blood, and gave a self-deprecating smile: "Anyway, it's not the first time I've sought my own death."

"To still be alive and lingering under the Celestial’s absolute punishment is already a stroke of luck. You’d better pay more attention to your own condition."

Old Zhang let go. A wound had appeared between his fingers at some point, and as spiritual essence surged over it, it hissed.

Just the contact with the spiritual essence brought about the infection and counterattack of that shadow. He shook his palm, and in the blink of an eye, a layer of skin peeled off, then another, and another.

After four layers of shedding, it disappeared without a trace.

"The wounds left by the Celestial can only be recovered by the Celestial. If you keep standing still like this, your condition will only get worse." A rare seriousness appeared on the old man’s face: "Although the Dragon Path is different from the Sages and slightly more cruel and violent, it is at least a righteous path of supreme good. Why be so resistant?"

"Forget it."

Wen Wen sighed wearily, "I became a Chosen One not to destroy anything, nor do I want to create any more natural disasters just to save my own life."

"If I die, then that's the end of it. Let the evil inherited by the Wen family end with me."

Old Zhang shook his head and sighed: "If Wen Zheng knew his daughter looked down on him so much, he’d probably wake up in a rage even in his sleep, right?"

"That kind of piece of shit, let him go to hell!"

Wen Wen raised her hand without hesitation and gave a middle finger to the night sky outside the window.

The night sky was silent, enduring the insult without a sound.

Only a single line of starlight flickered in indignation.

"Damn it, damn it!"

Under the same night sky, in another office, amidst the burning of a cigar and swirling smoke, the arriving participants had already tensed their muscles, unable to restrain their rage.

"Yucheng is dead too, and Little Zhou is lying in the hospital, legs gone, never to stand up again. Those bastards, I’m going to kill them, kill them all!"

The tattooed Chosen One could no longer restrain his violence, his eyes blood-red: "It’s all that dog Chen Xingzhou! Why didn't he die anywhere else but in front of our door? I think he was deliberately acting! He’s the one harming you, Brother Xing, you can't let him fool you!"

"Enough, shut up!"

Another withered man across the table raised his eyes, his pupils completely pale, shooting out fierce light: "Brother Xing hasn't spoken yet, is this a place for you to fart?"

The auras of many Bai Lu Chosen Ones intertwined, and the entire office had already turned into a demonic realm that would make ordinary people faint in terror. Yet, only in the center was there a patch of calm, with not a single aura daring to approach within three feet.

Just as frantic beasts would not dare to offend the majesty of a monster.

Lei Yaoxing lowered his eyes, a breathtakingly sharp aura appearing on him for a moment before slowly dissipating: "The things inside this might have something to do with Chen Xingzhou, but what happened tonight was not an act."

All of this happened right under his nose.

Caught off guard.

But from beginning to end, Chen Xingzhou could not deceive his perception.

That bullet, which traveled thousands of meters and shot into his heart from behind—he hadn't noticed it until it hit the target. In other words, if the bullet had been aimed at him, he definitely wouldn't have been able to dodge it.

And Chen Xingzhou wasn't even a Chosen One.

Apart from a few alchemical works that were better than nothing, he had no reliance.

In an instant, the bullet destroyed his heart, toxins spread, dissolved his internal organs, corroded his nerves, and even polluted his soul.

Right before his eyes, Chen Xingzhou fell into a pool of blood, quickly losing all signs of life.

Even with the rescue of a Vortex-path Chosen One on the spot, it was to no avail.

He still hadn't been able to leave the emergency room.

In fact, at that moment, if Lei Yaoxing had wanted to, at such close range, he could have extinguished Chen Xingzhou’s last glimmer of life without anyone knowing.

The only reason he didn't act was to let him survive, or to preserve his brain and memories for the Heart-Pivot Chosen Ones to search and read.

The White Strip Gang that did the dirty work for Chen Xingzhou had already been wiped out, and the remaining followers had started infighting as soon as Chen Xingzhou was sent to the operating room. The former top horse had come to surrender overnight and was still kneeling downstairs, waiting for Lei Yaoxing’s audience. As for the rest, only a few confidants remained, and they were now in chaos.

Everything he had built had turned to ashes, along with his critical injury.

Collapsing without a fight.

"Send people to watch Jici Hospital."

Lei Yaoxing ordered expressionlessly: "If he dies, then that's the end of it. If he survives... then clean it up. Also, arrange for people to watch his brother, don't act rashly."

"Young Master Xing."

The old man’s expression was grave: "If we wipe them out now, the uncles might..."

"Even if I don't wipe them out, do you think they would stand up for me?!"

Lei Yaoxing was furious, cracks appearing on the table in front of him: "Get this straight, there is no possibility of negotiation anymore. Either they die, or we die. Do you think there’s any other choice?"

"What about Seventh Young Master..." someone asked hesitantly.

Old Seven, who had originally been in the same boat as Lei Yaoxing, was now secretly contacting the uncles, wanting to set things right and settle the sins...

Lei Yaoxing laughed: "Heh, what a good brother I have."

It wasn't just Old Seven, but also Old Nine and Little Eleven.

Not to mention the other big bosses who were originally loyal to Lei Wuye: Kou Shui Kun, who smuggled prohibited drugs; Jin Ya Bao, who secretly controlled all the casinos and lottery shops in Yacheng; and Chuan Cheng Zai, who had washed his hands clean and thought he had come ashore...

"Then fight, let's fight!"

Lei Yaoxing waved his hand, giving the order that sent the beasts into a frenzy. "Fight until they lose, fight until they submit, fight until they die! After all that talk, isn't the Speaker position held by the hardest and strongest?

I want them to kneel and beg me to be the manager of the Wild Market!"

Those who don't want to kneel, then die!

"Damn, life is going so well?"

Under the same night sky, Ji Jue looked at everything before him, his initial enthusiasm for helping a friend instantly turning cold. He instinctively wanted to cup his hands to Chen Yubo and walk away:

"I’ve thought about it carefully. Those who do much evil will surely die; those who hang out in the underworld will eventually have to pay it back."

"Since death is at your doorstep, then you should just go die!"