Chapter 78: The Big and Small Things Known and Unknown

Time passed in a flash.

In the blink of an eye, it was next Friday.

Feng Mu still worked nine to five, contentedly playing the role of Cremation Worker, clocking in at the Incineration Plant on a regular schedule.

This week was an unusual stretch of peace and quiet—no surveillance, no tracking, no killing, no trouble-making.

Suddenly shifting from the tense thrills of scheming and conflict to the simple daily life of an ordinary person, after a long sigh and a week of rest, Feng Mu found himself somewhat unaccustomed to it.

This was the safe, low-key life of lying low and developing that he had long hoped for, yet now he actually felt a bit bored, and the restlessness deep inside seemed to urge him every moment to stir up some trouble.

This was a change in mindset.

He knew he could never return to how things were before; compared to a peaceful, ordinary life, he now craved the days of licking blood from the blade's edge even more.

Although dangerous and thrilling, the rewards were truly generous—unlike this past week, where his 【Inheritance Degree】 was as good as dead, completely stagnant.

Of course, it wasn't that nothing happened; many things happened this week as well.

First, the 【Destiny】 Extreme Evil elements trapped in the "Old Dilapidated Community," fighting like cornered beasts in a desperate struggle, were slaughtered to the last.

Blood dyed the buildings red.

The Patrol Bureau and Investigation Corps were powerless to save those inside, but fought bloody battles, suffering heavy casualties, and killed all the villains sealed within, not letting a single one escape—it could be considered revenge for the people.

This almost dominated the headlines of Nine Districts news this week; the authorities severely condemned 【Destiny】's atrocities and conveyed the Upper City Council's hardline stance on further purging 【Destiny】.

Citizens were required to report any suspected 【Destiny】 members immediately; once confirmed as true and valid, the bounty was a generous 1 million.

Conversely, anyone found colluding with 【Destiny】 or shielding them would, upon discovery, all be sentenced to death and executed immediately.

In short, Nine Districts, from top to bottom, now loathed 【Destiny】 intensely, and there was even a group of fearless people searching the city every day for "walking 1 million."

Naturally, they didn't find 【Destiny】, but a few fugitives were caught.

Another major event was that the Investigation Corps made the news: on the same day they were blockaded and besieged in the Old Dilapidated Community, they were also attacked by 【Destiny】 villains.

Their manpower was divided, and caught off guard by the attack, the Investigation Corps suffered heavy casualties.

Although this group of attacking villains also left multiple corpses, several still managed to escape in the end.

Moreover, it was said that a newly discovered Hidden Gate of the Investigation Corps was caught in the battle and blown to smithereens; reassembling and repairing it would probably take no short a time.

The Vanguard Team were all given long leave.

As a result, Luo Ji shouted about having a meal together again, and this time Feng Mu accepted the invitation.

There wasn't much to say about the meal; after being absent due to dropping out for a while, everyone had changed somewhat, and most had become more silent and withdrawn.

Only Luo Ji and Tao Fei, though they tried hard to hide it, seemed to have added some soaring fighting spirit in their eyes.

Luo Ji had always been like this, and everyone was used to it, but Tao Fei's change surprised everyone, though no one thought too much about it.

Others didn't know the reason; few words were spoken at the dinner table, but Feng Mu, who had little presence, knew exactly what was going on and found it quite interesting.

In addition, two more things related to Feng Mu happened this week.

One was that Ma Wei came looking for him.

More precisely, Ma Wei came to the Incineration Plant looking for a Cremation Worker named Feng Mu, sincerely inviting him to join the Green Wolf Gang.

Feng Mu naturally refused, but Ma Wei visited the Incineration Plant three times, blocking the door every day with an unusually friendly and sincere attitude, offering very generous pay and benefits.

A guaranteed monthly salary of 5000, but with various hidden incomes and benefits, and flexible working hours.

And most importantly, Feng Mu didn't even need to go to the Green Wolf Gang to clock in; he could still go to the Incineration Plant every day as usual, and the only thing he needed to do was to buy back all the Black Cores produced by the Incineration Plant's daily burning of E Corpses, internally.

Delivering them to the Green Wolf Gang once a week was enough, with expenses reimbursed and a commission given; in other words, working one job and earning two salaries.

Ma Wei didn't understand why Bin Ge valued a mere Cremation Worker so much, but he still completed this task specially entrusted by Bin Ge meticulously.

Feng Mu knew this was Ma Bin's answer sheet for developing 【Mask】 into a 【Downline】.

How to put it?

Feng Mu was very satisfied; he indeed needed a gang identity to cover his small amount of extra illegal income now, or if other trouble came up in the future, he could naturally shift the blame to the Green Wolf Gang or Ma Bin.

The money was given by Big Brother, the matters were arranged by Big Brother; he was just a Cremation Worker and part-time gang underling—what could he understand?

The only downside was that Ma Bin treated him too well, which would make people suspect he was a kept pretty boy Ma Bin was raising outside.

These days, it's quite common for gang members to have some twisted tastes.

Feng Mu also suspected Ma Bin might have guessed something of 【Mask】's true appearance to some extent, but it didn't matter; Ma Bin's loyalty was beyond doubt, and besides, there was the double insurance of the Tongue Root Death Curse.

Not actively admitting or exposing was his caution as an 【Upline】; as long as he kept his mouth shut and refused to admit it, Ma Bin's suspicions could only ever be the curiosity of a 【Downline】 that couldn't be taken as evidence.

The other matter was that Wang Xiuli called him, crying and blubbering about money, and Feng Mu agreed.

He treated it as repaying three years of food and lodging fees, but Feng Mu wouldn't give more; he would just hand over his monthly Cremation Worker salary.

Just three years of food and lodging fees, tuition at the lowest tier, all free courses, 3000 a month; pay it off in three years, or find a chance later to pay it off in one lump sum.

Not a single extra cent; if Feng Ju dared to have crooked ideas and reach out for more, then don't blame Feng Mu for cutting off his other hand when the time came.

On the day he took the call, Feng Mu went to the hospital and handed over that month's salary in full.

Actually, the Incineration Plant's salary hadn't been paid yet; Feng Mu used "illegal assets" to draw an advance.

In the hospital, Feng Ju's attitude had softened somewhat, largely because he had listened to Feng Yuhuai's persuasion, but Feng Mu completely rejected it.

He didn't want to play any false family affection, staging a father-son heart-to-heart, mutual understanding, and a happy family reunion ending.

Feng Mu would rather be a heartless great villain than perform such a disgusting play; just maintaining this cold debt relationship was enough.

After handing over the money and saying "I'm moving out," Feng Mu turned and left, giving Feng Ju not the slightest chance to flare up.

Feng Ju was so angry his three corpses' spirits leaped violently; his broken arm itched as if it wanted to grow flesh, but he couldn't stop Feng Mu's steps.

That very night he rented a house in an old residential compound near the Incineration Plant, and the next day he went home, packed his luggage, and left.

His luggage was very little: just a sack of rusty nails, two briefcases, a broken computer, and a paint-chipped bicycle.

He didn't take anything else; anyway, it was all cheap, and he could buy whatever he needed later.

Above,

are the major and minor events of this week known to Feng Mu from his perspective.

As for the rest, such as Feng Ju exchanging for a Bone Refining Pill, Feng Yuhuai becoming a member of Canglong Wuguan, and also gaining a long-term meal ticket.

Or perhaps, Zhang Hao stitched up his body in some Black Clinic, the fool who plays with ants is hiding all over the place this week, and is being hunted with full force as the number one clue to finding 【Mask】 by the Patrol Bureau temporarily managed by Li Shang.

Or perhaps, the new receiver of the E Corpse Teaching cannot find the deliveryman, some interesting things that happened in a certain Prison, and so on.

Those are all no longer in Feng Mu's perspective; they belong to other hidden stories occurring in the dark, which Feng Mu does not know for the time being.

He today, at this very moment, has just returned to his new residence, and after performing the Body Forging Exercise twice in the Living Room, his perspective focuses on the Retina, on the 【Iron Eater】's cold progress panel, falling into contemplation.....

(End of Chapter)