Chapter 411 - 294: A Foolproof Plot?

Chapter 411: Chapter 294: A Foolproof Plot?

"It really is you, Lao Jiu!" The voice was dry and hoarse.

President Feng had reached the Fifth Grade decades ago. But now, looking at the person before him, he felt his hands and feet turn ice-cold.

Beneath the black robe, the appearance of this old acquaintance was simply too ghastly.

He was emaciated, his face a deathly pale, and he had no hair, not even eyebrows.

He looked just like a corpse.

It didn’t end there. The man called Lao Jiu unwrapped the white cloth on his chest, revealing a fist-sized, blackish-purple mass of flesh. It had no skin, only a dense, grotesque network of blood vessels. It was bizarre and sickening.

President Feng fought back a wave of nausea. "Your heart?"

"It didn’t grow back."

"I thought the Huang Family’s Flesh Factory could regenerate organs?"

"They used too much Life Force just to save me. By the time they tried to repair my body, there wasn’t enough left."

"So you can’t try again?"

The corners of his deathly pale mouth cracked into something that might have been a smile. "The heart of a Fifth-Grade Powerhouse isn’t so easy to mend. Besides, what would be the point? This body... it can no longer advance."

That was a strange thing to say.

President Feng said comfortingly, "With injuries that severe, you’re lucky to be alive at all."

"’Alive?’ Lao Jiu scoffed. ’I have no heartbeat.

I can never truly sleep. I have to constantly channel my Spiritual Power just to keep my blood circulating!

I can never use my full strength. The more intense the fight, the faster my blood needs to flow, and the more Spiritual Power it consumes!

I can’t get hard, can’t be with a woman. I can’t taste food, can’t get drunk...’"

As he spoke, Lao Jiu’s deathly pale face twisted into a ferocious snarl.

After a long moment, he said, panting heavily, "You think this counts as living?!"

Fear flickered in President Feng’s eyes. "A fate worse than death... It must have been hell, persevering for so many years!"

"Even an ant will cling to life, so of course I did too. But this... this is no way for a person to live."

Lao Jiu let out a long sigh and closed his eyes.

President Feng nodded slowly, the last of his doubts vanishing. ’He wants to extend his life so he can live well and enjoy it.’

’If it meant ending up like Lao Jiu, neither human nor ghost...’

’...he’d rather be dead.’

However, his brow furrowed. "From what I know, Huang San isn’t that old, is he? Why would he need to use Life Force to extend his lifespan?"

Lao Jiu shot him a strange look. "Who would ever say no to a longer life?"

"Er... I suppose that’s true."

"It’s not just my Third Brother. Several key figures in the Huang Family, including the City Lord, each have a spot."

"’You’re a key figure in the Huang Family now, too?’ President Feng asked, surprised."

"Mm. I can’t be in the sun, so I manage their... underground affairs."

’Huang the Ninth showing up in person to explain things adds a great deal of credibility,’ President Feng mused, frowning. ’I might not be able to broker a marriage alliance between our families anymore, but as president of the Commerce Association, it’s still child’s play for me to funnel benefits to the Huang Family.’

He raised his head. "Now, what do you need me to do?"

"Eliminate Tang Wen."

"What?" President Feng recoiled slightly. "Me? I can’t do that."

Lao Jiu smiled, but it only made his face more hideous. "You old fox. At least you’re honest."

President Feng sighed. "If he were some ordinary young master, or even an heir to the Black Water Gang, I could find a way. It wouldn’t be impossible. But this one... if I killed him, I doubt I’d live to enjoy the rewards."

"We didn’t expect you to agree, either."

The two men exchanged a knowing smile.

No power in the world could withstand the wrath of the White Tiger Tribe if they openly assassinated Tang Wen.

The powerful have no need for reason. More accurately, not only do they disregard reason, they disregard evidence as well.

If Tang Wen were to die, the White Tiger Tribe would attack anyone they even *suspected* of being involved.

No one in all of Ganshan City would dare say a word. They’d just worry about getting caught in the crossfire.

Even members of your own faction would disavow you in a heartbeat, just to survive.

Lao Jiu said, "We must kill him while he’s still only Seventh Grade."

President Feng said nothing.

Lao Jiu continued, "You don’t have to get your own hands dirty."

’Acting indirectly is just as bad!’ President Feng thought. ’He wouldn’t get involved in a losing proposition.’

Lao Jiu said, "You just need to continue acknowledging Feng San Niang’s status as your heir. Then, make a public announcement. For the upcoming underground trial, state that whoever—be it her or any other heir in the Commerce Association—places in the top three, you will nominate them for the vice presidency."

"So, you want to lure Tang Wen underground?" A sharp glint flashed in President Feng’s cloudy old eyes. "A clever idea. Your Thunder Jade Production Area is inaccessible to those at Fifth Grade. The White Tiger bodyguards with him are all at the Peak of Fifth Grade, so they can’t enter the Thunder Jade Mine. But aren’t you afraid of what happens if he makes it out alive and the whole thing gets exposed?"

"So what if it’s exposed? I’m not a member of the Huang Family!"

HISS!

President Feng sucked in a sharp breath. ’So Lao Jiu plans to act personally.’

"Understood. Tomorrow, I’ll put the word out. I’ll announce that Third Lady’s position as heir is still valid. And if she really does place in the top three... regardless of whether Tang Wen comes out alive or not, I’ll make her vice president."

"No problem."

With that, Huang the Ninth’s figure gradually faded, and he departed from the courtyard.

「Inner City. The Huang Family Estate.」

Inside a palace built of Black Gold Stone.

Several figures stood gazing into a bottomless abyss.

The last to arrive was the man in the black robe.

Seeing him return, Huang San asked calmly, "How did it go?"

"Old Feng will cooperate."

"Good. All that’s left is to bait the hook for Tang Wen."

"The Flame Lady in Tang Wen’s camp is at the Peak of Sixth Grade, isn’t she? Do you really think he won’t be tempted by the Fifth Grade Fire Department Technique we’re offering?"

Huang San sighed. "That boy is calm and cunning, yet paradoxically, he’s also timid. Before the new year, we sent four Fifth-Grade experts to wipe out Flame Camp. Who would have guessed he’d brought three White Tigers at the Peak of Fifth Grade with him?"

"Timid? Wasn’t his behavior today incredibly arrogant?"

"No. From what I understand, his camp’s greatest rival is a veteran Sixth-Grade powerhouse. We shouldn’t label him as arrogant or timid. When faced with uncertainty, he is extremely cautious. He’s not going to be easy to deal with."