Chapter 132 - 108: "If You Dare to Run, I’ll Wipe Out Your Entire Family.
Chapter 132: Chapter 108: "If You Dare to Run, I’ll Wipe Out Your Entire Family.
"No, please, don’t!" Patriarch Wang’s face paled. He practically groveled, his voice trembling on the verge of tears. "Brother Wang, there’s really no need..."
Of all the factions that had come to pay their respects, his was the lowest.
He was surrounded by powers like the Jiangnan Medicine King Valley and the Jiangnan Gongyang Race. Even the greatest power in Jiangbei, the Jiangbei Commerce Association, had shown up. In comparison, he, representing the humble Hill and Valley Wang Family of Jiangbei City, dared not even breathe too loudly.
Seeing so many eyes turn his way now only made him feel more out of place.
"Not targeting me?"
Wang Kui suddenly let out a cold laugh. "Then let me ask you, among all the station managers of the Hill and Valley Wang Family, am I not the most capable?"
"You are," Patriarch Wang nodded firmly.
"Over the years, I’ve been transferred multiple times. Every single station I was assigned to, no matter how neglected it was before, I managed to build it up. Isn’t that right?"
"It is..."
Patriarch Wang hunched his shoulders and glanced around, feeling utterly mortified.
"Am I capable enough?"
"You are."
"Is my experience enough?"
"It is."
"Was I a good station manager?"
"You were."
"Then why, after working for the Hill and Valley Wang Family for thirteen years, am I *still* just a station manager?"
"Because..."
Patriarch Wang steeled himself and muttered, "Because... you were so good at being a station manager..."
"So because I was good at it, I had to do it forever?"
"Er..." Patriarch Wang was at a loss for words. ’If you don’t let the person who’s good at the job keep doing it,’ he thought, ’are you supposed to give the job to someone who’s bad at it?’
"Don’t worry."
Wang Kui suddenly broke into a grin and patted Patriarch Wang’s shoulder. "I didn’t think you’d actually show up. But since you’re here, you don’t have to leave. I’ve already discussed how to handle your Hill and Valley Wang Family with the Sect Leader."
"Your Wang Family is to be disbanded, effective immediately."
"As for you."
"You will now serve as a station manager for the Mortal Sect for a full thirteen years. Once your term is up, you can go home and be with your family. You’d better do a good job. Do it exactly as I did. I’ll be dropping by from time to time to check on you."
"Dare to run, and I’ll wipe out your entire clan."
Patriarch Wang showed no sign of resistance. Instead, he let out a long sigh of relief. "Of course, of course. I’ll follow all of the Mortal Sect’s orders. I will serve the Mortal Sect with my life."
He had been keeping a close eye on the Jiangbei Chen Family Site No. 37 during the rainy season.
Its signal only went out on the very last day of the rainy season.
And then, the Mortal Sect rose to power.
’It was obvious even to a fool,’ he thought. ’The one who founded the Mortal Sect had to be that illegitimate son of the Jiangbei Chen Family. And to build a faction, you need people. The station manager of the Hill and Valley Wang Family Site No. 17, the closest site to the Jiangbei Chen Family’s Site No. 37, was the most likely candidate to be recruited.’
’A station manager who’d worked for the Wang Family for thirteen years without a single promotion—would he really hold no grudge against them?’
’He didn’t believe it for a second.’
So, the moment he saw other factions heading to the Mortal Sect to pay their respects, he had rushed to follow them.
’He hadn’t dared to be the first.’
’The first to arrive often dies.’
’But going with a crowd... surely they wouldn’t kill him in front of everyone. It would be bad for their image.’
He had brought his clan’s entire fortune with him when he came.
’If Wang Kui hadn’t been in the Mortal Sect, he would have offered 1,000 Ghost Stones as a gift.’ ’But if Wang Kui *was* there, then he would hand over everything as payment to spare his life. The outcome now wasn’t so bad. At least his family was still alive. All he had to do was serve as a station manager for thirteen years. It was a completely acceptable price.’
’As for resisting...’
’How could his tiny Hill and Valley Wang Family possibly stand against a power that could slay a Ghost King and command the respect of so many major factions?’
Now that the dust had settled, he felt his entire body relax. He trotted eagerly to Wang Kui’s side. "Hey, uh, Brother Wang, is there anything I can help with? I noticed the canyon entrance needs a guard. How about I take that post for now?"
"Then you can just tell me what to do later?"
"..."
Wang Kui stood there, speechless for a long time.
All through the rainy season, he had dreamed of this moment.
He’d fantasized about making something of himself, about standing before Patriarch Wang and proving him wrong, showing him how capable he truly was. He’d always believed Patriarch Wang refused to promote him because he didn’t recognize his abilities. He never imagined it was because the Patriarch recognized his abilities *too* well.
The realization left him feeling a bit dazed.
He had it all planned out. In his mind, Patriarch Wang would fly into a rage upon hearing his sentence, shouting that a man of standing could be killed but not humiliated, that they could kill him or torture him as they pleased!
After all, he had only met the Patriarch three times, and on each occasion, the man had been grim and stone-faced.
’Who would have thought...’
’...he was so adaptable?’
’Actually, when he saw that the Hill and Valley Wang Family’s congratulatory gift was such a specific, odd number, he’d had a guess. The old fox was ruthlessly decisive, liquidating his entire family fortune to buy his life.’
The Sect Leader would probably lose all interest in attacking the Hill and Valley Wang Family now.
’What was the point of attacking? All their wealth is right here. If we attacked now, we’d get nothing but a bunch of empty buildings. It’s questionable how long their turrets could even keep firing.’
"Go on, then."
"You got it!" Patriarch Wang didn’t hesitate for a second. Never mind that he was over sixty; the old man was surprisingly spry. He scampered into the canyon, ready to take up his new post guarding the entrance.
...
"Not bad at all."
At the entrance to the canyon of Nameless Mountain, Patriarch Wang stood stroking the two characters for "Mortal Sect" carved into the rock face. "This is a good end," he sighed.
The Hill and Valley Wang Family, one of the three great powers of Jiangbei City.
’It sounds so grand, doesn’t it?’
’But in truth, he lived every day in constant fear. Factions that survived for more than fifty years were few and far between; you could count the ones in all of Jiangbei on one hand.’
During the rainy season thirty-seven years ago, almost everyone in Jiangbei had been wiped out.
’He had made more and more enemies.’
’He had grown more and more afraid of dying.’
’Now that he’d joined the Mortal Sect, even if only as a station manager... given the sect’s meteoric rise, it was clearly destined for greater things. If they managed to unify Jiangbei, then even a mere station manager in the Mortal Sect would be in a better position than he was before.’
’It was a good deal.’
At this thought, he couldn’t help a flicker of malicious glee.
’He had some bad blood with the Mortal Sect, but not too much. He could trade his fortune for his life.’
’But the Jiangbei Chen Family?’
’The Jiangbei Chen Family had thrown Chen Fan out into the Wilderness right before the rainy season. Could a grudge like that be settled with money?’
’Not likely.’
’Besides, he refused to believe that the old patriarch of the Jiangbei Chen Family—a man who would sacrifice anything for the sake of his family’s ascent—would ever be willing to give it all up just to save his own skin.’
"TSK TSK TSK..."
Patriarch Wang stood his ground at the canyon entrance, stroking his beard as he gazed up at the clear, boundless sky. He began to hum a self-satisfied little tune.
’Being able to take power isn’t the real skill.’
’Knowing when to let go—that’s the true talent.’
’He had already turned in his answer sheet. Now it was time to see how the Jiangbei Chen Family would answer the test.’
When Jiangbei City was in peril during the rainy season, he hadn’t sent men or used his resources to defend it. He never thought the city would hold. His reasoning at the time had been simple: even if the city fell, he had a chance of survival by holing up in the Wang Family’s territory.
He was prepared to buy his way out of trouble after the rainy season.
’If he had used up all his resources, what would he have used to bargain for his life? His own words? You can’t even get a wife with empty promises; you need to offer a bride price.’
Just then—
A group of riders appeared in the distant wilderness, quickly reaching the canyon entrance.
Patriarch Wang cleared his throat, straightened his back, and bellowed.
"This is the territory of the Mortal Sect! State your name and purpose!"
But the group, riding Skeleton Horses, showed no sign of slowing down, charging straight for the canyon.
"The Mortal Sect’s territory lies ahead!"
Patriarch Wang yelled again, but the riders still had no intention of stopping. Gritting his teeth, he made a split-second decision. He threw himself directly in their path, spread his arms wide, and screamed, "This is the Mortal Sect’s territ—"
Before he could finish.
A Skeleton Horse slammed into him, sending him flying. His world went black as he collapsed, unconscious.
The riders continued their charge into the canyon, their momentum unbroken.
In the blink of an eye, they had crossed the thousand-meter-long canyon and arrived at the Celestial Pit.
"Well, look who’s here."
A young man in a white robe parted the curtains of a carriage pulled by Skeleton Horses and stepped out. His eyes landed on Chen Fan, who was surrounded by the crowd, and a roguish smile played on his lips.
"Quite the party, huh?"
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Zhou Yi, Young Master of the Pill Sect. I heard the Mortal Sect slew a Ghost King, so I came to offer my congratulations."
He waved a hand.
A man behind him brought out a chest of Ghost Stones and tossed it onto the mountain of other gifts. "Ten thousand Ghost Stones. Count ’em."
Only then did his eyes begin to scan the crowd, finally landing on Gongyang Yue, who was hiding behind Qi Yue. A gentle smile spread across his face.
"I’ve been looking for you for so long. Finally."
"Gongyang Yue. As beautiful as your name."