Chapter 142: Winner Takes All

Chapter 142: Chapter 142: Winner Takes All

Zhang Yun and the other three retreated to the base of the wall to avoid being caught in the blast.

First, they checked their respective injuries. This was especially true for Zhang Yun. He had been at the center of the explosion, emerged from a sea of fire, and was already injured to begin with. Everyone feared he was in critical condition.

Ouyang Kunpeng didn’t contact the other bodyguards. By the time they finished assessing their wounds, their vehicles had already returned. Seeing Ouyang Qilin come out, the four of them simply watched from behind instead of rushing over immediately to confront him.

After hearing his triumphant posturing, the last shred of brotherly affection vanished from Ouyang Kunpeng’s heart. There was no misunderstanding. This was a premeditated trap—the explosion had even been manually triggered by Ouyang Qilin! Even believing that the three of them were blown to pieces, Ouyang Qilin showed not a hint of sorrow. His only thought was to recruit their subordinates! Next, he would completely seize control of the Ouyang Family.

Initially, Ouyang Kunpeng wanted to wait a moment to observe the reactions of his trusted bodyguards. It was the perfect test—anyone who defected to the enemy would not be kept around.

But Zhang Yun signaled him not to wait and to head over immediately!

After a brief moment of thought, Ouyang Kunpeng understood. Human nature could not withstand such a test. Even if they were fiercely loyal confidants, that loyalty was built on the premise that he was still alive. Looking at the scene, it appeared the father and his two children had perished in the flames. Could he really expect a hired bodyguard to remain faithful to a dead man?

The crucial point was that the danger hadn’t passed yet. If these men all chose to surrender to Ouyang Qilin, and Kunpeng showed his face afterward, they would only feel deeply ashamed and too embarrassed to face him. Defect again? Wouldn’t that make them treacherous backstabbers? The most likely outcome was that everyone would tacitly agree to follow Ouyang Qilin, and then, on his orders, kill the survivors! If their former boss was truly dead, they wouldn’t have to bear the guilt and infamy of being called traitors and turncoats.

"The Second Master is truly impressive!" Ouyang Kunpeng said loudly. Fighting through the pain of his fall, he strode over with a commanding presence.

Surrounded by the flattery of his thugs, Ouyang Qilin was currently drunk on his own success, staring at the blazing inferno before him with a sense of euphoric satisfaction. His wounds had only received basic first aid to stop the bleeding, and the bullets hadn’t been extracted yet. The significant blood loss left him in pain and feeling weak on his feet. Mentally, however, he was on an unprecedented high!

The mountain that had weighed on his mind for half his life was finally gone. If time permitted, he truly wanted to stay and watch everything burn to ashes!

Ouyang Kunpeng’s confidants, however, felt very differently. Arriving at the scene had been profoundly shocking for them, and Ouyang Qilin’s terms had made their hearts sink even further. Hearing their boss’s voice at this exact moment, they all instantly turned around in alert surprise.

"Boss!"

Seeing that Ouyang Kunpeng and his family were perfectly fine and hadn’t died in the fire, all the trusted bodyguards were extremely thrilled. Shouting out in unison, they quickly swarmed around him.

Hearing this, Ouyang Qilin hastily turned his head as well. His expression instantly turned ugly. Weren’t the four of them supposed to be inside the house discussing matters? He had calculated the timing perfectly. Had they gone in and immediately come back out? How could they be so cunning?

His group of thugs instantly fell silent, sudden panic washing over them. Some had been accidentally injured by Ouyang Qilin and Lei Bing’s stray bullets, while others had been sent flying by Ouyang Mingruo. Very few were unscathed. They were a ragged bunch, entirely reliant on Ouyang Qilin’s momentum to keep them going. The moment Ouyang Kunpeng appeared, they completely lost their nerve.

"Old Jin, take care of all these lackeys, as well as the bodies on the ground. Make it clean and quick," Ouyang Kunpeng instructed plainly.

"Yes, sir!" Old Jin, who was leading the team, immediately complied.

Just earlier, Ouyang Kunpeng had been having everyone escorted away to the hospital, still considering how to handle the situation. Even the bodies had been moved outside. But the implication was completely different now. As a loyal confidant who had followed him for years, Old Jin instantly understood his boss’s intent, and the other bodyguards caught on just as quickly.

While this was certainly a massive test for them, such an opportunity was rare. Only by passing this trial would they become true inner-circle members, guaranteeing they would never be mistreated in the future! None of them voiced any objections or refused. If you refused while everyone else did the deed, how could you ever work together amicably again? Without the boss even needing to give the order, your colleagues might just silence you to protect themselves!

Old Jin quickly made a hand signal. The bodyguards immediately sprang into action, knocking out all the injured thugs. Then, right in front of Ouyang Qilin, they dragged them over and threw them straight into the sea of fire!

The corpses of Uncle Zhong, Lei Bing, and the others were also tossed into the inferno. Let everything be destroyed!

Ouyang Qilin watched in silence. He didn’t speak up to stop them, nor did he say anything to Ouyang Kunpeng as his brother walked up to him.

"Make a choice. We can throw you in, or you can walk in yourself with some dignity." Ouyang Kunpeng didn’t look at him either; his gaze remained fixed on the blazing flames ahead.

Zhang Yun, Sister Mingruo, and Chunqiu had already arrived behind him. Ouyang Kunpeng’s decision left Zhang Yun in shock. Initially, he had warned Mingruo, and she had passed the warning to Ouyang Kunpeng, telling him to deal with Ouyang Qilin properly to prevent any retaliation. Zhang Yun had assumed a big shot like him would have all sorts of sophisticated methods. He hadn’t expected something so simple and brutal. Knocking people out and throwing them into a fire was way too ruthless.

Having survived tonight’s ordeal, Ouyang Mingruo’s heart had completely hardened. She watched men being thrown into the fire one by one without batting an eye. Even as her father forced her second uncle to make his choice, she neither looked his way nor pleaded for mercy.

Ouyang Chunqiu, on the other hand, had a face full of reluctance and pity.

"Brother, do you really have to be so absolute? We share the same mother! I’m your blood brother who you’ve watched grow up over the decades!" Ouyang Qilin let out a miserable laugh.

Ouyang Kunpeng’s face twitched, but he still clenched his teeth. "So the Second Master finally remembers we share the same mother? When you made your move earlier, setting up such a massive trap tonight to blow the three of us up and burn us to ashes, did you ever consider that I was your brother?"

"What does that have to do with me? I was already gone!"

"There’s no need to deceive yourself. They’re almost done; you still have time to choose how you want to go. Your wife and children will remain a part of the Ouyang Family. I will guarantee their safety and prosperity."

Given Ouyang Kunpeng’s status, he naturally kept his word. Just like earlier when he hadn’t yet decided how to deal with Ouyang Qilin, he didn’t issue a verdict prematurely. Now that he had spoken, there was no taking it back. Since he had promised to spare his family, he would truly let Ouyang Qilin’s wife and children go. However, he also emphasized the key phrases "remain a part of the Ouyang Family" and "safety and prosperity"—which naturally meant they would never again be permitted into the inner circle.

Ouyang Qilin chuckled, his laughter carrying a hint of bleak desolation.

He considered himself a usurping Prince. To seize the throne, he couldn’t just kill the Emperor; he had to eliminate the Princess and Prince as well! Otherwise, his rule would be unstable and his reign illegitimate, and he would constantly have to guard against counterattacks. By the same logic, he had already considered the consequences of a failed usurpation: his own family’s ruin! In ancient times, treason meant exterminating the entire extended family. For a Prince of the Royal Family, that would mean executing every relative from top to bottom.

Ouyang Kunpeng’s words now—dealing only with him and silencing his batch of subordinates—could already be considered merciful.

"My good older brother! Mingruo... my good niece!" Ouyang Qilin looked at them.

Perhaps fearing that making eye contact would soften their hearts, both Ouyang Kunpeng and Ouyang Mingruo avoided looking directly at him.

"You all better live good, long lives! HAHAHA!"

With those final words, Ouyang Qilin strode forward and charged into the roaring inferno!