Chapter 314: True Destruction of Corpse and Evidence

Felix Knight stepped forward and checked his pulse, then nodded at the others.

“Stone dead.”

Yvonne Lowell stretched lazily and said nonchalantly,

“Alright, Jennings, time to clean up this mess. We should be heading home to bed soon.”

“You got it. Time for me to take the stage.”

Nina Jennings took a small vial from her pocket, walked over to Lance Young, and evenly sprinkled the powder from the vial onto his body.

Immediately, everyone watched as Lance Young’s corpse decomposed at a speed visible to the naked eye, eventually melting into a puddle of black liquid that emitted a foul stench.

The others’ pupils constricted, their faces frozen in shock as they watched the scene unfold.

‘Holy crap, is that the Corpse Dissolving Powder from wuxia dramas?!’

‘What in the world have we gotten into?!’

‘For real? They’re actually destroying the body and erasing all traces?!’

Yvonne Lowell raised an eyebrow. “It worked a little fast this time. Did you secretly improve the formula again?”

‘Hey, hey, hey! How can you be so calm about this?!’

‘The way she says it… sounds like you all do this kind of thing all the time!’

“Nah, it’s the same as before. He was already shot full of holes, so it’s not surprising it was absorbed a little faster.”

Nina Jennings shrugged, calmly wiping her hands.

Silas Lynch frantically made a mental note to himself: ‘I must treat Nina with my whole heart, always. I can never, ever do anything to wrong her. Nothing matters but Nina. Don’t sleep too deeply. Remember to have my eyes take turns standing guard…’

After his initial surprise, Leo Grant glanced sideways at the girl beside him.

“This powder… is it for sale?”

‘The Shadow Pavilion could definitely use this from time to time.’

“This is an exclusive formula for Moonshadow. If you want some, you’ll have to ask its creator.”

Yvonne Lowell jutted her chin in Nina Jennings’s direction.

Overhearing their conversation, Nina Jennings casually waved a hand.

“Normally, it’s not for sale, but I can make an exception for The Shadow Pavilion. However, supply is limited. And even if I give you a twenty-percent discount, it’s still not going to be cheap.”

‘I use only the finest ingredients. A twenty-percent discount is basically just the cost of materials, not even counting my labor.’

‘If it weren’t for the fact that The Shadow Pavilion and Moonshadow are practically in-laws, he could have begged all he wanted and I wouldn’t have budged.’

“Deal. No discount needed. Just name your price, and have Silas Lynch pick it up when it’s ready.”

Leo Grant gave a slight nod.

“Alrighty! So generous, President Grant! I’ll let you know when I have a batch ready.”

Nolan Crawford’s eyes lit up. ‘Such a cool Corpse Dissolving Powder… The Shadow Pavilion is getting some, too?!!’

‘Why do I suddenly want to go on a mission?!’

Silas Lynch: ‘Since you’re so excited about it, why don’t… you be the one to pick it up?’

“Let’s go. Time to head back.”

Yvonne Lowell took Leo Grant’s hand and led the way out, but she suddenly stopped and said,

“Oh, right, Felix. Remember to take some men and clean up his apartment. It’s a staff dorm provided by the Lowell Group, after all. We can’t have it tainted by this mess.”

“Understood,” Felix Knight replied quickly.

“Hey, why were you on your phone right before you shot him? Don’t tell me you were adjusting your scope with it? Or were you searching for the best spot for a one-shot kill?”

Nolan Crawford, who was walking at the back, nudged Zachary Jacobs beside him and teased in a low voice.

“You should play fewer video games. The saying ‘a scrub who loves to play’ was tailor-made for people like you.”

Zachary Jacobs shot him a look like he was an idiot, his tone dripping with disdain. “I was just checking to see if it was past midnight.”

“So what? What difference does it make if it’s past midnight?”

Nolan Crawford was confused. ‘Do people really need this much ceremony to kill someone these days?’

Zachary Jacobs let out a soft laugh.

“Because yesterday was Lowell’s actual birthday. We have a tradition of not taking a life on her birthday, to accumulate good karma for her.”

In the past, they had always observed the date on her official documents. To the three of them, it wasn’t just a birthday; it was the day Yvonne Lowell had led them out of their cage.

It might have sounded childish, but it felt like the only thing they could really do for her.

Now, they included her actual birthday as well. After so many years, the habit was second nature, something they did subconsciously.

Besides, sincerity is what matters most. Life is short—only about thirty thousand days. Every day of good karma they could accumulate for her was a day gained.

Nolan Crawford’s lips parted and closed a few times, but in the end, he just patted Zachary’s shoulder.

Inside, however, he was biting a handkerchief and slapping himself silly. ‘I’m such a goddamn idiot!!’

After the group departed, Moonshadow’s operatives quickly scrubbed away every last trace of their presence.

Emberfall returned to its usual quiet, as if no one had ever been there.

…

「Lowell Manor」

The brothers-in-law who had been sitting at the bar were now dead drunk and had been carried off to their rooms to sleep it off.

Only Charles Lowell and Kai Preston remained, their eyes still clear as they continued to trade drinks and conversation.

The atmosphere might have been more relaxed, had Charles Lowell not kept glancing at the clock on the wall.

Wanting to distract him, Kai Preston clapped him on the shoulder.

“Old Man Lowell, care to make a bet?”

Charles Lowell took a sip of his drink, his curiosity piqued. “A bet? Let’s hear it.”

“Let’s bet on what time they get back. My money’s on them being back before one-thirty, completely unscathed.”

Kai Preston gave him a meaningful smile.

Charles Lowell eyed him suspiciously, not taking the bait immediately.

“So certain? You haven’t already heard something, have you?”

“I’ve been with you all night; where would I get news from? So, are you taking the bet or not? If I’m right, you drink with me again tomorrow night. If I’m wrong, I’ll drink with you tomorrow night. How about it?”

Charles Lowell’s mouth twitched. ‘Is there any difference between the punishment and the prize?’

‘Aren’t they both just punishments for me!?’

‘It just means that tomorrow morning I’ll have to go kneel and apologize, then drink again at night, and then repeat the whole process the morning after. And the morning after that.’

‘I hereby dub this ‘The Charles Lowell Cycle’.’

Still, he said, “Fine. But you have to tell me why you’re so certain.”

“Hah, it’s just from knowing them well.”

Kai Preston put down his glass and explained,

“Let me tell you, knowing their personalities, they’d definitely start with a round of taunts and sarcasm, torment the guy until he’s half-dead, and only then make their move, followed by cleanup. The time ratio for those stages is about six-to-three-to-one. They should be in the middle of stage two right now, which means they should be back any minute.”

Jason Lowell: ‘You know too much!!!’

Charles Lowell’s brow furrowed. “Before? Has this sort of thing happened many times?”

“Not that many. Only two or three times, I’d say. But they’ve always handled it perfectly, without anyone getting hurt.”

Kai Preston’s expression remained unchanged as he refilled Charles’s glass.

“Anyway, stop worrying. You have to have faith in your own flesh and blood. Besides, do you really think the successor I trained could be some pushover?”

Inside, however, he cursed himself. ‘Damn my big mouth!’

‘I almost let it slip. If Yvonne Lowell found out, I’d be in for a lecture.’