Chapter 78: Another Branch Destroyed

Would the heads of the Shi family for two generations not possess the “Triple Yin Candle Blood”? Ninety-nine percent certain, they do! In a martial clan, strength is the foundation. Without it, no matter how outstanding one’s abilities, one cannot become the head of the family. Even if someone manages to seize the position by force, they cannot hold it securely or for long. The reason is simple: subordinates will not submit. Just like a fourth-rank martial artist, would he readily obey the commands of an ordinary man? The vast majority would not! The few who do, only do so for other, extraneous reasons.

Especially as the family head, if one lacks personal power, one might be assassinated by rival factions at any time. Ultimately, the Shi family’s secret internal skill, the “Cold Mist Sutra,” when paired with the “Triple Yin Candle Blood,” is the perfect combination. Not only does it accelerate cultivation, but it also greatly enhances one’s power. There is no reason for the heads of the Shi family to refuse it. Not to mention, even Shi Yankai, a discarded and useless branch of the family, possessed the “Triple Yin Candle Blood,” so how could the family head lack it?

Therefore, both heads of the Shi family most likely possess the “Triple Yin Candle Blood.” Their current strength is, unsurprisingly, built on this bloodline. And the information revealed by the bloodline card is never wrong. The abilities and flaws of the “Triple Yin Candle Blood” are unavoidable for anyone bearing this lineage. The two heads of the Shi family, as well as other elders who have surpassed the typical lifespan, are still alive—there must be a reason behind this. Perhaps the reason Shi Yankai’s body was retrieved is related to this secret.

Su Jingxing toyed thoughtfully with the card. The bloodline cards function much like skill cards; once unlocked, their power can be absorbed instantly. Su Jingxing could, in a moment, acquire the abilities of the “Triple Yin Candle Blood.” Of course, he would also inherit its fatal flaw—living only to the age of forty-nine. Such a bloodline was better left untouched.

When it came to cheating fate, Su Jingxing was not afraid of anyone. For this reason, after playing with the card for a while, he returned it to his palm space. Although curious about how the Shi family resolved the flaw of the “Triple Yin Candle Blood,” Su Jingxing had no intention of probing deeper. After all, the defect only affected the Shi family and had no impact on outsiders.

…

That afternoon, Su Jingxing took over for Kong Dabao, diligently moving corpses and collecting cards. His partner, who had taken a week’s leave, was temporarily replaced by someone else. The crematorium’s corpse collection team had no shortage of members; there were new recruits every month, and, of course, departures as well.

Few made it through the six-month probation. As a result, partners in each group were not fixed. Su Jingxing’s new partner was a man of few words—unless asked, he remained silent. By the end of the shift, Su Jingxing had a good sense of his personality and was more than content with the arrangement.

That evening, the routine continued—moving corpses, collecting cards. Now, Su Jingxing stored every Vitality Card and Strength Card he found. Once home, he would unlock them, harvesting Vitality Pills and Strength Pills, each kept in separate jars for future use. The same went for Internal Force Cards; once he accumulated a century’s worth of cultivation, it could be converted into a year’s worth of Sky-Stepping True Qi. Of course, compared to Internal Force Cards, Su Jingxing preferred True Qi Cards. Unfortunately, the deaths of sixth-rank martial artists were rare.

“Corpse discovered. Collect?”
“Yes.”
“Corpse discovered. Collect?”
“Yes.”
…

Monotonous but satisfying days passed in this manner for several days. Su Jingxing had accumulated four hundred Vitality Pills and three hundred fifty Strength Pills—still far from his goal. Only when he had a thousand Strength Pills would transforming into the “Demonic Elephant Body” pose no risk.

One early morning, just as Su Jingxing was preparing to leave work, he was suddenly notified to head into the city to collect corpses. The destination: a branch stronghold of the Black Tiger Gang. That’s right, another Black Tiger Gang branch had been wiped out!

Sitting in the car en route to the site, Su Jingxing was silent for a long time. Hadn’t Duan Feihong and his group already been dealt with? Why was the Black Tiger Gang being targeted again, losing yet another branch?

“Bad luck this year, clearly a year of calamity for the Black Tiger Gang,” the driver couldn’t help but sigh. “If they survive, it’ll be something to talk about, but if not, the Black Tiger Gang will most likely be wiped out!”

“That’s normal. Underground gangs never last long—every few years there’s a new batch,” another chimed in.
“They come and go, but we’re the ones who bear the brunt,” someone else complained.
“No kidding, almost off shift and we have to head out again. By the way, was anyone guarding the Black Tiger Gang’s branch at this hour?”
“Who knows? Maybe the killers had been watching for a while and only acted in the early morning.”
“…”

The corpse collection team chatted among themselves. At two or three in the morning, there should not have been many people left at the Black Tiger Gang’s branch, yet the Martial Authority Bureau had called the crematorium, requesting three teams to collect bodies. Clearly, something was amiss.

While Su Jingxing said nothing, he too was curious. Yet rather than complain like the others, he was pleased. When gang members died, the common people rejoiced. For Su Jingxing, every destroyed Black Tiger Gang branch meant a bountiful harvest. If possible, the annihilation of the entire gang would be ideal—ahem.

…

The corpse transport vehicle sped through the empty streets before dawn and soon arrived at the scene of the Black Tiger Gang’s destroyed branch. Only then did Su Jingxing and his team understand why the Martial Authority Bureau had summoned three teams.

This time, the branch had been attacked by a group—a squad dressed entirely in black, faces masked, each wielding identical weapons: sabers similar to Tang blades, all half-treasure grade. These people fought brutally against the Black Tiger Gang’s defenders. In the end, all thirty-five members of the gang’s branch, including the branch leader, were killed. Sixteen black-clad attackers also fell, their comrades unable to retrieve their bodies.

According to those from the Martial Authority Bureau, the battle was conducted with remarkable stealth—few locals noticed anything, and there were no traces of special silencers. In other words, the thirty-five defenders seemed to have known someone would come for them that night.

Now, that was interesting. One side launched a pre-dawn ambush; the other waited in anticipation. In the end, the Black Tiger Gang lost. The details of the dispute were immediately investigated by the highest-ranking Martial Authority officer present.

While moving bodies, Su Jingxing used “Echo to the Ear” to eavesdrop. It worked—he caught the truth: it was all for a certain treasure!

The Black Tiger Gang had recently acquired a rare artifact. The news was supposed to be top secret, but somehow leaked, drawing attention from all sides. Once the information was confirmed, factions quickly moved to seize the item. The Black Tiger Gang’s leader was unwilling to give it up and stationed his best men to defend against such attacks. This was not the first wave that night; other branches had already faced covert infiltrations and open clashes. However, for an entire branch to be wiped out in one night—this, Ouyang Qinhu had not anticipated.

“You didn’t expect it? It’s nothing but your own greed!”