Chapter 80: "A Matter of Course"

According to the footage, after Ouyang Qinhu left the branch, he went straight to a bar. There were cameras inside the bar, monitoring every corner. Su Jingxing hacked in and, using the cameras, continued to track Ouyang Qinhu. He discovered that Ouyang Qinhu headed directly to the basement. Although the basement itself had no surveillance, through the entrance camera, Su Jingxing caught a glimpse of a woman's face when the basement door opened.

Shen Xinlan!

Who was Shen Xinlan? She was the leader of the Feiyun Sect, one of the two major gangs in the western district of Qinghe City. Though a woman, she was ruthless, known as the Scorpion; the number of people who died at her hands was not less than eighty, possibly a hundred. Ouyang Qinhu, the leader of the Black Tiger Gang, was meeting her in secret—an astonishing revelation.

Su Jingxing took screenshots from the surveillance and compared them carefully, confirming the woman's identity as Shen Xinlan. For a moment, he was at a loss for words. This scandal was growing bigger and bigger. The Black Tiger Gang and the Feiyun Sect were sworn enemies; their bloody conflicts had never ceased. That their respective leaders, Ouyang Qinhu and Shen Xinlan, would meet in secret—was it an illicit affair, or a conspiracy?

Whichever it was, exposure would send shockwaves through all of Qinghe City. If the cameras had caught more than a single image, providing stronger evidence, Su Jingxing would have been tempted to break the news himself. Even so, curiosity gnawed at him, and he speculated about the nature of their relationship. Unfortunately, there was no surveillance in the basement.

When Ouyang Qinhu left that morning and returned to the Black Tiger Gang headquarters, Su Jingxing ceased his tracking. From the conversation between Sun Ye and Ouyang Qinhu, it could be inferred that whatever Ouyang Qinhu possessed would be safe for at least another three days.

Satisfied, Su Jingxing decided not to keep watching. Besides, there was little surveillance at the Black Tiger Gang headquarters: no cameras in Ouyang Qinhu’s office or training room. Continued monitoring yielded scant results.

Su Jingxing only needed to confirm Ouyang Qinhu's whereabouts—not to watch him constantly. After all, he still had his own job. Su Jingxing understood this perfectly well.

...

The next day, he arrived at the crematorium and resumed moving corpses. He didn’t know what arrangements Gu Bo had made, but his partner had been switched back to Kong Dabao. Kong Dabao was delighted, though Su Jingxing felt indifferent. The two worked busily at first, and when they finally had a moment to spare, Kong Dabao invited Su Jingxing to play a game together.

No sooner had they brought out their phones than a commotion erupted ahead—a heated argument. Thinking something had happened again, Kong Dabao hurriedly called Su Jingxing, and they rushed forward.

When they reached the site of the disturbance, the farewell ceremony hall, they discovered it wasn’t trouble with the crematorium, but a conflict between relatives who had come to pay their respects.

There were two groups. One was led by a sturdy man in his thirties, exuding an aggressive, domineering presence. The other was led by a beautiful young woman whose stunning looks and striking figure stood out even in mourning attire; her elegance was undeniable. Yet, facing the man's intimidation, her aura faltered somewhat, and the man showed no sign of relenting just because she was pretty.

After listening for a while, Su Jingxing discerned the source of their conflict and asked curiously, “Did Yu Shengmou not make it clear before his death? Who’s supposed to inherit the martial arts school?”

“Who knows?” Kong Dabao shrugged, watching the drama gleefully. “Yu Shengmou had no children. One is his eldest disciple, the other his adopted daughter. Both are closely related. Without a handwritten declaration from Yu Shengmou, this conflict won't be resolved any time soon!”

“True. Each side claims their right. Without definite proof, whoever wants to inherit the school will have to rely on their strength to determine the final ownership,” Su Jingxing agreed.

“That goes without saying—Du Liangjing will definitely win.” Kong Dabao grinned. “Du Liangjing is a seventh-grade martial artist; Yu Miaotong only just reached ninth-grade. How could she compete with him?”

Su Jingxing remained silent.

Both groups in the farewell hall were from the Baihe Martial Arts School. Baihe Martial Arts School was quite renowned in the western district; Yu Shengmou, its late master, was a sixth-grade martial artist. The sturdy man in his thirties was named Du Liangjing, Yu Shengmou’s eldest disciple. The beautiful young woman was Yu Miaotong, Yu Shengmou’s adopted daughter.

Yu Shengmou’s sudden death left no will, resulting in a clash between Du Liangjing and Yu Miaotong over the school’s succession. Were it not for the imminent cremation of Yu Shengmou, the dispute over Baihe Martial Arts School might have already escalated to violence.

Although Yu Miaotong’s cultivation level was lower than Du Liangjing’s, she had considerable support within Baihe Martial Arts School for her succession. With this backing, Yu Miaotong dared to confront Du Liangjing directly.

“Since ancient times, an adopted daughter, in the absence of the parents’ offspring, naturally has the right of inheritance. Du Liangjing, if you want to compete for the school, you’d better clarify your own status before talking to me!” Yu Miaotong, standing at one meter seventy-three, faced the slightly shorter Du Liangjing with a fierce gaze and resolute words.

“Heh.” Du Liangjing chuckled. “It’s you who should clarify your status. You’re merely the master’s adopted daughter, while I am the master’s eldest disciple. When I became his disciple, many elders from the western district witnessed it in person!

“I’ve never heard of an adopted daughter inheriting a master’s estate. But a disciple inheriting his master’s estate is perfectly justified!”

Du Liangjing’s voice rang out confidently.

“That’s right, a disciple is like a son. Everywhere, a disciple’s status is equal to—or even greater than—the master’s own child!”

“Junior Sister Yu, I call you ‘junior sister’ out of respect for our master. But strictly speaking, you’re not even a member of the school. The master never formally inducted you. So where’s your qualification to inherit the school?”

“If Junior Sister isn’t qualified, what makes you think you are?”

“True, disciples can inherit the master’s estate, but the master had more than one disciple—not just Du Liangjing. We’re also qualified! Why should he alone inherit? What distinguishes him? What gives him the right to represent us?”

“What are you talking about? Master valued Eldest Brother most. If he doesn’t inherit, who will?”

“Nonsense! Master never said Du Liangjing should inherit the school. From the beginning, he planned to leave it to Junior Sister.”

“Where’s the proof? Do you have evidence that the master intended to leave the school to Junior Sister?”

“And do you have any proof? Without evidence, what’s the point of arguing here?”

“Hah! What a joke! No qualifications, yet causing such a ruckus. The master’s body isn’t even cold, and you disregard the bonds of fellowship for the sake of the school.”

“Heh, so you know the master’s body isn’t cold yet?”

“What do you mean by that?”