Chapter 415: Beating Up Teammates on Sight (Two in One)

Yan Jing looked down at the blood-soaked figure collapsed before him. Threads surged from his eyes, slicing off her wrist right along with the information component in her hand.

But it was too late.

The holographic screen showed the video transmission was complete, and it looked like there was more than one.

The figure was cloaked in a layer of translucent matter. Judging by the silhouette, she was a woman. Right now, her eyes were packed with threads, blood pouring out in a steady stream.

She hadn't expected Yan Jing to discover her location. Caught off guard, her eyes had been pierced straight through.

The next instant, as the time stop ended, she let out a miserable shriek. Sparks flared around her like electrical shorts, and she rapidly vanished.

Yan Jing didn't bother pursuing her.

For one, the video had already been sent. For another, she had fled far too quickly; she clearly possessed some special ability.

Turning back, he used a Blink to appear beside the Ancient Cultivator. Coating his wrist with the Power of the White Stone, he knocked the man out cold with a full-force chop to the neck.

Then, lifting the Ancient Cultivator by the neck, he turned to leave.

Through it all, he didn't spare Papa Rat a single glance.

Some things had ended the moment he made his move.

With Papa Rat's intellect, he would quickly figure out what was going on.

This was an utter failure of a role-play, far worse than the time Xiao Yu had seen through his act.

The only reason he kept up the act was to fulfill Mao Si's dying wish and take his abilities.

But he had only Blinked once into the distance when Papa Rat's hesitant voice drifted over from behind. "Bacon..."

Yan Jing paused his steps, took a deep breath, and continued walking forward.

Until Papa Rat's voice sounded behind him again. "Bacon... is that you, Bacon?"

Yan Jing took another deep breath.

Enough.

Let it end here.

He had had enough.

Now, he would turn around and sneer. He would say his son was dead, dead in that fire pit, still calling his name right before he died. He would say it was all because of this guy's negligence, and it was too late for regrets now. Yes, that was what he would say.

With this thought in mind, he turned around, only to freeze.

Papa Rat stood there. While he physically looked no different than before, his demeanor had entirely changed.

He was smiling, but it wasn't his usual smile. It was tentative, tinged with anxiety. Seeing Yan Jing turn back, he even patted the breast pocket of his suit with both paws.

His smile was strained and awkward.

He didn't look at all like that sinister, cunning, and ruthless Rat.

"Bacon, you're Bacon, right?"

Papa Rat blinked. Only then did Yan Jing notice his mung-bean-sized eyes behind those glasses, framed by so many wrinkles they looked like daisies.

In just a short moment, even his custom-tailored suit seemed to transform into the shabby clothing of an elderly country squire from a Western novel, desperately trying to keep up appearances.

The person standing before him now wasn't some sinister rat plotting to subvert the country. He was just a father who looked as if he had lost his child on the street, carefully probing for an answer.

Yan Jing clenched his empty hand tight, his nails biting into the flesh of his palm.

'You will completely take over their lives, filling the voids in those existences. From now on, you are him, and he is you.'

Yan Jing lowered his gaze, remembering the words the Ghoulish Life Role-playing Game repeated every time he took over a life.

Then, he looked up and forced a smile. "It's me, Pops. I'm Bacon."

At those words, Yan Jing saw a light spark in Papa Rat's eyes. "Right, I know, I know. It's my boy."

He eagerly took a few steps forward. "Si, let's go home."

But Yan Jing took a few steps back.

He smiled. "Pops, I can't go with you."

"We've been set up. The video of me killing the Security Department agents has already been leaked. If I stay with you, Uncle Crocodile's election will be in trouble."

"We need to separate for a while, Pops. Once things cool down, I'll come back to see you."

Papa Rat's tiny eyes blinked rapidly. His paws trembled slightly by his trouser legs, as if he didn't know where to put them. He squeezed out the words with difficulty. "It's fine, it's fine, Si. So what if we don't run for president? We can just—"

"How could we do that, Pops?"

Yan Jing smiled. "Isn't this what we promised each other when we were little?"

Papa Rat wanted to say more, but Yan Jing had already Blinked backward several times.

From about twenty or thirty meters away, Yan Jing smiled and said gently, "Pops, without me around, make sure you eat well. Drink lots of water every day. Your stomach is bad, so lay off the milk and spicy food."

With that, Yan Jing activated Peerless: Blink in rapid succession, vanishing from sight.

These were the exact words Mao Si had muttered as he lay dying in the fire pit. He had jokingly said them to Papa Rat outside the car long ago. Now, Yan Jing was passing on a son's dying words to his father one last time.

"Pops, you have to be happy..."

It was only seconds after Yan Jing disappeared that Papa Rat jolted like he was waking from a dream, frantically searching for any trace of him.

But even after searching until he was drenched in sweat and utterly exhausted, he found nothing.

Suddenly, the information component on his wrist vibrated wildly.

He looked at the holographic screen and froze.

In the projection, Mao Si was holding the Ancient Cultivator. He smiled and said, "Everyone! I, Mao Si, hereby announce my defection from Peace Heavenly Kingdom! Honestly, I'm sick of everything here. I'm sick of my biological family, and I'm sick of my so-called friends, especially Luo Sheng and Zeng Qing. Hah, just saying their names makes me sick to my stomach."

"Except for Nuochen Biotech, of course. Honestly, Nuochen Biotech is the one place I truly like."

"Aside from Zeng Qing, everyone else there really suited my tastes. That's why we plotted this mutant plant incident together. Heh, enjoy your final moments as animals, everyone."

"And now... here is my pledge of loyalty to humanity!"

With that, Yan Jing ripped the Ancient Cultivator's head straight off. Blood instantly splattered across the screen.

"You stupid pigs, the countdown starts now!!!!"

This video was the final bundle of firewood tossed onto a chaotic bonfire. The already terminally ill nation was instantly set ablaze, the uproar reaching a fever pitch.

Meanwhile, after disposing of the Ancient Cultivator, Yan Jing used Luo Sheng's ability, Peerless: Painted Face, to perfectly disguise both Mao Si and Luo Sheng. Combined with the Stone Immortal's State of Stone, he vanished into the vast sea of people.

Yan Jing opened his eyes.

The flight was about half an hour from its destination. After a short rest, a flight attendant came over to remind him they would be landing soon.

Soon, the plane touched down smoothly, and Yan Jing pulled his suitcase into the transit area.

Wang Changnian had told him someone would be here to meet him.

He quickly spotted the figure Wang Changnian had described, holding a massive sign that read "YanJing".

Yan Jing walked over and asked softly, "Hello, are you the friend Domain Chief Wang sent?"

The person turned at his voice. Yan Jing blinked, then smiled.

—

"Sorry, I must have the wrong person."

With that, he turned to leave.

Wang Changnian had shown him a photo of a balding, middle-aged man in his forties. The woman standing before him in a black leather skirt and a trench coat obviously didn't match the description in the slightest.

But she immediately called out to stop him, laughing. "You have the right person! It's me. I'm your guide from here on out. My name is Sheng Xia."

The woman extended her hand. "Hello."

Yan Jing shook it, then said, "Please wait a moment. I need to confirm this."

He contacted Wang Changnian and verified that the woman in front of him was indeed his new guide.

According to Wang Changnian, the person he had originally arranged was vetoed straight from the top by the domain lord. The domain lord had then assigned a new guide to take them on their tour of the First Ring Domain.

As for why it was "them"...

It was because Yan Jing wasn't the only one heading to the First Ring Domain.

The domain lord had summoned a total of six people. Yan Jing was just one of them.

"Alright, you're the last member of our team."

Sheng Xia smiled as she led Yan Jing over to the other five, introducing him. "Everyone, this is our final companion. You should all be very familiar with him. It's Yan Jing."

"Hello."

Yan Jing smiled gently.

The five people consisted of three men and two women. Of the three men, one was a bit chubby, one was heavily muscled, and the last looked rather scholarly. The two women looked similar in age; one wore glasses, and the other didn't.

Yan Jing simply used these traits to tell them apart, not bothering to actively memorize them.

He could tell that these five were quite strong, roughly on par with He Xinquan, maybe even a bit stronger—though he was comparing them to He Xinquan back when he was at the Fourth Tier.

"So you're Yan Jing?"

The woman without glasses wore a cartoon-patterned sweater. Both her outfit and makeup leaned toward bright, youthful energy. She smiled at him. "Hi, I'm Xie Lingling."

"Hello."

Yan Jing nodded.

"When are we leaving?"

The scholarly man suddenly asked, looking at their guide.

"Soon. Probably in an hour or two."

Sheng Xia smiled. "This trip will definitely be exciting. I looked into everyone's backgrounds beforehand, and I found that almost all of you have stayed exclusively within your own domains. You haven't seen the sights of the other ring domains."

"You can really enjoy yourselves this time."

"There's nothing to see," the bespectacled woman said. "If I didn't have to be here to pick someone up, I never would have come to the Fifth Ring Domain."

Hearing this, the others didn't speak, but their expressions indicated they shared similar sentiments.

Aside from Yan Jing, the other five were all from the Fourth Ring Domain and the Third Ring Domain.

Even Xie Lingling, who had just shown curiosity about Yan Jing, smiled at him in agreement.

Watching this scene, a strange gleam flashed in Sheng Xia's eyes.

In truth, being a guide wasn't her only purpose here. Her superiors had assigned her another task: to analyze and investigate their personalities and strengths. She had been specifically informed that the domain lord intended to mold these six into a single team, and she was supposed to provide appropriate guidance to make that happen.

And her superiors had explicitly named Yan Jing as the leader of this team.

Now that there was friction, Sheng Xia figured it was time for some sparks to fly.

But unexpectedly, Yan Jing just smiled. "True, I don't care much for sightseeing either. Everyone must be tired. Miss Guide, I'm going to rest for a bit. Call me when it's time to board."

With that, Yan Jing walked over to a nearby sofa, sat down, and closed his eyes, actually looking like he was settling in for a nap.

"..."

Sheng Xia was slightly taken aback.

She had seen footage of Yan Jing in the Dungeon; he was like a completely different person now.

Could it be...

Was this his true personality?

Just as she was pondering how to move things forward, the muscular man spoke up. "There's a training ground right here in the VIP lounge. Since everyone's here, why don't we... have a little sparring session?"

The others instantly caught his drift and looked eager to try.

Clearly, everyone knew this was the perfect opportunity to test Yan Jing. They all had some inkling of their superiors' plans for this trip, and none of them were willing to submit to a stranger's leadership—especially not a group of people who all considered themselves geniuses.

Having reached the Fifth Tier Venerable Grade, every single one of them was an elite chosen from ten thousand.

Even knowing that the quality of Yan Jing's earlier Rituals was incredibly high, they still needed to trade blows before accepting anything.

A gleam of approval flashed in Sheng Xia's eyes. A direct sparring match was undeniably the best way to observe their strength and personalities.

The group headed toward the training ground, but as they passed Yan Jing, he showed absolutely no intention of getting up.

Aside from Xie Lingling and the scholarly man, a flash of displeasure crossed the others' eyes.

The muscular man shoved Yan Jing's shoulder. "Hey, buddy. We're heading to the training ground. You coming or what?"

"No, you guys go ahead. I'm going to rest," Yan Jing said with his eyes closed.

"..." This irritated them even further.

"Hey? Come on, man, no need for that. It's just sparring, it won't kill you," the muscular man said with a grin.

The bespectacled woman added coldly, "I think appropriate sparring is beneficial for us to understand each other."

"I think you're right, but I'm genuinely tired. Sorry about that," Yan Jing replied softly, his eyes still shut.

He genuinely felt tired and didn't want to waste the energy.

He was better off using this time to think about what might happen next in Peace Heavenly Kingdom and plan his countermeasures.

But the others refused to drop it. In their eyes, Yan Jing was being far too arrogant.

The muscular man shoved his shoulder again. "Stop acting, buddy, seriously. Resting? Who do you think you are—"

The man's words caught in his throat. Yan Jing had suddenly opened his eyes. His gaze was so dark it was chilling. In that instant, the muscular man felt like some terrifying beast had locked onto him, and goosebumps erupted across his back.

"Since you want to spar so badly, let's spar."

Yan Jing stood up and walked toward the sign for the training ground. "But I'll warn you now."

He paused, glancing back at the other five. "Only this once."

"And I won't hold back."

Everyone's expression soured at his words.

Once they reached the training ground, Yan Jing took off his coat, stepped into the ring, and looked down at them. "Come on."

"Who's up first?"

Sheng Xia asked. They were all eager, wanting to be the first to teach him a lesson.

But Yan Jing shook his head. "All of you, together."

The group almost thought they had misheard. But Yan Jing was already losing his patience. Threads surged from his eyes, yanking them all straight into the ring before they could even resist.

"Miss Guide, you be the referee. Call the start," Yan Jing said.

"Ah... huh? Oh, okay..."

Still struggling to process the situation, Sheng Xia hastily raised her hand. "Start!"

The moment the word left her mouth, Yan Jing vanished from their sight.

Before they could even react, a terrifying, suffocating force slammed directly into them.

A series of explosive impacts rang out. All five were sent flying straight off the ring, crashing heavily against the wall and shattering the VIP lounge's paneling into a massive spiderweb of cracks.

Blood sprayed from their mouths. In just a single exchange, they were all knocked out cold.

For the current Yan Jing, even using only the Power of Heracles put his strength on par with the Seventh Rank. These people were merely at the Fifth Tier.

They weren't even remotely in the same league.

Yan Jing stepped down from the ring and put his coat back on. Looking at the completely dumbfounded Sheng Xia, he said, "Miss Guide, I have a request. For the rest of the journey, regardless of what mission you've received, please keep quiet as much as possible."

"The domain lord invited me to the Chouyi Ring Domain; I didn't beg for the trip. I hope you can understand that."

With that, Yan Jing walked right past Sheng Xia, heading straight for the training ground's exit.

"Wait, wait, wait!"

Snapping out of her daze, Sheng Xia chased after him. With a complicated look in her eyes, she said, "Even if you're strong, did you really have to hit them that hard? We're all in this together."

Her tone carried a hint of reproach.

But Yan Jing's next words left her stunned all over again.

"First, I am not in this together with them. Second, I told you I was tired. And lastly, if you keep running your mouth, I'll beat you up too."