Chapter 558: Lurking (Two-in-One)

"Anyone can be a sacrifice..."

Yan Jing frowned upon hearing this. "Is the situation that serious?"

Wuhe sighed. "Every generation of our main branch has exactly seven children, and every time, they are all boys."

"Only the most promising among the seven is allowed to produce offspring, ensuring our resources remain centralized."

"As for my four older brothers... My oldest brother fell for the eldest young miss of the Mo Family when they were young."

"The Mo Family's eldest miss is overbearing, while my oldest brother is honest and loyal to the bone. After they got together, he barely got a say in anything."

"My second brother is completely different—the exact opposite. He's been scheming since childhood, and for years, his only goal has been to become the next head of the Family."

"But he's far too calculating. My parents disliked it and constantly suppressed him, which warped his mind. To secure the position of Family head, he hasn't hesitated to collude with numerous factions."

"My third brother isn't like either of them. He has no desire for a peaceful life, nor does he care about becoming the Family head."

"He's a martial fanatic. He spends every day solely focused on increasing his own strength, ignoring the affairs of the world."

"My fourth brother is the closest to normal among us. Since my parents were dissatisfied with the first three, they kept him by their side from birth, carefully guiding his every move."

"But heaven rarely grants one's wishes. When my mother was pregnant with him, she took too many tonics—overdid it—so he was born sickly."

"My parents had him examined, and the conclusion was that he would never surpass the Seventh Rank in his lifetime."

"Then there's me."

Wuhe pointed at himself with a self-deprecating smile. "The first four were write-offs, so hope naturally fell to me, the fifth. Unfortunately, I was born a troublemaker. I hated studying and I hated cultivating. Even though my talent was decent, I despised the atmosphere in Eerie Capital."

"To me, that Family is a shackle."

"As for my two younger brothers..."

Wuhe looked up at the sky and let out a long sigh. "I don't know. Before they went missing, they weren't fully grown. The Family protected them fiercely, treating them as our last hope. They were kept away from a lot of things."

Hearing this, Yan Jing understood.

The oldest was honest, the second was treacherous, the third was obsessed with martial arts, the fourth was sickly, and the fifth was a troublemaker...

Looking back now, maybe only the sixth, San Shan, was truly suited for the role.

But that was only after he arrived in Old Sin City.

To be carefree enough to take Fear Bird and his younger brother to visit a potential enemy's daughter during a Family crisis... if San Shan had stayed in Eerie Capital, he probably wouldn't have developed well either.

And Yi Ji went without saying.

He had died at the hands of a woman.

"What a mess..."

Yan Jing sighed.

"Now you see why I can't go back."

Wuhe stood up and dusted off his legs.

But Yan Jing shook his head. "You still have to."

"..."

"No, why aren't you getting this?" Wuhe's face darkened. "I'm not going back. Whoever wants to go can go. I need to find my brother."

"Unless you have Mao Si hand him over to me, I won't go."

"Fine."

To Wuhe's surprise, Yan Jing nodded. "I'll give your brother to you."

'No!!!'

Hearing Yan Jing's words, Fear Bird, who was playing dead on the ground, almost couldn't stop herself from leaping up and screaming.

She knew this guy wouldn't let her off the hook.

And now her suspicions were confirmed.

If he used a clone to tag along with her, how could that possibly end well?

She was better off staying inside this guy's body—at least she wouldn't have to walk!

'Refuse him! Quickly, refuse him!!!'

Fear Bird screamed internally.

But Wuhe's eyes lit up. "Deal! You better keep your word!"

"When?"

"In five minutes."

Yan Jing replied calmly.

Five minutes?

Wuhe's eyes widened as he stared at Yan Jing, waiting to see what he would do.

But Yan Jing did nothing. The two simply looked at each other, as if frozen in place.

Only Mo Yinling, lying on the ground, kept twitching her fingers, looking as if she were about to lose her patience.

The five minutes passed in a flash. Wuhe frowned. Just as he was about to speak, the sudden roar of a motorcycle engine erupted in his ears.

"Vroom, vroom, vroom!"

The roar carried an agitating power, acting like an adrenaline shot to anyone who heard it.

Wuhe's pupils shrank as he looked to his left.

He saw a vortex slowly unfolding in midair.

A split second later, a silver-white motorcycle blasted out of the portal.

It was a mechanical beast brimming with power, towering several men high. Below the silver-white wheel hubs, the two massive tires bore rugged treads.

Its gigantic engine was exposed in the center of the chassis, resembling a robust, muscular metal heart covered in a gleaming layer of chrome cooling fins.

The figure seated on it gripped the handlebars with one hand.

His black robe whipped wildly in the rushing wind.

Though the figure's appearance was vastly different from his memories, Wuhe recognized him instantly.

He rushed forward excitedly but hesitated for a long time, unsure of what to say.

He hadn't seen the person standing in front of him for too many years—ten years, maybe twenty. He couldn't even remember clearly anymore.

For a moment, he had no idea how to begin.

But the figure pulled down the hood of his black robe and smiled. "Brother."

"..."

Wuhe's voice trembled with emotion. "Do you still remember which brother I am?"

"Fifth Brother," Yan Jing chuckled. "Whether by name or ranking, you're the fifth."

"I knew you had a good memory!!!"

Wuhe jumped with excitement and hurried to Yi Ji's side, patting his shoulder. "Not bad, not bad at all. You've grown so tall."

"Good. Good, good, good."

"Where have you and Sixth Brother been all these years? Oh right, where is he?"

Wuhe glanced toward the vortex but didn't see anyone. It was empty.

Thinking he understood the situation, he turned to Yan Jing and laughed. "Director Wen, you're holding my sixth brother as a bargaining chip, aren't you? Fine, my word is iron. But you have to promise me—once Old Seven and I go back and help you settle this mess, you have to let him go."

"That works best for all of us. Although I don't want to throw my parents' names around, please forgive me—when it comes to my Family, I have no choice but to play dirty."

But Yan Jing didn't reply. He just looked at him with a profound gaze.

Seeing Yan Jing's gaze, an ominous feeling welled up in Wuhe's chest. He whipped his head back toward Yi Ji.

"Old Seven, where is Sixth Brother?"

Yi Ji remained silent as well, the smile fading from his lips.

"No, talk to me, Old Seven. Where is he?"

Panic setting in, Wuhe grabbed Yi Ji and shook him.

Yi Ji lowered his eyes. "Sixth Brother is dead."

"Dead?! How is that possible?!!"

The words struck Wuhe like a bolt of lightning from a clear sky.

Yi Ji explained the general sequence of events to him.

Only then did Wuhe snap out of his daze, turning his wide eyes toward Yan Jing.

"Who killed him?"

"Several Lords of the Domain in Old Sin City."

"Where are they now?"

"Dead."

"So you're saying there's no one left to take revenge on?"

"No one."

Wuhe took a deep breath, but he couldn't stop his hands from trembling.

He took another deep breath, then turned around to look at "Mo Yinling" lying on the ground. He muttered, "A Third Tier... he died at the hands of a Third Tier... My brother, killed by someone in the Third Tier!!!"

His eyes abruptly turned blood-red as he lunged at "Mo Yinling". "I'll kill you!!!"

Yan Jing reached out and grabbed Wuhe's arm once again.

But this time, Wuhe was exceptionally resolute. Fighting through Yan Jing's grip, he threw himself forward, unleashing streak after streak of Weird Energy from his hands to bombard Mo Yinling where she lay.

Fortunately, Yi Ji stepped in front of Mo Yinling at the critical moment. Otherwise, Fear Bird would have had no choice but to leap up and dodge.

"Fifth Brother... Sixth Brother is already dead..."

Yi Ji's gaze remained tranquil. "Rooting out the ones who orchestrated this all those years ago—that is what's most important."

Hearing Yi Ji's words, Wuhe gradually regained his composure. "Right. Right, right, you're more level-headed, Old Seven. You've grown up. You really have..."

He muttered to himself, but ultimately couldn't hold back, rushing forward to deliver a flying kick right into Fear Bird.

Only then did he suppress his fury. He looked back at Yi Ji. "Old Seven, let's go home."

"It's time to avenge the wrongs of the past."

"Okay."

Yan Jing's expression was composed.

Hours later, Luo Zheng—now awake—stood beside the people he considered his "partners." He looked at Yan Jing, who was seeing them off, and smiled. "Director Wen, there's no need to see us out. I also must thank you for showing mercy."

"No, no, no, I was too abrupt. I only hope you two dignitaries can forgive my transgressions."

"Of course."

Luo Zheng glanced at Wuhe and Yi Ji beside him, forcing a smile onto his face. "The Fear Family holds a very high status in the Gods' Association. Retrieving their seventh young master is a great merit."

"The Gods' Association won't make things difficult for you. Of course, just as I told you earlier, you'd best decide which faction you want to join. After all, your Domain is highly sought after, so you must remain cautious."

"Understood," Yan Jing said with a smile.

"Then we will take our leave."

Luo Zheng waved his hand, turned, and walked away.

As the distance between them and the Cat Ship grew, the smile slowly vanished from his face.

Eventually, it was replaced by the same icy expression he had worn when he first arrived at the Cat Ship.

He clenched his fists tightly as he recalled the scene of being beaten unconscious by Yan Jing. Glancing at "Mo Yinling" beside him, who wore an equally frosty expression, he muttered, "Word of this cannot get out. You know that, right?"

"Mo Yinling" cast a sideways look at Yi Ji and Wuhe, replying coldly, "What are you suggesting?"

Luo Zheng gritted his teeth. "If this gets exposed, we'll likely be kicked out of the Gods' Association."

"We can only blame that guy for being so ruthless."

'I'd say he wasn't ruthless enough.'

Fear Bird sneered coldly.

'Otherwise, he would have offed you too.'

'A piece of trash like you actually trying to scheme against him... As if you're worthy...'

But she kept her outward composure, playing along by feigning rage. "Sooner or later, I will kill him with my own hands."

"But..."

She abruptly shifted the conversation. "What if, when the Gods' Association investigates, that guy claims these two left with us?"

"We deny we ever saw them," Luo Zheng said coldly. "We'll pull some strings when the time comes, and they'll end up with an even heavier sentence!"

Fear Bird sighed quietly to herself.

She knew that even though Luo Zheng was deliberately keeping his voice low, Yan Jing had absolute mastery over sound. He had definitely heard them.

In other words, Luo Zheng was currently sprinting headlong down the path of his own destruction.

'Don't screw this up, man.'

'When we get there, I won't know my way around. I still need you to navigate that damned Gods' Association.'

She hurriedly spoke up, "Then let's do it!!!"

The sinister aura in her eyes was so intense it was practically spilling over. Even Wuhe felt it beside them and immediately stated coldly, "Thank you both for the escort. I've already sent my coordinates to my Family. Someone should come to pick us up in a week or two."

"..."

Hearing this, Luo Zheng let out a frustrated sigh.

He had missed his chance.

He didn't notice anything wrong with "Mo Yinling" beside him at all.

Acting without considering the consequences, possessing heavy murderous intent—those were Mo Yinling's defining traits.

There was absolutely nothing suspicious; in fact, she was acting completely in character.

"We'll find another opportunity..."

He spoke softly to "Mo Yinling" beside him.

Fear Bird suppressed a smirk and nodded.

The four of them twisted and turned through the space of Chaos. Finally, a pyramid-like structure appeared at the end of their vision.

The building wasn't large—it looked to be six or seven stories at most. Its exterior was forged from black metal, without a single window or any guards stationed outside.

For such a building to appear in this place completely filled with the aura of Chaos, it gave off an eerily discordant feeling.

Luo Zheng led the group down to land on the tip of the pyramid, aligning his eye with a fist-sized hole at the apex.

Soon, a door materialized before them.

It was a door independent of the pyramid itself—it wasn't built into the structure, but rather suspended in the clouds and mist.

"Come in."

Luo Zheng said coldly.

The four walked through the door.

It felt like passing through a spatial transition. What lay before them was a place similar to the Fortress of the Great Prison, though the decor wasn't nearly as monotonous. The interior of this metallic building was unexpectedly warm and soft: wooden floors, a crackling fireplace, and scattered figures lounging on warm-colored sofas.

Seeing the four enter, a girl with twin tails sitting at the nearest sofa stood up and looked at Luo Zheng. "Oh? Young Master Luo, why do you look so unhappy today?"

"None of your business."

Luo Zheng said coldly. "Where is Lord Hermit? I need to speak with him."

"What, do we no longer even have the right to speak with Young Master Luo?"

A man in a green shirt sitting beside the twin-tailed girl laughed. "Asking for Lord Hermit right off the bat... His Lordship must be just as busy as you are, Young Master Luo."

As his voice faded, the people around them all let out a chuckle.

Luo Zheng clenched his fists, his face livid. "If you're all blind, go get your eyes treated."

Only then did the crowd notice Yi Ji and Wuhe standing behind Luo Zheng. Instantly, a strange glint flashed in almost everyone's eyes.

Two members of the Fear Family had appeared in the Gods' Association outpost.

This was not a common occurrence.

And moreover...

This time, no one had received any advance notice from the Fear Family's second and fourth brothers, who also belonged to the Gods' Association. That was even rarer.

"These couldn't be... the two missing young masters of the Fear Family, could they?"

The twin-tailed girl asked with a smile, her beautiful eyes darting between them.