Chapter 590: Seventh Uncle

Qi Hu was dead.

He was the second child to die in this family.

Of the Fear family's original seven children, only five remained.

Would that number dwindle further? Who would be next?

Shi Sanchuan's heart was in his throat.

In a daze, he felt as though he were witnessing that unseen slaughter from years ago.

Outsiders only knew that five of the Fear family's previous seven children had died in battle to protect the family and Fear City. They didn't know the hidden truth: those five had all died at the hands of the previous generation's sixth and seventh brothers.

That was a story from the previous generation. It had been just as tragic as today, taking place in this very courtyard, and perhaps even more disgraceful—a piece of history forever covered in dust.

Back then, the sixth and seventh brothers had been constantly suppressed by their five older siblings. Their childhood was incredibly miserable. There were even several times when the older brothers used underhanded methods to try to take their lives.

The two could only huddle for warmth, relying on each other to barely survive.

For the sake of revenge, they endured silently, secretly accumulating strength until the day the old family head grew old and frail.

During the succession ceremony, the two suddenly struck, killing the designated candidates right then and there. Only then did San Yan, the sixth brother, claim the position of family head.

The Fear family's situation back then was different from today. They hadn't yet fallen into decline, so even with such a massive upheaval, the family's foundation wasn't shaken.

No one could have expected that hundreds of years later, history would repeat itself.

"Ah Ji, Mom is begging you. Please, don't kill anymore."

The woman pleaded, grabbing Yan Jing's hand as tears welled up in her eyes.

In the distance, Shi Yicheng and Jiuhai involuntarily took two steps back, their palms sweating.

If Yan Jing truly wanted to kill, no one in the courtyard could stop him now.

Shi Sanchuan's gaze flicked toward the distant house. If anyone could stand up to Yan Jing now, it could only be San Yan.

Their father might just be faking his injuries.

But... looking at the Wrath Emperor, who was already a cold corpse on the ground, Shi Sanchuan extinguished that thought.

He knew his father.

Given the choice between risking his life to save a few "insignificant" children and letting his strongest child take power to lead the Fear family to its peak, San Yan would undoubtedly choose the latter.

Moreover... he felt today was a stage set by San Yan. That man's thoughts were the exact opposite of his wife's; he wanted history to repeat itself, for his child to ascend the throne the exact same way he had.

At this thought, weird energy flickered at his fingertips as he prepared to call for backup from the Mo Family.

Although he knew it would most likely be too late, it was the last thing he could do.

But a scene no one expected unfolded.

Yan Jing caught the woman's hand, gently pulled it off his arm, and smiled.

"It's okay, Mom. It's already over."

Then, under the shocked gazes of the crowd, Yan Jing retracted the Fear Thorns hovering around him and smiled.

"According to Father's rules, I haven't received the fear bird's acknowledgment, so I am withdrawing from the succession for the next family head."

"Today's matters end here."

With that, Yan Jing ignored the dumbfounded crowd, turned around, and walked toward the ruined house.

Right at that moment, a voice rang out from above.

"No."

A figure plummeted from the sky.

Amid swirling smoke, a spiderweb of cracks spread across the ground.

A man with a camera on his head appeared at the center of the crater.

He wore a green-and-gold robe, and resting on his head was a brand-new, dark-gold digital camera.

He smiled at Yan Jing, who had turned back around.

"Ah Ji, you are the next family head."

"Uncle," Yan Jing said, lowering his eyes.

"It's not that I don't want to succeed him. According to Father's rules, only the one acknowledged by the previous generation's fear bird can be the next family head." "There's no need to be modest. Since my brother's life is in danger right now, I'm temporarily taking over, and you are the next family head."

Yi Dao patted Yan Jing's shoulder.

"My brother and I both have high hopes for you. We'll both feel at ease leaving the Fear family in your hands."

"You and I have a lot in common, kid. We're both the seventh child. Later on, we'll find some time to have a good drink together."

"But I don't want to be an emperor."

As Yan Jing's words faded, Yi Dao's smile froze.

His eyes darkened.

"What are you saying, kid?"

"I'm telling you to be the family head, not some emperor."

"If I step up, I will definitely make drastic changes to Father's previous policies," Yan Jing said with a smile.

"Father wouldn't allow me to let Second Brother go, and he would definitely try his best to suppress Oldest Brother."

"I won't do any of that."

"Will Father allow it? He's still alive. Will he allow his empire to be completely transformed in my hands?"

"If you say that Father will allow all this to happen, Uncle..."

"...I won't say another word. I'll take over immediately."

"But do you think that's possible?"

He looked at Yi Dao and smiled.

"He didn't even have you come out to stop me from killing Fourth Brother."

Yi Dao frowned and scratched his head.

"My brother was right. You really are a tough kid to deal with."

"So what do you want to do?"

Yan Jing's expression remained calm as he pulled out a bottle of Advanced Healing Potion.

"Please give this to Father."

"Whatever happens next has nothing to do with me. I will head to Old Sin City as Father instructed, to look for the lost seed and the fear bird. As for the family head, I think Second Brother and Oldest Brother are both quite suitable."

Yi Dao took the potion, a flash of astonishment in his eyes.

With his level of strength, he could easily see the shocking amount of life energy contained within the bottle.

If San Yan drank it, it might not guarantee a full recovery, but his condition would at least take a massive turn for the better.

But...

Remembering San Yan's strict instructions to make sure Yan Jing stayed to become the family head, he felt a headache coming on.

"Forget it. Go find your little girlfriend first."

Looking at the potion in his hand, he made his decision.

He had already accepted the item, and Yan Jing had handled the situation with the utmost propriety. He really couldn't find an excuse to refuse.

But right at that moment, several waves of invisible fear washed over him, making his skin turn slightly cold.

His face fell.

This was his brother refusing to let the boy go.

"Let it go, Brother. You can't force someone against their will."

He muttered softly, but the biting cold only intensified.

Left with no choice, he looked at Yan Jing and tossed the potion back.

"No can do. You have to stay, kid."

"Then you want rivers of blood, Uncle." Holding the potion bottle, Yan Jing casually stated a fact.

"You should have received the news of the Hermit's disappearance."

"I did that, too."

Hearing Yan Jing's words, Yi Dao's eyes widened. He immediately whipped his head around to check his surroundings, terrified that someone else might have heard.

But seeing that almost everyone was present, a wave of helplessness washed over him.

"Let it go, Brother. Let the kid leave. I still want to live a good life for a while longer."

He murmured softly once more, but the chill ignored his pleas, drilling straight down his neck.

"Motherfucker..."

Yi Dao cursed under his breath. Looking at the weird energy that had already begun to surge around Yan Jing, he forced a calm facade and sneered.

"Don't get cocky, kid. Do you really think our family is out of trump cards? We could call out any one of your grandfathers or ancestors, and you'd be on the ground, obediently admitting your mistakes. I'll shoot straight with you: whether you want to be the family head or not, you're going to be the family head."

Yi Dao's words came to an abrupt halt.

In his field of vision, the Wrath Emperor's corpse suddenly stood up. Threads pierced into the body, and its dim eyes lit up once more. The pitch-black patterns on its cheeks surged, its imposing aura completely undiminished.

Yi Dao quietly wiped the sweat from his palms onto his pants.

"Let it go, Brother. There's something wrong with this kid. He's a little evil..."

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

The cold wind blew fiercely down the back of Yi Dao's collar, but this time, he was determined to wash his hands of the matter.

"I really can't do it. This kid left home too early, so he doesn't have any attachment to this family. If he blows up the ancestors' graves, we're completely finished."

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

The cold wind continued to blow relentlessly, growing even stronger.

"Your mom—" Yi Dao couldn't help but curse again.

But remembering that he and San Yan shared the same mother, he had no choice but to bite his tongue.

He knew that the more domineering Yan Jing appeared, the more his brother refused to let go.

After all, anyone could see that the power Yan Jing displayed completely crushed those renowned rising stars of the Eerie Capital. He had stepped into an entirely new league.

As long as Yan Jing was willing to fight for the Fear family on Advent Day, it would likely completely alter the landscape of the Inner World.

But...

Was it that he didn't want to keep the boy?!

Couldn't he see the weird energy surging around his nephew, who was already preparing for some super transformation?

Helpless, with the cold wind shooting down his back, he had no choice but to bite the bullet. He smiled and said, "Kid, pulling this stunt on your Seventh Uncle won't work. You think two Tenth Tiers are enough? You really treat our family like a butcher shop. We've seen real action with guns and knives. We have over a dozen ancestors in our family, and bringing out any one of them would be enough to handle you."

Over a dozen?!

Shi Sanchuan and Shi Yicheng's eyes went wide.

How come they didn't know there were that many?

This... wasn't he just bluffing?

Hearing Yi Dao's words, Yan Jing's expression remained calm.

"Seventh Uncle, you're sweating."

"Am I?" Yi Dao pulled out a mirror and checked his forehead.

A second later, realizing what he was doing, he smashed the mirror onto the ground.

"Don't try this crap with your Seventh Uncle! Give me a straight answer, kid. Are we fighting to the death today?!"

"Seventh Uncle, your button fell off."

Yan Jing spoke faintly once more.

"Heh heh, pulling the same trick twice? Do you take me, Yi Dao, for an idiot?" Yi Dao laughed loudly.

"Back when your Seventh Uncle was playing these games, you were still off playing in the mud—"

He looked at the button in Yan Jing's hand, then down at his own shirt collar, which had come undone at some unknown point.

Yi Dao's voice hitched, and he suddenly shivered.

A chill far surpassing the one San Yan had given him rose from his spine and shot straight to the crown of his head.

When did that happen?

He hadn't sensed it at all.

He touched the buttonhole on his collar, confirmed that the button was indeed in Yan Jing's hand, and swallowed hard.

If the boy could pluck his button, he could naturally slice his neck.

It meant that in just a few short seconds, he now owed this nephew of his a life.

"Look at you."

The arrogance on Yi Dao's face melted away like river ice in spring, replaced by a gentle smile.

"Ah Ji, you're just too mischievous. Your Seventh Uncle was just joking with you."

At that moment, the chill behind his back blew violently, but Yi Dao completely ignored it.

No matter how cold it was, could it compare to the coldness in his heart right now?

He was so close. Just a hair's breadth away.

The battle would have gone from him and the ancestors teaming up against his nephew and the Wrath Emperor's corpse, to him and the Wrath Emperor's corpse joining Yan Jing to beat up the ancestors.

"Sigh, look at you, kid. You've been away from home for so long that you've forgotten your Seventh Uncle has the best sense of humor."

Yi Dao's smile was so radiant it was almost blinding.

"You just want to go find your little girlfriend for a honeymoon, right? Come, come, come, your Seventh Uncle will drive you. We'll take the best car in the family. Right, that one, that... the Studebaker. Chu Fa, go bring the car around. We're sending off the most obedient, adorable, and wonderful young master of our family."

Hearing this, Chu Fa, who was standing in the distance, immediately nodded.

A short while later, a sedan drove up to the crowd.

Yi Dao personally stepped forward and pulled open the back door.

"Come, Ah Ji, get in."

Even as Yan Jing and the Wrath Emperor's corpse got into the car and drove off, Yi Dao kept a smile on his face, waving at the departing sedan.

"Have fun out there! No need to worry about things at home!"

He waited until the car completely disappeared from everyone's line of sight.

Only then did Yi Dao snap out of his daze. Looking at the butlers and his other nephews, who were eyeing him with weird expressions, he coughed twice, dropped his smile, and put on a stern face. "What are you looking at?! A bunch of useless trash! If you brats weren't such disappointments, would your Seventh Uncle have had to suffer such a huge grievance?! And the rest of you! Get the hell out of here!"

"Go do whatever you're supposed to be doing!"

"Motherfuckers, not a single one of you is reliable."

Hearing this, the crowd immediately scattered in all directions.

Whoever dared to court Yi Dao's bad luck at a time like this was just asking for death.

After escorting the woman back to her room, Yi Dao immediately went to the third floor and knocked on the door of the middle room.

The door opened in response.

Yi Dao stepped inside, only to be met with a flying towel headed straight for his face.

"How the hell do you get things done?!"

San Yan sat on the sofa, his expression visibly displeased.

"Can you blame me? How is this my fault?!" Yi Dao caught the towel, waving his hands defensively.

"Brother, you didn't see it! That kid was about to make a move. Your younger brother almost didn't make it back! How is that my fault?!"

"You didn't see it, but that kid plucked off my button! You know what that means! You understand!"

Yi Dao tugged at his collar to show San Yan.

San Yan swatted his hand away, completely uninterested in looking.

"If you were that easy to kill, you would have died years ago!"

"That doesn't mean I can gamble with my life!"

Yi Dao felt wronged.

"So only your son's life matters, and your seventh brother's life means nothing?! Even if the God of Life were here, getting beaten without fighting back would eventually result in death!"

"Enough, give it a rest."

San Yan said coldly.

"That kid must come back to become the family head. There is no other option."

"I think that'll be difficult." Yi Dao clicked his tongue and shook his head.

"That kid is dead set on being with that little girlfriend of his. Given our family's current situation, if we really dug those few up from the ground, there might be a chance. Otherwise..."

He shook his head again.

But as soon as those words left his mouth, San Yan's eyes began to flicker with calculation.

"Since he likes staying in Old Sin City so much..."

"Then let him stay there for a while."

"I recall those guys from Sin City are all searching for the item hidden in Old Sin City, right?"

"Are you saying..." Yi Dao stood up and looked at his older brother.

"But the Wrath Emperor is dead."

"You underestimate Sin City too much," San Yan said coldly.

"I know what that item is."

"In a while, leak the news out. Say the item has been found."

"Let me think... Virtue Village, Sin City, Path of Destiny... The Purebloods should also be interested in that thing."

"When that time comes, he'll realize that staying at home was the right choice."