Chapter 114: Scheming in Silence

"The Legion of the Undead awaits your command!"

Countless heroic spirits knelt on one knee. The earth-shattering roar echoed across the empty cemetery, so thunderous that the ground trembled slightly. Gu Xiangnan looked upon the legion before him, unable to suppress his excitement.

"Very well. The first thing I will do now is take all of you away from this graveyard."

The spirits were stirred with fervor. They had not left this place in ages, let alone known what the current world was like. Hearing that they could finally venture out, they were filled with excitement.

However, Gu Xiangnan frowned. Taking such a large group out into the streets would surely invite misunderstanding. He asked for their suggestions: "I have a dilemma—how am I to take you all with me?"

Zhang Baolian smiled. She reached into her Qiankun pouch, retrieved a crimson jade bead, and handed it to Gu Xiangnan. "Xiaonan, my grandfather gave me this. It is said to be an ancient artifact with great spiritual properties. Why not let the spirits possess it? It would be much easier to carry. Besides, jade will not harm them."

Gu Xiangnan took the bead and examined it closely. It was a deep, blood-red color, about the size of a jujube. "Blood jade?" he asked in surprise.

"Yes! This is natural blood jade, soaked in genuine blood. That is why it can nourish the soul."

Gu Xiangnan nodded. "Truly rare! Let us see if it can contain so many souls."

He held the blood jade high above his head and shouted, "Soldiers, heed my command!"

The spirits knelt as one. "All of you, possess this blood jade! I shall lead you out of this place!"

"As you command!" the spirits replied in unison. In the next instant, they transformed into streams of white light and swiftly vanished into the blood jade.

"Excellent, the effect is perfect." Satisfied, Gu Xiangnan hung the jade around his neck.

Just then, the wail of fire sirens echoed outside the park. He looked up to see the Dongsheng Building engulfed in roaring flames and billowing smoke. The fire ignited by the earlier explosion was tearing through the entire structure, and despite the firefighters' desperate efforts, it was futile. The inferno soon swallowed the entire building. The Fusang samurai Gu Xiangnan had eliminated, along with the elevator leading directly underground, were completely destroyed. No one knew that a secret tunnel existed beneath that building.

By this time, Gu Xiangnan and his companions had already boarded a car and departed.

News of the destruction of the Dongsheng Building quickly spread throughout the provincial capital. The Fusang Hanfang Association had been deeply entrenched in China for decades, holding a pivotal position in the provincial business world.

"The Dongsheng Building has burned down, and everyone inside has perished!"

"The entire Fusang Hanfang Association wiped out?"

The major clans of the provincial capital were shocked. The Jia family, however, sensed something unusual. Jia Mingxuan, the head of the family, sat in the center of the old mansion's living room, flanked by his second and third brothers. Jia Mingxuan sipped his tea slowly, blowing away the loose leaves floating on the surface. "What do you make of this incident with the Fusang Hanfang Association?"

The second brother chuckled. "If they're dead, they're dead. They were just people from the island nation; it has nothing to do with us. We only dealt with them superficially in business anyway; no need to take it to heart."

Jia Mingxuan remained silent for a long moment, fiddling with the lid of his teacup. The second and third brothers waited patiently. Seeing the grim look on his face, the third brother remarked, "I suspect there is more to this than meets the eye."

Jia Mingxuan finally spoke. "Oh? Pray, tell."

"It is said that the Dongsheng Building had many martial artists guarding it, several of whom were at the Heaven Realm. How is it that not a single one managed to escape the fire? The Association had vast capital; their fire suppression systems must have been impeccable. It would be difficult to trigger such a massive fire without an external source."

The third brother's analysis was logical and sound. Jia Mingxuan nodded slightly. "My third brother makes a valid point; I share his view."

Only then did the second brother chime in, "Right, it must have been arson!"

Just as they were speaking, Jia Siqi, the third brother's eldest son, entered. The three men stared at him, their eyes widening at the sight of his face, which was swollen like a pig's head.

"Son," the third brother asked, heartbroken, "who dared to beat you like this?"

Jia Siqi replied indignantly, "It was Gu Xiangnan from Jiangning City!"

"Who is Gu Xiangnan?"

Gu Xiangnan had only recently descended the mountain and had yet to make a name for himself. Furthermore, Jiangning was a subordinate city to the provincial capital, and these high-ranking elites paid little mind to anyone from there. It was no surprise they did not know him.

Jia Siqi said, "He is a subordinate of Yang Dianfeng, the underground king of Jiangning."

The third brother slapped his thigh. "That Yang Dianfeng! He doesn't know his own place, daring to touch my son. He has grown quite bold."

Jia Mingxuan did not even look up. "Is such a trivial matter worth reporting? He’s just a nobody. Can't you just find someone to finish him off?"

"But... I can't find them."

After Jia Siqi suffered the humiliation at the Oscar Bar last night, he had immediately called for martial artists. To ensure success, he had specifically hired an Earth Realm expert. According to the expert's report, Yang Dianfeng and Gu Xiangnan had driven onto the highway. Since then, he had been unable to contact the expert at all.

He felt a sense of panic. Could the Earth Realm expert have been killed by Gu Xiangnan? It seemed he was no simple character. Jia Siqi was both furious and terrified. Furious because no one had ever dared to offend him like this, let alone beat him. He could not let this grudge slide. Terrified because if even his Earth Realm expert could be killed, would Gu Xiangnan one day come for him?

The third brother looked at his son, puzzled. "What do you mean you can't find them?"

"I sent people to follow him, but I've lost contact with everyone, including the expert I sent. Uncle, Father, can you lend me some guns and men? I will go and finish him off."

Jia Siqi made his request. He refused to believe that bullets couldn't kill Gu Xiangnan.

Jia Mingxuan said indifferently, "Do as you wish. I will dispatch a hundred men to you; handle it yourself. Do not report such trifles to me again."

Jia Siqi was overjoyed. He bowed to Jia Mingxuan, "Thank you, Uncle. I will go prepare at once."

He stepped out to organize. He called his assistant, and a hundred former mercenaries were quickly assembled. Fully armed with submachine guns, the group boarded their vehicles in a grand procession at the villa entrance.

Just as they were about to depart, a Porsche drove up and parked right at the gate of the Jia villa, blocking their path. Jia Siqi frowned, jumped out of his car, and strode toward the Porsche, shouting, "Do you know whose gate this is? How dare you park here?"

The driver's window rolled down, and the driver asked politely, "Excuse me, is this the Jia residence?"

Jia Siqi was speechless. Who was this? They didn't even recognize him, the eldest son of the third Jia master!

"It is the Jia residence. Who are you looking for?"

"We are looking for the eldest son of the third master of the Jia family!"