Chapter 161: The Publicly Acknowledged Illegitimate Son (Double Chapter)

"Bang!"

With a heavy, muffled thud, the massive body of the corpse transport vehicle violently jolted.

Inside the cab, Su Jingxing swiftly pushed the door open, hurling the driver, Kong Dabao, and his partner out one after another, utilizing a subtle force to land them safely on the ground.

Finally, bending slightly, he jumped out himself.

Disregarding the roof of the vehicle, Su Jingxing swiftly moved away from the transport truck after landing, carrying Kong Dabao, his partner, and the driver away in two separate trips.

"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!"

With Su Jingxing and his group fleeing and no longer holding back, the figures in black swarmed the transport vehicle, unleashing a frenzied barrage of attacks.

The rear doors of the cargo bed were forcefully pried open. The iron sheeting on the roof was violently pierced under the savage bombardment of a martial artist whose body was wreathed in true energy of three distinct colors, unleashed externally.

Under the sheer, crushing force, the remaining tires of the transport vehicle all blew out, causing the entire vehicle to sag heavily onto the asphalt.

Right in front of everyone, more than a dozen figures in black pulled the corpses out of their body bags one by one, inspecting their identities.

The speed was blistering. A single individual in black handled one corpse at a time, and within moments, all dozen or so bodies had been thoroughly checked.

"Tian Huaichao is not here. Move!"

The martial artist who had punched through the roof appeared to be the leader; he issued the command in a low, rumbling voice.

As his voice fell, he was the first to leap into the air, treading upon the empty wind, and swiftly vanished over the roof of a commercial building across the street.

The other figures in black retreated the exact same way they had appeared, darting back into the shadows and alleys.

The group came and went in a hurry. They forced the corpse transport vehicle to a stop, violently opened the cargo bed, punctured the roof, inspected the identities of the corpses, and leisurely departed. The entire process took less than five minutes.

On both sides of the street, shop owners and passing pedestrians alike stared in utter shock, frozen in place for a long time, unable to process what had just happened.

Even Kong Dabao, his partner, and the driver of the transport vehicle wore faces of absolute bewilderment.

What just happened?

What on earth just happened?!

Everyone's brains on the street were spinning wildly.

In broad daylight, they forced a corpse transport vehicle to a halt just to inspect corpses.

What kind of maniacs were these?!

"Insane. People these days are completely insane."

"Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit! Who were they? Who were these people?! So badass!"

"Badass my ass! It's not an armored car. Hijacking a corpse transport vehicle? Their brains must be flooded!"

"Your brain is flooded! They weren't after money; they were looking for a corpse—Tian Huaichao? Wait, who the hell is Tian Huaichao?"

"No idea, but he must be someone big. Not at peace in life, and now people are even fighting over his corpse after death. This Tian Huaichao guy can rest in peace, I suppose."

"A bunch of idiots. You don't even know who Tian Huaichao is, yet you're yapping away here without a shred of shame! What's even more laughable is that you couldn't even tell what kind of martial arts those attackers were using!"

"Heh, you're so smart. Why don't you tell us what kind of people the attackers were, then?"

"A clumsy taunt. But, I'll indulge your wish: that martial artist who punched through the roof just now used the martial art known as the *Seven Tribulations Revolving Scripture*!"

"The *Seven Tribulations Revolving Scripture*? That sounds kind of familiar."

"Crap! Are you serious? Did that guy really use the *Seven Tribulations Revolving Scripture* just now?"

"What do I stand to gain by lying about this? If you don't believe it, go check the surveillance footage."

"What's going on? What the hell is going on? Is there something wrong with the *Seven Tribulations Revolving Scripture*?"

"There's a massive problem! The *Seven Tribulations Revolving Scripture* is the Lee family's supreme guardian martial art! It's an advanced martial art that can propel one into the Third Grade!"

"What!"

"Ah?"

Everyone was dumbfounded.

The next second, whether it was the gawking pedestrians, the shop owners, or the drivers behind the wheel, everyone turned on their heels and fled.

Pedestrians scurried away from the street, shop owners frantically pulled down their shutters, and drivers abandoned their cars entirely, sprinting away on foot.

In less than half a minute, the entire street was left with only four people standing in the empty expanse: Su Jingxing, Kong Dabao, his partner, and the driver of the transport vehicle. The latter three were frozen in stunned silence.

Su Jingxing was the only exception because, from the very beginning—even before the transport vehicle was forced to a halt—he had anticipated this outcome.

He had overheard the conspiracy of this group, performing a play right in front of everyone.

As for the contents of the play, they could only be known as they unfolded.

Forcing the transport vehicle to stop and inspecting the corpses were not the key points.

The key point was the martial art displayed by the martial artist who had punched through the roof.

The *Seven Tribulations Revolving Scripture*!

This martial art was the supreme technique of the Lee family, the premier martial arts clan in Qinghe City.

Anyone who paid attention to the Lee family knew that the *Seven Tribulations Revolving Scripture* could only be practiced by members of the Lee family.

Moreover, not even every member of the Lee family was permitted even a glance at it.

Only direct descendants and exceptionally talented collateral descendants were qualified to touch it.

So, the question arose.

The martial artist who pierced the roof had employed the *Seven Tribulations Revolving Scripture*. Does that mean he was a member of the Lee family?

Although the performance by these figures in black was heavily choreographed, anyone with a discerning eye observing closely for a moment could tell they were acting.

Yet, no matter how much they tried to disguise it, they could not conceal the fact that the leader of the black-clad group practiced the *Seven Tribulations Revolving Scripture*!

This made for a massive problem.

The *Seven Tribulations Revolving Scripture*, which could only be practiced by direct and prominent descendants of the Lee family, had appeared at a corpse inspection scene.

If you claimed the leader in black wasn't from the Lee family, how many people would actually believe you?

And if he *was* from the Lee family...

What was their purpose? Why would they do this?

Including Tian Huaichao, was he murdered by them? Was it... done by the Lee family?!

If it wasn't the Lee family, why force the corpse transport vehicle to a stop and inspect the bodies?

These questions exploded all at once after the leader in black displayed the *Seven Tribulations Revolving Scripture*, laying themselves bare before everyone.

Because of this, everyone else fled.

Given that it concerned the reputation of the Lee family and the truth of the matter, no one was willing to get entangled in it.

Regardless of whether the martial artist who punched through the roof was a member of the Lee family or not, no one dared to remain at the scene.

Should the Lee family lose their minds and recklessly let their resentment spill over onto the onlookers, the consequences would be unimaginable.

As for Kong Dabao, his partner, the transport driver, and Su Jingxing, the four of them were inconsequential.

They were simply employees of the crematorium. No matter who killed whom, or who plotted against whom, it could never be tied back to them.

Even so, logic was logic.

Yet, the sheer audacity of this group's actions still left Kong Dabao and the other two shaken, unable to calm down for a long time.

Especially the transport vehicle, which had been wrecked to the point of sagging onto the ground with its tires destroyed.

Looking at this scene, Kong Dabao opened his mouth, and after a long, silent pause, he said in a hoarse voice, "Wh-What do we do?"

"What else can we do? Call someone, of course," his partner sighed powerlessly.

"I... I'll make the call," the driver stammered, pulling out his phone and dialing the crematorium's transport team to quickly send an empty vehicle over.

After the person on the other end spoke a few words, the driver's temper suddenly flared.

"Do you take me for a liar?! We actually got hijacked!"

"Right on the street! First they blew our tires, then they flattened the whole truck. If Captain Little Su hadn't stopped them so quickly, the truck would've flown into the air, and all our lives would be gone!"

"Alright, enough nonsense, just drive a vehicle over here... How the hell would I know who these people are? If I knew, why the hell would I be driving a corpse transport vehicle?"

*Clack!*

The call hung up. The driver vented his anger, but his face still bore lingering terror, pale and shaken.

Kong Dabao and his partner were much the same.

Although this group had only blown out the tires at first to force the transport vehicle to a stop and had no intention of taking their lives, no one could predict the consequences of a vehicle blowing a tire.

Especially on a bustling street with plenty of traffic moving at considerable speeds right in front and behind them.

At the slightest misstep, it would mean a catastrophic wreck and loss of life; even if they survived, they would be severely injured.

It could even trigger a chain-reaction traffic accident, causing even more casualties.

Therefore, had it not been for Su Jingxing, they would not have escaped injury today.

Thinking along these lines, their resentment toward the black-clad figures deepened.

"Couldn't they inspect the corpses after waiting until we reached the crematorium? Why make such a huge scene right on the street?" Kong Dabao said resentfully.

"There's definitely something wrong. These people are definitely plotting something," his partner gritted his teeth.

Su Jingxing remained silent.

Why?

Why else, other than to deliberately cause a scene and splash the blame for murdering Tian Huaichao squarely onto the Lee family!

Tian Huaichao was someone dispatched from the headquarters of the Tailong Group, possessing a formidable background.

The chairman of the Tailong Group was already on his way to Qinghe City.

Once he arrived and heard that the "people" of the Lee family had openly snatched Tian Huaichao's corpse in the streets, would he fail to visit the Lee family?

Once the other party went, muddying the waters, the mastermind behind Tian Huaichao's murder could sit securely back in the angler's seat.

Though this scheme was simple and riddled with flaws, the sudden appearance of the *Seven Tribulations Revolving Scripture* meant that no matter how the Lee family explained it, they had already been dragged into the mire.

"If I recall correctly, the Tailong Group actually has an Upper Third Grade powerhouse holding down the fort!"

"Tsk, things are getting more and more interesting."

Su Jingxing finished turning these thoughts over in his mind, muttering to himself inwardly.

...

The transport vehicle sent from the crematorium arrived swiftly.

Su Jingxing, Kong Dabao, and the others worked together to transfer all the corpses to the new transport vehicle.

The wrecked vehicle was left where it was, to be handled by the security squad.

The group returned to the crematorium.

Kong Dabao, his partner, and the driver gathered with the others, animatedly discussing the incident.

Meanwhile, Su Jingxing found an excuse to retreat to his office, locking the door behind him to retrieve the cards he had picked up.

One card after another was held in the palm of his hand as he read their information.

True energy card, true energy card, true energy card, skill card, memory card, true energy card...

Most of them were true energy cards, granting around five years of cultivation each.

There were two skill cards recording a pair of martial arts techniques. Su Jingxing glanced at them; they were not particularly high-grade, so he tucked them away into his palm space for the time being.

Only the memory card, once unlocked and read, caused Su Jingxing's spirit to jolt.

This was the twenty-year pre-mortem memory of a martial artist named Qu Riyue.

He was Tian Huaichao's confidant, having followed Tian Huaichao since his teens as his most loyal subordinate and lethal blade.

Consequently, Qu Riyue knew all of Tian Huaichao's secrets.

Over a decade ago, Tian Huaichao had been nothing more than an ordinary person—a mundane hawker on the outskirts of the provincial capital who relied on his handsome looks to maintain entanglements with five different women.

Hawkers earned limited money, but these five women were all wealthy. Every time they went on a date, they would hand Tian Huaichao a sum of money—framed, of course, as supporting Tian Huaichao's entrepreneurial ventures.

Though every venture failed, Tian Huaichao possessed a silver tongue, coaxing the five women—who possessed varying degrees of beauty, background, or wealth—into daily bliss.

That's right. While Tian Huaichao was a scumbag, he was also a professional freeloader.

Until one day, a man came looking for him.

This man was named Xu Tailong, the founder and chairman of the Tailong Group in Changyang Prefecture!

He had sought out Tian Huaichao because Xu Tailong was searching for lost relatives; Tian Huaichao might well be his illegitimate son left out in the cold.

Naturally, he wasn't born of the legal wife, but rather the seed of Xu Tailong's youthful romantic escapades.

To put it simply, an illegitimate child.

Whether this illegitimate child was genuine still required verification.

As it turned out, Tian Huaichao was overjoyed—he really *was* Xu Tailong's son!

Even if he was only an illegitimate son, it gave him a powerful backing.

From then on, Tian Huaichao walked a broad, bright path. Not only did he ditch his five meal tickets, but he also soared straight to the top, entering the headquarters of the Tailong Group.

Logically speaking, the identity of an illegitimate child should be kept low-profile; if the legal wife found out, she would likely have had him murdered in secret.

Unfortunately, the son borne by Xu Tailong's legal wife had already fallen ill and died.

Because Xu Tailong had been far too dissolute in his youth, his reproductive system had suffered damage, leaving him with only that single son.

When that son died of illness, Xu Tailong had no choice but to remember Tian Huaichao.

Without any threats, Tian Huaichao naturally obtained whatever he wanted.

Had Xu Tailong's wife not still been alive, possessing considerable strength and high-level methods, Tian Huaichao would have long since rightfully become the crown prince of the Tailong Group.

Even so, the middle and upper management of the Tailong Group's headquarters all knew Tian Huaichao's identity, resulting in a swarm of people sucking up to him both openly and secretly.

Though lacking an official title, Tian Huaichao was regarded by everyone as the acknowledged illegitimate heir.

This status granted him all kinds of resource privileges, allowing him to successfully transition from an ordinary person to the Fifth Grade realm over the course of a dozen years.

Qu Riyue, who had always followed him, naturally enjoyed these perks as well, likewise transforming from a brawler into a Fifth Grade martial artist.

This trip to Qinghe City to take charge of the Qinghe Tailong Branch was merely a side mission.

Tian Huaichao's true objective was to obtain a mysterious map!

A map that could aid him in breaking through to the Third Grade.

This map was located inside Xuantian University.

However, after searching for several days, they had failed to find even a trace of it.

Having no other choice, Tian Huaichao called Xu Tailong and learned a confidential piece of information from him.

Regarding the mysterious map, the He family of the Scholar's Mansion possessed relevant knowledge.

Tian Huaichao had also learned certain secrets about the He family from Xu Tailong.

Emboldened and reckless, Tian Huaichao chose not to inform Xu Tailong. That very afternoon, he openly sought out an elderly man named He Leiren, inviting him to the top floor of the Tailong Building for a conversation.

At first, the conversation was relatively normal, with Tian Huaichao dropping several hints hoping He Leiren would reveal information about the map.

As a result, He Leiren continuously played the fool.

Pushed to his limits, Tian Huaichao lost his patience and exposed He Leiren's true identity.

He was a member of the He family from the Scholar's Mansion!

He Leiren was merely a facade he used publicly.

His real name was He Renlie!

And then...

In the span of a single heartbeat, Tian Huaichao, Qu Riyue, and the rest were simultaneously slain by a single blade strike from He Leiren, who had manifested into a dozen or so black shadows!