Free Web NovelChapter 679: Chapter 679: The Dog Relying on Human Power
"Elder Chen Guo is also a member of the Star Shining Society, isn’t he? Chen Guoyuan works for us, so naturally, we must reclaim the Chen Family for him! We have to let the people of Thunder City know that you won’t lose out by following us," Gu Zhiyuan said calmly.
"As always, Big Brother, your foresight is impeccable," Gu Mingwu said. He now understood. The funeral, the memorial service—they were all just methods to win over the public and display the might of the Tianhai Association.
"Also," Gu Zhiyuan continued, his tone chilling, "capture every single person connected to Jin Xing’s death. Leave no one behind. Bring them all to the Chen Family. And remember, don’t kill them. I want them buried alive."
This time, Gu Mingwu understood completely. This was the only way to demonstrate the Tianhai Association’s power to the fullest extent. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth!
"Big Brother, there’s one person who is heavily implicated in Jin Xing’s death, but her status is special. I’m afraid we can’t just arrest her," Gu Mingwu said.
"Who?"
"Jia Mengxue!" Gu Mingwu replied. He deliberately brought her up to force Gu Zhiyuan’s hand. If Gu Zhiyuan offended the Jia Family, Gu Mingwu could later ally with them to make him step down.
"Arrest her," Gu Zhiyuan commanded coldly. "I said *anyone*. If the Jia Family wants to save Jia Mengxue, tell them to come see me in person."
"Understood." With a cold sneer, Gu Mingwu immediately led his men toward the Chen Family.
「Outside the Chen Family’s gate.」
Gu Mingwu and a group of experts surrounded the compound. Just then, Elder Chen Guo emerged from within, leading the family’s Martial Artists. He frowned at the sight of the crowd.
So these guys from the Tianhai Association are just bullies who pick on the weak. They know the Chen Family is the most vulnerable in the Star Shining Society, so they’re making an example of us?
Behind Gu Mingwu stood four crystal coffins. They contained only shredded clothing and other personal effects, not bodies. The corpses, after all, were unrecoverable. To show concern for his subordinates, Gu Zhiyuan had also prepared coffins for the three deceased Elders. Ultimately, it was all just a ploy to buy loyalty.
"Who are you people? What business do you have at the Chen Family estate?" Elder Chen Guo asked coldly.
His own martial arts level was low, and the Chen Family experts behind him were already buckling under the pressure of Gu Mingwu’s terrifying aura, gasping for breath and struggling not to fall to their knees. But Elder Chen Guo stood firm. Even as a trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, he showed no intention of kneeling. He wasn’t just representing the Chen Family; he was representing the Star Shining Society. How could a member of the Star Shining Society bow so easily to anyone?
"Gu Mingwu of the Tianhai Association," Gu Mingwu stated flatly.
At his words, many members of the Chen Family staggered in fear and collapsed to their knees. Elder Chen Guo, however, remained standing, ramrod straight. He had suspected they were from the Tianhai Association from the start; his question was merely a formality.
"What does the Tianhai Association want with my family?" Elder Chen Guo asked again.
"Elder Chen Guo, you colluded with the Star Shining Society, usurped my position as Family Head, and even conspired to murder Young Master Jin Xing! This time, you cannot escape your fate!" Chen Guoyuan strutted forward, wearing a triumphant, smug expression. Chen Xingye stood beside him, looking equally self-satisfied, as if they were members of the Tianhai Association themselves. It was a classic case of a dog borrowing its master’s might.
"Chen Guoyuan! Chen Xingye! The last time, I spared your lives out of respect for our shared bloodline. I never imagined that instead of being grateful, you would conspire with outsiders to invade the Chen Family estate! What is the meaning of this?" Elder Chen Guo thundered.
"Enough of your nonsense, old man! What are we doing? We’re here to hold a memorial service for Young Master Jin Xing, of course. And by the way, you, your son, your granddaughter... all of you will be buried with him. Hahahaha!" Chen Guoyuan roared with laughter. "Don’t worry, we won’t kill you just yet. During the funeral, we’ll send you down to keep Young Master Jin Xing company."
He then turned to the other members of the Chen Family. "I, Chen Guoyuan, your Family Head, have returned! Now get out of my way! Anyone who dares to obstruct me will be killed without mercy!"
Most of the Chen Family members moved aside, as they couldn’t afford to provoke the Tianhai Association.
"Everyone, stand down," Elder Chen Guo said with a wave of his hand, and the few who remained stepped back as well.
A wise man doesn’t fight a losing battle. The Chen Family can’t possibly contend with the Tianhai Association, but we have the Star Shining Society backing us. We’ll just let these bastards have their moment for now.
Once the path was clear, Gu Mingwu strode inside. Behind him, the four crystal coffins were carried in one by one, followed by men holding portraits of Jin Xing and the others. The Martial Artists of the Tianhai Association poured into the estate.
Once inside, Gu Mingwu called Gu Zhiyuan, who soon arrived by car with the rest of his men.
Facing Gu Zhiyuan himself, Elder Chen Guo remained neither servile nor overbearing. The other members of the Chen Family, however, were paralyzed with fear, as they had no idea what was going on.
"You probably don’t understand what’s happened," Gu Mingwu said coldly. "Let me enlighten you. Someone from the Star Shining Society killed my Big Brother’s only disciple. Your Chen Family is part of the Star Shining Society, so you must bear the responsibility. Your punishment is to be buried alive with him. Cherish what little time you have left, because you won’t be living much longer."
Elder Chen Guo’s face grew grim. He gently squeezed his granddaughter Chen Baixiang’s hand. "Don’t worry," he whispered. "With the Star Shining Society here, these people can’t run wild in Thunder City for long."
"Mm-hm," Chen Baixiang nodded.
Then, all the members of the Chen Family were dragged before the Spirit Hall and forced to their knees.
News of the event spread like wildfire, sending shockwaves through the region. Everyone was stunned, especially the people in Sea City and Jingnan Prefecture. They could hardly believe that the Tianhai Association had launched a full-scale invasion of Thunder City, with its leader, Gu Zhiyuan, personally present.
Despite the spectacle, no one came to offer condolences. After what had happened with the Tang Family of Sea City, most people adopted a wait-and-see attitude toward Thunder City. A quiet consensus settled among the onlookers. They would wait to see if the incident with the Tang Family would be repeated, and it would also be a good chance to see what the Star Shining Society was really made of. Everyone waited and watched quietly, eager to see what would happen next.
Meanwhile, Yang Qi also received the news, personally delivered by Huang Borren.
"Boss, they’ve announced that anyone involved in Jin Xing’s death will be captured and buried alive. No one will be spared," Huang Borren reported. "President Jia Mengxue, President Li Qingyan, the King of Jingnan, Kong Tianjian, Zhao Haishan, and Ye Feng are all on the list."
"How audacious. To hold a funeral at the Chen Family estate and capture Elder Chen Guo... I’d heard the Tianhai Association was domineering, but this is the first time I’ve seen it for myself," Yang Qi said coldly.
"Boss, the Tianhai Association is incredibly powerful. That’s why they can act so tyrannically," Huang Borren explained. "Throughout the entire Southern Territory, I doubt anyone is willing to provoke those madmen. It’s not necessarily fear, but confronting them would be far too much trouble."
"How do they compare to the Tang Sect?" Yang Qi asked.
"Oh, they’re no match for the Tang Sect," Huang Borren answered. "The Tang Sect has the King of Hidden Weapons, one of the Eight Kings of the World, at its head. Very few can compare to them."
