354 Blaming the Third Master
His blood surged powerfully, like a pillar of force.
Yin Rongen, never having practiced the blood heart technique, was unlike those Sacred Heart disciples who could potentially recover even from a mortal head wound. The moment his throat was pierced, his eyes glazed over, devoid of focus.
Behind him, Song A’san stood panting heavily, his eyes brimming with gratitude. “Thank you. Thank you, Fifth Master,” he managed between labored breaths. His face bore a bittersweet smile as he accepted his impending death, never succumbing to a beastly frenzy.
He turned his gaze to the ruins. His malicious wife, the woman he’d loved for twenty years, had perished in the toxic maelstrom conjured by their battle. His face reflected a complicated blend of emotions, which finally gave way to a resigned smile.
He addressed Qin Huai, “Fifth Master, in this life, Song A’san will never be able to repay your kindness. In my next life, I will be a cow or horse and serve you tirelessly, fulfilling my debt.”
Qin Huai regarded this pitiful man before him. “You have such an opportunity now.”
“Fifth Master, please instruct me,” Song A’san requested, his pallor deepening, his voice faltering.
“Just express your gratitude to Third Master,” Qin Huai instructed calmly.
Song A’san was momentarily taken aback, but he quickly understood Qin Huai’s intentions. He raised his head and bellowed, “Song A’san thanks Third Master for aiding in my revenge!” His shout echoed across several kilometers, fuelled by the last of his vital energy.
Bang!
Spent of his life force, Song A’san collapsed alongside Yin Rongen’s lifeless body.
Qin Huai scrutinized Yin Rongen’s corpse, then brought his fingers together.
“Earth dragon finger!” He imitated Huang Qiguang’s trademark technique, focusing his qi and blood. He struck with precision at Yin Rongen’s heart and other critical areas.
“It’s almost done,” he muttered, examining Yin Rongen’s body marked with the distinct purple imprint of the earth dragon finger. Though his rendition was a far cry from Huang Qiguang’s mastery, with Song A’san’s assistance, it sufficed.
In the ensuing search of the courtyard, Qin Huai found a spy lurking behind a broken wall, already unconscious from the poison Qin Huai had scattered earlier. After ensuring no more surprises, Qin Huai made his escape.
…
The explosive spectacle was bound to draw attention. In no time, Wen Zonghao, Huang Qiguang, Qin Huai, and a host of core members from the Blood Poison Gang converged in the courtyard. Their faces were clouded with gloom.
“Who dares to murder a disciple of the Blood Poison Gang in broad daylight?” Wen Zonghao growled, his gaze fixed on the corpses on the ground.
Yin Rongen was stark naked with Song A’san’s arms wrapped around him. Yin Rongen’s face was frozen in a mask of rage, while Song A’san’s wore a peaceful expression. The bizarre sight twisted the expressions of the onlookers.
Wen Zonghao stooped to examine the wounds on the corpse. The fatal injury on the throat, a wound two fingers wide and distinctly finger-shaped, caught his eye. He removed Yin Rongen’s clothes to reveal a series of contusions littering his body.
“Huang Qiguang has slain our boss!” The cry rang out among Yin Rongen’s subordinates, triggering an eruption of outrage.
“Nonsense!” Huang Qiguang was seething. While he wished for Yin Rongen’s demise, he couldn’t afford to have Yin Rongen’s death attributed to him. It had to be an incident devoid of evidence linking back to him.
He felt a chill crawl up his spine under Wen Zonghao’s icy stare. Without another thought, Huang Qiguang dropped to his knees. “Foster Father, I assure you, I didn’t do it! You mustn’t heed the slanderous words of these villains.”
“Who else could it be, if not you? Everyone in the Blood Poison Gang knows about your feud with our boss.”
“That’s right! The number of people who’ve died at your hands could easily surpass the Thunderbolt Gang’s casualties.”
The crowd buzzed with accusations. Huang Qiguang, pointing at Yin Rongen’s body, defended himself loudly. “Foster Father, while it’s true that some of the marks on Yin Rongen’s body resemble the earth dragon finger, I, Huang Qiguang, swear to the heavens that I didn’t kill him.
“Take a closer look at Yin Rongen’s injuries. These traces of the earth dragon finger… At most, they reveal the power of someone who has just entered the bone pattern realm. You know the potency of my earth dragon finger.”
Huang Qiguang pleaded, feeling deeply wronged. The fact that he was being blamed for a crime he hadn’t committed irritated him even more. He was completely unaware of Yin Rongen’s residence on Willow Street.
Wen Zonghao studied the injuries on Yin Rongen’s body. The earth dragon finger markings indeed seemed significantly weaker than Huang Qiguang’s. “Find the residents of nearby houses and question them about what they might have heard,” he ordered, unwilling to jump to conclusions hastily.
Although the longstanding enmity between Yin Rongen and Huang Qiguang made the latter a prime suspect, there was also Mou Jinfu to consider. But Mou Jinfu had already perished at Qin Huai’s hands.
“Leader, we also found a female corpse,” announced one of the sect members, dragging out a nude woman’s body from the debris. Her face was discolored and her body rigid from death, yet her features were still recognizable.
“Speaking of which, who owns this house?” Wen Zonghao inquired, awaiting the investigation results.
“This house belongs to our Brother A’san. He bought it for Third Sister-in-law,” someone answered.