How Could Anyone Be So Wicked!

An epic triumph naturally called for rewarding the troops. Even though the Seven Cities Joint Defense had done little more than cheer from the sidelines and act as hype men from top to bottom, once Ji Jue captured Renut, they had still launched an all-out assault to wipe out the remnants of the Venom Fleet and finish the mop-up. Even with that, their casualties were still heavy. After all, Celestial Chosen were few and far between in their ranks, and what few they had were scraping the absolute bottom of the barrel. Anyone with even a shred of a future wouldn't have run off to slack away their days in the Seven Cities Joint Defense. Yet today, a future had arrived, hope had arrived, and money had arrived! From precious metals to weapons, equipment, and even alchemical creations, Minkler didn't take a single coin of the spoils. With a broad wave of his hand, he distributed every bit of it. The officers ate the meat, the cannon fodder drank the soup, and the entire fleet, from top to bottom, celebrated more joyfully than at New Year's. Even the death gratuities were paid in full, with Minkler dipping into his own pocket to double the amount. Come nightfall, drunken revelry and roaring songs filled the air. Shiploads of prostitutes were hauled right into the base, descending into a debauchery so brazen it was truly eye-opening. One could hardly help wondering if these men were aiming to eat, drink, and indulge themselves straight into an early grave, living entirely for today without a single thought for tomorrow. Ji Jue observed it all with detachment. In the workshop he had chosen for himself, he calmly saw to his finishing tasks, processing and cataloging the materials into storage before turning back to overhaul the Juque. Yet amidst this ocean of merriment, furious shouts and rebukes blared from the workshop’s speakers, relayed directly from the conference room. Lord knew how much fury the elders and patriarchs of the Chopra family had bottled up along the way. They had charged straight into the base, tracked down Minkler, and launched into an immediate verbal assault without wasting a second. "Minkler, what on earth do you think you're doing?!" "Do you have any idea that because of you, the Chopra family is on the verge of war with the Sukarnos?! Luocheng and Xiangzhou nearly broke into an all-out firefight!" "What the hell are you playing at?!" Matik, who had just rushed back from Pu City, pointed at Minkler and raged, "Today, you owe the family an explanation! Just what do you want?!" "An explanation?" From beginning to end, Minkler had rested his chin on his hands, listening quietly. Hearing this now, he was nearly moved to laughter. Glancing at Matik, he retorted, "What explanation do I owe you? If you want an explanation, why don't you go ask the Sukarno family for one? Surely, Master Matik, you didn't just kowtow out there only to come back and play the tyrant in my house, did you?" "Insolence!" Matik's face turned ashen. Setting aside the pressure he had endured in the council, seeing Minkler—who had once done nothing but nod, bow, and scrape—wear such a haughty expression was enough to make his blood boil. "Have you forgotten what you really are?! Don't think stirring up a little noise makes you something special! Without the Chopra family—" *Bang!* "Without the Chopra family, so what?!" Minkler slammed his palm down hard onto the table, cutting him off. Straightening his posture with calm composure, he smoothed his tie and epaulets, then drummed his fingers against the surface, asking indifferently, "I'd rather ask: without the Chopra family, I am still me. But without me, is the Chopra family still the Chopras?" With crisp, rhythmic snaps, his fingers tapped against the tabletop, the sound echoing through the room. A faint gleam radiated from the family crest upon his finger, stinging the eyes of everyone present. It finally forced them to recall Minkler's current status: that once-dismissed good-for-nothing, the useless extra nobody had cared about, had soared upward to become the successor personally designated by the previous family head, a candidate acknowledged by the House God itself! Even if every person present understood full well what that candidacy actually meant. A clay doll destined to be burnt to ashes for the family had dared to step down from the altar prepared for him, recklessly attempting to resist. In the past, deep within the endless, shadowy courtyards of the Chopra estate, such a pathetic struggle wouldn't have caused even the slightest ripple. Yet this wasn't Xiangzhou, and this was no longer the past. Right here in the naval base of the Seven Cities Joint Defense, with Minkler having just achieved a miracle of military merit, none of them had any way to touch him, openly or covertly. He disregarded the Chopra family's orders, the Seven Cities Council's decrees couldn't reach him, reprimands were ignored, threats went unheeded—he was acting like a piece of boiled leather, tough, stubborn, and utterly shameless. Having played his hand today, he clearly didn't give a damn whether tomorrow even came. In the brief, dead silence, everyone stared at Minkler's unbothered demeanor, beginning to wonder: who on earth had he hooked up with that could turn a former waste into what he was today, giving him such boldness against both his clan and the Seven Cities? Yet seeing Minkler remain silent, anxiety began to creep into their hearts instead. *Hey, if you've got a backer, bring them out for a walk! Why are you being so selfish?!* After all, a big part of why they had come today was precisely for this. If his backer was massive and solid enough, if the thigh he clutched was thick and strong enough, and the support enduring, it wasn't as though they couldn't just drop to their knees and bow right then and there! These days, relying on oneself was truly impressive, but having a powerful backer was certainly nothing to be ashamed of. Just look at the Sukarnos—they had hooked up with a Tyrant, and how formidable, how glorious they were now went without saying. By contrast, though the Chopra family had numerous external allies and extensive connections, more than ten years had passed since the Celestial-Human who served as their patron died. With only the protection of their House God remaining, the moment trouble arose, they found themselves bogged down, desperately craving the affectionate embrace of a new godfather. *Minkler, if you have something good, why aren't you sharing it? Don't you treat us like family anymore?!* *Oh, wait... it seems he really doesn't—* *How could anyone be so rotten! Run by pure malice!* Seeing them waiting on tenterhooks, Minkler picked up his teacup and took a slow, deliberate sip. Shifting the subject, he suddenly remarked, "The Venom Fleet was utterly deranged to dare bombard Xiangzhou! This is intolerable, beyond all endurance!" "As a Chopra, I had to defend our family's dignity. Could I possibly be in the wrong?! Clan elders and patriarchs, if you truly believe defending the family is a crime, why not proclaim it far and wide and expel me from the Chopra family? From then on, I would have nothing more to do with the clan—wouldn't that be wonderful?" His words made everyone's vision darken in succession. *The Venom Fleet? Bombarding Xiangzhou?* *Wait a second, was that really the Venom Fleet bombarding Xiangzhou? It was clearly you, you miserable bastard!* *However...* Meeting Minkler's sharp, piercing gaze, Matik—who had just been in a towering rage—was the first to snap out of it. He slapped the table indignantly. "Indeed! The gall of the Venom Fleet, daring to shell Xiangzhou! We must make them pay!" "Right, exactly! It infuriates me just thinking about it!" "Same here!" "Our Chopra family stands irreconcilable with evil!" Amidst the chorus of righteous outrage and enthusiastic agreement, Minkler broke into a smile, holding the handle of his teacup with a half-amused smirk. His gaze suddenly shifted to a middle-aged woman who had remained silent throughout the meeting. "What about Sixth Sister? Why aren't you speaking? Sixth Sister, do you support me venting this frustration for the family?" Sixth Sister's expression twitched slightly. In the brief hush, under the watchful eyes of everyone present, she forced out a strained smile. "I support you, of course I do! Sixth Sister definitely supports you!" "I knew it. Sixth Sister has always taken the best care of me." Minkler chuckled, radiating delight, as if the Celestial Chosen sent to assassinate him on the high seas hadn't been dispatched by her at all, entirely unbothered by such a trivial matter. Then, he turned to the far end of the long table—toward the true core of this gathering, the person who actually held the reins of the family now. His fourth brother, Boggio. "What about Fourth Brother?" Minkler sighed wistfully. "When you stay silent, Fourth Brother, I get a little frightened." "What are you thinking, silly child? Of course your fourth brother supports you," Boggio said, shaking his head with an amused smile, projecting an air of helpless indulgence. "The family elders were merely anxious, worried you might take a wrong step, and hoping you'd keep building on your success. "We are all one family. I watched you grow up. Seeing you make something of yourself now means more to me than anything else. "You are a child of this family. When you want to accomplish great things, how could the family fail to support you?" With that, he pulled a manifest from his coat and spoke with earnest warmth: "The family only came here today to see if you had let success go to your head, hoping you wouldn't become arrogant, but would press on steadily. "No matter how poor the family might be, we won't pinch pennies on this. I drew a sizable stock from the armory—it's all listed here. Take a look. If anything is lacking, just tell your fourth brother." Minkler froze slightly, clearly not anticipating such a move. Looking down at the manifest, he discovered that Boggio had brought enough supplies to sustain the Seven Cities Joint Defense for months, along with artillery shells and armaments sufficient to fight several grueling campaigns. "Beyond that, you are now the master of an entire army. You can't get by without capable hands under your command." Boggio glanced at the aide beside him, who immediately lifted a crate onto the table and opened it. "A matrix combining Swarm and Vortex paths—Matrix: Hydra. Out of the family's collection, this is the Swarm matrix best suited for naval combat. There are only eight units, not many, but take them and put them to use." Minkler fell silent, regarding him with puzzled suspicion. "No matter what, we are blood relatives, broken bones still tied by sinew. Did you really think that at a critical juncture like this, your own brother would resort to every underhanded trick just to suppress you? "Originally, I thought you were accustomed to an idle life, so once this hurdle was past, arranging for you to live as a wealthy, carefree gentleman for the rest of your days would be best for you. I never imagined you possessed such ambition. It was I, your elder brother, who misjudged you." Boggio sighed with emotion and smiled gently. "You are a member of the Chopra family after all, Minkler. Give it your all. At a time like this, the Chopra family will not pull the rug out from under you." Minkler remained silent, offering no further words. He stared at the items on the table for a long time, then let out a soft laugh. Suddenly, he said, "I want Holy Oil!" While the others turned pale with shock, Boggio nodded without the slightest hesitation. "Very well. However, I only carry a single portion on me." Saying so, he unclasped a necklace from around his throat. Dangling from it was not a gemstone or pearl, but an amber vial resembling an antique perfume bottle, only as thick as a little finger. Shimmering light churned within it, and merely looking at it seemed to evoke an ancient, fragrant scent in the nostrils. Without hesitation, he dropped the chain into the crate and pushed it across to Minkler. "As your brother, this is as much as I can do to help you." Minkler's expression was indifferent. "Only today do I finally feel a touch of warmth from the family. Ought I to weep tears of gratitude?" "If you can become the family head, warmth will surround you everywhere, far more than what you see now." Boggio smiled, slowly rising to his feet and patting him on the shoulder. "You are a Chopra. You have the right. If you want to fight, if you want to seize it, I will be waiting. "When that day comes, we brothers can determine the victor." With that, he calmly donned his hat and took his leave. In the blink of an eye, the raucous conference room emptied out completely. All the way back to the ship, Boggio did not utter a word. He merely puffed silently on his cigar, gazing out at the night sea with a dark, brooding expression. "Boggio, have you truly thought this through?" Matik was the first to speak. "Hydra is a treasured heirloom of the family, but setting that aside, the Holy Oil is of paramount importance—are you raising a tiger only to court disaster?" "Raising a tiger?" Boggio was provoked to laughter—furious laughter. He crushed the cigar in his hand to powder, his face livid. "Idiot! Is Minkler the top priority right now?!" Things had already reached this state. What else could be said?! Blame and venting were pointless, solving nothing. Threats and bribes wouldn't resolve the issue either. The most pressing task was to stabilize Minkler! Never mind whether he had some backer behind him, never mind whether he had gone mad or was plotting trouble! Empty sweet talk didn't cost a dime. Everything was negotiable, and everyone could claim to love the family! If Minkler truly possessed a backer as vast as mountains and seas, aiming for a triumphant return to take control of the family, then a power struggle would naturally follow. But if he had merely struck blind luck or was blindly seeking his own doom, then letting him continue to strut around with puffed-up arrogance served a purpose too—he could act as the instigator, taking the brunt of the Sukarno family's retaliation in place of the Chopras! After suffering such a massive loss, the Sukarno family would never let the matter drop. The Venom Fleet had indeed been formidable and notorious, but their fierce reputation had rested solely on their brutal deeds. What was truly powerful was not the fleet itself, but Luocheng backing them from the shadows! At the end of the day, they were merely thugs handling dirty work. What truly formidable expert would punch a clock working nine-to-five for a clan? Anyone with genuine ambition would have set up their own faction long ago instead of serving as underlings! In terms of sheer caliber, they couldn't even match that old dog Pacquiao of the Blood Cleansing Fleet! At the very least, Pacquiao’s standing in the underworld had been carved out stroke by stroke, bullet by bullet. Right now, the Sukarno family appeared disgraced, but in reality, they had merely suffered flesh wounds, like someone tripping and falling flat on their face. Once they climbed back up, they would make the one who tripped them pay dearly! Matters were no longer in their hands. Neither the Chopras nor the Sukarnos had a say in it now! Therefore, they had to strike back! Fast and ruthless! Before everyone else could unite, they had to make the others hesitate and fear collateral damage! How much of the bizarre atmosphere in the council today hadn't been people watching from the sidelines, probing for real strength? Minkler's counter-move had forced the Chopra family into backing his play to start a war. The family could easily go along with it and join the fight—but not right now! This was Minkler's most crucial role. He had stirred up this mess, so he had to clean it up! And if he couldn't, he could die! Let his life buy time for everyone else! Time—what mattered most was time. They had to reorganize the family, completely shake off this state of scattered disarray. They had to seize every second— "Uncle Matik, arrange meetings with several clan elders for me." Boggio ground the last remnants of tobacco between his fingers, his resolve hardened. "I want to initiate the House God Selection ahead of schedule!" *** Inside the empty conference room, Minkler puffed silently on a cigarette, glancing at the table before him. Suddenly, he let out a soft sigh. "How heartwarming." He sighed softly, then murmured, "You saw it too. My fourth brother supports me with all his might." "Yeah, sure does," came Ji Jue's agreeable voice through the conference room's speakers. "Does he really support me?" "Mm, does he?" "No, he wouldn't—" Minkler let out a cold laugh. Family affection? One family? Broken bones tied by sinew? If he had spoken even a bit more harshly today, Minkler might actually have believed him! Before today, whenever Minkler encountered this fourth brother in the estate, even if he had bowed and scraped and escorted him for miles, would the man have even remembered his younger brother's name? Setting everything else aside, how did their eldest, second, and third brothers die? Why didn't he mention that?! Why didn't he explain it in detail for everyone to hear?! "He wants me to buy him time so he can integrate the family," Minkler said resolutely, staring at the glowing embers of his cigarette. "Once the integration is complete, he can turn around and slowly settle accounts with a sinner like me. "He might even sell me out to the Sukarno family, and then step forward under the banner of avenging me—" "Holy crap, how can this Boggio be so wicked?!" Ji Jue sounded utterly shocked. "Then what are you going to do, Minkler?" "Yeah, what should I do?" Minkler murmured softly, sighing as he stubbed out the glowing cigarette directly onto Boggio's manifest. The flame died into the darkness. Only a scatter of fading sparks spread silently across the charred paper. "Fortunately..." he said, "I sold them out even earlier." *BOOM!* A colossal roar like thunder abruptly erupted across the long night. Out upon the distant sea where his family had just departed, it was as if a bolt of thunder had torn across the horizon. A blinding, searing flash of brilliant light flared and vanished in an instant— And immediately following it, the heavens and earth shuddered violently!