A Good Show!

"Unfilial son! What do you think you're doing? Do you actually dare raise a hand against me?" Gao Zhanhu trembled all over—not from fear, but from fury. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that his own son would dare draw a blade against him! "Raise a hand against you?" "Old bastard, I know how strong you are. Your cultivation reached the peak of Refining Organs long ago. I am no match for you." "Are the rest of you just going to stand there watching? If the old bastard doesn't die, I will never take control of Gao Family Fort—and when that happens, I naturally won't be able to deliver on my promises to you." Gao Yucheng's voice echoed through the cavernous underground hall. No sooner had the words left his mouth than a burst of loud laughter drifted in from the underground passage: "Hahaha, the Second Young Master is indeed a man of his word. You truly found Gao Family Fort's secret chamber!" *Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.* Soon, five dark figures appeared in the hall. Gao Zhanhu pointed at Gao Yucheng and barked in a deep voice, "Unfilial son, you actually colluded with outsiders? That's bargaining with a tiger for its skin! How could you let outsiders learn of the Gao family's grand undertaking?" Gao Yucheng remained utterly unbothered, replying in a calm tone, "Old bastard, there's no need for you to worry about that. I know what I'm doing." "Well then, aren't you going to send the old bastard on his way?" Gao Yucheng did not move, but the five silhouettes behind him shot forward in an instant. *Boom, boom, boom.* Their qi and blood erupted—each one possessing qi and blood so immense and vigorous that it was not in the least inferior to Gao Zhanhu's. In barely the span of a single breath, the five had surrounded Gao Zhanhu. Gao Yucheng, meanwhile, gripped his saber and walked step by step toward Gao Yuzhi. Gao Yuzhi remained comatose, lying motionless on the stone bed. Slowly raising his saber, Gao Yucheng murmured softly, "Eldest Brother, to be honest, I didn't want to kill you." "Yet if you don't die, the old bastard will never give up hope, and I will never be able to rule Gao Family Fort." "Blame only yourself for being just like the old bastard—both of you dreaming of rebellion, wanting to bury the entire Gao Family Fort..." Seeing Gao Yucheng point the tip of his blade at Gao Yuzhi, Gao Zhanhu's rage peaked, twisting his face into a hideous contortion. "You beast, you absolute beast!" "Unfilial son, stop! That's your elder brother!" "You want the Blood Exchange Bead? I'll give it to you—I'll give it all to you! Just don't hurt your brother..." In a moment of carelessness, Gao Zhanhu took a direct palm strike to the chest from one of the black-clad men. *Pfft...* Gao Zhanhu slammed heavily onto the ground and spat out a mouthful of blood. His face turned as pale as paper, clearly gravely wounded. Yet he seemed not to care about his injury in the slightest, his eyes remaining fixed in a death glare on Gao Yucheng. "Yucheng, don't..." However, Gao Yucheng gritted his teeth and drove the saber downward with savage force. *Squelch.* The blade plunged straight into Gao Yuzhi's body. Even in his coma, Gao Yuzhi seemed to register the pain, his brow furrowing tightly. Blood gushed rapidly from the wound, dyeing his clothes crimson. Gao Yuzhi's breathing grew fainter and fainter until, at last, it ceased altogether. Dead! Gao Yuzhi was completely dead! Gao Zhanhu's eyes bulged wide, veins throbbing across his face. Yet no matter how enraged he was, Gao Yuzhi was dead. The son he had always regarded as the hope of the Gao family was gone. And worse, he had been slain by his own unfilial brother, right before his father's eyes! Gao Yucheng drew back the saber and walked toward Gao Zhanhu step by step, fresh blood still dripping from the blade. "Father, Eldest Brother is dead. Now, do you intend to kill me at any cost, or will you let me take charge of Gao Family Fort?" "Choose for yourself." Gao Yucheng tossed the saber right in front of Gao Zhanhu. Gao Zhanhu froze for a moment. He looked at the blade on the ground, then back up at Gao Yucheng. In the end, he did not reach for the weapon. Even a vicious tiger does not devour its cubs, and now Gao Yucheng was his only remaining son. If he killed Gao Yucheng, what would become of Gao Family Fort? From beginning to end, what mattered most to Gao Zhanhu was Gao Family Fort! "Truly my good son! In the past, I genuinely failed to see how ruthless and calculating you were." "Still, perhaps it's for the best. In the hands of someone like you, Gao Family Fort won't fall into ruin." "Take the Blood Exchange Bead!" Gao Zhanhu pulled the Blood Exchange Bead from his robes and prepared to toss it to Gao Yucheng. Yet one of the dark figures moved even faster. *Whoosh.* In the blink of an eye, the figure slashed downward with a blade. *Slash.* Gao Zhanhu's arm was severed in an instant. At the same time, the Blood Exchange Bead in his hand fell into the figure's grasp. "Aaargh..." Gao Zhanhu let out a bloodcurdling scream, his entire body convulsing. Gao Yucheng, however, paid no mind to Gao Zhanhu's wound. He raised his head, staring at the five figures before him. These were the "reinforcements" he had enlisted. He had not expected them to turn on him so abruptly and snatch the Blood Exchange Bead. "According to our agreement, the Blood Exchange Bead was supposed to go to me. Once I inherited Gao Family Fort, I would fulfill my promises to you," Gao Yucheng said, measuring every word. "Heheh, this is the Blood Exchange Bead we're talking about!" "Naturally, we want the promises you made. But we also need this Blood Exchange Bead. It really was quite a dilemma." "However, I have a solution now. As long as we slaughter both you and Gao Zhanhu, who in Gao Family Fort could possibly stop us? When that time comes, everything in Gao Family Fort will belong to us anyway. Why would we need your promises?" The five dark figures gazed at Gao Yucheng with mockery and disdain in their eyes. Clearly, they had been playing Gao Yucheng for a fool from the very beginning. They had never intended to let him live; they only wanted to locate the Blood Exchange Bead. Once the bead was found, they would kill Gao Yucheng directly, then swallow up all of Gao Family Fort. "Unfilial son... bargaining with a tiger for its skin... you've doomed the foundation of our Gao Family Fort..." Gao Zhanhu's voice was hoarse with agony, yet he could not suppress the rage burning within him. Even so, Gao Yucheng's expression remained tranquil from start to finish. "Yes, in your eyes, I was merely a foolish prodigal who sold out Gao Family Fort to work with you." "Father, was that what you thought of me in your heart as well? Someone with ambition but no ability—an utter fool?" Gao Yucheng's words caused the faces of the five figures to shift instantly. They sensed that something was amiss. Even Gao Zhanhu looked at Gao Yucheng with uncertain suspicion. If Gao Yucheng hadn't lost his mind and had actually prepared for this, perhaps there was still a chance of turning things around... "Kill him!" The five figures wasted no more time, moving to cut Gao Yucheng down. Yet the moment they circulated their qi and blood, their bodies suddenly turned completely limp, and they collapsed helplessly to the floor. "What's happening? Did you poison us?" "When were we poisoned?" "How could you have possibly poisoned us?" The five martial artists could scarcely believe it. Evidently, none of them had detected any poison. Gao Yucheng shook his head slightly, enunciating every word: "Didn't you test every meal I delivered to you for poison? Besides, you're masters of poisons yourselves. Who could possibly poison you?" "This isn't poison. It's merely a special, slow-acting medicinal agent. Only when you violently circulate your qi and blood does it drain your strength without your noticing. It will wear off in a few hours." Hearing Gao Yucheng's emotionless words, terror crept into the hearts of all five men. Who could have thought they would fall into Gao Yucheng's trap? Gao Yucheng picked up the saber from the ground. Looking at Gao Zhanhu, he let out a long sigh. "Father, you are still too soft-hearted. I gave you such a great opportunity just now, yet you didn't kill me." "I, however, will not be soft-hearted. If I want to seize Gao Family Fort, I still need to borrow your head. Conveniently, these five fools can take the blame." "Father, have a safe journey to the underworld!" Gao Yucheng drew a deep breath and raised the heavy saber high overhead. Gao Zhanhu said nothing more. He simply closed his eyes, resigning himself to fate. *Whoosh...* Suddenly, Gao Yucheng caught the faint sensation of a breeze brushing past behind him. Yet this was a sealed underground chamber, completely cut off from the outside air. Where could a breeze have come from? *Snick.* A flash of white light flared and vanished in an instant. The next moment, Gao Yucheng felt a chill at his throat. He clutched his neck, his strength seeming to drain away at terrifying speed. "You..." Gao Yucheng's eyes flew wide as he took in the sight before him. At some point, a mysterious, black-clad figure had appeared in front of him, and from the dagger in the figure's hand, drop by drop, crimson blood was steadily dripping.