Chapter 28: A Fine Performance!

“Wretched son! Is this what you want? To raise your hand against me as well?”

Gao Zhanhu was trembling all over, not from fear but from seething rage. He had never imagined that his own son would draw his blade against him.

“Against you?” Gao Yucheng sneered, his voice low and laced with mockery. “Old fool, I am aware of your strength. You reached the peak of the Organ Refinement Stage long ago, so I’m no match for you. But what about them?”

He turned around slightly, facing the darkness. “What are you guys waiting for? You know I will never rule Gao Fortress as long as the old man draws breath, right? And if I don’t rule, all my promises to you are worthless.”

Gao Yucheng’s voice echoed through the vast underground hall, and before it had fully faded, loud laughter rolled in from the passage.

“Hahaha! Second Young Master, you are indeed trustworthy. You actually found the secret chamber.”

Swish, swish, swish…!

In an instant, five shadowy figures appeared in the hall.

Gao Zhanhu pointed at Gao Yucheng, his voice heavy. “Wretch! You collude with outsiders? This is to bargain with a tiger for its skin[1]! How could you reveal matters of the Gao Clan to others?”

But Gao Yucheng remained calm, his tone even as he answered, “Old man, that is no longer your concern. I know exactly what I’m doing.”

After a brief pause, Gao Yucheng said with finality, “Enough. The rest of you, hurry and send this old fool on his way.”

Gao Yucheng himself remained still, but the five shadow figures behind him moved at once.

Voosh! Boom!

Blood qi erupted from each of them, powerful and forceful, no weaker than Gao Zhanhu. In a single breath, they had already surrounded him.

Meanwhile, Gao Yucheng carried his saber step by step toward Gao Yuzhi. Gao Yuzhi remained unconscious, laying on the stone bed motionlessly.

Gao Yucheng slowly raised his saber and murmured, “Big Brother, I never truly wished to kill you. But as long as you draw breath, the old man will never let go, and I will never rule Gao Fortress. Blame yourself and that old fool for dreaming of rebellion and seeking to bury the entire Gao Fortress along with you.”

Seeing Gao Yucheng’s saber pointed at Gao Yuzhi, Gao Zhanhu’s anger boiled over, his features contorting with rage.

“Bastard! You bastard! Stop right this second, you wretched thing! That is your elder brother! You want the Blood Replacement Bead? Fine, you can have it! I’ll give you everything! Just don’t harm your brother…”

In that moment of distraction, one of the masked men slammed his palm into Gao Zhanhu’s chest.

Thud!

Gao Zhanhu crashed to the floor, blood spewing from his mouth. All color had drained from his face; it was clear he had been badly wounded just now. Still, he seemed indifferent to his assailant, his gaze remaining firmly locked on Gao Yucheng.

“Yucheng… don’t…” he gasped.

Gao Yucheng gritted his teeth and drove his saber down.

Shlkk!

The blade sank deep into Gao Yuzhi; even in unconsciousness, his brow furrowed. Crimson spread swiftly across his robes, and his breathing weakened with each passing moment, until it ceased altogether.

Gao Yuzhi was dead—truly and utterly dead.

Gao Zhanhu’s eyes widened, veins bulging across his face as fury surged through him. Regardless, now it was too late to do anything. His eldest son was gone, and nothing could bring him back. The son he had once regarded as the Gao Clan’s brightest hope now lay in his own blood, slain before his very eyes by his unfilial son.

Gao Yucheng withdrew his saber and slowly walked toward Gao Zhanhu, each of his steps deliberate. Fresh blood dripped from his blade’s edge.

“Father, Big Brother is dead. Now, will you exact revenge against me, or will you hand Gao Fortress to me? The choice is yours.”

With that, he tossed the saber at Gao Zhanhu’s feet. For a long moment, Gao Zhanhu stood stunned, his gaze shifting from the weapon on the ground to the son before him. At last, he made no move to pick up the weapon.

After all, even a vicious tiger would not devour its own cub. Yucheng was the only son Zhanhu had left to inherit legacy. If he struck him down, what would become of Gao Fortress? From the beginning, the fate of the Gao Clan had always outweighed everything else in Gao Zhanhu’s heart.

His pale lips twisted into a bitter smile. “What a fine son you are… I never thought you could be this ruthless and calculating.”

After a pause, he gave a heavy sigh. “Perhaps it is for the best. In the hands of someone like you, Gao Fortress may at least not fall into ruin. Take this Blood Replacement Bead!”

With trembling fingers, Gao Zhanhu reached into his robe and drew out the Blood Replacement Bead, intending to toss it to Gao Yucheng. But before he could act, one of the shadow figures moved faster.

Swish!

In the blink of an eye, the shadow slashed down with a single stroke, severing Gao Zhanhu’s arm cleanly. The bead slipped from his grasp and landed neatly in the hand of the shadow.

“Ghaaah…!” Gao Zhanhu screamed out in pain, his entire body convulsing.

Gao Yucheng, however, paid no heed to his father. He lifted his gaze to the five figures standing before him. They were the very allies he had summoned for aid, yet unexpectedly, they had struck first and stolen the bead.

“According to our agreement, the Blood Replacement Bead belongs to me. Once I inherit Gao Fortress, I will honor every promise I made to you,” Gao Yucheng said through gritted teeth, his words slow and deliberate.

“Hehe, but this is the Blood Replacement Bead,” one of the shadows sneered. “Naturally, we’d take what you promised us, but you see… we also need this bead. Seems like we’ve got quite the dilemma on our hands, no?”

They let out a derisive laugh. “Fortunately, I’ve already thought of a solution. You see, if we kill both you and your father here and now, no one else in Gao Fortress will be able to go against us. Everything here will fall into our hands. What need would we have for your promises then?”

All five shadows stared at Gao Yuncheng, their eyes filled with mockery and disdain. The truth was undeniable—they had been stringing him along from the very beginning.

Their plans had never included Gao Yuncheng keeping his life. The utmost priority had always been the bead, nothing else. Once they had it, they would cut him down and take over the whole Gao Fortress.

“Wretched son! You have bargained with tigers… and now the very foundation of the Gao Clan will come to ruin!” Gao Zhanhu’s voice rasped with pain, though his fury refused to be contained.

Throughout it all, Gao Yucheng’s expression never wavered. His eyes were composed, as though this chaotic turn of events hadn’t shaken him at all.

“Yes,” he said with a faint smile, looking at the five shadows. “In your eyes, I am nothing more than a wastrel, a fool willing to sell off Gao Fortress for scraps. Father, is that how you also see me, deep down? Ambitious yet without means, a complete fool?”

At that, the expressions of the five shadows changed instantly—a flicker of alarm, as though they had suddenly realized that something was amiss.

Even Gao Zhanhu, clutching his bleeding stump, looked at his son with wavering suspicion. If Yucheng was not raving in madness, and instead had something up his sleeve, then perhaps not all hope was lost.

“Kill him!” one of the shadows barked.

They wasted no more time. However, the instant their blood qi surged, something strange occurred—they faltered. In the blink of an eye, all five crumpled to the ground, their bodies suddenly limp. A ripple of shock swept through them.

“Wh-What is happening? Did you poison us?”

“B-But when?”

“He actually managed to poison us?”

The five martial artists stared at one another in disbelief. None of them had sensed anything wrong until this moment.

Gao Yucheng shook his head slightly, then said coldly, “Didn’t you test the food I brought you each day? You guys come from a family of poison masters, so I imagine this must be quite humiliating.

“Well, this isn’t exactly poison. Rather, it’s a special kind of slow-acting drug. Unleashing your blood qi violently causes your strength to fade away. The effect subsides after a few hours of rest,” Gao Yucheng said flatly.

The five shadows stiffened, a chill of fear creeping into their hearts. No one had ever imagined they would fall to Gao Yucheng’s schemes.

Gao Yucheng picked the saber up from the floor. He looked at Gao Zhanhu and sighed. “Father, you are still far too soft-hearted. I gave you such a good chance just now, yet you could not bring yourself to kill me. Rest assured, I won’t make the same mistake as you. If I am to take control of Gao Fortress, I need to take your head. And as for these five fools, they can shoulder the blame. Father… may your journey to the other side be a smooth one.”

With that, Gao Yucheng drew a deep breath and raised his saber high.

Gao Zhanhu made no effort to resist. He simply closed his eyes, his face set in grim acceptance to his fate.

Whoosh…

Suddenly, Gao Yucheng felt the faint brush of wind at his back. However, they were in a sealed underground secret chamber. How could there be any wind at all?

Shiiing!

A streak of white light flashed past.

In the very next moment, a biting chill spread across Gao Yucheng’s throat. He pressed his trembling hand against his neck, only to feel his strength draining away, as though leaking drop by drop from his body.

“You…” Gao Yucheng’s eyes widened in disbelief.

At some point, a shadowy figure had appeared right in front of him. The stranger was dressed in black, and the dagger in his hand dripped steadily with dark blood.

1. 与虎谋皮 in classical Chinese idiom, it warns that asking a predator to give up what sustains it is futile and dangerous, because it goes against its very nature. In the cultivation world, the phrase is often used metaphorically to describe negotiating with ruthless enemies where cooperation is impossible since their interests directly contradict. ☜

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