Chapter 87: Chapter 87: The Position Belongs to the Virtuous, and Martial Virtue Is a Virtue Too

"Latest news: the Jade Dragon Association has been taken over by an unknown faction. The situation is currently unclear."

In the municipal office building of Liebo Mansion, Chang Shaoyong cast a sidelong glance at Xie Quan, who was seated to his left. His tone was heavy with insinuation.

Xie Quan, however, feigned complete ignorance, looking as if the Jade Dragon Association had gotten exactly what it deserved.

Compared to Liebo Mansion, the Jade Dragon Association operated like a common gang. They didn’t care about saving face like Chang Shaoyong did; instead, they acted like a bunch of street thugs and hooligans.

The only decent thing about them was their name.

"If this faction could take down the Jade Dragon Association so easily, I’m afraid Liebo Mansion wouldn’t stand a chance either."

"What are your thoughts on this matter?" Chang Shaoyong asked, pointedly not looking for Xie Quan’s opinion.

Ever since Xie Quan had returned with his son the previous afternoon, the two men had all but officially declared their hostility.

If not for the lack of a suitable opportunity, Chang Shaoyong would have killed Xie Quan first.

"Mansion Master, I believe we should gather intelligence on this unknown faction as quickly as possible," Xie Quan said, stating the obvious.

"An excellent suggestion, Old Xie. I’ll leave this matter in your hands." Chang Shaoyong, however, broke into a smile. "The situation with the Jade Dragon Association is uncertain right now. Be careful when you go, Old Xie."

"The intelligence isn’t important. It’s nothing compared to your personal safety."

Chang Shaoyong’s facade of concern was so convincing that an outsider might have actually believed him.

The reality was that the moment Xie Quan dared to step foot outside Liebo Mansion, Chang Shaoyong would hunt him down and make sure he was dead beyond a doubt.

Xie Quan’s expression didn’t change. He gave a wry smile and said, "I’d love to go, but I’m swamped. If I leave, a mountain of official business will be left undone."

"How about we let Young Master Chang handle the intelligence gathering? He’s destined to take over your position as Mansion Master, after all. He needs the experience. We can’t have him relying on us old-timers forever."

With that, he tossed the responsibility right back, dragging Chang Jing into the conversation.

"The position of Mansion Master is not some hereditary title to be passed down. It belongs to the most virtuous. Chang Jing is not worthy. How could I possibly allow him to bring ruin upon Liebo Mansion?" Chang Shaoyong declared righteously.

’Of course,’ he thought, ’my real plan is to kill all these old bastards and pave the way for my son.’

His words were just empty pleasantries, and everyone in the room knew it. Anyone who had climbed to the top of Liebo Mansion was a ruthless and sharp-witted individual.

Just as Xie Quan was about to continue the cycle of deflections and platitudes, the doors to the conference room were violently kicked open.

"Well said, Mansion Master Chang. I happen to agree," Qi Suian announced, strolling in casually as the door he had just kicked splintered into fragments.

In an instant, the expression on every face in the room changed.

But since Chang Shaoyong hadn’t made a move, no one else dared to say a word.

However, it was obvious to anyone with eyes that Qi Suian was here to make trouble.

"You..." Chang Shaoyong stood up, his face dark. The others immediately rose in a show of solidarity.

"You said it yourself: the position belongs to the most virtuous." As Qi Suian spoke, Floating Cannons materialized, emerging from a Subspace Stable Pocket.

This was a sight they had certainly never witnessed before.

At a signal from Chang Shaoyong, one of the executives lunged forward.

But before he could even complete the motion, a Dark Energy Beam struck him. It was so fast that all anyone saw was a flash of black light. The man, along with his clothes, was disintegrated into a pile of ash.

Seeing this, everyone’s face turned pale.

And Qi Suian had more than one of these powerful weapons.

Even Chang Shaoyong swallowed hard. He wanted a weapon like that for himself.

"Martial virtue is also a form of virtue."

"Therefore, I will be the Mansion Master of Liebo Mansion. Who objects? Who agrees?" As Qi Suian spoke, the muzzles of the Floating Cannons swiveled to aim at every executive present.

Qi Suian’s plan was simple: kill anyone who objects, and then there would be no objections.

"Sir, you are Jing’Er’s savior. I don’t know where our hospitality has been lacking to have angered you so."

"If I have offended you in any way, I apologize. Please, don’t make such jokes," Chang Shaoyong said, forcing a strained smile.

To this, Qi Suian simply replied, "Who’s joking with you?"

"It seems you doubt my martial virtue." Qi Suian sighed, and a Floating Cannon opened fire.

Chang Shaoyong saw it coming. He tried to dodge, but he stood no chance at all.

He died on the spot.

’As the leader, he had to be killed,’ Qi Suian thought. ’Can’t have him becoming a source of instability.’

"Alright, the Mansion Master no longer objects. Anyone else?" Qi Suian asked.

Honestly, the gap between the Power of the Limit and technologies like the Divine Spirit Container and Immortal Surgery was enormous.

But it made sense. One originated from human cells, while the others came from cosmic gods. There was simply no comparison.

However, compared to the latter two, the Power of the Limit was far more widespread and low-cost, blowing them out of the water in terms of accessibility.

For a moment, no one dared to speak.

Until Xie Quan spoke up. "I agree."

"Oh, right. I forgot about you." Qi Suian said, and then Xie Quan was dead. "I am the Mansion Master of Liebo Mansion. You’ve been colluding with the Jade Dragon Association behind my back. I can’t let you live."

Qi Suian needed test subjects, and there were at least eight hundred, if not a thousand, people in Liebo Mansion with the Power of the Limit.

He wasn’t short one man. Killing him was the safer option.

As for rewarding the first to pledge allegiance? Qi Suian wasn’t playing the long game of winning loyalty; he relied on pure, brute force.

He couldn’t care less what these people thought. Their only job was to be good little test subjects.

The people in the room were deathly silent, too terrified to speak.

Objecting meant death, and agreeing also meant death. What could they possibly say?

"No one’s talking? I’ll take that as a default agreement." With that, Qi Suian sat down in the main seat. With a CRACK, the chair collapsed. The Tai Sui God was not light.

"Someone, go send Young Master Chang to be reunited with Mansion Master Chang."

"Oh, right. Send Steward Xie’s family along with them." Qi Suian was a firm believer in eliminating the problem, root and stem.

"I... I am willing to serve you, Mansion Master!" one of the executives hurriedly volunteered.

"Go on, then. And don’t even think about running. The range on these Floating Cannons is far greater than you can imagine," Qi Suian said dismissively.

He then let the man leave.

If the man truly tried to flee Liebo Mansion, the Floating Cannons were not just for show. Combined with the reconnaissance network, his every move was under Qi Suian’s surveillance.

"As for the rest of you, I have a small matter I need your help with. I wonder if you’d be willing."

Qi Suian’s gaze fell upon the remaining people.

These last few had Power of the Limit degrees between fifty and sixty. They were about average.

Most ordinary people, even with great effort, would likely end up in this range.

To increase the degree of one’s Power of the Limit, one must continuously push their body’s cells to their absolute brink. This, in turn, meant a massive need for food and medicine.

Without them, excessively stressing the cells without providing sufficient nutrients for recovery and treatment with medicine would only lead to a gruesome death down the line.

But this was the apocalypse. Both food and medicine were the most precious forms of currency, completely out of reach for those in the lower and middle tiers.

Thus, there was no real Cultivation Technique for the Power of the Limit. It was simply a matter of training to death and then eating to death to activate and improve it.

As for shortcuts like the cell-burning stimulants, they could only be used for activation, not for enhancement.

"I... I am willing to serve you, Mansion Master!" another executive quickly chimed in.

After all, seeing the previous example, he thought that by agreeing, he might be allowed to leave too.

"Good! Very full of Spirit!" Qi Suian praised him, then looked at the others. "This little matter of mine requires quite a few people. Since you are unwilling, I can only resort to force."

The remaining men heard Qi Suian’s words and breathed a sigh of relief. ’Good, he’s not going to force us.’

But the next moment, they processed his words. It seemed like the word "not" had been missing from that sentence...

And then, each of them was hit with an anesthetic dart from Qi Suian. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Only the man who had spoken up first was spared, but his eyes were filled with terror.

"Carry them and follow me. With your strength, moving them shouldn’t be a problem, right?" Qi Suian glanced at him.

"N-No... No problem..." the man stammered.

Qi Suian’s speed was terrifying. He hadn’t even seen him move, and it was already over.

This was normal. The Tai Sui God was equipped with a Wind Master aviation system. Although it was a flight module and not a speed module, the module itself was based on a fighter jet, so it was naturally fast.

Coupled with the precise control of an AI, it was indeed highly effective.

-----------------

"Grandfather, the inventory of the Jade Dragon Association’s assets is complete." Cao Ming handed a statistical report to the old man sitting in the master seat.

This man was Cao Li, the leader of the Yanyi Cao Family, an Ancient Martial Family. His Ancient Martial Technique cultivation had already reached the Huajin level. He was just one step away from forming his Dan and becoming a Danjin Grandmaster.

Unfortunately, that single step was a chasm that had trapped Cao Li from middle age to his current elderly state.

Still, in this world, those who could become Danjin Grandmasters were few and far between. With his Huajin-level cultivation, he could already roam the world unchallenged.

"Mm, I see," Cao Li said, paying no mind to his grandson’s words, even though this was his eldest, direct-line grandson.

Instead, he was engrossed in dissecting and comprehending the former president of the Jade Dragon Association.

He wanted to use the Power of the Limit to take that final step and become a Danjin Grandmaster.

This doomsday game was unique. Survival was not based on individuals, but on families.

As a result, the various Ancient Martial Families had been grouped together, which was how the Yanyi Cao Family had managed to take over the Jade Dragon Association so soon after their arrival.

As a Huajin-level master, Cao Li naturally sensed how the Power of the Limit could benefit Ancient Martial Techniques.

Although the Power of the Limit, even when cultivated to one hundred degrees, was only equivalent to a novice at the Huajin level and lacked any real combat skill.

So, for the Ancient Martial Families, their greatest threat was the extreme heat, not the native inhabitants.

Their Ancient Martial Techniques granted them powerful combat skills, a formidable will, and a strong physique.

But they were not natives of this world. Their ability to resist the high temperatures was far inferior to those with the Power of the Limit.

Therefore, survival was not so simple, even with their current advantage.

But this was only the second day since the survivors had arrived in the Polar Day World.