That night, in Jingdu Base City's Xingwang Residential District.
Xingwang Residential District covered an enormous area. In terms of total floor space, it ranked among the top three in all of Jingdu Base City and served as the Wang Family's stronghold in Jingdu.
Inside the district stood a luxurious villa occupying nearly a thousand square meters.
Large numbers of soldiers in military uniforms patrolled the area. Most of the security personnel in the district were ordinary guards in black suits, with soldiers assigned to patrol only a few places.
Yet the number of soldiers around this villa was higher than anywhere else in the district—far more than at any other location.
Even inside the villa, more than twenty soldiers carried full sets of firearms and maintained an extremely tight watch!
That was because one of the villa's owners, Qiu Wenjun, was an officer. Her position in the general military command of Jingdu Base City ranked among the top ten.
For a woman to reach her current position was proof enough of her ability!
"Why!"
"Damn it! Damn it!"
In the villa's lavish hall, Wang Xing'an paced back and forth in his expensive clothes, his eyes filled with unbridled fury.
After the banquet, he had gone to see his grandfather, Wang Junyang, the head of the Wang Family.
There, Wang Junyang had given him terrible news: Wang Xingzhi had safely returned to the family and become one of the candidates for heir.
He had fought his way to his current position, with his parents' support, but only after putting in an untold amount of effort.
Yet a son who had been cast out of the family could become his equal just because he had reached Advanced War General Level. How could he accept that?
What was so special about an Advanced War General?
Didn't his bodyguards, his father's bodyguards, and his mother's security detail all include Advanced War Generals?
But Wang Xing'an understood that those bodyguards were outsiders. When it came down to it, they wouldn't risk their lives for the Wang Family.
Among the Wang Family's own people, wasn't everyone who reached Advanced War General Level in charge of a major power?
And Wang Xingzhi had reached Advanced War General Level at just twenty-seven. In terms of martial talent, he could easily be called the most gifted of the Wang Family's direct descendants.
The Wang Family had another young man even more talented than him, but he wasn't a direct descendant.
"Xing'an, what's wrong?"
A middle-aged couple walked in from outside the villa. The man wore a finely tailored suit, while the woman was dressed in a military uniform.
When the woman noticed Wang Xing'an's expression, she asked anxiously, "What's the matter?"
"Dad, Mom!" Wang Xing'an called out as soon as he saw them.
"Hmph!" The middle-aged man snorted. "What else could it be? Your eldest brother's son came to wish Father a happy birthday this afternoon. You're a grown man, yet you still can't keep your cool!"
"Your eldest brother?" Qiu Wenjun asked, puzzled. "Wasn't he cast out of the family by your uncle?"
"What can I say? My eldest brother has a good son," Wang Zihao said with a sigh. "Wang Xingzhi, my eldest brother's son. Do you remember him, Wenjun?"
Qiu Wenjun nodded. As the Wang Family's eldest grandson, Wang Xingzhi had left some impression on her.
Wang Zihao continued, "That boy is very talented. Even without the family's help, he's reached Advanced War General Level."
"Advanced War General Level?" Qiu Wenjun stared at him, stunned. "If I remember right, he's only twenty-seven this year. Did he come today to reclaim his place in the family?"
Wang Zihao nodded.
"Then what about Xing'an?"
Qiu Wenjun had married into the Wang Family decades ago and understood its rules well. She asked the question Wang Xing'an most wanted answered.
"What else can he do? Work hard at cultivation!" Wang Zihao said helplessly. "If Xing'an can catch up to him, even if he falls a little short, your power and mine should be enough to make him the Wang Family's first heir."
"But..." Qiu Wenjun sighed. "That won't work. There isn't the slightest hope."
She knew Wang Xing'an's cultivation talent all too well. Over the years, the two of them had spent enormous resources just to raise his physical fitness to the Elementary War General level. His actual combat strength was even weaker.
"Dad!" Wang Xing'an called from the side. He didn't want to spend the rest of his life cultivating.
Wang Zihao knew exactly what kind of person his son was. He had only said that to spur him on.
Seeing that his son simply wasn't cut out for cultivation, Wang Zihao said slowly, "If that won't work, there's only one other way!"
"What way?" Qiu Wenjun and Wang Xing'an asked at the same time.
Wang Zihao fell silent.
"Zihao, what way?" Qiu Wenjun pressed.
Wang Zihao remained silent.
"I want him dead!"
After a long pause, Wang Xing'an suddenly spoke. "If Wang Xingzhi dies, he won't be able to fight me for the position! Yes, that's it! Dad, what do you think?"
As one of the leaders of the Wang Family's younger generation, Wang Xing'an wasn't a useless layabout. He quickly figured out the only solution his father had in mind.
"Alas!"
Wang Zihao sighed. It was as good as agreeing with Wang Xing'an.
He and his eldest brother had been close when they were young. Now he had to kill his brother's only son, and he couldn't help feeling conflicted.
But to make his own son the Wang Family's heir, he had to do it.
"Dad, Mom, I'll arrange for people to kill him right now!" Wang Xing'an said with a vicious look.
"You're going to hire someone to kill him? Idiot!" Wang Zihao scolded. "Forget whether you can kill him. Even if you do, what will happen if the truth comes out? How will you compete for the heir's position then?
"And what have I always taught you? 'Know yourself and your enemy, and you will never be defeated.' Wang Zhi is already an Advanced War General, and he's joined the Phantom Squad, one of the top three squads in Jiangnan Base City. Who exactly are you going to hire to kill him?"
"Then what should we do?" Wang Xing'an asked urgently.
"That's right, Zihao! Xing'an's just panicking," Qiu Wenjun added. "If you have a plan, then hurry up and tell us!"
"I really can't bear to kill my eldest brother's only son!" Wang Zihao sighed.
"Enough!" Qiu Wenjun suddenly said. "It's just the three of us here. Why are you pretending? If you truly had no intention of doing it, would you have sent people to investigate him?"
"You..." Wang Zihao sighed helplessly. "The only way to kill Xingzhi is to put a bounty on him!"
"Hire mercenaries?" Wang Xing'an exclaimed.
After the Grand Nirvana, countless mercenary organizations had appeared around the world.
They would do anything for money. Some Base Cities even hired mercenaries to defend against monster attacks.
When you posted a job with a mercenary group, the group set the bounty itself, and its prices were usually very high.
"Dad, that'll cost an enormous amount!" Wang Xing'an couldn't help saying.
"Hmph! So what if it costs a lot?" Wang Zihao said. "This is the only way to guarantee secrecy! Your mother and I have some savings. It should be enough!"
To keep it secret, they couldn't touch any of the family's visible assets.
Fortunately, they both held important positions and had accumulated a fair amount of under-the-table income over the years.
Wang Zihao soon found an unregistered SIM card and called the bounty line of a mercenary organization called the Flame Legion.
"I'd like to place a bounty," Wang Zihao said as soon as the call connected.
"Go ahead," a woman replied from the other end.
"I want a War General-level warrior in Jiangnan Base City killed: 'Blood Blade' Wang Zhi!"
Wang Zihao's voice held not a trace of emotion. Qiu Wenjun and Wang Xing'an stood quietly beside him, not daring to interrupt.
"All right. Please wait while we calculate the bounty."
Murder?
The Flame Legion would take a job even if it meant killing a War God.
As long as you could pay enough!
Wang Zihao waited in silence.
Before long, the woman spoke again. "According to our information, 'Blood Blade' Wang Zhi has reached Advanced War General Level. To kill him anonymously, the price is thirty billion."
"Thirty billion?" Wang Zihao's voice changed. "Why so much? Wang Zhi has only just reached Advanced War General Level. How can one person cost thirty billion? What kind of assassin would charge that much?"
"Sir, please don't get upset," the woman on the other end said gently.
"Our Flame Legion has very strict pricing rules. The usual price to kill an ordinary Advanced War General is around ten billion.
"But this 'Blood Blade' Wang Zhi joined the Wang Family today, one of the nine core families of the HR Alliance. So we're charging another ten billion for confidentiality. Of course, if you're willing to reveal your identity, we can waive that ten billion."
As if he'd reveal his identity! If he were willing to do that, why would he hire mercenaries?
"Then what's the other ten billion for?" Wang Zihao continued.
"Wang Zhi is a member of the Phantom Squad. To kill him, we may have to face the entire squad. Its captain is also a Spiritual Master at Advanced War General Level, so that adds another ten billion."
Wang Zihao clenched his teeth slightly.
The Flame Legion's prices were non-negotiable.
But even for him, handing over thirty billion would be a serious blow.
"Fine!" For his son's sake, Wang Zihao finally agreed. "Get it done quickly. Take care of it as soon as possible."
"Please transfer the bounty to the Flame Legion's exclusive account," the woman said calmly.
Wang Zihao hurriedly used another phone to transfer thirty billion from an unregistered account to the Flame Legion's account. The Flame Legion was a powerful organization, so he wasn't worried they would take the money and run.
"Sir, it's a pleasure doing business with you," the woman said with a smile. "We'll immediately assign a suitable assassin. As soon as the target appears in the Wilderness Area, the assassin will strike!"
With that, the call ended.