This Is Miaojiang

Meng Huai was clearly furious. He glared at Chang Yanping with a strange smile that made the latter's scalp prickle.

Meng Huai sneered, "You've got some nerve, doing something like this here. You're so used to bullying people elsewhere that you think you can get away with it here too?

"Do you know what the region around Dian City was called in ancient times? Miaojiang. In China's cultivation world, two regions are universally recognized as dark lands. One is Western Hunan, and the other is Miaojiang.

"Western Hunan is the land of corpse driving. The people there practice sinister arts, especially the Corpse-Driving Sect. They can control corpses to kill people. It doesn't get much more evil than that.

"Miaojiang specializes in the Gu Poison Arts, which are just as bizarre and almost impossible to guard against. And even good people who practice them have a sinister way of doing things."

Had Chang Yanping heard this before, he would have dismissed it as a joke. Now, however, it left him trembling with fear.

Meng Huai continued, "Times are better now. Everyone has enough to eat, so no one wants to stir up trouble. But when you leave people no way out, you force them to take you down with them."

Chang Yanping said meekly, "You're right, Mr. Meng. I truly know I was wrong now, and I'll never dare do it again. Besides, I wasn't acting entirely out of selfish motives..."

Meng Huai waved a hand, cutting him off. "You don't need to explain yourself to me. I already told you it isn't your time to die. Otherwise, even a god descending from heaven couldn't save you.

"But everyone in that video has to die. They brought it on themselves. You can be someone's dog, but even a dog needs a conscience. You can't be a rabid dog."

Qin Xiuying couldn't quite bear it. Lowering her head, she said, "They were certainly in the wrong, but they have parents, wives, and children. Isn't this going too far?"

Meng Huai snorted disdainfully. "The people who died in that accident had parents, wives, and children too. Those are the very people being bullied now. Why don't you ask them whether this is going too far?

"Besides, I'm not completely confident I can deal with the killer. The best approach is to let him take his revenge and vent the fury in his heart. The more satisfying his revenge is, the better my chances of success.

"You can make your own choice. Insist on protecting them if you like. If I can't beat the killer when the time comes, I can certainly escape myself. You'll have to bear the consequences."

Chang Yanping hurriedly said, "Heaven watches everything we do. They're all adults, and they have to take responsibility for their actions."

A smile returned to Meng Huai's face, but his eyes were full of contempt. He gave a scornful snort, then rose and headed outside.

Chang Yanping forced a smile. "You enjoy drinking, Mr. Meng. I have some excellent liquor here. I'll have someone deliver it to you."

Meng Huai said nothing, but nodded. He stopped at the door and said, "Notify me as soon as the bodies reach the morgue. No one is to touch them.

"Also, I came out in a hurry today and didn't drive. Get me a Jeep. I prefer Hummers, with all the top-end options."

Qin Xiuying hastily agreed and made a call. Barely fifteen minutes later, a top-of-the-line Hummer was parked downstairs.

As Meng Huai drove, he said, "Do you feel disappointed by how I acted back there?"

Yun Zimo shook her head. "You're the only one who would dare speak up for those people and mock Chang Yanping like that. How could I be disappointed? I just found it a little strange."

Meng Huai sighed. "You must have learned in school that man can conquer heaven. That's the biggest lie there is. Forget fighting heaven—even someone with tremendous abilities can't beat society.

"I have abilities, but that doesn't mean I can do whatever I want. I still need to eat. And now I have you. I can't make you suffer alongside me or cost you your career.

"I despise rich people like him, but only people like him can become my clients and let me earn enough to support you and give you a good life.

"And only people like him can give us enough money to help those in need. Standing your ground is often useless. Pride won't put food on your table, and it won't feed anyone else either!"

Yun Zimo fell silent. So many things were contradictory like this. The Foundation helped others, giving children the chance to attend school and allowing people who couldn't afford medical treatment to survive.

All of that required money. If they relied on ordinary people, even if everyone gave everything they had, the total would still be extremely limited. Yet a rich person could cover it with the cost of a few meals.

Looking ahead, Meng Huai said, "Everyone has to make choices, and I'm no exception. All I can do is try my hardest to make those people pay and make the world a little fairer. I really can't do anything more."

Yun Zimo nodded gently and laid her hand on Meng Huai's leg, expressing her support through the warmth of her palm.

Meng Huai smiled. "Enough brooding. We still have our own work to do. We'll have more samples this time, so we should be able to find a way to counter it.

"Keeping Chang Yanping alive isn't difficult. The hard part is figuring out how to kill this murderer. Now that he's joined the Night God Church, he's bound to become a serious threat."

Yun Zimo hesitated before saying, "According to what you told me, when you met him at the Butterfly Bar, he was already determined to die. Why would he then work with the Night God Church?"

Meng Huai shook his head. "I can't figure that out either. But the Night God Church excels at manipulating people. They must have found some way to rekindle his desire to live and make him utterly loyal to them!"

Yun Zimo's eyes suddenly lit up. "I've got it! The Night God Church must have promised to bring his wife and child back to life. It sounds unbelievable.

"But you're all cultivators, extraordinary beings yourselves, so you're more likely to believe it. That would give him hope, as well as an overwhelming motivation."

Meng Huai hit the brakes, pulled Yun Zimo into his arms, and gave her a long kiss.

Yun Zimo blushed bright red. "You're impossible! Doing this out in public—save it until we get home!"

Meng Huai said excitedly, "I'm rewarding you! I couldn't work it out before, but now that you've said that, I understand. It's bringing the dead back to life.

"The Night God Church has the Luo Fu Drum, which can do many things, including clouding people's minds. And it's not just this killer. I've thought of someone else too. We might learn something from him."

As he spoke, he turned the steering wheel, swung the car around, and headed toward the Fenglan Group. They soon arrived, only to find the entire factory complex eerily quiet.

Meng Huai frowned slightly and told Yun Zimo, "Stay close to me. Something's strange here. We may run into trouble."

Yun Zimo quickly nodded in agreement, then reassured him, "I have Silver Snake protecting me. I'll be fine."

Meng Huai said no more and strode into the factory complex. He glanced across the ground, and his expression shifted slightly.