Half an hour later, Ryan Ling arrived at Center Lake Island in the middle of East Lake with the Red-Fur Corpse King. The location was remote, surrounded by water, and thickly planted with willows, which completely masked Leo Liao's aura.
No doubt, the ever-cautious Leo Liao had gotten advice from some expert, but now he was doomed.
"Boss Liao, judging by the time, that bumpkin Frank Qin should be completely dead by now, right?"
"With all these experts we hired, even if that bumpkin turned into a zombie, there's no way he could beat Boss Liao. His fate is sealed—he'll be wiped out, not even a trace left behind."
"Right! It's just a pity his wife was so fiery. None of us even got a chance to play with her, and now she's dead. Such a waste for our second boss!"
"Enough, you perv. We've rented out this whole Center Lake Island Club. There are plenty of beauties for you to enjoy—I'll give you twenty tonight, see if you can survive!"
......
Inside the club on the island, several Yuanhua Realty managers were gathered around a fat man with a piggish face, cracking crude jokes and laughing.
No need to guess—the fat guy was definitely Leo Liao. One look and you could tell he was bad news.
He clearly wasn't feeling any remorse, just partying with beauties, acting like killing bumpkins like Frank Qin was no different from squashing a few ants.
Outside, Frank Qin was already shaking with rage, but he didn't move. He just stared quietly at Ryan Ling, as if waiting for his order.
"If you've got a grudge, avenge it. If you've got resentment, pay it back! Go!" Ryan Ling didn't hesitate at all. As soon as he finished speaking, the Red-Fur Corpse King shot forward like an arrow, and the club's floor-to-ceiling windows shattered with a loud crash.
"What's going on?"
"Zo—Zombie!"
......
In an instant, all the heavily made-up women screamed. The four security guards who were about to rush in to 'protect the boss' saw it was a zombie and bolted straight for the exit.
All the managers who'd been crowding around Leo Liao scattered like birds and beasts. Leo Liao was so terrified he couldn't move, and his pants were soaked underneath.
"F-Frank Qin, I know it's you! We can talk this out—I've got money, I'll give you money! One million, no, ten million, or even a hundred million! Please, just let me go..." Leo Liao was crying and sniffling in terror.
Frank Qin was beyond furious. He drove all ten fingers straight into Leo Liao's neck, killing him instantly, then ripped Leo's head clean off.
Then Frank Qin threw back his head and howled at the sky. No one else understood what he was saying, but Ryan Ling knew—he was calling out his wife and daughter's names, pouring out his longing for them.
With his great revenge fulfilled, he offered up Leo Liao's head as a sacrifice.
By two simple graves—one large, one small—on the outskirts of Harbor City, Frank Qin knelt and burned spirit money for his wife and daughter.
"I never imagined you were so loyal and true!" Ryan Ling had accompanied him the whole way, and was more and more impressed—this Red-Fur Corpse King had far more character than most people.
"I really let them down. I shouldn't have let them come that day. I failed both of them, and now it's too late for any kind of compensation." Frank Qin was still wracked with grief.
"Seeing you like this, I'll help you out one more time. In a few days, I'll pull some strings in the Netherworld and help your wife and daughter ascend—leave the ghostly path, rise to heaven, and escape reincarnation. That should be the greatest compensation I can offer." Ryan Ling's sudden compassion made this a huge favor for Frank Qin, though for Ryan, it wasn't hard given his current status.
Right then, Frank Qin dropped to his knees with a loud thud, overwhelmed: "My lord, you're my reborn parent! I can't ever repay your kindness—let me kowtow three times on behalf of my wife and daughter!"
"No need for all that. From now on, we're on the same side. I've already filled out your employment form—just put your handprint on it and you'll officially be a Netherworld staff member." Ryan Ling saw that the Red-Fur Corpse King was completely loyal and handed over the all-important employment form.
Frank Qin didn't hesitate for a second. With nothing left tying him down, he pressed his handprint right away.
At that moment, the biggest weight in Ryan Ling's heart finally lifted. His personal subordinate list now had a new entry: Red-Fur Corpse King Frank Qin.
With a tiger general like Frank Qin on his side, Ryan Ling felt he could walk sideways from now on.
The instant Frank Qin pressed his handprint, Ryan Ling was overjoyed—the System's reward arrived right on cue. It seemed the System was super pleased with how beautifully he'd handled things, and the reward was generous.
Not only did he get an unprecedented five thousand Merit Points, but his item tab now showed two jaw-dropping new skills. The first was an Iron Body Talisman—stick it on and your whole body turns diamond-hard: immune to blades and bullets, fists like steel, each punch packing a thousand jin. The catch? You can only use it three times a month, and it lasts for half a year.
The second skill was even wilder: Thunder Slash. It lets you summon lightning as a blade—one strike splits mountains and rocks, and even gods and ghosts tremble.
Seeing these two treasures, Ryan Ling almost jumped for joy. Sure, he already had the Wish-Bound Telekinesis Art, but that skill needs a lot of personal cultivation to really shine—and Ryan's still got a long way to go.
But these two new skills don't need you to be super strong. The Iron Body Talisman works as soon as you stick it on, and Thunder Slash just calls down lightning from the sky—use it anytime there's thunder. Plus, Thunder Slash is reusable as long as there's lightning overhead.
Awesome!
And once Frank Qin officially joined Netherworld staff, his scary zombie face faded away. Aside from his body still being stiff and awkward, he looked almost like a regular person.
As a Hell Court staffer in the human world, you can't go around showing a zombie face all day—you'd scare people to death.
Ryan Ling was secretly thrilled. No matter how you looked at it, he'd scored big this time. He couldn't wait to find a place to test out his new powers.
......
Meanwhile, in a high-end private villa in southern Harbor City, several powerful martial artists were staring at a photo projected on the wall. The photo was none other than Ryan Ling.
"Got a good look? That's the punk you're supposed to cripple!" On the south side, a cold, furious rich kid was shouting.
He was none other than Frank Fan, the Experimental High soccer captain Ryan Ling injured with the Wish-Bound Telekinesis Art. Even now, his leg was still in a plaster cast, and it hurt like hell every time he moved.
"This skinny little punk is worth us top-tier martial artists making a move?" scoffed a guy with bulging temples.
"Exactly. Iron Fist Sect only takes out people with status. Does this kid even qualify?" another martial artist sneered.
"We picked Iron Fist Sect—the nastiest crew in the martial arts world—because we want to make a statement. This time, it's not some secret hit. You're going to attack right in Harbor City High, and if possible, cripple that idiot principal Tony Zhang too!" A fat-faced man chimed in. He was none other than Harvey Zhao, principal of Experimental High. Ever since the soccer match, he'd lost all face and had been scheming to get it back. Harvey Zhao was notorious for being a thug, and most self-respecting teachers avoided Experimental High, even though the pay was high.
"An open attack, and two targets? Then the pay's gotta double!" another martial artist said coldly.
"Money's not a problem. The Fan Family can pay ten times the usual rate, as long as you do a clean job. Got it?" Frank Fan said, oozing arrogance.
The Iron Fist Sect guys exchanged glances. They knew the Fan Family was one of Harbor City's top five clans—loaded, connected, and packed with martial arts experts. Even professional killers like Iron Fist Sect had to show them respect.
"So it's a public hit, but not fatal? Got it. We'll stick to the old rule—cripple both his legs?" the first martial artist asked.
"Just his legs? You're way too soft. Sever his hand tendons, and gouge out his eyes too!" Frank Fan said coldly.
The Iron Fist Sect guys paused, thinking, Damn, this kid's really ruthless...