You're Strong But Now You're Mine
Chapter 155 - 154: Silver Blood Burns

Chapter 155: Chapter 154: Silver Blood Burns

What exactly happened?

Backlight Particle stood on the wall, gazing southwest at the five fire dragons soaring into the sky, as if the entire Half City was on fire. The panicked shouts and curses of humans mixed with the creaking, agonized wails of buildings, as if heralding the apocalypse.

To this moment, he still didn’t understand what was going on.

Why was there someone attacking Half City simultaneously with them?

Why did they also choose to use Luminous Firepowder?

Why... did it suddenly tear the sky apart!?

Backlight Particle was the leader of tonight’s ’Cut Gold’ operation, and he was also a trusted confidant of Young Master Jing. He had received many favors from the Jing Family since childhood, and after his exceptional martial talent was discovered, he was granted many resources. At a young age, he had trained the two major Combat Techniques of Lingxu Internal Scene to ’Entering the Hall,’ and was only a matter of time away from Integration and Mastery.

Later, Lady Jing intended for him to serve Young Master Jing, and Backlight Particle agreed without hesitation. Compared to the Tai Family, the Jing Family was the behemoth in Xuanzhu County. While he was just an ordinary head guard in the Tai Family, if he became Young Master Jing’s subordinate, once Young Master Jing ascended to the position of Patriarch, his status would naturally rise, allowing him to become the top agent of the Jing Family.

In fact, things were just as he expected. The young Young Master Jing did not have many trustworthy subordinates, and as a powerful martial artist sent by his maternal clan, Backlight Particle quickly gained significant trust. He even developed a secret armed force for Young Master Jing, secretly sweeping away obstacles for him.

Over the years, Backlight Particle’s loyalty to Young Master Jing grew increasingly unwavering. In his view, Young Master Jing, who had a thick face, a dark heart, extraordinary wisdom, and was unscrupulous, would achieve far more than just becoming the Patriarch of the Jing Family.

As long as I serve the Second Young Master well, the Second Young Master might allow me to establish a business association and benefit from the Jing Family’s fortune... In the future, others would have to respectfully address me as Boss Hao when they encounter me...

With the thought of making a name for himself, Backlight Particle resolutely took on the Second Young Master’s task.

"Pretend to be Backlight Particles attacking the factory district, blow up our own factory and others, and frame Jing Zhengwei."

Backlight Particle knew very well the risk of this mission. Once caught or discovered, he would be as good as dead—going against the Silver Blood Association was the city’s gravest crime. Committing such a grave error, the Jing Family wouldn’t protect him at all, and might even throw him out for punishment.

But fortune comes with risk, and the Second Young Master also told him that as long as he successfully completed the task, Jing Zhengwei might just lose his power. Jing Zhengwei was currently the biggest stumbling block in the Second Young Master’s fight for the position of Patriarch.

"For my sake, you must complete the mission and return alive."

Recalling what the Second Young Master had said to him, Backlight Particle could still feel the boiling blood within him.

However, according to the plan, Backlight Particle and his team only needed to attack a small portion of the factories. They were to ignite the firepowder from Jing Family’s three factories and then proceed north, setting fire to and destroying the factories along the way—it wasn’t necessary to destroy everything completely; a symbolic act would suffice, but it must make the other business associations feel a touch of keen pain.

But now...

Backlight Particle looked at the city ablaze, thinking this was more than just a flesh wound, it was more like a harakiri.

Tearing the sky apart was just like this. The Silver Blood Association had suffered such a huge loss, with dozens of associations affected. Even if they managed to return safely, they’d probably be sidelined and told to lay low temporarily.

It was essential to know that while the factories nominally belonged to specific families, most factories had multiple business associations investing and holding shares.

Like the Jing Family’s three factories, several associations shared the profits, though the Jing Family held the largest share and managed them. This was a method for the Silver Blood Association to establish internal connections—everyone getting rich together naturally strengthens relationships, doesn’t it?

In the ’Cut Gold’ plan, the factories Backlight Particle and his team prepared to destroy were carefully selected. They mostly picked small associations’ factories, low-earning ones, or those easily replaced. This way, they could provoke the Silver Blood Association without making it hurt so much that they’d disregard everything to find out the truth.

It’s akin to giving your dad a crew cut.

And now, the factories most capable of generating profit for the Silver Blood Association were almost all engulfed in flames.

They merely wanted to give Silver Blood Association’s dad a haircut, but that other group... they practically stuffed a stinky sock in Silver Blood Association’s mouth.

"Number One, what do we do next?" the masked Number Three came over to ask.

Since the beginning of the operation, Backlight Particle and the others had masked their faces, referring to each other by code names from Number One to Number Seven. The purpose, of course, was to conceal identities from other collaborators—but it was actually pointless; anyone doing dirty work for their masters could guess each other’s identities with a bit of interaction.

But sometimes, the significance of ’redundant actions’ lies in the actions themselves. Even if everyone knew each other’s identities, as long as they were masked, it meant they were all accomplices, so there was no need to worry about being betrayed.

"Proceed according to the original plan." Backlight Particle said somewhat melancholically: "Don’t bother with that other group; let’s evacuate as quickly as possible."

In fact, that group’s actions were not without benefit; at least a significant portion of the Patrol Execution Guard and patrol personnel were diverted because of them. In the original plan, Backlight Particle and his team of seven were prepared for a head-on confrontation with the patrol. The current difficulty had dropped from a crisis contract level of 18 to 8—while still a bit troublesome, it had become much easier to handle.

With that said, Backlight Particle and Number Three ignited the fuse there, utilizing the Lingxu Battle Technique to traverse roofs and walls.

This was their confidence in daring to assault Half City with just seven people—in the Lingxu Battle Technique’s augmentation, ordinary martial artists couldn’t catch up with them, and firearms found it difficult to aim accurately. Plus, they were seasoned experts in arson and murder, possessing some experience in such matters, making them naturally adept.

However, when they arrived at the next factory, they found the old watchman still awake—not surprising, given the surrounding thunder and flames, who could sleep?—but when he saw Backlight Particle and the others, he showed no trace of fear, happily waving them over: "Hurry, hurry, the gate’s unlocked, go in and burn it!"

Backlight Particle couldn’t help but be taken aback, and he and Number Three instinctively halted.

After all, when someone invites you to set their place on fire with joy and even reminds you the door is unlocked, they couldn’t help but suspect if there’s a trap.

Could there be experts inside?

Or perhaps Patrol Execution Guard or patrol members were ambushed inside?

Seeing them pause, the old watchman became anxious, shouting: "Hurry up, come over, burn this factory too! Otherwise, the patrol will arrive!"

He was urgent, he was urgent... Backlight Particle exchanged a glance with Number Three, simultaneously understanding each other’s thoughts.

Too strange!

Abandon attacking this factory, just leave!

Who knew what demons and monsters awaited them inside!

Seeing they were really about to run, the old watchman let out a scream as if it was wrung from the depths of his soul, yelling: "Give me the firepowder! I’ll blow it up for you, okay!"

Backlight Particle hadn’t reacted, but Number Three pulled out a pack of Luminous Firepowder from the oil bag and tossed it over. The old watchman, upon receiving it, left the watch hut gleefully.

"Why give it to him?" Backlight Particle asked in confusion: "What if..."

"Relax, the Luminous Firepowder we use has no markings, even if inspected, nothing can be found."

"But why did you give it to him?"

Number Three shrugged: "Didn’t he want to blow up the factory? That means he’s helping us, so why not give it to him?"

Backlight Particle couldn’t come up with a reason to refute at this moment, so he quietly followed Number Three along the escape route, but suddenly a loud explosion came from behind!

Boom!

They turned back to see the factory they just passed engulfed in a fireball, Backlight Particle halted, his expression grim as he said: "The explosion was too fast... the fuse must have been lit wrongly, there wasn’t enough time for him to escape, he must have blown himself up!"

Number Three said lightly: "He seemed old, probably in his fifties, dying could count as a happy funeral, right?"

"But why did he blow up the factory?" Backlight Particle said utterly puzzled: "We were clearly leaving... And he lived by watching the factory gate. Even if he didn’t die in the explosion, if the factory burned, he’d have no job and starve. Why would he do that?"

Number Three said: "Maybe because his wages were deducted many times by the factory owner, maybe the factory owner treated him like a dog, maybe he was inherently a bad person revering chaos, wanting to seize the chance to do some bad things tonight. Or perhaps it was simply that..."

"...he found tonight’s scenery beautiful."

Backlight Particle was stunned: "Beautiful scenery?"

Number Three spread his arms wide, seemingly wanting to embrace the view before him, singing in an artist-like voice:

"Isn’t it beautiful? Look, the Silver Blood is burning."

Once more, Backlight Particle gazed at this burning factory district.

For some inexplicable reason, his mood now underwent a subtle change.

Just now, he was frightened, scared, and worried, but now there’s an inexplicable... secret joy.

Why is he secretly delighted?

The factory district burned, which does him no good at all.

On the contrary, the second young master’s factory was also among those seized, and the second young master will surely suffer heavy losses this time.

Not only should he not be joyful, he should be sad instead.

But the reason it’s called secret joy is precisely because this happiness can only be enjoyed stealthily, it’s a forbidden pleasure, a revelry against morality.

Hao Hai Jing actually knows very well why he feels joyful.

Because he is poor.

His parents toiled their entire lives in the Tai family’s factory, and by forty their temples were graying and they died of old age.

If not for his exceptional talent in Combat Technique, he would either be a guard at the Tai family who anyone could summon or dismiss, or a servant at the beck and call of some second generation rich kid.

To him, Xuanzhu County has only two kinds of people: the rulers and the ruled. Xuanzhu County never belonged to him, but to the noble scions of the Silver Blood Association. He swore allegiance to the second young master, hoping to gain his favor and just to have a chance in his lifetime to squeeze into the circle of the Silver Blood Association, to become one of the rulers, one of the beneficiaries.

But now he can’t even be a dog for the Silver Blood Association.

He is merely the second young master’s loyal hound.

Although Hao Hai Jing tried hard to persuade himself, ’the Silver Blood Association is a powerful merchant group’, ’they are the rulers of Dongyang wielding supreme power’, ’Dongyang District only has a future under the rule of the Silver Blood Association’ and so on.

But he knows very well in his heart.

The Silver Blood Association is just an alliance of scum, each merchants’ association is a group of unscrupulous profiteers.

Without exception.

The people on this land flowing with silver and blood must live by harming others.

There is no way out for people with a conscience in Xuanzhu County.

Young masters like the second young master are considered to have a relatively good conscience, yet aren’t they forced into these desperate measures by the ruthless and despicable Jing Zhengwei?

This is the reason for Hao Hai Jing’s joy.

Very simple.

Very rebellious.

Very politically incorrect.

—Isn’t it worth being happy to see the assets of scum turn to ashes?

This Silver Blood squeezed out of countless poor people is burning.

Hao Hai Jing seems to understand the feelings of the old night watchman and Number Three, momentarily lost in thought, immersed in the beautiful scene of a city in flames, unable to extricate himself.

Boom!

In the distance, a factory had its roof blown off.

At first, Hao Hai Jing watched with amusement, but soon his expression changed.

"Number Three, that factory..."

"What about it?"

"That factory..." Hao Hai Jing swallowed: "Is it Jing Zhengwei’s factory?"

Number Three was taken aback, took out a map and compared it. Although his expression was unclear because of the mask, his voice changed: "... It is."

Hao Hai Jing immediately panicked: "What, what do we do?"

Actually, there is an obvious flaw in the ’Break Gold’ plan—

That is if Jing Zhengwei’s factory is also blown up, wouldn’t it be self-evident?

But this flaw is not a flaw, because as long as they don’t blow up Jing Zhengwei’s factory, Jing Zhengwei’s factory won’t blow up by itself, so no one really considered it.

Even if Jing Zhengwei realized the conspiracy, it would be too late to blow up the factory to defame himself, the Silver Blood Association would just think he is trying to play tricks.

No one expected so many accidents to happen tonight.

Two groups attacked the factory district simultaneously.

The Jing Zhengwei factory deliberately left by the ’Break Gold’ seven was conveniently blown up by the other group!

Unbelievable, does Jing Zhengwei have a grudge against you? It’s clearly the only one left in the Central District, does it even matter if it’s blown up?

One could say the ’Break Gold’ plan has completely failed, even making a wedding dress for others—Hao Hai Jing doesn’t know who the other party is, but they burned a small part of the factory, and drew away part of the patrol and Patrol Execution Guard, naturally sharing a lot of pressure with the other party.

"You’re asking me what to do?"

Number Three shook his head and opened the waterproof oil bag to take a look: "I still have a pack of Luminous Firepowder, what about you?"

Hao Hai Jing: "I have two packs left."

Number Three took out the map and looked at it: "According to the route, we will pass by two factories. If we leave a pack of powder to blow up a wall, then we can still use two packs, just enough to blow those two factories, let’s go."

"Blow up again?" Hao Hai Jing was taken aback: "But now the mission has failed, there’s no point in blowing up factories again—"

Number Three pointed to the factory the old night watchman had blown up.

The blazing fire broke the beams, the factory building making the sound of collapsing.

"If you have to ask whether what you do has meaning, then life would be too devoid of interest." Number Three smiled: "Number One, are you coming or not?"

Number One.

Masked, codenamed, no one knows who you are, no one knows my identity.

Hao Hai Jing instantly understood Number Three’s subtext.

None of them know who each other is, so... whatever they do, no one will hold them accountable.

"I..."

Hao Hai Jing instinctively wanted to loudly rebuke him.

I am loyal to second young master Jing!

I am a loyal subject of the Silver Blood Association!

I am a law-abiding citizen of Xuanzhu!

"I’ll go!" He took one last look at the magnificent scene of flames behind him and said decisively.