Chapter 405: Double Kill (1)

"You want to break away from the Tan family?" Tan Shengwei furrowed his brow slightly. "Don’t forget, the blood of the Tan family runs in your veins. One must not forget their roots."

"Forget my roots?" A trace of mockery appeared on Tan Qingying’s stunning face. "I was born and raised in Liuhe Base City. For eighteen years of my life, what did the Tan family ever do for me? Before I returned to Xiajing City, I never ate a grain of rice or drank a sip of water from the Tan family. How have I forgotten my roots?"

"Bearing the surname Tan means you belong to this family. You shouldn’t ask what the Tan family has done for you; ask what you’ve done for the Tan family." The Second Grandmother declared, striking her cane on the floor forcefully.

The Fourth Grandfather radiated the authority of an elder as he added, "Your father grew up on the resources of the Tan family. He died before he could contribute anything to the family. As his daughter, shouldn’t you repay that debt?"

Smack.

A slap landed directly on the Fourth Grandfather's face. The force sent a yellowed old tooth flying out of his mouth.

Tan Qingying’s expression was cold as she enunciated each word, "I told you not to interfere in family affairs anymore. If you say one more word, I’ll prepare a grave for you right here. If you don’t believe me, go ahead and test me."

Half of the Fourth Grandfather’s face swelled up as he turned as red as a monkey’s behind. Her words strangled any scream or curse that had been forming in his throat. He looked like a duck being choked, unable to make a single sound.

Today, Tan Qingying was terrifyingly powerful. The council hall buzzed with agitation. Tan Shengwei turned to look at the crowd behind him. A few of his loyal supporters caught his glance and immediately began to stir up noise again.

"Unbelievable! Assaulting a family elder!"

"You little girl, you are not fit to be the head of the family!"

"Who do you think you are..."

"If the Tan family falls under your control, it’ll collapse in three or four days."

"A wild bastard from some backwater is tainting the blood of the Tan family."

The murmurs and provocations came from all corners of the hall. The tactic of collective defiance was simple but always effective in family power struggles.

Tan Qingying’s response, however, was straightforward. And very direct.

"Kill!"

She flicked her fingers and the delicate, snow-white fingertips emitted a spark of fire. The flame floated into the air and suddenly bloomed like fireworks. The tiny embers fell, seemingly with a life of their own, landing precisely on those among the crowd who had been stirring trouble.

Suddenly, shrieks of agony filled the hall. In an instant, these people howled as if their very bones were being devoured by fire, scarlet flames spewing from their eyes, mouths, and noses.

The acrid stench of burning flesh spread through the air. The crowd gasped and retreated in shock. Within moments, the troublemakers were reduced to smoldering char. They were lifeless and emitting the putrid odor of burnt meat, with thin wisps of smoke rising from their bodies...

It was like they had been kissed by the grim reaper’s fire. The once-raucous crowd immediately fell silent.

What kind of power is this?

Inner qi fire?

Or some kind of combat technique?

"Does anyone else wish to challenge me?" asked Tan Qingying.

The young lady stood alone, gazing down at them, her voice commanding. Everyone froze, staring at Tan Qingying with eyes filled with fear and reverence.

Tan Shengwei’s expression grew more serious. This turn of events was beyond his expectations. The most troubling aspect was that Tan Qingying’s strength after her seclusion was uncertain, even to him.

Seeing the subdued crowd, Tan Shengwei felt a surge of urgency. He stepped forward, bowed respectfully, adopting a tone that avoided direct confrontation. "May I ask, family head, what grave crime these members committed to warrant such a brutal end?"

"You’re asking me?" Tan Qingying remained unwaveringly dominant. "Why they died—Tan Shengwei, are you truly in the dark?"

"This... I do not know," Tan Shengwei replied, his tone righteous.

But the uneasy feeling in his chest only grew stronger.

How could Tan Qingying, who had been in seclusion and cut off from all internal and external information, exhibit such certainty and knowledge? Does she have someone loyal to her among them?

Steeling himself, Tan Shengwei spoke cautiously, "If family head has something to say, speak openly. The family members are ready to support you, provided you treat us as kin and not as enemies."

"Heh." Tan Qingying let out a disdainful laugh.

She lightly stomped her foot and a strange, dark green aura spread out from her as the center. Everyone’s hearts clenched in sudden alarm. They thought she was about to launch another attack.

But upon closer inspection, they realized there was no change or effect on their bodies. Just then, someone let out a piercing scream.

The previously dead Tan Wangsong, along with the few who had been burned to ashes, suddenly began to sway and rise like the undead, their bodies moving stiffly and emitting an eerie hissing sound.

What is happening?

The dead are coming back to life?

"I... I killed... Tan Qin, I used sedatives in Warm Residence Pavilion to kill her..."

The words came out mumbled from Tan Wangsong's mouth. The statement was like a thunderclap.

Tan Qin had been one of the most promising young women in the Tan family’s next generation. She had just graduated from university this year and was training in the family business when, tragically, she had been found dead a month ago.

At that time, Tan Wangsong was the only eyewitness. He had adamantly claimed that he saw a mysterious assassin assault and kill Tan Qin. But now... it turned out he was the true culprit.

"I... I disclosed the route and plan for the family's star core trade on June 12th to the... Ouyang family."

"I sold out the accounts of Feilun Restaurant."

"I started the fire in the family's armory..."

The other dead figures also began to speak, their scorched mouths exhaling the acrid stench of charred flesh as they spoke, yet they managed to express themselves clearly.

The entire Tan family present was stunned.

"What kind of dark sorcery is this?"

"The dead are speaking."

"What is going on?"

Everyone was bewildered.

Even Li Xiaofei felt confused.

What exactly did the young lady cultivate in seclusion? How can she control corpses now? Is this martial arts? Or some kind of sorcery?

"They've turned into zombies!"

"Could it be the Corpse Emperor's invasion?"

"Impossible! The Corpse Emperor has used dark arts to take control of the head of the family!"

Some members of the family shouted instinctively.

"A bunch of overfed, tradition-forgetting fools." Tan Qingying’s voice rang out harshly. "Our Tan family ancestors once wielded the powers of Death and Divine during the Night of Blood, which led to our rise in an era of chaos. But now, descendants of the Tan family don’t even recognize your own divine abilities and dare to slander it as the work of the Corpse Emperor? Pathetic."

The crowd was stunned. Even Tan Shengwei appeared momentarily lost. Some suddenly recalled that one of their ancestors did indeed possess such abilities. There were records of a founding ancestor who was said to have gained a power known as Corpse Whisper, enabling them to control dead bodies to fight, uncover secrets, and conduct interrogations.

However, over time, the secret art had faded from memory as the bloodline diluted, and it was believed lost for generations. Even the Tan family had long forgotten that such an ability once existed within their lineage.

In that moment, the crowd looked at Tan Qingying with even greater fear in their eyes.

Tan Shengwei, though alarmed internally, outwardly spoke with feigned enthusiasm, "Congratulations to the head of the family! This is a joyous occasion for the ancestral ability of Corpse Whisper has awakened in you. It’s truly a great event for the Tan family."

The others caught on quickly and echoed their congratulations.

"Heh." Tan Qingying gave a cold smile.

She looked down at the hall, her gaze sweeping over the familiar yet estranged faces. These people shared her surname, but nothing else. They called themselves family, yet they had always treated her as an object to be used for pleasing more powerful factions.

Few among them had ever truly wished her happiness or contentment. They only wanted her to be obedient. To willingly sell everything—her body, her dignity—to enhance and secure their power and wealth.

So, she never regarded this selfish, greedy group as her family. Her real family, the ones who truly mattered to her, were only a select few.