Puppetry

"I don't mind." Says Shao Hui.

"Great. I need you to pressure the Luo family's supporters and backers. We are going to make them turn against the Luo family." I say.

"!"

Shao Hui smirks. "Ah, that? The Patriarch need not worry. I'm already doing it."

?!

"That was something I wanted to tell you after a flawless control over every single one of them. Three clans or families are the urge of bankruptcy or facing a crisis, if they want to survive, they will have no choice but to go against the Luo family." Says Shao Hui.

I ponder for a while before saying "That won't be enough."

Shao Hui takes out a book and a brush with some ink. "Are there any comments the patriarch would like to add?"

"The chances are not very slim. They can simply find another method to avoid bankruptcy no matter how much pressure you placed. I will send a warning to each supporter and backer. I will give you the signal if I want you to proceed with an elimination."

"A warning?"

"You don't need to know about that."

...

"I see, understood." Says Shao Hui. "Would the Patriarch like to stay for the night? We can prepare a room for you, the sky is getting dark."

Although I feel energetic, my body is trembling from fatigue.

I nod.

Shao Hui throws a glance at the servants who quickly walk out to prepare my room.

Afterwards, he offered me a meal and when I rejected him, guided me to my room.

Phew...

I sit on the comfortable bed. There are many things I need to do.

Right now, the pace of things is going too fast. But I don't have a choice.

Although only two days had passed, it felt like a whole week. I pushed my body too much, I need to rest.

As I thought about that, my mind instantly drift away as I fall flat on the bed.

...

Azrim and I noticed something about my system and created a hypothesis.

(Every system has its logic behind it, the host does not automatically get stronger from thin air.)

With that principle, I start to think that maybe I am the "King" of the virus in a way.

To explain that, we have to visualize an ant system and hierarchy. The queen ant simply lays more eggs while her servants collect food and feed her.

I can be a similarity to that "queen ant".  Every virus is connected to me and each of them individually works for me, sucking bits and bits that accumulate when it goes back to me.

When the virus infects a vessel, it firstly merges with parts of the cell to create more viruses. The cell contains the DNA of the infected, which might be the core reason why I can extract knowledge and abilities from people.

Also, I was able to extract from the first blood disciple I met because he was "freshly" killed. After several experiments, I concluded that it is impossible to extract from a dead being 1 minute after its death.

Now, coming back to the "resurrection" part, is the system a soul bond system or a physical bond? It is a soul bond. I can separate my physical vessel and soul to transfer into an infected being. However, I will have to compete with soul resistance, Azrim stated that he will help me if such a last resort occurs.

The maximum time my soul can travel without a body is 3 hours. After that, excruciating pain will strike me and hands from the underworld attempt to drag me down.

Luckily, I immediately go back to my soulless Wang Ji body before that occurred.

...

I wake up feeling refreshed.

"Uoowghh...ngh..."

With a yawn and stretch of my arms, I get off the bed to notice that the sky is dark. Did I sleep across an entire day?

No, this is good.

I call Yueling.

"Yes?" She appears after a few minutes.

"Hand this to Li Ye."

I pass her the folded paper and she dissipates back into the shadow.

As expected of a formal disciple of an assassin sect.

Now then, I should get to work.

Refinement, what usually is called blacksmith in my original world, is the art of creating artifacts that defies the state of law.

For example, minerals are meant to only be ores untouched deep underground but humans went against what was intended and "refined" those ores into weapons.

Yao Chang isn't someone strong but is notorious for his petty and arrogant attitude. Part of it is due to his relationship with the government officials. A large part of his negotiations involves corruption and bribery that causes the officials to turn a blind eye to his unfair trades.

That guy...should be in Fei Qian, the financial officials instructed Yao Chang to sell at Fei Qian to attempt a boost visitors and recover from the terrorism.

---------------------

"Tch..."

Yao Chang taps repeatedly on the table. "Why do I have to come to this hellhole? My presence barely affects the number of patrons."

If not for the incentive of 10 gold coins, Yao Chang wouldn't have obeyed.

"Mister, don't be in such a mood. Drink up." A lady beside Yao Chang whispers into his ear.

The woman on his left wraps her arm around Yao Chang to hoard his attention. "Sir, forget about all those and enjoy yourself."

Yao Chang smiles. "Ladies-"

*BOOOOM!!!*

?!

"W-What? What was that?!" Yao Chang exclaims.

He pushes his fat body off the seat and opens the door.

"Bastard!! Keep it down!!"

"My apologies sir Yao Chang, an intruder attacked the residence." Says a cultivator stationed outside his room.

"I can see that! Get rid of it! The attacker is interrupting my playtime!" Yao Chang blurts before storming back into the room.

The two cultivators guarding Yao Chang clicks their tongue.

"Disrespectful fat fuck." One of them mumbles.

"He is our client, hold back your emotions." The other one says.

"I know... Isn't it too quiet?"

"..."

...

"I will check the situation, if I don't return within a minute, take our client to safety."

Both cultivators nod in agreement when a body suddenly bursts through the wall at the side and flies into the floor.

?!!?

Both cultivator guards attempt to draw their weapons but to no avail when they were decapitated before they know it.

I walk through the hole in the wall and look at the brightened sliding door with the dim lights inside.

"Why the fuck is it so noisy!" Yao Chang kicks the door down. However, the resulting scene is two headless bodies oozing blood and an unknown bloody masked man.

"Eek!" Yan Chang screech as he falls back.

The two ladies in the room crawl away and cower in the corner.

"W-Who are you! What do you want?" Yan Chang says as he backs off.

I walk up to Yao Chang when he jolts. "D-Don't touch me! I have connections with many powerful people, if you kill me-"

"Calm down. I am not here to kill you, those people outside simply won't let me in." I say.

"I-It's in the middle of the night... Who would let you in?" Yao Chang mumbles.

"Anyways..."

System, infect Yao Chang with the second virus.

??!

"Get up."

Yao Chang gets up and brushes the dirt off my robe. "Eh...ah...hahaha! Master? I...is there anything I can do for you?"

After scratches on his head, Yao Chang attempt to collect his thoughts.

"What's wrong?" I say.

"M-My apologies. Master does not need to mind about the dead servants outside, this lowly servant will do what he can."

Both prostitutes stare at me in the corner trembling.

They've seen too much, I decapitate both of them.

Alas, little do I know that killing both of them will give me so much trouble in the future...

---------------------

The next day...

---------------------

I return to Shao Hui's merchant pavilion.

Despite Shao Hui's workload and paperwork, he took the initiative to welcome and greet me.

"Shao Hui. You may proceed with the elimination of the Fei clan." Their head leader is too strong for puppetry to work.

"Understood. Patriarch Wang, there is something I need to tell you." Says Shao Hui. "An organisation in Wenhua is willing to lend you some help in turning the odds but they requested something."

?

Shao Hui shows me a slip of paper.

The paper listed several rare materials and 20 gold ingots with an additional condition of handing over Li Xing.

What?

"Reject it. I don't need their help." I say.

"Understood."

"What was the organisation that sent these conditions?"

"The Fei clan." Says Shao Hui.

...