Chapter 135: The Ganges Bloodline
There has never been a bloodline as distinct as the Ganges bloodline.
Other bloodline ancestries, even when they reach the knight level, display no significant differences beyond their respective bloodline talents, at least on the surface. Only the Ganges bloodline, once it ascends to the knight level, begins to undergo visible changes.
The bloodline forces a special type of worm into the body, which then feeds on the flesh and blood of the Ganges bloodline, ultimately coexisting with the host. Once the Ganges bloodline is promoted to a baron, these further mutated, filiform worms in the body become the fearsome secret weapon known as “blood worms.”
Once a blood worm pierces the body, except for Iberian bloodline barons in a boiling blood state, it is an excruciating process. Only those with a very high boiling blood threshold can suppress the activity of the blood worm. Of course, directly abandoning boiling blood is also a passive means of resistance, as the blood worm’s movement excitement would decrease dramatically.
The energy consumption of the blood protein used to attack with blood worms is minimal, so for most of the time, the Ganges bloodline’s combat endurance does not emphasize boiling blood stability, but rather how many blood worms remain inside.
However, being a vessel for nurturing blood worms, even when not in combat, the blood worms continuously inflict damage on the Ganges bloodline’s body, as their food source is the host itself.
Blood, muscle, fat, and even organs can all be the favorites of the blood worms at different times. This torment continues until reaching the count level, awakening a new passive ability of regeneration, which signifies a true farewell to the pains of growth.
Even with modern medications to suppress their effects, most Ganges bloodline knights cannot survive to the day they are promoted to baron and instead succumb to the brutal consumption of the blood worms.
Thus, an interesting phenomenon arises: the promotion difficulty for Ganges bloodline knights is the lowest among all bloodline ancestries, yet the number of those who survive to higher-tier knights is surprisingly few.
Each Ganges bloodline knight above the knight level has a body full of wounds beneath their skin. In fact, on certain parts of their body, one can directly see the terrifying, perpetually unhealed, honeycomb-like holes or festering wounds, which serve as the blood worms’ dining table.
The Ganges bloodline is also the hardest lineage to connect with other bloodlines worldwide; truly prominent bloodline families can only choose to remain within their own circle. Perhaps even they occasionally consider how their descendants might escape this dreadful lineage.
However, while the Ganges bloodline is much despised, the mature blood worms within them are a pharmaceutical material equivalent to gold, used to address some men’s unspeakable issues, proving remarkably effective.
…
January 7, Tuesday.
Today’s old street enjoyed a sunny day once again. This place in northern Myanmar, which only distinguishes between rainy and dry seasons year-round, actually experiences only humid heat and dry heat.
On the rooftop of the local luxurious entertainment venue, the Hongtian Entertainment Center, the temporarily empowered Pang Yun was taking off his clothes while enjoying a sunbath.
His waist, as fat as a swimming ring, bore several unsettling blood worm sores, with patches of fuzz-like filiform blood worms stretching in and out at times, eagerly gnawing on Pang Yun’s flesh under the stimulation of high-intensity boiling blood.
This is a paradise for bloodlines, where Zhu Bixian of the Black Dragon Society is the emperor of this underground world, with the local government lacking even a decent public security force, let alone a government-controlled secret agency.
As long as they don’t commit excessive harm against ordinary people, the multinational secret forces that shrink back inside the capital and larger cities are unlikely to come here to engage in a life-and-death struggle. Furthermore, even if they do come, they most often encounter nothing.
Here, all talk of internal and external hormone inhibitors, controlling boiling blood to hide identities, or warming drugs is merely a waste of breath, as no one would dare challenge the existence of the dominant Zhu Bixian. As for other minor rogue bloodlines or Black Blood factions, they mostly can only live under the roof of the Black Dragon Society’s second-in-command.
“Brother Yun, are we sending someone to collect protection fees from the businesses in the city this weekend?”
A lackey appeared on the rooftop.
He bowed and nodded to the overweight Pang Yun, trying not to look at him directly.
“Why not? Zhu Laoda isn’t here, we need to maintain our presence!”
Pang Yun said fiercely while washing his waist’s blood worm sores with a special potion. By utilizing external means, the pain from the blood worms’ consumption became gradually numbed and eventually endured.
It is said that the large-scale cultivation and application of opium in the post-medieval period are closely related to the hard demands of the Ganges bloodline.
“By the way, have people casually stroll around the city. If there’s any unfamiliar bloodline aura, keep an eye on it, especially around several warehouses. Don’t let any rats slip through.”
While wrapping the bandages, Pang Yun called out to the lackey, “If someone unwisely stirs trouble, go all out. Inform me of anyone mid-tier knight or above; handle those below mid-tier yourselves.”
“Understood, Brother Yun.”
The lackey was an unusually rare Caucasian bloodline in Southeast Asia. Upon seeing his boss dealing with the blood worm sores at his waist, he felt his scalp tingling.
After two days of stealth, Wan Yue and her group successfully crossed the border control line and arrived at the old street in northern Myanmar.
The difficulties encountered were surprisingly fewer than expected; many heavily guarded checkpoints were inexplicably removed. Perhaps only Wan Dan and Jiang Yan could better understand what might have transpired during these days.
Some member of the covert Arrow Unit, bloodied during the Southwest Wheel War, either had been captured or failed to chase and instead became a long-term case, essentially concluding high-intensity control. Otherwise, the Arrow Unit would have nothing else to do.
In a small alley of the old street, there was a small inn located on the second floor of a telecommunications store.
“Wan Fu, this place is even more outrageous than B City… why are there so many bloodlines here, and predominantly Black Bloods?”
To maintain their identities, Jiang Yan had fully prepared, and even Wan Yue, usually confident, had taken hormone inhibitors to avoid exposure.
Zhu Laoda’s formidable stature lay in this regard; aside from the underground brand of the Black Dragon Society, his publicly known identity was also one of the local elites.
“I heard that even the government officials here are closely related to bloodlines… Actually, apart from Siam and some big cities, the impoverished and remote areas of Southeast Asia are quite similar. These countries are known as the only ones in the world without an orthodox bloodline order.”
Wan Yue stood by the window, pulling back a corner of the curtain, smiling as she observed the backward yet lively street outside.
“We’ll stay here and wait for Xiang Zuxing’s scouting intelligence… sigh, this is truly an unpleasant place…”
Carelessly glancing towards the distant skeletal street girls, Wan Yue’s lips twitched slightly, evidently displeased by certain sights.
Jiang Yan could only nod silently in response.
Now, the two were somewhat awkward in the room. During broad daylight, they still had to keep tucked away in the inn. Because of Xiang Zuxing’s words, they abandoned their plan to venture out to collect intelligence to avoid exposing their identities.
The sensual allure of Wan Yue and the cool beauty of Jiang Yan made their presence on the old street a hard-to-hide existence. In this chaotic small city of northern Myanmar, if one lacked a powerful background, it was the greatest risk.
When Xiang Zuxing pulled out two sets of village girl clothing, Wan Yue directly rolled her eyes in rejection. Jiang Yan showed little emotion as she changed immediately but silently took it off after looking in the mirror.
There was simply no way; she was still too beautiful. Even without encountering kidnappers, her appearance would draw unwanted attention. Every year, pretty girls are scammed or kidnapped to northern Myanmar from dark channels, which is common knowledge.
“Sigh, it’s so hot!”
As the door pushed open, Xiang Zuxing shirtless squeezed into the room, drinking cold beer, “I’ve gathered a lot of intel; the Luo family isn’t entirely made up of fools; they have uncovered several of Zhu Laoda’s secret strongholds.”
Throwing aside the beer can, Xiang Zuxing waved his hand, and a certain baron from the faction spread out a large hand-drawn map on the bed.
“The Hongtian Entertainment Center is Zhu Laoda’s den, plus three other hidden warehouses located here, here…”
Despite Xiang Zuxing’s usually rough demeanor, his actions are meticulous and cautious. He quickly pinpointed the locations of several hidden smuggling warehouses of the Black Dragon Society in the area.
Other than the Hongtian Entertainment Center, the defenses or backup strengths are relatively limited. The only troublesome part is that one of the hidden warehouses happens to be located within the local government’s public security force’s barracks. This is somewhat ridiculous, indicating Zhu Bixian’s level of control over the area has reached an exaggerated extent.
“Now, the only uncertain thing is where Zhu Laoda himself is; the Luo family doesn’t have any leads either.”
Xiang Zuxing opened another can of chilled beer, took a large gulp, wiped the foam from his mouth, and spoke in a remarkably cold tone, “This time, we must take down Zhu Laoda to succeed completely!”
“Since the Luo family has been keeping an eye on this place for many years, they must know more about Zhu Laoda’s situation than we do… here, there’s only Zhu Bixian and his underling, a Ganges lower-tier baron named Pang Yun. Theoretically, if we three act, our chances of eliminating both are high.”
Washing up, Wan Yue turned her head to glance at the quiet Guo Hao in the room, then looked at Jiang Yan again. It remains unclear who her so-called third fighting force is, either Guo Hao, the Siberian lower-tier baron, or Jiang Yan, the stat-checking anomaly.
“That Pang Yun usually never leaves Zhu Laoda unless he’s on a mission. As long as he’s on the old street, he’s right next to Zhu Laoda most of the time…”
Xiang Zuxing pondered, rubbing his chin, “Besides him, there are about ten more knights; we only need to take them out, and the rest will naturally scatter.”
“However, the Luo family’s suggestion is to hope we can eliminate as many of Zhu Laoda’s underlings as possible to avoid future hassles in taking over here, so we must attack four points simultaneously.”
Hearing this, Wan Yue frowned and walked to the large map, eyeing the marked locations with some confusion, “To deal with four places at once, and you brought only ten people. Didn’t the Luo family send anyone over?”
Xiang Zuxing sat down with a wry smile, shrugged, feeling somewhat helpless, “They did send one Siberian mid-tier baron and six knights… what more can you expect from a viscount family?”
“Actually, over the past few decades, the Luo family’s strength has waned significantly. This time, due to the Liang family’s internal strife, the Luo family had to accept the Wang family’s summons and sent many people out.”
“As per the Luo family, they are responsible for one point while we take care of the other three.”
Upon hearing this, even Jiang Yan furrowed her brow.
“Ha, so it seems the Luo family plans to pull off an empty-handed robbery, relying on a bunch of verbal promises to share the spoils, letting the Hermit Alliance and Grape Hyacinth help them seize territory… A half-baked dysfunctional family adopting a cowardly approach.”
Wan Yue didn’t get angry, but instead laughed, crushing the cigarette in her hand.
“Who told them that they have the Wang family behind them? It is said that the Wang family supports the Luo family in their counterattack against Zhu Laoda, providing plenty of good stuff. The Luo family is prepared to share some of it with us… this time, they are being generous. We can split evenly with the five of us! Haozi, pass the stuff to Wan Jie!”
Upon hearing this, the silent Guo Hao approached, placing a travel bag beside the map.
“Jiang Yan, open it and see what’s so rare?”
Wan Yue stretched, relaxed her body, then sat back down, crossing her legs and lighting a cigarette.
This alluringly delicate posture immediately attracted the attention of the several big men in the room, especially Guo Hao, who nearly turned beet red.
Jiang Yan understood and slowly opened the travel bag in front of everyone.
Inside were two familiar golden dan packaging boxes, one box of rare boiling blood medicine, as well as some high-value secret medicines and nearly a hundred bills, adding up to over three million. This doesn’t even include the spoils to be divided after success.
Jiang Yan smiled and gave a slight nod to Wan Yue.
A few minutes later, having finished her cigarette, Wan Yue began playing with a lock of hair at her shoulder, smiling at Xiang Zuxing, “Brother Xiang, actually, this time out, you lead, I follow. Whatever ideas you have, little sister supports.”
This gesture finally let Xiang Zuxing and Guo Hao breathe a sigh of relief; after all, if Wan Yue were to backtrack, it could turn into a total mess.
“Xiang Ge, new intel from the Luo family has come in!”
At that moment, a knight from the faction knocked on the door, poking in his head, clearly excited: “Zhu Bixian left the old street yesterday, direction unknown. Now, in the old street, only Pang Yun remains as the baron of the Black Dragon Society.”
The people in the room were momentarily stunned, and a few seconds later, Xiang Zuxing stroked his chin and began pacing the room.
The underground second floor of the Hongtian Entertainment Center was still dim and filthy.
Bright light shone on Meng Huai’s face once more, but at this point, the youth had grown numb to the stimulus of this change in brightness. The chaotic colors in his eyes were dimmed, lips moving but not knowing what he murmured.
“Brother Yun, how much will we draw this time?”
A lackey squatted beside Meng Huai, fixing his arm and turning to look at Baron Pang Yun behind him.
“We’ve already drawn twice. This time, let’s go with two hundred; don’t waste him…”
Pang Yun lit a cigarette, his voice harsh yet tinged with apathy, “Big Brother said this person needs to be well-kept; no one is allowed to touch him recklessly. After blood drawing, give him some Linglong Powder and growth medicine.”
“Brother Yun, I think we don’t need the Linglong Powder anymore… Look at how he is; he probably has gone brain-dead?”
The lackey inserted the blood-drawing needle into Meng Huai’s arm vein, glancing at his eyelids, revealing a hesitant expression, “This mixed-blood is resistant to Linglong Powder; we have to increase the dosage by several times each time for it to be effective. Now the side effects are setting in.”
The meaning was clear: continuous consumption of Linglong Powder can ensnare any bloodline, but excessive doses can greatly harm a bloodline’s neural system and ultimately result in true madness.
“As long as we don’t harm his growth foundation and he doesn’t die… tsk tsk, mixed-bloods are indeed different. After just ten days on the growth medicine, he’s stabilized as a mid-tier attendant. In a year or so, who knows if he’ll become a knight; that would make his blood even more valuable.”
Pang Yun squatted down next to Meng Huai, lifting his chin and toying with him with delight.
Meng Huai’s skin twitched randomly, his expression blank, having long lost the resistance and endurance of a few days prior. Now, he resembled a hopeless addict or a severely demented patient, at the mercy of others.
Looking at Meng Huai’s limbs, a cruel smile spread across Pang Yun’s face. He extended a hand, took the iron hammer from the lackey, and smashed it down onto Meng Huai’s healing broken leg.
Meng Huai’s piercing, crazed screams echoed in the basement once more, startling the forty-odd numb naked men and women. The lackeys of the Black Dragon Society following Pang Yun let out laughter of triumph.
One of Meng Huai’s hands and a leg were crushed again by Pang Yun’s blows; this sort of thing happened almost every two or three days, with no hope of recovery.
That night, at 11:30 PM.
In a small inn, Wan Yue and Jiang Yan were changing their gear.
Jiang Yan moved with precision and efficiency, wasting no time on any steps, quickly finishing her outfit.
She donned the battle armor cover and bulletproof chest guard, adjusted the moving parts at her waist, and upon turning around, discovered Wan Yue surprisingly still clad only in an alluring wine-red lingerie set, leisurely arranging her lustrous black hair.
This was likely the first time Jiang Yan had seen the true visage of Wan Yue’s so-called perfect sexy body—almost every detail made her blush fiercely.
“Ha ha, feeling envious? Actually, you and Jiang Yan are not lacking either… your measurements are just right, easily held with one hand, saving fabric.”
Wan Yue teased, casually twisting around, comfortably facing Jiang Yan’s gaze as she deftly styled her hair behind her head.
With charming laughter and an impressive hourglass figure on full display, she radiated an air of elegance and confidence.
“I’m sorry, Wan Jie… I’ll step out for a bit.”
Jiang Yan hurriedly lowered her head, her face flushed, and without even grabbing her weapons from the bedside, she moved towards the door.
“It’s fine, I don’t mind being admired by someone, regardless of whether they are male or female… It seems that up to now, two people have already seen me… Come here, help me a bit.”
Wan Yue called out to Jiang Yan, who slowly turned around with a look of embarrassment and curiosity.
“Eighteen years ago? Or was it sixteen? I forget… two men wanted to devour a small family of Grape Hyacinth…”
“I made them remember my beauty, then I dug out their eyes, ensuring they would never forget me—a bit romantic, right?”
Wan Yue slightly turned, untying her lingerie, naturally handing it to Jiang Yan, who could only grimly take the warm garment from her.
“I never shy away from my aura as a woman; you should learn too. As long as the goal isn’t disgraceful and crosses a line, women are meant to be admired and adored; it’s human nature.
Do you know why I trust Lao Jin? Because, whenever he’s alone with me, he’s either showing off or being lecherous… Sometimes, I even wonder if he counts as a bloodline.
If one day, your eyes no longer admire these things—just filled with blood, lifespan, and power levels—then it means you’re no longer a normal person.
In front of the mirror, Wan Yue leisurely donned more movement-friendly sportswear. She confidently flaunted her chest and waist, smiling with calmness and a hint of playfulness.
Bloodlines are quite unfriendly to women, but we’re fortunate, enjoying more physical benefits as bloodlines than men. If there were a medicine that could instantly turn me back into an ordinary person, I fear I would turn exceedingly ugly in an instant.
“Wrinkled skin, sagging abdomen, hunchbacked posture—perhaps even a plethora of age spots and a scent of old age… If it weren’t for my obsession, no one would remember my initial beauty and elegance. What do you think? Should I cry, or celebrate my rebirth?”
Wan Yue mumbled, leisurely donning the Grape Hyacinth attire piece by piece, gradually recreating the valiant image of the Night Queen.
Jiang Yan lowered her head slightly, caught in a moment of dazedness. Wan Yue’s question seemed one she had never contemplated. Slowly reaching out, she gazed at her delicate, fair fingers, a wave of conflicting emotions quietly surfaced.
“Do you know? Among ordinary people, many who once voluntarily became bloodlines are women—more than ambitionless men—with dreams of eternal youth. Isn’t that crazy?”
Wan Yue turned around and now matched Jiang Yan in attire, except for a small pouch at her waist with a row of compact knives.
“Let’s familiarize ourselves with these gears. At midnight, we’ll meet Xiang Zuxing at the arranged rendezvous point.”
Wan Yue grabbed a P90 submachine gun and tossed it to Jiang Yan, while she picked up a Uzi submachine gun and tucked it into the weapon holster on her thigh.
These weapons were provided by Xiang Zuxing, all modified with silencers.
The equipment was almost brand new; Jiang Yan had previously tested it at the Arrow training center. The massive magazine allowed the P90 to unleash formidable close-range strike power.
Without needing a reminder from Wan Yue and ignoring her gaze, Jiang Yan swiftly disassembled the weapon in her hands and meticulously reassembled it.
After thoroughly checking her equipment, Jiang Yan felt satisfied with her readiness. When she lifted her head again, she found Wan Yue standing by the window, smoking.
The pulled-back curtains revealed the uneven lights of the small town outside—the darkness in some areas, bright spots in others, while some places sparkled vibrantly with brightness and opulence.
For some unknown reason, Jiang Yan slowly walked to the window, staring blankly in the direction where the lights shone brightly, feeling a flutter in her heart.
That direction was the operational point assigned to her and Wan Yue, the Hongtian Entertainment Center.
