Above Destiny

Chapter 718 Version Update, Brand New Features (Thanks to Yu Shi for being the Alliance Leader)

The loud noise and tremors stopped abruptly.

The bewildered and chaotic Xiangzhou Island fell silent once more. Dark clouds filled the sky, and in the gloom, a fierce wind howled. All the residents looked at each other in bewilderment, not knowing what had happened.

I'm just worried that there might be storms and rain that will disrupt my business.

The entire Chopra house, along with the hilltop, remained shrouded in a thin mist, appearing and disappearing indistinctly, obscuring all prying eyes and gazes.

Even the informants within Xiangzhou City were confused about what had happened.

In slums or large communities, many people suddenly felt that the surroundings had become quiet, and the noisy and intermittent chanting coming from next door had stopped abruptly.

It was as if the power had gone out.

In the ICU of the hospital, several patients who were being resuscitated opened their eyes and felt as if they had just had a nightmare. In the bizarre dream, they saw gods being devoured by demons.

Despite the martial law in effect in the area, no large-scale unrest occurred, but rumors still spread through short video platforms and numerous websites.

Some people confidently claimed to have seen a giant face appear in the sky. Others said that the statues of gods they worshipped in their homes suddenly emitted light.

In the surrounding area, scavengers found gold nuggets and agates that had fallen from the sky while cleaning up scrap. Some even claimed to have witnessed something resembling a cargo ship suddenly rise up from Chopra's house and fly away…

Meanwhile, the Chosen Ones in the city held their breath, wiping the cold sweat from their foreheads, and looked in the direction of Chopra's house, still shaken.

The earth-shattering waves and tremors have not yet completely subsided.

The dust has settled.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

As the family fire rose once more, muffled sounds continued to echo. Inside the ancestral temple, the candidates, who had been standing there dumbfounded, suddenly seemed to have lost all their strength, collapsing to the ground with vacant eyes and devoid of any spirit.

It's just an empty shell.

In the midst of the suffocation, everyone stared wide-eyed at the very front, at the gaunt figure who had finally stood up.

Bogio!
He opened his eyes, and in the silence, he slowly propped himself up, turned around, and looked behind him.

Countless people were overjoyed, cheering and shouting.

Others stared in anguish, as if they had lost their parents.

"Won!"

Mattik was almost dancing with ecstasy. He pushed aside the others who were in his way, rushed forward, grabbed Boggio's shoulder, and laughed wildly: "I knew it, I knew it, Boggio, you must...you..."

"..."

Bogio didn't speak, as if he couldn't make a sound.

She stared at him, dumbfounded, as if struggling to open her mouth. Then, thick blood seeped from her face and orifices, silently dripping down, so gruesome.

Bang!
Right before everyone's eyes, he collapsed to the ground and fell silent.

In the deathly silence, the dim flickering of the family fire illuminated the figure behind Bogio, still sitting in the chair—the sole survivor of this selection of the family god.

"It seems the selection process is over."

With a soft click, the spark from the windproof lighter leaped and ignited the cigarette in his mouth.

Minkler took a deep breath and grinned silently.

He glanced down at the dazed witnesses in the ancestral temple, grinned, and told them, "Now, you may worship your patriarch."

On his hand, the ring glowed with fire, revealing a pure white light, like a family fire.

The choice made by the household gods.

The new head of the household.

Commander of the Seven Cities Joint Defense Fleet, Major General Minkler!

Mattik stiffly lowered his head, pulling at the lifeless Bogio, trying again and again to get him to stand up, incredulous.

"impossible!"

In the back of the first row, an old woman with a sinister expression sat up, glaring venomously and screaming hysterically, "It must be you! What underhanded methods did you use! How could the family gods choose a lowly bastard like you to be the head of the family? I... I'll..."

Amidst the chaos, everyone exchanged bewildered glances. The vast majority remained silent, instinctively trying to observe the situation. But some, having already wagered too much, having gambled away their entire fortune, and unwilling to accept defeat, had begun attempting to overturn the table.

"Kill him! Kill that bastard!"

Bogio's biological mother, the old woman who had managed the inner quarters for decades, decisively gave the order. A cold, eerie light emanated from the crimson gemstone on her ring, and instantly, a pool of blood spread out of thin air. A hideous silhouette crawled out of the blood and pounced towards Minkler!

Then, it was crushed to dust by a strange limb that fell from the sky.

Bang!
Blood spurted and splashed, outlining the brutal silhouette of the household god that coiled and entangled around Minkler, waving its arms like a centipede.

Even without Minkler's orders.

The ravenous household gods burst forth, pounced on the old woman, and devoured her with unbridled gluttony, tearing her apart and eating her raw on the spot.

"Ouch!"

As the thin mist dissipated, Ji Jue, stepping once again into the ancestral temple, couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow, it's so lively! What kind of program is this at your Chopra's house?"

Silence fell; no one dared to speak, except for a sigh from Minkler.

"Ah, so be it."

He glanced at the woman on the ground being devoured by the household god, and asked nonchalantly, "Is it resolved?"

"And I've also added a new attraction to your place. I'll tell you about it later."

Ji Jue stood with his hands behind his back, looking around at the faces in the ancestral temple: "Everyone, what are you waiting for?"

The noise outside grew increasingly jarring; some people, sensing the danger, were already trying to flee, while others were urgently spreading the word…

But strangely enough, in the ancestral temple, the silence was so profound that even breathing could barely be heard.

Only Mattik, drenched in sweat, shuddered as he watched the old woman being completely devoured by the household god, instinctively dropping the corpse in his hands, and was the first to react.

He knelt down with a thud and reverently raised his hands toward Minkler.

With all the strength I have in this life, I shout at the top of my lungs:
"Greetings, Master!"

Immediately afterwards, as if a whirlwind had swept by, one after another, the stunned figures fell to the ground like ears of wheat, vying to kowtow and pledge allegiance to the new head of the family.

The rest remained frozen in place, their faces deathly pale.

They were already bound to Bogio or others, and even kneeling and kowtowing would not save them.

But the new ruler seemed completely uninterested in this, ignoring the crowd kneeling on the ground, and looked at Ji Jue, pointing to the still-present household deity:
"You didn't take this thing?"

"What would you do with it?" Ji Jue chuckled. "This kind of thing only has value in Xiangzhou. Have you ever heard of anyone carrying away a server room?"

Now, thanks to the Chopra family's years of nurturing, the Household God has taken deep root in Elephant Continent. Even if it has completely become a breeding ground and server for the Fly King, there's no need to uproot it. In fact, the Household God's greatest value lies precisely in this.

Through the continuous expansion by successive heads of the family, the secret rituals of the entire Xiangzhou were completely covered, and the spiritual essence of the entire Xiangzhou was extracted to continue supplying the consumption of the family gods.

There's no need to hold any more live sacrifices to satisfy the hunger and greed of the countless evil spirits. Just collecting the scattered spiritual energy of the living people in a steady stream will be enough to keep the system running smoothly.

The federal government's spiritual tax is one-twelfth, while Ji Jue's is only one-twentieth. In comparison, it's practically a light tax and a chance for the people to rest!

The vast majority of incompatible impurities and dregs, as well as the fierce spirits and malevolent souls that had accumulated within the household gods over hundreds of years, were all stripped off by Ji Jue. He rubbed and kneaded them into a ball, then rebuilt them according to their original structure, allowing them to continue serving as household gods and guarding the computer room.

Although its size is much smaller than before, no matter how large the original size was, the increase reflected in the household god was not much. Compared with the centipede state when it was active outside, it was only a size smaller. Its controllability and flexibility have increased by more than ten times.
From today onwards, the household god will be Minkler's loyal dog and guardian.

Ji Jue still used the bloodline bindings of the Chopra family, without imposing any restrictions. In fact, with just a thought from Minkler, he could easily manipulate the family gods to turn against Ji Jue.

But under Ji Jue's meaningful gaze, Minkler looked down at the ring on his hand, smiled indifferently, without even hesitation or confusion, and suddenly asked:
"Do you smoke?"

Ji Jue laughed and shook his head: "I'm sorry, I don't know how."

"I really envy people like you who can laugh without anesthetics."

"I had smuggled high-quality cigars, occasionally a few bottles of decent liquor, embezzled some military funds, enough to support a group of old brothers who had risked their lives with me, and to give everyone a proper ending. That's what I wanted to accomplish most in the first half of my life."

Minkler lit another cigarette, took a deep drag, and exhaled a wisp of smoke: "If I could meet a woman who loves me... that would be even better."

I've already thought it all out. If I have children, I'll send them to the Federation or the Empire, leave them some money—enough to support themselves—and avoid any connection with the Chopra family. Even if I can only see them occasionally in the future, I'll consider myself fortunate.

"Should I congratulate you?" Ji Juewen: "You don't need to go to the Empire or the Federation. From now on, you can live openly with your wife and children."

"But you don't need me to take care of your wife and kids, do you? This is something that can't be solved even with a fee."

Minkler burst into laughter.

They were laughing so hard they were doubled over.

From this day forward, he no longer had to worry about his family dictating his fate; he was his family, he was Chopra.

Reach the sky in one step.

As for the cost, he didn't care.

Three days ago, when he clung to Ji Jue's leg and cried like a beggar, all he wanted was to survive.

Now, the shackles around his neck have finally been removed, and he has regained his freedom, while the shackles around the necks of everyone else, those chains, have all come together in his hands.

"Oh, by the way, Lou Feng just told me that he optimized the structure and management of the household gods for you, and added the features you've always wanted."

Ji Jue glanced at the trembling, prostrating loyalists around him and delivered the devastating news with a smile: "Including, but not limited to, the most important thing... one-click deletion."

From now on, no more worries, manage your family tree with ease!

It not only makes it easier to set goals, performance targets and KPIs for members, monitor everyone's progress and project progress, optimizes collaboration between different departments, and adds functions such as meeting minutes and intelligent monitoring, ensuring that under the wise guidance of His Holiness the Head of the Family, members of the Minkler family are more motivated and more effective when they work hard!

At the same time, it ensured that those who were unwilling to follow the guidance of the great patriarch were no longer considered 'family' of Minkler.

What are you mumbling about?

I optimized it with just one click!
There's no need to go through the trouble of summoning the household gods. In fact, not only within the Chopra family bloodline, but all those who have sworn allegiance before the household fire will be subject to the control of the household gods.

Once hatched, the Fly Lord's spirits will monitor and record day and night to ensure that family members are forever bathed in the sun-like radiance of their Lord.

In fact, it only takes a single thought from Minkler...

Pfft!
Inside the ancestral temple, those who were still standing there, refusing to bow their heads, suddenly felt the chill of death blowing down their necks.

He trembled and fell to the ground, as if he had fallen into an ice cave.

It was as if one could feel the cold, indifferent gaze cast from the high heavens above.

Disdainful scrutiny.

Minkler was immersed in the raging torrent, his eyes white and gleaming.

It was as if he had suddenly been freed from his fragile body and merged into one with the entire household god. Hundreds of eyes enveloped the entire Xiangzhou, seeing souls entwined with scarlet light.

With just a thought, a list appeared before his eyes, even thoughtfully arranged in order from A to Z, with different colors indicating loyalty or hatred. Was he excited or terrified at that moment...?

Minkler, on the other hand, fell silent.

I didn't come to my senses until the cigarette butt burned my finger.

With a self-deprecating sigh, "You actually still remember?"

"Wasn't this a condition agreed upon?"

Ji Jue countered with a question.

Right on the deck of the Prosperity, Minkler made his own demands and swore his oath.

He'd do anything he wanted; he wanted all those bastards from the Chopra family to die!

Now... Ji Jue's promise has been fulfilled.

There are absolutely no discounts.

Even if killing too many people might be detrimental to the management and plans of Xiangzhou, it would still be considered eliminating a scourge for the people. At worst, Ji Jue could just find another batch of employees to fill the gaps, and they might even be more efficient and faster than these useless people!
"The rest is up to you."

Ji Jue patted him on the shoulder one last time, leaving this precious coronation moment for him to enjoy alone.

Then, just like the usual program after each successive head of the family takes over.

Spring cleaning begins!

Outside the family temple, in Chopra's house where the chaos had not yet subsided, Ji Jue saw a figure waiting at the door for a long time.

Ling Shuo, who had suddenly disappeared just as he made his move, has now miraculously reappeared, and is even preparing a gift for the new ruler of Xiangzhou.

A sack.

Inside the sack was a person whose mouth was stuffed and whose hands and feet were bound.

Pale-faced, disheveled, screaming in terror.

"Who is this?"

Ji Jue looked down.

"Bogio's trusted aide."

Ling Shuo beckoned, and his subordinate immediately brought over a suitcase. He opened it in his hands, revealing the first layer, which contained densely packed, individually packaged holy oil, at least two or three liters in total.

The second layer contains two hard drives, and at the very bottom is a thick stack of handwritten ledgers.

There was no sign of them waiting for a higher price to go.

I respectfully present it with both hands.

"That kid was acting suspiciously and tried to run away, but our men intercepted him at the smuggling dock. Luckily, he didn't ruin your plans."

"Have a heart."

Ji Jue glanced at it, then took the box: "Please thank Mr. Ling for his kindness. I will definitely pay him a visit another day."

"I will definitely deliver it." Ling Shuo nodded frantically, a smile spreading across his face. "Then, I won't bother you any longer."

"Leaving now?"

Ji Jue asked in confusion, "The people from Huangji have come all this way, surely not just to attend a family head succession ceremony?"

"Only the leader can represent the wilderness."

Ling Shuo shook his head to correct him, and answered directly: "I am my godfather's man. I can't even represent Gray Harbor. At most, I am just an informant, sent out to see what's going on."

It was just a coincidence that this happened. Thankfully, Mr. Ji, you stabilized the situation; otherwise, who knows what would have happened.

Ji Jue understood his implication and pressed further, "Does Huang Ji think something's wrong with Seven Cities?"

"Indeed, but something's not right, and it's not just the seven cities that are suspicious."

Ling Shuo sighed: "Now everything on the Endless Sea is in a mess, everywhere is chaotic. We lowly soldiers can only run around frantically."

Anyway, every time a typhoon is about to hit, problems start to appear everywhere, and I don't know how many people will come out to stir up trouble.

Of those many situations, half were natural disasters, and half were man-made disasters, with man-made disasters possibly outweighing the latter… The Thousand Islands are not like the Federation; they are a mixed bag, with both good and bad elements mixed together. Mr. Ji, please be extra careful.”

"I see."

Ji Jue nodded and invited again, "Since you're already here, why not stay a couple more days?"

"No, no, the situation is complicated. I need to inform my godfather as soon as possible. I won't delay any longer."

Ling Shuo's expression twitched, and he quickly pulled out a business card from his pocket and handed it over again: "There are limited manpower locally, but they can still handle odd jobs. If you have any needs, Mr. Ji, just let them know."

"Then I won't be polite."

Ji Jue accepted the business card and watched Ling Shuo leave. He saw that the figure walked faster and faster as he went... almost as if he was going to carry the boat back to Grey Harbor overnight.

"No, is Xiangzhou some kind of dragon's den or tiger's lair?"

He stroked his chin, momentarily bewildered: "So unpopular?"

Amidst a chorus of barking dogs, Lou Feng, who had just finished resting, couldn't help but roll his eyes.

Is it Elephant Island that's unpopular?!
　Sorry, I had a cold and fever, and slept on and off all day. I only managed to muster up some energy after dinner. This temperature drop is so annoying…

　　
　
(End of this chapter)