Chapter 52 - 50 Tracking the Murderer

"Dean Antonio, are you also here to search for Vice Alliance Leader Gu?" Qin Qiang knew the purpose of Antonio's visit, and after chatting for a while, Antonio kept beating around the bush, so she bluntly brought up the subject. Everyone had the same goal, ostensibly to look for Gu Xian, but in reality, it was to find Geng Qianxing. Anyone with a brain could tell that Geng Qianxing's disappearance meant he was captured by the Genetic Alliance. Ding Huan of Yujiang University had produced three students with such heaven-defying achievements; it was impossible for Geng Qianxing to be completely unaware. It was precisely because Geng Qianxing knew that the Genetic Alliance decided to strike first. She dared not touch Geng Qianxing casually, but now that the Genetic Alliance had made a move, she had to hurry up and inquire about the situation. Qin Qiang had warned the Genetic Alliance about capturing Ding Huan, but Ding Huan wasn't caught, and now Geng Qianxing had been captured. She needed to figure out how much Geng Qianxing actually knew, lest she end up with nothing in the end. If she really got some benefits from Geng Qianxing, she wanted her share of the spoils. Antonio chuckled, "I heard that Alliance Leader Shi has left Pujiang on business, I wonder if it has anything to do with that Ding Huan?" "Hehe..." Seeing that Antonio still didn't answer her question and continued to respond irrelevantly, Qin Qiang snorted and walked into the East Communication Gene Center Building. How could she not know where Shi Changyi had gone? Yet he still postured as if he didn't. The guy was clearly a European, but his manner of speaking was just like that of a slippery old official. Seeing Qin Qiang entering, Antonio had no choice but to follow her inside. "What's going on?" Qin Qiang frowned as she noticed two security guards lying at the entrance of the East Communication Gene Center Building. "What's going on, these are ones who integrated Selu Genetic Potion," Antonio answered. Qin Qiang said, "I know they've integrated the Selu Genetic Potion, but this happened a while ago. With the Genetic Alliance's efficiency, it's somewhat unreasonable that even the corpses at the main entrance haven't been dealt with yet." After speaking, Qin Qiang hurried into the building; there was not a soul on the first floor, not even a receptionist in sight. Qin Qiang's heart sank; she had a vague feeling that something had happened to the Genetic Alliance. This did not align with her interests, especially since she was also a member of the Genetic Alliance. "Let's go to the top floor," Antonio also sensed that something was amiss. There were deaths everywhere due to problems with the Selu Genetic Potion. However, the Genetic Alliance was different; they would've settled the situation immediately, and it wasn't possible that after such a long time no one had come to clean up the entrance. The elevator quickly took them to the top floor. The top floor was just as deserted, with only the conference room lights seemingly still on. In front of the conference room door, two more people lay on the ground, obviously dead. Antonio almost leaped to the conference room door and opened it. A faint smell of blood seeped out, and the scene that met Antonio and Qin Qiang's eyes left them momentarily stunned. "Could it be that all of them integrated the Selu Genetic Potion?" Antonio asked, immediately realizing the foolishness of his question. "Heh, can't you see that there are people who were shot and stabbed to death?" Qin Qiang scorned his intelligence. Antonio approached Gu Xian and pressed a finger against his face, which squished like mud. Antonio quickly withdrew his finger, muttering, "This is definitely not the condition of death by Selu Genetic Potion; could it be a collapse of the gene chain? It doesn't seem like it; it looks more like poisoning." Qin Qiang also took a round, then said gravely, "Aside from a few here who died from the Selu Genetic Potion, the rest were all murdered." "Who would dare to kill people here?" Antonio was baffled. Daring to kill at the headquarters of the Genetic Alliance? Were they asking for death? "I saw you talking to a medicine merchant outside the East Communication Gene Center Building earlier, who was he?" Qin Qiang suddenly asked. Antonio came to realization and promptly said: "It must have been that guy, I felt a faint killing intent from him, which is why I stopped him, not expecting you to come looking for me at that moment." "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's hurry up and search for this person," Qin Qiang huffed. She suspected that Antonio wanted to pass the buck to her. "Where would he go?" Antonio asked subconsciously. Qin Qiang frowned and could only say, "After attacking the Genetic Alliance, the first thing to do would be to leave Pujiang. We should start searching at the various train stations in Pujiang." She suspected it was already too late to reach the train stations, but as long as she voiced this and took action, it would show that she was actively working on behalf of the Genetic Alliance. ... Ding Huan was extremely anxious at the moment, wishing he could immediately head to Yiling City in Anjiang Province, the home of Qu Yi. Geng Qianxing's issue would have to be put on hold. As long as the members of the Genetic Alliance hadn't obtained the real methods for cultivating Qian Luo Gene Technique and the Basic Long Fist, Geng Qianxing would be safe. If he hadn't encountered Antonio, his slaughter of the Genetic Alliance's upper echelons in the East Communication Gene Center Building would likely not have leaked, as he left no one alive. Ding Huan just hoped that Antonio and the Qin woman would talk for a bit longer, and preferably not enter the East Communication Gene Center Building. Once those two entered, the fact that he eliminated the Genetic Alliance's high-ranking officials would be exposed immediately. Although he had changed his appearance, he had not yet left Pujiang. Ding Huan really wanted to leave at once, but he was worried about Qu Yi; he had to take a train from Pujiang. To Heluo City in Anjiang Province, taking the high-speed train from Pujiang was the fastest way. If he left Pujiang now, it would take him two more days to reach Heluo City. Even though Ding Huan knew waiting for the high-speed train at the station was very dangerous, he had no choice but to take the risk and continue waiting. He had changed his disguise again, not only switching his bag but transforming from a lone herbal medicine trader to a student who had failed the Pujiang assessment. Traveling from Pujiang to Heluo required a stop at Jingchuan City and then a transfer to another train from Jingchuan to Heluo City—the fastest route. The high-speed train would arrive in an hour, and Ding Huan sat in the waiting room; though he seemed despondent on the surface, in reality, he was constantly vigilant of his surroundings. He just hoped Antonio wouldn't come over. What if Antonio did show up? Ding Huan didn't want to think about that possibility, but now he had to. ... On the high-speed train to Lu River City, Geng Qianxing sat with a vacant gaze, flanked by one person on each side. It was he who had told the Genetic Alliance that the endurance gene data was hidden in Lu River. These claims were purely fabricated; other than what was written in his notebooks, the rest were all stored in his head. The reason he led the Genetic Alliance on a wild goose chase was solely to give Fang Chong and the others time to complete their assessments. As long as Fang Chong's group of three completed their assessments and joined one of the Blue Star Ten Great Colleges, the Genetic Alliance would no longer be able to target them. The train to Heluo City had only covered half the distance when one of the Genetic Alliance members sitting next to Geng Qianxing suddenly started convulsing, then made a choking sound from his throat. His face distorted the next moment, and then blood began to seep from all his features. "Gu Zhao, what's happening to you?" another Genetic Alliance member quickly circled around Geng Qianxing to check on his colleague. His colleague couldn't answer him and collapsed in the aisle. Geng Qianxing was equally puzzled—was this fellow suffering from a sudden disease outbreak? Soon, Geng Qianxing realized that this wasn't just a disease outbreak, as two other people in the carriage began to show the same symptoms. A virus outbreak? Geng Qianxing was startled, and right then, he saw Boss Quan, who was eagerly observing his companion—this guy was bad news. Not taking advantage of such a great opportunity would be absurd; as Ding Huan often said, someone like him didn't deserve to survive in these chaotic times, and was better suited to conduct scientific research in an era of peace. He was told more than once by Ding Huan that he wasn't cut out to survive in this tumultuous world and was only good for scientific research during prosperous times. By dealing with endurance genes, Geng Qianxing's limited survival skills were just asking for trouble. Now, wasn't he proving Ding Huan right? No—amidst this chaotic world, he, Geng Qianxing, was not to be trampled over so easily. With this thought, Geng Qianxing hesitated no more. He stood up and delivered a knife-hand strike to the back of Boss Quan's neck. Geng Qianxing too had been cultivating for several months and was now close to the strength of a first-level gene cultivator. With such a blow, not just Boss Quan, but even a true first-level gene cultivator would not withstand it. Boss Quan groaned and then collapsed. At that moment, the carriage broke into chaos. Not just in Geng Qianxing's section of the train but other carriages as well, the same thing was happening everywhere. Who would pay attention to Geng Qianxing's situation? Geng Qianxing stared at the fallen, unconscious Boss Quan, undergoing a fierce internal struggle. To kill or not to kill. If he were to kill his opponent, now was the best chance; otherwise, it would be too late. Could he not kill Boss Quan and instead try to escape on his own? Quickly, Geng Qianxing understood that not killing Boss Quan and trying to flee now was like placing shackles on himself. Looking at the chaotic carriage, Geng Qianxing clenched his teeth and delivered a punch straight to Boss Quan's lethal acupoint. With an explosion of inner strength, Boss Quan just groaned and then life left him entirely. Geng Qianxing took a deep breath; it was his first time killing someone. If he hadn't killed Boss Quan, then he, Geng Qianxing, would be the next to die. And it wasn't just his life at stake—Ding Huan might be lured to Lu River City to his own death. He wanted to prove to Ding Huan that even amidst a world overrun with Fierce Beasts, he, Xiao Geng, could still survive. No one cared that Geng Qianxing had killed someone; by now, over a dozen people had been found dead on the train. And that wasn't the end, as the number of fatalities kept rising. At this moment, all the carriages were thrown into disarray. To anyone observing, it appeared as though a virus had erupted. Crowds surged towards the train doors, yelling for the train to halt and rushing off the doomed train. Some began to smash the windows. Just as the chaos seemed uncontrollable, a broadcast came through the train, "I am Lou Xin, the train conductor. Please, all passengers remain calm. The incident is not a virus outbreak but a gene collapse among passengers who have fused with the Siluo Genetic Potion. It is a problem with the Siluo Genetic Potion and is unrelated to a virus, unrelated to a virus, unrelated to a virus..." The conductor's repeated assurances that it wasn't a virus finally calmed everyone down. Soon, the passengers identified the common denominator among those who had died—they had all fused with the Siluo Genetic Potion. Breaking out in a cold sweat, Geng Qianxing realized that, had it not been for Ding Huan's warning, he would have been responsible for his mother's death. Now settled, Geng Qianxing decided to get to Lu River first, find a way to tip off Ding Huan, and then take his mother to leave Lu River in search of a safe place to lay low. He would then concentrate on his cultivation of the Qianluo Gene Technique to elevate his strength. Geng Qianxing didn't realize that at this moment, he was extremely safe. Not to mention being bothered, the Genetic Alliance wouldn't even remember his existence for a while. (Today's update ends here, friends. Goodnight. Those who have monthly tickets, please support the legend, thank you!)