I lent my brother 500 yuan, and he offered his wife as collateral.

……

After the Su family's temporary warehouse suspended unloading, nearby merchants moved even further away.

No one came to ask what happened.

People in the inner ring understand a principle: if you can find out information, the trouble isn't too great; it's the information you can't find out that you should stay away from.

Qian Shao repackaged the goods that had already been put into the warehouse, adding an independent timestamp to each box.

"From now on, nothing is allowed to be mixed together."

"Used water, broken seals, and discarded array base testing needles are all put into a temporary isolation box."

Seeing that he was so busy he barely had time to rest, Wu Jie helped him move two empty boxes.

"Are you planning to seal ourselves off too?"

"The backend system already indicates a high-risk infection level. Even if we're missing a single needle, they can claim it's a contaminant we threw out."

Qian Shao locked the isolation box and then asked Zhou Ye:

"Where does the rating come from?"

"Still under investigation. The permission update process involved three transfers. The outermost layer displays the inner ring public epidemic prevention terminal, but there are hidden nodes inside."

Zhou Ye did not continue digging.

Unauthorized hacking only serves to hand over the crime to the other party.

Qin Feng stood by the warehouse gate, looking towards the main street.

The 24-hour countdown hasn't finished yet; the other side will definitely send the official detonation conditions. A mere background rating isn't enough to directly activate the third sequence.

They need a source of contamination that can be placed inside the Sue transition chamber.

……

Not long after, the shops on the main street suddenly closed.

A traffic enforcement team from the Inner Ring Commercial Management Bureau entered from the street corner, followed by the Xiao family's car.

The carriages were not enclosed.

Xiao Henian sat inside, supporting someone in his arms.

Xiao Kuang.

He was so thin he was practically unrecognizable, and his body trembled beneath his outer robe.

Large black spots spread from his neck to his chin, the blood omen on his wrist split open, and black death marks crawled down his arm toward his heart.

With each movement, new lines will appear under the skin.

The car was parked in front of the warehouse door.

Xiao Henian didn't come down immediately. He stared at the Su family's sign for a long time without moving.

After Xiao Kuang's accident last night, he sought out three inner-ring pharmacists.

The first person who encountered the Death-Taking Mark had most of their life force drained on the spot; the second person refused to be treated; the third person recognized the Old Treasury Command System and locked himself in the night to escape.

Xiao Henian originally intended to send the person into the Xiao family's restricted area to forcibly suppress the backlash.

However, the Commerce Bureau intercepted him halfway.

The party undertaking the purification of the historical causes and effects of the old warehouse is temporarily registered as the Su family.

If they don't come, the Xiao family will be labeled as a high-risk, illegally polluting family; if they do come, it means they're personally handing Xiao Kuang over to someone else.

In all his years of life, this was the first time Xiao Henian had encountered a road where both sides were deadly!

"Master Xiao, send the person in."

The team leader stood beside the vehicle and gave a reminder.

Xiao Henian glanced down at Xiao Kuang.

"Can you still hear me?"

Xiao Kuang made two dry sounds in his throat, his fingers gripping his sleeve tightly.

"Grandpa...save me..."

Xiao Henian removed that hand.

"I'm saving you."

These words were said to Xiao Kuang, and also to himself.

But I knew in my heart that what was being sent today was not a patient, but a dead person's account.

Whether Xiao Kuang lives or dies is no longer that important; what matters is who will ultimately bear the brunt of this debt.

The car door opened.

Two guards from the Xiao family carried the stretcher down.

Su Lie raised his hand, blocking the warehouse door.

"stop."

The team leader issued a mandatory purification order.

"The Su family has taken back the historical life evidence of the Shen family and has been temporarily registered as the recipient of the purification of historical karma in the old warehouse."

"The Life-Taking Decree held by Xiao Kuang belongs to the Old Treasury Decree system."

"Due to the backlash from the order causing high-risk pollution, the Commerce and Industry Bureau has transferred the case to Su's Purification in accordance with the law."

After listening, Su Lie placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Who registered it?"

"Public systems".

Who applied?

"The information is under protection."

"Who believes that Su can cure it?"

"You possess the Shen family's purification array technology."

Su Lie took half a step forward.

"The Shen family's technology belongs to the Shen family. Who gave you the audacity to use other people's lives to clean up your mess?"

The officers were ordered to retreat simultaneously, and their identification badges flashed warnings of violent resistance to law enforcement.

Qin Feng immediately said:

"Elder, loosen your grip."

Su Lie's chest heaved a few times.

I really wanted to throw Xiao Kuang back into the car, stretcher and all.

However, the system has already been monitoring his Grandmaster aura. As soon as he draws his sword, the Su family will immediately have a new record of high-risk resistance.

Slowly remove your hand from the hilt of the knife.

"I did not use force."

The captain glanced at the alarm log.

"Please keep your distance."

"Don't worry, I know the rules very well now."

Su Lie retreated back into the warehouse, his tone even colder:

"But you'd better understand as well. Whoever signs this order today will have to accept it from now on."

Xiao Kuang was moved to the public reading area.

Shen Banxia watched through the protective layer for a while, and her expression grew increasingly worse.

"The Life-Snatching Mark has already entered the Qi Sea."

Xiao Henian immediately asked:

"Can it be purified?"

"Ordinary methods won't work."

"You're a formation cultivator from the Shen family, you must have a way."

Upon hearing this, Shen Banxia's anger flared up immediately.

"Why didn't you ask me when you were fighting over the order? Now that you've ruined him, you suddenly remember the Shen family can save him?"

Xiao Henian did not argue with her.

"Conditions are negotiable."

"This isn't about money."

"What do you want?"

"I told you, ordinary methods won't work."

Shen Banxia projected a magnified image of the Death-Slaying Mark onto the public notice board.

Deep within the patterns, a fragment of the mother pattern lingers. It not only draws life force but also constantly sends out requests for resonance.

"This thing will trace its source and also find those who came into contact with it."

"Whoever initiates the purification, it will draw upon that person first. Only after drawing upon enough life force will it return the results to the source."

Xiao Henian understood.

"Can the Purifiers die?"

"The first person to touch it will most likely not survive. Once the formation takes over, the array base in the warehouse will be entangled by it."

Shen Banxia pointed to Xiao Kuang's heart.

"He is no longer a patient, but a living point of reference for future investigations."

Wu Jie stood a little further away.

"Why don't we let the Commerce Bureau handle it themselves? They're the ones who issued the order and brought the person here."

The team leader was ordered to retrieve the mandatory acceptance clause.

"The Su family has 30 minutes to verify the information."

"Received the object to be cleaned; process continues."

"Refusing to accept it is considered as allowing high-risk pollution to spread."

"Using force to expel someone is seen as a combination of pollution spreading and violent resistance to law enforcement."

Qian Shao looked down to check the timestamp.

His face looked pale, but his hands didn't stop.

The order to enforce the law was issued half an hour before the Su family entered the city.

At that time, the transitional warehouse had not yet been settled, but the high-risk rating had already been written in the background.

"This is not a temporary measure."

Qian Shao posted the record on a public platform.

"The enforcement order came even before we took over the warehouse. You knew in advance that Xiao Kuang would be sent here."

The captain glanced at it but did not deny it.

"I'm only responsible for passing it on."

"Then clearly define your scope of responsibility."

"Already written to the system."

Qian Shao then turned to the signing page.

The Commerce and Industry Bureau is responsible for mandating the takeover.

The Xiao family is responsible for providing the objects to be purified.

The third-order processing authority remains hidden.

The most crucial link has yet to appear.

……

Across the street, the manager of the pharmaceutical alliance came over with the supporting agreement.

Upon seeing the black markings on Xiao Kuang's body, he immediately withdrew his application.

Someone nearby asked in a low voice:

"Are you really not going to talk about it anymore?"

"What's the point of talking? If the Su family accepts the offer, people will die; if the Su family doesn't accept it, the granary will be empty."

"Isn't Qin Feng quite adept at exploiting the rules?"

"In the past, everyone he dealt with wanted to take his things. Who took them this time? The Commerce Bureau didn't talk about money, the Xiao family didn't talk about buying and selling, and the enforcement team didn't even show their faces. They were just here to destroy them."

After hearing this, the merchants took a dozen or so steps back.

They dared not go far, fearing they would miss the first public landing of the third sequence within the inner ring. But no one wanted their identity to be pre-associated with the Su family.

Xiao Henian stood beside the stretcher, his heart sinking even deeper.

I still had a slight idea in mind.

As long as the Su family takes over, the Xiao family can shift the blame for the backlash. Once the third sequence is completed, all contracts and evidence will disappear along with the transitional ward.

However, Qian Shaolian insisted on the order and found out half an hour earlier.

The men under Qin Feng's command are no longer the scattered soldiers who followed him to pick up bargains.

One was in charge of the accounts, one was in charge of the formation, and one was in charge of the data. Su Lie could even resist drawing his sword.

Xiao Henian looked at Qin Feng.

Qin Feng never asked Xiao Kuang whether he could live or die, nor did he rush to overturn the order.

He was looking at the Death Mark.

A not-so-good feeling popped into Xiao Henian's mind.

Qin Feng may have already realized that this deadly mark has other uses.

"Mr. Qin."

Xiao Henian spoke first:

"The Xiao family is willing to pay for the purification. Name your price."

"Let's not talk about price yet."

"We can't afford to drag this out."

"Then let him stall for time."

Qin Feng turned to look at Zhou Ye:

"List out all three consequences: refusing to accept, accepting, and using force."

Zhou Ye retrieved the system's judgment.

[Option 1: Receive.]

The purification process has been initiated, and Su's Group assumes direct responsibility for handling the situation during the purification period.

Option Two: Refuse.

[A high-risk pollution spread has been identified; the third phase of the emergency response is now in effect.]

Option 3: Forced eviction.

[The pollution spread and violent resistance to law enforcement have been established; the third order of execution will be carried out immediately.]

After reading it, Wu Jie cursed:

"Three paths, not even one path to survival?"

"They just weren't prepared to let us live."

Shen Banxia re-examined the Life-Taking Mark.

"The afterimage of the Mother's Mark is still deepening. If this drags on any longer, Xiao Kuang will spread the contamination to the public read area on his own, even without the third sequence."

Su Qingxue looked at Xiao Henian.

"Did you know these three possible outcomes before you sent someone in?"

Xiao Henian paused for a moment.

"I know part of it."

Which part?

"Rejection and expulsion will trigger the third sequence."

"You know that receiving this could kill people."

Xiao Henian did not answer.

Su Qingxue included this questioning in the public record.

"The Xiao family was aware of the high risks, yet they still submitted a candidate for mandatory purification. Make a note of that."

Xiao Henian's heart sank.

Before she even entered the warehouse, Su Qingxue had already started doing the accounting.

At this point, the system prompts that the entire transition cabin must be covered.

[High-risk individuals awaiting treatment.]

[Time remaining: 30 minutes.]

If reception is not completed within 30 minutes, the Su's transitional chamber will be automatically added to the third-series purification list!