Chapter 47: Loyalty Is My Creed

Meanwhile, in another secluded courtyard, Ye Aotian narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at Chen Along by his side. “How much chance do you think we have this time?”

“Last time, our plan was to wipe them all out, but who would have expected that, at the most critical moment, Qin Guosheng managed to escape?” Chen Along replied. “It’s a pity we didn’t get to finish him off ourselves; instead, someone framed us for the whole matter.”

At this point, Ye Aotian’s heart was filled with annoyance. He didn’t mind shouldering the blame for Qin Guosheng’s death, but what truly irked him was that he became the scapegoat and gained nothing for his trouble. Anyone in his position would feel the same.

“Young Master, you already handled things perfectly last time. Those fools still naively believe they’re worthy of contending with us,” Chen Along said, bowing his head and flattering Ye Aotian with awkward sincerity. “But they’ll never understand that, no matter how hard they try, in your eyes, they’re nothing but trash.”

Ye Aotian felt a bit embarrassed by such clumsy flattery. “What surprises me more is the current state of the Qin family,” he continued. “It seems they’re not as formidable as we imagined; we haven’t even made a move, and they’re already losing their composure.”

“Since that’s the case, it’s time we teach these arrogant fools a lesson,” Ye Aotian declared, rising to his feet. “There are many aspects of my identity I can’t reveal just yet, but if I can bring the Qin family to heel, they’ll become part of my power as well.”

“With that, negotiations and cooperation with the Leng family will go much more smoothly. Once Leng Ningxue is in my grasp, the other three great families will also fall into my hands.”

Hearing Ye Aotian’s ambitious words, Chen Along immediately knelt on the ground. “Young Master, you are unmatched!”

Ye Aotian glanced at Chen Along with embarrassment but simply waved his hand dismissively, saying nothing more.

On the other side, when Lin Li learned that Ye Aotian was about to make a move against the Qin family, he summoned Fang Tai. In Lin Li’s mind, Fang Tai was the easiest person to sway.

Or rather, Fang Tai had always been wholeheartedly loyal to the Qin family. Unlike Zhou Huaji and Qiu Bisheng, who were planning their betrayals, Fang Tai had never entertained such thoughts. Even now, he was determined to avenge Qin Guosheng.

But Lin Li knew that if Fang Tai ever discovered he was the one responsible for Qin Guosheng’s death, Fang Tai would never follow his lead. So while using Fang Tai, Lin Li had to tread carefully; if the truth ever came out, things would become very troublesome. However, Fang Tai was a straightforward man—so much so that even if someone else told him the truth, he might not believe it.

“Brother Lin,” Fang Tai greeted as soon as he arrived, “I bet you’ve called me here for a secret mission. After all, I haven’t seen Old Zhou or Old Qiu anywhere.”

The moment he saw Lin Li, Fang Tai immediately cast himself in the role of a warrior about to undertake a special assignment. Lin Li didn’t quite know how to respond and simply shook his head with a smile.

“The situation isn’t looking good,” Lin Li said. “I called you here today to tell you something important. Qin Guosheng was killed by Ye Aotian. I thought that after killing Qin Guosheng, Ye Aotian would lie low for a while, but I didn’t expect him to start plotting the complete destruction of the Qin family so soon.”

“His goal is to annihilate all of the Qin family’s leadership and take their place himself.”

At these words, rage surged in Fang Tai’s heart. He slammed his fist down on the stone table, cracking it in an instant—a testament to his fury.

“That damned Ye Aotian! Does he really think our Qin family is something he can toy with at will?” Fang Tai spat. “Brother Lin, just tell me what you need. Even if I have to walk through fire and blades, I’ll flay Ye Aotian alive!”

Seeing Fang Tai so fired up, Lin Li patted him on the shoulder and smiled. “Actually, things are going smoother than we expected. There’s no need for anything so extreme. Ye Aotian may be capable, but if he wants to deal with us, he’ll have to pay a price.”

Lin Li then added, “I called you here today because I need you to gather some men to deal with Ye Aotian with me.”

“What’s more, compared to Zhou Huaji and Qiu Bisheng, your connections in the martial world are much stronger. You might be able to bring in several formidable experts to join our cause.”

This was no exaggeration—Fang Tai was known for his loyalty and righteousness, earning him a sterling reputation and a network of powerful allies in the martial world. With Fang Tai’s help, Lin Li could assemble an impressive force, and there would be little risk of anyone betraying them to Ye Aotian.

Though Ye Aotian, famed as the War God of the Borderlands, was renowned far and wide, that didn’t make him invincible. In fact, there were quite a few in the martial world who harbored grudges against him—some of whom Fang Tai happened to know personally.

“Leave it to me,” Fang Tai said confidently. “Ye Aotian is nothing. Qin Guosheng never took him seriously before, which is why he didn’t warn us. If we unite our forces, taking down Ye Aotian will be a breeze.”

Fang Tai spoke with unwavering confidence. He knew better than anyone the strength he commanded and understood precisely how much he could accomplish, even when facing daunting odds. Ye Aotian might be powerful, but he was no threat to Fang Tai in this matter.

Seeing Fang Tai’s resolve, Lin Li finally breathed a sigh of relief. Clearly, Fang Tai was still loyal to the Qin family and had no idea what had transpired before.

“But Brother Lin, shouldn’t we discuss this with Old Zhou and Old Qiu?” Fang Tai asked. As soon as the words left his mouth, Lin Li’s expression shifted, tension flickering across his face. Fang Tai grew anxious and pressed, “Brother Lin, what’s going on? Just tell me—if there’s anything troubling you about those two…”

Watching Fang Tai’s earnest concern, Lin Li sighed deeply and shook his head. “We’re all brothers here. Normally, I’d never want to see discord between us, but those two have gone too far at times. You know the four great families are watching us like hawks. Right now, the Ning family is already reaching out to them…”