Ye Feng simply shrugged and said, "Can't be bothered to think about it. Whatever you say we do, Boss, that's what we'll do."
Li Guanqi gave a faint smile, never really expecting Ye Feng's brain to figure these things out.
Watching the massive heavenly tribulation taking shape in the sky, he murmured to himself, "Fang Yishan should have seen that shadow-casting stone by now."
The reason he had done this was because he felt Fang Yishan was no easy mark either.
Although Fang Yishan's aura hadn't felt especially profound at the time, Li Guanqi had a nagging sense that he was even trickier to deal with than Fang Zhongnan.
And the end result he wanted was, ideally, for the two brothers to turn against each other, so he and his companions could reap the spoils as the fisherman.
In his view, Fang Yishan was definitely a ruthless, vicious character.
***
Changfeng Villa.
Inside his room, Fang Yishan clutched the shadow-casting stone, his face terrifyingly grim.
Even though Guan Lin was nothing more than a plaything to him, she was still not someone Fang Zhongnan was permitted to touch!
Moreover, from Fang Zhongnan's words, he clearly sensed that his younger brother seemed to be measuring himself against him.
Toying with the shadow-casting stone in his hand, Fang Yishan leaned back against his chair with lowered eyes, sharp glints flickering in his gaze as his thoughts churned.
Tapping his fingers lightly on the desk, Fang Yishan murmured under his breath, "After all these years, you're still as scheming as ever..."
With that, he pulled out a jade slip and spoke softly, "Keep an eye on Fang Zhongnan for me. See if anything is going on on his end."
An elderly voice soon came from the jade slip, saying solemnly, "Understood, Villa Master!"
Yet just as he was about to set the jade slip down, the old man's voice came through once more.
"Villa Master, early this morning, the Second Elder hurried out of the villa."
Putting down the jade slip, Fang Yishan frowned tightly, wondering why the father and son would meet up so early in the morning.
Fang Yishan slowly rose, and with a single step, vanished from the room.
In midair above Fang Zhongnan's courtyard not far away, Fang Yishan concealed his presence, watching with his own eyes as Fang Zhongnan left.
The burly man calmly departed the villa and made his way to a deserted back mountain!
Inside a cave on the back mountain, the conversation between the old man and Fang Zhongnan fell entirely upon the ears of Fang Yishan, who was hiding in the shadows.
"How could you be so careless?!"
"How was I supposed to know someone could waltz into the villa in broad daylight?!"
"Hmph! Take a look at this note."
"The other party clearly recorded your antics on a shadow-casting stone."
"What's unclear is whether they intend to blackmail us, or... they've already handed it over to Fang Yishan!"
The burly man sneered, looking down at the shadow-casting stone in his hand with a cold smirk. "Hmph! Just some petty rats."
"If I run into them again, I'll definitely slaughter them!"
The old man scolded him in exasperation, "What good does catching them do? What matters right now is whether they gave this thing to Fang Yishan!"
Fang Zhongnan gave a cold laugh and said in a low voice, "Hmph! So what if Big Brother finds out? He wouldn't turn on me at a time like this. Besides, even if he did, it's not like I'd necessarily be afraid of him!"
In the distance, Fang Yishan's face was terrifyingly dark. His eyes shifted constantly, but in the end, he chose not to make a sound.
Glints flickered in his eyes. Fang Yishan cast a deep, piercing glance into the cave, and was just about to turn and leave.
Suddenly!
Frustrated, Fang Zhongnan crushed the shadow-casting stone in his hand.
*Bang!*
"Let's just leave it at that. Nothing's going to happen!"
Yet immediately following the crack, a slightly raspy voice came from the shattered shadow-casting stone—Li Guanqi deliberately lowering his pitch!
"Fang Zhongnan, we of the Great Xia Sword Sect agree to your terms!"
"Hand over the hostage, and we will help you seize the villa!"
Outside the cave, Fang Yishan's pupils instantly shrank to the size of needlepoints!
He felt an overwhelming urge to charge in and confront Fang Zhongnan face-to-face!
Yet with his temperament, he was not one to act on impulse.
All of this seemed far too abnormal. If this message truly came from the Great Xia Sword Sect...
Then why would they also leave a shadow-casting stone for him?
At this thought, Fang Yishan quietly slipped away.
Upon returning to the villa, he immediately sealed off Fang Zhongnan's courtyard!
After a search, sure enough, a jade slip was discovered beneath the roof tiles!
When he saw this jade slip, Fang Yishan's face darkened to the absolute limit.
The jade slip had naturally been left by Li Guanqi, and as for its contents...
It provided ample proof that Fang Zhongnan was colluding in secret with the Great Xia Sword Sect to usurp his position as villa master!
For the kidnapping of the Great Xia Sword Sect disciple was something only a select few of them knew about!
With fury boiling beyond restraint, Fang Yishan even began to suspect that his son's death was tied to Fang Zhongnan as well!
Meanwhile, after Fang Yishan departed, the voice lingering from the shadow-casting stone had still not faded away.
"Heh heh, I am indeed framing you."
"However... if I guessed correctly, Fang Yishan was already trailing you."
"By now, he has probably started searching your room."
"I left a great gift for you—the kind you won't ever be able to explain away."
Fang Zhongnan and the old man's faces turned as dark as stagnant water. Only now did they realize they had been played.
"Fang Yishan probably blames his son's death on you by now as well."
"As for what to do next, I wish you luck."
The voice completely dissipated, leaving both men with dreadful expressions.
The old man glared at the burly man and snapped irritably, "Hmph! Can't keep what's in your pants under control!"
"What do we do now?"
"Even if Fang Yishan wouldn't turn on you over a woman, with this person fanning the flames, who can say for sure?"
Fang Zhongnan's gaze grew increasingly vicious, and with a ruthless glint in his eyes, he drew a finger across his neck.
The old man's breath hitched, and he whispered, "Will that work? I always feel Fang Yishan isn't that simple!"
The burly man said in a low voice, "Dad, we two have hidden our strength for so long, what are we still waiting for? Why not seize this chance to... him?!"
*Rumble!*
The sky boomed, and countless auras began rapidly closing in on the back mountain!
Having made up his mind, Fang Yishan acted with lethal resolve, leading his men straight to the back mountain to kill!
Treading on empty air with a longsword in hand, Fang Yishan looked calm and cold, murder gleaming in his shifting gaze.
Behind him stood Changfeng Villa's other consecrator, the early Core Formation cultivator Lin Hua!
Surrounding them were dozens of Foundation Establishment cultivators hovering atop flying swords.
Sensing the commotion, a cold glint flashed in Fang Zhongnan's eyes. Drawing his longsword, he sneered, "Looks like someone has made up his mind..."
"Worthy of being my big brother. In terms of ruthlessness, I truly pale in comparison!"
By now, the old man also shed the false deference and cautious demeanor he had shown back in the main hall, replaced instead by overwhelming confidence and pride.
"Heh heh, since he has a death wish, let's grant it to him!"
*Whoosh! Whoosh!*
One after the other, the two shot into the air, stopping barely ten zhang away from the opposing side.
Fang Yishan kept his eyes lowered, staring at Fang Zhongnan like a vulture as he said in a low voice, "My dear brother, after all these years, your treacherous ambitions still haven't died."
Fang Zhongnan sneered, pointing his sword at Fang Yishan as he called out, "Fang Yishan, drop the hypocritical act."
"Was there ever any brotherly affection between us? Hahahahaha!"
"Since you have murder in your heart, let me tell you this:"
"Either you cripple your own cultivation today, or... you die!"
*Boom!*
The auras of Fang Jin and Fang Zhongnan erupted with a deafening roar. Under the release of terrifying pressure, both of their auras surged instantaneously into late Core Formation!
Fang Yishan's gaze remained calm. Looking at the two, he said, "Is this where your confidence comes from?"
Chapter 216