Stained with Blood

"Kill who? Xia Wenlin?" Xu Yuan murmured, reaching out to take the dossier and skimming through it, only to find that what Lou Ji had handed him was a project "proposal." A proposal to kill someone. Reading through it carefully, Xu Yuan murmured under his breath, "To be carried out in a year at the earliest..." Lou Ji pursed her lips into a smile. "Though Xia Wenlin is only at the third rank of cultivation, making a move at this critical juncture would be far too obvious. What do you think, Changtian?" "What do I think?" Xu Yuan laid the sheets of paper on the desk and shook his head. "I think there's no need for this at all." Lou Ji leaned against the back of her chair, twirling a lock of hair around her fingertip, her voice light and airy. "For this whole affair, the Wanxiang Sect basically has this Xia Wenlin overseeing everything. You must have had a taste of his methods earlier. Don't you think he's a nuisance?" Xu Yuan was the one in charge on the Chancellor's Manor's side, while the Wanxiang Sect had this newly emerged Xia Wenlin. Xu Yuan leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk and clasping his hands together, asking back with a smile, "Why would he be a nuisance? On the contrary, I feel having such a clever person in the Wanxiang Sect works even better to our advantage." Lou Ji's twirling finger paused slightly. "Why?" Xu Yuan countered with a thin, unsmiling grin, "Even if Xia Wenlin sees through our plan, what can he do about it?" Lou Ji's brows furrowed slightly. "The scheme you drafted earlier will run into tremendous trouble—it might even grind to a halt." Xu Yuan waved his hand and poured himself some tea. The fragrant, amber tea flowed from the spout in the sunlight, splashing into the porcelain cup with rising steam. Blowing away the hot vapor, Xu Yuan gazed into Lou Ji's deep pupils, turned emerald by her cultivation method. "Those dry shares we handed out have already been swallowed down by the aristocratic families. No matter how capable Xia Wenlin is, can he make them spit them back out?" Lou Ji's chest rose and fell as she sighed, sharing the intelligence gathered by the Black Scale Guards: "Changtian, this is a complicated matter. The Xia family of Wanxiang isn't that powerful; they only control a few marginal industries. For Xia Wenlin to rise to power, there must be someone backing him from behind. Moreover, the ones supporting him are most likely at the level of the Wanxiang Sect Master himself, perhaps even with the backing of several of the most vital elders. If that really is the case, Changtian, do you still think it's impossible?" "Impossible," Xu Yuan answered unequivocally. "..." Lou Ji rubbed her brow in exasperation. "Father, the Emperor." "..." Hearing that, Lou Ji's eyes suddenly narrowed. Xu Yuan slowly finished the hot tea in his cup and exhaled a breath. Leaning back against his chair, he tilted his head up toward the high rafters, his eyes faint and brooding. "Sister, the realm does not belong to the imperial clan alone, but to both the imperial clan and the sects. Likewise, a sect does not belong to the Sect Master alone, but to the aristocratic families. For them to achieve peaceful reform is simply impossible..." Lou Ji's beautiful eyes were filled with surprise as she stared blankly at the clean-featured young man in white robes across from her. A few breaths later, the corners of her lips curved upward. "But Changtian, the specific details of these two matters are entirely different. "There are several great clans within the Wanxiang Sect. Once they join forces, the other families won't be able to resist. And at forty-seven years old, Xia Wenlin's cultivation is still only at the third rank, which destined him never to become the Xu Yinhe of the Wanxiang Sect. Those clans can support him without reservation." Saying that, Lou Ji leaned forward and propped her chin on her hand, looking at Xu Yuan with keen interest. "Although the likelihood of such a scenario is slim, if it does happen, how do you plan to handle this worst-case scenario? We might just get outmaneuvered instead~" "..." Xu Yuan didn't speak, but his expression grew strange, and he pointed at Lou Ji. "..." Silence. Lou Ji was stunned for an instant, then clutched her stomach and let out a breathless, stifled chuckle. She laughed until she swayed like a flowering branch in the wind, shaking so much that Xu Yuan's gaze wavered along with her. Great Yan had no external force to compel its reform, but the Wanxiang Sect did. Xu Yuan's goal from the very beginning had been to use this opportunity to weaken the Wanxiang Sect to the greatest extent. Now that the Chancellor's Manor had intervened in the Wanxiang Sect's internal affairs, if things proceeded by the book, it might take a very long time. But if Xia Wenlin actually dared to take action—even if he only chopped meat with a blunt knife—he would merely be driving the other aristocratic families right into their arms. As long as Lou Ji maneuvered properly, the Wanxiang Sect would instantly split into two factions: One pro-Xia Wenlin, and one pro-Chancellor's Manor. After a long while, finished with her laughter, she stood up and swayed her hips toward the door of the wing. Lou Ji suddenly halted in her tracks, glancing sideways at the figure still serenely sipping his tea from behind, and said softly, "Since our Changtian has put it that way, this big sister will go make the arrangements right away. As for today's official handover duties..." Xu Yuan didn't turn around, merely waving his hand. "I understand. You want them waiting for you to handle when you get back, right? Don't worry, I won't steal them from you." "..." Lou Ji froze, her fists clenching as she let out a cold huff and strode away. Yet after taking a few paces, she couldn't stop the corners of her pursed lips from curving upward. She glanced back at the wing, her eyes overflowing with laughter. The person was gone and the room was empty, yet the fragrance lingered. Xu Yuan unhurriedly drank the medicinal tea Lou Ji had cultivated herself. Supposedly, that old auntie claimed this stuff had similar wonders to Flame Spirit Fluid, but Xu Yuan hadn't felt any noticeable change. As he was thinking, "Third Brother..." A soft call came from behind a folding screen in the room, followed by the valiant, spirited Xu Xinyao slowly walking out. Xu Yuan glanced sideways at her, raising an eyebrow. "How long have you been here?" Xu Xinyao walked up to Xu Yuan. After a brief silence, she confessed honestly, "I had something to look for you about earlier, but I ran into Sister Lou Ji. She told me to stand back there and listen." Xu Yuan nodded upon hearing this. There was nothing from earlier that had to be kept from his adoptive sister. "What did you need me for?" Xu Xinyao parted her lips, hesitating as if struggling to speak. Seeing this, Xu Yuan looked at her in confusion and chuckled softly. "Just say whatever it is. As long as you behave, it's not like I'm going to beat you like Xu Changge does." Xu Xinyao gritted her teeth. "Third Brother, is there really no way to change things peacefully..." *Smack—* "..." Silence. Xu Yuan narrowed his eyes at his adoptive sister, so furious he nearly choked. The Wanxiang Sect had already exposed its true colors down to the marrow, yet she still harbored such naive notions. Xu Xinyao covered her cheek, her eyes cast downward and brimming with tears. "Third Brother... I went to see East City." Xu Yuan took a deep breath and sat back down in his chair. "I already had them keep the casualties to an absolute minimum." Xu Xinyao bit her lip and said in a low voice, "I know, but..." "I don't want to hit you again." Xu Yuan rubbed his brow and cut her off, his voice quiet. "What did you come to see me for in the first place?" Xu Xinyao sniffled, not pressing the matter further, and replied softly, "Colonel Wang..." "..." Hearing that name, a flicker of contemplation showed in Xu Yuan's eyes. "I understand. Have someone bring him here to see me." "Mm..." Dejected, Xu Xinyao nodded, turned around, and walked out. Xu Yuan tilted his head, watching her figure vanish beyond the doorway, and let out a long sigh. He had visited East City as well, surveying it thoroughly. There were many more people selling their sons and abandoning their daughters, and many more displaced by the conflict. To say the impact of war was negligible only applied to a city as vast as Wanxiang City; when it fell upon an individual, it weighed as heavy as Mount Tai... In the silence, Xu Yuan looked down at his own hands. The lines on his palms were distinct, yet they had already begun to be stained with blood... As his thoughts drifted, A snow-white jade hand reached out from beyond his lowered gaze and gently rested atop his own, cool to the touch.