The Mastermind Behind the Scenes, Summoning Yao Li

The night was as black as ink, spilling across the Blue Stone Slabs of Qingfeng City. Even the moonlight was obscured by thick Clouds.

Only a few dim yellow lanterns remained, casting bleak halos as they swayed along the walls of the Ye Clan Estate.

Jing Ke moved like a ghost merging into the darkness as he silently infiltrated the Ye Clan grounds once more.

He employed the Shadow Concealment Stealth Technique, concealing his Aura so flawlessly that even the fallen leaves beneath his feet made no sound.

Only his sharp, hawk-like Eyes gleamed with a cold light in the darkness, fixed intently on the movements deep within the Ye Clan Estate.

Just as he concealed himself atop an ancient locust tree outside the main courtyard,

a Shadow Figure, like a Ghostly Apparition, darted out from the shadows of the courtyard wall. It moved as swiftly as lightning and, after several leaps, slipped into Ye Zhenting's side residence.

Jing Ke's gaze sharpened, and he thought to himself, Who is that?

Then his body flashed, and like a weightless fallen leaf, he silently followed after it. Clinging beneath the eaves of the side residence, he focused and listened closely.

"Ye Zhenting, Ye Junlin, the one you wanted dead, escaped."

"How outrageous! Is this how your Blood Kill Pavilion handles its business?" Ye Zhenting shouted sternly.

The Blood Kill Pavilion assassin spoke to Ye Zhenting in a hoarse, icy voice tinged with impatience:

"Before that old servant died, he used some sort of teleportation talisman. Ye Junlin vanished into thin air, leaving No Shadow No Trace."

"The three of us turned Qingfeng City upside down, yet we still found no trace of him."

"But rest assured, when we made our move, we had already crippled Ye Junlin's dantian."

"Even if he survived by sheer luck, he is nothing more than a cripple now. He cannot cause any trouble."

"Besides, you never told us beforehand that Ye Junlin possessed a teleportation talisman, a life-saving Trump Card. Therefore, the spirit stones will not be refunded."

"Farewell!"

As his words fell, there was only the sound of Sleeves slicing through the air. Evidently, the Blood Kill Pavilion assassin had already left.

Inside, Ye Zhenting's face was so dark it seemed capable of dripping water. He clenched his fists until his knuckles whitened, while a towering fury surged within him.

Not only had the Blood Kill Pavilion failed to complete the task, they had even blamed him for it.

So what if Ye Junlin's dantian had been crippled? Without finding the body, he would remain a threat! Ye Zhenting gritted his teeth, a vicious glint flashing through his Eyes.

That brat Ye Junlin had always been tough to kill. If he really had not died and discovered that they had murdered his parents,

and had even hired assassins to kill him, he would surely return for revenge someday! No, they had to uproot the problem completely!

He took a deep breath, suppressing the agitation in his heart, and shouted loudly:

"Men! Go summon Hao'er and all the Elders to my side residence at once!"

In less than half an incense stick's time, Ye Hao hurried over with several Elders bearing White Hair and Beards.

The moment he entered the room, Ye Hao impatiently asked, "Father, have you summoned us in the dead of night because there is news of Ye Junlin?"

Ye Zhenting looked up at the group and said in a deep voice, "The Blood Kill Pavilion people just came. They failed to find Ye Junlin, but they have already crippled his dantian!"

"What?!"

Ye Hao froze at first, then his face erupted with wild delight. He slapped his thigh and spoke so excitedly that spit flew everywhere:

"Good! Wonderful! Wasn't Ye Junlin exceptionally talented? Wasn't he called the greatest prodigy our Ye Clan had seen in a thousand years?"

"Now that his dantian has been crippled, he is a complete and utter waste! The next time I see him, I will personally break all four of his limbs and make him kneel on the ground and beg me!"

His words were filled with arrogance and venom, as though he could already see Ye Junlin groveling at his feet.

However, the faces of the Elders were rather solemn, even carrying traces of guilt.

First Elder Ye Zhennan stroked his grizzled beard, his brows tightly furrowed, and sighed:

"Patriarch, what you have done... is ultimately somewhat inappropriate."

"Back then, we failed to resist temptation and had already killed his parents."

"How about we let him go? I truly fear that we will suffer divine retribution..."

Second Elder Ye Zhenbei also agreed. "Yes, and before the Old Ancestor passed away, he also told us not to harm him."

"Junlin is, after all, blood of the Ye Clan. In my heart, I truly cannot bear it..."

"Cannot bear it?" Ye Zhenting snorted coldly, sweeping an icy gaze across them all.

"When you supported me in killing his parents, why did none of you find it unbearable then?"

"Besides, we have already allowed him to live on for so many years. If he had merely been mediocre, that would have been one thing."

"But Ye Junlin has been far too dazzling these past few years. If we let him grow stronger and he discovers the truth, would he not come for all our lives?"

"And what about Hao'er and the future of the other younger members of the clan? Would they not all be crushed beneath him?"

"Those who accomplish great things do not concern themselves with trifles. For the future of the Ye Clan, what does sacrificing one more Ye Junlin amount to?"

Hearing this, the Elders all fell silent. They could only lower their heads, their faces filled with complicated emotions.

From atop the eaves, Jing Ke heard every word spoken inside.

His gaze instantly turned glacial, and the killing intent around him nearly burst forth beyond control.

So that was it! The masterminds behind the assassination of the Lord were indeed Ye Zhenting and his group! They had even colluded with some Blood Kill Pavilion!