Bloodstained

"Kill whom? Xia Wenlin?"

Xu Yuan murmured to himself, reached out and took the document, glanced at it briefly, and found that Lou Ji had handed him was a project "plan".

A murder plot.

After reading it carefully, Xu Yuan murmured to himself:

"Implementation could take as little as one year."

Lou Ji smiled, pursing her lips.

"Although Xia Wenlin only has a third-grade cultivation level, it would be too obvious for him to make a move at this critical juncture. Changtian, what do you think?"

What I think...

Xu Yuan placed the paper document on the table and shook his head. "I don't think it's necessary at all."

Lou Ji leaned back in her chair, her fingertips lightly twirling her black hair, her voice soft and airy:

"Xia Wenlin is basically in charge of the overall situation at the Wanxiang Sect in this incident. You should have experienced his methods before. Don't you think he's a troublesome person?"

This time, Xu Yuan is in charge of the Prime Minister's Estate, while Xia Wenlin, the newly appointed head of the Myriad Wanxiang Sect, is in charge.

Xu Yuan leaned forward, elbows on the table, hands clasped together, and asked with a smile:

"Why is it troublesome? I actually think it's more advantageous for us to have such a clever person in the Wanxiang Sect."

Lou Ji paused slightly in the motion of curling her hair with her fingertips, and asked:

"Why?"

Xu Yuan countered with a forced smile:

"What can Xia Wenlin do even though he saw through our plan?"

Lou Ji frowned slightly:

"Your previous plan will be very troublesome, even extremely difficult to implement."

Xu Yuan waved his hand and poured himself some tea.

Amber-colored fragrant tea flowed from the spout of the teapot under the sunlight, pouring into porcelain cups, steam rising from the surface.

As he blew out cooling mist, Xu Yuan stared at Lou Ji's dark green eyes, which had turned emerald green due to her Cultivation Method.

"Those shares we gave out have all been bought up by those Aristocratic Clan. No matter how capable Xia Wenlin is, do you think he can make them give them back?"

Lou Ji's chest heaved, she sighed, and recited the intelligence gathered by the Black Scale Guard:

"Changtian, this is a very complicated matter. The Wanxiang Xia Family is not very powerful, only controlling some peripheral industries. Xia Wenlin's rise to power must be supported by someone, and that person is most likely at the level of the Wanxiang Sect Master, and may even include the most important elders. If that's the case, Changtian, do you still think it's impossible?"

"Impossible," Xu Yuan replied decisively.

Lou Ji rubbed her temples helplessly.

"Father, Emperor."

"."

Lou Ji's eyes suddenly narrowed upon hearing this.

Xu Yuan slowly finished the hot tea in his cup, exhaled, leaned back in his chair, tilted his head back, and looked up at the high ceiling beams, his eyes filled with a melancholy:

"Sister, the world does not belong to the royal family, but to the royal family and the sects. And the sects do not belong to the sect leader, but to the aristocratic Aristocratic Clan. It is impossible for them to bring about peaceful change."

Lou Ji stared blankly at the handsome white-robed man opposite her, her beautiful eyes filled with surprise.

After a few breaths,

Lou Ji's lips curled up:

"But Changtian, the specific details of these two things are completely different."

"There are several powerful Aristocratic Clan within the Wanxiang Sect. Once they unite, the other Aristocratic Clan will be unable to resist them. Xia Wenlin, at forty-seven years old, is still only at the third rank in cultivation, which means he can never become Xu Yinhe of the Wanxiang Sect. These Aristocratic Clan can support him without reservation."

As he spoke,

Lou Ji leaned forward, propped her chin on her hand, and stared at Xu Yuan with great interest:

"While this scenario is unlikely, if it did happen, how would you handle this worst-case scenario? We might end up being outmaneuvered!"

"."

Xu Yuan didn't speak upon hearing this, but his expression gradually became strange, and he pointed at Lou Ji.

"."

silence.

Lou Ji was stunned for a moment, then burst into low laughter, laughing heartily.

She laughed so hard her body trembled, and Xu Yuan's eyes followed her laughter.

The Great Yan has no external force that can change it, but the Wanxiang Sect does.

Xu Yuan's initial goal was to use this opportunity to weaken the Myriad Wanxiang Sect as much as possible.

Now that the Prime Minister's Estate has intervened in the Wanxiang Sect, if things proceed step by step, this process may take a long time. However, if Xia Wenlin dares to take action, even if it's just chopping meat with a dull knife, it will still push the people of other Aristocratic Clan to their side.

If Lou Ji handles things properly, the Wanxiang Sect will directly split into two factions.

One faction favored Xia Wenlin, while the other favored the Prime Minister's Estate.

After a while,

After laughing, she stood up and swayed to the door of the room. Lou Ji suddenly stopped, glanced sideways at the back of the figure who was still leisurely drinking tea, and said softly:

"Since you've said so, Changtian, then I'll go and arrange these handover duties for today."

Xu Yuan didn't turn around, but raised his hand and waved:

"I understand. I'll wait for you to come back and handle it, right? Don't worry, I won't take it from you."

"."

Lou Ji's expression froze, her fists clenched, she snorted coldly, and quickly walked away.

But after taking a few steps away, the corners of her lips, which she had been pursing, couldn't help but curve into a smile. She glanced back at the room, her eyes full of laughter.

The building was deserted, but the fragrance lingered. Xu Yuan leisurely sipped the medicinal tea that Lou Ji had personally cultivated.

The old lady said this stuff was similar to the Flame Spirit Fluid, but Xu Yuan didn't feel any change.

Just as I was thinking,

"Third Brother."

A soft call came from behind a screen in the room, and then the dashing Xu Xinyao walked out slowly.

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan glanced sideways and raised an eyebrow.

How long have you been here?

Xu Xinyao walked up to Xu Yuan, remained silent for a moment, and honestly confessed:

"I needed to talk to you earlier, but I ran into Lou Ji, and she told me to stand in the back and listen."

Xu Yuan nodded upon hearing this. There was nothing about what had just happened that he couldn't let his sworn sister know.

What do you want from me?

Xu Xinyao opened her mouth, but hesitated, as if she wanted to say something.

Seeing this, Xu Yuan looked puzzled and said softly with a smile:

"Just tell me what's on your mind. As long as you listen to me, I won't beat you up like Xu Changge did."

Xu Xinyao gritted her teeth:

"Third Brother, there's really no way to change things peacefully."

"Snap--"

"."

silence.

Xu Yuan squinted at his sworn sister, almost fainting from anger.

The virtuous conduct of the Wanxiang Sect has already been fully revealed, yet she still harbors this thought.

Xu Xinyao covered her face, but her eyes were lowered, filled with tears.

"Third Brother, I went to check on the east side of the East City."

Xu Yuan took a deep breath and sat back down in his chair:

"I have instructed them to minimize casualties."

Xu Xinyao bit her lip and said softly:

"I know, but..."

I don't want to hit you anymore.

Xu Yuan interrupted her, rubbing his temples, and said in a low voice:

"Why did you come to me in the first place?"

Xu Xinyao sniffed, not saying much about it, and replied softly:

"Colonel Wang"

"."

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan's eyes flashed with a thoughtful expression. "I understand. Have someone bring him to see me."

"Hmm," Xu Xinyao nodded dejectedly, then turned and walked out.

Xu Yuan glanced at her retreating figure as she disappeared through the doorway, then let out a long sigh.

He also visited East City and examined it carefully.

There were many more people selling their children and abandoning their families there, and many more people displaced by the war.

The war's impact is minimal, as it targets the vast Wanxiang City, but if it falls on an individual, it will be as heavy as Mount Tai.

In silence, Xu Yuan looked down at his hands.

The palm lines were clear, but they had already begun to bleed.

As thoughts wandered,

A snow-white, jade-like hand reached out from his lowered gaze and gently pressed against his hand; it was icy cold.

One more chapter to come, a little later.