The Xie Household's Meticulous Plan

Pfft, pfft.

The woman lay beneath the cold night rain, her body convulsing as she vomited blood, blood streaming from the stumps of her severed arms.

Yet she gritted her teeth and refused to speak, fixing Xie An with a pair of venomous eyes before bursting into mad laughter:

"Young Master Mingxi puts on a cold, stern front, but he's really hiding the panic in his heart, isn't he? Your Xie Household has grown rich without mercy—there are countless people in the world who want you dead. So what if I, A Shan, die today? You won't live for long either! Come on, kill me! If you've got the guts, then kill me!"

Xie An's pupils contracted.

This woman was fucking jealous that I had money, but she really was tough as nails.

Xie An had originally intended to use the severing of her arms to push her into utter terror, forcing her to confess truthfully.

After all, most people could not withstand such extreme terror.

But this woman had endured it—and she was asking for a beating.

Xie An pointed his longsword at her neck.

He desperately wanted to bring it down, yet hesitated.

Impulsiveness was the devil.

I can't act rashly.

She's deliberately provoking me. She wants to die.

If I kill her, I'll only grant her wish and free her from suffering.

She's still useful alive.

Stay calm. I have to stay calm.

Huff!

Xie An took a deep breath and finally lowered his sword.

At that moment, Daoist Master Yusu approached beneath an oil-paper umbrella. "That vile woman has enraged you so thoroughly. Why does Young Master Mingxi not kill her?"

Xie An kicked the woman more than ten meters away, then raised his longsword and lightly flicked its blade with a finger. It instantly let out a trembling buzz.

"She deliberately seeks death. If I kill her in anger, I'll only be granting her wish. She's still useful alive."

Daoist Master Yusu said, "She does not fear death. She will not reveal the person behind her. What use is there in keeping her?"

Xie An flicked the blade again, listening to its ring. "I'll use her to lure out the person behind her."

Daoist Master Yusu asked, "How will you lure them out?"

Xie An flicked the blade once more. "It truly is a fine sword. In a few days, I have arranged to meet Xu Wenjie. Xu Wenjie has always enjoyed collecting weapons. If I take this sword with me and play with it before him, he'll surely pester me to sell it to him. When I can no longer bear his pestering, I'll tell him that I recently caught a female thief who framed me and seized it from her. If he likes it, I'll sell it to him."

For the first time, Daoist Master Yusu's furrowed brows relaxed. "What if Xu Wenjie does not buy it?"

Xie An admired his sword. "I have my ways of making him buy it. He has always loved showing off the weapons in his collection. Once his Third Uncle, Xu Zhengyang, recognizes this sword's origins, he will naturally make a move. All I need to do is watch how things unfold."

Daoist Master Yusu stared blankly at the younger brother before her, her eyes brimming with gratification.

The reason Xie Yu had not acted earlier was that she wanted Xie An to gain more experience.

She had watched the entire battle between Xie An and A Shan.

He had courage and strategy, and every detail had been handled to perfection.

It could truly be called exquisite down to the finest hair!

Even the matter of using A Shan to draw out the mastermind had been arranged flawlessly.

Although Xie An's current martial cultivation was still somewhat lacking, Xie Yu could clearly sense it... this younger brother already possessed the ability to stand alone.

Especially that peculiar technique that made people wither—it was simply unfathomable, like ghosts and gods.

From the bottom of her heart, Xie Yu felt gratified and impressed.

Even her sixteen-year-old self might not have measured up to her younger brother as he was now.

Her younger brother... had truly grown up.

Xie An noticed that Daoist Master Yusu had been staring at him. "Yu... Elder Sister, why are you looking at me like that?"

Only then did Xie Yu come back to herself. "Your father asked me to teach you martial arts properly. Having watched Young Master Mingxi fight just now, I found it most exquisite and merely felt somewhat moved. Was today Young Master Mingxi's first time killing someone?"

Xie An did not hide it. "Yes."

Xie Yu asked, "How did killing someone feel?"

Xie An carefully recalled the sensation from before. "At first, I was a little nervous and uncomfortable. After getting used to it... it felt great. It was the feeling of ruling over another person's fate."

Xie Yu smiled, and her approval of her younger brother deepened.

Her younger brother was someone capable of achieving great things.

The Xie Residence had an heir!

If Mother knew, she would surely be gratified.

"Elder Sister, let's return." Xie An grabbed A Shan, then turned back to glance at the maid crouched beneath the eaves, trembling violently, before striding toward her.

When the maid saw Xie An walking toward her, she was so frightened that she immediately dropped to her knees, trembling as she cried, "Don't kill me, don't kill me..."

Xie An said coldly, "What is your name?"

The maid was so nervous that she could barely breathe. "Th-this servant is called... Osmanthus."

Xie An said, "If you want to live, keep your mouth shut."

The maid nodded fiercely like a chicken pecking at grain.

Xie An added, "Come with me. You'll serve in the West Courtyard of the Xie Residence."

Leaving this girl behind would be a hidden danger. By rights, killing her directly would have been the safest course.

But she looked innocent and pitiful. Xie An was not some deranged murderous fiend, so he thought it would be enough to place her in the Xie Residence and keep watch over her.

The group braved the rain and arrived at the gates of the West Courtyard of the Xie Residence.

Xie An cupped his hands toward Daoist Master Yusu. "Elder Sister has worked hard all night. I'll have Cai Xia arrange a guest room, so Elder Sister may rest early."

But Xie Yu waved a hand. "I have my own place to stay, so I will not remain overnight at the residence. Tomorrow, I will come to the West Courtyard to teach Young Master Mingxi martial arts."

Seeing that her attitude was resolute, Xie An did not insist. "The rain outside is heavy. I'll have someone prepare a carriage for Elder Sister's convenience."

"No need for the trouble. I am accustomed to coming and going alone. Once I see your father, I will return. Young Master Mingxi should rest early." Leaving those words behind, Xie Yu turned and departed.

Xie Yu went directly to the study in the Central Courtyard.

It was already late at night, yet Xie Zhengtang and Uncle Shui were still drinking tea in the study. From time to time, they looked outside, clearly worried about Xie An and Xie Yu's actions that night.

The moment Xie Zhengtang saw Xie Yu enter, he abruptly stood. "Yu'er, did tonight's operation go smoothly?"

After taking her seat, Xie Yu said, "Everything went smoothly."

Xie Zhengtang let out a long breath. "It was fortunate that Yu'er took action this time. Otherwise..."

Xie Yu interrupted him. "Actually, I did not do much. Younger Brother handled everything. Even without me tonight, he could have settled it properly on his own."

Hm?

Uncle Shui and Xie Zhengtang were both stunned.

Xie An had done it all?

Xie Zhengtang said with a smile, "Yu'er, although you dote on Mingxi, you must not favor him too much."

"I am not favoring him. Younger Brother truly was outstanding..." Xie Yu recounted the entire matter in detail.

After hearing her out, Uncle Shui and Xie Zhengtang looked at each other, then both revealed gratified smiles.

"It seems Mingxi has truly grown up!" There was even a faint glimmer in Xie Zhengtang's eyes.

Xie Yu said, "However, A Shan, Xu Zhengyang's adopted daughter, revealed to Younger Brother that our Xie Residence is constructing granaries and silver vaults in Wuqiao Town. She even stated the exact amounts. This matter likely involves not only Registrar Xu, but also the four great old clans of Wuqiao Town. Once word spreads, the Xie Household's plan, painstakingly laid out over many years, may be thrown into complete disorder."

The smile on Xie Zhengtang's face gradually froze. "My construction of granaries and silver vaults in Wuqiao Town has always been kept secret. Only a handful of people know of it in total. How could an adopted daughter of a registrar know?"