Set the Plan!

"What did this have to do with you? Father, explain it clearly. What exactly was going on?" Xiao Yan pressed. It was not just Xiao Yan; even the Xiao Clan members who knew nothing of the inside story looked over curiously.

Seeing the looks around him, Xiao Zhan knew he could no longer keep it hidden. He could only sigh and say, "Sigh, since things have come to this, I won't hide it from you anymore. This was all my fault, really. Half a year ago, I received letters from your two elder brothers. They said they had both reached the Great Dou Master realm and established something called the Mo Iron Mercenary Group. In short, they were doing quite well in the Tagore Great Desert. I got carried away and let it slip, letting the other two clans find out. On top of that, my own cultivation had broken through to Six-Star Great Dou Master at the time. The other two clans felt threatened, so they joined forces against our Xiao Clan."

"Sigh, I failed to follow your advice, Yan'er, to keep quiet and make a fortune. I let the news leak out. Otherwise, how could things have come to this today?" Xiao Zhan lowered his head in shame. Now that Xiao Yan knew about this, Xiao Zhan had no doubt that Xiao Yan's strength could resolve it. Still, it was a father's mistake that his son had to clean up, and that filled him with shame.

"Enough, Father. You don't need to say any more. This isn't your fault. In the end, the other two clans simply couldn't stand seeing our Xiao Clan prosper. This conflict was bound to happen sooner or later. As it happens, I came back this time to help our Xiao Clan rise another step. I had thought it might be improper to stir up trouble for no reason. Now it's perfect—we don't even need to look for a reason." Xiao Yan sneered.

"Young Master Xiao Yan is right! We should use this opportunity to wipe them out directly. Tomorrow, we'll march right to their doors!" one of the more hot-blooded men shouted.

"No, we should still keep a lower profile. Don't forget that Wutan City also has the City Lord's Manor. The city lord is at the Peak Great Dou Master realm, no weaker than Young Master Xiao Yan. We must be cautious," one of the more conservative people said.

"I'm talking about the Jia Lie Clan and the Oba Clan. What did that have to do with the City Lord's Manor?"

"How could it not? Jia Lie and Oba have been targeting us for half a year. How could they have done so without the city lord's tacit approval? Do you think every city has things like three major clans or three major mercenary groups for no reason? It is precisely because the City Lord's Manor of each city, or other forces above the city, divide power among them!"

"So you mean we should just keep taking the beating?"

"That's not what I mean!"

"Then what do you mean?!"

"I..."

As those below argued endlessly, Xiao Yan instead calmed down. He kept picking up dishes before him and putting them into his mouth. From time to time, he also served some to the Little Fairy Doctor beside him, telling her to eat more or she would have no flesh on her body and would not feel good to hold. This earned him several eye-rolls from the Little Fairy Doctor, making even Xiao Zhan wonder whether he ought to remarry.

"Ahem, Yan'er, how do you plan to resolve this?" Xiao Zhan's single question instantly silenced the arguing crowd. They knew that no matter how much they said, the one truly making the decision was this young man before them.

Under everyone's gaze, Xiao Yan unhurriedly put the meat from his chopsticks into his mouth and chewed it carefully. Then he said leisurely, "There's no rush. Whether it's the two clans or the City Lord's Manor, there's nothing to worry about. But from now on, forget the idea of directly attacking the two clans and wiping them out."

"Young Master Xiao Yan, they..." The hot-blooded man wanted to say more, but Xiao Yan stopped him with one hand.

"Listen to me first. If I'm not mistaken, the people sent to disrupt our Xiao Clan's businesses were either street thugs hired from outside or juniors from those two clans."

"That is correct," said the person in charge of the Xiao Clan's businesses.

"You see, if you say we should destroy the two clans over people like that, who knows what others would think of us? Our Xiao Clan is a righteous and benevolent household. How could we do such a thing?" Xiao Yan declared with righteous solemnity.

A few particularly old-fashioned people felt that Xiao Yan's words made perfect sense. They looked at him with admiration, their eyes practically sparkling with stars.

The more practical people, such as the three elders, became somewhat anxious. They could only wonder whether Xiao Yan had cultivated himself stupid. How could he say something like that?

"But, Young Master Xiao Yan, if that is the case, does our Xiao Clan have no choice but to passively endure their attacks?"

"Of course not!" Xiao Yan immediately retorted. "Over these years outside, I have not merely improved my cultivation. I also learned a little alchemy. I plan to refine some first- and second-tier medicinal pills and sell them in our Xiao Clan's shops. The Jia Lie Clan and Oba Clan can stop the other two clans from buying ordinary goods, but can they stop them from buying medicinal pills?"

"What? Young Master Xiao Yan even knows alchemy?" someone exclaimed.

"But if we do that, won't the patriarchs and elders of the Jia Lie Clan and Oba Clan come straight to our Xiao Clan?" someone asked worriedly.

"First Elder, according to the laws of the Jia Ma Empire, what is the punishment for trespassing into someone's home?" Xiao Yan suddenly asked.

"This..." The First Elder's brows twitched. He seemed to have guessed Xiao Yan's plan, yet still found it hard to believe. He tested the waters as he said, "According to the laws of the Jia Ma Empire, those who trespass into another's home... may be killed by the owner without punishment!"

"Did you all hear that?" Xiao Yan swept his gaze across the crowd and spoke flatly.

Everyone shuddered. Only then did they realize that Xiao Yan was not the harmless gentleman they had imagined him to be.

"Still, why make this so troublesome? Wouldn't it be better to attack them directly?" someone asked in confusion.

"You don't understand. If we directly attack and wipe out their entire clans, no matter how good our excuse is, others will still think our Xiao Clan is bullying the weak with strength. But if they attack us and are dealt with instead, others will only think they overestimated themselves and brought disaster upon themselves."

"Correct. Although this world ultimately speaks through strength, a good reputation is still very important. Externally, it makes it easier for Xiao Clan members to gain trust when cooperating with others. Internally, it also makes it easier to cultivate a humble and cautious attitude."

"Oh. So that's how it is!"

"Speaking of which, isn't this that thing about killing people... right, killing people and breaking their hearts!" someone suddenly said rather tactlessly.

Xiao Yan glared at the speaker. "Nonsense! What do you mean, killing people and breaking their hearts? Did I take the initiative to attack them? They came looking for trouble themselves—what did that have to do with me? This is legitimate self-defense, a defensive counterattack, an act of benevolence and righteousness!"

Wow! Young Master knew so much! Qinglian looked at Xiao Yan with worship in her eyes.

"Pfft!" The Little Fairy Doctor truly could not hold it in and accidentally laughed.

Xiao Yan felt a little embarrassed. He shot the Little Fairy Doctor a fierce glare and secretly resolved to teach her a proper lesson that night.

Then he turned back to the crowd and said, "Since everyone understands, proceed accordingly. But remember, my strength must remain a secret from the outside for now. Understood?"

"Yes, we shall obey the Young Clan Leader's orders!" The Xiao Clan members, including the three elders, all bowed to Xiao Yan. Though Xiao Zhan was still theoretically the Xiao Clan's patriarch, no one thought this inappropriate. Clearly, from this day onward, the Xiao Clan would follow Xiao Yan's word!