Tianbo was arrogant, but he had his own cunning. He had been away from the clan for more than twenty days, and Qian Qinglei could not find him. That was because Tianbo had people inside the Qian Household, and he was hardly alone. He had been the household's acknowledged heir for years, and during that time, he had quietly built a force of his own. He was no great talent, but he had watched enough television dramas and read enough novels about feuds among powerful families to sense what might lie ahead. Whenever his position as the clan's young master gave him a chance to forge connections, he used it to cultivate his own people.
That force was his own sharp sword, and like him, it was eccentric. Qian Qinglei had his channels of information, and Qian Tianbo had his. Though Tianbo did not know Luo Qian's true strength, he knew Luo Qian had recently been sharpening his weapons and readying his horses, with no small ambition. He had always looked down on Luo Qian and assumed the man could not stand against him. But his subordinates had obtained a crucial piece of intelligence: Luo Qian had lately grown close to Yin Quanyin. Behind Yin Quanyin stood the Cloudwave Aristocratic Clan, which, even if slightly weaker than the Turbulent Aristocratic Clan, was not far behind. Add the strength of the Zhenhuayuan Yin Family, and they might not merely match the Qian Household—they might surpass it.
Qian Tianbo felt a trace of unease. He had defied Qian Qinglei's orders and announced his challenge to Luo Qian to the whole world. If he won, Qian Qinglei would be riding a tiger he could not dismount; he would have no choice but to forgive him. But if he lost...
He had a band