When she entered Fang Yunhua's room again, Hua Zhenzhen no longer felt her usual shyness.
But the way she stared straight at him still made his scalp prickle.
"Little senior sister, rein yourself in a little..."
"Rein what in?" Hua Zhenzhen asked, puzzled.
Fang Yunhua gestured toward the bronze mirror in the room. When Hua Zhenzhen looked over, she discovered an unmistakable excitement written across her reflected face. She then gave him a slightly reproachful look and said,
"Junior brother, do you know? This is the first time you've asked me to help you."
Fang Yunhua had no answer to that. Her appearance was simply too deceptive. Had he not awakened his memories of his previous life and become a Book Turner, he would never have imagined that the refined, graceful woman before him, so delicate that anyone would feel protective of her, was an ace support with maxed-out execution skills.
"Well, now we have our first time."
Hua Zhenzhen smiled sweetly, then watched Fang Yunhua take out a map and spread it across the wooden table.
Rather than point at the map and begin explaining, he first recounted Mount Hua's reforms. He had witnessed the entire process firsthand, and his account helped fill the gaps in Hua Zhenzhen's knowledge.
For instance, she had never known that these businesses had come under attack from mysterious assailants as soon as the early reforms began showing results.
At the same time, she gradually understood why Fang Yunhua's reputation as a womanizer had spread so far. Surely he had done it to better protect Mount Hua. As his account of its development showed, the crucial factor had been borrowing Xue Yiren's tiger skin as a banner, which had considerably restrained those villains growing ever more restless in the shadows.
"Junior brother, thank you for all your hard work."
As he looked into his little senior sister's large, glistening eyes, the tenderness and admiration within them seemed ready to overflow. Fang Yunhua, who had been about to offer an explanation, decisively changed what he was going to say.
"I'm glad you understand, little senior sister. What comes next concerns the matters I said I needed your help with."
Hua Zhenzhen nodded earnestly and straightened her posture. Of course, she still could not conceal the admiration deep in her eyes; it was even showing signs of transforming into a deeper feeling.
"First, we've largely finished investigating the mastermind behind those attacks. It's Li Qi, who slaughtered our Seven Sons of Mount Hua. She now goes by another name: Stone Guanyin."
Hua Zhenzhen's expression changed drastically. Although she had always remained within the sect, junior brothers, junior sisters, and outer disciples who occasionally went down the mountain often discussed major events in the martial world. As a result, Stone Guanyin's name rang in her ears like thunder.
Rumor had it that she had once been universally acknowledged in the martial world as the most beautiful, most vicious, and most merciless woman, yet also the one with the highest martial prowess.
"Of course, we don't need to concern ourselves too much with her for now. The principal members of her forces can't set foot in the Central Plains. If they attract the Demoness of the Emerald Sea's attention, she won't have anywhere to run."
Hua Zhenzhen nodded. Though she wanted to ask why Stone Guanyin feared the Demoness of the Emerald Sea so much, as a good listener, she waited for Fang Yunhua to finish explaining everything before asking.
"Stone Guanyin has two sons. One is Wuhua, the Marvelous Monk."
Hua Zhenzhen covered her mouth in astonishment. She felt she had been surprised more times today than on any other day in her life. First, Li Qi, with whom Mount Hua shared a blood feud as deep as the sea, had turned out to be the legendary Stone Guanyin. And now Stone Guanyin had a famous son.
"Then her other son..."
"Is Nangong Ling, the current leader of the Beggar Gang."
Perhaps the surprises had come too quickly, for Hua Zhenzhen seemed a little stunned. Only after Fang Yunhua waved a hand before her eyes did she quickly recover and say,
"Although Wuhua has quite a reputation, there probably aren't many forces in Southern Shaolin he can mobilize. According to what you said earlier, junior brother, the hidden hand behind the attacks on Mount Hua's businesses mobilized a great deal of manpower and was exceptionally skilled at erasing its tracks.
"In that case, only Nangong Ling fits best. Even if his control over the entire Beggar Gang isn't complete, the gang has an enormous membership to begin with. As its leader, he must have plenty of people willingly flocking to his side.
"And I've heard he recruited that villain, the White Jade Demon Beggar. Clearly, his position within the gang isn't very secure, to the point that he decided to sacrifice some of his reputation to gain a stronger voice within it.
"That also allows him to mobilize more of those unscrupulous lackeys."
"Exactly." Fang Yunhua looked at Hua Zhenzhen appreciatively.
Her intelligence was beyond question. Compared with that lousy senior sister who had been fooled senseless, Hua Zhenzhen had more than just looks and a fine figure; her temperament and wisdom were also earning his growing admiration.
"And now is our chance to strike back."
"Strike back? Against the Beggar Gang?"
"Yes." Fang Yunhua's expression grew serious. "First, from the day I leave the mountain, you can mobilize Mount Hua's intelligence network to spread some unfavorable news about Nangong Ling.
"When shaping public opinion, emphasize that the death of the previous Beggar Gang leader, Ren Ci, may have been connected to Nangong Ling.
"Then seize this opportunity to thoroughly eliminate the rotten scum of the Beggar Gang within Mount Hua's territory. I need Mount Hua to step on the Beggar Gang's infamy and rise another level.
"By then, the situation will be set."
Fang Yunhua pointed at the map and traced a circle.
"First, seize the eastern throat at Tong Pass. Mount Hua has long cooperated with the Yellow River Transport Gang. We can now deepen that cooperation, forming an alliance to jointly control the Qin-Jin Waterway, and station swift mounted couriers at Fengling Ferry.
"Next, lock down Dasan Pass in the west. The Taoists at Jade Spring Temple are a hidden branch of Mount Hua. Once you send someone to make contact, Jade Spring Temple will give us its full cooperation.
"Then take control of Shangluo to the south. The Mount Hua Escort Agency has already earned a certain reputation. Together with the Mount Hua Trading Company, it can establish a strong presence there. From then on, any other escort agency transporting valuable cargo through the area must offer Sword-Pattern Silver as a toll.
"Finally, secure Tongguan to the north. I'll handle this step myself, negotiating the terms of an alliance with the An Prince's Mansion.
"Once this encirclement on all four sides is complete, Mount Hua must strike at and absorb the forces and businesses the Beggar Gang has left in this region on every front. By stepping on the Beggar Gang's name, I intend to establish a dominion whose borders are drawn by the sword."
Fang Yunhua pointed again at the map on the table.
"Thus, Mount Hua's influence will spread like a spiderweb across the junction of Shaanxi-Henan-Shanxi. Wherever the Five Peaks Swordlight shines, outlaws will yield the road, and officials will hold their tongues!
"I want the people of this region to sing!
"At Tong Pass, horses roar; the wind stills their hooves! Raise your head-the azure-jade banner of Mount Hua appears! Speak not of Qin's eight hundred roads! Wherever sword qi sweeps, all land belongs to the Peak!"
This was the superb opportunity Fang Yunhua had conceived based on the Blood Sea Fragrance storyline, one that would allow Mount Hua to ride the momentum and rise.
Having finished speaking, he looked at Hua Zhenzhen.
What met his gaze was a pair of glistening eyes. The shy young woman usually did her utmost to suppress her feelings, yet she rarely managed to hide them.
Now, after hearing Fang Yunhua's account, the passion in her heart erupted like magma. Her admiration soared, nearly stripping her of her usual reason.
Without a doubt, what she loved most in her heart was Mount Hua.
Yet now she wavered. Perhaps Fang Yunhua, standing before her, charting the realm with sweeping gestures and bold resolve, captivated and enchanted her even more than all of Mount Hua.
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