After telling Wen Tie and the others what they needed to watch out for, Wen Tiancheng still felt reluctant to let them go. But in a society this cruel, they truly had to grow up sooner rather than later.
Wen Tie bid his father farewell and headed to Brightlight City with his three companions. They knew that city well. He had endured untold suffering there in the past.
He had already made up his mind: as long as it did not interfere with the mission, he would pay back everyone who had bullied him.
Tucked inside his robes was the silver his mother had given him. Afraid he would suffer again, she had provided enough to cover his expenses. He no longer had to worry about food or lodging. Touching the silver against his chest, he felt his confidence rise.
Dressed in white, Wenlong walked through the sect grounds. None of the disciples passing him recognized this third young master. They only knew that someone wearing a mask might belong to the Security Squad.
He crossed the square and arrived at the mountain gate. The disciples guarding it did not recognize Wenlong and asked him to show his credentials.
Wenlong showed his Copper Badge, which identified him as an administrator or instructor and granted him the right to enter and leave the sect freely. An Iron Badge did not grant unrestricted passage through the mountain gate; an administrator's approval was required.
Looking down at Huaxia Village below the mountain, he was flooded with emotion. When he was eight, his mother had led their clansmen through that stretch of land, struggling desperately as they fled toward the Ancestral Grounds.
Now that land had become the Wen family's territory. Recently, he had heard that quite a few people had applied to Huaxia Village, asking to join it.
People had also begun renting shops in Huaxia Village to open businesses. As the Huaxia Sect's population grew, it would drive the village's prosperity as well.
It seemed they needed to start building the city ahead of schedule, using slaves to expand the village into a city. The village's prosperity was inevitable, and establishing a city early would make it easier to manage.
Once the He Family took Brightlight City, given their friendly cooperation with the family, they could build a main road running straight to Brightlight City to make transporting goods easier.
A blueprint for developing the Wen family's territory began to take shape in Wenlong's mind. With Huaxia City and the Huaxia Sect as their strongholds, they would no longer fear danger even if thousands of troops and horses invaded their lands.
That day, his father came to tell him that the He Family was already making preparations and would attack the City Lord's Residence in a few days.
Wenlong immediately told his father to mobilize twenty youths from the Wen family and select thirty elite members from the Huaxia Sect. They were to enter Brightlight City in separate groups ahead of time, rather than fight a foolish siege battle.
If they eliminated the key figures of the City Lord's Residence from within the city, the remaining City Guards would surely surrender. That was how they could reduce casualties, and how a smaller force could defeat a larger one.
Seeing that his father and uncles knew nothing of strategy, Wenlong began to worry. How would they govern such vast territory in the future? When he had time, he would have to write out The Art of War.
He would have them study it thoroughly. It would help them with military affairs, business, and sect management alike.
The fifty youths going into battle had all assembled. Shitou would lead them and coordinate with the He Family. Before entering Brightlight City in separate groups, they had to take the equipment prepared for them.
Among that equipment, a crossbow was a mandatory weapon for every member. Defensive gear was equally essential to keep them safe.
Of course, they also had to work together as a cohesive unit to minimize casualties. Having coordinated with one another many times before, they should have little trouble.
Wenlong entered Brightlight City with the last group. In such a large city, fifty members were nowhere near enough to attract anyone's attention.
Members of the He Family were already waiting to receive them upon their arrival. Wenlong, Shitou, Wenzhu, Daniu, and the other Wen youths all gathered in the He Family's compound.
"Brother Shitou, we're launching a surprise attack on the City Lord's Residence tonight. Has the He Family finished preparing? Even if they haven't, we still need to act early. The longer the night drags on, the more troublesome dreams it brings," Wenlong said.
"All right. I'll notify the He Family that we're moving after midnight tonight," Shitou agreed. He also knew that Wenlong preferred launching surprise attacks after midnight.
"There's one more thing. Warn the He Family that anyone who sees the strike team's true faces must die. That includes members of the He Family," Wenlong said coldly.
Everyone paled in shock. They had all killed plenty of people, yet Wenlong's words still stunned them.
"Long'er, what do you mean? Isn't that far too cruel?" Shitou was equally shocked.
"We're an upright, reputable sect. We cannot destroy its good name. Do you understand? Remember, this is the Wen family's bottom line." Wenlong's tone remained merciless.
Only then did everyone realize how serious this matter was. Seeing them all fall silent, he knew they could not adjust their thinking so quickly.
"You only need to remember one thing. Killing members of the Kai family was revenge for a blood-deep feud. No one could criticize that. What we're doing now is banditry. How would the Huaxia Sect establish itself here afterward?"
Wenlong softened his tone, guiding Shitou toward understanding his reasoning. "Brother Shitou, let everyone rest. We'll move after midnight. Go notify the He Family."
After settling everyone in, Shitou turned and left to discuss that night's operation with the He Family. Wenlong also went to rest and wait for the time to act.
Before long, Shitou returned with He Da, who had asked to meet the person chiefly responsible for commanding the operation.
Seeing all those masked youths bristling with murderous intent made He Da feel a little unnerved.
Wenlong felt there was little to discuss. When he saw Shitou about to introduce him, he immediately raised a hand to stop him.
"You're the He Family's eldest young master, correct? You don't need to say anything. Since you told everyone to prepare for the operation, that means your preparations are nearly complete. We'll help you eliminate the people in charge. If you still can't take control of Brightlight City after that, there's no point in cooperating." Wenlong's voice remained cold.
He Da opened his mouth, looking as though he wanted to speak but thought better of it. "All right. We'll do our best to cooperate."
"Good. You only need to keep the City Guards under control. I'll send people to ambush and kill their commanders. Once we've eliminated the key figures in the City Lord's Residence, we'll withdraw from Brightlight City immediately. You've never seen us, and we were never here. Understood?" Wenlong said.
Hearing this, He Da understood at once with his shrewd merchant's mind. He immediately nodded in agreement, then withdrew.
After He Da left, Wenlong spoke again. "Brother Shitou, I'll move ahead of time. Launch your attack after midnight tonight."
Of course, Shitou knew the brat simply wanted to harvest some wealth. The City Lord's Residence was bound to hold plenty of treasure. The Wen family was about to make another fortune.
Late that night, Wenlong used Shadow Step and headed straight for the City Lord's Residence without alerting anyone. He had already studied its layout thoroughly during the day.
Once inside, he would not lose his way. He was no longer the same person he had been back in Wan Family Town, when even finding a silver storehouse had taken considerable effort.
Using his mental power, he soon found the Treasure Vault. He easily disarmed its mechanisms and entered.
There was more treasure inside than Wenlong had ever seen before, but he no longer felt the excitement he had experienced upon first discovering riches. To someone who did not lack money, it was merely a pile of useful things.
He first put all the most valuable items into his storage space. After taking all the gold as well, he still had plenty of silver left, but there was no room for it.
Never mind. If I eat the meat, I should leave a little broth for the He Family. Every person he had brought was superbly equipped. Calling them armed to the teeth would be no exaggeration.
Judging by the situation, the City Guards would have a hard time hurting his people. Casualties among the He Family's people, however, would be unavoidable. He would leave them some silver to compensate for their losses.
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