"Young Master Xin, truth be told, I was set up too."
On the way to the Thorn Gang, Huang Jingji told Lianshan Xin what had happened to him.
"Originally, I intended to spend my whole life with my wife, just the two of us."
Lianshan Xin cut off Huang Jingji's self-praise. "Get to the 'but.'"
"But these scions of great families have far too many tricks. They specifically targeted my weak spot. I'm a man, after all. What man doesn't lust after women? Kong Sanlang actually used a honey trap on me. Who could withstand that?"
Lianshan Xin smiled faintly. "I could."
Huang Jingji doubted that, but he dared not say so.
Lianshan Xin could not be bothered to explain either.
Just moments ago, an Immortal Dynasty princess with an innate alluring constitution had offered to share his bed, and he had killed her with a single stroke of his blade.
He had every right to despise a scumbag like Huang Jingji, who could not control those two ounces of flesh between his legs.
"In short, a bed of tenderness is a hero's grave. That was how I fell."
Lianshan Xin ignored Huang Jingji's boast about being a hero and grasped the crux of the matter. "Kong Sanlang deliberately targeted you. Why? What did he want from you or the Thorn Gang?"
Huang Jingji answered honestly. "Probably my status as a disciple of the Golden Scale Alliance. He began plotting against me after I joined."
"The Golden Scale Alliance... I have heard it straddles both the lawful and the criminal worlds, and has ties to the great families too?" Lianshan Xin looked thoughtful.
Huang Jingji shared some inside information with him. "Young Master Xin, I visited the Golden Scale Alliance Headquarters once. I saw quite a few scions of great families there."
"Oh?"
That was something Lianshan Xin had not known.
"Also, our Golden Scale Alliance isn't just developing in Jiangzhou. It has already expanded its territory into other provinces. The Alliance Leader... seems to have grand ambitions," Huang Jingji said quietly.
Lianshan Xin gave Huang Jingji another surprised look. "You're selling out the Golden Scale Alliance just like that?"
Huang Jingji explained, "None of this is a secret to the Nine Heavens. You could find it all out if you wanted to, Young Master Xin. Besides..."
Huang Jingji hesitated, then voiced his concerns. "I've always felt that the Alliance Leader's plans for the Golden Scale Alliance... are a little too bold."
True, those who did not advance would fall behind, but the Golden Scale Alliance had yet to reach the summit of the Jiangzhou Martial World, and it was already expanding its operations into other provinces.
"To my eyes, Jiangzhou is already enormous. But to the Alliance Leader and those elders, it seems very small."
Huang Jingji felt that things were slipping beyond his grasp.
Lianshan Xin also realized something was amiss.
There were many gangs in the martial world, but very few spanned provinces and commanderies.
It was nothing strange for a gang to grow powerful on its home turf. After all, it had local connections, favorable terrain, and popular support.
But if it could leave its home province and still grow powerful, it was already Great Yu's version of a "multinational corporation."
And Lianshan Xin knew very well just how much clout a "multinational corporation" possessed.
Ordinary local governments amounted to little before such massive gangs. They even had to count on them for investment.
"Without a Great Grandmaster's backing, an ordinary gang couldn't expand beyond a single province. The Golden Scale Alliance must have produced a Great Grandmaster," Lianshan Xin mused.
Huang Jingji nodded silently. "That's my guess too."
But having a single Great Grandmaster's support did not guarantee that a gang could span multiple provinces.
A dragon crossing the river would naturally find it no easy task to invade a local serpent's territory.
"Even with a Great Grandmaster's support, blood still has to be spilled. Without a fight, you can never gain a foothold. And while the alliance is plotting to seize other people's territory, others will be plotting against it too. My guess is that Kong Sanlang may be targeting the alliance. After all, the Golden Scale Alliance has shown me great kindness. Naturally, I don't want to betray my master for personal glory."
"So you invited me to the Thorn Gang Headquarters this time because you want to use my reputation to persuade your wife?"
"Yes. Please lend me a hand, Young Master Xin. I only want the child. As for that mistress... if my wife truly isn't happy, she can do as she pleases with her."
Huang Jingji spoke ruthlessly.
But Lianshan Xin did not rebuke him.
That was not what concerned him.
"You want to sever your ties with the Kong Family?"
"Yes."
"It seems the Kong Family really has been dragged into quite a mess by the Demon Cult this time."
Lianshan Xin did not believe for a moment that Huang Jingji was unwilling to become a turncoat who served three masters and jump straight onto the Kong Family's ship.
It was simply that word had spread that the deputy head of White Deer Grotto Academy was Thousand Faces, one of the Demon Cult's four great elders. Kong Ningyuan had studied under him at the academy, leaving the Kong Family under clear suspicion of "colluding with the Demon Cult."
At a time like this, of course he had to draw a clear line between himself and the Kong Family.
Even the Demon Cult feared attracting the Nine Heavens' attention, let alone all the other small fry.
"Is Kong Ningyuan in a bad position within the Kong Family?" Lianshan Xin suddenly asked.
Huang Jingji shook his head. "You're worrying too much, Young Master Xin. Kong Liulang gained an early lead and stayed ahead at every step. He's already far ahead of his peers in the Kong Family. Even if he's under suspicion now, his friendship with you is no secret either. As far as I know, Kong Liulang has already reconciled with his father, and his standing in the Kong Family is the same as before."
Lianshan Xin nodded slightly.
That was good.
He and Kong Ningyuan had known each other for more than a year or two. Lianshan Xin still hoped Kong Ningyuan would have a bright future.
"We're here."
Huang Jingji stopped.
They had arrived at the Thorn Gang Headquarters.
"Please put in a few good words for me later, Young Master Xin."
A moment later.
Lianshan Xin saw a man and a woman come out to welcome them.
The man was imposing and powerfully built. Even his loose clothing could barely conceal his bulging muscles.
Yet Huang Jingji introduced him as Wei Rong, the Thorn Gang's strategist.
Lianshan Xin considered that for a moment. Makes sense.
How could someone who couldn't fight be a strategist?
The woman was Huang Jingji's first wife, Luo Panlan. She was petite, but quite alluring.
Following the principle of not looking upon anything improper, Lianshan Xin did not linger on her.
Luo Panlan and Wei Rong took the initiative to greet Lianshan Xin.
There was no need to dwell on the polite pleasantries.
Before long, after leading Lianshan Xin into the main hall and seating him, Huang Jingji got down to business.
Huang Jingji clasped Luo Panlan's hand and said earnestly, "My dear, there's something I need to tell you."
"Just say it. Why are you being so solemn?"
Huang Jingji grew even more solemn. "My dear, you know that my branch of the Huang Family has had only one male heir in each generation. Before my father died, he specifically instructed me to spread the Huang Family's branches and leaves and keep its ancestral incense burning. But my love for you is deep and true, so I never harbored any thoughts of straying. Yet although I kept myself pure, those villains out there had the hearts of wolves and deliberately plotted to entrap me."
Huang Jingji recounted how Kong Sanlang had used a honey trap on him, then said with heartfelt devotion, "That woman said that if I didn't give her proper status soon, she would tell you everything. My dear, I wanted you to hear it from me, not from her. Can you forgive me?"
Lianshan Xin had no interest in the melodramatic domestic affairs of Huang Jingji's household. Following the principle of not looking upon anything improper, he did not closely observe Luo Panlan's reaction either.
Seeing Wei Rong looking at him curiously, Lianshan Xin nodded in acknowledgment.
When their eyes met, Lianshan Xin suddenly felt that his talent's refractory period had ended.
Through Wei Rong, he saw another little scene:
Luo Panlan and Wei Rong were talking in a room.
Wei Rong sat while Luo Panlan paced back and forth, her expression anxious.
"What should we do? That woman gave Huang Jingji a son. Huang Jingji is coming to lay his cards on the table."
Wei Rong looked somewhat worried too. "Huang Jingji dreams of having a son. This really is a bit troublesome."
Luo Panlan stamped her foot. "That's not the troublesome part. The trouble is that Huang Jingji doesn't know the cultivation technique Father gave him automatically makes him sterile! But how would I dare tell him that? I gave him two daughters too."
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