" Brother Tang, you said before that you came to the Black-Corner Region to escape your enemies?"
Han Feng picked up his wine glass and asked casually.
Xiao Yan nodded.
"Indeed. I was originally traveling in the Central Plains, but I offended some enemies and had no choice but to flee to the Black-Corner Region for refuge."
" Central Plains?"
Han Feng's eyes lit up. "That's a place where powerful people gather. Brother Tang must be quite capable to have come out of there."
Xiao Yan gave a wry smile.
" Medicine Emperor Han is joking. My meager skills are nothing in Central Plains. It's already a miracle that I escaped alive."
Han Feng nodded thoughtfully and did not ask any further questions.
He knew that people like " Tang San " usually harbored secrets.
But the Black-Corner Region is never short of people with secrets; as long as they can be used for one's own purposes, nothing else matters.
" Brother Tang, you're now a retainer of the Black Alliance. What are your plans for the future?" Han Feng asked.
Xiao Yan pondered for a moment, then slowly said:
I have no other plans at the moment.
Now that I've joined the Black Alliance, I'll naturally do my part. Medicine Emperor Han, please feel free to give any orders you may have."
Han Feng nodded in satisfaction.
"Good! Brother Tang, you're a straightforward person, I like that."
However, there's nothing urgent at the moment.
You can stay in Maple City for now and get familiar with the surroundings. We'll make further plans after some time.
Xiao Yan cupped his hands and said, "Thank you Medicine Emperor Han."
Han Feng chatted with him for a few more minutes, then got up and left to attend to other guests.
Fan Lao leaned closer and lowered his voice:
" Brother Tang, Medicine Emperor Han values you highly."
Xiao Yan smiled faintly.
"Value it? It's just a test."
Fan Lao paused for a moment, then nodded.
"That's true. Han Feng is the kind of person who never treats someone well for no reason."
The more enthusiastic he is towards you, the more Xiao Xin you should be.
Xiao Yan glanced at him.
" Sect Leader Fan knows him quite well."
Fan Lao sighed.
"The more you deal with them, the more you'll understand them. Brother Tang, remember this: in the Black-Corner Region, don't trust anyone easily."
Including me.
Xiao Yan picked up his wine glass and took a sip.
"Thank you for the reminder Sect Leader Fan."
The banquet lasted until late at night.
Everyone left satisfied.
Xiao Yan returned to the Blood Sect's base, closed the door, and sat down at the table.
Today's events made him see Han Feng for who he really is.
He is meticulous, shrewd, and adept at winning people over and testing them.
Dealing with this kind of person requires proceeding with extreme caution.
Xiao Yan closed his eyes and began to regulate his breathing.
Over the next few days, the Black Alliance began a series of integration efforts.
In his capacity as the leader of the alliance, Han Feng redefined the territories of the various factions.
He summoned the leaders of all factions and held a meeting in the bamboo building's conference hall that lasted all day. A huge map was spread out on the long table, marking the ownership of every inch of the Black-Corner Region.
The stronger forces received more territory and resources; the weaker forces could only rely on the stronger ones or be driven to more remote places.
This blatant survival of the fittest has aroused dissatisfaction among some smaller factions.
Several leaders of minor factions raised objections at the meeting, arguing that Han Feng's division plan was unfair.
Han Feng wasn't angry; he simply glanced at them and asked:
"So, what do you think constitutes fairness?"
The leaders looked at each other, speechless.
In the Black-Corner Region, fairness is always determined by force.
"Since no one has any objections, then it's settled."
Han Feng put away the map, his tone calm.
"From today onwards, the territory of Black-Corner Region will be divided according to the new plan. Anyone who dares to seize it privately will face my wrath."
No one dared to object.
As a retainer, Xiao Yan did not participate in the struggle for territory, but simply watched coldly from the sidelines.
He noticed that the conflict between the Eight Gates and the Blood Sect had intensified further over the division of territory.
The Eight Gates seized several mines and two cities from the Blood Sect in the territory they divided this time.
Those mines are rich in rare minerals, which are priceless.
Those two cities are important strongholds of the Blood Sect in the Black-Corner Region, bringing in huge amounts of tax revenue for the Blood Sect every year.
Although the Blood Sect also took over two cities from the Eight Gates, they were nowhere near as good as the cities the Blood Sect had previously occupied, after all, the Blood Sect had spent a great deal of effort transforming them.
Fan Lao was so angry that he smashed several teacups at the Blood Sect's headquarters and cursed Yuan Yi's ancestors for eighteen generations.
However, he dared not fall out with Yuan Yi — the Eight Gates were far stronger than the Blood Sect, and Yuan Yi himself was a veteran Dou Huang expert; Fan Lao was not confident he could win.
" Brother Tang, what should I do?"
Fan Lao found Xiao Yan, he looked worried, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes seemed to have deepened.
Xiao Yan thought for a moment and said:
" Sect Leader Fan, now is not the time to turn against the Eight Gates."
Han Feng is more than happy for you to fight amongst yourselves so he can profit from it. The more trouble you cause, the happier he is.
This delineation of the area wouldn't have been possible without his approval.
Fan Lao gritted his teeth.
"Are we just going to let this go? That's the foundation of my Blood Sect built over hundreds of years!"
Xiao Yan shook his head, walked to the window, and looked in the direction of the Eight Gates ' headquarters in the distance.
"It's not about enduring, it's about waiting. Waiting for an opportunity."
"What opportunity?" Fan Lao walked up to him and asked eagerly.
Xiao Yan lowered his voice, his gaze still fixed on the distance.
"The current situation in Black-Corner Region is temporary; conflicts will inevitably arise..."
Fan Lao's eyes lit up, as if he understood something. He turned around, looked at Xiao Yan, and a glint of light flashed in his eyes.
" Brother Tang means... to fish in troubled waters?"
Xiao Yan did not answer directly, but simply smiled slightly.
"It's good that Sect Leader Fan understands this; there's no need to say it aloud. Some things lose their effectiveness if they're explained too clearly."
Fan Lao nodded and didn't press the matter further. He took a deep breath, and the composure of someone who had been through countless battles returned to his face.
"Alright, I'll listen to Brother Tang. We'll make up for the Blood Sect's losses slowly in the future."
A few days later, Han Feng convened a meeting of the Black Alliance's top leaders.
The atmosphere in the conference hall on the second floor of the bamboo building was solemn and oppressive.
A thick velvet cloth was spread on the long table, upon which several bronze lamps sat, their flickering light casting dappled shadows on everyone's faces.
Han Feng sat in the main seat, dressed in a green robe, wearing a jade crown, and with a long sword at his waist, looking spirited and high-spirited.
The Gold and Silver Elders, sat on either side of him. Elder Jin had his eyes closed, resting, while Elder Yin was playing with two silver beads in his hands.
Elder Ban stood behind Han Feng like a silent guard, his gray cloak enveloping him completely, revealing only his sharp eyes.
Xiao Yan sat in the third seat on the left, next to Yuan Yi, Fan Lao, and others.
Yuan Yi, dressed in a black robe, had a gloomy expression. He tapped his fingers lightly on the table, making a rhythmic sound.
On the right are the leaders of several other smaller factions, mainly the Rakshasa Gate and the Mad Lion Gang. Their strength is somewhat inferior to that of the Blood Sect and the Eight Gates.
Most of them are at the Peak Dou Wang or at the Low-Star Dou Huang level.
Their status was far lower than those on the left, and they sat further back, their faces showing respect and Xiao Xin.
Han Feng unfolded a map and hung it on the wall.
It was a huge parchment map, marked with detailed terrain of the Black-Corner Region and Jia Nan Academy, including mountains, rivers, cities, and strongholds.
The map was covered with countless red and blue dots. Xiao Yan's gaze fell on those dots, and his eyes narrowed slightly.