A Struggle for Power
Gong Chengjue arrived quite early, but when he did, besides the head of the Gong Household, Gong Chengsi was already seated in the room.
Gong Chengjue glanced at his elder brother, then forced a bow to the patriarch. "Father, what brings you here? If it's nothing serious, then please forgive my rudeness; I must take my leave now. After all, there are still many matters within the manor that require my attention."
"You're going to solve this?" Gong Chengsi's face was full of sarcasm. "Are you going to solve the problem, or are you going to bring trouble to the Gong Household? Your solution is to turn the Gong Household upside down?"
Gong Chengjue had been working hard all night and was now completely exhausted, having no energy left to deal with his elder brother's sarcastic remarks.
"What do you mean by this, elder brother? I inherited the Wisdom Eyes of the Gong Household and am the future head of the family. Isn't it only natural for me to manage the affairs of the Gong Household?" Gong Chengjue retorted.
Gong Chengsi laughed, "Yes, you inherited the Wisdom Eyes. But that doesn't mean you're suitable to be the head of the family. The trouble you caused last night led to Miss Ji Mo sending someone this morning to tell me to discipline you, her younger brother. She also said that if there's a next time, her young lady will notify more than just Jimo Qing."
"Second brother, you should understand what this means, right?"
Heaven knows how excited Gong Chengsi Hai Tingzhou to his door this morning. The implication was clear: Hai Tingzhou supported Gong Chengsi's claim to the Gong Chengjue!
Although he didn't know why Sang Ying was helping him, his resentment towards the Jimo Household hadn't diminished in the slightest. But if they offered him assistance, he would be more than happy to accept it.
So, having just bid farewell to Hai Tingzhou, Gong Chengsi couldn't wait to find the Gong Household head and recounted the events of the previous night to him with added embellishments.
The head of the Gong Household then summoned his second son, intending to let the two brothers resolve the matter themselves.
Gong Chengjue naturally understood the meaning behind Gong Chengsi's words. He also hadn't expected Sang Ying to be so relentless.
She thought that bringing Jimo Qing here would be enough, but unexpectedly, this person also took the opportunity to win over her elder brother.
"Heh, now that you've found a powerful backer, you're quite different from before. Judging from your current intentions, are you going to compete with me for the position of family head?" Not wanting to beat around the Gong Chengsi, Gong Chengjue bluntly revealed his elder brother's true intentions.
Since things had come to this point, Gong Chengsi naturally didn't mince words and spoke frankly, "That's right, that's what I mean. Second brother, you're lucky to have inherited our family's legacy, but you're really lacking in interpersonal skills. Although I don't have your ability to see through illusions, I'm still good at managing these mundane matters."
"We're brothers, so I'll take over as head of the family. This way, you can focus on your cultivation, right? With your abilities, your elder brother won't treat you unfairly."
Gong Chengjue listened coldly as the other party plotted to take what was rightfully his, while the head of the Gong Household remained silent throughout.
In the past, the head of the Gong Household would have scolded Gong Chengsi to shut up without him even having to say a word. But today, for some reason, the head of the Gong Household seemed not to notice the dispute between his two sons, and just watched them argue with a smile.
At this moment, how could Gong Chengjue not understand his father's choice? It's likely that the two had already reached a consensus long before he was summoned.
But how could he possibly give up what was so readily available to him? "Brother, you've got a good plan, but I'm not so easily fooled. Since you insist on competing with me, let's see. Let's see whose side the elders will support!"
After uttering these harsh words, Gong Chengjue turned and left the courtyard.
The Gong Household father and son were left watching his departing figure, their expressions unreadable.
"Father, do you really think that Jimo Zanxing wasn't the one who sneaked into the secret room last night?" Once only the two of them were left in the room, Gong Chengsi finally voiced his doubts to his father.
Upon hearing this, the head of the Gong Household simply said, "Unless there is concrete evidence, everyone injured in the manor last night should be suspected. Chengjue will keep an eye on the person who escaped, and you will also take this opportunity to both get in touch with the Jimo Household and keep an eye on that young lady."
"Our Gong Household must not perish because of this. If the day comes that we are exposed, we will survive, even if it costs us the entire snowfield!"
Only now did the patriarch, who once led the Gong Household to great heights, reveal his true colors.
Looking into the sinister glint in his father's eyes, Gong Chengsi suddenly realized that neither he nor his two younger brothers had truly understood the man before them. Indeed, how could someone who could eliminate all his brothers and ultimately ascend to the position of family head be a coward?
Overnight, Delusion-Breaking City was placed under martial law.
Both in the inner and outer city, guards posted notices in busy areas, stating that there were thieves in the city who had stolen the Gong Household's treasures. If anyone discovered anything amiss, they could report it to the guards, and the Gong Household would offer an appropriate reward.
The moment the notice was posted, the hearts of the people in the city began to stir.
Many rogue Rogue Cultivator in the city immediately sprang into action. The city's guards suddenly became the most popular people among these Rogue Cultivators.
This method wasn't entirely without its advantages. Although the assassin never appeared, Delusion-Breaking City managed to capture several spies sent by other forces.
Unfortunately, the assassin never appeared. Gong Chengjue gradually grew anxious.
Shifting our attention back to the inner city's guard post, the group of guards who had been injured by Fang Chi and Hai Tingzhou had only managed to swallow some spirit medicine and were still unable to fully recover, spending their days lying in bed.
Fortunately, some people came to visit them and chatted with them about interesting things that had happened recently.
"Haven't we found the assassin yet?" one of them asked.
The tall guard who had come to visit his friend sighed helplessly upon hearing this, "Indeed, our second young master's expression is getting increasingly grim. If we can't find him soon, we're all in deep trouble!"
As he spoke, he couldn't help but complain, "What can we do about this? We've practically searched the entire Delusion-Breaking City, but where could an assassin possibly hide? In my opinion, he's long since vanished. But the Second Young Master won't believe us and insists we search everywhere."
The tall guard's friend patted him on the shoulder in comfort, advising, "You should listen to the Second Young Master on this matter. When he becomes the head of the family, he will naturally remember your kindness."
The tall man didn't dare tell his friend about the eldest son's regaining of power, fearing it would upset the friend who was still recovering.
He gave a perfunctory reply, then changed the subject.
Everyone was very supportive, and the entire guard post was bustling with activity.
Only the corner of the dormitory remained completely silent. The guard, whose face was obscured by a thick blanket, remained huddled in the corner, making no sound.
The person sleeping next to him, seeing this, asked the man a couple of questions with concern.
The man barely managed to open his eyes, responded in a muffled voice to the concern from the person in the next bed, and then, as if exhausted, fell asleep again.
The person in the next bed assumed he was so sleepy because of his injury and didn't pay much attention.
But occasionally, a thought would pop into his head: Why do that person's eyes look so much like his second young master's?
The thought only flashed through his mind for a moment before being quickly dismissed by the guards.