Chapter 7: Conspiracy

By the time Zhao Tianbiao returned to the city, the sky had just begun to lighten.

His clothes were caked with mud, and a patch of dark brown blood stained his chest. Yet he didn't go to the clinic, nor did he return to the Flying Tiger Gang. Instead, he headed straight for the largest manor in the eastern part of the city. A plaque above the gate bore the character for "Zhao."

Seeing him in such a state, the servants guarding the gate turned pale with fright. Not daring to ask questions, they hastily cleared a path and sprinted off to announce his arrival.

Zhao Tianbiao strode through the corridors and past the front hall, stopping before the door of a study. The door was slightly ajar, and the low coughs of an old man drifted from within. He pushed the door open and entered.

Old Mr. Zhao sat behind the desk, holding a bowl of ginseng soup. Seeing him enter, the old man slightly raised his eyelids. "Why do you look so battered?"

"Foster Father, I have failed," Zhao Tianbiao said, dropping to one knee. His voice was hoarse. "That carriage driver is a tough nut to crack."

Old Mr. Zhao placed the ginseng soup on the desk, his tone completely flat. "Tell me about it."

Zhao Tianbiao recounted everything that had happened the previous night in painstaking detail. Of course, he embellished quite a bit, particularly regarding his retreat. To cover up his cowardly escape, he even deliberately set up an ambush and killed the remaining members of his own crew. He knew exactly what kind of ruthless nature hid behind the seemingly amiable old man before him. To spare himself from suffering, he had no choice but to sacrifice others.

After listening to the report, Old Mr. Zhao remained silent. His gaze swept up and down, scrutinizing his "good" foster son. The atmosphere in the study became incredibly stifling, weighing on Zhao Tianbiao's chest like a heavy boulder.

After a long pause, Old Mr. Zhao finally spoke. "Go and rest."

Relief washed over Zhao Tianbiao. He lowered his head and backed out of the room. He had barely managed to survive this ordeal. As for his dead subordinates, he felt a twinge of pity, but he didn't care all that much. Subordinates could always be replaced and retrained, but he only had one life to live.

The sound of footsteps gradually faded away, and the study returned to its former silence. Old Mr. Zhao picked up his ginseng soup, only to find that it had grown cold. He slammed the bowl down on the desk with a heavy, muffled THUD.

An hour later.

Several small sedan chairs stopped silently at the back gate of the Zhao Family manor. The men who stepped out of the sedans were all dressed in fine silks and satins, bearing the prosperous figures of wealthy men. They were none other than the patriarchs who had previously gathered at the tavern. Only now, the composure they had displayed earlier was entirely gone, replaced by expressions of sheer panic. The Flying Tiger Gang's Zhao Tianbiao had actually been defeated by a poor carriage driver!

Inside the Zhao Family's secret chamber.

The men sat around a circular table. The fragrant steam of tea curled into the air, but a dark cloud loomed over everyone's face.

"If even your Tianbiao was no match for him, just what is Lin Yan's background?" Patriarch Wang was the first to speak, his voice laced with unconcealed shock.

Patriarch Sun chimed in, "Could he be a master sent by the Shen Family? If so, we..." He trailed off. However, everyone present understood what he meant. If the Shen Family had already made their move, then every single one of them—who had been secretly encroaching upon the Liu Family's assets—was doomed.

Old Mr. Zhao observed them coldly. Seeing these once-arrogant allies now trembling with fear, a sneer crept onto his lips. "What are you panicking for?" His voice wasn't loud, but it was enough to make everyone shut their mouths.

"If the Shen Family knew what was happening here, they would have sent a grand procession to escort her back. Why would she need to sneak away in the dead of night?"

The men exchanged glances, realizing his words made sense.

"But what about Lin Yan..."

"We will deal with Lin Yan later," Old Mr. Zhao cut him off, his gaze as sharp as a knife. "He may be formidable, but as long as he is human, he will have weaknesses. Right now, the most crucial thing is to prevent that little bitch from safely returning to Qingzhou City. Otherwise, everything we've painstakingly plotted over the years will go down the drain."

A heavy silence fell over the room at these words. They all knew that the Shen Family was a prominent clan in Qingzhou City. Although they had declined somewhat in recent years, their sheer scale was still far beyond what small, local families like theirs could contend with. As long as Shen Qingci made it back to her maiden family, they could forget about getting their hands on the Liu Family's assets. Even if the distance meant they didn't have to fear the Shen Family coming over to stir up trouble, missing out on the prize when it was already practically in their mouths was an incredibly frustrating pill to swallow.

"We must intercept her," Patriarch Wang said through gritted teeth. "At all costs!"

"Intercept her? Easier said than done." Patriarch Sun sneered. "If even Zhao Tianbiao couldn't pull it off, who can?"

Patriarch Wang choked on his words, his face turning an ugly shade of green.

At that moment, Patriarch Ma, who had been completely silent until now, finally spoke up. "I have an idea." All eyes turned toward him.

"To get to Qingzhou City, one must pass through Black Wind Mountain," Patriarch Ma said, his tone grave. "I'm sure everyone here has heard of the Black Wind Stronghold, right?"

As soon as those three words were spoken, everyone present subconsciously held their breath. The Black Wind Stronghold. They were the most notorious and vicious band of outlaws in the vicinity of Willow Leaf City. The Village Chief, Black-faced Yama Duan Laoqi, was rumored to be a bloodthirsty maniac who killed without blinking an eye. With over a hundred desperate criminals under his command, they routinely looted homes and robbed travelers. They were so brazen that they even dared to hijack the Government Office's grain wagons.

"You want to provoke the Black Wind Stronghold?" Patriarch Wang furrowed his brows. "Those bastards are ruthless cutthroats who swallow people whole without spitting out the bones. What if they abduct her but refuse to hand her over? Wouldn't we just be handing them the prize on a silver platter?"

"He's right. The men of the Black Wind Stronghold care nothing for honor or trust." Patriarch Sun also shook his head. "If they find out Shen Qingci's true identity, they might just use her to extort a ransom from the Shen Family. If the Shen Family follows the trail back to us, we'll be just as doomed."

Patriarch Ma didn't take offense at their doubts. Instead, he spoke in a slow, measured voice. "Times change, and situations demand different measures. Let's solve the problem at hand before worrying about anything else. As for the Black Wind Stronghold... we don't need them to be honorable. We just need them to kill."

Hearing this, the rest of the men fell silent.

"As long as she dies within the territory of Black Wind Mountain, it will be an unsolved murder," Patriarch Ma added slowly. "The two locations are incredibly far apart. No matter how powerful the Shen Family is, their reach won't extend that far. Not to mention, none of us are pushovers either.

"Besides, we can take the initiative to send someone to negotiate with the Black Wind Stronghold. All it will take is offering them a little incentive."

The remaining patriarchs kept quiet, clearly still plagued by worry. Seeing their hesitation, Patriarch Ma simply threw his hands up. "If you don't agree with this, then come up with a better plan. I'll gladly support it."

Old Mr. Zhao closed his eyes, but beneath his eyelids, his eyeballs could be seen darting back and forth rapidly. After a long silence, he finally opened his eyes.

"Fine, we'll do it your way," he said, looking at Patriarch Ma. "Send someone to contact the Black Wind Stronghold, and make it quick. Also, dispatch men to tail that little bitch from a distance. They aren't moving fast, so it will be easy to catch up to them. If they diverge from the main route, report back immediately."

Patriarch Ma nodded in agreement, then stood up and immediately left the room. Only three men remained in the secret chamber.

Old Mr. Zhao picked up his cup of tea, which had long since gone cold, and drained it in one gulp. A ruthless glint flashed through his eyes.

"Lin Yan..." he muttered the name under his breath.