Chapter Fifty: Visiting Yuan Heng

“How can this boy possibly wield martial force?” Fan Yongnian circulated his true energy, expelling the martial force Yang Ze had struck into his body. He spat out a mouthful of blood, his voice filled with shock.

Feng Lixuan, having removed the cloth from his face, dispersed the blade force as well. His complexion was slightly pale as he spoke, “This boy is truly cunning. He secretly mastered blade force and hid it until now.”

It was not that the two of them hadn’t studied Yang Ze—on the contrary, they had thoroughly investigated his background and scrutinized every battle he’d fought. They knew that never before had Yang Ze revealed any ability to use martial force, which was precisely why they had both suffered a setback this time.

“One thing is certain: his cultivation is definitely below the acquired realm. Otherwise, neither of us would still be standing here,” Fan Yongnian said warily. The power of the acquired realm could not be compared to the peak of the Qi-Attracting stage; martial force at that level was truly formidable, and their true energy would have been powerless against it.

Yet Yang Ze’s martial force was not so simple either. Though it could not rival that of the acquired realm, within the Qi-Attracting level, it was indeed enough to break through their defenses.

“We underestimated him. This boy has hidden himself too deeply. Not only did we fail this time, but we’ve also exposed ourselves,” Feng Lixuan said, seething with frustration.

Their operation had been clandestine, but it was now clear that Yang Ze had recognized them. This would bring trouble.

“In the situation just now, if we had joined forces, we may still have had a chance to kill Yang Ze. No matter what, his strength hasn’t reached the peak of the Qi-Attracting stage. If you, Master Feng, were willing to go all out, even at some cost, killing Yang Ze wouldn’t have been impossible,” Fan Yongnian said, clutching the wound on his hand as he fixed his gaze on Feng Lixuan.

“Master Fan, don’t forget, at the very moment Yang Ze made his move, you were the first to flee. Did you expect me to stay behind and risk everything on my own? The strength Yang Ze displayed tonight is already enough to challenge the Qi-Attracting peak. If I had fought him to mutual destruction, wouldn’t you have simply picked up the spoils?” Feng Lixuan retorted with a cold laugh.

Fan Yongnian’s expression shifted several times at these words. With a cold snort, he fell silent.

“Master Fan, I understand your urgency. After all, your Fan family’s situation is worse than mine. You’re getting old, and without a suitable successor, the Fan family can hardly maintain its current status once you’re gone,” Feng Lixuan added.

Fan Yongnian glared, his eyes wide with anger. “What are you implying, Feng Lixuan? I may be old, but you’re welcome to test whether my strength remains!”

Seeing Fan Yongnian’s readiness to strike, Feng Lixuan laughed awkwardly. “No need to get agitated, Master Fan. I was just speaking offhand. Right now, we’re allies and can’t afford to fall out. If we fail to rid ourselves of Yang Ze, our days of comfort will soon be over. Given his current strength, he’ll likely break through to the Qi-Attracting peak before long. Since he knows both of us made a move against him, do you think he’ll let us off?”

“Then what brilliant plan do you propose?” Fan Yongnian asked coldly, his gaze unfriendly.

“What plan is left? We have no choice but to kill Yang Ze, at any cost. Forget trying to capture him alive,” Feng Lixuan said, a flicker of murderous intent in his eyes.

Fan Yongnian fell silent. He knew Feng Lixuan was right, but after seeing their lackluster cooperation tonight, accomplishing this would be anything but easy.

“There’s no point talking in circles. After what happened tonight, if we strike again, we’ll only be watching out for each other, handing Yang Ze an opportunity instead. Can you, Master Feng, trust me enough to go all out next time?” Fan Yongnian asked bluntly.

He chuckled. “If the two of us aren’t enough, we’ll find a third. With three of us, we won’t need to worry about this anymore.”

“That makes sense. But the person we bring in must have no ties to either of us, and we must invite them together to keep things aboveboard,” Fan Yongnian agreed. Given their predicament, recruiting another Qi-Attracting peak expert was the best option.

“So, Master Fan, do you have anyone in mind?” Feng Lixuan inquired.

“Mu Dou, the master of the Mu Family Manor in the eastern city. He’s nearly sixty, a peak Qi-Attracting expert, and has no children. What do you think?” Fan Yongnian proposed without hesitation.

“Mu Dou—he broke through to the Qi-Attracting peak eight years ago, cultivates the Art of Blossoming Wood, and is considered top-tier in the city. But he’s always kept a low profile, hasn’t meddled in the martial world for twenty years, and never sought to expand his manor’s influence. Are you sure you can persuade him?” Feng Lixuan asked skeptically.

“If Mu Dou truly desired nothing, he wouldn’t have stayed in Yuyang City but would’ve moved to the countryside long ago. I probed him once back in the day. Though I failed to win him over, I did learn of a weakness,” Fan Yongnian replied.

“If you have a way, all the better. We need to act quickly—once we’ve recovered from our injuries, we depart at once,” Feng Lixuan said urgently. The longer they waited, the greater the risk of complications.

Fan Yongnian nodded. The two covered their faces and left without even bandaging their wounds.

...

Before long, word of the attempt on Yang Ze’s life spread throughout Tongyang Bank. Old Xie returned with the scattered guards from the various warehouses. Seeing Yang Ze seated at the head of the hall, Old Xie immediately knelt.

“I have failed in my duty and allowed an attempt on your life, Master. Please punish me!” he pleaded.

“No need. I’m unharmed. Even if you’d stayed tonight, it would have made no difference. You would not have been a match for those who came,” Yang Ze said, shaking his head.

Old Xie’s clouded eyes suddenly brightened, as if something had occurred to him. “The ones you speak of—”

Yang Ze nodded, waving for the others to withdraw until only Old Xie remained.

“Was it Feng Lixuan and Fan Yongnian?” Old Xie asked once they were alone.

“Two Qi-Attracting peak experts attacked. In the northern city, only those two would have such enmity for me. I’d long expected they would come for me, but I didn’t think they’d act so soon, nor that they’d come in person,” Yang Ze said with a faint smile.

“That’s troubling. Two Qi-Attracting peaks—unless the family head intervenes, we can hardly resist them. It’s truly fortunate nothing happened to you tonight,” Old Xie said.

“Luck was on my side tonight. The moment we clashed, I realized they were stronger than me; I was certainly no match for them. But for some reason, they suddenly quarreled, giving me a chance to escape unscathed,” Yang Ze replied, concealing the full truth—he did not wish too many to know he could contend with Qi-Attracting peak experts.

“Though they appear to be allies, they obviously guard against each other. Who’d have thought you’d find an opening because of that,” Old Xie believed Yang Ze’s words.

“Young Master, now that they’ve failed, they’re sure to try again. Have you thought of how to deal with them? Should we retreat to the clan for now?” Old Xie suggested.

“Why should I? I, Yang Ze, have no need to hide. Tomorrow I’ll visit the magistrate Yuan Heng. I have my own way to resolve this,” Yang Ze declared confidently.

Staring at this self-assured young man, Old Xie felt a trace of unfamiliarity. Ever since Yang Ze had taken charge, he seemed more and more different from before. Deep in his memory, another figure surfaced.

The next morning, Yang Ze quietly left Xiangyun Street and hurried toward the yamen, suspecting that someone was watching him. If he was to visit the magistrate, he couldn’t afford to be discovered.

His timing was fortuitous; Yuan Heng happened to be in the office. Upon hearing Yang Ze had arrived, Yuan Heng had him brought in.

“I knew I wasn’t mistaken about you. In just over a month, you’ve already reached the high ranks of Qi-Attracting. Expelling the Feng and Fan families from Xiangyun Street is only a matter of time for you,” Yuan Heng said with a smile, ordering tea for Yang Ze.

“You flatter me, Lord Yuan. My breakthrough was but a stroke of luck. If you don’t help me this time, I fear I won’t get that slot, and your plans for Four Directions Market may fall through as well,” Yang Ze replied, shaking his head with a sigh.

“What do you mean by that? Are they targeting you?” Yuan Heng quickly deduced the issue.

“They made a move against me last night—I almost died,” Yang Ze answered.

“Those two are shameless! As elders of the martial world, to strike at a junior—what disgrace!” Yuan Heng thundered, slamming the table.

“But that’s not right. I’ve been keeping an eye on you—your actions are always well planned. Why come to me all of a sudden? What are you really after?” Yuan Heng’s anger faded as he probed. Knowing Yang Ze, he suspected he had come with an ulterior motive.

“Hahaha, you truly know me, Lord Yuan. I just want to ask: if I eliminate the Feng and Fan families, will there be any dire consequences?” Yang Ze asked.

Yuan Heng paused, then burst into laughter.