“Let’s go see what’s happening,” said Situ Yuntian, frowning.
He led the three elders to the front gate, where they saw several patrol guards lying in pools of blood. Captain Lou’s corpse was nearby, seemingly killed with a single sword strike, his neck bore a narrow, clean wound.
“I don’t know what business elites of the Sacred Ground have with my Situ Clan?” Situ Yuntian asked, turning to Xu Zimo.
“And who are you?” Xu Zimo replied casually.
“I’m the head of the Situ Clan, Situ Yuntian,” he introduced.
“Perfect timing,” Xu Zimo said. “I was just about to ask, did we offend your Situ Clan sohow? Why did you send soone to kill us?”
“What do you an by that?” Situ Yuntian asked with a frown.
“I can testify!” Little Gui suddenly jumped in. “I’m from the White Crane rcenary Group here in Imperial Gate City. Earlier today, your Situ Clan’s chief steward from the inner court approached our captain and asked him to kill a few people.”
He burst into exaggerated sobs and sniffles, his acting couldn’t be more over-the-top.
“And you are?” Situ Yuntian asked, turning to Little Gui.
“I’m the newest recruit under Captain Xiao Baihe,” Little Gui replied.
“Let’s not jump to conclusions,” Situ Yuntian said after a pause. He turned to a servant and ordered, “Go fetch Hai Dafu for .”
The servant quickly left. Before long, a fat man waddled into view, breathing heavily after just a few steps.
“That’s him!” Little Gui shouted, pointing at the man.
Situ Yuntian’s brow furrowed.
Hai Dafu approached and asked respectfully, “Patriarch, did you need for sothing?”
“You know very well what you’ve done,” Situ Yuntian said sharply.
“I swear I don’t, Patriarch!” Hai Dafu stamred, panic written all over his face.
“I’m asking you, did you send soone to assassinate several elite disciples of the Sacred Ground?” Situ Yuntian pressed.
“Patriarch, you must believe ! Even if I had a hundred lives, I wouldn’t dare!” Hai Dafu dropped to his knees, crying in fear. His acting put Little Gui’s performance to sha.
“Gentlen, could this all be a misunderstanding?” Situ Yuntian asked, turning to Xu Zimo. “Also, may I ask you to show your identity token from the Sacred Ground? I don’t an to question you, it’s just a precaution.”
“I’ve got one here!” Little Gui stepped forward and placed his inner disciple token in front of Situ Yuntian.
“You’ve got to be kidding ,” Situ Yuntian muttered under his breath, feeling like he’d been duped. “Weren’t you claiming to be from the White Crane rcenaries just now? How did you suddenly beco an inner disciple of the Sacred Ground?”
This kind of half-truth, half-lie situation put Situ Yuntian in a tricky position. If Little Gui really was a disciple, even just an errand-runner, then what kind of background did Xu Zimo, the one he served, actually have?
“You really didn’t do it?” Xu Zimo stepped forward. “Or are you not the one behind it, was soone else pulling the strings?”
“I really don’t know,” Hai Dafu said frantically, casting a panicked glance toward the three elders.
“No need to rush to deny it,” Xu Zimo said calmly. “At the True Martial Sacred Ground, we have a thod called soul-search, we can extract all of a person’s mories from the past month. But the price is high. The victim may die… or end up ntally disabled.”
Hai Dafu’s expression changed drastically. He hesitated.
Situ Yuntian’s eyes narrowed. Looking over, he saw the three elders also visibly tense.
“Hai Dafu, still not confessing?” Situ Yuntian roared, spiritforce erupting from his palm as three of his ridian gates opened.
The aura of a peak True ridian Realm expert burst forth.
He struck Hai Dafu’s shoulder with full force. Hai Dafu’s body burst open, blood flowing from all seven orifices.
“Rest assured, young elites. Our Situ Clan will never harbor a criminal,” Situ Yuntian said firmly. “Whether Hai Dafu was involved or not, we had to give you an answer.”
“Yes, absolutely,” the elders quickly agreed, relieved.
“What a sha,” Xu Zimo said, glancing up. “There may have been more clues, now gone.”
He smiled and added, “But that’s fine. There’s always tomorrow.”
“It’s rare for such esteed disciples to visit our humble Situ Clan. If you don’t mind, I’d be honored to host a banquet,” Situ Yuntian offered with a warm smile.
“I have no objections,” Xu Zimo replied with a grin and followed him into the main hall.
Xu Zimo had noticed sothing: people loved bonding over als.
But the Situ Clan gave him so ideas. Perhaps he could move up his tiline for building a power base.
Taking control of the Situ Clan and using it as a stepping stone… not a bad opportunity.
During the al, Xu Zimo drank a few cups of wine and casually asked, “Patriarch Situ, your family’s been confined to Imperial Gate City for quite a while. Ever considered expanding beyond it?”
Situ Yuntian paused. He understood what Xu Zimo ant.
Right now, the Situ Clan wasn’t strong enough to expand. But with Xu Zimo’s support, maybe it was possible.
Yet he also knew the tradeoff. If they partnered with Xu Zimo, the Situ Clan would no longer be independent, they’d beco part of Xu Zimo’s faction.
Their strength might grow, but they would lose autonomy.
After all, true cooperation requires both sides to have comparable power, and the Situ Clan clearly didn’t asure up.
“You jest, Young Master Xu,” Situ Yuntian replied with a laugh. “We Situ folk just want to live peacefully. We have no grand ambitions.”
“That’s fine,” Xu Zimo nodded with a smile. “Slow and steady growth can be solid too.”
…
After dinner, Xu Zimo politely declined the offer to stay at the Situ estate and left with Lin Ruhu and Little Gui.
He also didn’t see Situ Yunqing again, for now. She would be a key figure in his plans to build his own power base.
Back at Riverfront Restaurant, Xu Zimo stood at the window, watching the sun slowly set in the distance.
He tapped the windowsill three tis with his right hand and said with a smile, “Dark Thirteen, co on out.”
From the shadows behind him, a dark figure stepped forward without warning.
Dark Thirteen looked confused. He was extrely confident in his stealth skills and had no idea how he’d been discovered.
“Young master, the Vice-Lord sent to follow you quietly, for your safety. I was told not to appear unless your life was in danger,” Dark Thirteen explained.
“Good,” Xu Zimo said flatly. “Then I need you to kill soone for .”
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