"Wait!" Wang Kongyuan quickly intervened, his gaze fixed on Wang He, frowning. "Master, I feel that the Xiao family is not that simple. Think about it, Xiao Chen's strength is not weak, but it's been a month and there's been no movement from the Xiao family. Moreover, Xiao Chen has not been seen in Fengyue City. I find it a bit strange."
"Xiao Chen?" Wang He was momentarily stunned upon hearing this, then sneered, "What is a mere Xiao Chen? If it weren't for the fear of tarnishing the Wang family's reputation, I would have killed him with a single palm strike! Does he think he can contend with my Wang family? Wishful thinking!"
"But from that day on the stage, I felt that Xiao Chen was not simple. His calmness and composure were too unusual!" Wang Kongyuan frowned, though he couldn't quite explain why he felt that way.
"Great Elder, I think you're overthinking it. Although Xiao Chen is no longer a waste, our Wang family doesn't need to fear him. The Xiao family's current situation is beyond salvation; there's nothing to worry about," Wang Xuan quickly interjected, dismissing Xiao Chen as insignificant.
"Great Elder, I agree with the young master. Although Xiao Chen is no longer a waste, he's still just a 15-year-old boy. What can a little brat do? You shouldn't worry too much," Wang Kongshan said with a laugh, clearly not believing that Xiao Chen possessed any extraordinary abilities.
Wang Kongyuan nodded and smiled wryly, "I hope I'm overthinking it. But no matter what, young master, if you're going to act, you must be careful. Alchemists are not to be trifled with. If you strike, you must ensure a fatal blow! Otherwise, the consequences will be severe. We're betting our lives here."
Wang Xuan nodded, confident and sneering, "Great Elder, rest assured. It's just a mere Fusion stage alchemist. Once I strike, he won't even know how he died."
Wang Kongshan nodded, stroking his white beard, and said, "The Yang family's hired alchemist, Liu Jiangyun, just went to the auction house today. He'll definitely go again in three days. The Yang family must pass through some alleys on their way to the auction house. Strike when there's no one around and kill him instantly!"
Wang Xuan nodded, "Elder, rest assured. I'll do it cleanly and leave no trace."
Hidden underground, Xiao Chen sneered as he listened to the conversation among the Wang family leaders, "The Wang family is indeed ambitious. As soon as the Xiao family declined, they're eager to deal with the Yang family. Hmph, daring to strike against my Xiao family, and wanting to destroy it, I, Xiao Chen, will make you pay twice the price!"
"Xiao Chen, although Wang Xuan is the young master of the Wang family, his cultivation is only at the late stage of the Fasting realm. He's not your match. Instead of waiting, you should kill him when they attack the Yang family's alchemist. Such a scoundrel will only harm others if left alive!" The ancient white tiger communicated angrily, extremely displeased with Wang Xuan.
"Kill him? Wouldn't that be too easy? I want to plunge the entire Wang family into despair and fear, making them regret opposing the Xiao family. That is the greatest punishment for them," Xiao Chen coldly replied, a chilling and ruthless glint flashing in his eyes.
Knowing the exact timing, Xiao Chen carefully left the Wang family and returned to the Xiao family, continuing his alchemy as if nothing had happened.
The Wang family had no idea that their plan had been overheard by Xiao Chen. They couldn't imagine that Xiao Chen would use this opportunity to pit the Wang family against the Yang family. Nor did they foresee that Xiao Chen was plotting against them, making any actions by Xiao Chen irreversible.
"Since I said I wouldn't intervene in the Yang family's matters, I can't take the initiative. I'll strike in the shadows when Wang Xuan makes his move, giving Liu Jiangyun a chance to escape. Once he returns, he'll surely report to Yang Zhengxiong. This will cause a rift between the Wang and Yang families. If the Yang family doesn't act, Liu Jiangyun, as a third-grade alchemist, won't let it go. Hmph!" Xiao Chen planned meticulously in his mind.
Three days quickly passed. During this time, Xiao Chen stayed in his room refining pills until today, when he finally stepped out, anticipating the upcoming drama.
"Little White Tiger, let's go and watch the show," Xiao Chen sneered, an expression that appeared on his face for the first time.
"Xiao Chen, isn't this called 'the snipe and the clam fight, and the fisherman benefits'?" The ancient white tiger laughed through their communication.
"Hehe, exactly!" Xiao Chen laughed sinisterly. The Xiao family members were all cultivating, so Xiao Chen left without saying goodbye.
Xiao Chen snuck underground and quickly sped towards the Yang family. He knew the alleys they needed to pass through to reach the auction house.
"This alley rarely sees people and is some distance from the Yang family. Wang Xuan will definitely choose to act here! If it were me, I'd choose this spot too." Within minutes, Xiao Chen had snuck beneath the alley.
An hour later, Xiao Chen sensed someone entering the alley. It was none other than the Wang family young master, Wang Xuan, who muttered to himself, "At this hour, Liu Jiangyun should be arriving soon. That bastard Xiao Chen humiliated our Wang family. If I pin the murder of Liu Jiangyun on Xiao Chen, the Yang family will certainly destroy the Xiao family. It's a win-win!"
"So, Wang Xuan plans to act here and frame the Xiao family? Wang Xuan, you're still too naive!" Xiao Chen sneered from underground.
About ten minutes later, a figure slowly approached from the other end of the alley. The man, in his thirties, dressed in luxurious blue and white brocade, with long hair and a somewhat handsome face marked by arrogance, was Liu Jiangyun, the Yang family's third-grade alchemist and the only third-grade alchemist in Fengyue City.
"Here he comes!" Seeing Liu Jiangyun appear, Wang Xuan's heart leaped with joy. He then pretended to be passing through the alley. Upon seeing Liu Jiangyun, he clasped his fists and smiled, "Isn't this the esteemed third-grade alchemist Liu Jiangyun from Fengyue City? Perfect, I was just heading to the Yang family."
"Hehe, it's the young master of the Wang family. My apologies," Liu Jiangyun replied politely, though the arrogance on his face didn't diminish because of Wang Xuan's presence.
"I wonder what brings the young master of the Wang family to the Yang family?" Liu Jiangyun asked with a smile.
"On my father's orders, I came to deliver an invitation. Three days from now is my father's birthday, and he wishes to invite the Yang family head to attend. Since I met you, I might as well hand the invitation to you. I still need to go back and prepare," Wang Xuan said warmly, appearing very enthusiastic and polite.
Liu Jiangyun nodded and smiled, "Hehe, I see. In that case, I'll accept it on behalf of our master and make sure to deliver it."
"Great! I hope the Yang family head won't mind my inability to deliver it personally," Wang Xuan said happily, walking towards Liu Jiangyun, pretending to take the invitation from his bosom but actually pulling out a small dagger.
Xiao Chen watched Wang Xuan's every move. When he saw the dagger, his eyes turned cold, and his brow furrowed.
"Senior Liu, the invitation is for you to meet King Yama. Once you're dead, the Yang family will be finished. Die now!" As he neared Liu Jiangyun, Wang Xuan's expression suddenly turned sinister, and he thrust the dagger towards Liu Jiangyun.
"What?" Liu Jiangyun was shocked, his face turning pale with fear.
"Whoosh!"
"Ding!"
However, just as the dagger was about to pierce Liu Jiangyun, Xiao Chen made his move. With a flick of his finger, a small stone shot out, striking the dagger with a crisp sound, sending it flying away with great force.
"Who is it?" Wang Xuan's face darkened instantly, shouting angrily, while Liu Jiangyun turned and fled in panic.
"Want to leave? Not that easy!" Wang Xuan growled viciously, preparing to chase after him.
"Bang!"
"Ouch!"
At this moment, Xiao Chen made another move, flicking another small stone that struck the back of Wang Xuan's knee, causing him to cry out in pain and kneel on the ground.
"Who are you? Come out if you dare!" Wang Xuan roared, furious that his plan had been ruined.
"Hmph! The Yang family will surely retaliate against the Wang family. Liu Jiangyun will report everything truthfully," Xiao Chen sneered from underground, satisfied with the performance, and prepared to leave.
"Damn it! The plan is ruined. Liu Jiangyun got away, and it's too late to catch him. He'll definitely report back. I need to inform my father immediately," Wang Xuan muttered anxiously, glaring in the direction Liu Jiangyun fled before quickly leaving.
..
Liu Jiangyun, terrified, ran back to the Yang family, stumbling and falling at the entrance. A guard saw him and quickly helped him up, asking curiously, "Alchemist Liu, weren't you going to the auction house? Why are you back and so frightened?"
"Get out of my way!" Liu Jiangyun shouted angrily, then immediately ran into the Yang family residence, heading straight for the main hall.
Bursting into the hall in a panic, he found Lady Yang sipping tea. Her brows furrowed slightly as she asked coolly, "Master Liu, what has frightened you so?"
"Master Liu, take your time and explain," Yang Zhengxiong said with a slight smile.
Liu Jiangyun, still flustered, exclaimed, "Just now on my way to the auction house, I ran into Wang Xuan. That little bastard tried to kill me! Yang Zhengxiong, quickly, gather your men and go to the Wang family. Kill that scoundrel!"
"What? Wang Xuan tried to kill you? That... that's impossible! There's no enmity between our Yang family and the Wang family. Wang Xuan has no reason to kill you!" Yang Zhengxiong was stunned, finding it hard to believe.
"Impossible? That brat Wang Xuan said that as long as he killed me, the Yang family would be finished! This means cutting off our financial resources!" Liu Jiangyun shouted, both frightened and furious.
Upon hearing this, Lady Yang was enraged. She slammed the table and shouted angrily, "Outrageous! The Wang family is incredibly audacious to provoke our Yang family like this!"