"I want Ye Tian to assist me," Qian Renxue said earnestly.
Upon hearing this, Bibi Dong let out a soft laugh.
"Xiao Xue, can't you see? Ye Tian doesn't know who I truly am," Bibi Dong replied. "He has a good impression of the Spirit Hall, but that doesn't mean he'll help us."
"People like Ye Tian can only be influenced gradually," she continued, aware that Qian Renxue's plans were overly idealistic.
Ye Tian wasn't someone who could be manipulated easily. Even if he were to join the Spirit Hall, she would never risk sending him undercover in a dangerous place like the Heaven Dou Empire. Talents like him could still shine in Spirit City without the need for unnecessary risk.
If something happened to him, the blame would fall heavily on her.
Qian Renxue responded with a calm smile. "Everyone has a weakness. How does Sister know that Ye Tian can't be used for my purposes?"
In her eyes, nothing was impossible — it was only a matter of weighing the benefits.
"Don't act recklessly," Bibi Dong warned, frowning slightly. She could see that Qian Renxue was acting a bit overconfident. "Ye Tian isn't someone who craves power or wealth. Ordinary incentives are meaningless to him."
"If you try to negotiate with him, it will only backfire."
"So, you plan to use Nana as leverage to keep him on a leash?" Qian Renxue retorted, unfazed by Bibi Dong's advice.
It seemed that Bibi Dong hadn't changed; she was still the same as ever. No matter the issue, it had to be resolved according to her will, without interference from others.
Qian Renxue finally realized that these two weeks of closeness had merely been a beautiful fantasy of hers.
Bibi Dong would never understand that seizing power over the Heaven Dou Empire would be far more efficient than uniting the continent through an open war led by the Spirit Hall.
Ideological differences can't be defined as right or wrong, but Qian Renxue knew time was against her. She needed to secure control over the Heaven Dou Empire before conflicts between the two empires and the Spirit Hall became irreconcilable.
Clearly, Ye Tian was the perfect accelerant for her plans — as long as he would agree to help her. Within a year, the Emperor of Snow Night would surely fall!
Qian Renxue's voice turned as cold as it used to be. "You can use Nana as a bargaining chip to recruit Ye Tian. So why should I stand idly by?"
"A wise bird chooses the best tree to nest in. A talent like Ye Tian shouldn't have only one option."
"Let's each offer him our terms, and let him decide."
Bibi Dong halted, clenching her hands in anger.
But her fury wasn't directed at Qian Renxue. Rather, it was against Qian Daoliu and the Angel Clan. That despicable clan had cast a dark shadow over her life.
She once believed time would heal all wounds, but now she realized that evil would never disappear. It would only stain those close to it.
Although Qian Renxue was her daughter, this was the first time Bibi Dong felt a sense of estrangement.
"What? Are you going to be angry with me?"
Qian Renxue stood tall, looking Bibi Dong squarely in the eye with a sharp, proud gaze. Bibi Dong eventually released her clenched fists, showing no hint of her earlier anger.
"If you believe you have the means to persuade him, I'll give you a fair chance. Go ahead and try," she said in a cold, detached tone.
"But don't reveal my identity."
"I won't accept a handout from you," Qian Renxue replied indifferently as she walked away, her resolve hardening. One day, she would show her sister who was truly superior!
At the seaside city of East Sea, Qian Renxue wasn't the only one in a foul mood.
In the city, Yu Tianheng's gaze grew darker as he looked at his servant Gao Yao.
"Even though we stockpiled nearly ten million catties of grain with the Silvis Trade Union, there hasn't been any rush for the people to buy it," Gao Yao reported bitterly.
"I sent our intelligence agents to investigate and found that most of the land is planted with a crop called 'potato.' Apparently, this crop yields at least a thousand catties per acre."
"Even if each household only plants one acre, they'll still survive the disaster."
Hearing this, Yu Tianheng's enthusiasm for cultivation vanished. They'd invested seven million gold spirit coins in grain, using the entire cash flow of the Lightning Commerce Guild.
They had expected a famine to peak within a few months, providing a golden opportunity for profit. But instead, their funds were now fully tied up.
"Where did these potatoes come from?" Yu Tianheng asked, his composure slipping.
"The crop originated from a few farms in East Sea, the most notable being Butterfly Farm," Gao Yao replied, completely dejected. As the lead on this deal, he now faced the wrath of the Tyrannosaurus Clan. Responsibility couldn't fall on Yu Tianheng as the young master; it would fall solely on Gao Yao.
Yu Tianheng's eyes narrowed at the mention of Butterfly Farm. He remembered it was run by Ye Tian.
No wonder Ye Tian had advised him against investing in grain two weeks ago. But at that point, the Lightning Commerce Guild had already spent over two million gold spirit coins; turning back was not an option.
If Ye Tian was the cause of this problem, then it could still be resolved.
Seeing Gao Yao's panic, Yu Tianheng gave a reassuring wave.
"There's no rush. Prepare some valuable gifts, and come with me to Butterfly Farm. I'll make Ye Tian recall all his potatoes!"
"Our grain will sell just fine."
Upon hearing this, Gao Yao's face lit up with relief. "As expected, the young master is capable!"
He left Yu Tianheng's quarters and prepared gifts worth hundreds of thousands of gold spirit coins, along with a carriage, before returning to Yu Tianheng's courtyard.
"Young master, everything is ready!" Gao Yao called.
Yu Tianheng stepped out, confidently boarded the carriage, and signaled, "Let's go to Butterfly Farm!"
At Butterfly Farm, Ye Tian was inspecting the wedding stage in Butterfly Valley when he heard that Yu Tianheng had come to visit.
He regretted assigning the wedding decor to Chen Jian, who had built an enormous stage with over a hundred steps visible from hundreds of meters away.
Anyone unaware would think he was preparing for a coronation, not a wedding!
"Couldn't it be a little more modest?" Ye Tian asked, frowning.
Chen Jian scratched his head awkwardly. "But it's your wedding, young master. Splurging once isn't so bad. And now that it's all set up, there's no time to tear it down…"
"Chen, oh, Chen! I don't know what to say," Ye Tian sighed, feeling exasperated. With only eight days until the wedding, it was too late to make changes.
"Fine, let it be," he said as he walked off to meet Yu Tianheng.
(End of Chapter)
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