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After a careful analysis of the power structure within the Marquis’s mansion, you would clearly find that Mi Hou, as the second son of the clan leader, functions merely as a figurehead or a mascot, as all affairs big or small within the mansion are handled by Li Shaoyuan.

Even if Mi Hou stays out of sight for a year, the industries under the jurisdiction of the mansion would still operate properly. However, if Li Shaoyuan were to disappear for some time, chaos would likely ensue in the mansion. It would be some time before things would return to normal.

“So, this person is our target,” Tang Luo took out a portrait of Li Shaoyuan from his bosom and placed it before them.

Elder Xu looked at the portrait, his face filled with confusion. “Target? What target?” he asked.

“Once we capture him, Mi Hou will release the hostages,” replied Tang Luo nonchalantly.

This made Elder Xu even more at a loss, “Didn’t you say that the southern part of the city is under the constant surveillance by Spirit Beasts? How will we capture him?”

Tang Luo did not reply and instead directed his gaze toward Gong Zheng.

“The young master suggests that I should lure Li Shaoyuan out?” Gong Zheng’s face turned gloomy. It was not that he couldn’t carry out the task, but this move was bound to offend Mi Hou. As for what would happen to his widow and orphan after his death, he was rather hesitant about accepting Tang Luo’s plan. “Is there a problem?” asked Tang Luo, indifferent to his troubled expression.

Gong Zheng considered for a moment, clenched his teeth with his eyes shut, “No problem!”

Feng family, West City

Li Shaoyuan emerged from the Feng household, Ding Gaolang had been waiting for him for a while now.

He was excited, as he had finally managed to accomplish a big task for Mi Hou.

Four patriarchs had detailed the whole matter in writing, handed over the token to him, and were waiting for Mi Hou’s summoning to stand up against the Tang Clan.

The enormous courage that took the four families to take this step was mainly because he had presented them with the token of Xiao Jinlin. But what they did not know was that this token did not exist at all.

Li Shaoyuan took a nameplate from his bosom and crushed it while sneering.

He was fully aware of the magnitude of the crime for forging the Xiao Family patriarch’s nameplate, and knew that if the Xiao Family did not show up, the four enraged patriarchs might tear him to pieces.

But isn’t the realm of power and manipulation just a tightrope walk on a cliff’s edge? Only when he got the written testimonies of the four patriarchs could he meet the patriarch of the Xiao Family and ask him to support Mi Hou in seeking justice for the four.

If they agreed, his forgery of the nameplate would not account for a sin because Xiao Jinlin had appeared; if they disagreed, it would force the four clans to stand against Tang Sen. Then Mi Hou would be their only reliance, and as long as he hid, would they dare to forcibly ask for someone from their only backing?

Through such elaborate schemes, his aim was merely to enhance Mi Hou’s reputation, so the elite of Xiling would flock to him. As for his own safety, Li Shaoyuan never took it to heart.

Because he showed sincere loyalty and gratitude towards Mi Hou.

Loyalty is a quality rarely found among the wise, as most of them are skeptical about everything, sometimes even doubting their own judgment. How could they easily pledge their allegiance to others?

Yet, there are always some people in the world, like Mi Hou, whom fortune favors more than most.

As the second son of the clan leader, when he selected his first retainer, he chose Li Shaoyuan, who had yet to reach the pinnacle of the Mortal Realm, amongst many extraordinary warriors with awe-inspiring combat abilities.

After Li Shaoyuan became a retainer, despite all the gossip from his brothers, Mi Hou treated him as a trusted confidant. When established the mansion, he entrusted all affairs to Li Shaoyuan.

Although Li Shaoyuan was medicore in martial arts, he wished he could repay this trust and regard with his life! Under his management, the Marquis’s mansion, which initially lacked both foundation and power, became the most prominent amongst this generation of the Mi Clan. With numerous industries generating astonishing revenue, had Mi Hou not been so indulgent and extravagant, the prestige of the mansion by now would not have been any less than that of the prince’s mansion.

The reason Mi Hou chose Li Shaoyuan was not because he had a discerning eye, but because he wanted to use this opportunity to show Mi Hu and Mi Shen that he didn’t want to compete for anything. As for assigning all matters to Li Shaoyuan, it was not because he respected him, but because he was lazy. He had thought it through; If he failed in establishing the mansion, he would either return home or mooch off the prince’s mansion, for both his father and elder brother would support him.

But Li Shaoyuan was unaware of Mi Hou’s thoughts. All he knew was, if a ruler treats me as a statesman, I must repay him as a statesman!

He always harbored a grudge in his heart, for he knew that Mi Hou was not truly so unmotivated. Just by looking at his dedication to splurging and having a good time, it was obvious that Mi Hou was extremely clever. It was just that talent was too important in martial art. Compared to Mi Shen’s extraordinary talent, even if Mi Hou caught up with all his might, it would still be impossible for him to reach Mi Shen’s level. Since this was the case, why should he pursue it?

“Shaoyuan, there’s no need to work so hard, just enjoy life!”

Many times, when Mi Hou got drunk, he would mumble these words to him, but how could Li Shaoyuan not see the unwillingness in his eyes and the clenched fists that he held even when he fell to the ground drunk?

At that time, Li Shaoyuan realized that Mi Hou was very much like him. With the below-average talent, no matter how hard he cultivated, he could only watch as his peers surpassed him. If it were not for Mi Hou’s favor, he probably could not have escaped the fate of being insignificant. The ones he compared himself with were just those orphans in the Mi Clan’s Martial Hall and even then, he was incapable.

On the other hand, Mi Hou was born of such nobility, his comparables were his prodigious brother and the elites of the Mi Clan. Everyone remembered Mi Shen’s transcendence into the Mortal Realm at the age of fourteen, but who remembered Mi Hou’s transcendence at the age of eighteen? He did contemplate catching up, but when he couldn’t glimpse the slightest hope even after giving his everything, giving up seemed like the only reasonable course.

“Transcacking Mortal Realm, almost…hic…almost there.” Whenever someone asked Mi Hou, who had already stopped cultivating, he would always reply in this manner.

Others became convinced that he had lost his drive for progress, but nobody knew about his past efforts.

Li Shaoyuan was going all out for his lord, aiming to enhance Mi Hou’s prestige, making him worthy of his talent. He wanted to let the people of Xiling know that in the previous generation of the Mi Clan, Mi Shen was not the only one who shined brightly.

They returned to the mansion where Qiu Jinglong had been waiting anxiously.

“Manager Li! Gong Zheng has contacted us. He wants to meet in a farmhouse in the western suburb. He says that if we don’t hand over his wife and daughter, he will spread the word that the mansion is in collusion with the Righteous Gang.”

Li Shaoyuan raised an eyebrow and lectured, “What’s all this fuss about? A local ruffian without any evidence, who would believe his words? Besides, his wife and daughter are with us, what trouble could he possibly stir up?”

Li Shaoyuan’s stern words made Qiu Jinglong flush with embarrassment, not daring to utter a word.

After he had admonished Qiu Jinglong, Li Shaoyuan turned to Ding Gaolang and commanded, “Master Ding, please take some warriors and make a trip. Kill Gong Zheng on the spot..”