Chapter 24: 24 Bullying the Honest?
"What leverage?"
Tie Xuan's eyes twinkled, and he leaned forward slightly, showing interest.
Huang Xing wanted to kill him, and he naturally wanted to kill Huang Xing as well.
Their animosity was well known throughout the Ping'an County Government; had it not been for the Huang Family's interference, the position of the arrest officer should have been his.
In terms of achievements and strength, he was actually a notch above Huang Xing.
Chen Yuan weighed the pros and cons: what would he gain by exterminating the Huang Family?
With his own strength, it would be difficult to reap benefits.
But if he didn't make a move...
Chen Yuan had the premonition that Huang Xing already harbored a killing intent toward him; if he didn't act first, it would seem rather passive.
Another crucial point was that although Chen Yuan suspected the Huang Family of colluding with the No-Life Sect, he had no evidence.
Slandering them without proof would hardly hurt the Huang Family!
However, framing the Huang Family or letting Tie Xuan deal with Huang Xing seemed like a good choice.
Presently, Chen Yuan, while able to rank amongst the best at the Blood Refining Level, was still somewhat incapable against Huang Xing, who was at the Bone Refining Level.
"I just received some information: the Huang Family is secretly communicating with the No-Life Sect!"
Chen Yuan lowered his voice, yet it echoed in Tie Xuan and Tie Qinghua's minds like a great bell, leaving them shocked and motionless for a long time.
After a while, Tie Xuan calmed his trembling, excited heart and picked up the teacup in front of him, took a gentle sip, and asked softly,
"Really?"
Tie Qinghua didn't speak but also gazed at Chen Yuan, unable to suppress the joy in her eyes.
She was well aware of how much her brother loathed Huang Xing.
Had it not been for the Huang Family's suppression, their Tie Family would definitely have secured a place in South City rather than having to share profits with other forces as they did now.
Tie Qinghua had long been dissatisfied, but due to the might of the Huang Family, she had been forced to suppress her feelings.
Chen Yuan tapped his fingers on the table and smiled,
"Would Brother Tie joke about such matters?"
"Is there any evidence?" Tie Xuan continued to inquire.
"I haven't got any proof, but I'm ninety-nine percent sure; whether you believe it or not is up to you, Brother Tie..." Chen Yuan, peering through his mask, gazed deeply at him.
Hearing that there was no evidence, Tie Xuan frowned.
Without solid proof, it was impossible to take down the Huang Family and might even lead to complications.
Seeing Tie Xuan's hesitant expression, Chen Yuan casually said,
"This could be a good opportunity for Brother Tie. Since Huang Xing has signaled Song Laoliu to start targeting the Tie Family, a storm-like assault will surely follow."
"Moreover, since Song Laoliu has failed, Huang Xing must have received the news already; it's better to strike first."
"How much enmity does Brother Yuan hold against the Huang Family? You seem very eager for me to make a move against them," Tie Xuan narrowed his eyes.
"The enmity between the Huang Family and Brother Tie is as great as my own. Moreover, the Huang Family possesses an item of great importance to me; I hope Brother Tie will lend a hand when the time comes..."
Chen Yuan said in a low voice.
"As for this matter, I can only try my best; without evidence, trying to destroy the Huang Family... haha, that's tough..." Tie Xuan chuckled bitterly.
The Huang Family was deeply rooted in Ping'an County and had significant connections with County Magistrate Li Mingqi, making them difficult to topple.
"Hasn't County Magistrate Wu been dissatisfied with the Huang Family for a long time? Why not leverage that, Brother Tie?" Chen Yuan pretended to know it all.
This information, he had accidentally heard from a drunken government official.
But to Tie Xuan's ears, it was even more shocking.
This man surnamed Yuan really understood the dynamics within the county government well.
County Magistrate Wu Qingfeng's dissatisfaction with the Huang Family was something few people knew about.
If he were not a confidant of Wu Qingfeng in Ping'an County, it would also be difficult to know about this matter.
Most importantly, why did this Mr. Yuan bring up this matter knowing he could leverage Wu Qingfeng's influence?
What exactly was his identity?
It should be noted that on the surface, his relationship with Wu Qingfeng was quite distant, after all, his direct superior was County Magistrate Li Mingqi.
In fact, it was not hard for Chen Yuan to guess this; where there are people, there is Jianghu, and where there is Jianghu, there are factions. Since the Huang Family had deep ties with Li Mingqi, how could Wu Qingfeng, as the head official of the county, not cultivate some of his own trusted followers?
Tie Xuan seemed aloof, but the Huang Family had been unable to bring him down for so long, even intending to use some underhanded methods to assassinate him, which proved that someone was protecting Tie Xuan.
With careful reasoning, the backer of Tie Xuan gradually emerged.
The reason Chen Yuan thought of striking against the Huang Family through Tie Xuan was because he had considered this aspect.
Everything should be planned before taking action!
"It seems Brother Yuan knows quite a lot..." Tie Xuan said.
Chen Yuan did not respond but instead asked:
"What does Brother Tie think about Mr. Yuan's suggestion?"
"It's worth a try!"
...
...
Under the blazing sun, Chen Yuan was posing in a strange stance, his body radiating a faint golden glow, and he vaguely felt the blood within his body circulating.
Blood Refining!
Chen Yuan was Blood Refining.
After entering the Blood Refining Level, Chen Yuan still dared not slack off and continued to temper his vitality daily.
After leaving the Song residence last night, Chen Yuan had been waiting for any action from the County Government, hoping that County Magistrate Wu Qingfeng would not disappoint him.
He hoped fervently not to let the Huang Family off because of considerations for Li Mingqi.
It was now impossible for him to take action against the Huang Family himself; he could only borrow strength, and this would also better conceal his own identity, not wishing to reveal himself before having sufficient strength to protect himself.
After ending his practice, Chen Yuan washed his body with cold water, feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.
Exiting his courtyard, Chen Yuan calmly walked towards an inn, not having felt much before but now, after entering Blood Refining, his appetite had increased drastically.
Each meal required four to five pounds of meat to satiate his hunger.
This was indeed the life of "poor in the arts, rich in the martial ways."
"Shopkeeper, the usual..." Chen Yuan ordered and then found an empty seat to sit down, quietly waiting for the waiter to serve the meal.
"Lord, here's your meat..."
A waiter, smiling broadly, placed a large plate of sliced pork in front of Chen Yuan, along with a jug of wine.
"Hmm."
Chen Yuan nodded, picked up his chopsticks, and began wolfing down the meat, occasionally taking a large gulp of wine, living life to the fullest.
Shortly after, Chen Yuan stood up, put down several large coins, and prepared to leave.
Suddenly, the waiter approached with an unnatural step and whispered:
"Lord, the money isn't enough."
Chen Yuan furrowed his brows and said unhappily:
"Did the prices go up? It was the same price the day before yesterday."
"The price has not changed, but... Lord, you've eaten ten pounds of meat but only paid for five, and there's also the wine..." the waiter said tremblingly.