Starting Reward – A Three Thousand Assassin Network

Chapter 29 — Zhao Hao’s Deep Concealment

Meanwhile, at the Ye Family residence.

Ye Wudao once again sought out Ye Dingtian, but today the elderly Ye seemed to be in a good mood. Surprisingly, he had moved his beloved grandmaster chair to the backyard of the Ye residence.

In the backyard lay a vast pond adorned with lotus leaves. Each lotus flower struggled to bloom, yearning to leave its most beautiful imprint on the world, despite their fleeting lives.

At this moment, within a pavilion, Ye Dingtian sat on his grandmaster chair, eyes closed, enjoying tranquility. A golden figure leisurely moved through the water, occasionally spewing a jet of water towards Ye Dingtian, only to be repelled by an invisible barrier a yard away.

This golden figure in the water was the golden dragonfish caught by Ye Chen a few days ago. It seemed displeased about being confined to this pond.

“Heh, you truly remarkable little thing. You’ve already gained sentience. Well then, since you don’t fancy staying here, I’ll find you a larger place,” a brisk voice suddenly came from afar.

“Dad, something big’s happened!” Hearing the voice, Ye Dingtian furrowed his brows slightly, showing some displeasure. He’d lectured his son countless times to remain composed in situations like these, but his words never seemed to stick.

Shortly after, Ye Wudao arrived by Ye Dingtian’s side.

“Speak up, what’s made you this flustered?” Ye Dingtian cast a disgruntled glance at his son.

“The whole martial world’s gone mad over the annihilation of the Divine Flame Sect. They claim it was our Ye family’s doing, as if we were the hidden hand orchestrating it all,” Ye Wudao said, pouring himself a cup of tea from a teapot on the stone table before gulping it down.

“Is that all?” Ye Dingtian’s tone was somewhat indifferent.

“Ah, well …” Ye Wudao didn’t understand. Such a huge issue, yet his old man didn’t show any reaction.

“Dad, many martial artists are demanding an explanation from our Ye family for the 1800 innocent lives lost!” Ye Wudao reiterated.

“Explanation? Let me ask you, is the Divine Flame Sect’s destruction our doing? Did we know about it?” Faced with Ye Dingtian’s question, Ye Wudao shook his head blankly.

“Humph, if you knew it wasn’t our doing, why bother with them? If the Ye family steps in, it’ll only make it seem like we were behind it all, falling into the trap of the mastermind. This is clearly a scheme against our family. You can’t even see this simple truth after all these years!” Ye Dingtian grew more irritated as he spoke.

“I-I was just worried!” Ye Wudao weakly replied. “But with so many martial artists involved, if they cause trouble in Liangzhou, the consequences …”

“Trouble? Even if they had ten times the courage, they wouldn’t dare cause trouble in Liangzhou. Do they think my Ye family’s 500,000 iron riders grew up drinking plain water? They wouldn’t dare stir up trouble on our turf!” Ye Dingtian scoffed.

“Now, what do we do?” Ye Wudao asked.

“What do we do? We do nothing! Just keep watching the show!” Ye Dingtian’s eyes gleamed with wisdom. He wasn’t certain if the Divine Flame Sect incident was orchestrated by Ye Chen. With this opportunity before him, he wouldn’t miss it. Once the mastermind was identified, many things would become clearer.

As a general, he always calculated every step, preparing for the worst.

Until certain variables were determined, Ye Dingtian wouldn’t act.

Seeing his old man’s silence, Ye Wudao had to leave. There were still many matters requiring his attention.

“Chen’er, if the Divine Flame Sect is your doing, what will you do next? Kill some to intimidate the rest? Sometimes using one situation to warn others isn’t the best approach! If it backfires, we’ll face a greater crisis! At this moment, rattling the tiger in the mountain is the best move!”

Ye Dingtian mumbled to himself.

Undoubtedly, after decades of seclusion, he saw things quite clearly.

If Ye Chen were here, he’d surely be astonished. Grandpa had guessed his intentions almost perfectly.

But Ye Chen’s beliefs wouldn’t change. If intimidating some isn’t effective, it simply means the number killed wasn’t enough to make them fear.

“One death is a tragedy, ten thousand deaths are a hero’s deed, but when you slaughter nine million, you’re the true hero among heroes.”

Time flew by, and evening arrived. The night sky was unusually dark, devoid of stars.

Ye Xue and her companions returned to the Ye residence happily. They had spent the day sightseeing and enjoyed the delicacies specially prepared by Ye Chen, leaving her content.

Without the deceitful words of merchants or the cunning manipulations, she wished these days could continue forever.

After bidding farewell to the Zhao sisters, Ye Xue went to find Grandpa Ye.

In the courtyard of Ye Dingtian’s residence, he sat in his grandmaster chair, holding a cigarette in his left hand and a fan made of an unknown material in his right.

“Grandpa, seems like you’re in a good mood!” Ye Xue came behind Ye Dingtian, giving him a shoulder massage.

“Haha, it’s quite pleasant. How was your day? Any gains?” Ye Dingtian felt the comfort from the shoulder massage, making him even happier.

“I did learn a bit. That Zhao Hao doesn’t seem as simple as he appears!” Ye Xue detailed everything that happened today.

“People from the Zhao family are all cunning. Don’t underestimate any of them,” Ye Dingtian said, fanning a gust of cool air.

“It’s a troublesome autumn now. The Zhao siblings came all the way here, not just for escorting goods to our Ye family. They’re here to probe,” he continued.

Ye Xue deeply agreed. Although the Zhao and Ye families had deep ties, without sufficient benefits, the Zhao family would distance themselves. That’s the interest of noble families.

Now that Ye’s influence was waning, the Zhao family would undoubtedly abandon them. It was in the interest of the aristocracy.

“Since Zhao Hao suffered a loss in front of Chen, he’ll surely try to make a comeback!” Ye Xue felt elated at the thought of today’s events.

The Zhao family, though not as powerful as the Ye family, wouldn’t tolerate any bullying.

“Heh, Zhao Hao indeed possesses extraordinary talent. He thinks he’s hiding well, but he can’t hide from my eyes. The Zhao family lacks a Transcendent Realm expert. They don’t know the secrets of this realm.” Ye Dingtian nodded, creating a cool breeze with his fan.

“That lad boasts about mastering the Thunderous Technique at an early stage, but he’s almost reached the level of his grandfather in reality.”

This revelation startled Ye Xue. “Impossible! The Thunderous Technique is a lightning-based technique. If mishandled, one could die instantly due to the influx of heavenly lightning. It’s incredibly difficult. That such a young lad could nearly reach the level of his grandfather, it’s unbelievable.”

Ye Dingtian agreed, “Indeed surprising. If this lad grows up, the Zhao family will surely rise.”

“No wonder he’s been causing trouble everywhere. The Zhao family turned a blind eye because all of this was meant to conceal his talent.” Only now did Ye Xue understand why the Zhao family had an incorrigible member like him, whom they ignored.