#385 - Chapter 385 Reactions from all parties
The depth of night buried many secrets, and many lives.
But there were always some who, with ulterior motives, patiently waited like seasoned hunters for traces of their prey.
The Li family.
Even in the middle of the night, Li Tianyun, as the head of the Li family, was still working for the benefit of the clan.
The 'eyes' he had sent out had not reported back for some time.
For the controller of a clan, this was an extremely dangerous signal.
"Someone, go and see what the chess piece watching the Lin family is doing?
It's been so long without a message, did the Lin family discover something, or..."
Li Tianyun's voice was low and forceful, each word seemingly squeezed from between his teeth, carrying an undeniable sharpness.
His eyes appeared particularly deep in the dim candlelight, as if capable of discerning all secrets in the night.
"Yes, Patriarch, I will take care of it immediately." A subordinate dressed in black entered in response, bowing respectfully before swiftly disappearing into the night, like a part of the darkness, silent and still.
Li Tianyun stood up and walked to the window, gazing at the courtyard outside, barely illuminated by the moonlight, his heart filled with mixed feelings.
The Lin family, a rival that had been secretly competing with their Li family for many years,
now seemed to be brewing some kind of unspeakable conspiracy.
The abnormal behavior made Li Tianyun uneasy.
And the chess piece he had sent out had vanished without a trace, like a stone sinking into the sea, forcing him to be vigilant.
"Old fox of the Lin family, what exactly are you plotting?" Li Tianyun muttered to himself, his fingers gently tapping the window frame, creating a rhythmic sound.
In this world where the strong are respected, any slight negligence could lead to utter destruction.
Time slowly passed, and the night grew even darker, as if even the stars had hidden behind the clouds, unwilling to witness the strife of the world.
Just then, a burst of hurried footsteps broke the silence in the study.
"Patriarch, something is wrong! The Lin family's chess pieces... they're all gone!" The black-clad subordinate returned in haste, his face pale, his voice carrying a hint of undisguised panic.
"What?!" Li Tianyun's expression changed drastically upon hearing this, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
"No, something's not right, not right."
Under normal circumstances, it was just tracking, how could even the people disappear?
The disappearance of the chess pieces was not good news.
It also meant that the Lin family might have taken the lead in something secretly.
"Immediately summon the elders of the clan, I need to discuss some matters." Li Tianyun quickly calmed down and issued a series of instructions.
The most important thing now was to stabilize the situation and find the weaknesses of the Lin family, in order to remain invincible in this secret war.
"Lin family, what exactly are you planning?"
The night remained, but the Li family's residence was also a hive of activity.
Illuminated by bright lights, every member of the Li family stood ready, prepared to face the coming storm.
And Li Tianyun stood at the highest point of the family, gazing into the distance, his heart filled with both worry and determination.
"No matter what the Lin family is plotting, my Li family will never be defeated so easily!" Li Tianyun's voice echoed in the night sky, carrying an undeniable firmness and domineering aura.
The Zhang family.
Zhang Hao had just finished his business and fallen asleep when he was awakened by the Zhang family's strategist.
"Patriarch, Patriarch, something is wrong!
All the informants we sent out are gone."
Zhang Hao, who was originally too sleepy to open his eyes, was instantly awakened by this news.
Zhang Hao suddenly sat up, his eyes wide, glaring at the trembling family strategist in front of him, his voice shaking with anger: "What did you say? The people we sent out, they're all... gone? How is that possible!
Those are the elite spies that the Zhang family has cultivated for more than ten years."
A strategist wearing brocade clothes and holding a Guanshan fan lowered his head, his voice low and trembling: "Yes... yes, Patriarch. The informants we placed in the Li family have all lost contact just now for some reason, as if they disappeared into thin air. And according to our subsequent investigation, there are no clues."
Upon hearing this, the veins on Zhang Hao's forehead bulged, and an indescribable rage burned in his chest.
He slammed the table violently, and the tea set on the table shattered in response, with fragments flying everywhere: "A bunch of good-for-nothings! What's the use of me raising you! You can't even handle this little thing!"
The strategist trembled all over, almost kneeling on the ground. He knew the Patriarch's temper well, and at this moment, he could only bite the bullet and explain: "Patriarch, calm your anger, there must be something fishy about this matter. The people we sent out are all carefully selected elites, and it is impossible for them to be defeated by the opponent so easily. I guess there must be a conspiracy of the Li family behind this."
Zhang Hao took a deep breath, trying to calm his emotions.
At this critical moment, anger would only make him lose his mind and make wrong judgments.
He looked at the strategist, a hint of coldness in his eyes: "Then, what do you think the Li family will do?"
The strategist hesitated for a moment, but still plucked up the courage to say: "Patriarch, based on my understanding of the Li family, there is definitely a problem with them holding a clan meeting at this time.
Now that we have lost our informants and know nothing about their movements, it is extremely detrimental to us.
I think we should immediately strengthen our defenses and send out more people to re-establish our intelligence network."
Zhang Hao nodded, a hint of appreciation flashing in his eyes: "You are right, we cannot sit still and wait for death. Go and arrange it immediately, I want to know every move of the Li family, and I must not let them have any chance to take advantage of us."
The strategist responded with a sigh of relief and turned to leave in a hurry.
As for Zhang Hao, he lay down again, but this time, he could no longer calm down.
Some things have quietly escalated,
and he must be prepared to face all challenges.
The night was still deep, but Zhang Hao's heart was filled with a sense of urgency.
As the head of one of the three major wealthy families in Qingxi County,
Zhang Hao was not just a figurehead.
When he was young, he relied on his own means and abilities to stand out in the fierce competition.
At this moment, he suddenly felt an unprecedented sense of crisis.
"Someone, gather the men and rearrange the family's defenses.
By the way, send someone to keep an eye on the Li family and see what they are up to."
"Lin family, Li family, what exactly are you plotting? And what do you know?" Zhang Hao whispered to himself, his eyes flashing with a cold light.
Just then, his personal guards had quickly gathered the men and prepared to rearrange the family's defenses.
At the same time, another team quietly set off and went to the vicinity of the Li family to secretly monitor their movements.
On the other side, in the county government office, the chubby County Magistrate Liu was rubbing his sore eyes, looking at the news sent by his subordinates, his brows furrowed.
The three major wealthy families in Qingxi County, the Lin family, the Li family, and the Zhang family, although they usually minded their own business, the secret competition had never stopped.
And this time, the three families seemed to have made some significant moves, which made him feel very uneasy.
"These little brats, none of them are worry-free." County Magistrate Liu muttered in a low voice, then fell into deep thought again.
As the parent official of a county, he must maintain a clear head and be aware of all possible changes in order to ensure the peace of Qingxi County.
More importantly, he knew more.
The Red Lotus Sect army is coming!!!
