Chapter 339: Wicked Plan

Chapter 339: Chapter 339: Wicked Plan

The secret chamber of the Damen Mountain Buddhist Temple was breached.

Qin Tianxuan stood before the door.

Song Hongjun’s eyes darted around frantically. "Wait! Song Mingzhu and Sisi are in the secret chamber! I have them, so don’t you dare come any closer!"

Qin Tianxuan burst through the door and casually swept his gaze across the room. "Try me."

Song Hongjun roared, "Drag that damn woman out here!"

No one in the crowd moved.

Then, a few members of the Song Family suddenly rushed to the back, untied Song Mingzhu, and desperately escorted the mother and daughter out.

These few were undoubtedly the smartest in the room.

They escorted Song Mingzhu and Sisi over before falling to their knees, crying and begging, "Sir, we had no idea what was happening! We’ve brought them to you. Please, spare our lives."

Song Hongjun started to lunge forward menacingly, but one of his mistresses grabbed him and held him back tight.

"You old bastard, do you really want the whole family to die with you? We’re not that stupid!"

His remaining adopted sons also surrounded him menacingly.

Now utterly betrayed and alone, he cowered back in terror.

Qin Tianxuan checked on Song Mingzhu. Fortunately, she only had some bruises on her wrists. As for Sisi, she just had a few scratches on her face.

"Sister Mingzhu, take Sisi halfway down the mountain. Someone will be there shortly to escort you back."

Qin Tianxuan’s gaze was resolute. "I’ve brought the top Divine Doctor from Jinling. Sisi will be perfectly fine."

After this ordeal, Song Mingzhu’s face was filled with shame. "I should have been stronger... Brother, I’ve troubled you again."

After she left with her child, Qin Tianxuan’s gaze once again swept across the room. "I said that within ten days, the entire Song Family would don mourning clothes and kneel at the Chen Family’s gravesite for seven days and seven nights! The time is now up, and it seems none of you took me seriously!"

He spoke coldly, then suddenly raised his hand and slammed it down.

A nearby stone pillar rumbled violently, and the entire secret chamber trembled.

Aaaah!

’He’s going to bury us alive!’

The Song Family members scrambled over, all falling to their knees. "We’ll do it! We’ll go right now!"

Song Hongjun had completely lost his former pride. He sprawled on the ground, disgraced, roaring defiantly, "You... you just wait! Yuan Shanhe won’t let you get away with this!"

His eyes were bloodshot as he glared at Qin Tianxuan. "Who the hell are you?"

Before Qin Tianxuan could speak, a figure in the crowd hunched over and tried to sneak away.

Song Hongjun stuck his foot out and tripped him, grabbing the man’s belt. "Captain Feng, you can’t leave! You took my money, now you have to fucking handle this for me!"

Captain Feng’s face flushed red as he kicked frantically at Song Hongjun. "Get off! I’m not dying for you!"

After kicking Song Hongjun away, he turned with a shameless grin. "Hey, friend. I have nothing to do with the Song Family. I just got unlucky and caught up in this. Please let me pass, I have business to attend to."

Qin Tianxuan remained motionless. "A Captain? Which Battle Department are you from?"

Captain Feng mustered his courage. "You... you listen to me. I’m from the Northern Domain Intelligence Hall, understand? I have the entire Northern Domain backing me. I’d advise you not to be too arrogant. It’s always best not to burn your bridges..."

Qin Tianxuan slapped him across the face. "Intelligence Hall? Open your damn eyes and take a good look at who I am!"

Captain Feng had been keeping his head down. Now, trembling, he glanced up—and his whole body jolted.

The color drained from his face, going from red to deathly pale.

"Recognize me?" Qin Tianxuan gave him another slap. "Tell them who I am!"

Captain Feng stiffly turned his neck and let out an inhuman shriek. "This... this is the head of our Northern Domain... Lord Night Emperor! You... you’ve all gotten me killed!"

The entire Song Family fell utterly silent.

Song Hongjun let out a foul fart and collapsed to the ground as if his bones had turned to jelly.

Captain Feng fared even worse. A bizarre expression crossed his pale face, and then he simply collapsed.

A nearby Song Family member checked his breathing and gasped in horror. "He... he was literally... scared to death?"

In this world, the only person who could scare a Captain to death just by revealing his identity was probably the Northern Domain Night Emperor.

Qin Tianxuan had already turned and left the secret chamber.

His phone buzzed. In just that short time, he’d received a flood of text messages.

Most of them were from Lingsu.

’Hmph. The girl had written a ten-thousand-word self-criticism and sent it one text message at a time. That must have been a lot of work for her.’

’I lost my composure today,’ he thought with a sigh. ’As for that bastard Jiang Siyuan, Lingsu was really just dragged into it.’

He sent a quick reply: "The Battle Department’s rules can’t be broken. Lingsu, you’ll serve by my side for the time being. I happen to need an adjutant proficient in medicine!"

Lingsu must have been overjoyed, as her reply came back instantly: "Thank you, Sir! I don’t care about the Celestial Medicine Hall anymore. I’ll be your adjutant forever."

Qin Tianxuan shook his head and smiled, then sent an order to Wutian in a group chat to bring his men to Damen Mountain.

"Bring everyone from the Song Family to the Chen Family’s gravesite. I do what I say. Especially Song Hongjun. He must kneel for seven days and seven nights!"

With the Song Family dealt with, only one of the three main culprits behind the Chen Family’s demise remained!

The Vice Governor of Shangdu, Yuan Shanhe!

And son-in-law of the Daqin Royal Family.

’Good. All my grudges, new and old, are focused on this one man.’

The Night Emperor’s Guard had already escorted the mother and daughter to Gu Qingzhi’s residence. The remaining guards stood silently behind Qin Tianxuan.

With his hands clasped behind his back, Qin Tianxuan gazed out at the mist-shrouded Damen Mountain, examining the evidence his subordinates had seized.

"Sir, based on the current evidence, Song Hongjun and Du Jinrong of the Cyan Mountain Commerce Association are both Yuan Shanhe’s underlings. The majority of the money they earned was paid as tribute to him!"

He sneered. ’I don’t even need to investigate to know that money didn’t stay in Yuan Shanhe’s hands. It all ended up in the Daqin Royal Family’s accounts.’

This was one of the reasons the Daqin Royal Family stood unshaken.

They have factions all over the country, siphoning wealth through various schemes and funneling it all into the clan’s accounts in the Imperial Capital.

"Relay my orders. Erect a stone tablet on this very spot! Then, issue a summons in the name of the Battle Department for Yuan Shanhe to report to Damen Mountain for a meeting immediately!"

「Shangdu Mansion」

Yuan Shanhe rubbed his bald head, his expression grim as he listened to the order from the Battle Department.

His secretary pushed up his glasses. "Vice Governor, we can just ignore this order. The Battle Department has no jurisdiction over you!"

"Bullshit!" Yuan Shanhe slammed his hand on the table. "Wutian, the commander of the Northern Domain, is conducting military exercises near Shangdu! Every department in this city, including the highest leadership, must offer unconditional cooperation! If they tell me to go to a meeting, I have to fucking go!"

He was seething with frustration.

’The Northern Domain Battle Department... they’re clearly coming for me.’

’But I, Yuan Shanhe, am not afraid. I married a daughter of the Daqin Royal Family. No one, not even in the Imperial Capital, would dare to underestimate me.’

Yuan Shanhe got into his private car, frowning in thought.

’The highest-ranking representative of the Daqin Royal Family in Shangdu this time is Qin Zhan Jun, the clan’s mightiest warrior!’

’When Qin Zhan Jun came out of seclusion, the entire Imperial Capital was shaken.’

’Rumor has it that with the Night Emperor’s retirement, Qin Zhan Jun is the most likely candidate to be promoted to Celestial King, taking control of both the Northern and Southern Domains.’

’The only problem is, Qin Zhan Jun has no war merits to his name.’

’That’s why he’s come to Shangdu—his primary objective is to accumulate those merits.’

’But merits aren’t easy to come by. To earn unparalleled merit, one must defeat an unparalleled foe!’

’And who could be a more suitable enemy than Qin Tianxuan?!’

A sinister grin spread across Yuan Shanhe’s face as the plan replayed in his mind. ’First, fabricate a story about Qin Tianxuan defecting to the enemy. Then, call in the Northern Domain Battle Department for "exercises," creating the illusion of a rebellion! That way, when the great War Monarch, Qin Zhan Jun, steps in and defeats Qin Tianxuan, he will have earned his peerless war merit!’

’This vicious plan has been in the works for over six months!’

’The Qin Family has smoothed out every single step of the process.’

’Go ahead and be arrogant, Qin Tianxuan. In less than ten days, the plan will officially begin! You really are a fool. All it took was one letter to lure you here. Heh.’

Yuan Shanhe’s private car finally arrived at Damen Mountain.

He waited at the foot of the mountain, not ascending until a team of bodyguards from the Daqin Royal Family arrived. Only then, under their protection, did he cautiously make his way up to the Great Buddha Temple.

He looked up, but saw no one.

The area was eerily silent. Ahead of him stood a single, newly erected stone tablet.

Yuan Shanhe rubbed his eyes and looked over in surprise.

A line of large, blood-red words came into view: YUAN SHANHE’S BURIAL GROUND!