Chapter 283 - 279: First Madam Dong

Chapter 283: Chapter 279: First Madam Dong

On a deep winter night, all was silent. Even in the bustling Golden Scale Imperial City, few people were still wandering the streets.

The chilling night wind rustled the leaves.

In a room within the Lieu Mansion, the Lieu Family’s First Madam, Dong Yanhong, was asleep in her bed.

"KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!" "Sister!"

"Sister!"

A sudden knock came from the door, and a middle-aged man in a deep blue robe burst in, his right hand clutching a wound on his left arm.

"Brother, what happened? How did you get hurt?"

Startled awake, First Madam Dong Yanhong of the Lieu Family rushed over to help Dong Yuan bandage his wound. The power she wielded in the Lieu Mansion was largely thanks to her brother’s intimidating presence. After all, ranking thirty-third on the Wind and Cloud List meant his strength wasn’t much different from that of an ordinary Innate Realm master. Without the Broken Water Blade Dong Yuan, many in the Lieu Family would likely never have submitted to her.

"I’m fine. It’s just a small wound, nothing a little Golden Wound Medicine can’t fix," Dong Yuan, the man in the deep blue robe, said, waving his hand dismissively.

"Brother, who injured you? What on earth happened? Weren’t you supposed to be assassinating Lord White Cloud?" First Madam Dong Yanhong asked in confusion.

"The one who wounded me was none other than Lord White Cloud!" Broken Water Blade Dong Yuan said, his gaze grave.

"Lord White Cloud wounded you? How is that possible? Did he ambush you?" First Madam Dong Yanhong exclaimed in astonishment.

"It wasn’t an ambush. He defeated me head-on!"

"Is Lord White Cloud’s strength even greater than yours, Brother? Isn’t he only in his twenties? He’s not even on the Wind and Cloud List—"

"The Wind and Cloud List is just a reference. Some people hide their strength and rarely make a move, so the Wind and Cloud Inn can’t rank them. After fighting him, I’m certain that Lord White Cloud has the strength of someone in the top thirty of the Wind and Cloud List. His methods and his power are both extraordinary." Dong Yuan, the man in the deep blue robe, spoke with a solemn expression. "I never expected our Southern Tang Country to produce such a genius. Give him time, and once he breaks through to the Innate Realm, he’ll likely earn a spot on the Central Plains Martial Arts’ Dragon and Phoenix List."

"Then what should we do? We’ve made a powerful enemy now. Lord White Cloud doesn’t seem like the forgiving type. If he comes to the Lieu Mansion to kill us—" First Madam Dong Yanhong said, her expression tense.

"You don’t need to worry about that, Sister. While Lord White Cloud is strong, he’s not that much stronger than me. I alone could fight him for three hundred rounds. With the help of our many guards, it won’t be hard to stop him," the man in the deep blue robe, Dong Yuan, said in a low voice. "You should be more concerned with matters here at the Lieu Mansion. With Lord White Cloud escorting them, those two little bastards will probably arrive safely tomorrow morning. You know those siblings are the true direct bloodline of the Lieu Family. If that little brat inherits the title, I’m afraid the power you hold will be stripped away."

"You don’t need to worry about that, Brother. How old is that little bastard? I can easily use his youth as an excuse to continue managing the Lieu Family’s power. As for the future, we have plenty of time. We’ll find an opportunity eventually—" A cold glint flashed in First Madam Dong Yanhong’s slender, upturned eyes as she continued, "What we should be concerned about is this Lord White Cloud. Not only is he powerful, but his potential is immense. Since he’s an enemy, we should eliminate him as soon as possible."

Dong Yuan’s eyes flickered, and he shook his head. "Killing Lord White Cloud will be very difficult. An expert in the top thirty of the Wind and Cloud List is not much weaker than an Innate Realm master. With just me and the Lieu Family guards, the most we could do is repel him. Killing him is simply impossible."

"We can’t kill him, but someone else can. This Lord White Cloud possesses a treasure worth a million Gold Coins. Plenty of people are coveting that," First Madam Dong Yanhong said with a smirk that didn’t reach her eyes.

Hearing this, Dong Yuan’s eyes lit up. "Sister, are you suggesting we tell His Majesty that Lord White Cloud is coming to the Imperial City?"

"No!" First Madam Dong Yanhong shook her head and smiled. "If we tell His Majesty, there’s no guarantee he’ll act. First, Southern Tang is currently at war with the Chu Country, and the conflict could escalate at any moment. Second, the Red Sun Army was recently defeated. If we completely tear off all pretenses with White Cloud City, the entire Red Sun Province will descend into chaos, and it might even affect the surrounding provinces. As the ruler of a nation, His Majesty has to consider the bigger picture and will surely be hesitant. The chances of him acting are probably fifty-fifty. And even if he did, that treasure of a million Gold Coins would be swallowed whole by the Emperor."

"Rather than do that, we’re better off telling the Crown Prince. Ever since the Red Sun Army’s defeat, Crown Prince Li Yu has repeatedly petitioned His Majesty, actively advocating for an attack on White Cloud City. If we tell him about Lord White Cloud, he will definitely make a move. When two tigers fight, we might just be the fisherman who profits, taking a piece of the pie for ourselves," Dong Yanhong said.

"Mm, Crown Prince Li Yu also commands over a thousand men from the Imperial Army, each with a cultivation at or above the Martial Arts Sixth Realm. Once they form a battle array, not even an Innate Realm expert would dare to face them head-on." Dong Yuan’s gaze grew thoughtful as he nodded. "If Crown Prince Li Yu brings a thousand men from the Imperial Army, and I tie him down from the side, there’s indeed a high chance we could grind Lord White Cloud to death."

It must be known that a Martial Artist’s True Qi reserves are finite. If a battle drags on for too long, they will become exhausted, and their True Qi will be depleted. Even a fierce tiger fears a pack of wolves. If surrounded by a pack that attacks relentlessly in waves, it’s entirely possible to be slowly worn down and killed. What’s more, they would have Dong Yuan, the thirty-third ranked expert on the Wind and Cloud List, tying him down.

"Actually, the best-case scenario would be to wait until Lord White Cloud is heavily wounded and on the verge of death, then let him escape. You, Brother, can secretly follow him and finish him off in one fell swoop. That way, we not only kill Lord White Cloud but also seize the treasure," Dong Yanhong said, her gaze burning with fervor.

"Mm, this plan will be difficult to execute, but it’s worth a try. If we succeed, we’ll kill two birds with one stone." Dong Yuan said, "But if we tell Crown Prince Li Yu, how can we be sure he won’t tell His Majesty?"

"Hehe, you can rest assured about that, Brother. Crown Prince Li Yu is someone who craves glory and achievement." First Madam Dong Yanhong laughed. "If he learns that Lord White Cloud is in the Golden Scale Imperial City, he certainly won’t tell His Majesty right away, because that would cut his glory in half. I believe that as soon as he gets the news, he’ll be impatient to strike, to capture Lord White Cloud himself so he can claim credit in front of his father, the Emperor."

"Besides, this is a gamble, and there’s an element of luck involved. Even if Crown Prince Li Yu tells the Emperor, we won’t lose out. Although the treasure would be monopolized by the Royal Family, at least Lord White Cloud would be eliminated. Then I’ll have my hands free to deal with those two little bastards." A venomous, cold light flashed in First Madam Dong Yanhong’s slender, upturned eyes, like those of a viper.