Chapter 65: Gathering Clouds (Part 3)
“What do you plan to do?” Cheng Fengshi adjusted his slightly plump figure in his seat, watching the crown prince play with the newly received intelligence. The faction had sent him to lead the negotiations with the Ji family heir. Though the other party was young, Cheng no longer dared to underestimate him; his cunning surpassed even Cheng’s own, and after a single meeting with the boss, the youth had secured a post as envoy—an authority on par with Cheng’s own position. Such maneuvering made Cheng wary of the young man before him.
Ji Yin gave Cheng Fengshi a slight smile. That smile sent chills down Cheng’s spine. The last time he’d seen that same smile, he’d been troubled by the string of disturbances in Dezhou. Hoping to slip unnoticed into Qingshan Ridge during the students’ field trip from Dexin Cardmasters’ Academy, he hadn’t anticipated the hidden hand behind the scenes—forces of all stripes had converged on the ridge at the same time. What Cheng considered a mess, Ji Yin had turned into opportunity. He remembered Ji Yin’s composed smile then, and the chilling words: “If we can’t move unnoticed, then let all those persistent factions lose their pawns in Qingshan Ridge.”
But that wasn’t all. Ji Yin not only watched the factions stir up local powers to enter the ridge, but even fanned the flames. Now, every noteworthy force in Dezhou had gathered at Qingshan Ridge. Just moments ago, Cheng received word that their people had already wiped out several disobedient factions.
Cheng Fengshi was horrified to realize that every development still unfolded according to the handsome youth’s calculations—without a single misstep. His own faction was relentlessly closing in on several others, and by the look of things, their opponents wouldn’t last much longer.
“The other side merely wants to unite the factions against us. Lord Cheng, are you confident of defeating them?” Ji Yin spoke serenely, shaking his head slightly, as if still expecting something surprising from his foes. But children were children—truly disappointing!
Cheng might admit he was no match for Ji Yin in intrigue, but he had full confidence in his own team. With disdain, he replied, “As I see it, those people are nothing but a motley crowd—no threat at all!”
Ji Yin nodded. “Since you say so, strike with all your might. I have no intention of staying in Qingshan Ridge until tomorrow.”
Watching Cheng Fengshi leave, Ji Yin added, “Have your men show some restraint—Dexin Academy’s students can’t handle their ruthlessness.”
Cheng paused, then turned back to Ji Yin. “I thought you didn’t care. But in the end, you said it. Fine, I’ll tell them to be careful.”
Cheng thought he was doing Ji Yin a favor, but Ji Yin only sneered, “You’re free not to. I’m tired of being Dexin’s crown prince anyway. If you don’t care about the support that comes with the title, be my guest.”
Cheng was left speechless by the prince’s retort and could only leave with a grim face.
When Long Yin realized all the factions were converging on him, he merely smiled. Perched atop Little Hammer’s broad shoulders, his feelings were complex. Little Hammer, who knew Long Yin’s true thoughts, swallowed nervously and said, “Yin, what if that mysterious force doesn’t show up?”
Long Yin tilted his head, thought a moment, and replied helplessly, “If they don’t show up... we’re in trouble!”
Little Hammer felt the urge to wipe away sweat, lifting his bear paw in confusion, not knowing where to put it. After a moment, he blurted out, “Yin, this is too much! Let’s leave—I can’t handle the suspense!”
Long Yin patted Little Hammer’s massive head, comforting him. “Think positive, Little Hammer! Things won’t be so bad—I have a feeling.”
The big bear shook his head. “No, it’s too risky!”
Long Yin sighed. “Little Hammer, I’m tired of this cat-and-mouse game. It feels wrong. I’d rather face them head-on, whatever comes. I’ve done so much already and everything seems to go smoothly, but behind each event, I feel stifled. If this goes on, I’ll get depressed. You can call me impulsive or reckless, accuse me of not valuing my life—I don’t care. I’m only seven, and if I keep bottling this up, I doubt I’ll ever grow tall! Let me place one bold bet, just this once!”
Hearing this, Little Hammer’s agitated heart calmed. With a heroic wave of his paw, he declared, “Alright, let’s gamble—no regrets!” So, instead of fleeing, Little Hammer found a good vantage point and sat down to observe.
Not far from Long Yin, three figures in black gathered together. If Long Yin had been present, he’d have been shocked—the trio were dressed exactly like the one who had attacked him earlier, clearly of the same group.
“Long Two, regarding the report from Long One and that Long family junior, what do you think?”
“Not bad,” Long Two replied, exhaling a puff of smoke and nodding.
Long Three and Long Four’s eyes lit up. Though they’d seen the young Long family member from afar, only Long One had met him in person. They always felt something was off, but now that the most cunning among them, Long Two, praised the youth, clearly he was no ordinary talent.
“The Cavalry Academy sent that fat Cheng Fengshi to negotiate with the Ji family—clearly determined to seize Dezhou. If they succeed, what’s left for us to do?” A trace of mockery crossed Long Two’s eyes as he put out his cigarette, then smiled. “Who would have guessed the youngest of the Long generation would turn out such a figure! No wonder the boss sent us all here. At first, I thought he was making a fuss, but after seeing this kid, I’ve changed my mind.”
“He’s definitely worth the four of us coming here,” Long Two concluded.
“I don’t know what Long One was thinking, injuring that kid,” Long Four grumbled, glancing at the valley.
Long Three clapped Long Four on the shoulder. “Keep your eyes on those people. Long One always has his reasons—you don’t need to know them.”
“And besides, you haven’t even met the kid, yet you’re already taking his side. What goes on in your head?” Long Three couldn’t help poking Long Four’s forehead.
“I just don’t want Long One’s actions to give the family junior the wrong impression. The boss likes him enough to send us all here. It wouldn’t do for the kid to misunderstand.”
“Misunderstand?” Long Three covered his face in exasperation and gave Long Four a slap. “What misunderstanding? Don’t you know the boss is practically invisible in the Long family? No one even remembers him. The only one who does is that little girl with the memory-altering ability, and even then, she only recalls her great-great-grandfather—she’s forgotten the boss’s name entirely. You really think the kid remembers him?”
Long Four rubbed his sore head, aggrieved. “Well, it’s the boss’s own fault for having an invisibility power!”
“All right, enough. If not for the fact that we all have to keep the boss on our schedules and check in from time to time, even we would forget him! Is this really worth discussing?” Long Two interrupted impatiently.
Long Three and Long Four fell silent, recalling the boss’s melancholy over being remembered by only one child in the family.
“Long One says that fat Cheng Fengshi has started making moves and wants my instructions. I’ll assign the tasks now—let’s stay focused.”
At these words, Long Three and Long Four straightened up.
“Long One has just sent me an interesting update,” Long Two continued. “We’re not the only ones who slipped in unnoticed—another faction is here.”
Long Three and Long Four exchanged glances. Long Three frowned, “Another faction? They haven’t been spotted by Cheng Fengshi’s people either?”
Long Four scratched his head. “What are they here for?”
Long Two gave Long Four a glance, replying coolly, “They’re here for the Long family junior as well.”
Long Three and Long Four gaped. What on earth had that kid done to attract a faction able to keep pace with their own? It could only mean trouble.
“Long One says they’re people cultivated in secret by the Bai family junior.”
“The little bloodline demon?” Long Four’s jaw dropped even further. He remembered the boy named Bai Ze well; several times, he’d nearly caught members of the Long Eight. Now, with Bai Ze’s people seeking out the Long family’s junior, Long Four’s mind was a muddle.
Long Three looked to Long Two for explanation, knowing his keen eye would have caught something.
“Long One says he spotted a blood contract mark on the kid,” said Long Two.
“What!” Both Long Three and Four startled. They understood at once—this had to be connected to the Bai family boy.
“What’s the meaning of this? We need Long One to investigate. It doesn’t make sense. We’ve always kept tabs on the bloodline clan, but never knew our own junior had been contracted by one of theirs!” Long Four was indignant, feeling as though his own child had been stolen.
Long Three kicked Long Four. “What are you thinking? If Bai Ze grows up, he could crush you with a finger. Clearly, this contract wasn’t made by normal means. In a way, that’s good—the kid won’t be dragged into the bloodline clan. It seems Bai Ze cares about the kid. Long Two, since we know another faction is here, are you planning to ally with them?”
Long Two sneered. “Ally? Why should we? If they dare lay plans for our junior, they must pay the price. Since they intend to protect our kin, we might as well sit back and watch. The bloodline clan has caused us no end of trouble—let them have a headache for once.”
Long Three frowned. “Won’t this endanger the kid?”
Long Two shook his head firmly. “From what I know of Bai Ze, he won’t let his elders discover his real purpose here, so there’s no risk. He probably only meant to observe the kid, but things changed, so now he has to protect him.”
“There aren’t many of their people here, and Cheng Fengshi’s group includes some tough ones. Long Three, take care of the troublemakers among the students, and secretly guide Bai Ze’s men so they can protect our kid properly. Long Four, set a few traps along Cheng Fengshi’s route. He brought plenty of men; eliminate as many as you can, but make sure the credit goes to Bai Ze’s people. When I give the signal, release those you’ve trapped—again, let Bai Ze’s men take the credit. Understood?”
Long Four nodded repeatedly, marveling inwardly at Bai Ze’s generosity. They’d been worried about how to keep their own presence concealed—now, thanks to this, they’d have less trouble with Bai Ze in the future.
Long Three left at once, moving so swiftly his very presence seemed an illusion.
Before departing, Long Four asked, “Long Two, what will you do?”
Long Two gazed into the depths of Qingshan Ridge. “I’m going to meet the Ji family boy. The Ji family once produced Ji Shaoqing, a man even the boss admired. This Ji Yin is my equal in strategy—he only loses out due to age and experience. I want to see if the Ji family can produce two people on par with Ji Shaoqing.”
“Two? Who’s the other?” Long Four asked in surprise.
“The one you trapped. Oh, right—he’s from the Yuan family. They don’t recognize him, but he is a Yuan by blood, not a Ji.”
With those words, Long Two saw Long Four about to ask something else and kicked him. “Stop talking and get to work!”
Rubbing his nose and looking perplexed, Long Four left. Long Two, watching him go, couldn’t help but sigh—how could someone his age be so childish?
In the forest ahead and to the right of Long Yin, Long One received his assignment from Long Two: a simple task—to intervene only if the Long family child’s life was at risk. Long One replied with a brief acknowledgment before turning his gaze back to Long Yin and Little Hammer. Was there something innate in the Long family that made it so easy to form bonds with card beasts?
As Long One pondered this, he noticed all of Qingshan Ridge beginning to quake. Quickly, he sent Long Two an image of the crown prince’s shocked expression and Fat Cheng’s furious tirade. Long Two, receiving it on his way, smiled faintly. When Long Four took action, it was cold and efficient—and he delighted in sending Long Two images of the Bai family’s people, laughing until his stomach hurt.
The Long Eight, the most intelligent and long-lived of the Long family’s human branch, trained by the oldest elders—eight people, each with their own strengths and over a century of experience, each uniquely formidable. Four of the top-ranked had been sent in. Handling a situation like this was child’s play for them.
Meanwhile, the crown prince and Fat Cheng wore expressions as if they had seen ghosts. What had seemed a sure victory was shattered by the sudden intervention of a mysterious force—their defeat was swift and total. Long Yin, who had worried for so long, found the matter resolved so simply that he was left dumbfounded. When he saw Yuan Shaolin, Dao Qi, and Gongliang Yi return safely, his mind went blank.
The surviving factions, seeing a mysterious force aiding them, quickly rallied and counterattacked. All clues pointed to the crown prince as the culprit. The moment these factions scattered, it was clear matters were far from over. Watching them depart, Long Yin smiled to himself—the crown prince would pay dearly this time.
When Cheng Fengshi returned in disgrace, he found four elders dead and Ji Yin sitting rigidly, his face dark and eyes full of fear. As soon as he saw Cheng, Ji Yin seemed to find a target for his terror. He flung himself at Cheng, shrieking, “Weren’t you supposed to be so powerful? How could you not know a force had infiltrated? That person nearly killed me! Do you understand? If not for our family’s elders, I’d be dead—dead!”
Cheng Fengshi, equally disheveled, was furious. All their plans had been ruined by this mysterious organization, and he’d lost more than half his men. Still wondering how he would explain this to his superiors, he snapped at Ji Yin, shoving him away, “It’s all your fault! If you hadn’t insisted everything was fine, I wouldn’t have brought everyone in at once. If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have lost so many men. And you said Dezhou was your family’s territory—how could you not know a mysterious force had entered? Your family deceived me!”
Ji Yin was stunned by the shove, then flew into a rage, his voice suddenly cold. “Fine, it’s all our fault. You bear no responsibility. I’m leaving—do whatever you like!” With anger all over him, Ji Yin left, frustrated that this mysterious force had disrupted all his plans. Now he had a mountain of problems to deal with.
When the four of the Long Eight regrouped, the others noticed that Long Two was injured and looked at him in concern. Long Two shrugged. “I didn’t expect the Ji family to be so protective of that kid. The moment I got close, they were on to me. Escaping four against one was already pretty good. It’s just a scratch—pity I didn’t get to talk with the boy.”
Hearing Long Two say he was fine, the others relaxed.
Long Four commented, “With both sides at odds now, looks like the Ji family and the Cavalry Academy won’t be cooperating after all!”
Long One looked at Long Four as if he were an idiot. “If their partnership ended so easily, you’d be underestimating the Cavalry Academy.”
Long Three patted Long Four on the shoulder, speaking earnestly, “Fourth, if you can avoid speaking, don’t.”
Long Two glanced at a new message. “The boss says that breaking the Cavalry Academy’s plan might provoke retaliation. Long One, stay behind to protect the child; the rest of us, erase all traces and withdraw.”
Long One was surprised. “Why me?”
Long Two grinned. “Boss says it’s because you’re most like him—inconspicuous.”
Long One froze, while Long Three and Four burst out laughing.
And so Long One stayed behind as the others left. Watching Long Yin from the shadows, Long One touched his own nose, wondering if his unremarkable nature was why he’d become the head of the Long Eight.