Chapter 67: The Gathering Clouds (Conclusion)

The crown prince’s title now existed in name only.

Yet, after a fierce struggle, the major families and powerful factions of Dezhou were shocked to discover that, at least for now, they were powerless against the Ji family. The strength the Ji family had revealed was simply beyond their ability to topple. Even more astonishing was the fact that the mayor of Dezhou had become their pawn, openly supporting the Ji family. And although that mysterious force had been driven out of Dezhou, the city was by no means isolated. Dezhou still controlled ninety percent of the Federation’s card-crafting herbs, but it could not monopolize all external sales channels alone. To make money, both sides needed to cooperate. Now, the opposing party was utterly indifferent to whether Dezhou sold its herbs or not. As a result, once outside Dezhou, they acted with complete impunity, which left several great families feeling rather defeated.

“What do we do now?” the uncle asked, sitting in his chair and furrowing his brow as he looked at Long Yin.

Long Yin’s gaze swept over Yuan Shaolin, Ke Yifei, and the others. With nearly all the core administrators of World Without Cards present, his expression remained calm, in stark contrast to the others’ visible anxiety. Observing the child’s seemingly serene aura, Sasaki and Yuan Shaolin, who were familiar with him, also felt their worries begin to ease.

Seeing that the group had calmed, Long Yin finally spoke slowly. “The Ji family cannot last in Dezhou. Don’t be fooled by their current swagger—it’s only temporary. We will not allow them such freedom, nor will the other powers of Dezhou. Just watch—Ji’s family will make a move soon.”

The others exchanged glances. The Ji family would make a move?

Long Yin smiled. “You don’t believe me?”

Given the Ji family’s arrogance, what could they possibly do?

Yuan Shaolin lowered his head in thought. “Now that their actions have been exposed, do they no longer intend to stay in Dezhou?”

Long Yin nodded. “Exactly. The more arrogant they act, the more it betrays their guilty conscience. This is all just for show. The Ji family will definitely move out of Dezhou.”

Ke Yifei seemed to have an epiphany and nodded. “No wonder their recent behavior seemed odd. All along, they’ve been preparing to withdraw. But one thing puzzles me: why do Ji family members keep lingering on their herb plantations? If they’re really leaving, those lands will be worthless. They can’t take them along—at best, they can only take the herbs already harvested.”

Long Yin was startled. “They’ve been lingering at the plantations?”

Ke Yifei nodded. “Yes. Coming and going, back and forth. No one knows what they’re up to.”

Yuan Shaolin’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Long Yin. Long Yin’s own eyes showed disbelief, while Yuan Shaolin nodded grimly. “They’re ruthless enough for that.”

The cryptic exchange left everyone else bewildered. “What are you two talking about?”

Seeing Long Yin’s nod, Yuan Shaolin explained, “The Ji family is probably planning to destroy the herb plantations!”

“What?” The others jumped to their feet in shock. Ke Yifei even shouted, “They wouldn’t be so utterly depraved, would they?”

Yuan Shaolin gave a cold laugh. Though his face was hidden, the sound chilled everyone who heard it.

“What do you think? When has the Ji family not been depraved? If they can’t have something, they’ll make sure no one else gets it either. And don’t forget, they’ve joined that anti-card organization. If the card-crafting herbs are gone, what can craftspeople do? Even the cleverest cook can’t work without rice.” His words were calm, but everyone felt a cold dread settle in their hearts. Dezhou’s economy was built on these herbs—without them, what would become of the city?

Ke Yifei sat down in silence, then spoke with a hint of desperate hope. “Let me investigate thoroughly first. Maybe things aren’t as bad as you say. This is just speculation. I’ll get the evidence.”

Yuan Shaolin watched his reaction and shook his head helplessly. Ke Yifei had been brought out of the Ji family by Yuan’s own father; he couldn’t bring himself to believe the Ji family would go so far.

Yuan Shaolin was unwilling to say more, but Long Yin couldn’t afford to wait. If the Ji family wasn’t planning to destroy the plantations, he could wait. But if they were truly so ruthless, he could not tolerate it. “Uncle Ke, I can’t wait for you to get evidence. By the time you do, the Ji family may have already destroyed ten percent of Dezhou’s herb plantations.”

Long Yin’s words left Ke Yifei frozen, unable to refute him.

Long Yin continued, “I’ll assign half my people to help you fully with the investigation and gathering of evidence.”

“Uncle,” Long Yin said, turning to Sasaki. Sasaki nodded. “Yes, boss?”

“All our plans are on hold for now. Your family’s main task is to visit the major factions. Once we have the evidence, you must ensure they act with the utmost speed to take down the Ji family.”

“Understood.” Sasaki nodded. “I’ll make sure of it. Once I have the evidence, the Ji family will fall immediately.”

Long Yin nodded. “Everyone else, coordinate fully with Uncle Ke and Uncle. World Without Cards is already gaining a reputation in the Federation’s networks. Once things settle in Dezhou, we will make Dezhou our first home!”

At these words, excitement flickered among them. The last time Long Yin’s five hundred card-crafters had demonstrated their skills en masse, it had left a profound impression. When these craftspeople, trained in the new system, finally showed their abilities in the real world, it would herald an unimaginable future.

The meeting adjourned, leaving only two figures in the conference room on the ninety-ninth floor. Both wore cloaks, standing before the transparent floor-to-ceiling window—Long Yin and Yuan Shaolin, both silent.

Yuan Shaolin seemed even more withdrawn than usual. Long Yin turned to him and asked, “Aren’t you happy that the Ji family is about to fall?”

After a long pause, Yuan Shaolin nodded. “I am.”

Long Yin studied him deeply, then said no more. He understood that Yuan Shaolin’s feelings toward the Ji family were deeply complicated—so much so, that even as he watched their downfall, he could not summon any joy.

After this meeting, Dezhou was thrown into fresh turmoil. Ke Yifei, to his grief, discovered that the Ji family truly was preparing to destroy the plantations as the child had predicted. When he obtained the evidence, his heart turned cold. He brought it swiftly to the uncle, who in turn rushed it to the major powers of Dezhou. This caused an uproar. The major families, who had until then held back out of lingering ties, were now enraged. Their wrathful response shattered the seemingly unassailable Ji family in an instant—most of the Ji clan were captured, and their power in Dezhou was utterly destroyed.

The only regret was that the Ji family’s patriarch, Ji Shaohuang, and the former crown prince of Dexin, Ji Yin, both managed to escape. Neither was an ordinary figure, and their escape left the major families uneasy, but at least the Ji family had been brought down. The air in Dezhou suddenly felt fresher, though when the major powers reached the herb plantations, their fury reignited—half the land had been ruined. The losses were staggering. No one knew what the Ji family had injected into the soil, but within days the herbs had all withered. Lush fields became barren wastelands. Any attempt to transplant new herbs failed; the land was clearly dead. The major families all regretted not trusting the Sasaki family sooner, but it was too late—the plantations were ruined.

With the Ji family gone, the next step was to divide their spoils. The major powers fought bitterly over the remnants. After a month of negotiations, the Ji family’s assets were carved up. The ruined land, however, was taken over by a mysterious organization. At first, the major families were wary—they had only just expelled one sinister force, and wanted no repeat. Yet this new group was refreshingly forthright: they simply wanted the land for business, and flung piles of gold and several mysterious but powerful cards onto the table. The major powers, dazzled by the windfall, sold the wasteland without a second thought. After all, it was just barren land, and under so many watchful eyes, what harm could come of it?

When Long Yin confirmed that the land was now in his possession, he smiled faintly. These shortsighted, forgetful powers—he truly owed them thanks. With this land, World Without Cards was destined to stir up an unstoppable wave in Dezhou. The other major powers couldn’t understand why the Sasaki family had so strongly opposed this, but after taking their share, they simply ganged up and squeezed Sasaki out. As to why Sasaki opposed it, that was Long Yin’s doing—all for show.

The more outraged Sasaki appeared, the more delighted he was inside. The boss’s move was brilliant. With this maneuver, who would suspect they were in fact allies, despite future conflicts?

With the Ji family destroyed, the mysterious force driven out, and the Sasaki family now firmly established in Dezhou, they had become a major power in their own right. World Without Cards quietly entered Dezhou, and all was moving in a favorable direction.

The crown prince had escaped. Having learned from this ordeal, Li Xian of Dexin suppressed the crown prince’s position, leaving it vacant. But after the recent events, Dexin’s students instinctively avoided Long Yin, sensing that he already carried the authority of a prince—only lacking the title itself. Whether or not he held the title mattered little to Long Yin; to him, it was of no consequence.

Long Yin had set his sights on the mayor of Dezhou, the man who had openly supported the Ji family. He did not believe the mayor was innocent, but as a federal official, he could not be easily removed. Still, Long Yin found ways to render him powerless within Dezhou. After the Ji family’s fall, the mayor retreated and let them do as they pleased. Seeing that he knew his place, the others left him alone—only Long Yin kept watch, knowing that unfinished business could turn deadly.

Author’s note: Just a few more chapters and the Dezhou arc will be complete.