Chapter 77: The Calamity of the Yuan Family

“Your intuition is correct. If you really brought Shen Qingjue here to act with you, whether it was real or not, I’d never have anything to do with you again!” Long Yin said with a serene smile. The words, though spoken calmly, sent a cold sweat down Bai Ze’s back and filled him with relief—thank goodness he hadn’t acted rashly.

Bai Ze said nothing, only tightened his arms around Long Yin to show how frightened he was by those words.

Long Yin patted Bai Ze’s hands, which were clasped tightly around his waist, soothing the frantic rhythm of his heartbeat. Only then did Bai Ze speak: “Do you need my help with the Yuan family?”

Long Yin turned to meet Bai Ze’s gaze and shook his head solemnly. “No.”

Bai Ze exhaled. “Is it because of that promise again?”

Long Yin nodded. Of the prince’s two emotional knots, the one concerning Dongfang Ning had become an eternal tangle that could never be undone. He didn’t want the knot regarding Ji Shaoqing to become another regret. This time, every move would be made according to the prince’s will: if the prince wanted the Yuan family to flourish, so be it; if he wished them destroyed, so be it.

Silence fell again between them. Long Yin sighed and asked helplessly, “What are you so afraid of?”

Bai Ze smiled bitterly. “For the first time since I was born, I’m not confident I can hold on to you. You’re like a handful of sand slipping through my fingers; every second, I feel you slipping away. I never know when I’ll lose you completely.”

Long Yin stared at Bai Ze in astonishment. “You really have so little confidence?”

“It’s not that I lack confidence,” Bai Ze shook his head. “It’s that you’re too hard to fathom. I’ve never been able to guess what you’re thinking or weigh my place in your heart.” He intertwined his fingers with Long Yin’s, ten fingers locked, and rested his head wearily on Long Yin’s shoulder. “Tell me—have I found a place in your heart?”

The warmth of their palms seeped slowly through the skin, the steady thump of their heartbeats echoing, each beat stirring his own heart. For once, Long Yin felt a rare sense of peace. The desolation and exhaustion transmitted from Bai Ze surprised him. He had always known he had a significant influence on Bai Ze, but he hadn’t realized it was to this extent—to drive such an arrogant, dictatorial man to this point was almost unexpected.

Was it true that whoever fell in love first would lose? Though the other had lost the initiative, it didn’t mean he had truly lost. He himself had been worn down, unable to harden his heart, and had gradually begun to accept Bai Ze. Love is always mutual, its influence reciprocal; losing first doesn’t mean losing forever, and winning first doesn’t guarantee victory.

As he pondered, Long Yin disentangled their fingers, grasped Bai Ze’s hand in return, and placed it directly over his heart. “The answer you want is right here.”

Perhaps it was his own heartbeat, or perhaps Bai Ze’s—both ears could only hear the steady thumping. There was a certain warmth in this moment. Bai Ze smiled, his eyes shining as he looked at Long Yin, who shook his head at the sight; Bai Ze looked so foolish.

“Hehehe…” Bai Ze couldn’t help but laugh, his joy clear and unrestrained. Long Yin found himself stunned again, secretly amazed at how easily Bai Ze could stir his feelings.

“Does knowing the answer really make you this happy?” Long Yin was at a loss.

“Not just any answer could make me this happy. But knowing it’s a good answer—that’s different. This will keep me in a good mood for at least a month.”

Long Yin pressed a palm to his forehead. Smiling like a fool for a whole month—if his subordinates saw it, what would become of his authority? Was the Young Emperor ready to discard his dignity entirely?

“Shall we go have dinner?” Bai Ze suggested cheerfully, but reality was unkind. Long Yin shook his head. “Next time. I have to see the prince first.”

Bai Ze watched Long Yin walk away, frustrated, realizing that maintaining his happiness for a whole month was, in fact, not so easy.

When Long Yin found the prince beneath a cherry tree, a hint of bitterness tinged what had been a cheerful mood.

“You’re here.” Yuan Shaolin’s voice drifted over, cool and even.

“Yes. Why are you here again?” Long Yin walked to Yuan Shaolin’s side and tilted his head to study him. Not a trace of emotion showed on Yuan Shaolin’s face. Even before such a similar old tree, its likeness was only superficial—it would never be the one from the old house in Dezhou.

“I don’t know,” Yuan Shaolin shook his head. “Somehow, after wandering and turning many corners, I always end up back here.”

Long Yin was at a loss for words. Yuan Shaolin’s hair was tousled by the breeze, his silver eyes clear and empty, devoid of desire. It was as if nothing had ever entered their depths, and yet as if the whole world resided within.

Perhaps it was the long silence, but at last Yuan Shaolin spoke. “The Yuan family owns a cherry blossom grove. Uncle Ke said the old tree at the family house was actually transplanted from there.”

Long Yin listened quietly. For the first time, Yuan Shaolin was speaking to him about the Yuan family. It felt different.

Long Yin expected to hear many things about the Yuan family, but Yuan Shaolin only offered a single, enigmatic comment: “According to the records, that cherry grove is thriving.”

He waited a long time for Yuan Shaolin to say more. When nothing came, Long Yin handed over the file he held on the Yuan family. “It’s time.”

Yuan Shaolin glanced at Long Yin, who nodded. Yuan Shaolin took the file and began to read. Long Yin felt helpless; he no longer understood the prince at all. He sighed—the prince had concealed himself even deeper. In the past, he could at least sense something; now, he understood nothing.

When Yuan Shaolin finished, he gazed at the cherry tree before him and asked, “Are you planning to help me destroy the Yuan family?”

“Wasn’t that decided long ago?”

A faint smile finally appeared on Yuan Shaolin’s lips. “Very well. The first thing that must go is that cherry blossom grove!” He thought of the unique, solitary old tree. What meaning could the Yuan family’s cherry grove possibly hold anymore?

“Very well—let’s destroy it first!”

That very afternoon, the news spread throughout the Federation: the cherry grove the Yuan family took such pride in was reduced to ashes in an instant. Ash drifted through the air, and it seemed all of Federation State could catch the scent of despairing cherry blossoms blooming for the last time.

Yuan Shaolin watched as the grove was destroyed before his eyes. With a flick of his finger, a gold-edged card dissolved into sparkling motes of light. Yuan Shaolin sighed in regret, “This new system of cards is astonishingly powerful. Pity it can only be used once.”

“A single-use card. Version 0.2: Flame Devouring the Sky. Looks like it worked well,” Long Yin remarked, unconcerned. Single-use item cards were, after all, expendable.

Yuan Shaolin nodded, standing beneath the falling ash, and suddenly laughed. “Uncle Ke also said the old tree at the house was one the Yuan family didn’t even want…”

Long Yin understood at once. Watching the drifting ashes, he felt a sudden gratitude—if this destruction could bring a smile to the prince’s face, then even the ashes had earned their merit.

“Who’s next?” Long Yin asked.

“If the presumptive Federation President’s post slips away, what expression do you think that man will wear?”

Long Yin didn’t answer, but continued, “Not only does the cooked duck fly away, it lands in the mouth of an old rival—the look on his face will be spectacular.” When Yuan Shaolin sought to strip Yuan Yongfeng of the nomination for Federation President, Long Yin immediately thought of the most ironic successor possible—Li Xian, Dean of the Dezhou Dexin Academy.

The two exchanged glances and broke into laughter, their voices filled with satisfaction.

The burning of the Yuan family’s cherry grove was noticed by many. Some even sensed a subtle change in the air—trouble was brewing for the Yuan family.

Indeed, over the following days, several families that had made deals with the Yuan family abruptly reneged. These were prominent families in Federation State, and for them to break off so decisively, disregarding all ties and friendship, showed that nothing—no matter how longstanding—could withstand the lure of greater interests.

With the Card House backing him, it wasn’t difficult for Long Yin to produce the necessary incentives to buy these families’ loyalty—especially since he was even willing to share the mental training techniques of the Dongfang family from his previous life. What couldn’t he achieve with that?

By releasing the mental training method at this time, Long Yin also sought to thoroughly disrupt the Federation, while pursuing another aim: to flush out the true culprit behind the massacre of the Dongfang family. He had already joined the Anti-Card faction and suspected that the killer belonged to another, rival faction. He now had some idea of their motives, but they could never have imagined that he was no longer the powerless remnant of the Dongfang family—he was now a core force within their own ranks. If the other side insisted on pressing the matter, it would only lead to a clash of two great powers within the same faction, draining their own strength. Why not let them fight?

Because Long Yin was well prepared and willing to pay the price, the Yuan family could only watch in shock as the presidency slipped from their grasp. Yuan Yongfeng soon discovered something even more maddening—the position had gone to Li Xian, his old defeated rival, who had barely lifted a finger to gain it. What was the world coming to?

Enraged, Yuan Yongfeng swept everything from his desk and roared, “Find out! Investigate thoroughly! Which faction is targeting our Yuan family?”

After his outburst, Yuan Yongfeng calmed himself, realizing things would not end so simply. He resolved to seek the advice of the family patriarch.

…

“Isn’t it a bit late for Yuan Yongfeng to consult the patriarch now?” Long Yin placed the news before Yuan Shaolin, whose eyes narrowed, silver irises gleaming with a chilling light, a cold smile on his lips. “Yuan Yongfeng is both the family’s making and its undoing. I’ll plunge the Yuan family into utter chaos!”

Long Yin shook his head. “You’re wrong, Your Highness. Yuan Yongfeng isn’t so crucial. If anything, the Yuan family’s rise and fall rests on Ji Shaoqing.”

Yuan Shaolin paused, then nodded. “Yes. Back then, to seize power for another woman, he ruthlessly cut short his own father’s life. Now, at this point, he should have known such retribution would come.”

After burning the cherry grove, Long Yin and Yuan Shaolin each obtained the truth behind Ji Shaoqing’s death years ago. Their hatred for the Yuan family knew no bounds. Long Yin, for his part, utterly despised Yuan Yongfeng.