Chapter 42

One

"Stupid brat!"

A loud voice erupted from the medical room of the Huangluo Escort Agency.

The doctors who were examining the patient were clearly tense.

It was understandable.

Whenever the head of the Huangluo Escort Agency, Du Zhongyue, got this agitated, it usually meant that one or two people would end up in trouble.

Moreover, with the matter of his only child returning with an amputated arm, even the slightest provocation could cost someone their life.

"Everyone, leave once the treatment is done!"

Thus, when Du Zhongyue ordered them to leave, they all breathed a sigh of relief and hurried out as if fleeing.

Now, only Du Zhongyue, his son Du Qiqi lying on the bed groaning, and Yang Jimo, who was bowing his head like a criminal, remained in the room.

"Why did you do something I didn't ask you to, causing this mess?"

Du Zhongyue, who had a nose just like his son, snorted and shouted.

However, Du Qiqi could not say a word. He was feeling an intense, burning pain from the amputated arm.

Despite this, Du Zhongyue seemed to pay no attention to his son's suffering.

"Because of you, everyone in Zhejiang is talking about the Ice Jade! I told you to be more cautious with security!"

"…Ugh, in this situation, what's the point of fussing over a mere jewel?"

Du Qiqi spoke in a voice that seemed to be crawling on the ground, enduring the endless scolding.

However, Du Zhongyue's anger showed no signs of subsiding.

"Ha, a mere jewel? You fool! The person who asked me to find that mere jewel is the Master of the Fang! If the matter had escalated further, do you think the Nine Dragon Fang would have let us off easily?"

The moment Du Zhongyue mentioned 'Master of the Fang' and 'Nine Dragon Fang,' Du Qiqi began to sweat profusely.

He realized too late that he had caused a much bigger problem than he had anticipated.

The Nine Dragon Fang.

His neck, not just his arm, was on the line.

After a moment of frantic thinking, Du Qiqi found an excuse and spoke up.

"Yang Chief said he had a good plan… I just followed his advice."

Yang Jimo could not hide his bewilderment at Du Qiqi's words.

From the suggestion to share the campsite to the plan to pin everything on the female attendant, everything had been Du Qiqi's decision.

He had warned Du Qiqi from the beginning that things would get out of hand, yet Du Qiqi had the nerve to blame him without a hint of guilt.

It was truly absurd.

At that moment, Du Zhongyue asked with a suspicious look.

"Is that true, Yang Chief?"

Yang Jimo wanted to say no honestly, but Du Qiqi's glare was too intimidating.

'Damn, I can't stand this filth.'

In the end, he submitted to power.

"…Yes, it's all my fault."

Du Zhongyue's face was filled with disappointment at Yang Jimo's words.

"I sent you to assist and avoid mistakes, and this is what happens!"

"…I am truly sorry."

"Tsk, if you're going to plot, don't get caught."

He clicked his tongue and then looked at Du Qiqi with a cold gaze.

"Useless brat! Stay here and don't make a fool of yourself in public anymore!"

With that, Du Zhongyue stormed out of the room, followed by Yang Jimo.

Click!

Du Qiqi, left alone in the medical room, ground his teeth loudly. A terrifying aura of killing intent filled the room.

'I will kill you! No matter what it takes, I will kill you, You Xinyun!'

Du Zhongyue, who had moved to the main hall, was pacing restlessly.

He muttered to himself in a voice that no one could hear.

"Damn, I need to regain the trust of the Jiao…"

He was clearly referring to the Jiao, not the Fang.

"Should we attack the Baiyun Escort Agency immediately, using Qiqi's incident as a pretext?"

After a moment of deep thought, he looked at Yang Jimo with a cunning eye.

"…It won't be easy. Since the misunderstanding is clearly on our side, a full-scale conflict would involve both the government and the alliance."

If they attracted the attention of those two forces, it would only make them more of a target for the Jiao.

For now, the best course of action was to continue undermining the Baiyun Escort Agency externally.

"Damn, then focus all your efforts on bringing down the Baiyun Escort Agency! Ignore public opinion and do whatever it takes!"

Yang Jimo, seeing the madness in his master's eyes, spoke with concern.

"…Sir, if we become more overt in our coercion and start other operations, our reputation will suffer significantly."

Until now, the Huangluo Escort Agency had been secretly undermining the Baiyun Escort Agency's operations.

But now, he was being told to ignore the consequences and resort to dirty tactics.

The actions of the Huangluo Escort Agency were no different from those of street thugs.

However, Du Zhongyue sneered at Yang Jimo's words.

"Hmph, the opinions of scoundrels are meaningless. The world only remembers the victors! Once we use the power of the Nine Dragon Fang to take over all the escort agencies in Zhejiang and become the top agency, our tarnished reputation will soar to new heights."

Du Zhongyue's eyes were filled with greed and desire.

Two

Given the gravity of the situation, a meeting was immediately convened after You Xinyun returned with the escort team.

However, the gathering in the Qingyun Hall was very sparse.

You Xinyun sat at the head of the table, with Dao Jinwu, Luo Jianhuo, Luo Daixiong, and the Baiyun Escort Agency's chief accountant, Qu Zhanfeng, seated in front of him.

The seats of the Red Cloud Pavilion and the Xiao Yun Pavilion were still vacant.

"The madmen from the Huangluo Escort Agency dared to!"

Bang!

Luo Daixiong, unable to contain his anger, slammed his fist on the table. The noise echoed like thunder, and the atmosphere in the Qingyun Hall fell silent.

"…We must send someone immediately to lodge a formal protest. We cannot let this slide."

Even Dao Jinwu, who spoke with a heavy expression, could not hide his anger.

However, You Xinyun remained calm and composed.

"It's meaningless. What's the point of receiving a formal apology from someone who has already drawn their sword against us?"

Everyone swallowed their words at that moment.

It seemed that You Xinyun was trying to avoid a conflict with the Huangluo Escort Agency.

But his next words were far from what they expected.

"That's why, from today, the top priority of the Baiyun Escort Agency will be to destroy the Huangluo Escort Agency. Focus on how to repay the humiliation we have received from them."

"…!"

The eyes of the four men widened.

His words did not sound like mere boasting.

Each word You Xinyun spoke carried the authority and determination of a leader.

"Yes, I understand!"

As the four men nodded, You Xinyun looked at Dao Jinwu.

"Xiaolian must have been greatly shocked. For now, relieve her of all duties and provide her with a private room to help her calm down."

"Yes, I will inform her of this."

"And Deputy Chief Luo."

"…Yes."

Luo Jianhuo's face darkened as his name was called.

It was as if he had been expecting this.

You Xinyun spoke in a cold, icy tone.

"Even if the client had given permission, it is unacceptable to share a campsite with the enemy."

"…I apologize, I was shortsighted."

Luo Jianhuo accepted the reprimand without any excuses, acknowledging his mistake.

"Did you consider the potential harm to the already difficult situation of the escort agency if any conflict were to arise?"

"…!"

Luo Jianhuo was surprised by You Xinyun's straightforward acknowledgment of their current dire situation.

Luo Jianhuo could not easily speak, and You Xinyun continued.

"I will take responsibility for the consequences of all actions taken by the members of our family. So from now on, put aside unnecessary worries and act with confidence in front of anyone."

Feeling a surge of warmth in his chest at his master's words, Luo Jianhuo was deeply moved.

You Xinyun continued.

"However, I do commend you for trusting the members of the escort agency until the end. If you had handed Xiaolian over under the guise of protecting the majority, I would never have forgiven you."

"…!"

Luo Jianhuo recalled the words You Xinyun had said to Du Qiqi at the time.

-Why should I trust a mere servant over a member of my family?

'Ah, even a mere servant is a member of the family to Sir.'

Luo Jianhuo was truly impressed by You Xinyun. He felt that his master had truly changed for the better.

Thud!

Luo Jianhuo stood up, knelt on one knee, and shouted loudly.

"Yes! Your servant, Luo Jianhuo, will engrave your words in my heart!"

Luo Daixiong looked at his son with pride.

The tense atmosphere in the room brightened with Luo Jianhuo's actions.

At this moment, someone seized the opportunity to ask You Xinyun a question.

"Ahem, Sir, I have a question. May I ask?"

The middle-aged man with a patch over one eye, Chief Accountant Qu Zhanfeng, spoke up.

Each branch had a chief accountant, and the head accountant, Qu Zhanfeng, was responsible for all the agency's finances.

"What is it, Chief Accountant Qu?"

"I was wondering how you knew so much about the Ice Jade."

Everyone's eyes turned to You Xinyun.

The others, though silent, were also very curious.

You Xinyun responded as if it were nothing.

"It was just luck. I happened to read a line about the Ice Jade in a damaged scroll at the Zongyun Archive."

His natural explanation made everyone exclaim 'Oh!' and dismiss their doubts.

However, You Xinyun's words were a complete lie. His knowledge of the Qingsha Ice Jade came from his memories of the Ginger Market.

"Ugh, damn! I'm already busy managing the Ginger Market, and now this Tai Lingzhou is making me do this kind of work."

Guo Zhushan, while drinking a strong liquor, cursed Tai Lingzhou.

He then cast a spell on the Ice Jade with his hand, which had turned purple.

'I didn't know who the Nine Dragon Fang's lackeys were, but they came to me first. I'm grateful for that.'

He had already learned about the relationship between the Huangluo Escort Agency and the Nine Dragon Fang through the Shadow Whisper he had planted in Du Qiqi's shadow.

Indeed, his decision to destroy the Huangluo Escort Agency was not just because Du Qiqi had meddled with the Baiyun Escort Agency.

It was because they were under the control of the Master of the Nine Dragon Fang, Tai Lingzhou.

'I want to sneak in and sweep through their camp, but that would immediately draw the attention of the Blood Sect. No, this must be a conflict between escort agencies.'

With that conclusion, You Xinyun finally opened his mouth.

"Chief Accountant Qu."

"…Yes."

"What is the current state of our incoming escort missions and remaining funds?"

Qu Zhanfeng's expression darkened at You Xinyun's question. He sighed inwardly and spoke cautiously.

"…I am sorry, but with regular escort missions cut off and existing ones being taken away, our funds are depleting rapidly."

"Then, how long do you think we can hold out?"

Qu Zhanfeng hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"…If this situation continues, we can last at most four months."

A sigh of despair escaped from the others.

They had expected the financial situation to be dire, but hearing it directly from the head accountant was a significant psychological blow.

No matter how loyal their subordinates were, an organization without money could not function properly.

However, You Xinyun showed no significant change in emotion.

In fact, his expression seemed to brighten as he nodded.

"It's not as bad as I expected."

The others were bewildered by his words.

How could it not be bad when they only had four months left?

At that moment, You Xinyun spoke.

"Alright, now let me tell you about my plans for the future."

As he spoke, the expressions of the others grew increasingly shocked.