Chapter Twelve: Clarity of Thought

Everyone immediately straightened up and listened attentively.

“The first matter: the Su family’s power shall be liquidated into financial assets, with twenty percent retained by the Guardians’ Hall and the remaining eighty percent divided among the four families. However, there will be assessments, and failure to meet standards will result in confiscation.”

“The second matter: after screening the assets, they will be handed over to Fang Che. We must follow the designs of the One Mind Cult this time and see what plans they truly have, striving to glean any clues from Fang Che.”

“The third matter: assign secret tasks to the talented individuals across the regions. No matter what, we must do everything possible to thwart Fang Che, never allowing him to take first place, to avoid putting our comrades at the Martial Academy in a difficult position.”

“The fourth matter: exhaustively search for the whereabouts of the key members of the One Mind Cult. Apart from Fang Che’s master, the others, once found, must be executed without mercy!”

Immediately someone asked, “Why exclude Fang Che’s master from elimination?”

“Fool! If you move one of those two, the other will be scared to death. How then can we fish for information? They’re both openly known; why bother removing them?” Chen Ruhai cursed bluntly.

Everyone instantly understood and couldn’t help but admire him. Despite Chen’s rough appearance, his disregard for petty details, and foul-smelling feet like a latrine, this man truly possessed talent. His clarity of thought was staggering.

Across the room, the middle-aged man presiding over the meeting wore a face full of worry, as if burdened by debts that could never be repaid in all his lifetimes.

He waved his hand and said in a voice heavy with despair, “The hallmaster has given instructions. Let’s proceed as ordered. Everyone, disperse.”

As soon as he spoke, Chen Ruhai immediately put his foot down, donned his boots with a constipated expression, and rolled his eyes. “Fan TianTiao, can you stop speaking like someone already dead and unburied?”

“I’m used to it; I don’t want to, either,” Fan TianTiao sighed, his wrinkles deepening.

The moment these two began talking, the others quietly slipped out. It was mostly because when these two spoke, it felt as if one was in two entirely different worlds at once—a rift so maddening.

Yet these two were the hallmaster and vice hallmaster, pulled from different places and thrown together, forming a mismatched partnership, each despising the other’s presence.

“Are you staying? Got something to say?” Chen rolled his eyes again.

“That Fang Che must have someone close by. I will request the Dark Hall to assign someone to shadow him,” Fan TianTiao said slowly and clearly.

Listening to that hoarse, sorrowful voice and looking at that face, etched with wrinkles that seemed to have never smoothed since birth, Chen Ruhai felt an inexplicable discomfort. Waving his hand and turning his face away, he said, “Then arrange it yourself.”

“I will,” Fan TianTiao rasped. “If anything happens, kill him immediately. Then your fishing plan will be ruined.”

“Let it be ruined, you decide,” Chen said swiftly and left.

From behind came Fan’s hoarse and sharp voice, “Next time you take off your shoes at a meeting, I’ll find you and talk all night!”

Bang!

Chen Ruhai disappeared.

Back in his study, he immediately reported, “I accept being assigned here, but I request Fan TianTiao be transferred out immediately!”

Fan TianTiao frowned as he pondered in the hall for a long while before finally staggering out step by step.

Then a message was sent to the Dark Hall:

“There’s an easy task here. You may assign some of the focused training talents to carry it out as a drill.”

...

When Fang Che received news that the Guardians’ Hall had agreed to ‘temporarily safeguard’ something for him, he silently nodded, unsurprised.

Such a commotion and strange development—if the Guardians’ Hall still didn’t realize his connection to the One Mind Cult and accordingly tighten their vigilance or take measures, they must all be fools.

Because there was a clear thread linking him.

“If they’re smart enough to place someone near me, that would be even better,” Fang Che silently thought.

His current strength forbade any rash moves. He was too weak, lacking any ability to conceal himself. If discovered, his fate would be sealed.

Since choosing this path, Fang Che no longer cared about life or death, but dying now would be a pity.

Sun Yuan, however, grew somewhat worried.

“Che’er, this matter… easily invites disaster. Seeing how readily the Guardians’ Hall agreed, it’s clear they have their eyes on you. This might be a misstep.”

Fang Che answered firmly, “So what if they’re watching? Brothers stand by brothers. No matter what, I must protect Su Yue’s assets well.”

“Ah… I don’t know if you’re truly foolish or just pretending,” Sun Yuan sighed helplessly.

“But after this, be prepared. The doctrine baptism will begin.”

Fang Che nodded.

It was all within his expectations.

Ever since he stepped forward, whether the One Mind Cult or the Guardians’ Hall, anyone with a shred of intelligence would brainstorm.

He could almost predict all their guesses and thoughts.

Hence, he was confident the situation would unfold as he wished.

The biggest drawback was that his identity was, in some eyes, ‘half-exposed.’

But even this partial exposure was intentional.

The One Mind Cult could never take the Su family’s assets.

So once he stepped up, they would act—and their action would surely be to annihilate the entire Su family.

Su family’s betrayal, siding with the One Mind Cult, becoming traitors of the continent—Fang Che never intended to let them go.

I will design to kill you, slaughter your family’s elite, seize your fortune, use your name, destroy your clan, and have the very forces you allied with destroy your house!

Su Yue, I wonder if you regret having once used and framed a child?

“Is your mind at peace with this?” Fang Che asked himself.

A faint, almost imperceptible obsession quietly dissipated.

...

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