"Who?"
"My father, Jiang Hongyi." Jiang Chaohong’s tone was flat, as if he were discussing something that had nothing to do with him.
He paused for a moment before elaborating, "The conflict between the Jiang Family and the Celestial Sword Sect has been pacified thanks to my second uncle’s mediation. But my father, grieving the loss of his beloved son, will never let this go. He will personally travel to Mirror Mountain to investigate. That will be the perfect time to strike. I will inform Elder Chen of my father’s whereabouts and have you find an opportunity to act."
He immediately followed up with a promise: "After my father passes, the Jiang Family will not investigate, nor will we report it to the authorities. I will suppress everything. At that time, I will be in charge of the Jiang Family, and we will stay out of the Chen Family’s way."
A flash of surprise crossed Chen Li’s eyes, followed by a cold sneer. "Patricide for the throne? Young Master Jiang, you’ve planned this well. However, as far as I know, with your younger brother dead, the Jiang Family’s future is yours sooner or later. Why commit such a treacherous act and invite unnecessary risk?"
At the words "sooner or later," the warm, feigned smile on Jiang Chaohong’s face vanished without a trace, replaced by a venomous, bone-deep resentment and mockery.
His voice suddenly turned icy. "Mine? Hehehe... Elder, are you aware that in Jiang Hongyi’s eyes, I, Jiang Chaohong, have always been nothing but a bastard, a vile spawn who has sullied his bloodline? The position of Patriarch... even with Jiang Chaoshan dead, it would never fall to me."
It was as if years of suppressed hatred and humiliation had finally found an outlet. He no longer held back, revealing the filthy family secret.
As it turned out, back in the day, Jiang Hongyi was inferior to his second uncle in both intelligence and Martial Arts. The family elders all favored his second uncle. Barring any surprises, Jiang Hongyi would have had no chance at becoming the Patriarch.
But he was a deep and cunning schemer. He actually manipulated his first wife—Jiang Chaohong’s biological mother—into seducing his own younger brother. Then, he arranged to catch them in bed with a group of Jiang Family elders as witnesses.
Their grandfather was so enraged by the sight that he fell gravely ill and passed away shortly after.
Because of this, Jiang Hongyi successfully took power, while his second uncle, out of shame and indignation, left home and later joined the Hidden Sword Sect.
After becoming Patriarch, however, Jiang Hongyi turned ruthless. When Jiang Chaohong’s mother became pregnant, he flew into a rage, accusing her of being unchaste and placing her under house arrest.
This was because the timing of the pregnancy, calculated to be around the time she was caught with his brother, made it impossible to determine who Jiang Chaohong’s father really was.
After giving birth to him, Jiang Chaohong’s mother nursed him until he was one and a half years old, then took her own life in sorrow and resentment.
As for Jiang Chaoshan, he was the son of Jiang Hongyi’s second wife.
"He never believed I was his son! He sees me as the shame of his life. He would never let the position of Patriarch fall into the hands of a bastard like me. Jiang Chaoshan’s death will only make him more eager to get rid of this stain on his name."
Jiang Chaohong’s eyes were bloodshot, and his voice trembled slightly with emotion. Decades of accumulated hatred surged within him.
After revealing this secret, Jiang Chaohong’s emotions calmed slightly. He proposed his payment: "As long as you help me succeed, Elder, the 27,000 acres of fertile land my Jiang Family just acquired at Mirror Mountain can be transferred to the Chen Family, free of charge!"
Chen Li still shook his head, his tone indifferent. "Young Master Jiang, I have no intention of getting involved in your family’s affairs. As for this land, I’m not fated to enjoy it. Please leave."
Seeing that his offer had failed, Jiang Chaohong’s expression turned completely grim. The pretense was over, and his tone became bone-chillingly cold. "Elder, do you really think you can hide the matter of the Celestial Sword Sect’s Snow Fairy forever? I know full well that your party entered Hidden Emperor Castle that day.
"The Celestial Sword Sect’s Snow Fairy was supposed to be in Jiangkou County, yet she mysteriously appeared at Mirror Mountain. Do you take everyone for a fool, Elder? If I were to string these ’coincidences’ together and present them to the Celestial Sword Sect... do you think their Elder Jian Dian would believe my side of the story?"
The threat was palpable.
A deathly silence fell over the room.
The light from the oil lamp cast a web of light and shadow across Chen Li’s face, making the atmosphere suffocatingly tense.
After a long moment, Chen Li looked up at him and said calmly, "When he comes to Mirror Mountain, inform me."
The gloom on Jiang Chaohong’s face instantly vanished, replaced by a satisfied smile. "You’re a wise man, Elder. I will await the good news. In the future, when I’m in charge of the Jiang Family, there will be many more opportunities for us to cooperate with the Chen Family!"
He stood up, clasped his hands in a farewell gesture, and left, his posture once again that of a refined young master.
Jiang Chaohong left the inn but did not depart immediately.
He turned into the shadows of a darker alley beside the inn, as if waiting for something.
The moment he stopped, a blurry black figure appeared silently at his side, as if materializing from the darkness in the corner of the wall.
The newcomer was a gaunt, plainly dressed old man in a short gray tunic. He was unremarkable in appearance, but his eyes were startlingly bright in the darkness, flashing with a sharp light whenever he blinked.
"First Young Master." The old man’s voice was extremely low. "How did the discussion go? Did that person... agree?"
Jiang Chaohong let out a faint, cold snort. His handsome profile looked somewhat sinister in the moonlight. "Agree? Did he have a choice?"
"Did you have a conflict with him, First Young Master?" Elder Zhu was startled and hurriedly advised, "This person is at least at the Spirit Realm Third Level, perhaps even a Grandmaster. It would be best for you to be careful and not provoke him lightly."
"Don’t worry, Elder Zhu. If he were a Grandmaster, why would he be hiding like this, resorting to petty schemes and tricks?"
But Jiang Chaohong didn’t believe it for a second. He tilted his head slightly, glancing back toward the inn with a cold smirk. "This secret is enough for me to have him in my pocket for a lifetime. Unless he truly wants a fight to the death with the Celestial Sword Sect."
A flicker of doubt crossed Elder Zhu’s eyes, but he didn’t say more. "We shouldn’t linger here, First Young Master. Let’s go back."
"Mm."
Jiang Chaohong straightened his robes and stepped out of the shadows. Like a shadow himself, Elder Zhu fell in half a step behind him, silent and unseen.
One in front of the other, the two of them blended into the night of the Commandery City.
The Commandery City was not silent at night. The faint sounds of string and bamboo music from a distant pleasure house and the clapper of the night watchman could be heard.
As they passed through a particularly narrow and deep alley flanked by high walls, Elder Zhu’s footsteps faltered almost imperceptibly, and his brow furrowed tightly.
He stopped abruptly, spun around, and shot a sharp gaze into the depths of the empty alley behind them. "Who are you?" he barked in a low, harsh voice. "You’ve been following us this whole time. Show yourself."
The sudden action startled Jiang Chaohong, who was walking ahead. He immediately spun around nervously.
However, the alley was silent, containing only the pale glow of the moonlight and the shadows of some debris stirred by the wind. There was no one there.
"Elder Zhu?"
Jiang Chaohong looked at the old man, his voice filled with confusion. "What did you find?"
Elder Zhu stood his ground, concentrating his senses for several breaths, but the unnerving feeling of being watched—like a needle at his back—had strangely vanished.
His brow remained furrowed, a trace of uncertainty on his face. He slowly shook his head, his voice hesitant. "Young Master, let’s go. Perhaps it was just my imagination."
He paused, then sighed in self-deprecation. "Perhaps this old man is just getting old, my Heart Spirit is often unsettled. I’ve startled you, Young Master."
Hearing this, Jiang Chaohong breathed a sigh of relief and waved his hand dismissively. "Elder Zhu, you’re being too cautious. Within the Commandery City, and with your skills, who would dare to make a move?"
Elder Zhu nodded and said no more.