Heaven rewards diligence; he fought his way through chaos to become a saint.

Feng Ji sneered: "Hu Yu, you said your people were powerful, invincible without using their full strength, but they were slaughtered like chickens."

"Hehe..."

The man named Hu Yu's face turned cold: "So you're blaming me now! It was lust that clouded your judgment. When you heard that the Shen family had recruited a retainer and intended to marry your young lady to him, you went mad and ordered the Seven Fiends of Liushan to attack him."

Don't you think that old man Shen would hire a weakling as a retainer? Qian Jin told you back then that the kid was swift and decisive, clearly a tough nut to crack.

I also warned you not to harm this Ye Ci again.

Anger surged in Feng Ji's eyes:

"I didn't harm him! It was..."

Before he could finish speaking, Hu Yu interrupted him with a cold laugh:

"Aren't you stupid enough? The dignified Miss Shen doesn't need you to secretly protect her. When has she ever gone out without a master accompanying her?"

"Even if you are occasionally negligent and get kidnapped by the people of Tianmu, I will step in to ransom you. I think you are afraid that the girl will be defiled and you won't be able to get over it in your heart."

As soon as he finished speaking, Feng Ji's expression turned even more grim. He took a breath before saying in a deep voice:

"Hu Yu, the Heavenly King sent you here to follow my orders... Do you think you're smarter than me? That your thinking is more comprehensive than mine?"

"Now, no matter how skilled he is, I now order you to personally kill Ye Ci."

"Listen carefully, this represents the command of the Four Heavenly Kings!"

"You're trying to intimidate me with the Heavenly King? If the Heavenly King knew that you've caused so many people to suffer for your own benefit, he wouldn't let you off the hook."

A flash of anger crossed Hu Yu's eyes. He said, "Ye Ci was never our target. The Heavenly King ordered you to gather supplies and money, but you've been spending all your time chasing after a woman? Even if Old Man Shen betroths her, what does that have to do with the Great Righteous Army's plan!"

Seeing that he couldn't control Hu Yu, Feng Ji remained silent for a moment, then said in a somber tone:

"You don't understand. Shen Yixi is no ordinary woman. The Shen family has deep roots in Songjiang County. If I can marry her, my business in Songjiang County will be much better, and I will be able to raise more military supplies for the righteous army."

"This girl studied at a school in the capital for two years when she was young. Her classmates were not ordinary people either. Moreover, she was proficient in arithmetic and had a talent for business."

"According to the plan, after I win over this woman, I will successfully marry into the Shen family. Only with the Shen family's assets can I be valued and promoted under the Four Heavenly Kings. Nowadays, the Heavenly Kings have many talented people under them. If I cannot stand out, I will inevitably become just another ordinary person."

"Shen Yixi is a very important part of my plan, and I cannot afford to lose her. The Four Heavenly Kings said that their biggest fear is that when the city falls, the wealthy families will all abscond with their fortunes. Therefore, I must keep the Shen family under my control..."

Halfway through his speech, Feng Ji dipped his finger into a bowl of tea on the counter and hastily sketched a map on the table.

"Songjiang County is the city that the Four Heavenly Kings value most. Firstly, it is rich and has far more to plunder than other places. Secondly, it is located southwest of Songjiang Ferry, blocking the choke point of the official road. Once the battle starts, after taking Songjiang Ferry, they will definitely control the waterway together with the other Heavenly Kings. They can use the canal to provide supplies and also plan along the river... Sooner or later, this half of the Great Qian Dynasty will really only have half left."

At this point, Feng Ji looked coldly at Hu Yu and said, "Once the Heavenly King conquers the county, this place will inevitably become a battleground, and sooner or later it will be reduced to ashes. At that time, whoever has cash, business acumen, and resources will be able to become the Heavenly King's confidant."

"Don't forget, we are currently insignificant in the Taiping Chamber of Commerce. If we just follow orders, we will never get ahead in our lives. The Chamber of Commerce is full of talented people. If we don't seize this opportunity, we will never be able to turn our lives around."

"If I become a trusted confidant, I can rise in rank as the Four Heavenly Kings grow stronger. My plan is to use the Shen family's wealth as a foundation, and then gradually climb to even greater heights!"

"Besides, Shen Yixi is so beautiful, and she is proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Such a woman is hard to find in this world. How could I let her go?"

Hu Yu's expression changed repeatedly, and he suddenly realized that Feng Ji had a deep and far-sighted plan.

Therefore, his tone softened, becoming more conciliatory:

"The Shen family has very high standards. Shen Zonghan clearly looks down on you, an outsider. Even if you exert all your strength, you may not get what you want. Why don't I just tie this woman up and force her into marriage..."

"childish!"

Feng Ji suddenly looked up, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes: "Look at this woman, she appears gentle and quiet, but she's actually a wild horse. Not just any man can ride such a wild horse. If something like this really happens, I'll just end up with nothing."

"What you need to do is kill Ye Ci for me, otherwise I really can't swallow this. Moreover, I don't want any changes. Today I felt that Shen Yixi was absent-minded while she was talking, and I'm afraid she really fell in love with that martial artist. So, get rid of Ye Ci first, and then I'll slowly think of a way to win over Shen Zonghan. When I marry Yixi, I will definitely not treat you badly."

"Okay, I'll take care of Ye Ci."

Hu Yu agreed, then asked, "When will the Four Heavenly Kings attack the county town?"

Feng Ji gave him a cold glance: "Military operations are not child's play. There are still people who plan for twenty or thirty years to achieve great things. Now everything is ready, we just need an opportunity."

"This opportunity will come when it comes, and the Heavenly King wouldn't discuss it with me beforehand, so there's no time to lose..."

******

"Young master is back. Did you participate in the martial arts competition today?"

"no."

Inside Tingzhu Pavilion, Murong Yanyu had already prepared lunch and was sitting outside the pavilion at the entrance, propping her face up with her hand and waiting.

Seeing Ye Ci return, she hurriedly went to greet him.

"Which martial arts school is the top-ranked in the competition?"

"have no idea."

"You really went to watch the martial arts competition?"

The two returned to the house, and Ye Ci looked around before asking:

"Where are Grandma and Yao Yao?"

"The young lady has hired tutors for the children, and the grandmother is there to accompany them."

Upon hearing the name "Young Miss," Ye Ci nodded and sat down. Then, Murong Yanyu brought up the food.

The two ate.

Ye Ci didn't hold back and told Murong Yanyu everything that had happened that day, to which the latter gave a very serious look.

"Someone did try to kill me before. I suspect your guess is correct. The person who wanted to kill me was Shen Yixi."

"I didn't say that," Murong Yanyu explained in a low voice.

Ignoring this, Ye Ci continued his analysis: "Perhaps she felt I wasn't worthy of the Shen family's treatment as a retainer. It was only after I killed the Seven Fiends of Liushan that she realized I had some skill, so she stopped targeting me."

"I remember that night, when the Seven Fiends of Liushan set up an ambush, they deliberately called out 'Miss Shen'."

"It seems this woman has some issues with her background. The person we killed today had a strange physique and was not like an ordinary person. The leader of the Seven Fiends of Liushan that day was also abnormal."

"I'm afraid this young lady might have some connection with the Demonic Sect. If that happens, our situation will be very dangerous."