Chapter 183: Chapter 182: Matryoshka Strategy
"Old ginger is spicier, old people are wilier."
Leyu sighed as he got into the car. However, just then someone squeezed in, a tuft of red hair appeared in his line of sight: "Mind sharing a ride? We’re going the same way anyway."
"Your surname is Qin and mine is Jing, our families are different, how are we going the same way?" Leyu pushed him away expressionlessly, glancing at the Qin family’s patriarch boarding the car not far away: "No matter how you think about it, you should be dealing with your next steps with your father right now, what do you want with me?"
"To be honest, I’m in charge of the Qin family now." Qin Leyin’s lips curled up: "And my response strategy is to seek a partnership with you."
Leyu had a vague premonition all along, after all, Qin Leyin’s every move before was too bold, not at all like decisions a young man with merely inheritance rights would dare to make.
You have to understand that Qin Leyin acting carelessly could bring disaster to his family. Despite that, he dares to act independently, he’s either an ignorant fool of a second-generation heir or the mastermind behind the family totally in control.
So has he already overshadowed his father?
Leyu suddenly realized he wasn’t at all surprised by that, father-son harmony was always a traditional virtue of Silver Blood members.
"How do we cooperate?"
"It’s inconvenient here, let’s discuss it at home, my He-Ming Courtyard is quite large, come to my place."
"No," Leyu said calmly, "Although I have a clear conscience, Zhengwu died because of me, I heard that your sister watched helplessly as Jing Zhengwu was dragged away, in case I end up fighting your sister—"
"Then I would definitely choose to save you," Qin Leyin said decisively.
The words caught in Leyu’s throat, this felt really freaking weird—did he just ask a ’who would you save first if I fell in the water with your sister’ kind of question!?
"Just kidding." Qin Leyin tidied his bangs: "My sister can’t even beat me, how could she possibly beat the Jing young master who’s an expert at Biting Battle Technique?"
The driver Jing Shou at the front showed no response to this remark, and Leyu had already suspected that his battle technique level had been figured out by Qin Leyin. Warriors of the same level couldn’t hide from one another, just like how pretty and delicate young girls could tell each other’s level by looking at their outfits and skin, it was a consensus among equals.
Curiously, Leyu asked, "What about you? Only you know what battle technique I’ve mastered, isn’t that too unfair? What battle technique do you use?"
In their last confrontation, Leyu had taken the initiative, Qin Leyin countered every move with ease, his strikes devoid of any signs, Leyu couldn’t see through his techniques at all, except knowing he was surely an Integration and Mastery level warrior and well-versed in Biting Battle Technique, everything else was a blank slate.
Qin Leyin smiled, sidestepping the question: "If that’s the case, I’ll go to your place then, will you welcome me?"
"Honestly, not really welcome," Leyu said: "You’re very dangerous."
Though he said that, Leyu winked at the rear-view mirror, signaling Jing Shou to drive.
Leyu knew himself well enough, his Intermediate battle technique level was purely because of the system’s help, and even so, he was probably among the worst Intermediate Martial Artists due to a lack of actual combat experience and hasty advancement from the system.
But Qin Leyin was different, even if he practiced Forbidden Techniques, he had indeed cultivated to the Integration and Mastery level on his own at this age.
Despite both practicing Forbidden Technique battle methods, Jing Zhengwei and Yinyin Yin could only reach the Hall of Initiation stage, so it was clear just how terrifying Qin Leyin was.
And of course, there was an even more terrifying Mu Qingmei. If Leyu wasn’t mistaken, she didn’t practice Forbidden Technique battle methods at all, relying solely on her talent to cultivate the most difficult Formless Battle Technique, achieving Integration and Mastery.
If not for the fear that this powerful female of White Night might impulsively kill him, Leyu would have considered bending the rules to make her give up literature for combat, and serve as his bodyguard.
Nevertheless, Qin Leyin’s strength, coupled with his distinguished position among the illustrious, made Leyu wary of him.
Although they often had casual collaborations, it was always brief, and Qin Leyin was a devoted fan of ’Mr. Tree-man of Future Echoes,’ his constant requests for updates were a source of annoyance for Leyu. If it wasn’t necessary, he would rather stay at home to hug Qing Lan than accept a dinner invitation from Qin Leyin.
"You really aren’t considering sending your third brother, are you?" Qin Leyin chuckled: "There’s no way he would agree."
"Do you think other associations would really send their legitimate successors?" Leyu retorted, "Even if those sent can make it back alive, as long as family heads aren’t dead, and the elder lineage remains, those who return can openly become family heads, but would still be subject to the control of other elders."
"Authority comes from the support of one’s subordinates, not the title bestowed by superiors...besides, the president of the Silver Blood Association isn’t the superior of each house."
"Each family could send an inconsequential youth, if they survive, they could be cultivated, if not it doesn’t matter."
"As for the grandiose words of Ting Gu, whoever believes them deserves to sink to the bottom of Zhongzhu River. After a failed assassination attempt, even if Blue Flame still wants to collaborate with Silver Blood, he’d undoubtedly kill a chicken to scare the monkeys, giving Silver Blood a harsh lesson, thus heavily exploiting their funds afterward. He could then blame the military for the reason, showing his warm intentions opposed to killings, providing Silver Blood a chance to yield and lower their heads."
"Thunder and dew, that’s Blue Flame’s strategy."
Qin Leyin blinked: "Sounds like Jing young master knows quite a bit about Chenfeng Blue Flame, huh?"
"Just on a medium level," Leyu shook his head: "Silver Blood seriously underestimates that man."
"I won’t send my third brother either, he’s of great use to me right now, I’ll probably send a contemptible worm from the Jing family."
"That’s exactly what I wanted to discuss with Jing young master, the content of our partnership," said Qin Leyin: "I hope you can go personally."
Leyu blinked: "Depending on your next words, I might call people to strip you naked and toss you out, so be careful."
"Jing young master, such grandeur in officialdom," Qin Leyin chuckled, his face then turning serious: "I will go too, and I believe other associations will send their direct lineage successors as well."
"Earlier, when voting, except for the Ting family, our nine families all voted against..."
Qin Leyin shook his head: "At that moment, their brains hadn’t caught up, after blowing in the cold wind and rain, their heads should have cleared."
"Because, this mission is by no means one of certain death. Ting Gu’s plot within a plot, he truly wants Ting family to be the president for two consecutive terms, turning the Silver Blood Association into the Ting family’s private asset!"
"First, he exaggerated the severity of the assassination attempt, then pretended to coerce the associations into self-nomination, finally using the president’s authority to threaten the nine associations—his goal was to create momentum!"
"If he directly sent Ting Chaozao, others would certainly notice something odd. So he staged act after act, finally appearing reluctant to sacrifice Ting Chaozao, just to make us all follow the steps of the Ting family, sending sacrificial clan members!"
Seeing Leyu’s seemingly indifferent expression, Qin Leyin sighed and said: "You only need to think the other way around to understand—if, all nine families send sacrificial members, but everyone returns alive, what would happen?"
"In the sacrificial negotiation group, Ting Chaozao would undoubtedly gain leadership, since he knows those sacrificial members back home would merely become puppets. So he would surely, in the name of the Ting family, lure the nine sacrificial members, assuring them that cooperating with the Ting family would make them the true family heads of each association!"
"Who could refuse such temptation?"
"By then, as long as they return alive, the sacrificial members could become legitimate family heads. I don’t know the Ting family’s subsequent measures, but the heads of the nine associations, even as puppet leaders, would all become loyal allies of the Ting family. If the Ting family seizes this chance to divide and annex the nine associations... Jing young master, do you think that’s impossible?"
Damn!
Leyu maintained a calm demeanor, but internally he was cursing up a storm.
He thought Ting Gu was on the second level, turns out Ting Gu was on the fifth level.
This truly was a nested plot! Layers within layers!