The Tianlong Family was a small regional fish merchant family that bought a property with a large lake for fishing. They discovered a Red Black Steel Ore mine beneath it. As one of the biggest investors in their business, the Mu Family heard about it first and began supporting the Tianlong Family in creating a Red Steel Forgery, which required significant funds. In the past timeline, this investment came from Jinwei Mansion’s budget.
The forgeries were revealed to the public on Edina’s wedding day, making the Tianlong Family and Li Mei’s Mu Family among the most influential in the central plains.
Since they were the only ones capable of making weapons and equipment other than Mount Hua, even the emperor supported Li Mei, making her the sect leader after Liang Feng retired. The second prince faction finally had equal standing with the first prince faction because of this development.
Senior Edina sealed the letter, feeling a sense of urgency. She needed Junior Edina to understand the gravity of their situation and be prepared to face it head-on.
Next Day, In the guest wing, Shining Blade Sect,
Junior Edina moved around the bed and woke up. As usual, the first thing she searched for was Senior Edina’s letter, which was placed right beside her bed.
She started reading it. Senior Edina explained their current situation in detail. Junior Edina was shocked and surprised to learn that her possible future husband was already here and that Senior Edina wanted to avoid this marriage at all costs. Trusting Senior Edina’s judgment, Junior Edina agreed, believing that if Senior Edina said he was a bad person, it must be true. She then read about how Aunt Li Mei’s early arrival might have jeopardized her inheritance. She nodded and continued reading.
"My initial plan consisted of investing in Jade Grass Commerce to gain influence and money through their growth, but that doesn’t seem possible now. It appears Aunt Li Mei, currently in debt, must be trying to expedite the opening of the Red Black Steel forgeries by the Tianlong family to avoid future mishaps. This likely explains why she is trying to introduce me to Gu this time. We don’t have much time to waste. We need a solid reason to have our inheritance moved to Blazing Sun Mansion or Jinwei Mansion. I estimate we have one month until Zhang Tian's coming-of-age ceremony. That’s the most time we have before Aunt Li Mei stages a heist. She needs to be at Mu Mansion to stage it."
Junior Edina nodded as she read this part. It made sense to her, and she didn’t want Aunt Li Mei to seize her inheritance and use it for her own advantage.
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
"So here’s the new plan: let’s buy Dongu Village in our sect’s province. The current governing sect of the village goes bankrupt in four years. I remember my husband buying it out, but if my memory serves me right, it was having financial issues around this time."
"Why that tiny fishing village?" Junior Edina questioned in her mind as she read further.
"Dongu Village is surrounded by Hin Lake, which is connected to the fishing village that my husband, Gu’s family, the Tianlong Merchant Family, bought. By purchasing a village near Aunt Li Mei’s ‘treasure,’ we will have a way to observe her activities and hinder their plans to occupy the whole region near Hin Lake to conceal the existence of Red Black Steel. After that, follow the instructions in the next pages."
Junior Edina carefully read through the detailed instructions that Senior Edina had laid out. She knew they had to act quickly and decisively. The plan was risky, but it was their best chance to protect their future and inheritance.
As Junior Edina finished reading the letter, her personal maid, Lian Hua walked in. With a smile she helped her change as usual.
At the same time, in Sect Leader Xu Lian’s office, Shining Blade Sect,
Xu Lian wore a troubled expression. Yesterday, during the formal meeting, Li Mei had arrived much earlier than expected, after massacring the bandits living in the Zunzon Road Forest. Li Mei's piercing gaze seemed to scrutinize Xu Lian every few minutes, making her feel very uncomfortable. Xu Lian suspected that Li Mei might have a hunch about her involvement in the kidnapping but no concrete proof. This made her believe that Li Mei was merely testing the waters.
Xu Lian reflected on her actions. She had kidnapped the young generation of the Blazing Dawn Sect, planning to rescue them later to gain favor from the Leon Empire and join the Second Prince's faction. Despite this audacious move, she had not been careless; she had a solid backing and was now waiting for a critical reply.
A servant entered the room and greeted her, "Sect Leader, here is the letter." Xu Lian took it instantly and read it.
The letter revealed her backing: the kingdom of Hilosia, a neighboring enemy of the Leon Empire. Hilosia was at war with Leon and saw an opportunity to use Xu Lian as a double agent. Hilosia had intercepted a long-distance magic spell message sent by Keith Maximus a month ago. This message indicated that Leon was shifting its focus to the Eastern Continent to support their princess in her troubled time, thereby giving Hilosia a strategic advantage in the Western Continent to manipulate events and potentially win the war with Leon.
The message from Keith Maximus had detailed Leon's plans to solidify their influence in the Eastern Continent by sending a Leonese teacher then establishing a information network in Eastern Continent. Recognizing this, Hilosia decided to use Xu Lian to undermine Leon's efforts from within. If Xu Lian could gain favor with Leon and embed herself within the Second Prince's faction, Hilosia could leverage her position to feed false information and disrupt Leon's plans.
The letter contained Hilosia’s reply to her request. They agreed to deploy their agents to remove any evidence linking Xu Lian to the kidnappings. This would protect her from any immediate retribution and allow her to continue her plans undetected.
Xu Lian’s mind raced as she considered her next steps. She needed to maintain her composure and ensure that Li Mei did not gather any concrete evidence against her. At the same time, she had to strengthen her ties with Leon and ensure her eventual inclusion in the Second Prince’s faction.
She placed the letter in a secure drawer and took a deep breath, steeling herself for the days ahead. The stakes were higher than ever, and one misstep could lead to her downfall. But Xu Lian was determined to navigate these treacherous waters and emerge victorious.
In her mind, she began to formulate a plan to solidify her position and mitigate any risks. She would need to be more cautious and strategic in her actions, ensuring that every move she made was calculated and precise. With the backing of Hilosia and her own cunning, Xu Lian was confident she could outmaneuver her enemies and achieve her goals.