C49 Xi Family

"Father, even though our Yun family may be stronger than the Bian family, we're not at the point where we can completely overpower them. The Bian family is one of the three great families, with a depth of resources we can't match. If we can't take them out quickly, it'll stir up a lot of trouble. So, relying solely on the Yun family to take over the Bian family is out of the question. We'll need to enlist outside help," Yun Haoyan explained.

Yun Hai nodded in agreement. Merely being stronger than the Bian family didn't guarantee the ability to annex them. If it were that easy, the Bian family would have been absorbed long ago. The key was to eliminate the Bian family without sustaining significant losses ourselves. After all, the castellan and other noble families were formidable in their own right. If the Yun family were to suffer heavy losses, those factions would swoop in without hesitation.

"With the Qiu family now gone, Silkbarrow City's four great families have been reduced to three: the Bian family, the Lei family, and the Xi family. The Lei family is as domineering as the Bian family; they're unlikely to ally with us. That leaves us with only the Xi family as potential collaborators," Yun Haoyan said gravely.

"But the Xi family patriarch has been hands-off for years. Why would he help us now?" Yun Hai questioned, furrowing his brow.

Yun Haoyan chuckled. "Father, times have changed. The Xi family can't afford to stay uninvolved. They've absorbed a great deal of the Qiu family's businesses—there's no way they can remain indifferent. They've simply been biding their time. When the Xi family's interests are at stake, they won't be able to sit back and do nothing."

Yun Haoyan had lived for over ten thousand years, witnessing countless families and their dynamics. He knew all too well that families that appeared indifferent often had no stake in the game. Yet, when the Qiu family fell, even the detached Xi family patriarch stepped in to claim their shops.

"Moreover, we're now targeting the Bian family—one of the current three great families. The moment we act, Silkbarrow City will be thrown into disarray. The Xi family won't be able to remain neutral, even if they wanted to."

Yun Haoyan stated confidently.

Yun Hai let out a sigh and remarked,

"I never thought my son would see things more clearly than I do. I must be getting old!"

Despite his words, his heart swelled with pride.

Nothing pleased him more than having a capable son.

Yun Hai was filled with a sense of joy. The Yun Haoyan of the past, while intelligent, had never reached this level of insight.

Now, he seemed as cunning as an ancient demon.

Had Yun Hai not known he was speaking with his own son, he might have mistaken the conversation for one with those wily old fiends.

"How did you manage to see through everything with such clarity?"

Yun Hai inquired, his curiosity piqued.

What was this?

His son hadn't even begun to show his true skills!

"It's all thanks to my master's guidance."

Yun Haoyan replied.

After all, his master was a Martial King, and his father was unfamiliar with the ways of the Martial King realm. It was easy enough to credit his master.

Yun Hai nodded in understanding. If a Martial King had been the teacher, then it made sense.

"So, how should we go about forging an alliance with the Xi family?"

Yun Hai pressed on.

"To form a partnership with the Xi family, we have to offer benefits and leverage threats."

"What kind of benefits? And what threats?"

"The benefits are straightforward. If the Xi family allies with the Yun family, they'll gain access to a wealth of pills. I'm confident that as long as the Xi family isn't foolish, they'll recognize the advantage.

The threat is even simpler. It's the pressure from the Yun family. Currently, the Yun family is in conflict with the Bian family. The Xi family must choose a side, either ours or the Bian family's.

You know the Bian family better than I do. It's clear that the Xi family would never align with them."

Yun Haoyan spoke with a calm detachment.