Chapter 88: Sitting on the Mountain to Watch the Tigers Fight

"Is the information reliable?"

Under Mei Yongning's deliberate arrangement.

That very afternoon, the news that Red Tiger and his group had thrown in their lot with Jade Buddha had already spread throughout the surroundings.

Yaksha and Benlong Hand tacitly set aside all their old grudges and secretly gathered together.

Yaksha had a sinister, hawkish air, while Benlong Hand was all brawn, rough and brutish in appearance.

"Bam!"

The more hot-tempered Benlong Hand slammed his palm straight down on the table.

"What reliable or not — it's already spread everywhere. Who doesn't know Jade Buddha's faction has grown by another big chunk? They're all saying outside now that the Hall Master seat is bound to go to Jade Buddha. Where does that leave the rest of us?"

"..."

Yaksha stayed silent, saying nothing, but his gaze grew ever more sinister.

They're all Head Bosses — how could they not covet the Hall Master seat? Now that Jade Buddha's power had surged, they felt pressure the likes of which they'd never known.

"Let's join forces!"

After a long silence, Yaksha looked toward Benlong Hand.

"If either of us acts alone, there's no way we can match Jade Buddha. Only by joining hands do we stand a chance. Otherwise, if Jade Buddha really takes the Hall Master seat, do you think we'll get off easy?"

Do they really think being in the same gang means they'll get along?

On the contrary—

Precisely because they're all in one gang, all Head Bosses, there's bound to be friction between them — sometimes over interests, sometimes personal, any reason at all will do.

"..."

Benlong Hand didn't answer right away; instead, he picked up the wine pot on the table and started drinking.

"There's still one more Head Boss, what's his name — Yù Gōngzǐ, right? Should we call him in?"

This was his answer to Yaksha's so-called alliance.

But he was also thinking of pulling in one more person.

"Hmph, some upstart kid who just landed a Head Boss seat, and his turf is way out in City West — he can't threaten us at all."

Yaksha's tone was contemptuous; he clearly thought little of Ye Tian.

"I sent people earlier, but I heard that on that kid's turf another band of thugs has shown up, and they say that Yù Gōngzǐ even got hurt — he can't spare any attention at all."

"Pfft!"

Hearing this, Benlong Hand also let out a dismissive snicker.

"His foundation's just too shallow — one bunch of thugs has him stumped. If it weren't for dumb luck, how could he ever have landed a Head Boss seat?"

"Forget it, enough about him!"

Just a Head Boss whose turf was way out in City West — neither of them took him much to heart.

"With our two houses joining forces, that's more than enough to deal with Jade Buddha."

"What do you plan to do?"

Of the two, Yaksha was the more cunning schemer, but Benlong Hand was no fool who'd let himself be used as a pawn — he wasn't about to truly serve as Yaksha's weapon.

Seeing that look on Benlong Hand's face, Yaksha knew the other man was on guard against him.

He couldn't help cursing him inwardly.

At a time like this, still full of schemes — serves you right that you're no match for Jade Buddha.

But right now he needed Benlong Hand's strength, so naturally Yaksha wouldn't voice what he was thinking.

"Jade Buddha's got nothing but a big business and money, right? If our two houses really join hands, we can at least throw a wrench in his works. And if that doesn't work, worst case we take him out, then the two of us fight over the Hall Master seat."

If they didn't get rid of Jade Buddha, the two of them would never get their chance.

As long as they did it cleanly enough, who could ever prove it was them?

"Mm!"

Benlong Hand nodded after hearing this. The rapidly strengthening Jade Buddha did indeed make Benlong Hand feel the pressure.

But if it was just a contest with Yaksha for the Hall Master seat, then there was no problem at all.

"What do you plan to do?"

"Each of our two houses sends out men, so neither side gets the short end — how about it?"

"Deal!"

A plan targeting Jade Buddha gradually took shape through the two men's ongoing discussion.

This is why they say when a tree stands taller than the forest, the wind will surely destroy it — who can blame them for targeting Jade Buddha when his power is now the greatest? They couldn't avoid it even if they wanted to.

,,,

"How are the arrangements?"

Compared to those people, Ye Tian at this moment looked far more at ease.

Sitting in a chair in the courtyard, sipping tea, he looked at Mei Yongning before him.

"Everything's been arranged. And Golden Coin Mouse has already gotten word — Yaksha and Benlong Hand met in secret."

When it came to gathering intel and tailing people, Golden Coin Mouse, with his talent for theft, truly had a gift all his own — something no one else could match.

"Well done!"

Ye Tian nodded in satisfaction.

Next, all he needed to do was wait for Yaksha and Benlong Hand to make their move, and quietly sit on the mountain to watch the tigers fight.

"Oh right!" Mei Yongning hadn't forgotten the matter from before.

"Boss really is farsighted. Not long ago, Yaksha sent his men to look for you, but I fobbed them off with the excuse Boss came up with. They all believe now that Boss is injured and has no energy left to fight for the Hall Master seat."

That line, of course, was Ye Tian's idea — if it had been left to Mei Yongning himself, he wouldn't have dared to make up something so casually.

"However!"

Speaking of this, Mei Yongning seemed to think of something, his expression somewhat awkward.

"It seems our own people believed it too. Thunder Fire, the Twin Blade General, and Zhui Ya and the others are now scouring every inch of territory looking for the villains who hurt the Boss. Plenty of gang members who wandered onto our turf have been beaten out."

"That's perfect."

Ye Tian didn't think much of it.

"Only when our own people believe it will others find it easier to believe."

It just so happened there wasn't much going on during this period.

"Since we're putting on an act, let's make it convincing. Find a nearby gang to throw down with. And while we're at it, if I'm going to sit in the Hall Master's seat, the territory we have now just isn't enough."

His own force of over a thousand men already outnumbered some Hall Masters, but in terms of territory they were still a bit short.

If they didn't take over a few more patches of land, it'd be embarrassing to mention later.

"Understood, I'll arrange it right away!"

Mei Yongning nodded in understanding, just about to go make arrangements when a graceful figure outside the door rushed in at top speed.

"You.. you're alright?!"

She had run so fast that by the time she got here she couldn't help but be panting for breath.

"I heard you were hurt, you.."

Lei Yan had just wanted to see how badly Ye Tian was injured, but then she saw him in such a leisurely posture—face rosy and flushed, looking not at all like someone who was hurt.

Lei Yan couldn't help but blink, a bit slow to register what was going on.

"You're really fine?"

That dumbfounded look made Ye Tian unable to hold back a laugh.

He casually waved Mei Yongning off, telling him to leave first.

Only then did he turn to look at Lei Yan.

"What, were you hoping something happened to me?"

"Don't talk nonsense!"

She shot Ye Tian an exasperated glare.

"Everyone outside is saying you were hurt in a sneak attack. How come you're like this now?"

It was precisely because she heard such news that Lei Yan had rushed over in such a panic, but now that she looked, there wasn't a single sign of injury at all.

"Don't worry, those rumors are exactly what I had people spread."

Ye Tian didn't hide it—pointless to, the effect had already been achieved.

The Hall Master seat won't stay vacant for long; Yaksha and the Charging Dragon Hand definitely won't hold out much longer. Even if people found out now that he was faking his injury, it wouldn't change the outcome.

,,,,,,,