Chapter 89

He briefly explained why he did it.

Then he looked at Lei Yan with keen interest.

"How about it? Are you more disappointed in me now?"

The dangers of the Jianghu will eventually become clear—better to learn sooner than later.

"..."

Lei Yan wasn't foolish; she understood exactly what Ye Tian meant, and she shot him an irritated side-eye.

"Next time something like this happens, at least warn me ahead of time—I was..."

She blurted out that she had been terrified for him.

But then she remembered they weren't married yet; even though they were betrothed, the strict gender norms of this era made certain words too embarrassing to say plainly.

"Don't worry—I'm not dead yet, and I won't die before we're married."

Lei Yan's reaction made Ye Tian laugh.

"Don't talk nonsense!"

At that moment, another voice came from outside the door.

"I was worried something had happened to you, little brother, but I see you're living quite comfortably."

As he spoke, Lao Yao stepped inside.

"Boss, how did you get here?"

Ye Tian hadn't expected Lao Yao to come—he stood up in surprise.

"I heard you were injured, so of course I had to come see you, little brother."

"Getting out must've cost you a lot of effort."

Because of his status, Lao Yao's territory was watched daily—getting out wasn't easy.

"Just a few tricks."

Lao Yao spoke casually.

Though he couldn't win in open combat, slipping out secretly was no real challenge for him—just needed to be more discreet.

"This must be your bride-to-be—little brother, you truly have good fortune."

After glancing at Lei Yan, Lao Yao teased Ye Tian with a smile.

"Boss!"

Lei Yan wasn't shy by nature; though she didn't know Lao Yao, she heard how he spoke to Ye Tian and naturally addressed him as such.

Still, her face showed a hint of embarrassment.

"I came in a hurry and didn't bring a gift—I'll make it up to you next time, I promise."

"No need! Really, it's fine!"

Lei Yan waved her hands quickly—she hadn't called him Boss for the gift.

"Enough, Boss doesn't have much else, but he's rich—don't be so polite."

Ye Tian smiled and took Lei Yan's hand.

He turned to Lao Yao.

"But there's no rush about gifts—we can wait until our wedding."

"Wedding?"

Lao Yao was surprised—he looked from Ye Tian to the blushing Lei Yan, then burst into laughter.

"I never thought little brother was such a romantic!"

He wasn't teasing on purpose.

Gang members rarely lacked women—but few ever married.

"The wedding will be after I take the Hall Master position—Boss, even if you can't come, you must send a gift."

Beside him, Lei Yan playfully slapped Ye Tian's shoulder, her eyes full of amusement.

Lao Yao's eyes lit up.

He wasn't interested in Ye Tian's wedding date.

"I was worried your injury would hurt your chances for Hall Master—but now I see you planned this all along."

The world bustles for profit alone.

Lao Yao valued Ye Tian because of his potential—if Ye Tian were truly useless, Lao Yao wouldn't have spared him a glance.

"Didn't you teach me that?"

"Huh?"

Taught him?

Lao Yao looked surprised, but Ye Tian spoke calmly and composed.

"Not striving is the greatest form of striving—this principle, you taught me."

With his sharp mind, Lao Yao instantly grasped Ye Tian's meaning—and burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha! You're right—I underestimated you. The Hall Master position is yours."

,,,

Only when night fell did Lao Yao leave.

As for Lei Yan, she too had to return home—staying overnight at a man's house before marriage would invite gossip.

"How did it go?"

As soon as she returned home, Lei Yushan hurried forward to meet her.

His eyes were urgent.

Knowing what his father was worried about, Lei Yan frankly disliked Lei Yushan's opportunism, but his recent experiences had made him understand that some things couldn't be avoided just because you disliked them.

"Ye Gongzi is fine, and within these few days, he'll become Hall Master."

"Good! Good! Excellent!"

Originally, after learning Ye Tian was injured, Lei Yushan had been worried.

Now that Lei Tang was gone, Ye Tian was Lei Yushan's only pillar—if Ye Tian also met with misfortune, Lei Yushan would truly be in constant dread.

Now it seemed.

Though he didn't know what was happening with Ye Tian, as long as the man was unharmed, everything else didn't matter.

"I always said this Yù Gōngzǐ was a dragon among men—he wouldn't suffer any harm."

"Father, I'm tired. I'm going back to rest."

Seeing Lei Yushan's joyful expression, Lei Yan didn't know how to respond, simply said that, then turned and walked back inside.

Lei Yushan didn't mind.

He just chuckled happily, even considering returning to the back courtyard to find two concubines to celebrate—though he couldn't help wondering if age had caught up with him; after all this effort, why was his belly still completely still?

,,,

"Damn it, are these two guys insane?!"

In the following days.

Yù Fó experienced firsthand what it meant to go from heaven to hell.

One moment he was rejoicing over his power's surge; the next, he received news that Yè Chā and Bēn Lóng Shǒu had joined forces and were constantly sabotaging his business.

Angered, Yù Fó couldn't sleep well for several days.

Alone, Yù Fó wasn't afraid of either.

But together, they had thrown Yù Fó into utter chaos, disrupting many of his ventures.

"Boss, they're breaking all the rules—why are we still afraid? Let's just attack them."

Around Yù Fó were several Fist Masters, including Chi Hu, who had only recently joined; before, Chi Hu hadn't understood why Ye Tian had assigned him to follow Yù Fó.

But after learning Yè Chā and Bēn Lóng Shǒu had allied, Chi Hu instantly understood.

No wonder such a young man had moved ahead of him to become Head Boss—and now even had a shot at becoming Hall Master.

What a cruel heart.

He'd once been reluctant, but after understanding Ye Tian's plan, Chi Hu instead felt that following such a man might let his own path stretch farther than ever.

His tone grew more eager.

"Perfect—we've just joined you, Boss, and haven't earned a single merit. Let me lead the brothers to settle accounts with them, so Yè Chā and Bēn Lóng Shǒu know that under the Buddha's fist, not all are cowards."

The tone sounded eager to serve Yù Fó.

But these words made Yù Fó's original men feel uneasy.

"???",,,,,

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