Chapter 145, Section 008: This Is Mine, Why Should I Ask Anyone Else?

When Hua Tianyu uttered those words, the seven syllables forming the phrase "the friend who sent you flowers" were merely mouthed without a sound.

At that exact moment, Liang Hui had turned her head to look at him, while Wei Xueying could not see his face at all.

Consequently, what Wei Xueying heard was simply him asking Liang Hui, "Can I eat this?"

Liang Hui, however, both heard the sound and read his lips, grasping the complete meaning of his statement.

"Hua Tianyu, you bastard!" Had they not been inside the CEO's office, Liang Hui would have hurled the folder in her hand right at him.

This scoundrel actually dared to bring up the banana and the flowers again!

Watching Hua Tianyu swiftly slip out of the CEO's office, Liang Hui wore an expression of utter indignation.

Only Wei Xueying remained bewildered behind her desk: These are my bananas, why is he asking Liang Hui?!

...

"As of now, this is my, Yourong Hall's territory. Why should we go consult Jiang Lifu?" Wan Rong tapped the desk lightly, speaking to the two confidants standing before him.

His long, equine face featured an aquiline nose whose nostrils flared incessantly, revealing how deeply agitated Wan Rong's inner state currently was.

"Brother Rong, we have managed to conceal the news of Jiang Liliang and his son's deaths for a single day, but Jiang Lifu is Jiang Liliang's older brother. This matter cannot be kept under wraps for long," said Xiong Junhai, who appeared somewhat lean and frail.

"No, we must keep it hidden for as long as possible. We have only subjugated half of the brothers in Yourong Hall! Besides, Jiang Lifu has no particular feud with that Hua Tianyu, whereas we harbor a deep blood debt with him!" The speaker was Bi Jinzhou, dressed in black and possessing a sturdy build.

Most striking, however, was the fact that he possessed only a left arm; his right sleeve hung completely empty from the shoulder down.

Bi Jinzhou's right arm had been severed by a single slash of Hua Tianyu's blade.

That very night, he was far from the only one whose arm was lopped off by Hua Tianyu. Several others, whose bleeding could not be stemmed in time, failed to pull through and went straight to the netherworld to await Jiang Liliang and his son.

Even those who managed to survive were essentially crippled, leaving no place for them within the hundreds-strong ranks of Yourong Hall.

Only Bi Jinzhou's status remained entirely intact.

This was because he had originally been a double-bladed fighter; with his right arm severed, his left hand could wield a blade just as effectively. Furthermore, he was one of Wan Rong's truest confidants. With Wan Rong backing him after Jiang Liliang was incapacitated, not a single person dared to make a move against him!

"You are wrong! The deep enmity between Jiang Lifu and Hua Tianyu already exists. Hua Tianyu killed his own younger brother, Jiang Liliang—is that not hatred enough?" Wan Rong countered Bi Jinzhou's argument.

Wan Rong had not even disclosed to his two most trusted subordinates the fact that he had personally ended Jiang Liliang's life.

Everyone currently aware of Jiang Liliang's death believed that father and son had been murdered by Hua Tianyu.

Although none of them had actually witnessed Hua Tianyu strike, Wan Rong was the Hall Master's senior disciple, and since he stated it with absolute certainty, how could he possibly be wrong?

"Brother Rong, we have already gathered all the brothers who previously leaned toward our side. What we must do now is consolidate the rest of Yourong Hall's members to serve our purposes as quickly as possible. If the Jiang Family Martial Arts Hall fails to send anyone, so be it; if they do send someone, we will strip them of all real power!" The slender Xiong Junhai clearly played the role of a strategist.

"How much longer do you estimate it will be before Jiang Lifu receives the news?" Wan Rong asked Xiong Junhai.

"Getting through tonight should not be a problem, but by tomorrow morning it will likely become impossible to hide. If I recall correctly, the two brothers make daily phone calls to each other," Xiong Junhai replied.

"Very well. Then tonight, assemble all the remaining brothers of Yourong Hall, and we will interrogate them one by one! Those who can serve me shall stay; those who cannot shall be crippled!" A trace of ruthless cruelty flashed in Wan Rong's eyes.

"Understood! We will see to it right away!" Xiong Junhai and Bi Jinzhou gave simultaneous acknowledgments before departing to carry out the order.

Wan Rong was left alone in the room, his right index finger tapping rhythmically against the desktop as he lost himself in thought.

...

Zong Dawei had spent several years mingling within Yourong Hall. After learning a few martial arts techniques from the instructors without ever standing out, he had simply drifted around the bars, idling his days away.

However, ever since Hall Master Jiang Liliang was injured, he had sensed a subtle shift in the winds within Yourong Hall. Orders trickling down from the top no longer came in the form of "Hall Master Jiang says this," but rather "Brother Rong says that."

He was not the only one with this feeling; during private chats, Ruan Haibu, who was on good terms with him, shared the exact same impression.

Both of them had just received phone calls ordering them back to the hall for a meeting, and the messenger had used the familiar phrase: Brother Rong said so.

"Da hai, why do I always feel like Wan Rong is trying to seize power while the Hall Master is injured?" As they neared the entrance of Yourong Hall, Zong Dawei spotted the men in black at the gate from afar and muttered under his breath.

"Who are you telling? Dammit, who knows what that fellow surnamed Wan is plotting! If anyone's going to take charge, it certainly isn't his turn. My master, Feng Wenhu, is the one who deserves to take charge most of all!" Ruan Haibu immediately chimed in.

"As if it would ever be your master's turn—it's nobody's turn! Hall Master Jiang isn't dead yet, and whoever tries to grab power will die!" Zong Dawei curled his lip in disdain.

With those words, they reached the gates of Yourong Hall and simultaneously fell silent. Everyone knew that the two men stationed at the entrance were Wan Rong's close confidants.

"Halt!"

"Get searched!"

Just as the two men stepped forward to enter, they were intercepted by the guards at the door.

"Search whose body? Don't you recognize your own people?" Zong Dawei flicked his hand dismissively.

"We said get searched, so get searched! Why all the damn nonsense?" The two guards refused to waste words with them, immediately drawing sabers from behind their backs. Four more men in black emerged from inside the main gate, all wielding gleaming blades.

Zong Dawei's pupils constricted, and he lost his voice—damn it, they were playing for keeps!

Ruan Haibu swallowed back a curse that was already on the tip of his tongue, thinking to himself: Fine, search away, there's nothing on me anyway!

Before long, any concealed weapons they were carrying had been confiscated. Only then did the six men step aside and dismissively wave them inside.

Upon crossing the threshold, both men froze in astonishment. Wan Rong was seated in the chair typically reserved exclusively for Jiang Liliang, while Xiong Junhai and Bi Jinzhou occupied the seats normally belonging to Feng Wenhu and Wan Rong, respectively.

What kind of setup was this?

Was Wan Rong openly attempting to usurp the throne?

Zong Dawei's mind was filled with doubt, whereas Ruan Haibu burned with pure anger, because his master, Feng Wenhu, was nowhere to be seen.

You sitting in Hall Master Jiang's chair might be something I could overlook, but Yourong Hall does not belong to you alone yet. Setting aside the fact that Hall Master Jiang is still alive, my master Feng Wenhu is fully qualified to sit here just as much as anyone else!

Before Ruan Haibu could voice his discontent, however, Wan Rong's opening words struck like a thunderbolt.

"Hall Master Jiang and his son have been killed by Hua Tianyu!"

The complexions of both Zong Dawei and Ruan Haibu altered drastically in unison: The Hall Master and his son are both dead?