Late at night, the stars blazed brilliantly.

The Kaiyang Sub-Branch was brightly lit, cargo ships came and went, the scene bustling; both the dockworkers and the patrolling Beidou Bang disciples kept perfect order.

Mo Beiyan walked out, his face grave. Beside him, a Hundred Households said, "Sixth Young Master, the Kaiyang Sub-Branch seems completely peaceful, nothing like what that Steward just described—utter chaos."

Mo Beiyan narrowed his eyes slightly. "Squad Leader Liu being transferred was far too sudden, not a whisper of warning, even the Ninth Sister heard nothing. And the people sent in his place are from the Liu Family. It makes no sense. Send some men to investigate."

"Understood." 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

The group quickly moved forward, arriving at the spot outside where the horses were tethered. Just as they prepared to mount up, a shadow appeared in the darkness, lurking at the edge of the grass, his features unclear.

Mo Beiyan and the others grew instantly alert.

The figure wore a bamboo hat, and deliberately lowered his voice. "Sixth Young Master, before leaving, Squad Leader Liu instructed me to wait for you, to pass on a few words."

Mo Beiyan motioned for his subordinates to remain on guard, then looked at the shadow and clasped his fists. "Speak."

"There’s likely been a change in Canglan City. The Lower Three Sectors have all been shifted in an emergency, and the Dragon King is suspected to be under house arrest. If you have any plans, Sixth Young Master, prepare early."

With that, the shadow retreated silently, fading into the night.

Mo Beiyan gripped his reins, his face set. In one smooth motion he mounted his horse, voice deep. "Move out, head for Youyang City!"

His aides followed at once.

"Sixth Young Master, what does Squad Leader Liu mean by this? How could the Dragon King possibly be under house arrest?" a subordinate asked in astonishment.

Mo Beiyan muttered, "I don’t know. But if something hadn’t happened to my father, there’s no way the Lower Three Sectors would have all been replaced. Since they have—things in Canglan City must be dire. My eldest brother is about to strike at Pingyang Prefecture."

Liu Ziyuan is from my eldest brother’s mother’s clan. In the past, the Lower Three Sectors were completely in Father’s control, the Liu Family never stood a chance of interfering. But now, they’ve sent a Liu to take over Kaiyang Sub-Branch. I fear... chaos will come to Canglan City before long."

"So what do we do now?"

"Don’t worry about anything else. Protect Brother Gu first."

"How? If the Kaiyang Sub-Branch won’t step in and every faction in the Pingyang Martial World makes things difficult, Lord Gu stands no chance."

Mo Beiyan took a deep breath. "Then abandon the Embroidered Uniform Guard and protect Brother Gu. I’ll take him away from Pingyang Prefecture and seek refuge with Ninth Sister. One way or another, I won’t let anything happen to him."

"But..."

"No buts. With me, Mo Beiyan, standing before him, who would dare kill him?"

...

Kaiyang Sub-Branch, inside a large building.

The Steward who’d spoken with Mo Beiyan earlier now entered a room. Spotting a burly man by the window, he clasped his fists. "Branch Leader, I’ve sent the Sixth Young Master away."

"Mm."

The middle-aged man slowly turned, the flickering candlelight in the chamber revealing his stern features—a man with a severe expression.

If Mo Beiyan were present, he’d instantly recognize him: Liu Ziyuan, just transferred to act as Kaiyang Sub-Branch Leader, maternal uncle to the eldest son from Canglan City, and a famed Great Cultivator in the Martial World.

The Liu Family is one of the Canglan Dao’s top Noble Families. Decades ago, when Nu River Dragon King Mo Jingzhou first rose to power, the Liu Family’s old Patriarch recognized his talent, dismissing objections to let the Liu family’s eldest daughter marry Mo Jingzhou, who was then only master of a third-rate gang.

As Mo Jingzhou won fame as the Nu River Dragon King, the Liu Patriarch’s foresight was vindicated. The Liu Family rose with him, becoming, in short order, one of Canglan Dao’s mightiest houses. They gained vast resources and produced several Fifth Realm Great Cultivators; among their current young generation is even a peerless talent with the potential to become a Grandmaster within twenty years, pushing the family to new heights.

Liu Ziyuan himself is a vested beneficiary of the Dragon King’s rise, though his talent is unremarkable. As a direct descendant and the Dragon King’s brother-in-law, he’s received the Dragon King’s personal guidance many times. His cultivation has reached Fourth Realm Celestial Mandate, and he has the Eldest Young Master’s deep trust.

"Branch Leader," the Steward asked, "should we not intervene in Youyang City? The Sixth Young Master can’t settle things himself. If this stirs up turmoil in the Pingyang Martial World, our branch might not escape unscathed. It could jeopardize the Eldest Young Master’s affairs!"

Liu Ziyuan slowly sat, poured a cup of tea, then pushed it toward the Steward. "Do you know why the Eldest Young Master paid such a great price just to put me in charge of Kaiyang Sub-Branch? To maintain order? To keep the business running smoothly?"

The Steward replied, "If I guess correctly, sir, it’s to secure control over the Pingyang Martial World!"

Liu Ziyuan nodded. "You’re one of the Eldest Young Master’s confidants, stationed here for years. You understand the influence of the Pingyang Martial World. It’s not just Pingyang Prefecture itself—surrounding county mansions are all basically dominated by Pingyang. Whoever controls the Pingyang Martial World gives the Eldest Young Master enormous leverage."

Not only that—if we control the Pingyang Martial World, we can directly infiltrate and control the Kaiyang Sub-Branch from every direction. Securing another Sub-Branch means far greater say in the contest for succession."

The Steward nodded. "I understand that much. But, sir, why not use this opening in Youyang to intervene in the Pingyang Martial World? It’s a golden opportunity."

"It’s not enough." Liu Ziyuan said. "The situation in Canglan City is far more severe than you imagine. The Dragon King hasn’t shown himself in months. I needn’t explain what that means."

The succession struggle is imminent. The Second and Third Young Masters are already eliminated; only the Eldest and Fourth compete. As for the Sixth, his recent rebuilding of the Embroidered Uniform Guard—is nothing but a joke, not worth worrying about."

There’s not much time left. The usual methods won’t work on the Pingyang Martial World. We must move faster—this opportunity simply isn’t big enough."

Now, with the Five Great Sects headed to Youyang, not only should we not mediate, we ought to fan the flames at the right moment. The Sixth Young Master can’t keep the Embroidered Uniform Guard safe; he might take Gu Zhan away, but as for the Gu Family, who suddenly and inexplicably threw in all their weight behind Gu Zhan—they can’t leave. With the Lingxi Sword Sect’s territory and the Lingyang Gu Family’s foundation, it’s enough to have the Five Great Sects fight to the death."

Only then shall we truly make our entrance—and that will be our fastest chance to take the Pingyang Martial World. As for the rest, it’s not for you to know!"