Let Me Explain, Fairy
Chapter 210 - One Hundred Sixty-Six: The Sudden Power

Chapter 210: Chapter One Hundred Sixty-Six: The Sudden Power

"People always like to imagine others in the way they believe them to be,"

a gentle breeze blew over the pavilion, Yuan Hao glanced at the koi in the pond, his voice was mellow, "Just like before I met the Third Young Master, I thought you would be more flamboyant."

With that,

Yuan Hao directly gave Xu Yuan a deep bow with clasped hands,

"Yuan has dispatched troops to enter the city without the Third Young Master’s permission, please punish me as you see fit."

"...."

Xu Yuan looked at him, slowly took a seat on the stone bench before him, and shook his head,

"A general acting outside the capital does not have to observe all commands, it was right for Commander Yuan to make decisions based on the circumstances, plus, my thoughts align with Commander Yuan’s, so what is there to punish?"

Yuan Hao put away the formalities, casually sat opposite him, and with a hint of surprise in his eyes, asked,

"Our thoughts align?"

Xu Yuan looked at Yuan Hao and directly expressed his attitude towards the entire matter, "I don’t believe that the higher-ups of the Myriad Manifestation Sect have any intentions of repentance."

Yuan Hao’s eyes slightly narrowed, and the corner of his mouth curved upward,

"You’re right, Third Young Master, to stop killing with killing, one must instill fear in these people to solve the problem."

"To stop killing with killing?"

Xu Yuanmo stroked the rim of his wine cup, lifted the cup before him, took a light sip, and glanced subconsciously at the warm wine jug on the table.

The wine was actually the lowest quality rice wine, harsh and bitter to the taste.

Seeing Xu Yuan’s glance, Yuan Hao explained in a soft voice,

"It’s a small preference of mine, when I was down and out, I always drank this, and now I’m not accustomed to those finer wines."

Understanding, Xu Yuan drained the rice wine in his cup and then said,

"So, does that mean Commander Yuan took the view of the capital back then because you wanted to stop killing with killing?"

"...."

Yuan Hao too lifted his wine cup and drained it in one go, looking at Xu Yuan, his voice was very soft,

"No,

"That too was a small preference of mine."

"......"

Silence.

Xu Yuan sighed, smiling a little, "It seems some rumors do hold truth after all."

Yuan Hao showed a toothy smile,

"However, Third Young Master, you seem to contradict the rumors."

"Perhaps so,"

Xu Yuan shook his head, not dwelling on the matter, and returned to the main topic,

"Commander Yuan, although the residential area of Pingshui Bay is large, it should not be easy to hide three thousand five hundred men performing their daily routines. How long will it take for the troops to regroup and reorganize?"

"At least three days, at most five days,"

Hearing this, Yuan Hao also became serious, speaking as he glanced in the direction of the courtyard entrance,

"But Third Young Master, you need not worry about this, Bai Zhao has made arrangements, and each of the hiding places for the soldiers has been stocked with a month’s worth of dried food and water."

"Such attention to detail, the man is indeed talented."

"Indeed very capable," Yuan Hao agreed with much approbation.

Xu Yuan paused for a moment, then suddenly asked, "You had investigated him before, hadn’t you?"

Yuan Hao looked a bit surprised, but still nodded,

"I have investigated, after all, if he were to betray us, these elite troops could easily be destroyed here."

"And?" asked Xu Yuan.

"Are you planning to promote him?" Yuan Hao asked.

"It would be a pity if someone capable died in Wanxiang City," replied Xu Yuan.

Yuan Hao pondered for a moment, then spoke in a low voice,

"Even though we had intelligence from the Black Scale Guards, I still came over early to observe him in secret for a good half a month, Bai Zhao had two secret meetings, one with the Sects, one with the government office, nothing unusual, but he does seem rather power-hungry."

After pausing,

Yuan Hao added with a low chuckle, "Plus, his daughter has just been brought here specially these past two days."

Xu Yuan listened carefully, his expression calm.

Seeing this, Yuan Hao asked,

"It looks like the Third Young Master already knows?"

"We overexerted, which is why it was noticed."

"Does the young master still plan to use him?"

"Why not use him?"

Xu Yuan retorted, recalling the scene of coaxing his daughter with a smile:

"It’s all trivial matters. The Pingshui Gang is only superficially prosperous. Any real noble within Wanxiang City can make them collapse. Being overly cautious for decades, it’s a lie to say they don’t aspire to climb higher.

"Moreover, without ambition for power, I would indeed begin to doubt him."

"Bai Zhao has been here for almost thirty years. Do you think it’s realistic to expect someone who has been independent for decades to remain loyal, Commander Yuan?"

"....."

Yuan Hao did not reply; Xu Yuan could say whatever he wanted, but he couldn’t afford to reply so casually.

Xu Yuan realized this and poured himself a full cup of yellow wine, raising his glass with a smile:

"The Pingshui Gang under Bai Zhao reached its peak here in Wanxiang City a decade ago. If it grew any larger, either the government or the Myriad Manifestation Sect would crack down on it. It’s good that he wants to climb higher, and using his own kin as a gamble shows courage. His cultivation level ensures he wouldn’t dare to betray us. When Commander Yuan withdraws, you can take him along."

They touched glasses and drank up.

After a moment of silence, Xu Yuan asked:

"Alright, let’s hear the plan."

Yuan Hao’s calloused fingers lightly tapped the stone table, not answering but instead asking:

"Third Young Master, what are your thoughts?"

"My thoughts?"

Xu Yuan was slightly surprised, noting that although Yuan Hao liked killing, his political acumen seemed quite high. After a pause, he asked, "What were my father’s orders to you?"

Yuan Hao stared at Xu Yuan and uttered:

"The Prime Minister said that the Third Young Master is completely in charge of this matter."

"....."

Xu Yuan was stunned by these words, and he glanced involuntarily towards the direction of the Myriad Manifestation Sect’s gates. After returning his gaze, he asked uncertainly:

"What does that mean?"

Yuan Hao said softly:

"Literally,

"The Myriad Manifestation Sect’s gates are next to Duanhai Waterfall, adjacent to Wanxiang City. If the Third Young Master wishes to simply intimidate, I will form arrays outside the city and pretend to attack. If you want to teach the Myriad Manifestation Sect a lesson, I could break through Wanxiang City. If the Third Young Master intends to annihilate a sect..."

At this point, Yuan Hao laughed, a clear and cheery laugh:

"I could leave no chicken or dog alive within the Myriad Manifestation Sect.

"That’s what the Prime Minister meant."

"...."

Xu Yuan’s mind froze for a moment.

What’s the situation?

Wasn’t the message from before just about coming over to negotiate?

He was familiar with this; in his previous life, he had often negotiated with other companies at his old man’s firm.

Now, with both the moral high ground and the threat of force, it was impossible for anyone not to come to an agreement.

But listening to Yuan Hao now,

it seemed like he had become an army commander?

Aren’t they afraid he’d mess it up?

The Prime Minister was really raising the stakes for him, huh?

After taking a deep breath, Xu Yuan did not speak immediately but poured himself another cup of yellow wine and downed it in one gulp.

The pavilion was very quiet, with Yuan Hao quietly waiting for Xu Yuan’s orders, while Xu Yuan kept drinking the poor-quality yellow wine in front of him, cup after cup.

As the pot of warm wine was finished, Xu Yuan exhaled a breath of turbid air and chuckled softly:

"Commander Yuan, it seems you’re quite hoping I’ll choose the latter."

Yuan Hao gave a slight smile, not hiding his thoughts:

"Of course, an opportunity to annihilate a sect is rare."

Xu Yuan slowly stood up, adjusted his mindset, and spoke softly:

"If necessary, I’ll order you to do just that."

Yuan Hao licked his lips, grinned, and stood up with a salute:

"Yuan Hao, eagerly awaiting the young master’s command."