Chapter 72: Chapter 72: Ye Xuan’s Stratagem
Earlier, while Master Liang was diagnosing his father and the others, Ye Xuan was doing the same, considering how to create an antidote.
Finally, he settled on the most reliable formula for the antidote.
After arranging the Spirit Medicines, Ye Xuan’s hands became a blur. One by one, the herbs vanished from the counter as he began the refining process...
In the main hall, the crowd was exceptionally quiet. No one dared to breathe too loudly, their gazes fixed nervously on the small room Ye Xuan had entered.
Ye Zhanxiong finally broke the silence. "Father, can Xuan’Er really cure Third and Fourth Brother?"
Ye Batian’s pupils constricted. In a solemn voice, he said, "At this point, we can only trust him. Besides, I know Xuan’Er would never gamble with the lives of Zhanyun and the others."
"Elder Ye, don’t worry. Young Master Xuan will definitely succeed," Luo Zhan suddenly interjected, his voice full of confidence.
’Ye Xuan cured a leg injury that even a Soul Refining master from the Royal City couldn’t fix. Neutralizing a simple poison should be a piece of cake for him!’
Ye Batian and the others glanced at Luo Zhan, surprised by his immense faith in Ye Xuan.
In the heat of the moment, no one noticed that his way of addressing Ye Xuan had changed.
Abruptly—
CRACK!
The door to the small room flew open. Everyone’s heart skipped a beat as Ye Xuan strode out.
"Xuan’Er, what happened? Are you missing a Spirit Medicine?" Elder Ye asked nervously.
Master Liang also hurried forward. "Young Master Xuan, do you need any help? Is there a problem with the equipment?"
Ye Xuan said flatly, "It’s done."
"It’s... done?"
Everyone was dumbfounded. It had only been a few minutes. ’It’s done already? Is Ye Xuan joking with us? Making a joke like that at a time like this...’ Elder Ye and the others felt they were about to go mad.
"Help me administer these pills to everyone."
Ye Xuan took out a handful of pills, distributed them among the others, and immediately administered one to his father.
’It’s really done?’
Everyone froze. ’Did Ye Xuan really just refine these pills? Doesn’t refining Pills always take at least two to four hours? Even the lowest-grade pill shouldn’t be ready in a few minutes, right?’
Despite their doubts, Elder Ye and the others administered the pills to all the poisoned family members. The elder asked nervously, "How long will it take for them to wake up?"
Ye Xuan said calmly, "They’re already waking up."
True to his word, the moment the pills entered their mouths, the dark complexions of Ye Zhanyun and the others began to lighten. At a speed visible to the naked eye, their faces regained a healthy, rosy color. A few seconds later, the dozen or so poisoned family members all opened their eyes.
"Father, has the poison been neutralized?" Ye Zhanyun and the others looked around at the crowded room, their bewildered expressions slowly clearing. They then stood up and bowed to Master Liang. "Thank you, Master Liang, for saving us."
Master Liang quickly waved his hands in dismissal. "It wasn’t me who cured you. It was Young Master Xuan."
"Xuan’Er?"
"Young Master Xuan?"
Ye Zhanyun and the others were stunned.
"Father, Fourth Uncle, the poison has been completely neutralized. You just can’t use any martial arts for the next hour. After that, you’ll be back to normal." Ye Xuan then went over a few other points of caution with them.
Only then did Ye Zhanyun and the others realize how perilous their situation had been. A lingering fear washed over them.
Ye Xuan cupped his hands in a fist-and-palm salute to Liang Fang. "Master Liang, thank you for your assistance this time."
"Oh, not at all! I wasn’t able to help in the slightest today. In fact, Young Master Xuan’s methods were a real eye-opener for me."
Seeing the curiosity in Liang Fang’s expression, Ye Xuan smiled. "As for this detoxification technique, I’d be happy to discuss it in detail with you later, Master Liang, when we have time."
This was exactly what Liang Fang had been waiting to hear. His face broke into a wide grin. "In that case, I will eagerly await Young Master Xuan’s instruction."
After seeing Liang Fang and his party off, Ye Xuan and the others returned to the main hall.
"First Uncle, what were our family’s losses this time?"
"The material losses were manageable. The manor itself wasn’t seriously damaged. But during the fight, the Ye family lost seven guards. Five of them died from the poison." Ye Zhanxiong’s eyes were bloodshot. ’Every one of them was a good man of the Ye family.’
"Big Brother, the bandits from the Blood Saber Stronghold didn’t attack the manor with their full strength today. It felt more like they were deliberately trying to wound us. I found it strange at the time, but now I know it’s because their weapons were poisoned."
"It seems the Blood Saber Stronghold doesn’t just want to take our manor," Ye Xuan said, his voice laced with a simmering rage and his eyes glinting with killing intent. "They want to annihilate the entire Ye family."
The elder’s beard bristled as he roared, "They dare kill the good men of my Ye family! I will make the Blood Saber Stronghold pay for this debt in blood!"
"Father, the most critical issue now is how to defend the manor. The Blood Saber Stronghold bandits come and go like the wind, and their leaders are two First-Layer Earth Martial Artists. We have very few people in the Ye family who can stand against them. We were fortunate to repel them this time, but what about the next?"
The room fell silent, everyone’s brow furrowed in thought. Apart from Elder Ye, who was a Second-Layer Earth Martial Artist, the Ye family only had Ye Zhanxiong and Ye Zhantang as First-Layer Earth Martial Artists. With at least seven or eight core manors to protect, their forces were stretched too thin to defend them all.
Actively seeking them out for an ambush wasn’t a good option either. The Blood Saber Stronghold was powerful and ruthless. To corner them while minimizing casualties, the Ye family would have to commit all of its forces.
Moreover, the Blood Saber Stronghold operated in secret, moving like the wind. Even if they were tracked, by the time the Ye family forces caught up, the bandits would be long gone, leaving the family’s own manors vulnerable to a counter-attack.
For a moment, no one could come up with a viable solution.
"Grandfather," Ye Xuan said calmly, "I have an idea."
"What is it?"
"Hunting down the Blood Saber Stronghold is not an option, and simply defending our manors isn’t practical. Therefore, our best move is to lure the snake from its hole."
"Lure the snake from its hole?"
"Exactly." A cold smirk appeared on Ye Xuan’s lips. "Judging by their actions today, the Blood Saber Stronghold’s goal isn’t just to destroy our manors; it’s to annihilate the entire Ye family. Since that’s the case, all we have to do is give them what they want and wait for them to fall into our trap."
Ye Xuan brought out a map and pointed to one of the manors. "North Town Manor 1 will be the Blood Saber Stronghold’s graveyard."
Everyone frowned in confusion.
"Xuan’Er, are you saying the Blood Saber Stronghold’s next target will be North Town Manor 1?" Elder Ye asked, puzzled.
"Correct." Ye Xuan nodded, pointing to the map. "The Blood Saber Stronghold must have scouted the area before attacking West Town Manor 3 today. Look. Among the manors in the West District, Manor 3 has the best position. It offers easy access and egress. If discovered, they can retreat easily without being tracked or surrounded. The other manors lack this feature, which is why they chose Manor 3."
Ye Zhanxiong frowned. "But several of our manors in the East and South Districts have the same characteristics. Couldn’t they just as easily be the next target?"
"Theoretically, yes. That’s why we have to give them what they want."
"Look, everyone. While the manors in the East District have this feature, they are also close to the official road, a necessary route for many adventurer teams and merchant caravans. There are too many eyes and ears there. It’s also very close to Cyan Mountain Town, so it would be easy to alert the Martial Artists in town. If I were leading the Blood Saber Stronghold, I would never choose to attack there."
"The South and North Districts, on the other hand, both seem to fit the criteria. However, the South District is surrounded by open fields of spirit medicine, which don’t offer much cover. The North District, however, is next to a dense forest. There’s an extremely high probability that the Blood Saber Stronghold will choose to attack the north. Of course, to make that probability one hundred percent, Grandfather, I need you to go defend the south. As long as the Blood Saber Stronghold knows you are in the south, they won’t even think about attacking the southern manors."
"Me, defend the south?" The elder was stunned, then immediately refused. "No, Xuan’Er! You just said the Blood Saber Stronghold will definitely attack the north. If I go south, who in our family will be able to stop them?"
"Father, let me go," Ye Zhanxiong said, gritting his teeth. "If I team up with my brothers, I guarantee the Blood Saber Stronghold won’t leave alive."
"No, First Uncle. You must go defend the west." Ye Xuan’s tone left no room for argument. "Just because the Blood Saber Stronghold attacked the west today doesn’t mean they won’t do it again. Only with you stationed there will they be forced to shift their attention from the west to the north."
"But if you do that, who will be left to ambush them in the north?" Elder Ye and Ye Zhanxiong were both confused.
Ye Xuan said calmly, "You still have me, don’t you?" A sharp glint flashed in his eyes. "Tonight, I will personally hold the fort in the north and watch the Blood Saber Stronghold walk to its death."
"No!" This time, Elder Ye, Ye Zhanyun, Ye Zhanxiong, and the others cried out in unison. "Absolutely not! The Blood Saber Stronghold is vicious and ruthless. It’s too dangerous for a Samurai like you to be there! We have to find another way."
Ye Xuan said confidently, "Grandfather, everyone, relax. We have Instructor Luo Zhan, don’t we? He’s a Second-Layer Earth Martial Artist."
Luo Zhan’s eyes lit up, and a slight smile touched his lips. "I would be honored to assist Young Master Xuan."
After having his eight-year-old leg injury cured, Luo Zhan was itching for action, filled with the urge to leap onto a warhorse and ride across the battlefields once more.
Ye Batian’s expression remained hesitant. This was no game. While Luo Zhan was powerful, the Blood Saber Stronghold was not to be underestimated. A single mistake could get Ye Xuan injured, and the Ye family would never be able to forgive themselves.
"Grandfather, don’t worry. I have a plan. In the North District, I’ll do this, and then that..." Ye Xuan laid out his entire strategy. As he spoke, the eyes of Elder Ye and the others grew brighter and brighter.
"Haha!" The elder let out a hearty laugh. "You sly little rascal. How have I never noticed how clever you are before?"
Finally, persuaded by Ye Xuan, the elder and the others agreed to the plan.
"Xuan’Er, I’m going with you tonight," Ye Zhanyun said, looking at his son with a tone that brooked no argument.
Ye Xuan nodded, a confident smile on his face. "Father, even if you hadn’t brought it up, I was going to ask you to come to the North District. After all, without you and Fourth Uncle there, how are we supposed to make the Blood Saber Stronghold panic?"
Soon, under Ye Xuan’s direction, the Ye family sprang into action. Orders were dispatched one after another, and the entire clan began to move like a vast, well-oiled machine slowly grinding into gear.
