Chapter 102: Go and Deal with Ye Aotian

Luoshanhe and the Four Guardians had now become Lin Li’s most loyal henchmen. Lin Li no longer needed to doubt their loyalty. However, to be on the safe side, he decided to take extra precautions and called Fang Tai over.

Since Lin Li had purged all those within the Qin family who had ill intentions, his relationship with Fang Tai had grown as close as that between brothers. Fang Tai was straightforward by nature and still believed that everything Lin Li had done was for the victory of the Qin nation. In a way, he wasn’t wrong. Without Lin Li’s support, the Qin family would likely have been swallowed up by the four great clans long ago.

“Lin Ge, is there anything you need help with?” Fang Tai asked tentatively. The villa’s living room was empty—this was the first time Lin Li had met Fang Tai with such seriousness, so Fang Tai felt somewhat restrained.

“You’ve probably heard about what happened recently,” Lin Li said.

Fang Tai nodded. “I heard you brought back a few experts.”

“But from what I saw, those so-called experts looked more like country bumpkins than masters,” Fang Tai grumbled. When it came to the Four Guardians, his resentment bubbled over. He couldn’t see any great strength in them; rather, their rustic demeanor was striking.

Fang Tai couldn’t understand why Lin Li, with his formidable abilities, would choose to ally with such people.

Seeing Fang Tai’s displeased expression, Lin Li smiled and patted his shoulder. “I know what you’re thinking, but you need to be more understanding about this. These guys originally belonged to the Star Palace organization. They’ve lived hard lives and never enjoyed the kind of fortune we have.”

Hearing this, Fang Tai’s expression softened. Indeed, compared to their status and background, these men were quite rough around the edges. So their battered appearance was somewhat acceptable.

“Lin Ge, just say the word. Whatever you need, I won’t even frown, whether it’s walking through fire or climbing a mountain of blades,” Fang Tai pledged resolutely.

He didn’t care what was coming; if Lin Li wanted it done, even if it meant risking his life, Fang Tai would not hesitate.

“Ye Aotian has been causing me a lot of trouble lately, you know that too,” Lin Li said.

Fang Tai nodded vigorously. Even if Lin Li hadn’t mentioned it, he had been wanting to deal with Ye Aotian for some time.

“That kid is always opposing us, even at a loss, just to stir up trouble. I’ve been itching to settle the score,” Fang Tai said with lingering bitterness, clearly having long harbored resentment toward Ye Aotian. But because of Lin Li, he never found the right opportunity.

“Lin Ge, it seems you’re ready to handle this brat once and for all.”

Lin Li nodded solemnly. “It’s said that failing to reciprocate is impolite. Since he’s caused trouble so many times, he shouldn’t blame me for giving him a hard time this time.”

A hint of disdain curled Lin Li’s lips. Others might still feel some apprehension toward Ye Aotian, but for Fang Tai and his group, it was a different matter entirely.

Lin Li’s plan was to have Fang Tai lead Luoshanhe and the Four Guardians to thoroughly teach Ye Aotian a lesson. Even if they couldn’t kill him, they had to leave him severely wounded.

“In a few days, Ye Aotian will be heading to the Lake New District for an inspection. That area is remote, with few people around.”

“You’ll wait there. Once Ye Aotian appears, take Luoshanhe and the Four Guardians and give that reckless fool a proper lesson.”

“This mission isn’t just about teaching him a lesson—it’s about making sure he can’t bother me for a long time afterward.”

Determined, Lin Li knew that if this didn’t serve as a warning, Ye Aotian would remain oblivious to his power. This was a crucial opportunity to seize.

Moreover, this would cement Luoshanhe and the Four Guardians as his trusted enforcers.

The Star Palace organization was rigidly hierarchical and strictly disciplined. Anyone bold enough to act against their young master had little future left.

They had only two options: either cooperate with Lin Li or return to the Star Palace. The consequences of the latter were unclear, but almost certainly dire.

Lin Li trusted that none of them, unless utterly foolish, would make a reckless choice now.

Fang Tai had no objections to Lin Li’s orders. Luoshanhe and the Four Guardians had been living comfortably under Lin Li’s patronage, but they harbored some guilt. They had come for a mission but had been indulging in leisure, feasting and wandering without purpose.

They felt the need to do something meaningful, so Lin Li assigned them this task at the right moment.

Luoshanhe looked at the Four Guardians. “Gentlemen, the young master trusts us so deeply and has given us such a great opportunity. If we fail this time, we would truly be letting him down.”

“That Ye Aotian is a despicable man for daring to oppose our young master. This time, we must make him understand the young master’s might,” one of the Guardians said.

The Rain Guardian added, “I’ve never been treated so well. Now that the young master has shown us such favor, we can’t disappoint him.”

“Let’s all agree to give our all. Failure is not an option.”

...

Ye Aotian had no idea what was unfolding in Jiang City. Lately, he had been busy with the Lake New District project.

For him, as long as the project in the lake’s core area could be completed swiftly, he wouldn’t have to worry about any new schemes Lin Li might concoct.

The only thing that troubled Ye Aotian was that Luoshanhe and the others had truly disappeared.

The Star Palace organization conducted a thorough investigation and confirmed they had indeed arrived in Jiang City. But the reason for their sudden disappearance remained unknown, and Ye Aotian would have to uncover the truth himself.

However, Ye Aotian had no time or energy for such matters; the core area project alone was demanding enough.

His only regret was that Luoshanhe and the others had taken some of the funds with them.