"Really?" Tang Fei said with an air of shock, "The Royal Guard is so vicious? Then I must be careful, I absolutely can’t fall into their hands."
"You’re just being smug after getting away with it," Phoenix said without any good humor.
Given the Royal Guard’s fearless and audacious style, would they not resort to some means when you falsely accused them of being the murderers pursuing the Princess on the Old Land?
Besides, when you scolded Dalith for his poor handling of matters, shouldn’t you have already anticipated this outcome?
"To tell the truth, they got what they deserved. I don’t feel sorry for them at all," Tang Fei spoke up. "Us folks from the Old Land actually accept our fate quite readily. Sometimes, over a rabbit, a goat, or even an accidental exchange of glances, people would fight to the death, it’s either kill or be killed..."
"Predators spare no one, so when we encounter them, we can only fight with all our might... I killed them all, and I managed to survive."
"To my eyes, the Yan father and daughter are predators, just appearing more civilized and respectable. But what they do is no different from those predators... If I hadn’t promised that old man Huo Zhenwei, I wouldn’t even want to let the two of them walk out alive. Debts are to be repaid, and murder is to be atoned by death, there’s nothing more to say."
"There’s no helping it, as a person, you have to keep your word... Since I said I would keep the Yan father and daughter alive, then I must follow through, or else no one would want to conduct business with me in the future."
"Huo Zhenwei is indeed a formidable character," Phoenix spoke up. "I’ve had a few dealings with him, and he is a businessman with great depth to his strategies. The Huo Family’s strength is also quite formidable, with very close ties to the nine major families... This person, you must be very careful with. He is not one to be provoked lightly."
"Understood," Tang Fei nodded, taking it to heart as he spoke. "I’ve underestimated and mocked him time and again, yet he always remained indifferent, he could even call me, a refugee from the Old Land, his brother. How could I dare to take him lightly?"
"Then didn’t you seriously offend him this time?" Phoenix asked worriedly. "Everybody knows that he stepped in to negotiate on behalf of the Yan Family, but after giving away all the Yan Family’s assets, what he got in return were two vegetative people... Won’t he lose face?"
"Maybe, this is also the outcome he wanted?" Tang Fei ventured.
"Huh?" Phoenix looked at Tang Fei, questioning, "What do you mean?"
"Think about it, why was Huo Zhenwei willing to stand up for the Yan Family at such a time? Why did the Yan Family agree so readily to hand over all their assets? With Yan Wangshu and Yan Xinyou dead, there are still others in the Yan Family... How could they agree to hand over everything just like that?"
Phoenix’s expression turned sharp, and she immediately understood the deeper meaning in Tang Fei’s words, saying, "You mean... the Yan Family was threatened?"
"Yes. The threat to the Yan Family came not just from us but others as well. Or rather, the threat from others was even more lethal, forcing them to give up everything in order to secure their own safety..."
"That’s right. The Old Land case," Tang Fei nodded. "Someone wants to settle this matter, and we just happened to come forward identifying the Yan father and daughter as the true culprits... This way, doesn’t it suit many people’s interests?"
"So someone took advantage of the situation and buried the Yan father and daughter, then all the blame was pushed onto them. In fact, they were the scapegoats thrown out by those people."
"Otherwise, how could things have gone so smoothly?" Tang Fei pointed at the stack of documents on the table and said with a smile, "Within these are my hatred, your authority, the Yan Family’s compensation, along with the gifts and assistance from those behind the scenes... All pointing to one thing, which is to wrap up the Old Land case."
Phoenix scoffed, "Do they think they can just conclude it if they wish?"
"At least, it makes the Royal Family’s face look a bit better. The murderer personally identified by the Princess, could there be any doubt?"
"So I’ve been roped into their plot?"
"It’s not necessarily a bad thing," Tang Fei said with a chuckle. "With the Royal Family making a big fuss about finding the murderer, it would be hard to gain any real results. Maybe it’s better to move from the light into the shadows for different outcomes."
"That’s true," Phoenix nodded. "I was also thinking of proposing to my father to move from the light into the shadows. In time, a fox will always show its tail... However, without an opportunity, it would seem too deliberate and easily detectable. With the involvement of the Yan father and daughter, things now seem natural..."
"So a Yan Wangshu who can’t open his mouth and speak, wouldn’t he fit everyone’s interests even more? Including Huo Zhenwei... Does he really want to see Yan Wangshu lively and jumping around before him again? This time, with him leading the Mandala Chamber of Commerce into danger, Huo Zhenwei must hate him to the bone, right?"
Phoenix looked thoughtfully at Tang Fei and remarked, "Tang Fei, what exactly goes on in that head of yours? We grew up in this environment of constant trickery, but our angle of thinking often isn’t as cunning and comprehensive as yours. You seem to have been born with these abilities..."
"Born with it?" Tang Fei gave a wry smile. "Maybe I’m just more afraid of dying, and I want to live a good life more than the rest of you."