Fang Yuan.
Clan Head of the Fang Clan, and also the prime minister of the Xin Kingdom.
He was renowned due to his scheming and ruthless nature.
Ok, he kept his cards very close to himself and was always making schemes.
With his unknown cultivation, scheming nature, and deep connection with the full powers of the Lower Heavens, Fang Yuan had control over almost anything that happened not only in the Capital City but in the whole Xin Kingdom.
Even King Xin was quite wary of Fang Yuan's power; however, he didn't have any thoughts on depowering the Fang Clan because he knew one thing, Fang Yuan wouldn't do anything against the Xin Royal Clan.
King Xin knew that Fang Clan and Fang Yuan were aiming beyond the Lower Heavens.
This was why King Xin always treated Fang Yuan like a brother, even appointing him as the Prime Minister, and he wouldn't hesitate to ask for help and advice.
Like on how to control growing powers, like the Gracious Sword Sect.
Fifty years ago, they had discreetly taken out the Ying Yang sect with the help of the Devil Sect, which seemed to be at the back and call of Fang Yuan.
And last night, they had targeted the Gracious sword Sect, which had been exponentially getting more and more powerful and influential.
In all the powers of the Xin Kingdom, Devil Sect had infiltrated with their Sleeper Cells. This meant that with just one call from Fang Yuan, those powers would turn into rubble.
And since Fang Yuan was his brother, King Xin indirectly had control over those Sleeper Cells.
And he wasn't hesitant to use those Sleeper Cells.
With the personal enmity between Sect Leader Su and Fang Yuan, it didn't take long for King Xin to convince Fang Yuan to use the Sleeper Cells in the Gracious Sword Sect.
But what he didn't expect for the Gracious Sword Sect to remain unscathed and the Sleeper Cells not to explode.
But when Fang Yuan entered the room and claimed that the Sleeper Cells did explode, King Xin was quite confused.
He turned his head towards the spy, who had given him the report earlier, gestured at him with his chin, 'What is going on?'
The spy replied, "My king, the Sleeper Cells did not explode; we were awake the whole night, waiting for the Sleeper Cells to go off."
Before King Xin could reply, Fang Yuan shook his head, and with a disdaining tone, he said, "You pieces of trash can't even tell the difference between real and illusion."
"Last night, one of the Grand Elders of the Gracious Sword Sect put an illusion over half of the sect."
"Hun? Why?" King Xin was confused by the Grand Elder's actions.
"Of course, to take out the Sleeper Cells who had infiltrated the sect."
"What!?" Not only King Xin, but even the spy was stunned to hear Clan head Fang Yuan's words.
"How is this possible?" King Xin asked, "How could they even know about the existence of the Sleeper Cells, let alone try to find them!?"
Fang Yuan shook his head, "Unfortunately, I don't have any idea about this. Someone most probably warned the Sect and told them how to fish the Sleeper Cells who were going to explode."
"Who could it be?" King Xin asked in an uncertain voice, "How could someone even know the weakness of the Sleeper Cells?"
"We don't know who it was; this could also be a coincidence that they were able to see through the Sleeper Cells."
"What exactly happened?" King Xin asked.
Fang Yuan didn't immediately reply but stared in the direction of the spy.
The spy understood the signal and said, "Your majesty, Prime Minister, I shall take my leave."
After the assassin had left, Clan Head Fang Yun answered King Xin's doubts.
"All I know is after about half an hour after the assassination, that Grand Elder put an illusion over the peak, and in no time, they gad found all the Sleeper Cells."
"But I am not here to discuss how they found out the Sleeper Cells; once we know who that bastard is who leaked information about the Sleeper Cells, I will take care of the rest."
"What I have come here for is to say is that last night's assassination shouldn't have happened. Instead, I had other plans for Gracious Sword Sect."
"Oh?" King Xin asked, "What plans? You didn't inform me about this."
Fang Yuan took a deep breath and said, "Things are much more complicated. Three months ago, I sent some guards to the Devil Sect's outer branch in the Xin-Wu battlefront. However, those idiots offended a recluse cultivator while stopping at the Crimson Pavilion's restaurant. That cultivator killed those three men, and the information never reached the Devil Sect."
[Author note: The recluse cultivator was none other Ye Tian Yun in disguise of his butler. Fang Yuan is referring to the three cultivators who decided to robe Ye Tian Yun after he got out of the Crimson Pavilion's restaurant]
King Xin sighed for a moment and said, "You could have just told me; I would have tried to do something."
Clan Head Fang Yuan gestured with his hands, "It's alright, we wouldn't have lost anything if not for the fact that those Gracious Sword Sect people are finding out the hidden Sleeper Cells."
King Xin nodded and asked, "So, what was your new plan? My main aim was to assassinate their top disciple and take out some core elders by exploding a Sleeper Cell in their main hall (Han Zemin). This could have badly not only affected their chances in the upcoming Grand Spirit Hunt but would have also significantly weakened them."
Fang Yuan nodded and said, "This was indeed a good plan, but what I wanted to do was not assassinate their top disciple Jiang Yun, but rather get him to work for me."
"That kid Jiang Yun is an ambitious brat, everyone thinks he wants to be the Sect Leader of the Gracious Sword Sect, but truthfully he's after the veins present under the sect. He wants to refine those veins."
King Xin, "What will he do with those low-level Spirit Viens?"
Fang Yuan didn't say anything but only had a slight smile from the corner of his lips.
King Xin then asked, "So, you wanted to recruit Jiang Yun? What benefits would have that brought us?"
"He would have betrayed the Gracious Sword Sect at the critical time, and we would have hit the Gracious Sword Sect at its lowest."
King Xin shrugged and said, "You could have attacked him if the Sleeper Cells had exploded. That sect would have been in an even weaker position then after Jiang Yun's betrayal."
Fang Yuan shook his head, "No, this is not the case. Brother Xin, don't forget what our main aim is."
"Gracious Sword Sect is only one of the hundred sects in our Xin Kingdom. We need to control all of them, not the Gracious Sword Sect alone."
King Xin nodded his head, "Yes, but we need to take things one by one. Gracious Sword Sect could have been our first target."
Fang Yuan pursed his lips and said, "What I was planning was to suppress all the sects of our kingdom at once."
King Xin shook his head, "That's too much risk; we don't need to rush."
"Also, who was that recluse cultivator that killed out men? We should get him under us."
Clan Head Fang Yuan said, "Not many clues, but that cultivator wanted his descendants to join the Gracious Sword Sect."
King Xin narrowed his eyes and said, "Looks like we may have this unknown enemy to take out shortly."
Fang Yuan smiled and said, "No need to worry about that. Anyway, I do have a piece of good news for you."
"Oh? Do tell," King Xin requested.
"Kang Clan will now hesitate to join our crusade."
King Xin asked, "How so? I don't think Kang Ximing would allow such a thing to happen while he's the clan leader."
Fang Yuan smiled and said, "He wouldn't have agreed, but now, he will come to us to help him with his revenge."
"Revenge? Against whom?"
"Against the Gracious Sword Sect."
"Against them? Why would he become enemies with that sect? He even sent his son to cultivate there… wait, did something happen to his son?"
Clan head Fang Yuan nodded his head andsaid, "Yes, his son, Kang Bai, was killed during the Inner Court entrance exam."
"And he was killed due to a mistake by one of the Core disciples, Yuan Shuchun."
"Once Kang Ximin gets to know about this unfortunate news, he will go to the Gracious Sword Sect, but he won't get a satisfactory response, nor will he know who is responsible for his son's death."
King Xin nodded his head and asked, "Are you sure Kang Bai died due to a core disciple?"
...
A/n: Second chapter will be delayed by a few hours.. I am not well today, so need to sleep for few hours.