Chapter 847
Guo Tianen's Villa
“Young Master, please calm down,” another voice quickly said. “The Second Young Master is only concerned about selling off the Guo family's assets. He feels that giving up the commercial street in the east of the city to outsiders would be a huge loss for the Guo family.”
"Losses?" The gloomy voice sneered. "Does he know what losses are? If I hadn't intervened, he wouldn't even have gotten close to the Guo family. Now he's reaping the benefits without lifting a finger, and he dares to talk about losses?"
"Tell him to stay put and not cause me any trouble. Once I become the head of the family, I certainly won't mistreat him. But if he dares to betray me... hmph!"
"Yes, young master. I will go and inform the second young master immediately."
Footsteps sounded, and someone walked towards the door.
Zheng Yi quickly dodged into the shadows to the side.
The door of the cottage opened, and a person dressed in black came out and walked quickly toward the front yard.
Zheng Yi did not chase after them, but remained where he was, waiting for an opportunity.
After a while, sounds came from the hut again.
"Bring that person here," the somber voice said.
"Yes."
Another set of footsteps sounded.
After a moment, the door of the hut opened again. Two men in black carried an unconscious person out and headed towards a woodshed behind the hut.
By the moonlight, Zheng Yi could see the face of the unconscious person.
It was a middle-aged man, pale-faced and with purple lips, clearly poisoned.
"This person must be Li Fu," Zheng Yi thought to himself.
He watched as two men in black carried Li Fu into the woodshed, then quietly followed them.
The woodshed was a simple hut, piled high with odds and ends. The two men in black placed Li Fu on a pile of straw mats on the ground, then turned and left.
After the man in black had gone far away, Zheng Yi slipped into the woodshed.
He crouched down to check on Li Fu's condition.
Li Fu's pulse was very weak, and his breathing was shallow. He was indeed deeply poisoned, and if he didn't receive timely treatment, he probably wouldn't last more than a few days.
"I have to find a way to get him out of here," Zheng Yi thought to himself.
But now is not the time. There are too many guards in the compound; forcibly rescuing someone would only alert the enemy. He needs to find a better opportunity.
He searched the woodshed carefully and found a small wooden box under a pile of miscellaneous items.
Open the wooden box; inside is a stack of papers.
By the moonlight, Zheng Yi quickly flipped through the papers.
These papers contain records of various transactions. There are records of purchasing poison, secret meetings with the Sun and Qian families, and Guo Chongshan's death plan.
“This is it.” Zheng Yi’s eyes lit up.
He put the papers in his pocket and then quietly left the woodshed.
Back at the courtyard wall, just as he was about to climb over and leave, he suddenly felt a sharp aura rushing towards him.
"Who goes there!" a sharp shout rang out.
Zheng Yi dodged the attack with a swift movement.
A master dressed in black appeared before him, holding a long sword with the tip pointed directly at his throat.
"How dare you sneak into the Third Young Master's villa!" the black-clad expert said coldly.
Zheng Yi did not answer. He swayed and rushed towards the courtyard wall.
"Trying to run? Not so easy!" The black-clad expert pursued relentlessly.
At the same time, the other guards inside the courtyard were also alerted and rushed towards the backyard.
"Assassin! Catch him!"
Zheng Yi didn't want to reveal his identity, nor did he want to get entangled with these people. He activated his spiritual power and used his lightness skill to instantly leap onto the courtyard wall.
"Don't even think about escaping!" The black-clad expert thrust his sword forward.
Zheng Yi dodged to the side, and at the same time, struck the black-clad expert in the chest with a backhand.
This palm strike, though seemingly effortless, actually contained a fierce and powerful aura.
The black-clad expert grunted, his body flying backward and crashing into the courtyard wall, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
The other guards were stunned by what they saw.
Taking advantage of their momentary daze, Zheng Yi leaped into the air and disappeared into the night.
He traveled at a fast pace and quickly shook off his pursuers, returning to the residence where Guo Tianyou was hiding.
"Sir, you're back!" Guo Tianyou hurriedly greeted him. "How was it? Did you find anything?"
“Yes.” Zheng Yi took out the stack of papers from his pocket and handed them to Guo Tianyou. “Take a look at this.”
Guo Tianyou took the paper and examined it carefully by the light.
As he watched, his face grew increasingly pale, and his hands began to tremble.
“This…this…” His voice choked with emotion.
"This is evidence that your third brother plotted to murder your father," Zheng Yi said. "It details his entire process of purchasing poison and planning the operation. It also records his secret collusion with the Sun and Qian families, and his betrayal of the Guo family's interests."
Guo Tianyou clutched the stack of papers tightly, his eyes reddening.
"Third brother... how could he... how could he do such a thing?" he murmured.
“There’s one more thing,” Zheng Yi said. “I’ve found Li Fu, the servant you mentioned who went missing. He was locked in the woodshed of your third brother’s villa, poisoned and unconscious.”
"Li Fu is still alive?" Guo Tianyou's eyes lit up.
“He’s alive, but the situation isn’t good,” Zheng Yi said. “Your third brother wants to force him to reveal your hiding place. Once he opens up, your third brother will definitely send people to capture you.”
"Then we must rescue Li Fu quickly!" Guo Tianyou said urgently.
“No rush,” Zheng Yi said. “I already have a plan.”
"What plan?"
"We're not just going to save Li Fu, we're also going to bring down your third brother in one fell swoop," Zheng Yi said, looking at Guo Tianyou. "Tomorrow, you go and contact the elders of the Guo family and tell them about your third brother's crimes. If we can get their support, we'll be halfway there."
“But… will those old folks believe me?” Guo Tianyou hesitated. “Right now, the whole city is spreading rumors that I’m the murderer of my father. I’m afraid they won’t easily believe my words.”
“So you need evidence.” Zheng Yi waved the stack of papers in his hand. “With these, they’ll have no choice but to believe us.”
Guo Tianyou was silent for a moment, then nodded.
"Alright, I will follow your instructions, sir." The next morning, Guo Tianyou, following Zheng Yi's instructions, sent Lao Zhou out to contact several elders of the Guo family.
These elders are all founding members of the Guo family, holding high positions and carrying considerable weight. If their support could be secured, the situation would be drastically different.
Old Zhou was out for most of the day and didn't return until evening.
“Young Master, we’ve made contact,” he said. “The Third Elder and Fifth Elder of the Guo family are willing to meet with you. They say they still don’t believe you would kill the Master and are willing to hear your side of the story.”
"That's great!" Guo Tianyou exclaimed excitedly. "What time and where did they agree to meet?"
"Tonight at midnight, at the Yuelai Inn in the south of the city," Old Zhou said. "The Third Elder said it's a secluded place, unlikely to be discovered."
“Okay.” Guo Tianyou looked at Zheng Yi. “Sir, let’s go together tonight.”
“Of course.” Zheng Yi nodded.
At midnight, Zheng Yi and Guo Tianyou arrived at the Yuelai Inn in the south of the city.
This was a small inn with an ordinary facade and few guests. The innkeeper was a chubby middle-aged man who hurriedly came to greet Guo Tianyou upon seeing him.
"Young Master, you've arrived," he said in a low voice. "The Third Elder and the Fifth Elder are already waiting for you upstairs. Please follow me."
Zheng Yi and Guo Tianyou followed the boss upstairs to a guest room.
The shop owner knocked on the door, and an aged voice came from inside: "Come in."
The door opened, and Zheng Yi and Guo Tianyou went inside.
Two elderly men were sitting in the room.
A man with white hair and beard, a gaunt face, and sharp eyes was none other than Guo Shouzhen, the third elder of the Guo family.
The other one was burly, with a full beard, and looked very imposing; he was Guo Xiong, the fifth elder of the Guo family.
"Third Uncle, Fifth Uncle," Guo Tianyou said respectfully, bowing.
"Tianyou, you've come." Guo Shouzhen looked at Guo Tianyou, a complex expression flashing in his eyes. "You've suffered these past few days."
"Third Uncle, you flatter me," Guo Tianyou said. "As long as my innocence can be proven, any suffering is worthwhile."
“Tianyou, I’ve never believed you would kill your father,” Guo Xiong said. “You’ve always been filial and sensible, not the kind of person who would commit such a heinous act. But the Third Young Master has produced evidence, saying he found poison residue in your room. Although I don’t believe it, I don’t know how to help you.”
"Fifth Uncle, all that so-called evidence was framed by my third brother," Guo Tianyou said. "The one who truly murdered my father was my third brother, Guo Tianen."
"What?" The two elders' expressions changed simultaneously.
"Tianyou, what did you say?" Guo Shouzhen stood up. "Are you saying that Tianen killed your father?"
“Yes, Third Uncle.” Guo Tianyou took out the stack of papers from his pocket and handed them to Guo Shouzhen. “This is the evidence I found. Please take a look, Third Uncle.”
Guo Shouzhen took the paper and examined it carefully with Guo Xiong.
As they watched, the two elders' expressions grew increasingly grim.
"How could this be?" Guo Xiong murmured. "Tian'en, that child, usually seems so honest, how could he do such a thing?"
“Fifth Uncle, my third brother has always kept a low profile and is very cunning,” Guo Tianyou said. “Over the years, he has been secretly accumulating power, waiting for his opportunity. After my father passed away, he finally showed his true colors.”
"Moreover, my third brother not only murdered my father, but he also colluded with the Sun and Qian families, attempting to betray the Guo family's interests in exchange for their support."
"What?!" Guo Shouzhen's face turned ashen. "Tian En is actually colluding with outsiders to sell out the Guo family's assets?"
“Yes, Third Uncle.” Guo Tianyou pointed to a record on the stack of papers. “Look, this records the details of the transaction between Third Brother and the Sun and Qian families. He promised to give them several commercial streets in the east of the city after he became the head of the family.”
"Beast!" Guo Xiong slammed his fist on the table, making the teacups clink. "The Guo family's business is the foundation our ancestors painstakingly built, and he dared to sell it to outsiders!"
"Elders, do you believe me now?" Guo Tianyou asked.
Guo Shouzhen and Guo Xiong exchanged a glance, both seeing anger and determination in each other's eyes.
“Tianyou, I believe in you,” Guo Shouzhen said. “The evidence is irrefutable; Tianen’s crimes are now crystal clear.”
“But evidence alone is not enough,” Guo Xiong said. “Tian En has now occupied the City Lord’s Mansion and has quite a few men under his command. If we act rashly, it may cause chaos.”
“Fifth Uncle is right,” Zheng Yi said. “Therefore, we need the help of the two elders.”
"You are..." Guo Shouzhen looked at Zheng Yi.
"My name is An Ye, a friend of Young Master Tianyou," Zheng Yi said, bowing. "Young Master Tianyou was able to clear his name mainly because of the evidence we collected together."
"Dark Night?" Guo Xiong's eyes lit up. "You're the Dark Night who killed the Lu family's prodigy with a single punch and intimidated the allied forces of the three great families?"
"That's me," Zheng Yi nodded.
"I've long admired your name!" Guo Xiong stood up and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Zheng Yi. "I've heard of Mr. Dark Night's deeds for a long time. I never expected you to help Tianyou; it's truly Tianyou's good fortune."
“Young Master Guo is a person worth helping,” Zheng Yi said. “Elders, I have a plan I would like to discuss with you.”
“Please speak, sir,” Guo Shouzhen said.
Zheng Yi explained his plan in detail.
His plan was this: first, two elders would convene an emergency meeting at the Guo family ancestral hall, gathering the other elders and core members of the Guo family. Then, Guo Tianyou would publicly present evidence at the meeting, exposing Guo Tianen's crimes.
Once Guo Tianen's crimes are exposed, the Guo family will side with Guo Tianyou. Without the support of the Guo family, even with the help of the Sun and Qian families, Guo Tianen will not be able to gain a foothold within the Guo family.
“This plan is feasible,” Guo Shouzhen nodded, “but there’s one problem. Tian En certainly won’t come to the meeting willingly. Once he knows we’re going to expose his crimes, he’ll definitely run away or resist.”
“So we need to subdue him before he realizes what’s happening,” Zheng Yi said. “I will take men to his villa and wipe him and his entire gang out.”
"Mr. Dark Night is willing to take action personally?" Guo Xiong said with delight.
“This is what I promised Young Master Guo,” Zheng Yi said. “Moreover, there’s an important witness being held captive in Guo Tianen’s villa. I need to rescue him.”
"witness?"
“It was a servant named Li Fu,” Zheng Yi said. “He was an eyewitness to the night Guo Chongshan died. Guo Tianen kept him locked up, trying to extract information about Guo Gongzi’s whereabouts from him.”
“I see.” Guo Shouzhen nodded. “With this witness’s testimony, Tian En’s crimes are even more conclusive.”
“Then it’s settled,” Zheng Yi said. “Tomorrow morning, the two elders will convene a meeting of the Guo family. At the same time, I will take men to Guo Tianen’s villa and subdue him. After I bring Guo Tianen to the ancestral hall, Young Master Guo will publicly expose his crimes.”
“Okay!” Guo Shouzhen and Guo Xiong nodded at the same time.
The next morning, Hongyun City was shrouded in a light mist.
Zheng Yi, along with Tieshan, Xiao Tianxing, and Su Wanqing, quietly arrived at Guo Tianen's villa.
"Sir, how do we get in?" Tieshan asked in a low voice.
"A strong attack," Zheng Yi said calmly. "There's no time to waste with them."
"Good!" A hint of excitement flashed in Tieshan's eyes.
Zheng Yi took the lead, his figure flashing as he appeared in front of the courtyard gate. (End of Chapter)