Grass and mustard reign supreme

Chapter 57 The Art of the Mind
Qingmei looked up at Yang Can and suddenly remembered a conversation she had with him before.

"Deacon Yang, you've been keeping your hands off the Zhang family members all this time, just waiting for them to make their move?"

"Not bad!"

"But... will they intervene?"

"Young Master Zhang and Zhang Yunyi have never been a father and son who are kind to each other and filial to each other."

If Zhang Yunyi is alive, he will pose a threat to Young Master Zhang.

But if he kills Zhang Yunyi, he'll have a chance to live, and he'll do it.

"Their father-son relationship is that bad? Did Leopard Head tell you that?"

"No, Zhu Weipeng told me."

Who is Zhu Weipeng?

"He was a cook, the cook in Feng'an Fort, and also Cheng Dakuan's brother-in-law."

"I see."

"As for Zhang Xiaomi, he is Zhang Yunyi's uncle."

In his early years, Zhang Xiaomi was just a fugitive in the underworld.

They owned no land, no house, and lived a precarious existence.

He now owns a house and land, living a carefree life, all thanks to the help of Zhang Yunyi after he became wealthy.

However, in recent years, Zhang Yunyi has grown older, with many children and grandchildren, and has paid less attention to his uncle.

Yang Can said meaningfully, "There are some people in this world who are truly grateful for a small favor but resentful of a large one."

When you can no longer endlessly satisfy his demands, he won't remember your kindness; he'll only hate you.

“I understand. So… they will definitely follow the path you pointed out, right?”

“That’s right! (Yang Can snapped his fingers) I’ve already dug the canal for them, how can the water not flow through?”

"But will Zhang Yunyi follow your plan?"

Zhang Yunyi has always considered himself the patriarch of the Zhang family.

He was autocratic, domineering, and powerful, but he also shouldered all the responsibilities of the Zhang family.

The entire Zhang family was parasitic on him, and he believed that all members of the Zhang family would be grateful to him.

If he suddenly discovers that the Zhang family will kill him without hesitation in order to continue having all of this, he will be in danger.

What do you think Zhang Yunyi would be thinking at this moment?

Yang Can looked at Qingmei and smiled, "There is a kind of emotion in this world called 'the deeper the love, the more intense the hate.'"

Extreme dedication and effort, if rewarded with betrayal, will destroy more than just trust.

At that time, a person's emotions may undergo extreme transformations.

He will doubt everything he has done, everything he has given, and everything he has received in the past...

Therefore, he will completely deny his past self.

Yang Can tilted his head and thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "If I had to describe this change in a simple word, I would call it... 'darkening'!"

"Turning to the dark side?"

“That’s right. Of course, if Master Zhang hasn’t thought of this, I will kindly help him and guide him to successfully turn to the dark side and transform himself.”

How terrifying...men!
The previous "brick-drawing tower" was just a gradual increase in difficulty until the opponent's psychological defenses were completely destroyed.

That was still within the realm of psychology, but now he has risen to the level of understanding and manipulating human nature.

Xiao Qingmei raised her hand, rubbed her nose with the back of her palm, and gently curled the corners of her mouth.

This wicked man, though physically weak, has almost completely captured her heart.

On the high granite base, Yang Can pushed off the stone platform and stood up straight.

"Fire the sentry arrow!"

The barn was round, with its base extending more than two feet outwards, wide enough for people to walk on.

At Yang Can's command, Leopard Head walked over from the base, drew his bow and shot an arrow into the air.

The arrow disappeared into the night sky and was immediately out of sight.

But its shrill, ghostly whistle instantly resounded through the night sky.

In the darkness of night, many figures stood indistinctly on the threshing ground.

They were the three hundred soldiers whom Kang Zhengyang had gathered here to await orders.

Since they were all from the same village, Kang Zhengyang couldn't guarantee that none of them had been bribed by Zhang Yunyi.

So after he gathered the people there, he didn't announce any orders, but just waited in the darkness without even lighting any torches.

Suddenly, a piercing whistling sound pierced the air, and two trusted confidants beside Kang Zhengyang immediately lit torches.

The torch suddenly lit up, illuminating Kang Zhengyang's face.

Kang Zhengyang gripped the hilt of his sword and roared menacingly, "Deacon Yang is acting on the orders of the clan leader to thoroughly investigate the affairs of Feng'an Manor."

Now, some people are desperate and intend to burn Steward Yang, Master Zhang, and all the stewards to death.

Now, listen to my command: Team One, Team Two, follow the formation leader and control all exits of the village.

"Entry is permitted, but exit is not. Anyone who forces their way in will be killed without exception!"

His squad leaders were not as difficult to control as Leopard Head's subordinates.

While Leopard Head enjoyed great prestige as the commander of the guards, he was under the very nose of the clan leader and was severely restricted.

The chief of the vassal corps in the estate must be given power, otherwise there is no point in having them.

Therefore, the head of the sergeant had absolute power over the sergeants of the entire estate.

The squad leaders under Kang Zhengyang were either his brothers or his relatives.

Even if they were the worst off, they were still his brothers who had followed him for many years, and Kang Zhengyang treated them like his own limbs.

"Three teams, follow me!"

Kang Zhengyang drew his ring-pommel sword and shouted sternly, "Follow me to Feng'an Fort and control all exits."

As the whistle-piercing arrow echoed through the night sky, the Suo family guards, who had been lying in ambush, made their move.

They ran out in a panic, shouting, "Fire! Fire! Don't let the fire spread!" This behavior gave the guards, who had first set the fire and then pretended to fight it, a false impression:
These people are here to put out the fire.

Therefore, they were completely unprepared.

As a result, these Suo family guards were very uncivilized. They rushed up to him and, without saying a word, drew their swords and started to kill.

"kill!"

"puff!"

One after another, sharp knives slashed at the unsuspecting martial arts guards.

Blood splattered, and only then did the martial artists realize something was wrong.

But when they hastily engaged in battle, nearly half of them had already been hacked to death.

"Kill, kill, kill!"

These guards of the Suo family were all assigned to Suo Chanzhi by the Suo family.

The Suo family had hoped to infiltrate the Yu family through Suo Chanzhi, the young mistress of the eldest branch.

Therefore, the personnel assigned to her were naturally not too bad.

These Suo family guards were no less skilled than the martial arts masters protecting the Feng'an Fortress.

With superior numbers and martial arts skills, and having seized the initiative, how could the guards of the Zhang family possibly resist them?

As the Suo family guards were wielding deadly blades, Leopard Head arrived with a group of men and joined the fray.

With the addition of this new force, the Suo family guards became even more imposing.

They slaughtered more than a dozen of the Zhang family's guards as easily as cutting melons and vegetables.

Of the martial arts instructors Zhang Yunyi had painstakingly trained, only a handful remained.

On the way to Phoenix Manor with Zhang Yunyi, a group of people were killed by Qingmei.

At this moment, another group of people were killed by Leopard Head and his gang at the fire scene.
The Zhang family members who rushed to put out the fire were terrified when they saw the flashing swords and the shadows of gunfire.

They dared not flee, nor dared to make a move; they could only stand there stiffly.

Just then, Young Master Zhang arrived, making a big fuss.

He was naturally a loud and boisterous person, but because he felt guilty, he acted particularly aggressively.

"Put the fire out! Father! My father is still in the fire, Dad... my dear... Huh?"

Young Master Zhang deliberately arrived barefoot, wearing only a light jacket, barefoot, with his hair disheveled, in a flurry of activity.

His wailing abruptly stopped when he saw a member of the Su family holding a knife wiping blood from the sole of his boot.

"What...what happened?"

Young Master Zhang's expression changed as he asked, sensing something was amiss.

As he spoke, Young Master Zhang slowly backed away, then suddenly turned around, intending to leave.

Suddenly, a large hand reached out from the side and stopped Young Master Zhang.

Leopard Head grinned: "Young Master Zhang, your father's fate is still unknown. Where are you headed?"

……

The fire at the Zhang family's home alarmed the entire Feng'an Village.

However, it was actually difficult for the villagers to carry out a rescue because they could not enter the Zhang family manor at night.

Moreover, many of them were only there out of necessity, and had no intention of risking their lives for Master Zhang.

Not to mention that Kang Zhengyang had already sealed off Feng'an Fort to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the chaos.

Fortunately, fire prevention was fully considered when the manor was built.

Each courtyard was a separate large courtyard, with high walls separating them, which served to prevent fire sources.

By daybreak, the guest quarters in the left courtyard had been burned to the ground.

Three barns in the adjacent area, separated by only a wall, were also burned down.

Those three granaries were the very warehouses where Zhang Yunyi and the stewards were imprisoned.

The entire east wing guesthouse had been burned to ashes.

The ashes on the ground appear white, but when the wind blows, they turn a faint reddish hue.

The temperature remains extremely high even when you get close.

Even with a wet towel covering the mouth and nose, it's difficult to endure such harsh conditions for long.

Therefore, the Zhang family could only stand outside this white space.

Some wept, some wailed, and some cursed loudly, but none dared to approach.

Zhang Xiaomi arrived, leaning on her crutches and trembling.

He had already seen the fire in Feng'anzhuang from his home, so he naturally assumed that his plan was complete.

But it was already dawn, and none of the three grandsons had returned to report the news.

The old man couldn't contain himself any longer, so he came over in person, leaning on his cane.

At this time, Feng'an Fort had been completely controlled by Yang Can's men.

Kang Zhengyang received a notification from Yang Can that the villagers were allowed to enter and leave the fortified village.

Therefore, at this time, there were not only Zhang family members in front of the fire, but also many people from Feng'anzhuang.

"What happened? Where is Yunyi? Is our master alright?"

Zhang Xiaomi arrived shakily and immediately asked anxiously.

With a quick glance, he noticed that three large barns were missing from the storage area, and he couldn't help but feel secretly pleased.

It seems the great undertaking is accomplished. With so many lives sacrificed to appease the heavens, this calamity can finally be quelled.

The wives, concubines, and family of Master Zhang were filled with fear and unease.

Upon seeing the eldest member of their family arrive, they immediately surrounded him as if they had found their pillar of support.

Meanwhile, Zhang Zhuangzhu, who had been successfully lured out of his inner demons by Yang Can and had already turned to the dark side, was also rushing here from the barn...

(End of this chapter)