Battle Through the Heavens: Emperor Yan, please restrain yourself; your elder brother is truly hones

Xiao Zhan, however, was somewhat confused and asked, "Yuan'er, why did you do this?"

Zhang Yuan didn't rush to answer. Instead, he reached out and took the tea Xun'er offered, tasted it, and then asked, "Uncle."

"Don't you think this Wutan City is too small? It's not even big enough for my Xiao family to play in?"

Ban: Hey hot mom, this ninja world is too small, only big enough for me to play by myself!

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Chapter 24: Inviting the enemy into a trap, undercurrents surge.

Is Wutan City too small? Not even big enough for the Xiao family to play with?

The implication was that Zhang Yuan believed the Xiao family should have sole control over Wutan City.

Xiao Zhan was taken aback, but he wasn't particularly surprised by Zhang Yuan's answer.

When Zhang Yuan was a child, he heard Zhang Yuan talk about the history of the Xiao and Zhang families. Zhang Yuan said that he would lead the two families back to their peak, and the Xiao family's monopoly of Wutan City was only the first step.

He lowered his head and pondered for a moment before saying, "Are you trying to use the charge of assassinating the Imperial Black Armor Guards to trap them?"

“If you only reveal the strength of a peak Dou Shi, they might use a Grand Dou Shi to assassinate you, and you could still manage to outmaneuver them. But after this battle this morning, they definitely know that it would take more than three Grand Dou Shi to take you down, so they probably won’t take the risk.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yuan shook his head and said, "The crime of merely besieging and killing the captain of the Imperial Black Armor Guard is not enough to shake two families. Even if they are captured, they can cut their losses and survive."

As he spoke, he took out a map of the Gama Empire from his storage ring, placed it on the table, pointed at a certain spot, and said, "Uncle, what do you think of this power?"

Xiao Zhan stared at it for a while, then his pupils suddenly contracted, and he exclaimed in surprise, "You mean, they're colluding with the Nine Thieves of Illusionary Mist!?"

The Gama Empire is located in the northwest corner of the Nine Domains of the Dou Qi Continent. Most of it is a plain. It has nine provinces. The imperial capital, Gama Holy City, and Yunlan Sect are located in the northernmost part of the northern province, while Wutan City is located in the southwest of the northeast province, near the Monster Mountain Range.

The Monster Mountain Range is the longest giant mountain range within the Gamma Empire, almost running through the entire empire. It is famous for being overrun by monsters, making it impossible for humans to settle there.

Such a massive mountain range naturally branches out into many tributaries, like the fine veins in a leaf, scattered throughout the empire. The Illusionary Mist Mountain Range is one of the southern branches of the Monster Mountain Range in the Northeast Province. It is famous for being shrouded in hallucinogenic mist year-round, making it a small forbidden zone in the Northeast Province, rarely visited by people.

The Misty Mountains are not large in area, but their location is crucial, hindering communication and exchange between the major cities in the southern part of the Northeast Province, or between the southern and eastern provinces.

To this end, the royal family of the Jia Ma Empire, together with local families, built three trade routes and one official road in the Illusionary Mist Mountains, as well as several passes where people could temporarily stop.

The Nine Thieves of Illusionary Mist are a group of bandits who have been active in the Illusionary Mist Mountains for more than a decade. They were all initially at the level of Battle Master and made a living by killing, robbing, and raiding caravans. Their number has always remained at nine.

Over the past decade or so, the government of the Northeast Province of the Jia Ma Empire has not failed to send troops or experts to exterminate them, but these Nine Thieves of Illusionary Mist possess a certain secret technique that allows them to move freely in the illusionary mist, which even a Dou Wang level expert would find difficult to resist or see clearly for a long time, making it difficult to kill them all.

As long as they don't kill them all, they will recruit new fighters to join their ranks, maintaining the number nine.

Currently, three of the Nine Thieves of the Illusionary Mist are at the level of Great Battle Master, while the remaining six are all High-Rank Battle Masters.

All nine bandits were wanted criminals on the empire's list, but they were never completely wiped out.

Nowadays, caravans or individuals passing through Illusionary Mist Mountain will specifically choose a suitable day if they are not in a hurry.

“That’s right, they’re colluding with the Nine Thieves of Illusionary Mist.” Zhang Yuan nodded emphatically.

Xiao Zhan's breathing quickened slightly as he asked, "Where did you get this information? Is it reliable? Can you report it directly to the city lord?"

The existence of the Nine Thieves of Illusionary Mist has made the Northeast Province a laughing stock in the eyes of other provinces. After all, with only a few Battle Masters and Great Battle Masters, they couldn't even take down all the Battle Kings.

In other words, the Northeast Province was still the main force resisting external forces such as the Izumo Empire, which is why other provinces did not mock them too much. However, all the people in the Northeast Province deeply hated the Nine Thieves of the Illusionary Mist.

If there is evidence that the Jialie and Aoba families are colluding with the Nine Thieves of the Illusionary Mist, then the entire Jiama Empire will not tolerate them.

"As for evidence, I can't say right now. Maybe there is, maybe there isn't." Zhang Yuan handed the cup to Xun'er.

Xiao Zhan was taken aback and asked in confusion, "What do you mean?"

Zhang Yuan tapped his fingers on the table and said, "Uncle, I've been studying the intelligence on our Xiao family over the past few years. When the Xiao family's caravans traded south, they were robbed by the Nine Thieves of the Illusionary Mist several times. The Jia Lie family and the Aoba family were also robbed. But each time, the items robbed were not valuable daily necessities. Don't you find that strange?"

Xiao Zhan frowned in thought and said, "Do you think they have a tacit agreement with the Nine Thieves of Illusionary Mist to transport supplies by hijacking them, as a form of toll collection?"

Zhang Yuan nodded.

Xiao Zhan sighed and said, "The possibility is indeed very high, but it's just your guess. Without solid evidence, it won't work. So many years have passed, and they can't let us catch them red-handed."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yuan revealed a confident smile: "Uncle, why look for past evidence? Regardless of whether they colluded in the past, isn't it enough to just prove that they are colluding now?"

Xiao Zhan looked puzzled.

Zhang Yuan calmly explained, "The Black Armor Guards are rotating with the Valiant Dragon Guards, and for the next three years they will be responsible for guarding the important town of Qingyun."

"Qingyun Town is located in the Monster Mountain Range, at the junction of the Southeast Province and the Eastern Province. If I take people from Wutan City to Qingyun Town, taking a detour will take more than half a month longer. Even if we set off today, it will delay the military schedule. Therefore, we must take the Huanwu Mountain official road."

"It's the time of year when the fog is quite thick in the Misty Mountains. Most caravans are traveling in groups or waiting at the passes for the fog to clear before setting off. But I have to get through as soon as possible."

"They've got the perfect timing, the right location, and the right people. What do you think they'll do?"

hiss!

Xiao Zhan slapped his thigh, his eyes lighting up.

It is known that Zhang Yuan is already a one-star Grand Dou Master at the age of sixteen, and he can even crush Jia Liebi, who is of a higher level. His talent is rare in the entire history of the Jia Ma Empire. Since he has joined the imperial military, he will definitely be valued and cultivated.

It's likely that in just a few years, he will become a Battle Spirit and eventually the Commander of the Black Armor Guard.

Will the Galley family and the Oba family still be able to maintain their foothold in Utan City by then?

No!

If they retreat one step, they will retreat step by step, and both families will gradually decline, witnessing the rise of the Xiao family once again.

If these two families don't want this day to come, they will definitely take risks and go all out.

Colluding with the Nine Thieves of Illusionary Mist was the perfect method Zhang Yuan provided them, and they would naturally fall into the trap.

No wonder Zhang Yuan said that it doesn't matter whether they colluded before, because they will definitely collude soon.

What a ruthless calculation!

And Galebi and Obapa would never have imagined it.

If Xiao Yan were present, he would definitely shout "entrapment!"

"Uncle, let's get ready." Zhang Yuan stood up and said, "There's a battle to be fought in a few days. I'm going to see our city lord first and see if he can help me."

Xiao Zhan readily accepted good advice.

That evening, Zhang Yuan entered the city lord's mansion openly and had a "secret meeting" with the city lord, Lin Zhengqing, for nearly two hours.

Not long after, news spread that Lin Zhengqing valued Zhang Yuan and wanted to introduce him to a commander of the Black Armor Guard.

The next morning, news also spread from the Mittel Auction House that they wanted to cooperate with the Xiao family to create a caravan that would travel between Qingyun Town and Wutan City. Individual mercenaries and independent cultivators who were interested could sign up to join the escort team.

When these two pieces of news reached the ears of Galebi and Obapa, they made them determined to eliminate Zhang Yuan.

Once Zhang Yuan dies, the city lord's favor and the cooperation with the Mittel Auction House will vanish.

At that time, they won't even need to cooperate to suppress the Xiao family; they can still maintain the previous balance.

For a time, undercurrents surged within Wutan City, but the surface remained calm.

Time flies like an arrow, and three days have passed in the blink of an eye.

In front of the gates of Wutan City, Zhang Yuan and his personal guards sat on silver-horned black rhinoceros horses, ready to depart. There was one more person in the group than when they returned. It was Xiao Boyuan, who had broken through to the Dou Shi level after taking the Thunder Pattern Pill and volunteered to serve as Zhang Yuan's personal guard again.

The Xiao family's senior members and direct descendants, Mittel's Yafei and Gu Ni, and City Lord Lin Zhengqing personally came to see them off.

After some polite words, Zhang Yuan prepared to leave with his men.

At that moment, a commotion suddenly came from the direction of the city gate, attracting everyone's attention.

Elder Jialie Qing of the Jialie family and patriarch Obaba of the Obaba family rushed over with their entourage.

"Captain Zhang Yuan, please wait!"

Chapter 25 Free Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill

Under the watchful eyes of countless people, Jia Lieqing and Aobapa approached Zhang Yuan, glancing slightly at the silver-horned black rhinoceros on its back.

"What is it?" Zhang Yuan, dressed in armor and exuding extraordinary martial prowess, held the reins and looked down at the two men.

The two men maintained their smiles, and even showed a hint of humility in their eyes. Jia Lieqing said, "Captain Zhang, Chief Aobapa and I would also like to see you off."

"A send-off ceremony?" Zhang Yuan raised an eyebrow, his expression arrogant. "Given the relationship between my two families, you actually came to send me off?"

“Captain Zhang, what are you saying?” Obaba immediately said, “Our Obaba and Jialie families have been friends with the Xiao family for generations, so of course we should come to see you off.”

"Haha, interesting." Zhang Yuan leaned forward slightly, and said with great interest, "Family ties, you mean the kind of family that betrays you?"

The Xiao family members present immediately burst into mocking laughter.

Even Lin Zhengqing and Ya Fei, among others, had a hint of amusement in their smiles.

Jia Lieqing and Aobapa's expressions froze. The former took a deep breath and said, "Back then, the Xiao family suffered a great change, and many forces were eyeing the Xiao family covetously. Our two clans were just helping the Xiao family preserve its assets in a different way."

"Once the Xiao family regains the strength to protect these assets, our two clans will naturally offer them up with open arms!"

Obap nodded in agreement, "My family thinks the same way."

As they said this, their faces showed humiliation and pain, clearly unwilling, but they still gritted their teeth and agreed.

Seeing this, Zhang Yuan almost burst out laughing. He secretly praised the two guys' acting skills, saying they could easily win Best Actor awards on Earth.

If he hadn't known the actions behind the two clans, he would have thought they had decided to go all out and bet on the Xiao family again.

"What boldness!" Zhang Yuan exclaimed sarcastically, then after a moment's thought, said, "This matter is not enough to prove anything with just words. Do you dare to write a written agreement, with City Lord Lin and Master Gu Ni as witnesses?"

Jia Lieqing and Aobapa were clearly prepared, and immediately took out a document from their cashier's rings.

It is clearly written above that once the Xiao family produces a powerhouse who is one level higher than the strongest member of the Jia Lie (Oba) family, the Xiao family's assets that were divided up back then will be returned in full.

They also very sincerely listed the "Xiao family's businesses" clearly, such as the mine owned by the Obama family and the several markets controlled by the Jia Lie family.

"interesting."

Zhang Yuan glanced at the contents of the contract and thought to himself that these two families were not stupid either.

By showing such sincerity now, we can lower his guard and make him complacent, causing him to reveal a flaw, at which point he will be caught off guard by the Nine Thieves of Illusionary Mist.

Not only him, but also the entire Xiao family will become complacent and overconfident, and some things may turn from joy to sorrow.

When the news of his death at the hands of the Nine Thieves of Illusionary Mist arrives a few days later, both clans can exonerate themselves from suspicion to the greatest extent possible.

Just in the worst-case scenario, if Zhang Yuan doesn't die, as long as they don't know that the Nine Thieves of Illusionary Mist's actions are related to them, these two deeds are still a chance for them to buy their lives, with City Lord Lin Zhengqing as a witness.

"Uncle, take a look. If there are no problems, please sign it."