Dean and Misha went upstairs together, but neither said a word. Misha couldn’t bring herself to speak, only carefully observing Dean’s expression, wondering if he had noticed anything. But she couldn’t tell… She gave a bitter smile in her heart, self-mocking – Misha, if you could see through this man, you wouldn’t have resorted to such means to keep him! Hehe… “You go to sleep!” Dean passed Misha, dropped a word, and walked towards his room. Misha watched Dean’s door close without a hint of affection. Did she really not even have the value to make him look at her once more? Was all this scheming to keep him right or wrong? Was it worth it? … [From Love to Conspiracy: Ninety-One, Let the Dark Blood Boil 1] Sorry, I missed uploading a chapter (a big 6,000+ word chapter!) ⊙﹏⊙b Sweat… Start reading from Chapter 89 again!
Si Yan sent brothers from Aohua Tower to search every corner of Rome for Xiong Shaogang’s whereabouts, but there was no trace all night. On Qiu Yu’s side, through her second brother, she also helped Ye Ye borrow channels from Interpol to find Xiong Shaogang, but there was still no news… Ye Ye stayed in the apartment, with Si Yan by his side, not going out. With the situation unclear, they couldn’t make any plans, and the best course of action now was to wait for his father and brothers to arrive before making any decisions. The next day – Rome – AM9:00 The ringing phone woke Ye Ye and Si Yan from their light sleep. Ye Ye picked up the phone – it was Qiu Yu. “Hello, Qiu…” “Ye Ye, something bad happened, I intercepted a conversation in the villa, they found the seal of the Qianye Gate branch, and Xiong Shaogang is in their hands!” Qiu Yu had been in her second brother’s office in Rome all night, using his equipment to monitor everything through the program she had embedded in the Xiong family villa’s security system. “What? They found the seal! Shaogang is in their hands?!” Ye Ye exclaimed. “Yes!” “The seal itself isn’t much of a concern; my father has already frozen the assets of the Thousand Night Gate’s Rome branch. The most they can touch is the liquid funds, which isn’t a big deal. However, with Shaogang in their hands, it gets tricky. Autumn… did you hear what they’re really after and who’s orchestrating this? Why are they so intent on this?” Ye Ye always felt that there must be more to the story. “I didn’t hear who the mastermind is, just heard them refer to someone as ‘the master.’ Their aim seems to be all the territories and ‘channels’ of the Thousand Night Gate in Rome.” “But… what do territories and ‘channels’ have to do with the seal?” Ye Ye was puzzled; the seal was at most used to stamp some documents, but why was it useful in ‘channels’? “I don’t know either. Oh, by the way, Shao Yi and Shaoran have been found by my brother’s men and are being flown back to Rome. They should arrive in about 5 hours.” Qiu Yu was even more baffled. “Okay, Autumn. Thank you so much. When they arrive, please look after them for me. Also, please keep a close watch on the situation and inform me of any developments!” “Alright.”
Si Yan watched Ye Ye hang up the phone. “How did it go?” “Shaogang is in their hands, and they’ve taken the seal. But I don’t understand, if they’re just after the territory, what do they need the seal for?” Si Yan thought for a moment. “Things are serious now. Since they’ve got the seal, Shaogang and Aunt Xiong might be in danger!” “Why? What’s the use of the seal?” “You don’t know, each sect, each branch has its own smuggling ‘channels.’ These aren’t things you can negotiate or sign contracts for in the open, nor can they be constrained by ordinary laws. For safety, the people involved in the smuggling and the channel managers usually don’t know each other. So, there must be a token of trust, and the seal is the token for the Thousand Night Gate. Only documents with the seal and a signature can decide whether the goods can pass through those channels or if the ownership of the channels can be transferred! In other words, if Uncle Xiong has passed away, to control or inherit certain hidden territories and channels of the Thousand Night Gate, one must either obtain the seal as a token of trust, or your father must step in to take charge!” “So, if they have the seal, wouldn’t Aunt Xiong and Shaogang lose their value and be silenced?” Ye Ye jumped up. “But my father told me not to retrieve the seal first, which is why they got it! What should we do?” “Don’t worry, they shouldn’t do that. As far as I know, besides the seal, there’s also a special type of paper with a watermark. Only your father and Uncle Xiong know how to make it, and your brother and Aunt Xiong should know as well. The seal is useless unless it’s stamped on that paper! Such paper is made on the spot for each shipment or major command, so there’s none readily available.” Si Yan paused and added, “What I’m worried about is that they might use Shaogang’s life to coerce Aunt Xiong into revealing the formula for making the paper. Once that’s revealed, both will be killed! Moreover, they’ll act quickly because if the communication with Rome and your father is cut off for too long, they’ll be worried your father might suspect something! They’ll aim for a quick resolution! Fortunately, they don’t know your father is already aware and on his way, so the situation is still in our favor!” “No wonder my father wasn’t in a hurry for me to get the seal! But what do we do now? I’m not worried about the interests of the Thousand Night Gate, but about Aunt Xiong and Shaogang’s safety! What if they can’t wait?” Ye Ye said worriedly. “…” Si Yan was speechless. He had a plan, but it involved Ye Ye taking a risk, and the consequences… he couldn’t bear! “Got it!” Ye Ye’s eyes lit up. “Si Yan, help me!” Si Yan’s scalp started to tingle, seeing the fierce fire in Ye Ye’s eyes… “I… tell me your plan first…” “Luckily, I gave Aunt Xiong a communicator yesterday. Si Yan, I’ll have Aunt Xiong demand they hold a funeral for Uncle Xiong!” Ye Ye’s aura of menace surged, her beautiful face turning cold, shedding her youthful innocence, embodying the demeanor of a mafia queen. Si Yan couldn’t help but marvel in his heart: truly the daughter of Ye Fengxing, the lady of the Thousand Night Gate! “Si Yan, once I’ve settled everything with Aunt Xiong, you’ll arrange for the elite from Ao Hua Lou to go with me for the official mourning!” “But…” Si Yan was concerned about Ye Ye’s safety. If they acted rashly, anything happening to Ye Ye would mean he’d not survive the wrath of the Thousand Night Gate and the Dragon Domain! “No buts, otherwise, lives will be lost! I won’t let any more harm come to Uncle Xiong’s family!” Ye Ye said solemnly, the dark, powerful traits in her bloodline starting to boil! “Alright!” Si Yan decided to go all out, hoping the Dragon Domain and Ye Ye’s father and brothers would arrive in time! Otherwise, he’d risk his life to ensure Ye Ye’s safety!
