Qin Xiaowan noticed Ye Feifei's expression was off. Seeming to understand something, she scrambled out of bed at once, grabbed Ye Feifei, and demanded, "Did something happen to my father? Tell me! Tell me!"
"Xiaowan, don't get so worked up! Let go, you're hurting me! Please, just listen to me, okay?" Ye Feifei said hurriedly. Qin Xiaowan's injuries were already severe; if she got any more agitated, there was no telling what might happen to her.
Qin Xiaowan glanced at Ye Feifei, feeling she might have gone a bit too far. "Then talk! I hope you're not going to lie to me!"
She then let go of Ye Feifei. "This whole situation between the Qin Family and my Ye Family was completely unexpected. Since it's already happened, we have to face it. I'm not really sure what happened, either. After you passed out, I just brought you back to your room."
"Then hurry up and go see! I know my father did something wrong, but there were reasons for it! Feifei, I'm begging you, please go check!" Qin Xiaowan said, her face filled with pleading.
Ye Feifei was incredibly conflicted. 'The truth will come out sooner or later. When she finally finds out, she'll never forgive me, and she'll never forgive Ye Tian.'
'But if I tell her the truth now, it will definitely make her injuries worse. What she needs right now is rest. A good, long rest.'
"You should lie down first. Your body really can't take any more strain. I'll go check on the situation now. Don't you worry!" Ye Feifei said.
Qin Xiaowan obediently lay back down. She hadn't seemed to feel any pain when she'd scrambled up just now, but at this moment, the wounds on her body were excruciating.
Ye Feifei then left the room but didn't go far. She was trying to figure out what to tell Qin Xiaowan when she returned. The problem had her completely stumped.
ăMeanwhile, at the Liu Mansion in Lisha City...ă
A middle-aged man in a purple robe sat on the main seat in the great hall. Dozens of people were gathered there, every one of them possessing considerable strength.
"I'm sure everyone is aware of what happened between the Qin Family and the Ye Family. The Ye Family has now basically taken control of the Qin Family, and their power is constantly expanding. If this continues, it will be very difficult for our Liu Family to maintain our footing in Lisha City.
"Lisha City may be a small town, but it's home to an important branch of our Liu Family. It's taken years of hard work to build it up to what it is today. We absolutely cannot let the Ye Family monopolize all the power and destroy our years of effort. So today, I want to hear everyone's thoughts," the middle-aged man said.
This middle-aged man was, of course, the Patriarch of the Liu Family, Liu Changfeng. His strength was comparable to that of Ye Weitian and Qin Wushuang. He was normally a very low-key individual and rarely left the Liu Mansion unless it was for a matter of great importance. As a result, not many people in Lisha City had ever seen him.
"Patriarch, your subordinate believes this is an opportunity. Our Liu Family has bided its time for long enough. Since the Ye Family defeated the Qin Family, we just need to defeat the Ye Family, and Lisha City will be completely ours. Besides, the Ye Family must have suffered heavy losses as well. With our strength, we have no reason to fear them," an Elder said.
"Grand Elder, your thoughts are actually the same as my own. However, have you considered that the Ye Family now has a Snake Centipede guarding them? That is an incredibly powerful Demon Beast. If we act rashly against the Ye Family, we could suffer disastrous losses," Liu Changfeng said.
"We are all aware of the Patriarch's concerns. While the Snake Centipede is powerful, it's not invincible. I believe that if the three of us deal with it together, even if we can't kill it, we can at least keep it from harming anyone else.
"Meanwhile, all we need to do is kill the members of the Ye Family. Once that's done, the Snake Centipede will be irrelevant to us! Therefore, your subordinate believes this is an excellent opportunity," the Grand Elder said.
Liu Changfeng frowned slightly, falling deep into thought. The people below also pondered the Grand Elder's words. Was it feasible or not? If they failed to restrain the Snake Centipede, the consequences would be unimaginable. It was a risk they didn't dare to take.
After a long moment, Liu Changfeng said, "This matter requires more careful consideration. The Liu Family cannot be as reckless as the Qin Family. We cannot afford to make a single mistake. If we are to act, we must be certain of success."
The crowd began to murmur amongst themselves. Some thought the Grand Elder's words were feasible. After all, the Ye Family was greatly weakened right now, making it the perfect time to strike. If they missed this chance, another one like it would be hard to come by.
Others argued that they shouldn't take the risk. If they ended up like the Qin Family, the Ye Family would gain complete control over Lisha City.
Just then, an elder with graying hair spoke up. "Patriarch, this matter can wait. Your subordinate has a foolproof plan that might be more advantageous for us!"
At the gray-haired elder's words, everyone turned to look at him, wanting to hear what his foolproof plan was. Liu Changfeng also seemed curious and asked, "Third Elder, what brilliant plan do you have? Why not share it so we can all consider it?"
The elder swallowed before speaking. "The Ye Family's Snake Centipede is indeed their most fearsome asset. But our Liu Family is no pushover, either. We can request reinforcements from the main Liu Clan. We can ask the clan to send a powerful expert to deal with the Snake Centipede. Once that's done, all our problems will be solved."
After hearing this, Liu Changfeng once again fell into thought. He then said, "The Third Elder's suggestion is indeed a good one. However, getting the main clan to send an expert will be very difficult. After all, we are just a branch family. It's very likely the main clan will ignore our request."
"Patriarch, you needn't worry. The main clan has always known of our existence. Although we haven't been in contact for years, we are still members of the Liu Clan. There's no reason they wouldn't help us when we're in trouble.
"Besides, we're doing this to expand the clan's influence. How could they refuse? The only thing is, the journey to the main clan and back will take some timeâabout a month for a round trip. In that month, the Ye Family will have just enough time to get all their affairs in order, making it the perfect time for us to take over," the elder said.
"Good! It's decided then! I will personally make a trip to Yanyue City and report this to the clan. We'll let the Ye Family be arrogant for one more month. Then, we'll show them what we're made of," Liu Changfeng declared.
"The Patriarch is wise! The Patriarch is wise!" everyone in the great hall shouted in unison.
The Liu Family's plot against the Ye Family was slowly set in motion, but the Ye Family was completely unaware. At that moment, Ye Feifei returned to the room. Qin Xiaowan had not gotten up.
"Feifei, what's the situation? How is my father?" Qin Xiaowan asked immediately, her eyes filled with anxiety.
Ye Feifei thought for a long time and finally decided it was better to tell the truth. 'Even if Qin Xiaowan can't accept it, that's just how it has to be. If she can get through this, I don't care if she seeks revenge on the Ye Family later. If she hears the news and dies from a fit of rage, then it can only be considered her fate. Perhaps that would even lessen her sufferingâŠ'