Ten minutes later, the group arrived at the villa, reaching the reception hall on the second floor, where they each took their seats.

Wu Jindao did not stand on ceremony and directed his gaze at Ye Xuan, speaking directly, "Brother Ye, we've called you here this time because we need your help with something."

Ye Xuan pondered briefly and said, "You don't even need to say it; I already know it's about the Zhan Family, right? By the way, what happened to that guy who claimed to be Zhan Shao last time?"

Previously, when the Zhan Family came to the Wu Family looking for trouble, Ye Xuan stepped in on behalf of the Wu Family to resolve the crisis and even did something to that Zhan Shao. It's been half a month since then, and I wonder how that guy is doing now.

"Are you talking about Zhan Qi? After he returned that night, indeed, he had some issues with his body, but the family has already treated him." Wu Jindao replied.

Upon hearing this, Ye Xuan raised an eyebrow, not surprised in the least, and said calmly, "As expected, it seems there is a Half-Step Grandmaster Level expert in the Zhan Family!"

Only a martial arts expert at or above the Half-Step Grandmaster level could easily neutralize the measures he had taken.

In Yan Country, there are countless martial arts experts. Although Grandmasters are as rare as phoenix feathers, there are still quite a few experts who have reached the Half-Step Grandmaster level!

And for an ancient family like the Zhan Family from the south, even if they can't compare to the Wang Family, they aren't far behind. It's not surprising for them to have an expert at the Half-Step Grandmaster level.

Ye Xuan's eyes shimmered slightly as he continued to ask, "Uncle Wu, since it involves the Zhan Family, what exactly do you want me to help with?"

"Brother Ye, to be honest, this issue was actually instigated by me. You remember when the Zhan Family came to cause trouble last time, after my phone call with the Feng Family, I made a decision to completely break ties with them and Feng Tianxiang!"

Wu Jindao sighed deeply, his face full of concern, and said, "Because of this decision, it has placed the Wu Family in direct opposition to both the Zhan Family and the Feng Family, and our break from the Feng Family was seen as a betrayal! In these recent days, the Feng Family has retaliated at least a dozen times against us. Two of our prime locations were first taken by them, and then several of my key subordinates were inexplicably jailed by the police!"

"This is just minor skirmishing; the real issue is that they seem to have formed an alliance with the Zhan Family, opposing the Wu Family in all aspects with blockades and sanctions! As of now, our sphere of influence is shrinking, and it's becoming increasingly difficult for us to establish a foothold in Shangjing!"

Little Wu's face was full of anger as he added, "And that's not all; they even want to uproot the Wu Family completely and split our strength! Boss, just a few days before you came to Shangjing, my dad was nearly assassinated! Fortunately, because of your warning, our protective measures were robust, which ultimately thwarted their attempt. Otherwise, we wouldn't have held on until now."

"What, Uncle Wu was attacked? Do you know who was behind it?" Ye Xuan furrowed his brows tightly, asking in a serious tone.

"It's hard to determine right now! But it's likely either the Feng Family or the Zhan Family, although we can't rule out the involvement of other forces!" Wu Jindao said.

Upon hearing this, Ye Xuan pondered for a moment before sharing his insights, "I think it might not have been the Feng Family or the Zhan Family! If they truly wanted to get rid of you, with the strength and resources these two families possess, it would have been difficult for you to avoid their attacks. The power you currently have can fend off ordinary forces, but against slightly more powerful experts, it would likely be ineffective."

"Furthermore, they both know about your alliance with me, so under the current circumstances, they dare not openly make a move against you! Hence, I suspect this assassination attempt might have been orchestrated by another party, whether to frame someone or for opportunistic gain, we cannot be sure yet." He continued analyzing.

Hearing this, Wu Jindao's eyes brightened suddenly, and he clapped his hands, saying, "You're right! Actually, I had the same suspicion before but wasn't confident about it. But hearing you say it now, it seems less likely to be the work of the Feng Family or the Zhan Family!"

"Because the methods used in these two assassination attempts were rather low-level, with obvious flaws! Families like the Feng Family and the Zhan Family wouldn't send assassins of such low caliber; it would just be embarrassing for them. Plus, it's unlikely I'd survive both attempts unscathed. Brother Ye, maybe it really is as you say—the mastermind behind this might be someone else entirely!"

Ye Xuan asked, "Uncle Wu, aside from the Feng Family and the Zhan Family, do you have any other suspects?"

"Of course, I do!"

Wu Jindao's eyes flashed with insight as he reasoned, "It's not just the Feng Family and the Zhan Family opposing the Wu Family. Excluding these two, there are three other forces in Shangjing that might have the motive to act against us!"

"The first is those with whom the Wu Family has always had a hostile relationship. During the Wu Family's development, we offended quite a few people and powers. However, back then, with the size and prominence of the Wu Family and the support from the Feng Family, these people had no choice but to swallow their grievances. Now, with the Wu Family's precarious situation, it's not difficult to imagine these people taking advantage of it. However, I think it's unlikely they would make a move. Although the Wu Family is currently struggling, it's still formidable, and without absolute confidence to suppress us, they wouldn't act lightly! More importantly, they aren't sure of the Feng Family's stance, and rash actions could lead to serious consequences. More crucially, they have nothing to gain from going after me; other than venting some resentment, there are no benefits. Even if I were killed, someone else would just take my place, which doesn't align with the principle of putting interests first!"

"Then there's the second group: the old powers in Shangjing eyeing the Wu Family's big cake, eager to grab a slice. But it's unlikely that they've caused trouble, as it's the Feng Family and the Zhan Family openly competing for this cake! No one would be foolish enough to act that way, as it would simultaneously put them on the radar of both major families! Even if they aren't afraid of their strength, the likelihood of them targeting me is minimal. A sensible move would be to win me over, rather than positioning themselves against me—this would be like being a free tool for others to eliminate rivals!"

"Lastly, we have the possibility of an internal mole within the Golden Saber Society, aiming to replace me! This is what I think is most likely, because it was my decision that led to the Wu Family's confrontation with the Feng Family and the Zhan Family. Only if I'm out of the picture would they gain the greatest benefits!"

As he concluded, Wu Jindao's eyes were filled with a menacing intent to kill, an icy gleam that sent chills down one's spine.

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