Inside the expansive private room of the Celestial Capital's Pear Blossom Garden, Zhao Qing held beauties in both arms, yet he was in a very bad mood. The four-nation competition held great significance this time, leaving no room for any slip-ups. Therefore, he humbled himself to build a good relationship with Luo Xue, but the appearance of Li Xin disturbed the stability, especially due to the grand plan he had.

On the side, Hao Ye was already entangled with a voluptuous woman. If it weren't for Zhao Qing's presence, a more intimate bout might have ensued.

Clap clap clap~~

"Alright, save your strength, you all may leave now," Zhao Qing clapped his hands and said. The surrounding women, though somewhat reluctant, knew well about Young Master Zhao's volatile temper.

Hao Ye reluctantly gave a pat on her backside. "President, leaving like this is such a waste."

Zhao Qing looked at Hao Ye, "What's so regrettable about this lot? I'll get you someone better."

"Ah, isn't this good enough?" Hao Ye nearly drooled.

"Once a famous beauty in the Celestial Capital, the eldest lady of the Lin Family. Go take care of her tomorrow night, don't let it go to waste," Zhao Qing said indifferently.

Hao Ye hesitated, "Cough cough, boss, that's Night Patrol's territory, and Li Xin is very close to the Church, this..."

"Where's your guts? No one will know, and in any case, what does a commoner matter," Zhao Qing replied. "Li Xin is Luo Xue's trump card. We must completely eliminate this unstable factor. Lin Fei once saved his life, and I hear their relationship is quite good. If something were to happen to Lin Fei, whether Li Xin collapses or simply goes mad, at the very least, it won't affect us in the four-nation competition, and your spot as the primary choice is preserved. Otherwise, do you think you're deserving?"

Recent bouts had shown that both Roland and Li Xin had surpassed Hao Ye in strength. If Zhao Qing hadn't strongly supported Hao Ye, he would have been replaced already. Roland could be excused as an outsider, but Li Xin was hard to handle.

Hao Ye gritted his teeth and nodded, his lascivious smile returning as he thought of Lin Fei's beauty and charm.

After Hao Ye left, Zhao Qing poured himself a glass of wine, his expression turning cold and grim. An aura of ruthlessness emanated from him; he needed to make a decision.

The plan that started in Dragon Capital had to proceed, no matter what. The first step was to get rid of both Hao Ye and Li Xin. Hao Ye, this traitorous fool, thought Zhao Qing didn't know he was Zhao Xun's plant. An illegitimate wretch, if not for making Zhao Qing feel at ease, he would have gotten rid of this hindrance long ago.

Zhao Xun didn't trust anyone, including his own son, considering him at best as a slightly useful pawn. If he could age naturally, waiting a bit more wouldn't be an issue, but given Zhao Xun's current condition, he could easily live another seventy or eighty years.

Zhao Qing had grasped Zhao Xun's secret; delivering a fatal strike wasn't the problem. The problem lay in the aftermath, and how to smoothly inherit the Zhao Family's title and power.

The time spent in Dragon Capital allowed him to make some friends and hear about similar situations. He had a plan, and coupled with the momentum from the four-nation competition, fully inheriting the count title might be a struggle, but even a demotion to viscount still placed him in a favorable position. With his abilities, how could his future be limited to a single count title?

As for eliminating Li Xin, it was straightforward. Send Hao Ye, and then notify Li Xin with a time delay. He didn't believe a man full of vigor could hold back when witnessing that scene. Whether they both died together, or one died first, the end result was the same.

Zhao Qing's tapping on the table quickened, growing tense—not over Li Xin and Hao Ye, who were merely annoying obstacles.

The outcome of the four-nation competition wasn't a concern. Saint's Grace had already been dealt with; after eliminating Iron Blood, he would take out Tess, and then defeat Saint's Grace in the finals, turning the tide by his own hand. Don't mention two hundred Hex-Tech guns, he could bring out even more. Problems that money could solve were never problems.

The core of the entire affair wasn't here, and this crucial step was something Zhao Qing pondered for a long time. It was also the most critical factor for success or failure.

Moncalleta Royal Capital Heldan.

Within the Princess's Palace, Estella had devised some methods over the past few days. The most knowledgeable about hidden knowledge were, undoubtedly, the Church of the Earth Mother Goddess and the monasteries.

The Church Court of the Earth Mother Goddess was located right in Heldan, and Estella was one of the few who could meet with the Red-robed Archbishop, or even the Pope, yet she couldn't bring herself to speak. Any tactic seemed juvenile before them, directly dismissible.

The other was her mentor at the Withered Wood Monastery, Sister Alasha. Alasha was amiable, but when it came to the unspeakable, Estella had no choice. Normally, Sister Alasha wouldn't elaborate much on hidden powers, whether it was due to an agreement with the royal family or some other reason.

The Moncalleta royal family and the Church were very harmonious, mainly due to their mutual respect and distance.

In front of her mentor, she was completely at a loss. However, she was certain if she were to choose a path, the Divine Favored was most fitting. She had confidence when it came to divine favor, but her mentor never mentioned the "path." For what reason?

Logically, a royal bloodline becoming a Divine Favored was a good thing, and it was logical. Why not proactively set her on this path?

There were only two possibilities: either it was better to happen naturally, or this path was fraught with peril.

Regardless, Estella, who had interaction with the Twelve Zodiac Star Disc, wanted to try.

In this situation, coaxing words out of people was useless. Estella had an excellent memory. In the past, some words had been casually heard and not given much attention. Looking back now, there were quite a few clues, such as regarding the path. Sister Alasha once said that living is a practice. No matter which path one chooses, there will be gains as well as losses.

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