"Do you truly believe I would let myself be manipulated by others?" A chill clung to Yang Yi’s lips as he spoke, his mind reeling with shock, thinking secretly, Just what level is Grandfather? My own killing intent has had absolutely no effect on him; in fact, he suppressed it.

"Don't be so absolute in your judgment." The expression on Old Man Yang's face suddenly softened. "Is that not the case?" Yang Yi asked, his voice low and incredibly hoarse.

Indeed, what Yang Yi said held truth. Along his journey, he had encountered what seemed like smooth sailing.

Although there had been turbulence, and several near-death experiences, he managed to turn peril into safety at every crucial moment. Yet, it could not be denied that in City A, Jiangsu, Shanghai, and even Hong Kong, every matter involving the influence of official powers had unfolded entirely outside Yang Yi’s expectations.

Events he had anticipated never materialized; instead, everything resolved itself smoothly, which inevitably made Yang Yi suspicious. "Regarding the matters you speak of, save for the incident in Shanghai which I was unaware of, I know a little about the others," Old Man Yang said, taking a sip of tea.

"But rest assured, while your grandfather may not be a saint, I wouldn't go so far as to use my own grandson." "Hmph, is that so?" Yang Yi sneered. "Don't forget where Fatty and I came from, and what we are doing now.

This string of events forces me to suspect that someone is manipulating everything behind the scenes. Besides you, I genuinely cannot fathom who else could pull this off." Upon hearing Yang Yi’s words, the corner of Old Man Yang's expression, previously devoid of any smile, suddenly curved into a cryptic grin.

"You foolish boy, just tell me the truth. Don't you think beating around the bush is a bit tedious?" "Fine, I’ll ask directly then.

Who is the person who has been standing behind me all this time?" Yang Yi questioned. "Are you asking about the one connected to the official powers?" "Yes!" "Heh heh!" Old Man Yang chuckled, rising and walking to the side, gazing at the distant mountain peak.

"He is merely an old friend of mine. Upon hearing you were my heir, he decided he wanted to guide your growth." "Is it really that simple?" Yang Yi fixed his gaze on Old Man Yang's back and asked.

"Do you think he would use you only to control the underworld of Huaxia, and then be constrained by the official side?" Old Man Yang suddenly frowned. This possibility had crossed his mind, but he hadn't considered its deeper implications.

"Though I don't know the exact nature of your relationship with him, given the current situation, he makes me deeply suspicious. To be blunt, I feel the urge to kill him right now!" Yang Yi’s declaration was not impulsive, nor spoken without careful consideration.

He was utterly calm now, and the calmer a person is when uttering such words, the higher their sincerity, not to mention the depth of the killing intent behind them. "Think clearly.

With the influence you command right now, can you stand against him?" A strange glint flickered in Old Man Yang's eyes. "That is why I returned this time to ask you these things." "Do you want to know his identity?

Or the origin of why he is helping you?" Old Man Yang asked, narrowing his eyes at him. Yang Yi showed no fear of the strange look in Old Man Yang's eyes.

He stood up and stated, "If possible, I must know everything about him. I am intensely curious about what kind of person can remain invisible even to the intelligence network of the Black God Gang?" "Heh heh, I can only tell you a little about him, because both morally and logically, I cannot disclose too much about him." Old Man Yang took a deep breath, a sigh escaping him internally.

Yang Yi’s progress had already surpassed his projections. Though he entertained doubts about his old friend's motives, for now, he could not reveal the full extent of their connection.

"He belongs to the Huaxia official power structure—you don't need to confirm that, I understand your difficulty. Just tell me how high his position is within Huaxia." "Beneath one, above ten thousand." "Beneath one, above ten thousand?" Yang Yi’s heart quivered, and a strange smile suddenly spread across his lips.

"Haha, so it is." "You brat..." Old Man Yang was utterly astonished. Before witnessing Yang Yi's smile, he might have assumed the young man merely sought the individual's identity.

But seeing this particular smile after the revelation confirmed hidden intentions. "Is that not correct?

If he intends to help me, then I will let him help me all the way," Yang Yi sat back down and continued, "Moreover, after I leave this time, I plan to strike south. I will inevitably need his assistance then." "You child...

Sigh, I won't worry about it anymore. I wash my hands of it." Old Man Yang knew exactly what Yang Yi meant, and he sighed deeply.

The current display from the younger man far exceeded his expectations. "Boy, I tell you seriously, the moment I handed the Black God Gang over to you, it meant that while your surface journey would be smooth, countless hidden blades lay in wait beneath.

If you survive to stand at the summit, you are a King, an Emperor. If you fail to reach it, you are worth less than a pile of manure." Old Man Yang’s words were harsh, but to Yang Yi's ears, they rang undeniably true.

"Grandfather, I have one more thing to ask you." Yang Yi poured him a cup of tea. "Ask away." "If one day I confront him, perhaps more directly, if I kill him—what will be the consequences, for Huaxia and for you?" "Hmm?" Old Man Yang paused, his teacup midway to his lips.

He narrowed his eyes at Yang Yi. "As for what would happen to me, I cannot say definitively.

But I can tell you clearly: that fellow Li Yang, and the Huaxia government, would undoubtedly spare no effort in ensuring your obliteration. That is certain." "Oh?" Yang Yi gave a cold smile and remained silent.

In truth, he cared less about the Huaxia government or Li Yang's reaction, and more about the final decision of the old man before him. "Sigh, things haven't escalated to that point yet.

Even if you unify the Huaxia underworld, he may not immediately move against you." "Heh heh..." "Grandfather, Brother Yi, time to eat," Lin Fatty called out with a beaming face. "Alright, we’ll be right there." Yang Yi waved his hand towards his grandfather.

"Actually, you know I don't care much whether these things happen or not. I only care about what you would ultimately do." "I don't know myself, at least not yet.

But I can tell you this: either you or he could very likely lead to my erasure. Of course, this holds true only as long as neither of your martial realms surpasses mine." "Hearing you say that makes me even more curious.

Grandfather, what exactly is your realm? Two years ago, I couldn't see through you; two years later, I still cannot see through you any better." Indeed, Yang Yi climbed desperately, focusing intensely on perfecting his martial cultivation, believing that each step would bring him closer to his grandfather.

Yet, for every inch he gained, Yang Yi felt the struggle intensify. Whether as an ambitious schemer or a qualified successor, he strove every moment to perfect himself, but...

the feeling Old Man Yang gave him seemed to drift ever further away. As if seeing through Yang Yi’s inner turmoil, Old Man Yang smiled faintly.

"You don't need to be discouraged, my boy. I am only a single step away from you; push a little harder and you will catch up.

To be precise, aside from martial realm attainment, you have already surpassed me in everything else." "Really?" Yang Yi frowned and asked. "You are free not to believe me.

The gap between a Green Tier Grandmaster and a Lesser Master is just a single step. Although breakthrough is difficult, a little calculated effort is enough to close it." After speaking, Old Man Yang waved his hand.

"Enough about this; let's go eat first. You are truly blessed with fortune, boy.

You managed to capture Li Yang's granddaughter, and now there's that little girl from the Xuanyuan family. Be honest, when are you going to let your grandfather hold a great-grandchild?" "Uh!" Yang Yi gave an embarrassed laugh.

"Eat, eat!" "You brat..." Old Man Yang shook his head helplessly. ################################################ The next day, Yang Yi and his entourage hurriedly bid farewell, leaving the place they had lived for eighteen years.

The destination was clear: straight south to 'Macau'. "Young Master, everything has been done as you commanded.

The Ten Army Generals, the Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits, the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends, and the first batch of Three Thousand Black God Guards have been deployed separately to Macau and Hainan!" Hearing Feng Shi’s report, Yang Yi mused for a moment before asking, "We are heading to Macau. What is Macau's status?" "The garrison site of the Dragon Gang..." "En, how many personnel are currently stationed there?" "The Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits and one thousand Black God Guards!" "Has the Dragon Gang made any moves?" "Yes, they have roughly entered a state of high alert.

It seems that since our people stepped into Macau and Hainan, they have been watching us closely." "Oh ho?" Yang Yi pondered for a moment. "It seems the Dragon Gang and the Green Gang have allied themselves." "Uh, Brother Yi, what do you mean by that?" Lin Fatty asked with confusion.

"The fact that they are simultaneously monitoring our movements—what does that imply?" Yang Yi smiled faintly and continued, "In any case, we are not in a hurry now. Let's go play in Macau first!"