Bai Qifeng glared, roaring, "Are we just going to swallow this injustice whole? I refuse to accept it! If there’s no fallout, those brats might start plotting against Junye again. Aren’t you worried?”

“What are you yelling about?”

Cao Guofeng bellowed back, instantly quieting him. Cao Guofeng took a deep breath before continuing, “You just mentioned it yourself—Old Miao is furious right now. It’s highly probable the cause of his rage is this very incident. Remember, it wasn’t just Junye who was attacked; it was also his precious daughter, Miao Xiaomiao. Regarding this, I suggest you and I visit the Miao family immediately. Junye mentioned they kept one survivor alive, whom Miao Xiaomiao brought back. I wonder what they’ve managed to extract from the interrogation. If we have testimony, that changes everything.”

“Right, right, that makes sense. No time to waste! Let’s go now!”

With his characteristic impatience flaring up, Bai Qifeng grabbed Cao Guofeng and darted off. In the blink of an eye, the two Holy Sovereigns had vanished.

The other Holy Sovereigns instructed Jun Moxie to rest securely, but none of them left; they settled in right there. Though ‘settled in’ is hardly the right term, as none of these grand Sovereigns took any rest. They patrolled everywhere, enveloping Jun Moxie’s room in a tight cordon. “What if another assassin comes?”

The assassination attempt on Mo Junye this time had genuinely terrified several of the Holy Sovereigns, making them jumpy as startled birds. They dared not allow even the slightest oversight or accident, determined to snuff out any potential danger in its infancy. In stark contrast to Cao Guofeng’s agitation and the Miao family’s fury, the Zhan family was in complete disarray.

After dispatching the six Venerable-level assassins to kill Mo Junye, Zhan Qingfeng and Zhan Yushu, eager to avoid suspicion, returned home early. They were severely lectured by their elders and ordered into isolation for deep reflection.

With deceit brewing in their hearts, the brothers constantly checked the time, surely anticipating that the great genius possessing the Ethereal Physique—Mo Junye—was now nothing more than a pile of shredded meat belonging to that Ethereal Physique, right?

The two brothers stretched their necks, waiting, but no news came, and still, no news arrived. As night deepened, both grew anxious: Could something unexpected have happened even now?

If they spoke of an accident, they were the first not to believe it! Six Venerables had been deployed together this time! Such power, arrayed against an ant who hadn't even reached the Golden Profound stage—how could anything go wrong? What else could possibly happen? That was akin to using a mountain to smash a mosquito! A textbook case of using a sledgehammer to crack a nut! As for the fact that they hadn't returned by this hour, perhaps those men were faithfully carrying out their orders, meticulously tormenting Mo Junye, leaving him in a state between life and death. Mo Junye was certainly doomed; there was no second possibility!

Yet, waiting until midnight with no communication whatsoever began to rattle their nerves. They had confidence in their own guards; those men were always seasoned professionals who understood the principle that delays invite trouble. Even if they decided to toy with Mo Junye temporarily, they wouldn't drag it out excessively. Calculating the time, they should have returned long ago. Even if one or two encountered unforeseen events, it was impossible for all six to be compromised simultaneously.

Could it be... “Big Brother, look, could something have gone wrong with this?”

Zhan Yushu paced restlessly, his brow furrowed, his face exceptionally gloomy.

“It’s highly irregular. Did something truly happen?”

Zhan Qingfeng had felt that something was amiss earlier, but he had held onto a slim possibility and hadn’t voiced it first.

“If something happened... it might be something huge!” Zhan Yushu grew agitated.

“Given the current high regard Mo Junye holds within the Illusionary Mansion, if anyone discovers we two orchestrated this entire affair, even if the family stands behind us, we might not escape unscathed!”

“The only way forward,” Zhan Qingfeng paced with a dark expression, suddenly his eyes flashed with a cold glint. “Judging by their pace, the journey from here to the mountain is, at best, only half an hour. It has been nearly three hours now... the fact they still haven't returned almost certainly means something went wrong! So... Yushu, we need to prepare for the worst...”

“Prepare for the worst?” Zhan Yushu looked at him, confused.

“We must go to Father now and confess that we did this. Let him figure out a solution.” Zhan Qingfeng hardened his resolve. “If the plot succeeded and Mo Junye dies, the Illusionary Mansion might investigate, but they might not take it too seriously; I trust Father can keep our secret, and we won't face major trouble. But if this truly leaks and we are caught red-handed... we can at least make preparations early! At the very least, we must be ready.”

“Therefore, one of us must step forward and bear the responsibility for this!” Zhan Qingfeng looked at Zhan Yushu.

“Dream on!” Zhan Yushu trembled all over. “Once this explodes, whoever takes the fall is destined for eternal ruin! Big Brother, don’t even think about pinning this black pot on me! We are brothers; we share fortune, and we share disaster! Or perhaps, you’re willing to look out for your little brother and shoulder this heavy burden?”

“Dream on? Perhaps not! I fear whether you or I want it or not, we won’t have a choice! This matter has escalated beyond our control!” Zhan Qingfeng smiled sinisterly. “If this fails, the family absolutely will not tolerate the narrative of two people conspiring; that only looks worse. I suspect the elders will most likely decide that one of us bears the entire responsibility. The conclusion is simple: it will be either you or me! And this matter will be decided by the family elders. Right now, your fate and mine no longer belong to us! I’m only telling you this now so you can prepare in advance.”

Zhan Yushu hung his head like a defeated rooster. He wasn’t stupid and could clearly grasp the accuracy of Zhan Qingfeng’s words.

In the study of Zhan Changsong, the father of Zhan Qingfeng and Zhan Yushu, Zhan Changsong listened to his two sons with a taut face, frozen on the spot. Moments later, he staggered and collapsed onto the chair behind him! He never imagined that his two highly promising sons would create such a catastrophic mess!

Zhan Changsong had no time to reprimand his sons; he immediately dispatched the family’s experts to the location the brothers had described to investigate. Simultaneously, he ordered someone to inform Zhan Wuyun, the current Patriarch of the Zhan family, about the matter.

Instantly, a slow, deep bell began to toll throughout the Zhan Manor. This was the significant signal calling all high-ranking members of the Zhan family to convene in the secret chamber.

When the bell rang, both Zhan Qingfeng and Zhan Yushu were startled! Although they had tried to consider the gravity of the situation as seriously as possible, they never imagined it had escalated to this degree! This incident actually required the mobilization of the entire high echelon of the Zhan family for consultation. “When we arrive at the secret chamber, say whatever needs to be said. Do not hide anything, and do not exaggerate anything!”

Zhan Changsong glared at his two sons, letting out a long sigh. “How far this matter will develop, even I do not know. As for your fates... leave it to destiny!”

With that, Zhan Changsong walked out. However, his usually ramrod-straight back was now considerably stooped, and his steps faltered! It was the pressure of powerlessness and helplessness, leaving the father unable to utter a single word of blame. He knew that whatever he said now would be superfluous. The lives and fates of his two sons were no longer within his control! From beginning to end, he didn't even manage a single reprimand! But this absence of blame made Zhan Qingfeng and Zhan Yushu profoundly aware of the event's seriousness!

Zhan Qingfeng and Zhan Yushu exchanged pale-faced glances!

The atmosphere inside the Zhan family secret chamber was unprecedentedly heavy. Fifty or sixty people were present, filling both sides of a long rectangular table. Opposite them, a thick black cloth hung down, obscuring the line of sight. No one knew if there were others behind the black cloth.

Patriarch Zhan Wuyun sat in the head seat. He appeared to be in his late forties or early fifties, his complexion ruddy, but everyone knew the Patriarch only looked young; in reality, he was over two hundred years old...

“The reason I have summoned everyone here today is that a major, sudden event has occurred within our Zhan family,” Zhan Wuyun stated flatly.

Everyone present maintained calm expressions, showing no sign of impatience or curiosity, fully demonstrating the unflappable nature of true lineage descendants. Furthermore, the Zhan family members present encompassed virtually every sector within the Illusionary Mansion, and every one of them was a pivotal figure! The sheer power and influence held in the hands of these individuals meant that very few matters could truly be termed a ‘major event’!

Zhan Wuyun didn’t say much more, simply clapping his hands. Someone brought the two brothers, Zhan Qingfeng and Zhan Yushu, inside. “You two, recount the entire process of the incident in detail!”

Every single person present was core, die-hard strength, the true backbone of the Zhan family! There was absolutely no need to worry about leaks!

Zhan Qingfeng spoke with a distressed face, detailing everything from initially following family instructions to setting the trap for Mo Junye, the subsequent reversal where they were thoroughly humiliated, their resulting resentment, dispatching the six Venerables for the assassination, and the current lack of any response.

The secret chamber fell silent.

After the two finished detailing the entire affair, the entire chamber instantly erupted as if a pot had boiled over.

“So, you’re saying our Zhan family not only lost the qualification for the Spirit Herb Garden but will also lose an unrefusable condition? And now, we might have concrete evidence against us?” A portly middle-aged man furrowed his brow. “You two handled this utterly disastrously! When has our Zhan family ever suffered such a colossal loss of face? This is truly losing the wife and breaking the army!”

“Exactly! What were you two thinking? Didn’t you even conduct the most basic background check? You rushed into action so rashly, allowed your advantage to be broken so easily, and messed up the whole favorable situation, you two juniors!” A wave of reproaches rose up.

Tap, tap.

Someone lightly knocked twice on the table. Although the sound wasn't loud, it carried an absolute sense of authority! (To be continued. For more on what happens next, look for more chapters, support the author, and support genuine reading!)