You're Strong But Now You're Mine-Chapter 165 - 164: Destroying the Silver Blood Association

White Night.

If anyone in Dongyang District had the deepest grudge and most entanglements with White Night, it naturally had to be the Silver Blood Association. And if you looked closer just within the Eighty-eight Merchants, then the title of "White Night’s lifelong foe in Xuanzhu County" could only belong to the Jing Family.

The number of mining workers and servants under the Jing Family far exceeded anyone else in Xuanzhu County, and the Jing Family’s bone-crushing, marrow-draining level of exploitation always left other merchant houses in awe.

For White Night, if Xuanzhu County were a cesspit, then the Jing Family would obviously be the essence pooling at the very bottom of that pit. Of all the riots and protests White Night had orchestrated, thirty percent had been aimed at resisting the tyranny of the Jing Family.

Since White Night sent people to infiltrate the Jing Family, of course the Jing Family had also worked hard to dig up information about White Night.

White Night knew as much about the Jing Family’s strengths and weaknesses as the Jing Family knew about the depths and limits of White Night.

"Yin Minghong, the man you’ve been promoting lately, he’s a spy for White Night."

Jing Qingfu said, "Back then, the reason he rose so quickly wasn’t just because he sold out the Xiaojiu Mountain workers, nor was it only because he was competent, but also because, well, I wanted to use him as a way to reach White Night."

"It’s just that my body couldn’t bear so many schemes anymore, so I had to put it aside for a while. Never thought you’d uncover this hidden pawn, and end up walking a path I’d never envisioned."

Seeing Le Yuxin standing there in a daze, Jing Qingfu reached for the soft tube on impulse, but after a moment’s thought, put it back down.

"Looks like if I don’t spell things out for you, you won’t rest easy." Jing Qingfu patted the edge of the bed, "Come, have a seat."

Le Yuxin didn’t sit beside him, but moved a chair to the bedside instead. Jing Qingfu didn’t mind, lecturing with the earnest patience of an old father teaching a child, "You’ve actually done really well. On the surface, you have no connection to White Night. Even I only caught traces of you by picking up on tiny clues. Apart from me, nobody in Xuanzhu County would discover your secret."

"Your first mistake was just what I mentioned, with Yin Minghong. Out of nowhere you gave him power, made him your blade to sweep out the corrupt within our ranks. Brilliant move—even outsiders would only see Yin Minghong as your lapdog, never dreaming he used intelligence from White Night to take down the supervisors who exploited our workers."

"Your second mistake was the Youth Daily. The symbolic encouragement, the stoking of hatred, and all those subtle hints in Future Echoes—it’s not like nobody noticed, but at most, they just believe you have other plans, like using the Youth Daily’s influence to get into politics or the military. After all, you’re a Jing—no one would ever put it together that you’re helping White Night rally public support."

"Your third mistake was the first attack in Half City."

Jing Qingfu’s eyes grew brighter, "Back when White Night first attacked the factory district, you rushed to the scene at once to handle the disaster and even deliberately blocked the Patrol Execution Guard from chasing after them. The flaw was just too obvious! I know you wanted to clean up your own reputation—sure, nobody could really pick holes in your reasoning, but in my eyes, it was ironclad proof you were in cahoots with White Night!"

"Other people don’t think you’re working with White Night because they can’t imagine what a well-born Jing heir would gain from it. But I saw through it because... you’re doing exactly what I originally intended to do."

Le Yuxin almost wanted to laugh.

He never could’ve guessed the first to see through his use of the Youth Daily to inflame hatred would be Qin Leyi; he was even more surprised that the first to see through his entire plan turned out to be Jing Qingfu.

He’d always pictured himself toying with everyone, only to find out he was just someone else’s pawn. Not that being used was new to him—he was an old hand at being a pawn; he’d always excelled at it—but Le Yuxin couldn’t help but sigh at his own luck.

The first "death substitute," Qian Yuliu, had that shadowy tone lurking, watching like a tiger eyeing its prey,

The third death substitute, Jing Zhengwei, not only had snakes like Jing Zhengwu scheming against him, but even Jing Qingfu was secretly watching from the shadows.

"So what if these "death substitutes" all danced at the edge of a knife and died young—why was every doomed guy surrounded by a pack of crafty old foxes? Were they actually symbiotic?"

Le Yuxin suddenly asked, "You know that, in the second Half City attack, only one group belonged to White Night. So, the second group was..."

"The sabotage team put together by Zhengwu and his two buddies," Jing Qingfu said coolly, "They posed as White Night to attack Half City, then deliberately left your factory untouched, so they could frame you for colluding with White Night and dereliction of duty."

That wasn’t framing; that was a perfectly legitimate report... Le Yuxin sneered inwardly at himself, but he couldn’t squeeze out even a bitter smile on his face. "So, the real reason Jing Zhengwu had to die was..."

"Every bit of his business sense came directly from me." Jing Qingfu said, "Until recently, I saw him as the only one who could walk my path. Besides me, he was the only one who could spot your flaws."

"That’s why he couldn’t be allowed to live."

"Though, even without this, he still had to die." Jing Qingfu shut his eyes, "He was a huge threat to the Jing Family. Doing it myself reduced the damage as much as possible."

He’d long been expecting it, but still a chill sliced through Le Yuxin’s heart, and he blurted, novelbuddy-cσ๓

"Was there really no other way?"

Jing Qingfu answered softly,

"He was my son. If I’d have had a choice, I wouldn’t have done it. Just like with the Main Hall—as long as he and his wife hand over all their connections and property to you today, they can become your right hand and continue shining for the Jing Family."

"You’ve picked up White Night’s softness, haven’t you?" Jing Qingfu laughed, "Even if I didn’t do it, you’d still be dealing with Zhengwu yourself. What, you think you have a choice? Makes no difference."

Le Yuxin nodded, "Yes. After I take charge of the Jing Family, whether for my own interests or private grudges, I won’t spare Zhengwu."

"So—"

"But it’s not the same if I do it or you do it—not at all." Le Yuxin shook his head, "He’s my rival, my enemy, but he’s your son, the son you raised at your side for over twenty years, the son you taught by example, the son you thought was your heir."

"Did you... really feel nothing for him?"

Jing Qingfu shook his head slightly, "Of course I did—Zhengwu was always my favorite son. But..."

He slowly opened his eyes, and the sharp gleam in his pupils was like a blade, like an arrow—he was nothing like a dying old man then, but more like a young man with fire in his heart and light in his eyes!

"I was Patriarch for thirty-three years."

It was a flat statement of fact, but Le Yuxin could smell the oceans of blood beneath it.

"Right. He’d been Patriarch for thirty-three years. If he could act against his own flesh and blood, how many had he tricked, forced, or killed for the Jing Family’s growth?"

The Jing Family’s current power rested atop a throne built from corpses.

"Sure, Jing Qingfu was still human, still had feelings, but when he became a cog in the Jing Family’s capital machine—even if he was the most important cog—his humanity had already been warped."

"In his eyes, the Jing Family mattered more than his favorite son ever could."

"Once you sit in this seat, you’ll understand why I made these choices." Jing Qingfu said, "Why are you asking such feeble questions today, has your edge grown dull?"

"No, only by facing my own weakness can I cut free from every shackle." Le Yuxin said, "Right now my resolve couldn’t be stronger."

"That’s good, because the road ahead for you will be hellishly hard." Jing Qingfu, at last, let a smile show.

Le Yuxin felt a suspicion dawning, "Since you know I’m tied to White Night, yet you still chose me to be Patriarch, does that mean you..."

"Exactly."

Jing Qingfu’s cheeks flushed suddenly, his frail voice turned strong and feverish as he declared, "What you’re doing right now is exactly what I’ve always wanted but could never accomplish."

"Working with White Night, stoking hatred, sowing division, and then..."

"Destroying the Silver Blood Association."