Sure enough, everything unfolded just as Jiang Chen had anticipated. Roughly two or three hours later, Wang Jing's corpse was discovered near his own cave dwelling.
It seemed the culprit hadn't had the chance to destroy the body before making their escape.
The facts were suddenly laid bare in their full clarity.
No matter how optimistic Yan Wanjun might have been, facing this blood-soaked reality left his face shrouded in darkness. He understood all too well now — someone had deliberately targeted him.
This was undoubtedly a conspiracy.
Yan Wanjun's face was ashen as he stared at Wang Jing's corpse. Every one of his personal bodyguards had been recalled.
Yan Wanjun was keenly aware that this conspiracy was aimed squarely at him. The methods employed by whoever was behind this were clearly highly sophisticated. Even if he sent all his bodyguards out, they might not necessarily be a match for the opposition.
Seeing that Yan Wanjun's morale had taken a severe blow, Jiang Chen offered some words of consolation. "Elder Wanjun, now is the time to keep your spirits up."
Yan Wanjun let out a cold snort. "To think that I, Yan Wanjun, have devoted my entire life to the family, and in the end, this is how it ends — the hunt abandoned once the prey is dead, the hound discarded once it's no longer useful?"
Jiang Chen had no words in reply. He could understand Yan Wanjun's feelings at this moment. He also knew that no words of comfort could offer any real solace right now.
"I can't accept this. I must return to the family and demand an explanation!" Yan Wanjun's fury was beyond containment.
Jiang Chen hurriedly urged caution. "You absolutely must not!"
"And why not? I, Yan Wanjun, am old enough to have earned my place through decades of service, if not merit alone. I have every right to demand to know why he would treat me this way!"
"Elder Wanjun, asking you to remain calm at a time like this is perhaps an empty sentiment. But if you return to the family now, I guarantee the journey will be far from smooth. In fact, you might not even make it there alive!"
Jiang Chen was not engaging in fearmongering. If this assassination truly originated from the Yan Family Patriarch, then a single failed attempt would certainly not be the end of it.
In other words, what Yan Wanjun would face was not merely this isolated attack. A relentless stream of trouble could be expected to follow.
That was the real danger looming over Yan Wanjun's future.
Open spears are easy to dodge; hidden arrows are hard to defend against. If the Patriarch of the Yan Family was truly orchestrating this, then even here in Cloud Camel Mountain, there were countless uncertainties.
For all he knew, assassins could be lurking among the very people currently stationed here.
Yan Wanjun spoke through gritted teeth. "Then tell me — what am I supposed to do now? Am I just supposed to sit here and wait for death?"
Jiang Chen let out a long sigh. "The situation is extremely delicate. If the Xiahou Family were behind this, it would be one thing. But if the hand striking from the shadows originates from within your own family, the trouble that follows will be endless."
Yan Wanjun's face was dark as a storm cloud. He knew perfectly well that Jiang Chen's words made perfect sense. As long as he remained alive, trouble would come for him again and again.
It would be impossible to guard against every angle.
Yan Wanjun had risen to the rank of Supreme Elder — he was not the sort of man who panicked at the first sign of difficulty. Yet in this moment, he found himself at a total loss.
After all, he had never faced anything quite like this. If the enemy had been from outside the family, at least he would have been safe within the family's own territory. No matter how brazen the enemy, they wouldn't dare storm into Yan Family turf.
But if the enemy's hand reached from within the family, there was simply no way to defend against it. Within the family, you never knew who might be the one sent to take your life.
Even someone you saw and interacted with every single day could be your killer.
Under such circumstances, it meant living in a state of constant vigilance, never at ease for a single moment.
Yan Wanjun pondered for a long while before letting out a dejected sigh. "To think that after all these years of living, I've ended up as a stray dog with no home to return to. Young friend, what should I do?"
His voice was steeped in helplessness, tinged with a deep sense of aimlessness.
Jiang Chen was equally cautious, choosing his words with care. "If I were you, Elder Wanjun, I would temporarily lay low and find somewhere safe to ride out the storm."
"Ride out the storm? The world is vast — where could I possibly hide?"
"To ride out the storm in a world this vast, any place will do. The real question is whether you can let go of your status, and let go of your attachments."
Yan Wanjun forced a bitter smile. "At the point I've reached, what status is there left to speak of? What attachments?"
"The only ones I care about are Qingsang and Huang'er. Now that Qingsang has entered the Eternal Sacred Land, my mind is at ease on that front. And with Huang'er under your care, I'm relieved as well."
When it came to the power struggles at the highest levels of the Yan Family, Jiang Chen felt he shouldn't involve himself too deeply. After all, he was a man of little standing, and with his current strength, he had no ability to influence the trajectory of the Yan Family's internal politics.
So, regarding Yan Wanjun's decision, he didn't feel it was his place to say too much.
But one thing was certain. Yan Wanjun absolutely could not remain within the Yan Family. Otherwise, what awaited him would be nothing but endless assassination attempts.
You could guard against a thousand attacks, ten thousand attacks — but you could never afford to lose even one.
A single lapse in vigilance would be fatal.
"Elder Wanjun, within the Eternal Sacred Land, Brother Qingsang will be perfectly safe — I have no concerns there. As for Huang'er, I promise you this: as long as I draw even a single breath, I will do everything in my power to keep her safe."
Yan Wanjun deliberated for a long time, then gave a slow nod. "Very well. With your word, I can rest easier. Young friend, I don't know why, but I have an inexplicable trust in you. If the situation within my Yan Family truly does change in the future, then I believe you will be the one to bring about that change."