332: incite defection

Realizing this, he felt as if the sky was falling. The Fang Family was truly finished now; every path to survival had been blocked!

With a "thud," Fang Tianxiong fell to his knees, kowtowing desperately as he wailed, "General Yong, you don't understand... I was forced into this... I am a law-abiding citizen of the Great Ming. How could I dare to collude with evil cults and exotic beasts to harm the people of our Great Ming..."

"Hmph, you know yourself that this is a capital crime, yet you still supported them in digging tunnels and planned to coordinate with the Evil Cultists and Beast Tribes from outside the city. This is a heinous crime that deserves immediate execution! However, seeing as you've been filial to us in the past, I can offer you a way out..." Zhu Zhiyong said.

Fang Tianxiong shuddered upon hearing this, like a drowning man catching a life-saving straw. He hurriedly bowed and said, "General Yong, please save me! As long as you can help the Fang Family escape this disaster, I will do whatever you ask!"

"Those are your words!" Zhu Zhiyong snorted.

"General Yong, every word of my oath is true! You don't know, but Zhu Lan and Zhu Yu, General have already taken control of my family, forcing me to do their bidding. If it weren't for that, I would have found an opportunity to escape long ago. How would I dare stay in the manor and support them in digging tunnels!" Fang Tianxiong said miserably.

Zhu Zhiyong nodded. He had, of course, learned this information from Long deep long ago. Furthermore, Long Yuan had even informed him in advance how Fang Tianxiong would leave the manor, allowing him to intercept the man here so easily!

"Good! If you truly wish to turn over a new leaf, then cooperate with our operation. As long as we capture Zhu Lan, Zhu Yu, General, and their group, you and your family can continue to stay in South Yue City and develop your businesses. Otherwise, there will be no need for your Fang Family to remain in this world!" Zhu Zhiyong said menacingly.

"Ah? General Yong, rest assured! I will definitely cooperate with your operation, it's just..." Fang Tianxiong hesitated.

"Just what?"

"General Yong, that group is from the Lu Wang Manor. If you capture them, won't that create a grudge with the Lu Wang Manor? Who will guarantee the safety of my Fang Family then?" Fang Tianxiong sighed.

"Hmph, you're still worried about that?! The Lu Wang Manor dares to defy the world by colluding with evil cults and Beast Tribes, harming their own brothers and disregarding the lives of the hundreds of millions of citizens in South Yue City. Such a crime is unforgivable! Once my Prince Fus Mansion crushes their operation and makes the case public, the world will judge for itself! Will you still need to worry about the Lu Wang Manor acting against you then? Let me tell you, there are only two paths before you now: one is the dead end of colluding with the evil cults alongside the Lu Wang Manor, and the other is the path to life by siding with my Prince Fus Mansion. It's up to you which one you choose!" Zhu Zhiyong scolded.

"This..." Fang Tianxiong's face turned pale. From his perspective, things had reached a point where "death" awaited him either way!

Why say that?

Who in the world didn't know that the Prince Fus Mansion was a piece of crap? Not only did they act recklessly with countless crimes, but they were also weak in strength—practically the weakest among all the princes. Any prince could likely wipe them out with ease. This was exactly why the Fang Family hadn't chosen the Prince Fus Mansion and instead opted to rely on the more powerful Lu Wang Manor!

Now, Zhu Zhiyong was telling him he could only choose between the Lu Wang Manor and the Prince Fus Mansion. But the Lu Wang Manor was colluding with evil cults, while the Prince Fus Mansion was as weak as a breeze. The Fang Family being caught in the middle was nothing short of a disaster!

He really couldn't understand why the main branch of the Fang Family had chosen Prince Lu in the first place. Didn't they know Prince Lu was colluding with evil cults and Beast Tribes?

But the answer to that question no longer mattered. What mattered was that if he, Fang Tianxiong, didn't make a choice now, he and his family would likely be killed on the spot!

Thinking of this, he sighed deeply and said, "General Yong, I am after all a subject of the Great Ming and a member of the Human Race. No matter what, it's impossible for me to willingly collude with evil cults and Beast Tribes! Previously, I was indeed forced; they held my family hostage to coerce me. But now, as long as you can let me and my family survive for a while longer, no matter what happens in the future, I am willing to cooperate with your actions and rid ourselves of those villains!"

"Haha, it seems you've come to your senses. Very good, you've made a wise choice. I tell you, siding with my Prince Fus Mansion is definitely a stroke of good fortune for you, Fang Tianxiong. If it weren't for your past filial piety towards us, I wouldn't have wasted so much breath on you—I would have killed you with one stroke long ago!"

"Ah?! Thank you for your mercy, General Yong!!!" Fang Tianxiong cried out in terror. His back felt cold and he was drenched in sweat; he hadn't realized he had just taken a stroll past the gates of hell.

Zhu Zhiyong took out a medicinal packet and said, "When you return, put the medicine from this packet into their meals. This medicine is colorless and tasteless; even Zhu Lan and Zhu Yu, General won't be able to detect it. It only takes about fifteen minutes for them to lose their combat effectiveness. Once the deed is done, your Fang Family will officially become a subordinate force of our Prince Fus Mansion. Of course, 'Fang Family' refers to your branch, Fang Tianxiong, and does not include your main house in Shuntian Prefecture or others!"

Fang Tianxiong's eyes lit up upon hearing this. He hurriedly took the packet and said, "Rest assured, General Yong, I am an expert at administering medicine! Our Fang Family deals in the Profound Herb business; even if they find a medicinal packet on me, they won't be suspicious! As for our main house and other branches, from today onwards, I will sever ties with them. We are no longer one family! It's just..."

"Just what?"

"I came out this time to buy a ticket for Zhu Yu, General to the Justin and Long Yuan concert. This task isn't finished yet. Can I wait until I've purchased the ticket and returned before we start the operation?"

"A ticket? Isn't that simple? Here, take this ticket!" Zhu Zhiyong pulled a pre-prepared ticket from his person and handed it to Fang Tianxiong.

"Is this your own ticket, General Yong?" Fang Tianxiong was stunned.

"Haha, this ticket was prepared specifically for you!"

"What?! Could it be that General Yong already knew I was coming out to buy a ticket?" Fang Tianxiong asked in surprise.

"Of course! Currently, the entire Fang Manor is under the surveillance of our Prince Fus Mansion. Anything that happens inside cannot escape our eyes! So don't harbor any thoughts of getting lucky; only by obediently cooperating with our plan can you ensure your safety. Otherwise, you're just seeking your own death!" Zhu Zhiyong snorted.

"This... Since I have decided to cooperate with your plan, General Yong, how would I dare to act with duplicity and deceive you? Please rest assured, General, even if I have to sacrifice my life, I will see those villains eliminated!"

"Alright, enough talk. It's a bit early for you to head back now. Let's discuss the specific details of the operation first. It won't be too late to go back and administer the drug around noon!"

...