Douluo Continent: My Days in the Tang Sect.

Chapter 1630 An Invisible Blade, Yet Capable of Killing Without a Trace

"It cost a lot of money to build this street; they have to pay for the repairs themselves!"

Although Xu Jiujiu did not stand in the sky like Ye Nanxiao, she watched the farce that took place in the aristocratic area through the spherical camera No. 3 that Ye Nanxiao carried.

All the major families resorted to various underhanded tactics, and Ye Nanxiao's ground-shattering attack was merely the fuse.

The road in front of the Li family's house was smashed, and the road in front of the Wang family's house was blocked with smoke.

Suddenly, the gates of the Zhao and Zhang families were covered with tung oil, turning them into a slippery road.

There were also those who used their wits to outmaneuver the Song family. For example, the He family had already sent a loss report on the Song family's businesses through various channels, asserting with certainty that the Song family had absolutely no ability to undertake any projects.

The powerful families displayed their greed to the fullest extent, but the Hongchen family, which was also a powerful family, was peaceful and harmonious.

Of course, it wasn't just the aristocratic families of the Star Luo Empire who made such a fool of themselves; the other three great empires were also experiencing the same thing.

As the empire with the most advanced soul tool technology in the world, the Sun Moon Empire has amassed a large amount of wealth from the three major empires through soul tools, forcing the Heavenly Soul Empire and the Fighting Spirit Empire to directly restrict soul tools.

Every noble family in the Sun Moon Empire had accumulated a great deal of wealth through past economic plunder.

Therefore, their methods are not overt, but rather involve direct bidding while secretly courting partners.

Upon learning the news, the Zhou and Jiang families communicated overnight and verbally agreed to cooperate. The two families would jointly invest to first secure a major project and then distribute the profits.

All of this was overheard by the Lin family, who had bribed members of two second branches.

After learning about the alliance between the Zhou and Jiang families, the head of the Lin family began to secretly spread information among the aristocratic families, saying that the cooperation between the Zhou and Jiang families was based on the sharing of funds and that its foundation was unstable!

At the same time, they deliberately altered the initial plan agreed upon by the two families, changing the Zhou family head's original statement that he was "willing to share 60% of the funds" to "the Zhou family is only willing to share 40% of the funds." They also misinterpreted the Jiang family's original statement that they were "willing to undertake 60% of the construction effort" as a result of "the Jiang family forcibly gathering up the other small families, making empty promises to get them to contribute, while in reality the Jiang family was getting something for nothing."

A simple alteration of wording created a rift between the Zhou and Jiang families, causing them to distrust each other and instantly jeopardizing their verbal alliance.

Mingdu, the new district of the Hongchen family.

Jing Hongchen sat by the window, holding the project proposal in his hands. His brows were furrowed, and there was no fervor in his eyes, only solemnity.

As a family that has become in-laws with Ye Nanxiao, Jing Hongchen understands his thoughts better than other aristocratic families!

Ye Nanxiao plans carefully before acting, never makes a losing deal, and will never easily hand over "monopoly profits".

This unscrupulous businessman would never allow these cancerous elements to reap so much profit.

"Patriarch, all the major families are vying for the project, should we also...?"

Jing Hongchen's confidant asked softly, his tone tinged with urgency.

Jing Hongchen slowly shook his head, placed the project proposal on the table, and said in a heavy tone, "We can't snatch these projects. They may seem tempting, but in reality, they come at a huge price."

"This is a knife! A knife whose blade is invisible, yet capable of killing without a trace!"

"A knife?" The confidant was taken aback upon hearing this, and then carefully recalled the contents of the intelligence report.

"These are all massive projects, and the Alliance is willing to fund and support them, the Empire is also extending policies, and with the support of these two powerful families, the aristocratic families only need to contribute the remaining funds, complete the construction, and then enjoy the future profits, right?"

Jing Hongchen shook his head slightly. If he didn't have a deep enough relationship with Ye Nanxiao, his first reaction upon seeing this intelligence would also have been that the alliance was sending money to maintain the stability of the powerful families in the major empires.

After all, while Ye Nanxiao's charging soul tool pioneered a new line of soul tool technology, it also opened up a path to becoming a strong person for soul masters with ordinary aptitude and commoners without soul power.

This undoubtedly infringed upon the interests of the powerful families.

When powerful families can no longer provide strong resources and weapons, fewer people will follow them.

Nearly half of a powerful family's strength comes from recruiting strong individuals from various factions as their retainers.

The Hongchen family was similar, having absorbed a large number of talented Soul Masters to establish the Mingde Hall.

Jing Hongchen pointed at the intelligence report and shook his head again. "Although there are many names I don't understand, it's precisely because they're described as too excellent that it becomes a problem. Pass on my order: the Hongchen family is to prepare its family resources. We will obey His Majesty's orders; the Hongchen family will not compete for these projects!"

"What His Majesty gives us is truly ours."

Upon hearing this, Jing Hongchen's confidant nodded in agreement. Although he did not understand, his unwavering loyalty to the family head compelled him to immediately carry out the mission.

Jing Hongchen stood up, walked to the window, and looked at a small tree in the courtyard outside the window.

The sapling isn't growing very well; some of its leaves aren't a vibrant green.

"Only by taking root in fertile soil can a tree flourish and bear fruit; if the soil is not good, the tree will wither and die sooner or later."

Jing Hongchen believed that Ye Nanxiao was not yet ready to turn his sword against the aristocratic families, but collecting interest first was still acceptable.

This project is very deceptive, but it's perfectly capable of fooling those old foxes who only care about profit.

"While maintaining a balance of power, we must also strike a few blows, like a precise butcher avoiding all risks. It's time for Mingdu to get lively again."

Jing Hongchen's gaze gradually focused on the window, looking at her own reflection, and suddenly she smiled.

"Hey! Luckily, my granddaughter was a great help!"

Council Hall of Xingluo Imperial Palace.

The exquisite carvings and painted beams exude imperial grandeur, but the hall is filled with a low-pressure atmosphere, even a sense of menace.

The eight heads of prominent families sat on either side, each with a different expression, their eyes revealing both a fervent determination and a hidden wariness.

On the long table in front of them were the plans for Ye Nanxiao's six major "bonus projects".

The heads of the powerful families unconsciously rubbed their fingers together, their eyes filled with covetousness for profit.

"Okay, gentlemen, before we begin the bidding, there's one more thing." Ye Nanxiao, sitting to Xu Jiujiu's left, snapped his fingers.

"Let's get straight to the point. As you all know, the alliance is currently facing a funding shortage. The Three Swords of the Guardian Realm still have one final sword to fight, and the Soul Spirit project has not yet been fully launched."

"Therefore, the alliance has decided to open up some projects in exchange for funding. This time, everyone will rely on their own abilities, and the highest bidder will win."

As soon as he finished speaking, the head of the Li family immediately stood up, bowed deeply, and said urgently, "Your Majesty, Lord Ye, my Li family is willing to devote all our assets to the construction of the inter-empire soul-guided supply channel project. We only ask that Your Majesty give the Li family a chance. In the future, the Li family will swear to be loyal to the Alliance and Your Majesty to the death!"

The Wang family head followed closely behind, his face darkening, his tone laced with rebuttal, "Brother Li, you're mistaken! Your Li family has been busy selling off its clan's ores lately, even needing to borrow money to raise initial funds. How could you possibly have the resources to undertake such a massive project? In my opinion, this project should rightfully be entrusted to my Wang family. My Wang family has deep roots and ample funds; we will certainly live up to your expectations!"

Ye Nanxiao's lips curled up slightly, and a gossipy look appeared in his eyes.

The moment he had been waiting for had finally arrived!

Let's see how these guys reveal their true colors! (End of Chapter)