Chapter 58 The villains met a tragic end, year after year...
Late at night, the private airport, far from the city center, was shrouded in near-death darkness and cold.
The runway stretched into the endless night, with only a few scattered navigation lights flickering faintly in the distance, like will-o'-the-wisps in the wilderness.
The main airport buildings were pitch black. Only in one corner of the tarmac stood the enormous Bombardier Global Express private jet, like a lurking metal behemoth. Its navigation lights on the wings and tail glowed regularly in red and green, standing out starkly in the deep night.
The aircraft did not start its main engines, but the auxiliary power unit (APU) was running, emitting a low, continuous hum, providing power and air conditioning to the cabin and ensuring that the system was ready to taxi out and take off at any time.
The lights below the fuselage outline its smooth yet hard lines, like a cheetah ready to break free and pounce into the night sky.
The cabin lights were adjusted to a soft, warm yellow, but this could not dispel the tense and anxious atmosphere.
Li Tingzhu sat upright in the main seat, a slender lady's cigarette between her fingers, the ash of which had accumulated to a long length, but she seemed to have forgotten to flick it off.
In front of her sat an untouched glass of amber-colored liquor, shimmering under the light.
Compared to the several elders opposite her who looked anxious and restless, she appeared calm and composed, even exuding an arrogance that suggested she had everything under control.
However, upon closer inspection, one can see that the knuckles of her fingers holding the cigarette are slightly white from the force, and the depths of her eyes are not absolutely calm, but rather a sharpness that is forcibly suppressed and highly vigilant.
She believed her plan to eliminate Li Xinian was flawless. She took advantage of Li Xinian's lowered guard when Wang Shunduo was present and meticulously designed a scheme to frame Wang Shunjin.
The intelligence from the front just came in that their men had forced Wang Shunduo's car to stop on the side of the road and led the four of them into a trap that had been prepared for them. So far, the plan had gone very smoothly.
She predicted that she had at least a 90% chance of success; however, the habit she had developed over the years of fighting in the vortex of power made her always leave herself a way out.
This plane, fully fueled, with its crew on standby, parked at a remote private airport, was her last resort.
Success means a triumphant return; failure means retreating far away to avoid the enemy's wrath and plan for the future.
It was this thorough preparation that supported her composure at this moment.
In recent years, under Li Xinian's relentless and aggressive tactics, Li Tingzhu has suffered repeated defeats and his power has shrunk significantly. He has long been prepared to retreat overseas at any time.
But deep down, how can one truly be content?
Her mother's family is currently at the height of its power, and Li Tingzhu is the eldest daughter born to her parents. Without the support of her mother's family, Li Xinian is not worthy of being compared with her.
But even with these advantages, Li Xinian has managed to evade their open and covert attacks over the years and has grown into the person he is today.
Li Tingzhu was filled with resentment, wondering why she hadn't killed Li Xinian more than a decade ago!
"Why is there still no news?" The gray-haired, sinister old man couldn't help but look at the gold watch on his wrist for the third time, his voice trembling almost imperceptibly. "The operation time should have already passed!"
"What's the rush?" Li Tingzhu said calmly, his voice steady, with a slight hoarseness from just having smoked a cigarette. "It takes time to clean things up. Be patient, Second Uncle."
Li Hai, who was slightly overweight, sat diagonally opposite her, holding a string of glossy sandalwood prayer beads in his hand. The Maitreya Buddha-like smile that usually graced his face had long since disappeared, leaving only the tense tension of his slightly jiggling fat.
He picked up the wine glass in front of him and took a big gulp, trying to calm his nerves.
Li Wanshan, who had always been silent and had a withered face, sat in the shadows like an old monk in meditation.
The deep wrinkles on his face appeared even more pronounced in the dim light, and his sharp eyes were half-closed as if he were resting, but his hands, resting on his knees with prominent knuckles and slightly curled, betrayed the tension in his heart.
He was the most cautious person present, and his silence at this moment was a result of him repeatedly going over every detail of the plan and any possible oversights in his mind.
Just then, a uniquely shaped encrypted communication device with a flashing blue signal light, placed in the center of the table, suddenly began to vibrate sharply, breaking the almost frozen air inside the cabin.
All eyes were instantly drawn to it. Even Li Wanshan, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them, his sharp gaze like that of a hawk, fixed intently on the equipment.
A hint of anticipation flashed in Li Tingzhu's eyes, and joy welled up in her heart before she even realized it.
Such speed! Their men must have succeeded! They brought so much equipment and mobilized so many people to kill Li Xinian; explaining this to the police will probably take a lot of effort. At least it wasn't a wasted effort...
She took a deep breath, stubbed out her cigarette, picked up the device, skillfully operated it a few times, and read the rapidly scrolling information on the screen with a cold smile on her lips.
However, the next second, the arrogant look on her face, which seemed to be full of confidence, shattered suddenly like a fragile ice surface!
The woman's pupils contracted sharply, and her hand holding the device trembled uncontrollably, as if it were not cold metal but a red-hot branding iron.
“No…it’s impossible…” she murmured, her voice filled with disbelief and horror, “How could a group of unknown forces suddenly appear and join forces with Li Xinian’s people…”
"What?!" Li Yuanhong jumped to his feet after seeing the text on the screen, knocking over his chair with a screeching sound. "They...they repelled our people and rescued Li Xinian! The plan...failed!"
His face turned deathly pale instantly, his lips trembled, but he couldn't utter a single word.
The Buddhist prayer beads in Li Hai's hand fell to the ground with a "thud." His obese body visibly shuddered violently, and his forehead instantly broke out in a dense layer of cold sweat. His eyes were filled with extreme fear.
Failure! Utter failure! This means they will face Li Xinian's thunderous revenge! Given Li Xinian's vengeful and ruthless nature, their fate is predictable!
As for Li Wanshan, the color drained from his already withered face, turning it ashen.
The calculating glint that had always been in his deep eyes was completely extinguished, replaced by an emptiness bordering on despair.
His lips trembled slightly, as if he wanted to repeat the phrase "absolutely foolproof," but in the end, it turned into an extremely soft, trembling sigh, making him seem as if he had aged ten years.
Everything he had staked, along with the very survival of his faction, collapsed at that moment.
"Take off! Quickly! Take off immediately!" Li Tingzhu practically screamed into the cockpit communicator, her voice distorted by extreme fear. "Immediately! Right now! Get out of here!"
All her composure and calculations were shattered by the cruel reality at this moment, leaving only the instinct to escape.
However, the instant she finished speaking, a voice that should have been equally panicked suddenly rang out:
"Nobody is leaving."
The speaker was none other than Li Hai, who had just been looking terrified and whose fat was jiggling.
At this moment, there was not a trace of tension or fear on his face.
On that kind-faced, plump face, only an eerie calm remained, especially in this situation.
He slowly bent down, picked up the fallen prayer beads, gently brushed them aside, and glanced at the astonished Li Tingzhu and Li Yuanhong.
"Li Hai! What do you mean?!" Li Tingzhu questioned sharply, a sense of foreboding rising in her heart that was even stronger than the failure of the plan.
As if to confirm Li Hai's words and to answer Li Tingzhu's question, the fuselage suddenly shook, and the deep hum of the APU, which had been running continuously and symbolized the imminent takeoff, came to an abrupt end.
At the same time, the main lights in the cabin went out with a "snap," leaving only a few emergency lights emitting a ghostly green glow, making everyone's faces look like ghosts.
Immediately afterwards, the heavy hatch leading to the cockpit slid open silently.
Several burly figures dressed in black combat uniforms, their faces painted with camouflage, and carrying assault rifles equipped with silencers, swiftly surged into the cabin like ghosts, their cold gun barrels mercilessly pointed at the people sitting at the dining table.
Behind them, the captain and co-pilot, who should have been in control of the plane, were being escorted out by two armed men, their hands covering their heads and their faces pale.
The plane had already been completely taken over without anyone noticing.
In the dim green light of the emergency lamp, a mocking smile curved at the corners of Li Hai's mouth.
The color drained from Li Tingzhu's face instantly. She stared intently at Li Hai, her usually calculating phoenix eyes now filled with disbelief, horror, and rage, as if she were seeing this seemingly timid and always smiling fat man for the first time.
"Li Hai...you?!" Her voice shrill with shock, almost cracking. "How dare you betray us?! How could you?!"
She took a sudden step forward, and if it weren't for the cold muzzle of the gun pointed at her, she would have pounced on him and grabbed his collar.
"Don't forget! You also agreed to the assassination of Li Xinian! You participated in every step! We're all in this boat! Don't you know what kind of person Li Xinian is? He's vindictive and ruthless! How could he possibly let you go?!" Li Tingzhu spoke sharply, trying to use this irrefutable fact to tear apart Li Hai's chilling calm and pull him back onto this sinking ship.
She couldn't understand how this seemingly indecisive and fickle person, who usually just wiped his sweat and fiddled with his prayer beads, dared to deliver such a fatal blow to her and everyone else at this crucial moment.
He even took control of the plane and her meticulously arranged crew! His bodyguards, whom she herself looked down upon, could even control her security? And she... was completely unaware!
Faced with Li Tingzhu's stern questioning and the horrified looks from the other two elders, Li Yuanhong and Li Wanshan, as if they were looking at a monster, Li Hai's mocking smile deepened.
He sat down unhurriedly, and under the dim green emergency light, he slowly and methodically twirled the sandalwood prayer beads with his fingers, the beads making a crisp sound as he played with them in his palm.
“Betrayal?” Li Hai chuckled, the sound particularly jarring in the completely frozen cabin. “Niece Tingzhu, don’t put it so harshly. How can this be called betrayal? This is called… assessing the situation and cutting losses in time.”
He raised his eyes, and those eyes, which usually appeared kind and even somewhat timid, now gleamed with the shrewdness and ruthlessness of a businessman.
“Yes, I nodded and participated in the discussion... but,” he changed the subject, his tone incredibly relaxed, “my people, from beginning to end, did not really participate in tonight’s operation. I was just... sitting with you all, and incidentally helping Young Master Xi Nian keep an eye on a few elders who might want to ‘fly away’.”
He deliberately emphasized the words "Young Master Xi Nian," which felt like a dull knife cutting into Li Tingzhu's heart.
The middle-aged man, who had gained weight and was usually all smiles, had now shed his former cowardly facade, revealing a sharp and ruthless demeanor that sent chills down one's spine.
"As for whether Young Master Xinian will let me go..." A cruel certainty appeared on Li Hai's chubby face, "That's none of Niece Tingzhu's concern. I've already chosen sides and left myself a way out. As long as I deliver your 'gifts' intact to Young Master Xinian today, and provide him with all the 'information' and 'convenience' he needs when he purges other unsettled branches in the future... do you think he'll purge a 'meritorious official' who is sensible, capable, and can help him stabilize the situation, or will he keep me, an insignificant but loyal elder from a collateral branch?"
His words, like cold venom, slowly seeped into the hearts of Li Tingzhu, Li Yuanhong, and Li Wanshan.
Li Tingzhu swayed, almost losing her balance.
She finally understood that from the very beginning, Li Hai was not their true ally.
He was like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, pretending to cooperate with them while secretly pledging allegiance to Li Xinian, revealing all their plans, actions, and even their last resort!
His so-called tension and fear were probably mostly an act!
He wasn't betting on the success of the assassination, but rather on how to exploit their failure to gain the greatest possible living space and benefits for himself with Li Xinian!
"Li Hai, I've known you for so many years, I never imagined you would be such a despicable person!" Li Yuanhong trembled with anger as he pointed at Li Hai and cursed, only to be met with even stronger gun barrels pressed down on him by the armed men beside him.
Li Wanshan closed his eyes completely, his withered face ashen. He had calculated every detail of his plan, but he hadn't foreseen the betrayal from those around him, and such a thorough and fatal betrayal at that.
Li Hai ignored Li Yuanhong's insults. He just looked at Li Tingzhu, whose face was ashen and eyes were empty, and slowly added, "Tingzhu, you said that the victor is king and the loser is villain. Now, you are the villains, while I... might still get some credit for supporting the emperor. This plane can't fly, and you... can't leave either."
The prayer beads in his hand emitted a rhythmic, unsettling chime, like a death knell tolling for these dying people in the controlled cabin.
***
The night was as dark as ink, and the old Li family mansion lay quietly on the mountainside, like a lurking beast.
The high walls of blue bricks isolated the outside world, and the copper nails on the vermilion gate gleamed with a cold, hard luster under the moonlight. Passing through layers of courtyards, the deeper one went, the more stagnant the air became, and even the chirping of insects disappeared.
Inside the ancestral hall's council chamber, the somber atmosphere was almost palpable.
The hall was extremely high and deep, with a dome painted with an intricate dark gold coffered ceiling that could only be seen by looking up. Under the pale white lamplight, it exuded a sinister aura.
The beams and pillars, which would take several people to encircle, are all made of dark hardwood. After a hundred years of incense burning, they have accumulated an indescribable sense of awe.
The walls on both sides are adorned with portraits of the Li family's ancestors. Their faces, some dignified and others somber, seem to come alive in the swaying light and shadow, coldly gazing down below.
The air was filled with the somber scent of sandalwood, old books, and aged wood, but now it carried a strange, faint smell of blood.
A man with a deep-set face and sharp features sat at the deepest part of the hall. In front of him was a rosewood throne with dragon patterns, symbolizing the highest authority of the family. The back of the chair was high, and the exquisite carving of the dragon patterns made it look even more ferocious.
He had already washed away the grime from the fierce battle, and was wearing a well-fitting black Zhongshan suit, his gray-blue eyes cold and indifferent.
On his handsome and refined face, there was no triumph of a victor, only a deep, calm stillness, as if everything before him was nothing more than a predetermined dust settling.
Before him, on the gleaming black stone floor, knelt the defeated rebels.
Li Tingzhu was forcibly pressed to the ground. Her carefully styled hair was now disheveled, her expensive custom-made suit was covered in stains and tears, her face bore the marks of the struggle, and her hands were bound behind her back.
She struggled to lift her head, her eyes, once filled with ambition and calculation, now brimming with resentment and fear, bloodshot and fixed on the figure in the main seat. Her lips trembled, but she couldn't utter a single complete syllable.
Beside her stood Li Yuanhong, the once sinister elder who now seemed to have lost his spine, limp as mud, his white head hanging limply, emitting intermittent sobs like a broken bellows as he repeatedly murmured, "Qianliu... my grandson...".
After a while, his body trembled violently, and as if finally accepting reality, he raised his head, trying to beg for mercy, tears streaming down his face: "Xi Nian, nephew, we've been senile... For the sake of my many years of service to the Li family, the patriarch will forgive me..."
But when he met Li Xinian's calm, gray-blue eyes, all of Li Yuanhong's words caught in his throat, turning into a suffocating fear.
Even the most composed Li Wanshan could not maintain his composure. He lowered his head, pursed his lips, and cold sweat soaked through his silk clothes. His slightly trembling shoulders and the fingers that were gripping the ground tightly revealed the turmoil in his heart.
Several guards dressed in black, with cold and hard faces, stood like iron towers around them, firmly trapping them in this humiliating place.
The entire council chamber was deathly silent, except for the heavy, uneven breathing and the pounding of hearts, which could be clearly heard.
Li Xinian slowly raised his hand, and his trusted confidant standing beside him immediately and silently handed him a cup of freshly brewed hot tea.
He took the simple celadon covered bowl, his fingertips white, and with graceful movements, he used the lid to gently brush away the floating leaves. The rising steam blurred his overly cold and aloof features.
He didn't speak immediately, but lowered his eyes and quietly watched the tea leaves unfurl in the tea soup.
This silent wait is more chilling than any harsh rebuke. Every second feels like a slow, agonizing torture of the loser's last remaining will.
Finally, Li Xinian put down his teacup. The base made a soft "click" as it touched the table, which sounded like a thunderclap in the extreme silence.
His gaze was chillingly cold, slowly sweeping over each disheveled figure on the ground, finally settling on Li Tingzhu's distorted face.
"Within the ancestral hall, our ancestors stand above us." He spoke, his voice not loud, yet carrying a strange penetrating power, echoing coldly in the solemn space, each word striking the heart. "It seems that you all have no choice but to completely erase your names from the family genealogy this time."
As the words fell, like a final verdict, the last glimmer of light in Li Yuanhong's eyes was extinguished, and his face turned ashen.
Li Tingzhu, who was kneeling on the ground, trembled violently, as if those words had pierced through her last defenses.
She suddenly began to struggle violently, ignoring the bloody welts on her wrists from the ropes, she threw her head back and let out a shrill, piercing scream that echoed in the empty hall, carrying a sense of desperate madness:
"Li Xinian! What right do you have?! What right do you have to decide our life and death, to decide whether our branch of the family will continue?!" Her eyes were bloodshot, and tears mixed with the filth on her face streamed down.
"Yes! We have lost! The victor is king, the loser is villain, I accept it! But the Li family is not just you, Li Xinian! All the uncles and ancestors are still alive! Aren't you afraid of chilling the hearts of all the collateral branches by your ruthless extermination?! Aren't you afraid that the Li family will fall apart?!"
Her screams were like lighting a fuse.
The limp Li Yuanhong seemed to be provoked as well, tears streaming down his face. He pounded his head on the cold ground with a dull thud: "Xi Nian, please, for the sake of my poor grandson Qian Liu who is still young, spare a way out for our branch of the family..."
Even Li Wanshan, who had been holding on, raised his aged face, his voice hoarse and heavy: "Xi Nian, taking charge of the family is not solely based on ruthless methods. Extremes meet, and rigidity is easily broken. Some things, perhaps... perhaps, can be left to room for maneuver." He tried to salvage the situation with his last bit of seniority and reason.
Standing to the side, Li Hai, who had already "surrendered" and was thus able to stand without being bound, was now standing respectfully with his head bowed. However, the slight trembling of his fat cheeks and the glint of shrewdness in his lowered eyes betrayed his secret joy.
Looking at the people who had once been his equals, or even slightly superior to him, in such a wretched state, and listening to their desperate wails, a twisted sense of superiority and relief welled up within him.
He made the right bet! He not only saved himself, but also witnessed the complete annihilation of his competitors. The situation was even more "perfect" than he had anticipated.
Although he didn't completely "defect" to Li Xinian at the beginning, he still got what he wanted at this moment, didn't he?
A sudden and rapid vibration from Karl, Li Xinian's subordinate, rang out.
After checking, Karl's expression changed slightly. He quickly stepped forward, respectfully handed the communicator to Li Xinian, and whispered, "Young Master, it's a joint communication from my eldest uncle, fifth aunt... and several heads of collateral branches."
Li Xinian's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly. He took the communicator, did not look away, and pressed the speakerphone button directly.
An anxious, rapidly speaking, and aged voice suddenly burst from the loudspeaker: "Xinian, this is your uncle. Alas... the children were confused for a moment and went astray. They should be punished!"
Li Xinian knew without even thinking that there would be a twist in the sentence.
“But in Xi Nian, the family lineage is not easy to maintain; only when the branches are flourishing can the foundation be solid. The branches of Tingzhu, Yuanhong, and Wanshan have been operating overseas and in the southwest for many years, with far-reaching influence. If we deal with them too harshly, it may cause a major upheaval and shake the very foundation of the family! Could you… spare their lives for the sake of us old folks, and confine them to reflect on their mistakes, to observe their future conduct?”
Immediately afterward, another slightly high-pitched female voice joined in. It was the one who was addressed as Li Xinian's fifth aunt in terms of seniority: "Yes, Xinian, one should be lenient when possible. You are about to officially take charge of the ring, and at this time you should show more tolerance and prioritize stabilizing people's hearts."
"Yes, Xi Nian, you should prioritize the prosperity of the family; unity is of utmost importance..." "As the head of the family, you must have a broad mind and be inclusive. At such a crucial moment, you must not shake the foundation of the family and cause internal strife!"
The voices of several collateral branch leaders also came one after another. Although their words were sincere, they were all putting pressure on each other, trying to save Li Tingzhu and others' lives, or at least preserve the foundation of their branch, by maintaining family stability and balancing all parties.
The appearance of these sounds instantly rekindled a faint light in the eyes of Li Tingzhu and the others who were originally in despair on the ground. They held their breath and looked nervously at Li Xinian.
Li Xinian listened expressionlessly until the voice on the other end stopped. Only then did he slowly speak, his voice still steady but carrying an undeniable determination: "Third Uncle, Fifth Aunt, I understand the intentions of all my uncles. But to plot against one's own clan is tantamount to treason, and according to ancestral teachings, such a crime is unforgivable. The rules of the Li family cannot be abandoned because of anyone or anything."
His words were resolute and decisive, showing absolutely no intention of considering the elders' feelings.
But his uncle was clearly not going to give up because of his words. He was still trying to persuade him by virtue of his status as an elder: "Xi Nian, you have not yet taken over the family. How can you do such a thing that harms your own clan? The head of the family will also be prejudiced against you. Why create trouble at this crucial moment when you are about to inherit the position of head of the family?"
Fifth Aunt immediately chimed in, using this as a reason for Li Xinian to reconsider: "How to handle this is a decision for the head of the family. Your opinion now... doesn't count, does it?"
The words of the elders instantly restored Li Tingzhu's sense of direction and rekindled her hope. When she spoke again, her voice was full of vigor: "How to deal with us is Grandpa's business. Li Xinian, you have no right to do so! You must invite Grandpa here. Your word doesn't count; you're not the head of the family!"
"Knock...knock...knock..."
Just as the two sides were locked in a stalemate, a series of slow, heavy tapping sounds with a peculiar rhythm came from the deep corridor outside the council hall.
The sound wasn't loud; it was the sound of hardwood hitting the ancient stone floor, approaching slowly and steadily, carrying a sense of weight and maturity honed by time.
Everyone in the hall, including the guards who looked like clay sculptures, involuntarily held their breath, their eyes all fixed on the wide-open door leading to the dark corridor.
A hint of surprise appeared on Li Xinian's usually calm face. He slowly stood up from the main seat and looked in the direction from which the sound came from.
Li Tingzhu and the others kneeling on the ground were even more surprised and uncertain. Li Tingzhu even forgot to cry, struggled to turn her head, and looked at the darkness outside the door that seemed to be able to devour everything. A ridiculous expectation, which she herself dared not think about, arose in her heart.
Is that Grandpa?! Grandpa has always doted on his granddaughter; he must have come to save her!
Without thinking, Li Tingzhu cried out, "Grandpa, save me! Li Xinian is trying to kill me! He's harming his own siblings!"
The knocking finally stopped at the entrance of the hall.
After a brief, suffocating silence, an aged, hoarse voice, yet carrying an unparalleled majesty that seemed capable of ruling an empire, slowly rang out, clearly reaching the ears of everyone present. Each word carried immense weight:
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Author's Note: The next chapter will feature a confession and confirmation of their relationship!
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