Shen Qiang glanced calmly at Bianyi's phone, where a message from Zuo Lianghao was displayed.

"Bro, run fast, trust me."

The message consisted of just six characters.

Recalling the earlier phone call, Shen Qiang didn't even need to guess; he could already tell that Zuo Lianghao assumed Shen Qiang had used the Five Assistant Swords and then died from body explosion. Hence, the intention behind Hidden Sword Villa's visit was clear.

Shen Qiang chuckled and said, "Obviously, Hidden Sword Villa is here to kill. What's your plan?"

Bianyi frowned, then suddenly burst into laughter and said, "Boss, what do you think of this Zuo Lianghao?"

Shen Qiang laughed, leaned back in his chair, and gazed at Bianyi, "Don't act foolish around me. To be honest, my feelings towards people differ. I'm good to those who are good to me. Those who are calculative, I am calculative with them. People I save call me a good person, while those who hold grudges against me curse me to hell."

"Zuo Lianghao is risking his life to kill me, yet he sent you a message to escape. I say he deserves capital punishment, tortured to death. Do you think he's worth it?"

Bianyi grinned, exceedingly pleased, "I think he's a good person."

Shen Qiang raised an eyebrow, "So don't act foolish around me and ask how someone is, because whether they're good or not depends on perspective."

Bianyi laughed and then turned serious, "You bastard. I was so scared I lost my shoes. I just came back and heard that a Dao Fruit Stage expert from Carefree Valley got injured, meaning they can't rush back immediately."

Shen Qiang chuckled, "Caution is the key to longevity. Truth is, I was worried you might get killed."

"Shameless." Bianyi retorted, "If you were really worried about me being killed, you would have brought people to greet me."

Shen Qiang's eyes curved with amusement, "Then let's talk about your wedding. Aren't you going to marry that Sha Jianying? I'll throw you a grand luxurious one."

Bianyi raised an eyebrow, "Qingyun Sword Pavilion and Carefree Valley are showing signs of forming an alliance. Though they suffered heavy casualties, a starved camel is bigger than a horse. If we can't break them apart, there's no dealing with it. We have too few cultivators. If they're wiped out, there's nothing left."

"I already have a plan to deal with Qingyun Sword Pavilion, so you don't need to worry about that," Shen Qiang replied. "What we need to tackle now is Hidden Sword Villa. Honestly, I no longer wish to fight them, because you should understand, once our ranks suffer major losses, the cultivation world will swarm in against us."

Hearing this, Bianyi sat in silence for a moment before speaking, "Against Hidden Sword Villa, the only card we have left is Zuo Lianghao. Now they're all in, discarding this card. Making them retreat is impossible now, and if the battle begins, the various sword arrays of Hidden Sword Villa are more lethal than Qingyun Sword Pavilion. More lives will be lost."

Upon hearing this, Shen Qiang smiled, "I'll handle Hidden Sword Villa. You need not worry. Right now, your task is to think of every possible way to prevent Carefree Valley or any other sects from allying with Qingyun Sword Pavilion."

Bianyi sat in silence for a while and then agreed, "Alright."

Subsequently, Shen Qiang instructed, "Also, make a list of all the treasures you obtained from Qingyun Sword Pavilion, and then issue a public statement transferring all those items, along with the Qingyun Sword, to Kang Luoying, Hall Master of Heshenghe Qingyun Sword Hall. Simultaneously, announce Qingyun Sword Hall is recruiting, with a preference for those skilled in the Qingyun Sword Technique."

Upon hearing this, Bianyi burst into laughter.

"Clever, my dear boss. First, there was the Qingyun Sword, then the Qingyun Sword Pavilion. Now, you've renamed the Qingyun Sword Pavilion and absorbed it into Heshenghe? And you're even making Kang Luoying the Hall Master? Recruiting disciples with a preference for those skilled in Qingyun Sword Technique?"

Shen Qiang beamed, "The key is to ensure welfare benefits are on par with Heshenghe's demons. All operations are to be overseen by Kang Luoying alone, which are the main points."

Hearing this, Bianyi's eyes brightened, "Impressive! Heshenghe's benefits are arguably amongst the best in the Cultivation World. If Qingyun Sword Pavilion people join Qingyun Sword Hall, their income could tenfold, at least. Kang Luoying is the unparalleled genius of the Qingyun Sword Pavilion. Having the Qingyun Sword in her possession and full authority means that Sword Hall's disciples aren't officially under your control, at least not in appearance."

"Still, that isn't sufficient. Despite creating a facade and offering enticing benefits, the people of Qingyun Sword Pavilion will not easily comply."

Shen Qiang raised an eyebrow, "Therefore, what we need to do now is isolate Qingyun Sword Pavilion. Meanwhile, encourage Qingyun Sword Pavilion's enemies to target them. Once they realize their downfall is inevitable, and they've no hope of recovery, they will seek Kang Luoying, pleading for her permission to join Qingyun Sword Hall."

Bianyi's eyes lightened, "Brilliant. If Kang Luoying approaches them now, they'll arrogantly ignore her, categorically refuse, and even blame her for their woes. Yet, once they're at their wit's end, they'll dutifully seek her out."

Shen Qiang nonchalantly arched an eyebrow, "That's the nature of people. When you initiate contact — even with benefits — they suspect you're out to take advantage. Yet when they come to you, it's an entirely different story. That's the plan."

"After all, modern cultivators are not like those of old. Facing the impending demise of the mammoth Qingyun Sword Pavilion, Qingyun Sword Hall will be their last lifeline. Should they agree, we'll need to assume control over Qingyun Sword Pavilion's resources and regions, necessitating stronger capabilities on our part."

Bianyi nodded, acknowledging, "If everything unfolds as planned, Qingyun Sword Pavilion folks will surely flock to Qingyun Sword Hall. However, isolating Qingyun Sword Pavilion isn't an easy task. The sect has stood in the Cultivation World for nearly a thousand years; it won't crumble easily."

Shen Qiang smiled, gazing at Bianyi peacefully, "Indeed. Because it won't fall easily, I need you to use every means possible to isolate them. You can be unscrupulous—boost investments, burn money, or even make unscrupulous deals with Qingyun Sword Pavilion's allies, offering them significant money for not assisting Qingyun Sword Pavilion."

"Compared to shedding blood and tears for others, the majority of cultivators prefer doing nothing and receiving benefits. That's about all I can say. How to execute it is your problem. I just want the results."

Bianyi laughed, "You truly are pragmatic. Very well, leave these matters to me. But as for the aggressive approach of Hidden Sword Villa, how do you plan to handle that?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Qiang smiled, "Since Zuo Lianghao is now a discarded card, the only thing left for us to do, of course, is to unsheathe our swords."

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