Chapter 1444 – The Nie Clan’s Hidden Worries (Part 3)
Nie Yang had no idea who this self-proclaimed “Empire Assistant System” was.
Was it human or ghost? God or demon? But he knew it wasn’t simple.
It saw through Nie Yang’s ambitions, and since he needed its help to achieve those ambitions, they quickly came to an agreement and formed a pleasant partnership.
Nie Yang wanted to stand out, take control of the Nie Clan, and use it to soar high and ascend to the throne.
However, this goal was too daunting; without allies, it would be nearly impossible to achieve.
“Can you really help me become an emperor?”
Nie Yang pondered the truth behind this statement.
He appeared gentle and magnanimous, and others often deemed him weak and easy to bully, yet this entity saw right through his ambitions.
“Indeed! The dragon energy about you is the strongest within the Zhong Zhao realm; you are destined for greatness in the future.”
Nie Yang chuckled quietly. Though ambitious, he didn’t hold out much hope.
The Old Patriarch of the Nie Clan wasn’t dead yet, and his several sons were still very much alive; some of those sons had more than a few children… Nie Yang was merely one of the four or five dozen great-grandchildren—how could he stand out from such a crowd?
Unless…
All those blocking his path were dead, and those who survived couldn’t compete with him.
“The way you talk makes me a bit skeptical.”
Nie Yang encountered this system at the age of nine. Initially, he was on guard for a few years, but as time went by, the entity actually helped him quite a bit, and he gradually began to trust it. Their cooperation had lasted for over a decade, and Nie Yang was becoming increasingly confident in this “friend.”
As a small fry in the Nie Clan, Nie Yang understood that if he didn’t strive for power, his future was destined to be trampled underfoot, with no chance of rising.
Since the system claimed he possessed true dragon imperial energy, and his future was limitless, why shouldn’t he fight for his own path?
To rise, Nie Yang first needed to help the third branch of the Nie Clan stand out, and only then could he deal with others more easily.
With a nudge from the system, Nie Yang realized that his uncle, Nie Liang, was a talent in the rejuvenation of the Nie Clan, but also a stumbling block against him.
As long as Nie Liang remained in the fifth branch, the chances of the third branch outperforming were slim to none.
Nie Yang considered, if Nie Liang were physically weak and didn’t have long to live, wouldn’t that remove an obstacle?
The system gasped, “Are you thinking of assassinating Nie Liang? He’s your own uncle!”
Nie Yang laughed, “Did you not tell me that Nie Liang is destined to be short-lived? Yet, I see he appears to be in good health without a care in the world. Seems like your intel might be off. I’m not looking to take his life immediately; just nudging him to align with fate!”
The system acted swiftly and efficiently; two years later, when Nie Liang noticed something was amiss, it was already too late—the poison had seeped into his very bones.
Honestly, Nie Yang was quite frightened upon learning this, worried Nie Liang might trace it back to him.
At that moment, he was no match for Nie Liang; if he got caught, his life would be over.
To his surprise, the system’s abilities were beyond imagination; even Nie Liang couldn’t uncover much evidence. This made Nie Yang bolder in his plans.
To ensure everyone believed he was gentle and harmless, Nie Yang wore a false mask for many years, almost fooling even himself.
He was often bullied by his cousins, suffering but never daring to fight back, treated like a tool by others.
However, while creating this facade, he also had to manage connections; the young rascals were the easiest to deceive.
For example, Nie Yang once befriended a grandson of a Nie Clan elder, a complete rich kid who was lazy and self-assured, easily manipulated, and couldn’t tolerate anyone outshining him. What did this rascal do?
Under Nie Yang’s encouragement, he deliberately picked on a young scholar at an Elegant Gathering.
The young scholar had no background but possessed exceptional talent, failing to hide his brilliance, and as he prided himself on his cleverness, he ended up provoking the rascal, who retaliated and broke the scholar’s leg due to a verbal spat. That was just the beginning; the rascal then colluded with local officials to frame the young scholar with false charges, exiling him to the border for two years of hard labor. The result? The scholar, weak and unable to endure, caught a chill on the way and died.
The young scholar’s demise reportedly led to the untimely deaths of his mother and wife, leaving behind only an elderly man and a child.
He was a cold-hearted person; where that grandfather and grandson ended up afterward was of no concern to Nie Yang.
He only vaguely remembered that the young scholar’s surname was Sun, and his name was Lie.
What does talent matter?
With wings not yet fully grown, trying to fly would only lead to a painful fall!
Years passed, and the Empire Assistant System taught Nie Yang many imperial strategies, allowing him to make numerous small moves.
All his plans were progressing smoothly, who would have thought that Nie Liang would become the only variable?
Nie Liang, who had always been non-confrontational, suddenly took action, imprisoning the Old Patriarch and forcibly seizing control of the clan, sidelining several uncles.
His moves were so swift and incredible that by the time Nie Yang reacted, the situation had already been settled.
With Nie Liang in command, the power of the fifth branch surged, and Nie Liang’s eldest son soared, his status skyrocketing.
This turn of events sent jitters through Nie Yang, but he didn’t show any signs of panic; instead, he feigned sympathy in front of Nie Liang’s son to gain favor.
After a few years of interaction, they became closer than real brothers, and even Nie Liang let down his guard around him.
“Just a little more to go.”
Nie Yang leaned against the pavilion as Nie Liang’s son bathed in sunlight, earnestly reading a book.
“What’s your plan?”
Nie Yang replied, “Nie Liang isn’t a simple opponent. While he’s alive, my actions will surely arouse his suspicions. The safest course would be to outlast him. Given Nie Liang’s temperament, he couldn’t deal with his uncles in life; perhaps in his last moments, he might take them all down with him, clearing the path for his son. In that case, it would be like eliminating my competitors for me. If I can’t outduel Nie Liang, can I not outmatch his son? Nie Liang himself is full of cunning, yet he raised such a naive son; what a waste.”
“To be honest, that’s what you call bloodline inheritance.”
Nie Yang’s eyes flickered as he nearly burst out laughing.
“Bloodline inheritance?”
Are you saying Nie Liang is also easy to deceive?
The system remarked, “In a way, Nie Liang is quite easy to trick; his weaknesses are all too apparent, and he’s particularly stubborn.”
Nie Yang had nothing to say to that.
After a moment, he replied, “What you say… makes some sense.”
The system then asked, “But what if Nie Liang has unexpected support in the meantime?”
Nie Yang’s gaze turned icy, “You know about framing? Dead men tell no tales; if they never take the fall, he will!”
Nie Yang was chatting merrily with the system when Nie Liang’s son called out.
“Ah Yang, what’s so interesting in this pavilion? Come over here, the courtyard is splendid in spring.”
Nie Yang replied, “I don’t really like it; I’m afraid of getting sunburned.”
“This sun isn’t harsh; how could you get sunburned? A man isn’t a delicate lady; are you afraid of getting dark?”
Nie Yang simply preferred shadows over light; they brought him peace.
