"Hahaha, ’closing the doors to kill the dog,’ now that’s a fresh term!"

Zhu Yi laughed heartily, then immediately asked, "How do you plan to do it? I have people and money at my disposal. You can deploy them all."

Liu Zixuan raised an eyebrow, "Dealing with two dogs is all it is. If we mobilize that many people, wouldn’t it be like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut?"

"You mean to go there yourself?" Zhou Madman frowned and said, "If those two wealthy merchants are sent by your rivals, they might have some experts with them."

Though Zhou Madman and Zhu Yi didn’t know much, they could infer from a few words that the ones opposing Liu Zixuan were likely the Eight Great Powers of the Star Sea and the Four Great Clans.

The people they sent over wouldn’t just be wealthy merchants; they’d definitely have bodyguards. Going alone would surely be dangerous.

On their own turf, dealing with anyone is like a closed-door fight; it’s a guaranteed win with no need for unnecessary risks!

Liu Zixuan confidently said, "If it were elsewhere, the Eight Great Powers and the Four Great Clans might be formidable, but here in Ghost Wood City, the mighty dragon must coil, and the ferocious tiger must crouch. Here, I am the king!"

Here, I am the king!

Under normal circumstances, Zhou Madman would definitely ridicule Liu Zixuan for such words, but in this situation, both he and Zhu Yi had nothing to say, as scenes from Ghost Wood City and Celestial Capital replayed in their minds.

They also believed that those five bold words weren’t just bragging!

"Since you’re so confident, let’s proceed as you suggested," Zhu Yi chuckled.

"Ring ring ring!"

Just then, Liu Zixuan’s phone suddenly rang; it was a bank message.

Liu Zixuan casually opened it and chuckled, "Looks like when things go right for a person, everything falls into place." 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Just as he finished speaking, before Zhu Yi and the others could ask, his phone rang again, this time a call.

Liu Zixuan picked it up casually and heard a familiar voice on the other end, "Zixuan, my young friend, I already transferred the fifty million I promised you. You can check."

Naturally, it was the patriarch of the Shi Family, one of the Eight Great Powers. A few days ago in Celestial Capital, to save Shi Gang, the patriarch promised Liu Zixuan fifty million. Liu Zixuan had almost forgotten about it until the bank message reminded him.

Although fifty million is not much, it’s undoubtedly a timely boon in these times when every checkpoint lacks money.

Liu Zixuan laughed, "The fifty million from the Shi Patriarch came right on time."

"Zixuan, my young friend, I just heard there’s some trouble on your side. Do you need my help?" the Shi Patriarch asked sincerely.

It was clear his tone was genuinely sincere.

Liu Zixuan’s eyes moved, "To be honest, there is indeed something I need to ask."

"Go ahead. I’ll tell you anything I know," the Shi Patriarch replied.

"Which families are the wealthy merchants who came to Ghost Wood City from?"

"I thought it was a difficult question."

The Shi Patriarch laughed, "One is from the Gu Family, named Gu Chengkun. He’s an outer disciple of the Gu Family and their representative in the business world. The other is Wei Linming from the Wei Family, one of the Four Great Clans. This kid is something; he built the entire Wei family’s business empire alone and is the direct grandson of the patriarch, the future heir of the Wei Family!"

"So they’re filthy rich?" Liu Zixuan teased.

"Hahaha, among the Eight Great Powers and the Four Great Clans, the Gu and Wei families might rank lower, but combined, their assets are definitely among the wealthiest on any land in the Star Sea!"

At this point, the Shi Patriarch paused, "Zixuan, my young friend, while we’re chatting, I advise you to be a tad lenient when dealing with them. The Martial Realm is in chaos; if you end up hardening grievances, it might not end well later!"

Liu Zixuan sneered, "Shi Patriarch, do you still hold hope for them? Planning to rope them in for cooperation?"

"Th-that would be a tall order!"

"Since we’re destined to be enemies sooner or later, why show them leniency now?" Liu Zixuan’s words had a double meaning as he laughed, "If we handle them both, the Gu and Wei families will definitely suffer. So if they make any moves later, Shi Patriarch, you’ll need to support me promptly."

"Rest assured, we’re all in the same boat now, and I won’t let my allies get hurt!"

Of course, the Shi Patriarch understood Liu Zixuan’s underlying meaning.

Implicitly, the Martial Realm had already split into two factions.

The faction led by the Willow Association wanted unification. Meanwhile, Liu Zixuan and the Shi Family didn’t want to become others’ followers, so they were thinking of rallying those Martial Artists without connections to oppose the unification together.

Given their current weak position, Liu Zixuan and his allies must be cautious, support each other, and avoid any discrepancies.

After hanging up with the Shi Patriarch, Zhu Yi asked solemnly, "Are you intending to collaborate with the Shi Patriarch to jointly oppose the other major powers and families?"

"I’m left with no choice; I don’t want to make so many enemies. But since they seek unification, I, Liu Zixuan, who cherish freedom, have no desire to be anyone’s underling. As far as collaborating with the Shi Patriarch, that’s a topic for another day. Right now, it’s merely mutual exploitation. He needs me to stabilize those without backgrounds, and I need a scapegoat."

Liu Zixuan spread his hands, "We’re all adults; I understand the Shi Patriarch’s thoughts, and he knows mine. Even if I hadn’t mentioned it just now, he’d have encouraged me to deal with those two guys."

"The phone conversation urged you to be lenient, yet he swiftly agreed to eliminate them. This Shi Patriarch is probably an old fox," Zhu Yi muttered with a frown.

"To make it among the Eight Great Powers, few are pushovers!" Liu Zixuan laughed, "Besides, with the blood feud between me and the Gu Family, taking out another one or two makes no difference!"

Saying this, Liu Zixuan gestured, "Brother Zhu, get a few people to keep an eye on Chang Yanchang for me. Once I’m done with those family guys, I’ll take care of him."

"That’s a small matter."

"Uncle Zhou, I’ll have to temporarily settle my family with you," Liu Zixuan smiled.

Zhou Madman responded grumpily, "Damn, I thought you wanted me to grab a knife and start a brawl with you. It’s just taking care of some girls; don’t worry, I won’t let a hair on their heads be harmed!"

Liu Zixuan cupped his hands towards them, "Then I’ll go sharpen my knives; once those two dogs have washed their necks, I’ll butcher them for a feast!"