High Martial Arts: Invincible Starts from Basic Archery Chapter 793 - 617: Let’s Get Rid of Them First_2

Yet, every situation carries its dual nature.

Once Chen Fan gets taken down, could the Su Family possibly strike back at them?

Su Ming ended the call. He pondered for a moment before ringing up another contact.

The line connected quickly, and a chilly woman's voice emerged, "Grandpa, how’s the mission progressing?"

Right then, Su Ming, unlike his usual icy front toward others, beamed with warmth and leaned forward, replying, "Xiaochan, I've dispatched those two fellows to handle that boy. We'll have outcomes within two days at the latest."

"There won't be any surprises like the previous occasion, will there?"

"Absolutely not." Su Ming shook his head vigorously, "Xiaochan, what happened before was purely bad luck. Nobody foresaw that boy possessing such formidable strength."

"Excellent. That boy represents an unpredictable factor in our scheme and needs to be removed."

"Got it."

Su Ming gave a nod, paused briefly in hesitation, but then added, "Xiaochan, apart from them, I also sense those two aren't entirely reliable. This round, they went ahead and slaughtered several of our family members on their own."

"That's fine." The woman's tone remained detached, "We'll dispose of them once the job's done; timing it later works just as well."

"Huh?"

Su Ming froze in surprise.

Doesn't this stray from the original blueprint?

The initial strategy involved leveraging the Beast Emperor to wipe out the Thunder Emperor and the War Emperor, followed by Gong Bo and his team finishing off the injured Beast Emperor, allowing a seamless seizure of their roles.

Those two had been bound by a Su Family seal, forcing compliance with the family's directives and turning them into mere tools.

Getting rid of them wasn't out of the question, yet the moment didn't seem right, did it?

"Naturally, I didn't mean for this assignment." The voice clarified, "I'm referring to those two individuals."

"You mean them?" Su Ming's gaze sparkled.

Those two, without doubt, pointed to the Thunder Emperor and the War Emperor.

Only their removal would place the whole of Yan Country firmly in the Su Family's grasp.

"That's all, Grandpa. Update me right away on any developments."

"Sure."

Once the connection dropped, Su Ming let out a long exhale, his expression shifting to one of thrilled anticipation.

Nothing could surpass the pride and fulfillment of witnessing his granddaughter ascend as Yan Country's Empress.

By then, the Su Family would stand as the unchallenged premier clan across Yan Country!

...

Jiangnan City.

Martial Arts Association.

Shi Tao and his group had caught wind of the circulating tales.

In fact, these whispers had only intensified the troubles they faced in Jiangnan City.

Prior to the Elder Council's arrival, most in the know had leaned toward sympathy for their side.

Take the Jiangnan City Lord, for instance, who had arrived amid heavy pressure.

Yet, upon learning of Chen Fan's supposed madness, these folks grew terrified. They shunned not just Chen Fan but steered clear of the Jiangnan Martial Arts Association altogether.

"Total fabrications! Nothing but lies!"

Chang Fei pounded the desk, "How on earth could Chen Fan turn into someone who slaughters innocents without reason? This has to be the Elder Council's scheme to smear Brother Chen's name!"

Shen Si drew in a steadying breath and remarked, "If it's truly as you describe, aren't they being excessively ruthless? Beyond the Song Family, the remaining three clans were all serving under them. How could they pull off such a deed?"

"What's so shocking about that?"

Chang Fei let out a disdainful huff, "The folks on the Elder Council have forsaken all traces of compassion long ago. They're mere thralls to ambition. Cross their dominion, and you're signing your own death warrant. Remember the prior incident? They summoned us straight to confess our guilt without hearing a single word of defense."

Shen Si fell silent.

"Brother Chang, debating this further seems futile since those involved are gone, and nearly everyone now assumes Brother Chen carried out the killings."

"Whatever we claim, they refuse to accept it. They won't buy that the Elder Council was behind it all."

"Exactly, exactly."

The others nearby agreed with nods.

"I wonder whether Brother Chen has heard the news."

"He must have, no? Didn't the president just step out to reach him by phone?"

"True, but his reaction remains uncertain. Handling this won't be straightforward."

In a separate chamber, Shi Tao placed the call to Chen Fan.

The phone picked up without delay.

"Hello, President."

Chen Fan's voice transmitted over, "The Elder Council hasn't caused you any issues, has it?"

Shi Tao's heart warmed at Chen Fan's concern.

Even now, he prioritized their well-being.

"Chen Fan, we've stayed trouble-free since yesterday, all thanks to you. However, Chen Fan, you could be facing some heat yourself."

"Are you speaking of the imposter posing as me to massacre the Song Family members and those from other clans?"

"You've heard already."

Shi Tao managed a bitter smile.

"My gut says it's the Elder Council's doing. To ruin your standing and claim the righteous stance, they sacrificed thousands of lives. Still, it's tough to accept they'd commit such an atrocity."

"Truth is, the Elder Council didn't orchestrate it directly, or at least not by their design."

Chen Fan explained, "Though it does tie back to the Elder Council."

"Care to elaborate?"

Shi Tao blinked in confusion.

"President, you're familiar with the operative known as Ogre, correct?"

"You mean Yu Jianqiao?"

Shi Tao creased his brow, "Word is that guy's fond of devouring people and acts with savage brutality. But with all those drained corpses left behind this time, might it be his work?"

"It was indeed him. And he wasn't alone—another, called Devourer, accompanied him. The Elder Council dispatched these two to take me out."

"What?"

Shi Tao could scarcely trust what he heard.

Had the Elder Council truly unleashed these two to pursue Chen Fan?

Unless he was wrong, weren't they infamous outlaws? The Awakened Association had hunted them for years. How could they serve the Elder Council's commands?

Unless...

A chilling thought dawned on him, sending tremors through his frame.

"Precisely, President—it's exactly as you're suspecting."

Chen Fan affirmed with a nod, "That said, these two aren't fully compliant. They resist total obedience to the Elder Council. Thus, they targeted those family members deliberately, partly to bolster their own power and partly to pin the blame on me."

"In that light, they're utterly..."

Shi Tao trailed off, reluctant to finish.

Still, doubts lingered in his mind.

If Chen Fan's account held true, how had he uncovered such details?

This was no trivial affair. Should it leak out, the Awakened Association would launch a full probe.

After all, those pair had slain numerous awakened beings, among them several A-level talents who might have risen to S-Class someday.

"Chen Fan, what's your next move?"

"I'll take out those two first."

Chen Fan declared.

Based on his visions, they planned to strike at him within the next two or three days.

That's how he'd pieced together the full story.

Though his current experience points fell short of perfecting every martial skill, they proved ample against this duo.

Advancing on Baijiang City to resolve everything for good, however, demanded far more effort.

He'd confront the elite forces of the five clans, the Ice Emperor, and potentially clash with the Thunder Emperor and War Emperor too.

A couple more days were essential.

Naturally, for caution's sake, ignoring those two might seem wise. Their upcoming victims weren't his concerns and bore no connection to him. If retribution was due, it ought to target the pair and their Elder Council patrons.

Yet, the Elder Council's lack of mercy didn't justify him forsaking his own principles. To do so would echo the warning: "He who battles monsters must guard against becoming one himself."