Plan

"Young Miss," a middle-aged man approached the room, clasping his hands politely. "I have brought people from the Yellow Dragon House."

"Send a few individuals to clean up this mess and gather any information we can from these people. I want to know their identities. The rest will escort us to the mansion," Li Xuan nodded at the middle-aged man, who appeared to be Gu Ling. He was the person Li Xuan had requested to come.

"Understood," Gu Ling nodded with a serious expression and immediately ordered his subordinates to take care of the remaining tasks. Meanwhile, he extended his hand and said, "Please follow me. We will escort you to the mansion."

Li Xuan nodded solemnly. Meanwhile, Li Ming felt somewhat skeptical, wondering if this world was familiar with guerrilla warfare. The attackers could simply blend in with the crowd and strike when the opportunity arose. However, since there were more people to protect them now, Li Ming decided to follow them back.

On their way, Li Ming couldn't help but contemplate his safety. "Not many people know about me, but it seems they have already made an attempt on my life... If the oil company becomes even more successful, there will likely be many individuals who want me dead. I need to take my safety seriously."

Li Ming paused for a moment, considering his options. "I have my guns, and I found some weapons and a considerable amount of ammunition in the crates. I should be able to use the ammunition sparingly for a while, but bullets are finite. If I want to expand my business, it would be better to manufacture my own bullets."

Li Ming possessed a significant amount of ammunition, but if he continued to face attacks like this, even his supply would run out if he used it too often.

He found himself in a dilemma. On one hand, he wanted to expand the oil company as much as possible. On the other hand, the world wouldn't welcome it with open arms.

Li Ming realized that there were three things he needed to prepare. First, a bullet factory and possibly a gun manufacturing facility. It would be beneficial if he could provide guns to his people.

Second, he needed bodyguards. While he didn't want to be paranoid, he wouldn't be able to detect enemies around him without Li Xuan's assistance. It seemed that in this world, martial artists possessed sharper senses than ordinary people. Therefore, hiring bodyguards to protect him would be wise.

Lastly, he had to enhance his own strength. However, he was unsure if the Li Clan would be willing to share their martial arts with an outsider. If this were a training center, he wouldn't hesitate to request their teachings. But after the incident during the meeting, the Li Clan might use it as leverage to bind him.

He had to proceed cautiously.

After pondering for a while, Li Ming asked, "It seems that we will face more attacks from now on... What should we do?"

Li Xuan knew Li Ming was concerned, and even if she tried to reassure him, he was still in shock and wouldn't easily accept her words.

Therefore, Li Xuan replied, "I will send people to investigate this matter. However, there is something strange about this attack. Why didn't they target me? Although they still fought me, their primary focus was on you. It's as if they were instructed not to harm me."

Li Ming tilted his head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, if they weren't ordered to attack me, the most logical choice would be to restrain me while targeting you, right?"

"That... makes sense," Li Ming agreed. "I see. The attackers didn't intend to harm you, despite knowing that you would be with me. The mastermind only wanted me to disappear."

"Yes."

"But doesn't that mean I should question your clan? Since you are from the same clan, it wouldn't be strange if they ordered those people not to kill you."

"It must be a coincidence," Li Xuan forced a smile, but she couldn't dismiss the possibility either. The attacker could indeed be someone from the Li Clan.

If they analyzed the situation, Li Heng might be the person interested in eliminating Li Ming. However, Li Heng had been pushing for Li Xuan to marry Li Ming to eliminate her as a threat in the succession struggle.

If that were the case, there would be no reason for Li Heng to kill Li Ming. It would only derail his own plans, and Li Xuan would shift her attention to dealing with him upon his death.

So, Li Ming suspected the three elders.

"Still, the First Elder didn't seem like a bad person. He was reasonable and approached matters objectively. The Second Elder may have a harsh demeanor and difficulty apologizing, but he has dedicated himself to the clan. He simply enjoys playing hard to get," Li Ming muttered inwardly before shifting his attention to the last suspect. "The Tenth Elder?"

Li Ming tried to recall the information he had about the Tenth Elder. Despite all the discussions, the Tenth Elder had remained quiet and only spoke when directly asked.

As an elder, the Tenth Elder should have been more proactive, considering he was in charge of the problem at hand.

Li Ming didn't have concrete evidence, but based on his speculations, the Tenth Elder was the likely culprit.

"What's the matter?" Li Xuan asked, noticing Li Ming's serious expression.

"Nothing. I'm just wondering who the culprit might be..." Li Ming sighed.

"Is that so?" Li Xuan thought for a moment. "I'd like to hear your opinion. Who do you think might be the culprit? I promise not to disclose your answer to anyone else, so feel free to share."

Li Xuan assured him that she wouldn't reveal his opinion to others. In fact, she expected Li Ming to mention Li Heng's name.

To her surprise, Li Ming mentioned the same name that had crossed her mind. "The Tenth Elder..."

"!!!" Li Xuan gasped. Initially, she suspected Li Heng, but she couldn't see any benefits for him in killing Li Ming. She asked, "Why do you think it's the Tenth Elder?"

"It's merely speculation on my part. If a clever person wanted to eliminate me, they would need to hold a high position and possess deeper knowledge of me to orchestrate such a plan. Remaining inconspicuous would provide the perfect cover. People would suspect others while you remain in a safe position. By attacking me after Li Heng's outburst, the Tenth Elder could use Li Heng as a diversion."

"..." Li Xuan let out a long sigh. She had also arrived at the same conclusion. "For now, I will conduct a secret investigation. If you don't mind, could you pretend to be injured? Since we can't do much in the next few days until our preparations are complete, why don't you take the opportunity to rest for two days?"

"Under the pretense of being injured, huh?" Li Ming weighed the pros and cons. Although he had agreed to create a geological map of the area, it didn't mean he had to complete it as quickly as possible.

Li Ming could use this period to reorganize his plans, especially regarding his safety. However, it would be too dull if he didn't do anything for the next two days. With Eyses, reorganizing his plans wouldn't be difficult.

"I understand. I will try to stay in my room for the next two days. But if you don't mind, could you bring me a lot of books to pass the time? If possible, I'd like books on history, culture, and martial arts."

"!!!" Li Xuan was slightly surprised by Li Ming's request for martial arts books. After all, those books formed the foundation of the Li Clan.

However, considering the recent assassination attempt, Li Ming might be feeling vulnerable and believed that improving his martial skills was necessary.

"I can provide you with those books. But I'm not entirely sure about the martial arts books. If I discuss it with my father, we might be able to provide you with some basic martial arts books. I can't make any promises, though."

"That's fine," Li Ming smiled, secretly thinking, "Hehe. I'll get a lot of books and finally have the time to learn more about the world's cultures and history."

"Still, how many books would you like?" Li Xuan asked, knowing that Li Ming wouldn't be able to read everything.

"Hmm... Bring me as many as you can. I'm a fast reader, so I can go through them quickly," Li Ming waved his hand casually. However, he knew that Eyses could scan the books and summarize their contents, significantly speeding up the process.

"I understand. We have our own library, but given the current situation, it might be challenging for you to visit. In that case, I will personally deliver your food and books. This way, I can check on you while providing you with updates on the investigation."

"Alright," Li Ming agreed, satisfied with the arrangement. On one hand, guns were currently powerful weapons, but on the other hand, locating hidden enemies would be challenging. If he could learn to sense their presence like Li Xuan, he would be somewhat safer.

As soon as they reached the Li Clan, Li Xuan stood up first and extended her hand toward Li Ming, as if helping him stand up. However, before he could reach for her hand, Li Ming realized that she was merely helping him maintain his pretense.

"What should I do?" Li Ming asked, spreading his arms.

"Please place your left hand on my left shoulder and make it look like you're struggling to walk. I will personally inform my father so that he can arrange the scene to make it more convincing," Li Xuan explained.

"Alright," Li Ming agreed and followed her instructions. She then held his left hand, and Li Ming began shifting his weight onto her, lowering their center of gravity slightly.

Li Xuan and Li Ming walked out, surprising those who saw them.

"Young Miss?" Gu Ling was startled by Li Ming's sudden change in condition.

"He was injured during the attack. However, due to the unsafe situation earlier, he tried to act tough. Gu Ling, accompany us and ensure his room is protected," Li Xuan explained.

"I... understand," Gu Ling nodded.

They proceeded toward Li Ming's room, unaware that there was a figure lurking in the shadows. The figure observed them from a corner before departing once it confirmed the situation.