Motives

"In that case, I'll leave you here for the time being. I'll report to my father before bringing you the books later tonight."

"Sure," Li Ming nodded in agreement.

Li Xuan closed the doors and instructed Gu Ling to guard the area. Now that Li Ming had become a target of assassination, he couldn't help but ponder what he should do to ensure his safety.

Li Ming walked over to the table on the opposite side of the room and began writing down the information he had gathered so far, including his suspicions about the tenth elder.

"If Li Heng is the one behind the assassination attempts, his plans would be ruined by his own actions. But if it's the tenth elder, the motives might be different," Li Ming contemplated.

He thought for a moment before turning to Eyses for assistance. "What motives could the tenth elder have?"

Eyses responded, "There are five possible motives: working with a rival clan, involvement in a political movement, affiliation with a secret organization, seeking revenge, or an interest in your knowledge."

Li Ming furrowed his eyebrows. "The first reason seems highly plausible. As for the political movement, I'm not well-versed in the power struggles within the clan, so I can't say for sure. It's possible that the tenth elder, like Li Heng, is supporting either Li Xuan's first or second brother. Now that Li Xuan is working with me, it's possible that the patriarch is considering marrying me into the family to secure our wealth and leadership."

He took a moment to consider the other possible motives. "A secret organization... I've only recently arrived here, so I have no knowledge of such organizations. And revenge, I can't think of anything I've done to warrant that. Lastly, my knowledge... killing me wouldn't erase the knowledge itself; it would only slow down progress."

Li Ming rubbed his temples. Among the five motives, he believed that the first two were the most likely. With the possibility of future attacks in mind, he gathered all his equipment and laid them out on the table.

"I have a bulletproof vest, which offers some protection against bullets but not against sharp blades. It's better than nothing. I also have my helmet and guns. For now, I have enough ammunition to handle a few hundred people if they come at me head-on."

He pondered for a moment, considering what else he could do to improve his safety. Meanwhile, Li Xuan had reported the situation to her father.

"What do you think, Father? I'm concerned that this incident might infuriate Li Ming," Li Xuan sighed.

"I see. It appears that the situation is more serious than I initially thought. You needn't worry. Since we have few suspects at the moment, I will mobilize some forces for a covert investigation. However, you must remain vigilant, as I don't believe the culprit will give up until their objective is accomplished," Li Changming explained.

"Why are they so persistent?" Li Xuan furrowed her brows. "In the end, we are still one big family."

"This is precisely why you are not yet qualified to become the patriarch. While you possess the intelligence and capabilities, you still view the Li Clan as one big family. Despite blood being thicker than water, individuals will act if the price is right."

Li Xuan couldn't refute his words. She silently agreed, "What are your thoughts on their motives?"

"Perhaps their goal is to weaken the Li Clan... As you know, just as we have planted our spies in other clans, it is likely that those clans have done the same to us. This spy might be attempting to weaken us upon witnessing Li Ming's brilliance."

"Other clans, huh?" Li Xuan pondered, recalling the geography. "There is the Zhang Clan to the north, known as the Zhang Clan of the Nomadic Shadows. They excel in stealth and guerrilla warfare. Could they be the culprits, using assassinations as their method?"

"No, I believe it's the Wu Clan to the southeast. The nature of this attempt doesn't align with the Zhang Clan's style. Even if they are not mobilizing their forces, their assassination plan would be far more sophisticated."

"I see," Li Xuan nodded, understanding his reasoning. "In any case, we must thoroughly investigate this matter. If I can't provide an explanation to Li Ming, the situation will only become more complicated."

"I understand. You focus on taking care of Li Ming and overseeing the project. I'll assign someone else to handle the investigation."

"Understood," Li Xuan clasped her hands and left the room. As she walked through the hallway, she couldn't help but contemplate. There was a high chance of another attempt since Li Ming had survived the previous attacks. With his injuries, the enemy would likely take advantage of his condition to strike.

However, Li Xuan knew the neutrality of the dragon houses. With Gu Ling guarding Li Ming's courtyard, it was highly unlikely that any attacker would dare to approach. Gu Ling was as strong, if not stronger, than her.

That left only one possibility for the attacker to target Li Ming.

Just as she was contemplating this, a familiar voice echoed from behind.

"Well, well... To think I would run into you here, Sister."

"!!!" Li Xuan turned around and saw Li Heng approaching with a tray filled with food. This was highly unusual since Li Heng was a prideful individual.

"What are you doing, Li Heng?" Li Xuan asked, glaring at him. She suspected that he had a hidden agenda.

"Oh, my. To think you would assume the worst of me, your younger brother. I'm hurt," Li Heng smirked evilly. "I heard about the attack on our guest, Li Ming. I was worried about you, but it seemed that Li Ming was the one injured. Since you didn't have a chance to eat earlier, I thought I'd bring some porridge for Mr. Li Ming."

Li Xuan's eyebrows twitched. Inwardly, she thought, "Are you the one attempting to assassinate Li Ming? Do you think I don't know that after the assassination attempts failed, you would resort to indirect methods? That food tray must be poisoned."

Li Xuan wanted to confront Li Heng immediately, but doing so would risk destroying the evidence.

Instead, she decided to retrieve the evidence first and report it to her father.

"Is that so?" Li Xuan forced a smile. "In that case, let me bring the food to Li Ming personally. We were just attacked, so I'm sure he has a hard time trusting others."

Li Heng hesitated for a moment before handing over the tray. "Alright then. I'll leave it to you. Please tell him to get well soon."

"Sure," Li Xuan nodded. It seemed that Li Heng didn't realize her true intentions in taking possession of the food. She quickly left, planning to have the physician of the clan examine it for any signs of poison.

Unbeknownst to her, Li Heng's intentions were even more devious than she could imagine. As soon as he saw Li Xuan leave, he wore a sinister smile.

"Hehe. You've fallen into my trap. I've been waiting for this opportunity to hand the food tray to you. If someone as beautiful as you brings it to Li Ming, there's no way he won't develop feelings for you. You think you can suppress me by using Father's influence? I've been biding my time, pushing both of you together. Once you marry him, your influence will no longer be a concern."

Li Heng had never considered assassination as an option. Instead, he saw it as an opportunity to bring Li Xuan and Li Ming closer together, removing Li Xuan as a future candidate for the patriarch position.

However, Li Xuan was oblivious to his true intentions. She arrived at Li Ming's courtyard and handed him the tray of food.

"Since you didn't have a chance to eat earlier, please have this. I'll bring your books later," Li Xuan said, her eyes fixed on the dishes.

Li Ming looked at the food with a serious expression. Understanding his concern, Li Xuan reassured him, "Don't worry, there's no poison in it."

"I know... It's just..." Li Ming scratched the back of his head. "I think this is the first time the food has gone cold."

Li Xuan's mind raced, realizing that the food had cooled down due to her delayed actions. She couldn't explain this to Li Ming without revealing her true intentions.

"Well, I apologize. There were some complications," Li Xuan said, trying to brush it off.

Li Ming waved his hand, dismissing her concerns. "It's fine, food is food. Thank you for bringing it."

Li Ming took the tray and closed the door, leaving Li Xuan standing there awkwardly.

Li Xuan didn't know what to do. In the end, she decided to distract herself by finding the books Li Ming had requested.