Chapter 294: To Claim Half the South
The morning sun filtered through the heavy, silk curtains of the private suite, casting long, golden streaks across the rumpled bedsheets.
When Shen Yu opened his eyes, the absolute stillness of his mind dissolved instantly, replaced by the cold, calculating clarity of a master strategist.
The carnal storm of the previous night had completely purged the lingering irritation caused by the Empire’s sudden decree.
Beside him, Huo Lin was still fast asleep, curled tightly against his flank like a small, exhausted animal.
Her breathing was slow and deep, her pale skin bearing the dark, distinct marks of his bruising grips and the red flush of his heavy spanks.
Even in her sleep, one of her hands remained resting protectively over the dormant black lotus mark on her lower abdomen.
Gently disengaging her limbs from his torso, Shen Yu slid out of the grand bed without making a sound.
The cool morning air struck his bare chest as he stood up.
Glancing down, he saw the dried, glistening traces of their frantic union marking the sheets and smiled, a flash of possessive satisfaction crossing his handsome features.
He walked over to the bathroom, washing away the sticky residue of the night’s indulgence with refreshing spiritual water.
Once cleaned, he tapped his storage ring, drawing out a fresh set of dark green robes.
The silk was embroidered with subtle, deep-toned patterns that perfectly matched his calm, commanding presence.
He adjusted his collar in front of the mirror, offering his reflection a slow, knowing smirk.
Returning to the bedside, he saw that Huo Lin was still dead to the world, her body completely exhausted.
Finding a brush and a scrap of parchment, he penned a swift, elegant note and placed it on the nightstand beside her: ’Keep your ears to the ground for anything related to the Imperial Competition. Notify me the moment a whisper surfaces.’
Activating his Phantom Steps, Shen Yu dissolved into a weightless shadow, passing straight through the balcony and vanishing into the morning streets.
His destination was the hidden stronghold where Li Na managed his underground operations.
Moments later, he stepped into the unassuming tea house that served as her front.
Walking up to the reception desk, he spotted the exact same manager from before.
The man immediately recognized Shen Yu, though he didn’t move to bow.
Shen Yu offered the man a cool smile and flashed his black token.
The manager quickly bowed, leading him to the hidden passage door, but this time, he stepped back and let Shen Yu descend the stone staircase alone.
Shen Yu walked down the dimly lit corridor and pushed open the heavy door to Li Na’s private office without bothering to knock.
Li Na snapped her head up, a sharp reprimand ready on her lips, but the moment she recognized the imposing silhouette and the specific disguise, her tense posture dissolved.
She stepped out from behind her desk, smoothing her robes, and bowed deeply.
"Welcome back, Young Master Shen."
Shen Yu gave a brief, acknowledging nod.
"Young Master, Madam Tang has just sent an urgent secret letter regarding the imperial decree," Li Na reported, her expression turning incredibly grave as she extended a tightly sealed scroll toward him.
Shen Yu took the scroll, flicking his wrist to break the seal, and unrolled the parchment.
His eyes swept across the elegant script, absorbing the hidden intelligence reports gathered by the Tang Clan’s network.
As he read, a cold clarity settled in his chest.
Yilan’s words confirmed exactly what Huo Lin had discovered, this unprecedented, massive competition was being executed strictly within the southern region of the Crimson Lotus Empire.
Shen Yu slowly rolled the scroll back up, his golden eyes narrowing in deep thought.
Though his initial plans to orchestrate a slow, mutual economic slaughter had been aggressively disrupted by this sudden imperial interference, he quickly realized the board still leaned in his favor.
The stakes were monumental.
Whichever organization won this tournament wouldn’t just dominate the local city;,they would secure the official monopoly and direct backing of the Empire to supply the entire region of the city.
Cultivators, clans, and merchant caravans would completely abandon old establishments to buy exclusively from the empire-backed storefronts.
Even after accounting for the steep imperial taxes that would inevitably be levied, the sheer, staggering volume of guaranteed revenue would dwarf anything a single city market could ever generate.
He wasn’t ruined, he was simply playing for a much larger pot.
Since the true parameters of the competition remained shrouded in mystery for the next week, the rest of the city could only sit in agonizing, blind suspense.
For the major organizations and clans, this week would be a grueling psychological torment as they scrambled in the dark.
But for Shen Yu, it was an opportunity to breathe, reassess, and recalibrate his strategy from a position of absolute calm.
A dark, amused smile returned to his face as he looked at Li Na.
"Let them sweat for the next seven days. We will adjust our approach to take half of the entire southern region instead."
Hearing his words, Li Na froze, a look of profound shock locking onto her delicate features.
Her breath caught in her throat, but years of rigorous training kept her lips sealed.
She didn’t dare interrupt his line of thought, though inside, her mind was frantically calculating the sheer audacity of what he had just suggested.
To take half of the entire southern region.
The southern territory of the Crimson Lotus Empire consisted of exactly five major hub cities.
Thousand Waves City and Crimson Iron City were two of the primary pillars.
For Shen Yu to confidently state that they would secure half of the south meant his ambitions had already spanned across three entire metropolises.
As Shen Yu leaned back against the edge of her desk, his gaze grew distant, tracing the continental map pinned to the wall.
The path to this absolute regional hegemony was already forming with terrifying clarity in his mind.
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