Chapter 223: Chapter 223: Wavering
"Brother, you don’t blame me for this?" Jin Zhengying quickly grabbed Jin Zhengxiong’s hand placed on her and asked with an uncertain and slightly incredulous look.
For a moment, Jin Zhengxiong seemed to truly see the childhood versions of the two of them, and his already soft heart softened even more.
"What’s with that expression of yours? When have I, as your brother, ever lied to you? I don’t blame you for this matter. Jin Ling and Jin Long are my only two grandchildren, and I tend to spoil them a bit. Eighty percent of what they tell me is exaggerated. But let me be clear, I don’t blame you for this, but you must not deceive me. You have to tell me the whole story from beginning to end." Jin Zhengxiong asked seriously.
Initially believing she was facing an insurmountable cliff, Jin Zhengying looked at Jin Zhengxiong in surprise. She truly did not expect that behind this cliff lay a hidden village with a path to survival when the situation seemed hopeless.
Without any more concealment, Jin Zhengying explained everything she had investigated in detail to Jin Zhengxiong, though she deliberately overlooked Jin Yuyan’s attitude after the incident and instead focused on the conflict between Xu Ke and the siblings Jin Ling and Jin Long.
"This is simply outrageous! Two vicious people viciously attacking these children just because of a couple of jokes made by Jin Ling and Jin Long? It’s clear they’re far from innocent people. Keeping such individuals in Lo City’s high society is simply an insult to your family." Jin Zhengxiong angrily tapped his cane as he spoke.
"These two are truly arrogant. I must seek revenge for Xiaolong and Xiaoling, but since I’ve just arrived in Lo City and can’t compare to your many years of influence here, I don’t know what their backgrounds are or what forces stand behind them. As Xiao Bao and Xiaoling’s second grandfather, you’ll help them get revenge, right?" Jin Zhengxiong asked, looking at his brother.
Jin Zhengying’s face showed a bitter smile, "Xiaoling and Xiaolong are your grandchildren and mine too. Do you think it doesn’t bother me or I don’t want to stand up for them? It’s not that I don’t want to, but I’m unable to. While dealing with the female side is relatively easy since she’s from Lo City, the male is no ordinary person."
Seeing that Jin Zhengxiong’s curiosity was piqued, Jin Zhengying wiped non-existent tears from her eyes and continued, "This man has his own influence in Shangjing and is deeply scheming. The Yun Family in Lo City was previously defeated by him. Such a large family, gone in less than half a year without a trace left. The Jin family now is down to just me, half a foot in the grave, and a yet-to-mature Yuyan. How dare we provoke such a menacing figure?" said the elder partially feigning sincerity.
"Are you serious? Is this guy really that formidable? But how come he looks to me just like a slick-talking hooligan?" Jin Zhengxiong frowned, the wrinkles around his eyes gathering as he squinted, obscuring much of his pupils and hiding his emotions.
"We crawled out of the same womb; how could I deceive you for an outsider?" Jin Zhengying couldn’t see Jin Zhengxiong’s gaze, feeling a bit panicked, but having lived so long, his heavily wrinkled face did not reveal the slightest hint of anxiety.
"How could I doubt you? It’s just that I’m amazed these young people are so formidable these days, already surpassing the older generation. But no matter how formidable he is, this is a grievance I cannot swallow. If he can deal with one Yun Family, I refuse to believe that the two Jin families combined can’t beat him, a young upstart." Jin Zhengxiong gritted his teeth and spoke resentfully.
"As the old saying goes, ’When brothers work together, their strength can cut through gold.’ You won’t refuse me, will you?" Jin Zhengxiong held onto Jin Zhengying’s hand, watching the expression on his brother’s face as he asked.
While he had no intention of turning against his brother, he was still resentful of the other’s inaction. Regardless, he was destined to be a part of this muddy situation with him.
With these words, Jin Zhengying immediately understood his brother’s meaning, suppressing any dissatisfaction, and nodded, "Of course, I won’t refuse you in this matter. However, we must not underestimate them because of their age. We should plan carefully, aiming for a surefire strike that leaves the opponent no chance to retaliate."
When Jin Zhengying said these words, he appeared upright and earnest as if the previous refusal hadn’t come from him at all.
"I never imagined the two of us siblings would ever fight side by side again after so many years. It’s really a nostalgic feeling," Jin Zhengxiong reminisced. "Since we are facing him together, you should share with me the information you have on him. Only by knowing both your enemy and yourself can you fight a hundred battles without defeat. By understanding him, we can devise a perfect strategy." Jin Zhengxiong said with a smile.
"Of course, but I don’t have it on hand and need my subordinates to organize it. Meanwhile, you should take the opportunity to rest and tell me immediately if you feel discomfort. Don’t push yourself too hard." Jin Zhengying said, looking worriedly at Jin Zhengxiong.
"Alright, I’ll go rest then." Jin Zhengxiong showed a trace of fatigue as he walked to his room with his assistant’s help and a servant’s guidance.
Watching the two disappear completely from sight, Jin Yuyan, who had been acting mute, finally spoke up with a worried look, "Grandfather, do we really have to help Granduncle deal with Xu Ke?"
"No matter what your Granduncle says, he’s a blood relative born from the same mother. Even if we break a bone, the muscles are still connected. Now, he hasn’t cut ties with us as we thought, so why should we target our kin? If it hadn’t been critical earlier, I wouldn’t have thought of such a solution, but now things haven’t followed the path we imagined. Indeed, our previous strategy could use some adjustments." Jin Zhengying said slowly, glancing at Jin Yuyan.
"But Grandfather, don’t you remember what you told me before? You said Xu Ke is not someone we can provoke, and now you plan to go poke a tiger in the eye. This is far too dangerous for the Jin family." Jin Yuyan replied disapprovingly.