The Godfather sat in deep thought. From the moment he first encountered Silver Fox, he had known the man was no ordinary figure. He had used him, and soon after, Silver Fox had found Yin Mei, a rival of equal strength. The two had kept each other in check, a balance the Godfather had been quite satisfied with. But Yin Mei’s own greed had been his undoing. The Godfather had pushed Chonglou into the fray, not expecting much from him, but hoping he could hold the line long enough for a suitable replacement to be found.
Now, no suitable successor had appeared, and Chonglou had vanished. This signaled that Silver Fox’s rise was unstoppable. Did he really have to step in personally to deal with Silver Fox?
The Godfather pondered. For years, he had loved playing the role of the fisherman, waiting for the snipe and the clam to exhaust each other. He had no desire to become either the snipe or the clam.
She decided to visit Old Yao. She found the old man sitting comfortably in a rocking chair, swaying gently, seemingly enjoying life. Of course, one had to ignore the fact that Old Yao’s hair had turned completely white and her body had grown noticeably thinner.
"You don't seem to be doing well these days," the Godfather said, frowning slightly at Old Yao’s appearance.
"Old age brings its share of ailments," Old Yao replied, indifferent to his health. He took a sip of tea from a cup nearby and looked at the Godfather. "What brings you here? It seems you’ve run into trouble."
"If a traitor appeared in your Medicine Sect, what would you do?" the Godfather asked. "No, let me rephrase. If someone in your sect possessed power equal to yours, how would you react?"
"What else? I’d be happy," Old Yao said, glancing at her. "If someone’s skill matches or surpasses mine, I should only rejoice. Is this about my little apprentice? Rest assured, I’ve long known her medical skills exceed mine. I feel only joy, nothing else."
"You only feel joy? How can you be so calm?" The Godfather nearly flew into a rage, then paused. She realized their situations were different. The Holy Sect and the Medicine Sect were not the same. In the Medicine Sect, respect followed skill. First it was Old Yao, now it was Zhu Yanyi. The sect was united, with few disputes over利益 (interests). But the Holy Sect was different; every inch of territory involved significant利益 (interests).
"Let me put it this way," the Godfather continued. "Suppose you have two right-hand men who help you manage affairs. One dies unexpectedly, so you let the other take full control temporarily. Then you appoint a new person to take over the deceased’s responsibilities. But the one in full control refuses to hand over power. What would you do?"
Old Yao laughed heartily. "So you’re talking about Yin Mei and Silver Fox."
"How did you know?" the Godfather asked.
Old Yao’s expression remained calm. "It needs no guessing. You only ask about matters close to you. You valued both Silver Fox and Yin Mei, and you used the Holy Son as a pawn. Your arrangements were usually flawless, but you didn’t expect the Holy Son and Yin Mei to die simultaneously. With their deaths came a mess. You let Silver Fox take temporary charge. I can see his ability; he is a true talent. Moreover, Silver Fox is the type who guards his possessions fiercely. Once you gave him control of Yin Mei’s faction, he made it his own. Now you try to push a stranger in? Silver Fox wouldn’t give you the time of day."
"Fine, you’re right. It is about Silver Fox and Yin Mei. So, what would you do?" the Godfather pressed.
"Me?" Old Yao looked amused. "You forget, I am not you. I would never have founded the Holy Sect. Without the Holy Sect, there would be no Yin Mei or Silver Fox problem. Asking me this question yields no answer, old friend."
Old Yao closed his eyes. "Silver Fox’s power is established. You are old. If I were you, I would hand over the Holy Sect to him for free. You’ve failed to find a successor for years. Having Silver Fox inherit it is not a bad thing."
"What if I captured your apprentice and made her the heir?" the Godfather asked, looking at Old Yao.
Old Yao sneered. "If you have the ability." he opened his eyes. "Silver Fox’s power is set. And my apprentice’s strength is also set. She has grown up. If you had attacked her two years ago, you might have won. But now, you have lost that advantage. Do you think 'Little Divine Doctor' is a title given lightly? From the moment she first challenged the world, she began to grow into a towering tree. You can no longer control her."
"You have me in your hands," the Godfather stated bluntly.
Old Yao laughed. "You can try using me to threaten her. You’ll understand only after you try. What you do not cherish when you have it, you cannot cherish when you lose it."
The Godfather stared at Old Yao for a long time before speaking. "If I had to name the most cunning old fox in this world, it would be you." He stood up. "I have a feeling we will meet your apprentice again soon."
Old Yao paused, then sighed. "I hope those days do not come too soon. If they come too early, the child may already be preparing for a full-scale counterattack."
Old Yao knew her little apprentice well. She knew that if Zhu Yanyi appeared before her, she would be ready to fight the Godfather. Yet, looking at the true Godfather before her, she did not wish for those days to arrive too soon. She feared Zhu Yanyi might not withstand the blow.
The Godfather understood Old Yao’s meaning. She sneered. "Old Yao, you are inferior in this regard. As the Little Divine Doctor, Zhu Yanyi has experienced more than we imagine. If she appears before us early, it means she is already prepared. Do you really think your apprentice is so foolish?"
Old Yao hesitated, then smiled bitterly. "I can barely save myself, yet I worry about this girl. I am indeed old. Some things must be experienced by the girl herself."