Fang Yi suddenly felt intense pain in his heart, yet a smile still hung on his face as he eagerly said, "Lady Liu, you can't say that. Although the Vajra Stronghold has lost some manpower, the Divine Water Palace is powerful. If we join forces, we can certainly annihilate the Heroic Sakura Association in one move. When that happens, we can split the territory and accumulated wealth of Changsheng Castle between us. Besides, those disciples from the Vajra Stronghold who have defected to Shi Feiyang aren't truly loyal to him, and some of them can serve as our insiders."

Liu Yanran listened to Fang Yi's words, appearing calm on the surface, but her heart was like a raging undercurrent.

At the thought of Shi Feiyang, the hatred in her heart flared up like a barrel of gunpowder set aflame, exploding uncontrollably.

Shi Feiyang repeatedly sabotaged her meticulously planned expansion schemes, causing her prestige in the Jianghu to plummet. This unprecedented humiliation was etched in her mind day and night, making her wish she could slice Shi Feiyang into a thousand pieces.

Now that Fang Yi had come forward proposing an alliance against the Heroic Sakura Association, it seemed like a perfect opportunity to bring Shi Feiyang to ruin, yet Liu Yanran, through her years of experience in the Jianghu, knew it wasn't that simple.

At this moment, a fierce wind howled and battered the windows and doors outside the hall with a loud "bang," as if echoing the turmoil in her heart. She pondered secretly whether Fang Yi genuinely sought cooperation, or if he had ulterior motives? Was he merely looking to use the Divine Water Palace for revenge for his father's death, only to turn on them once the deed was done, or even betray the Divine Water Palace outright?

Although the Divine Water Palace was strong, it couldn't easily get involved in such a complex conflict. What if this was a trap set by Fang Yi and Shi Feiyang? Wouldn't the painstaking efforts of the Divine Water Palace over the years be destroyed in one fell swoop? Moreover, could those disciples of the Vajra Stronghold who defected to Shi Feiyang truly be relied upon as insiders? Who could guarantee they weren't bait planted by Shi Feiyang, waiting for the Divine Water Palace to take it?

Thinking of this, Liu Yanran frowned deeply, her eyes revealing deep-seated wariness.

Just as Liu Yanran was caught in the throes of difficult decision-making, Liu Tingting suddenly interjected anxiously, "Mother, I think it's worth a try. Shi Feiyang has disrupted our plans several times; we cannot let him go this time."

When Liu Tingting mentioned Shi Feiyang, a flash of deep-seated resentment crossed her eyes.

Hearing her daughter's words, Liu Yanran's heart couldn't help but tremble.

She gazed at her daughter, her eyes filled with love and worry. Liu Tingting's intense hatred towards Shi Feiyang made Liu Yanran realize that this might be a chance for her daughter to exact revenge. Her daughter, having gained experience in the Jianghu for many years, always offered unique insights, and her words seemed to hold some truth.

However, Liu Yanran also felt worried whether her daughter, blinded by hatred, saw only the opportunity for revenge while overlooking the significant hidden risks? If they rushed to ally with the Vajra Stronghold and ended up severely wounded themselves, what then?

Liu Yanran looked at Fang Yi again, starting to weigh the pros and cons in her heart.

If the Divine Water Palace could leverage the Vajra Stronghold's power to defeat the Heroic Sakura Association, not only could they eliminate Shi Feiyang, a major threat, but also significantly expand their influence, enhancing their prestige in the Martial Arts world, and establishing themselves as a dominant force. However, the key to everything was maintaining the lead in the cooperation to avoid being constrained by Fang Yi.

Fang Yi's true intentions were elusive. If he suddenly turned against them during the collaboration, how would the Divine Water Palace respond? This thought weighed heavily on Liu Yanran's heart.

After careful deliberation, a bold plan emerged in Liu Yanran's mind. She decided to temporarily accept the cooperation proposal with Vajra Stronghold. On one hand, to deliver a fatal blow to Shi Feiyang, on the other, she intended to use this opportunity to probe Fang Yi's true intentions. If Fang Yi indeed harbored ulterior motives, she was confident she had the capability and strategy to handle it.

Therefore, Liu Yanran finally nodded with a stern expression, "Alright, I agree to cooperate with the Vajra Stronghold. But you'd better not play any tricks, or else you should be aware of the Divine Water Palace's means."

Despite this, deep down she had a foreboding that this cooperation might be a risky venture full of challenges and unknowns, and she and the Divine Water Palace were stepping into an unpredictable chess game.

Hearing this, Fang Yi felt a surge of joy and quickly replied, "Lady Liu, rest assured, Fang Yi always keeps his word and will not disappoint the Divine Water Palace." With that, he cupped his hands and bowed slightly to Liu Yanran before taking his leave.

In the Qingfeng Pavilion, the afterglow of the setting sun poured through the delicate window lattices like strands of golden silk, softly scattering on the ground, weaving dreamy and fantastical golden spots. Su Yao sat on an antique sandalwood chair, watching her daughter Yang Xue'Er return from playing, her face brimming with youthful vitality, her expression carrying some expectation and love as she straightforwardly expressed her intent to betroth the seventeen-year-old, youthful Yang Xue'Er to Shi Feiyang, thereby forming an alliance between Qingfeng Pavilion and the Heroic Sakura Association.

At the mention, Yang Xue'Er blushed instantly, the flush resembling the brilliant sunset on the horizon, spreading from her cheeks right to her ears.

She said coquettishly, "Mom, I'm still young! What's the rush to get married?" Her voice was bright and pleasing, like a golden oriole leaving the valley.

After speaking, she turned and ran away lightly like a startled fawn, leaving behind a string of bell-like footsteps.

Seeing her daughter's departing figure, Su Yao sighed helplessly, gently shook her head, her eyes full of doting and helplessness.

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