Chapter 174 Aftermath I
"So, you did nothing?"
Liang Tianye sat before his Senior Brother with a large scowl on his face. What happened outside the Grotto Heaven was like a thorn in his heart. All his plans had been for moot. His countless preparations ended up in vain as nothing progressed as he expected.
"What could I do at that juncture, Senior Brother? All our preparations ended up for nothing. The situation at that time didn't favor us at all. Moreover, those elders sent over by the First Grand Elder were watching me like a hawk. If I dared to start an incident with no excuse, then it would end disastrously," Liang Tianye lamented.
"Disastrous! Disastrous! We are the demons Junior Brother! We bring disaster! Does a demon need an excuse to cause disaster!?" Sect Master Yun exploded suddenly in anger.
Liang Tianye was shocked to see his Senior Brother lose his calm. He had never seen his Senior Brother lose composure like this ever. Thankfully, his Senior Brother's rage only lasted for a few moments.
Liang Tianye watched apprehensively as his Senior Brother calmed himself quickly. He never expected such a small thing to trigger his Senior Brother this much. In his opinion, this wasn't a big issue at all.
What if those experts walked away? Sheep are always destined to be sheep. If not now, they could kill them whenever they wanted. It wasn't difficult for them at all. So, he didn't really think his Senior Brother's overreaction was warranted.
Yun Shinjie calmed himself down forcefully and put on a pleasant smile that he often wore. It wasn't benevolent or anything. But, it put people at ease while hiding his true emotions. This was a mask that he had cultivated for a long time.
Looking at his Junior Brother who still didn't understand the repercussions of his failure, he felt like ripping out his Junior Brother's soul and torturing it for fun. However, he didn't show any such emotion outwards.
This was a plan that had been brewing for centuries. As a member of the famed Yun family, if he succeeded in executing it, his standing amongst his family would rise up a notch.
In the Yun family, it wasn't martial prowess or cultivation realm that determined the status of the individual. The status of an individual was determined by the value of masterplans they meticulously crafted and executed. Their family valued individuals who are able to plan and execute things that were impossible. That is how their family derived their fame.
This plan to make the Aghori Path descend into this world was originally not his to execute. His father had pulled a lot of strings to allow him this opportunity to showcase his talents. The amount of favors his father had exchanged to provide him with this opportunity was simply mindnumbing.
That was because this wasn't a simple plan to destroy a small world.
The descent of the Aghori Path into this world wasn't a simple matter. There were a lot of secrets and conspiracies behind this event. And this wasn't just a single standalone event.
This was the first lynchpin in a myriad of connecting plans that spanned several worlds. The importance of such a step couldn't be emphasized enough. If there was a mistake in the execution of this event, the consequences could be disastrous for his family and everyone involved.
Those who were waiting for it wouldn't tolerate failure.
Looking at his clueless Junior Brother, Yun Shinjie felt like bashing his head on the table between them. His Junior Brother was a smart one. He was both meticulous and ruthless. Furthermore, he didn't have those pesky things like moralities and other irritating stuff.
It was the reason he had selected him to be his right-hand man. It was the reason he had recommended him to his sect and cultivated him into a powerhouse that could stand above almost everyone in this world.
But, right now, his Junior Brother wasn't acting up to his expectations. How can a master plan be simple? For a master plan to be completed, every step must be interlocked and precise. One misstep would end up alerting their enemies. That was something he didn't want to see at all.
"Liang Tianye," Yun Shinjie said in a serious voice causing his Junior Brother to look up at him, "your failure to execute my instructions has created several problems. I told you Junior Brother, right when I recruited you to be my right-hand man, that I don't tolerate mistakes or failure. Even if I do, the people we are working for wouldn't tolerate things like this."
Liang Tianye blanched upon hearing his Senior Brother's words. An uncharacteristic fear appeared on his face as he process his Senior Brother's words. If anyone had looked at his current state, they would be shocked to see the ever-dominating and arrogant Liang Tianye showing naked fear.
"Do you think this was something minor? If there is no conflict with other sects at this juncture, how are we to drain the strength of the Heavenly Demon Sect? Do you think no one is capable of stopping us?" Yun Shinjie asked harshly.
"Senior Brother, there was nothing there I could do," Liang Tianye said in a hoarse voice that was still filled with fear. "We can't tip our hands while the First Grand Elder is watching us closely. Moreover, there were people from other hegemonic sects as well. Not to mention those juniors from the Central Continent. Creating an incident without proper cause will draw all their attention and..."
"Excuses!" Yun Shinjie cut his Junior Brother off unceremoniously. "So, what if your disciple walked out alive unexpectedly? What if there was no one willing to stand out and clamor? What if you were being monitored by the people sent by that old foggie? Don't even talk to me about those juniors from the Central Continent. Do you think I care about all these trivial matters?"
Yun Shinjie asked in a soft voice that was akin to someone sliding a blade through silk. Liang Tianye shut his mouth and looked at his Senior Brother fearfully. He knew at this moment that his Senior Brother was really angry with his conduct. He just didn't know what else he could have done at that moment.
"I gave you a simple task. Cause a fight to emerge between the Heavenly Demon Sect and other forces in the continent. But, you couldn't even accomplish that simple thing. Moreover, you are spouting all these excuses. Liang Tianye, the people we work for aren't some righteous cultivators who can be swayed by arguments. You must know this clearly…"
Liang Tianye gulped and nodded. Seeing his Junior Brother's reaction, Yun Shinjie let out a small sigh.
"Let me tell you how badly you have screwed up. Why do you think I facilitated for this particular Grotto Heaven to be opened as the last one? It was because it was near the Heavenly Demon Sect. This was at the doorstep of a demonic sect. How can there be no confrontations and fighting when dealing with such a thing? This was the biggest opportunity to push the Heavenly Demon Sect into a fight with other powers."
"But, what have you done? You have missed such a golden opportunity. Now, if I need to create a fight between the Heavenly Demon Sect and other powers in this continent, I will need to come up with another plan. I can't be hasty about it either. If I leave some handles, then those old foggies in the Central Continent will be alerted."
"This would take at least a few months to operate. Now that the First Grand Elder is already suspecting us, do you think he won't scrutinize my actions after this? Furthermore, there are only a few months left for the Aghori Path to descend. The more chaos that surrounds the region, the easier it will be for the Aghori Path to descend. How else do you expect me to create chaos at that level within the next few months?"
Yun Shinjie spoke and looked at his Junior Brother calmly. Liang Tianye had a ghastly expression on his face as he realized what kind of blunder he had done. He had been too worried about leaving clues, that he forgot about the reasons for his Senior Brother's instructions.
"Sigh," Yun Shinjie shook his head. "There is no use crying over spilled milk. We have missed out on a golden opportunity. Now, we must concentrate on how to induce as much chaos as possible in a short amount of time without being too blatant about it."
"However," Yun Shinjie paused and looked at Liang Tianye. A cold gleam flashed through his eyes causing Liang Tianye to straighten his spine. "Remember this, Junior Brother. I will not tolerate another blunder like this. This is your last chance. Do not test my patience."
Liang Tianye gulped and nodded solemnly.
"There must be no mistakes after this. As for worrying about exposing your tracks, you can forget about it. The situation has become critical. I once thought things would develop smoothly as I planned and we can simply ensure things progressed in the right way from behind the scenes."
"But, it looks like we must get our hands dirty soon. Prepare yourself, these next few months will be the most important time in both our lives. Failure is not an option for both of us, do you understand?"
Liang Tianye gave a curt nod and sat up straight.
"What are your instructions, Senior Brother?" Liang Tianye asked humbly without any of his arrogance present.
"Let me think…"
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