Chapter 653 The Plan
“Old Mr. Osborne…”
Feeling incredulous, Jay widened his eyes in disbelief at Mason. “No, I should be the head of the family! It is my right!” Jay said. “Stop!”
Everett lifted his right hand, and his strong spiritual energy immobilized Jay within his force field. Everett was the most rational man in the Osborne family. As such, even if he was subduing Jay, Mason made no protest and let the latter do as he saw fit.
At the moment, Jay couldn’t move a single muscle or talk. However, there was an unmistakable look of indignance in his bloodshot eyes. Everett let out a sigh.
“Jay, I know that you must think that I’ve snatched your position as the head of the family away from you. However, I want you to think carefully about your grandfather’s intention. If he continues to support you to assume the position, will you be able to repress those who stand against you in doubt? If you can’t subdue them, what do you think will happen to you then?”
Everett did not elaborate further after that.
After all, some words were better left unsaid.
If Everett said nothing else, Mason would turn out to be a man who had the Osborne family’s best priorities at heart by annulling his own line and supporting Everett. Meanwhile, Everett would return the favor by protecting Jay in the future.
However, if Everett chose to put it all out on the table, Mason would become a scheming man who was trying to protect his own bloodline by promoting Everett, who was on his side.
Whether or not Everett chose to put all cards on the table would spell different intentions for everyone involved in the situation.
Fortunately, though Jay was hysterical from losing his position as the head of the family, his sense of rationality was still intact.
Everett’s words made him fall into deep thought.
After a few minutes, Jay slowly blinked his eyes.
Seeing that, Everett waved his hand to dissipate the spiritual energy he used to control the young man.
Jay slumped to the floor. Immediately afterward, he crawled over to Mason’s side and kneeled before his grandfather.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Jay banged his head against the floor forcefully three times, and when he lifted his head, his forehead was a bloody mess.
“Thank you, Grandpa! Thank you, Uncle Everett! I understand now…”
Mason leaned back in his chair after hearing that.
“Jay, if you wish to stand your ground in our family and not get dragged down by others, or at least not get stabbed in the back by others, your cultivation level has to be God Realm, at least. You have much to learn from your uncle,” Mason commented.
“Yes, Grandpa,” replied Jay in a choking voice.
“Get up,” Mason said impassively.
Knowing that his nephew was drained of his energy, Everett secretly helped him to stand with his spiritual energy. Thankful for his uncle’s support, Jay turned to nod at him.
Meanwhile, Mason spoke again.
“Everett, what’s your opinion on what’s going on in Yaleview?”
Everett frowned slightly when he noticed Mason turning his attention back on himself.
He knew that the latter would not talk of making him the successor of the patriarch of the Osborne family lightly.
Everett reckoned that the old man would ask his opinion on any matters from then onward to groom him to become the true patriarch of the Osborne family.
He mulled over it for some time before saying, “The fact that the Salladay family has worked together with Wilbur to kill Joshua has not only changed the power dynamics in the mundane world, but also the power dynamics of the eight respectable families. The Salladays are now the head of the eight respectable families. The massacre of the Whitley family over a decade ago has surely served as a stark reminder of their potential demise should the seven other respectable families rise up against them.”
Everett paused before he continued, “This mission this time, including the combined forces of us and six other respectable families, will surely target Karl from Eastern Army, or even the other seven kings of Asura’s Office, or even the foreign army to bring balance to the current power dynamic.”
Jay took a few nervous gasps when he heard Everett’s words, and he deliberately lowered his head.
Even respectable families seldom talked of the foreign army.
After all, no matter how the eight respectable families fought for dominance with Asura’s Office of Yaleview, it was an inner power struggle of Chanaea. However, they would be considered committing treason should it ever involve a foreign army.
The notion was prohibited under all circumstances. Even if the respectable families could not care less about the power succession of the royalty, they knew talks of the foreign army were the bottom line.
Respectable families could only thrive if Chanaea was at peace.
The survival of respectable families would be hanging by a thread if the sovereignty of the country was threatened.
Mason nodded slightly as he listened to Everett’s analysis.
“Good, but it’s not good enough,” Mason said after taking a sip of tea.
“Firstly, if anyone dares to work with a foreign army, it will give the other respectable families the perfect justification to wage war. Nobody’s that stupid. Secondly, only Asura’s Office and Karl’s Eastern Army are able to hold off six hundred thousand Yaleview Army. Other Kings of War under Asura’s office, notably Dorian and Zachary, have suffered severe injuries. Even if they were all working together, they’re all but five Grandmaster Realm cultivators. That is nothing up against respectable families like us. As for the army under their command, they’re not powered by high technology, unlike Eastern Army. So, they are no rival against Yaleview Army. So, you can give up on your notion of roping in Kings of War. Well, that is unless you’re confident that you could rope in at least three Kings of War, alongside their armies, to rally to our cause.”
Three Kings of War, he said?
Everett felt powerless when he heard the number.
These Kings of War had only joined forces with Jonathan because they were against respectable families. Even Karl, who had removed himself from Asura’s Office, was an uncertainty, much less the others.
It would be easier to kill the armies than to change their minds.
“Uncle Everett, so there’s nothing we can do to stop the Salladay family from expanding?” Jay asked.
“That’s where you’re wrong,” Mason snickered.
“Eight years ago, the Master of Annihilation from the west prophesized the ending of our eight respectable families. Either there would be three remaining strong ones, or there would be only one left standing. Now, I finally see the rationale behind his words. However, the best way to keep the Yaleview Army in line is to work together with our arch enemy, Asura’s Office.”
“Asura’s Office…” Everett cast a doubtful glance at Mason and said, “Uncle Mason, Jonathan has killed Garrison, and Jay has nearly killed Jonathan’s aunt. I see no way to resolve this blood feud.”
“Who said we’re going to resolve this?” Mason said as a murderous glint fleeted across his eyes.
“What we need now is not a partner who can play on a level field with us. In fact, we just need a dog that obeys us. The Yaleview Goldstein family has been exiled to Gronga on the orders of Jonathan, right? Send two Grandmaster Realm cultivators and an army to seize control of them. Since Xavion has gone to Doveston to look for Karl, send Pentonius and Alan both to Edenic Heights in Jadeborough City to abduct Jonathan’s wife. Jay, you shall lead them in this operation,” Mason said.
“Understood,” Jay hurriedly replied.
A look of hatred filled his eyes.
If it weren’t for Jonathan, he would not have lost the succession right of the patriarchy of his family. It was all because of Jonathan’s scheme that he lost his birthright. Hence, he vowed to avenge himself in this operation.
Jay was still oblivious to the fact that the aphrodisiac that he ingested was concocted by Joshua.
He was still blaming everything on Jonathan.
However, just when he was thinking of his plans to avenge himself, Mason’s voice rang again.
“Jay, I’ve ordered you to lead the operation because I’m trying to use Jonathan’s wife as a pawn to make him submit to us. However, if you go over the line and offend him further, steering us further from our cause, please do us a favor and kill yourself. Your uncle and I will do our best to protect you, but you really do not have many chances left to prove yourself.”
