Long Meihui was stunned before she finally realized that Xia Tian wasn't joking when he said he only cared about having fun and didn't care about who ruled or what.

He stood above rulers! Why should he care who holds power?

He only wanted this war to provide him with the most entertainment.

Yet Long Meihui was still doubtful. "Is Long You really that smart?"

Xia Tian sneered, "He is an idiot. Of course that patriarch of the Xia family, Xia Leng, anticipated something like this and made arrangements to unite the Zhang and Xia families in secret, through the engagement of Xia Chen with a member of the Zhang family."

Long Meihui sighed in relief before Xia Tian dropped a bomb and laughed maniacally.

"What happened?" she asked, surprised.

Xia Tian shook his head, grinning with intrigue. "It's nothing, but Xia Len is already in a coma because of me, and the last patriarch of the Zhang family can be considered dead, also thanks to me. So now, the previous arrangement of the Xia Family can be considered useless."

"..."

"..."

Long Meihui was speechless.

Whose side was Xia Tian really on?

Was he truly with the Xia family, or was he advocating for its destruction?

How could he eliminate two patriarchs from such powerful families in such positions?

And, both of them were supposed to be the last hope for the Xia family.

"You're not worried?" Long Meihui asked.

Xia Tian chuckled, "Worried? Why should I be worried? Isn't it more fun this way? Now I can go and drive that old man of mine, Xia Leng, insane by stealing his wives and concubines. It will make this war even more interesting!"

Long Meihui looked at the laughing man and took a deep breath. Just how wicked was he?

After a while, Long Meihui couldn't help but mutter with a hint of amusement, "Why is it that women are always used as sacrificial pawns in games like this?"

Xia Tian chuckled, pinching her cheek. "Are you too innocent, big breasts? Why do you think you enjoyed such luxuries and received such education? Wasn't it for this day?"

"So they raised us as weapons?" Long Meihui muttered, feeling a sense of displeasure, despite already knowing it.

Xia Tian laughed. "Let me tell you a story. Once, an emperor used his daughters and married them off to neighboring kingdoms to gain control over the entire land. His daughters secretly assassinated their husbands and he ruled the kingdom alone."

"Really?" Long Meihui was amazed. "When you think about it, it's not a bad idea. So, what happened next?"

Xia Tian sneered. "What else? The emperor's sons became jealous of his love for his daughters, and in the end, they brought about the downfall of one of the largest empires. History is proof that sons are nothing but brats! A father should love his daughters and eliminate the sons to avoid future trouble." Xia Tian spoke, pinching Xia Rouyan's cheeks. She looked at him with a mixture of grievances, showing her small fists, but he didn't stop and repeated his actions, eventually making the little girl surrender and look sideways with a pout. Xia Tian found it even more interesting and pecked her on the lips.

Long Meihui was amazed by Xia Tian's analysis. Just when she started to believe that Xia Tian was a smart man, he spoke about his true thoughts on daughters, making her smile wryly.

Xia Tian's smile grew faint as he observed Long Meihui deep in thought, her brow furrowed in contemplation. "Don't overthink it," he said, his voice carrying a tinge of amusement.

"These old foxes are ruthless, caring only about the survival of their clans. They use both their sons and daughters as mere chess pieces, manipulating their lives for their own gain. But you, can only see it from the perspective of a daughter, not the son who must also suffer for the sake of the clan. The old fox wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice his own son if a better heir appeared, or even sacrifice his wife or even himself and others, if it secured the long-term survival of the clan."

As Xia Tian's words sank in, Long Meihui's thoughts drifted to her martial brother, his engagement to Ye Suyin without even setting eyes on her, a decision solely based on her abilities that can benefit the clan.

It was a harsh reminder of the cold reality.

"But Long You is indeed a good leader," Xia Tian suddenly commented, surprising Long Meihui.

"He is a good leader?" The more she learned about him, the more she thought Long You was not a good person.

How could Xia Tian call him a good leader?

Xia Tian shook his head. Long Meihui was still too young to understand these things. "What do you think makes a good leader?"

After a brief pause, Long Meihui answered, "A good leader is strong, cares for his people, doesn't take unnecessary risks, is brave, and should be cunning..."

She described everything except what Xia Tian wanted to hear. He shook his head in disappointment.

ƥandasnovel·ƈom "Did I say something wrong?" she asked.I think you should take a look at pandasnovel.com

Xia Tian replied, "Everything was wrong."

Long Meihui protested, "You don't have to be so ruthless."

But Xia Tian never held back when it came to roasting women.

"A good leader!" he exclaimed. "A good leader is someone who can deal with power-hungry assholes!"

His statement left Long Meihui stunned before she let out a deep sigh.

Indeed, a good leader must possess the skills to navigate the treacherous waters of power-hungry individuals, lest they be consumed by them.

Long You, despite the looming threats from the Shen family, the Wei family, and even the Immortals, demonstrates a remarkable ability to coordinate and control these forces while keeping them in check.

In this aspect, Long You proves himself to be an excellent leader, ensuring that the collective's best interests are served.

Xia Tian further emphasized his point, adding, "Just as Long You controls a power-hungry woman like yourself."

Long Meihui was taken aback by his words, feeling a surge of surprise and a hint of agitation.

However, as her gaze met Xia Tian's penetrating eyes, she found herself unable to retort.

A realization began to dawn upon her.

Why was she always so willing to involve herself with different families, infecting them with her presence?

Whether it was the Xia family or the Shen family, hadn't it been driven by her own hunger for power?

Long Meihui had always taken pride in her intelligence, but Xia Tian's words had opened her eyes to a different truth.

Her body involuntarily softened in his embrace, shocked by the revelation.

So, that was it...

It dawned on her that while she had believed herself to be the one playing the game, cunning and intelligent, it was actually Long You who had been pulling the strings, manipulating her desires for power to serve his own agenda.

It all started with her desire to gain power to help her martial brother, Long Tian.

Long You must have recognized this vulnerability and seized the opportunity to exploit it.

Her long-held belief of being the master of her own destiny shattered into countless pieces.

The illusion she had crafted, where she thought she was in control, was torn apart. The sound of her shattered beliefs echoed like the breaking of glass.

Long Meihui's perception was shattered in the presence of Xia Tian, who belonged to a league far beyond her own.

She had willingly shut off her manipulative mind when dealing with him, recognizing his power.

But never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that she had been manipulated and played by Long You all along.

She had always seen herself as the cunning one, the one shaping her own destiny.

Her belief of forging her own destiny by aiding her martial brother lay in ruins.

She had naively assumed she held the reins of her own life, only to discover that she had been a mere pawn, her destiny manipulated from the shadows.

As Long Meihui's illusions crumbled, Xia Tian's wide grin secretly reflected his satisfaction.

The old fox was back with his cunning tricks to shatter others beliefs!

Another woman's beliefs shattered under the weight of Xia Tian's influence, adding to the growing list of those who underestimated the seasoned old foxes.

How could anyone dare to assume that their intelligence alone could topple the centuries of experience held by the cunning leaders of clans?

The geniuses among us often overlook the value of experience. It is for this reason that individuals with extraordinarily high IQs rarely rise to great heights or bring about significant reforms.

After what felt like an eternity, Long Meihui's voice barely escaped her lips, a mere whisper carried on the wind. "You are despicable... You should never toy with a woman's heart like this..." Her delicate hands trembled as they hovered above Xia Tian, who teasingly traced patterns on her thighs.

In Long Meihui's eyes, there were only two things she cherished above all else: intelligence and wisdom.