What do you want?

Ah! Over-exercising one's brain inevitably brings a splitting headache, and Meng Hu, currently feeling like he had stumbled into a dead end, was experiencing precisely that agony.

Fang Tianming, Fang Tianyou—the two names echoed and alternated continuously in his mind.

Meanwhile, Lin Yang, still fixated on the word "pervert," remained oblivious to Meng Hu's unusual state. With a look of extreme annoyance and murderous fury blazing in his eyes, Lin Yang glared at the man before him—the man whose erratic expressions had now settled back to normal, Fang Tianyou.

Seeming to sense that something was amiss with Meng Hu, Fang Tianyou, who had yet to reveal his true intentions, was the first to turn his head toward him. Meng Hu's muttered, repetitive murmuring naturally reached his ears.

Fang Tianming, Fang Tianyou. Meng Hu was still repeating the two names flashing alternately through his mind.

"Hahaha, it seems someone has guessed something!" Fang Tianyou sneered, fixing his gaze on Meng Hu, who was rubbing his aching head.

Just as Lin Yang noticed Meng Hu's deeply furrowed brow and intended to step forward to snap him out of it, Meng Hu suddenly calmed down. He raised his head with an expression of sudden enlightenment and realization.

"Fang Tianming, Fang Tianyou. Similar appearances, close names—what is your relationship?" Meng Hu's questions were always piercing, and this time was no exception. He lifted his chin, stared straight into Fang Tianyou's eyes, and demanded coldly.

Prompted by Meng Hu's question, Lin Yang finally realized that the man before him truly did bear a striking resemblance to Fang Tianming, the scapegoat who had been murdered at the abandoned yard.

"Fang Tianming is my older brother," Fang Tianyou said. Though his tone carried a clear undertone of grief, he quickly masked it well. Seeing the expressions of sudden realization dawn on the two men, he suddenly burst into wild laughter. "What? You're only figuring this out now?"

"Indeed. But I'm curious—why have you stopped pursuing the matter of the item, and instead brought up your older brother Fang Tianming?" The speaker was Meng Hu. Always cautious and prudent, he was far more mature than Lin Yang, and his words invariably struck straight to the heart of the matter. For Fang Tianyou, who had initially been obsessing over a life for a life and demanding the return of the item, this shift was indeed rather strange.

"Hmph, did I ever say I didn't want the item anymore?" Fang Tianyou retorted with a disdainful, cold snort in response to Meng Hu's inquiry.

True enough. Upon careful recollection, Fang Tianyou had never actually said he didn't want the item; the topic had merely been preempted by the matter of Fang Tianming.

As for the true cause of Fang Tianming's death, the ones most familiar with it were naturally those who had been present at the abandoned yard. Among those currently here, Lin Yang was the one who had taken direct action. Yet, what connection did Fang Tianming's death have with the visitor showing up at their doorstep? At least for now, neither Lin Yang nor Meng Hu could find a highly viable and persuasive point of entry.

Ignoring Meng Hu, Fang Tianyou turned his head and fixed his gaze once more upon Lin Yang. This time, Fang Tianyou's expression was noticeably more solemn and serious than before. Staring intently at Lin Yang's face, he opened his mouth and asked in a deep voice, "Lin Yang, can you tell me what happened at the abandoned yard that day?"

"What is it that you want to know?" Lin Yang feigned ignorance, playing dumb. As a participant in the events, and given Fang Tianyou's identity, any normal person would have guessed what the other party was after upon hearing such a question. Yet Lin Yang repeatedly played dumb, which was genuinely irritating.

Retaliation—Lin Yang certainly held that thought in mind when he uttered those words. After all, the fellow had played plenty of tricks on him earlier; now, turning the tables on him just a little bit genuinely made him feel much better inside.

However, Lin Yang had underestimated Fang Tianyou's endurance. Far from showing the slightest sign of anger at Lin Yang's redundant question, Fang Tianyou maintained an amiable demeanor and said, "I want to know the true cause of my older brother Fang Tianming's death."

"The true cause?" Lin Yang was somewhat bewildered. Did the man not know how his brother had actually died? Or had something else happened in between?

Seeming to perceive the doubt in Lin Yang's heart, Fang Tianyou honestly recounted the explanation their family clan had provided to his branch of the family. Hearing an account that was completely divorced from reality, Lin Yang's brow furrowed tightly. To hear that he had been killed by enemies made Lin Yang furious; the reason for his anger was likely twofold—feeling a sense of injustice that the Fang family had concealed the truth from Fang Tianyou, and harboring deep resentment for Fang Tianming, who had served as a scapegoat only to be kept in the dark and ultimately murdered.

For this reason, Lin Yang did not try to toy with the man any further. With a serious expression and a low voice, he said, "That's not how it happened." Following that, he briefly outlined the scenes that had unfolded at the abandoned yard. After all, so much had happened that detailing everything step-by-step would simply take too much time.

At the most thrilling parts of Lin Yang's recounting, it was as if he were reliving the battlefield of that day once again. He failed to notice that with every word he spoke—especially regarding everything that had happened to his older brother, how his brother had ultimately fallen victim to the blade, and the burning anger of carrying multiple false charges as a scapegoat only to be murdered by his own people—

"Fang Muren truly deserves to die. He genuinely deserves to die." Fang Tianyou's voice carried a trace of fury, underpinned by a faint choking sound, likely fueled by grief over his brother's tragic death.

Once the true cause of his older brother Fang Tianming's death had been cleared up, and after a brief release of sorrow, Fang Tianyou recovered his composure in the blink of an eye. Raising his head to look at Lin Yang, he said in a low voice, "Thank you for telling me the truth of the matter. However, I still must take the item away."

Thump. Just when they thought the situation might take a favorable turn, the man had once again shifted his focus back to the item he kept harping on.

Just as Lin Yang and Meng Hu were growing reluctant to embroil themselves further in the matter, Fang Tianyou—who moments ago had looked entirely harmless—suddenly moved with the speed of an arrow, blocking Lin Yang's path. The action was so abrupt that the three bodyguards had never expected a fellow who looked so delicate and effeminate to possess such remarkable martial prowess.

Could a man capable of exuding such spine-chilling murderous intent possibly be weak in combat? Lin Yang had never doubted this for a second. Because of this, he had maintained his vigilance all along. The moment Fang Tianyou made his sudden move, Lin Yang had already sensed it, allowing him to maintain a distance of two meters between them even as Fang Tianyou blocked his way.

This two-meter buffer ensured that if Fang Tianyou made any sudden hostile move, Lin Yang would be able to react in time.

"What is Your Excellency implying? Are you planning to resort to force? Excellent, this young man has been complaining lately that my body has become a bit stiff from not sparring with anyone for too long!" Lin Yang felt no fear at Fang Tianyou's gloomy expression; on the contrary, it gave the illusion of deliberate provocation. Excelling in hand-to-hand combat, Lin Yang had a restless, battle-hungry spirit hidden deep in his bones. Since someone was willingly serving as a punching bag for him to practice on, he certainly wouldn't complain.

"I will not pursue the death of Fang Muren, and furthermore, I thank you both. However, the item you took must be returned. After all, it concerns the future of our Fang family. Even though they treated my older brother unjustly, I cannot commit an act of betrayal against my family." Fang Tianyou spoke with deep earnestness and firmness. It was not hard to tell that he was a man of strict principles and extraordinary willpower.

His older brother had been murdered and used as a scapegoat; under normal circumstances, most people would have gone to the family to demand an explanation or even sought bloody revenge. Yet this fellow before them was astonishingly composed. Although he had experienced a brief emotional fluctuation at the beginning, it had lasted only a moment, demonstrating his exceptional self-control.

What puzzled Lin Yang, however, was why this man was so dead set on pinning the blame on them. Very few people knew the truth about Fang Muren's death, and even those who did belonged to their side and would certainly never betray them.

Leaving the assassination of Fang Muren aside for the moment, why was the other party so certain that they had taken the item? That was what concerned Lin Yang the most. Moreover, keeping such an important item in the hands of people who could be considered enemies was undeniably unsafe.

Seeming to perceive the confusion lingering in Lin Yang's heart, Fang Tianyou offered what appeared to be a well-intentioned explanation: "The things Fang Muren gathered behind the family's back were meant for nothing more than to protect his own life and preserve his current status—or more precisely, they were radical measures he took in order to secure a spot on the Council of Elders. What he didn't realize, however, was that the higher-ups in the family had planted their own people right around him. As to why they hadn't immediately seized the incriminating materials Fang Muren had collected against the family, I'm not entirely sure either. All I know is that the person planted inside placed a tracking device inside that item. That is why I am so certain that you are the ones who took it."

"Lin Yang, Meng Hu, am I right?" Fang Tianyou asked, full of confidence and breaking into a smug, cold smile.

"Hahaha, since you already know, do you really think we would be foolish enough to hand over such an important item on a silver platter?" The cards were on the table; continuing to play dumb was clearly unwise. Moreover, since the other party had pushed the matter this far, Lin Yang had no choice but to cut straight to the chase and respond with a cold bark.

"What do you want?" Fang Tianyou's brow furrowed tightly as he spoke in a low voice, his posture radiating the distinct threat of resorting to violence at the slightest disagreement.

To mistake a man capable of emitting genuine murderous intent for a pushover who could be bullied at will would be a grave mistake. Lin Yang naturally did not lower his guard against a figure of such extreme danger as Fang Tianyou—especially since the man belonged to the Fang family, an organization whose notorious reputation for convoluted schemes and conspiracies had been known far and wide for ages.

"What do you think I want?" Refusing to answer and instead throwing the question back was Lin Yang's consistent modus operandi. Gazing at the equally vigilant Fang Tianyou, Lin Yang sneered.

Silence. Fang Tianyou chose silence. Facing Lin Yang—who was likewise no pushover—he opted to briefly maintain his quiet demeanor. Indeed, the stakes of this matter were high; if he were to blindly resort to violence, he could not guarantee absolute victory over the young man before him.

Though few people knew of Lin Yang's fearsome reputation, Fang Tianyou, as a member of the Fang family—which had repeatedly clashed with Lin Yang without ever gaining the upper hand—was well aware of certain untold secrets.

"Is Young Master Lin planning to keep his guest standing out here in the howling cold wind indefinitely?" After a prolonged silence, Fang Tianyou once again assumed a cheeky, smiling expression and bantered.

Sensing no lingering trace of the previous murderous intent from the man, and recalling how Fang Tianyou's own words revealed that the Fang family was far from as united as it appeared on the surface, Lin Yang glanced sideways to exchange a look with Meng Hu. Seeing Meng Hu give a slight nod, Lin Yang, who knew Meng Hu well, understood his meaning instantly. Adopting a rather polite demeanor this time, Lin Yang stepped aside and smiled. "Please."

"Hahaha, that's more like it! Even if there are some unpleasantness between us, business still needs to be discussed, right? Besides, I'm only one person—surely Young Master Lin doesn't think I can turn the place upside down?" Fang Tianyou said with a smile, showing no trace of the sinister hostility he had displayed moments earlier when he was ready to brawl.

*Truly extraordinary.* Watching Fang Tianyou walk ahead of him, Lin Yang muttered inwardly. Indeed, he had crossed paths with quite a few members of the Fang family by now, but this was the first time he had ever encountered someone with Fang Tianyou's level of patience, endurance, and fearless nerve.

Sharing this high evaluation was Meng Hu, who followed closely by Lin Yang's side. However, Meng Hu's demeanor was dominated by heightened vigilance, as if Fang Tianyou posed a massive, looming threat.

Leading Fang Tianyou into the living room where Tang Yixue and the others were gathered, Lin Yang spoke with deliberate courtesy.

As for why he specifically chose to bring Fang Tianyou into the living room where the others were, Lin Yang had his own reasons.