Situ Hao and Zhan Beige's pincer movement from the north and the south was an unexpected stroke of good fortune for both of them. The two men carved up the territory of the Yihe Gang, allowing Situ Hao to gain a firm foothold in the north, while Zhan Beige seized the opportunity to break out of Kyoto. Looking at the long-term picture, however, it was an unmitigated benefit for Situ Hao, whereas Zhan Beige now had one more formidable rival where there had originally only been the Zhang family. Naturally, the southern factions were bound to push northward; just as Zhan Beige or Zhang Qilin would inevitably head south once they unified the north, they simply hadn't anticipated Situ Hao making his move at this exact juncture.
Zhang Qilin shared the same apprehension as Zhan Beige. He now genuinely regretted dragging his feet and failing to act decisively; otherwise, in the worst-case scenario, he could have split the northern realm fifty-fifty with the Kyoto Dragon Gang. Zhang Qilin was also puzzled as to where this Youth League had suddenly popped up. Upon investigating, he discovered that it was simply the Dragon Gang under a new name, prompting him to gasp in astonishment, "This White Emperor really has no shame, even coming up with a trick like that."
Once he learned the identity of the Youth League's leader, Zhang Qilin's smile vanished. It was a force to be reckoned with—a force he simply could not afford to provoke.
Chapter 286