After leaving the Myriad Things Space, Chen Ze immediately arranged for Doppelganger Zhao Ling'er to cook.
Chen Ze lounged leisurely in a recliner, watching Doppelganger Zhao Ling'er bustle about.
"Isn't it too unfair to have a doppelganger with Zhao Ling'er's appearance cook?"
Though Chen Ze had such thoughts in his heart, he did not tell Doppelganger Zhao Ling'er to stop.
Food cooked by such a beautiful and moving kitchen maid would surely taste even better.
Before long, Zhao Ling'er had prepared a whole table of dishes.
"Master, the food is ready. Please come and have a taste."
"Alright. Sit down and eat with me as well."
"No need, Master. Ling'er does not need to eat."
Chen Ze shook his head with a smile. He had nearly forgotten that doppelgangers did not need food; they could simply absorb the Spiritual Energy of heaven and earth.
"Alright, then."
A short while later, Chen Ze finished eating. This was the most delicious meal he had eaten since arriving in this cultivation world.
Just as Chen Ze finished, Doppelganger Zhao Ling'er moved to clear the table.
But Chen Ze stopped her. "You don't need to wash the plates and bowls."
"It's alright. Being able to serve Master is my honor." Zhao Ling'er spoke and moved to continue clearing the table.
"Put them down! Someone will be back to do it soon."
Doppelganger Zhao Ling'er could not disobey Chen Ze's orders, so she could only stop obediently.
At that moment, Chen Ze sent a thought. "Did you uncover any useful information?"
"Yes." Doppelganger Chen Fan replied through their mental connection.
"Good. Come back first, then."
"Yes."
A moment later, Doppelganger Chen Fan entered the Myriad Things Space, and Chen Ze directly summoned him out.
Doppelganger Chen Fan was just about to recount the information he had gathered.
But Chen Ze interrupted him directly. "Go clear the table first."
Only then did Doppelganger Chen Fan notice that another doppelganger had appeared in the residence at some point.
There was a subtle connection between the doppelgangers, allowing them to distinguish between a True Person and a doppelganger.
Doppelganger Chen Fan glanced at the uncleared table, then at the newly arrived doppelganger, and could not help shaking his head with a bitter smile.
Though he was merely a doppelganger, they all possessed independent consciousness and intelligence.
"Why are we both doppelgangers, yet the difference is this great? Just because she's pretty? But I'm as handsome as Master too!"
Doppelganger Chen Fan could only grumble inwardly. They were eternally loyal to Chen Ze; the thought of rebellion was utterly impossible.
In the end, Chen Fan still obediently went to clear the table.
Chen Ze seemed to sense Chen Fan's thoughts just now, and black lines immediately rose across his forehead.
"What on earth is this doppelganger thinking about?"
However, Chen Ze did not dwell on it and continued lying back to rest.
At that moment, Doppelganger Zhao Ling'er felt that she ought to do something. She slowly walked behind Chen Ze.
She gently placed her hands on Chen Ze's shoulders and tenderly massaged him.
Feeling the gentle pressure on his shoulders, Chen Ze was astonished. Are doppelgangers all this considerate?
He had not expected their autonomous capabilities to be so high.
However, Doppelganger Zhao Ling'er merely massaged his shoulders, so Chen Ze said nothing and quietly enjoyed it.
After Doppelganger Chen Fan finished clearing the dishes and returned to the courtyard, he saw Doppelganger Zhao Ling'er massaging Chen Ze, and an idea naturally rose in his heart.
"Are newly arrived doppelgangers all this driven? No, I have to work even harder. I must earn Master's favor."
"Master, everything has been cleared away." Doppelganger Chen Fan spoke with utmost respect.
"Good. Tell me what you found out."
"Yes."
"While investigating outside, I discovered that the City Lord's Mansion seemed rather strange today. They only made a cursory investigation into Shopkeeper Tong's disappearance, then there was no follow-up. They did not conduct any large-scale investigation."
Chen Ze pondered for a moment, feeling puzzled as well. "That shouldn't be the case. No matter what, Shopkeeper Tong was one of the wealthy households in Wannan City."
"Besides, Shopkeeper Tong was a cultivator, and there was fighting when he disappeared. Isn't fighting prohibited in Wannan City?"
"Is the City Lord's Mansion doing this deliberately? Or do they have some other scheme?"
Chen Fan said, "That is still unknown. Too little time has passed, so their true intentions cannot yet be seen."
Chen Ze thought for a moment and said, "Alright, keep watching that lead. If necessary, you may use your special skill."
"Yes."
Next, Doppelganger Chen Fan continued recounting some information he had gathered about the Ye Family.
"This Ye Family has always kept a low profile and rarely clashes with the other lineages in the city, but the arrogance of the entire Ye Family is plain to see."
"The Ye Family's businesses are spread throughout Wannan City. They already hold the position of Wannan City's foremost lineage."
"Moreover, it is said that the Ye Family Ancestor is still alive. The Ye Family has operated in Wannan City for no fewer than a hundred years."
"No one has been able to discover what realm the Ye Family Ancestor has reached."
"Furthermore, Qingyun Sect has many outstanding disciples from the Ye Family. Every ten years, the Ye Family sends members of its lineage to Qingyun Sect."
After hearing Chen Fan's account, Chen Ze pondered for a moment. "Heh, they are relying on Qingyun Sect, this towering tree, to develop and strengthen their own lineage."
"However, the Ye Family has already attached itself to Qingyun Sect, so why would they still cooperate with someone like Shopkeeper Tong? That is truly strange."
"Given the Ye Family's influence, it is only a Mysterious Iron Ore mine. They could have excavated it openly and properly."
"There was absolutely no need for them to do something so sneaky and underhanded. Could there be some other hidden truth?"
Chen Ze was filled with doubt and added, "Still, I underestimated the Ye Family's strength. It seems the matter of the Mysterious Iron Ore mine must be considered over the long term."
"Continue gathering information outside. Collect as much information related to the Ye Family as possible."
"Yes." Chen Fan cupped his hands and withdrew.
After Doppelganger Chen Fan left, Chen Ze fell into thought. Remembering that Zhao Ling'er was still beside him, he decided that more heads meant more ideas and asked her.
"Ling'er, what do you think the Ye Family is planning? Aren't they afraid that what they are doing will be exposed?"
"Mining in secret may not be a major matter, but coercing cultivators into mining—if that alone became known to outsiders, the consequences would be unthinkable."
Though Zhao Ling'er was a doppelganger, she likewise had thoughts of her own. After pondering for a moment, she said, "Master, could the Ye Family be planning to feign one way while taking another?"
"What do you mean by that?"
Chen Ze looked at Zhao Ling'er with astonishment. He had not expected that his casual question would actually draw a different perspective from her.
"Master, the Ye Family is already the foremost lineage in Wannan City, and they also have an Ancestor who has lived for more than a hundred years, though no one knows the extent of his cultivation."
"On top of that, Qingyun Sect has quite a few Ye Family disciples. The Ye Family has already become an enormous behemoth."
"If the Ye Family wishes to take another step forward, they can only begin with Qingyun Sect."
"But Qingyun Sect is, after all, a cultivation sect. Its foundation naturally cannot be compared with that of an ordinary lineage."
"If the Ye Family wishes to advance further, they must first begin with Cultivation Resources."
"With more Cultivation Resources, they can better raise the Ye Family's strength."
"They can also provide assistance to the disciples within Qingyun Sect, allowing Ye Family descendants to improve their cultivation more quickly."
"This would also make it easier for Ye Family descendants to occupy higher positions within Qingyun Sect."
"Over time, the Ye Family's influence will naturally only grow stronger and stronger. Perhaps one day, Qingyun Sect may even be secretly controlled by the Ye Family."
Chen Ze pondered for a moment, considering the possibility in Zhao Ling'er's analysis.
"If things are as you say, then the Ye Family is indeed playing an enormous game."
"However, for the Ye Family to replace Qingyun Sect's position is not something that can be accomplished overnight."
"Qingyun Sect is, after all, a cultivation sect with a thousand-year history. If the Ye Family could infiltrate Qingyun Sect so easily, then there must be some great secret behind it that we do not know."
After Chen Ze finished speaking, he sank into thought once more.
He partly agreed with Zhao Ling'er's analysis, and her reasoning was not without merit.
He simply had not expected Doppelganger Zhao Ling'er to possess such farsighted thoughts.
He could not help wondering whether Zhao Ling'er was truly still a doppelganger. Were the doppelgangers exchanged from the system not all supposed to possess the same intelligence as him? Why did Zhao Ling'er's thinking and reactions seem several steps faster than his?
Before you continue