A heavy look of worry appeared on her beautiful face.
"What worries me most is that... even in Yu City, where the headquarters is located, I haven't received any definite news from my father—the General President of the Chamber of Commerce—for nearly a month! There have only been intermittent, vague transmissions that seemed to have been severely disrupted, roughly saying things like 'critical situation,' 'be careful,' and 'preserve your strength'... I suspect something may have happened to the headquarters as well!"
Tang Lan and Wang Qiuer listened quietly without interrupting.
Lin Yanhong took a deep breath and continued.
"I've analyzed it. There are only two possible causes for this situation. First, our Blazing Flame Chamber of Commerce's former business rivals may have taken advantage of the chaos across the land to join forces, perhaps even colluding with certain powerful factions, to launch a full-scale attack and purge against us! Second..."
Her gaze turned sharp and cold.
"It's those lunatics from the Holy Spirit Cult! They want complete control over the commercial lifelines and flow of supplies in the western part of the Empire. The Blazing Flame Chamber of Commerce is too prominent, yet we insist on remaining neutral and refuse to submit entirely. We've likely become a thorn in their side, something they want to eliminate as quickly as possible!"
She looked at Tang Lan, her phoenix-like eyes filled with earnestness and a faint, barely perceptible hope.
"Brother Tang Yun, I can tell that you and little sister Qiuer are no ordinary Soul Masters. Your strength is unfathomable, and your backgrounds must be extraordinary. I, Lin Yanhong, have been strong-willed all my life and rarely ask anyone for help, but today..."
She rose to her feet and gave Tang Lan and Wang Qiuer a solemn bow.
"In my capacity as