Perhaps fear had taken hold of Ling Tianhe at that moment.
Su Chen had actually enslaved him in one go.
At once, Su Chen sensed that he could control Ling Tianhe's life and death whenever he pleased.
With a single thought, he could destroy Ling Tianhe's consciousness and kill him.
Ling Tianhe, too, could sense that his life was now entirely in Su Chen's hands.
His eyes dimmed.
He had devoted himself to becoming the master of Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower and schemed against Su Chen.
He had never expected that, in the end, Su Chen would control his life and death, leaving him in such a sorry state.
It was rather bleak.
"My father's death probably had nothing to do with you. That's why you're still alive."
"I'd planned to lie low for a while and let them make the first move, but they never did. So I don't want to wait anymore. I killed Song Yuan to see if it would draw anything out."
"I didn't expect killing Song Yuan to bring Lei Ao out. Tell me, did Lei Ao come here just for the mine?"
Su Chen returned to his seat and spoke.
Hearing Su Chen's words,
Ling Tianhe came back to himself.
To be honest,
when Su Chen had said earlier that he was the one who killed Song Yuan,
Ling Tianhe had only been surprised at the time and hadn't thought much of it.
Now, however, he was horrified.
When Su Chen had struck earlier, the icy force in his palm had been terrifying beyond measure, far exceeding anything Ling Tianhe could imagine or comprehend.
The Su Chen before him now was completely different from the Su Chen he remembered.
He was a terrifying man.
Composing himself, Ling Tianhe replied, "This subordinate thought Lei Ao had come for the mine. But when he learned I was injured, he suddenly left. There's something suspicious about that. He must have had another purpose."
"But this subordinate can't guess what it was."
"If you can't guess, then meet with Lei Ao again and find out what he's really after."
"And before my father was assassinated, were there really no signs at all?"
Su Chen asked.
If the information from the black market was accurate, then Su Mengbai must have shown some unusual behavior beforehand.
Ling Tianhe had followed Su Mengbai for many years. He should have noticed something.
"This subordinate really didn't pay attention."
Ling Tianhe tried to recall, but nothing came to mind.
"Tomorrow, I'll go to the main branch of Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower and formally take over as its master."
"Gather all the information on my father's recent whereabouts and the people he met. Go over it carefully and see if you can find anything."
Su Chen ordered.
He wanted Ling Tianhe to find clues in those records.
"Also, identify the stewards among the seventeen who have other ideas, and get rid of them."
"I don't want anyone in Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower speaking up besides me."
"Keep your two trusted men in line. If you can't, get rid of them along with the rest."
Su Chen spoke, his voice turning cold.
"Yes, this subordinate understands!"
Ling Tianhe hurriedly replied.
But his heart sank. The master intended to launch a sweeping purge of Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower.
At that moment, he suddenly felt fortunate.
Fortunate that Su Chen had subdued him and that he still had some value. Otherwise, he would probably have been swept away as well.
"Master, once you formally take over, the person hiding in the shadows may come after you—"
Ling Tianhe said anxiously.
"You mean they'll come after me? I hope they do. That'll save me the trouble of looking for them."
Su Chen said coldly.
Then he rose and headed outside.
"Keep a close eye on the assassin at Lei Ao's residence. If he disappears, don't bother coming to see me again."
Su Chen's voice rang out in Ling Tianhe's mind.
The voice faded.
Su Chen's figure quietly vanished as well.
After Su Chen left, Ling Tianhe couldn't help letting out a breath. Su Chen had put too much pressure on him.
He slumped into the chair, a chill crawling up his back.
Suddenly, his expression changed.
Then, as if something had just occurred to him, delight spread across his face.
When Su Chen had attacked him just now,
he had intended to resist with all his might, but an immense pressure had pinned him in place, leaving him unable to move.
There had definitely been a powerful expert helping Su Chen.
With such a master at his side, on top of the strength and cunning Su Chen had shown himself, Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower would only be the beginning for him.
Following someone like that would surely bring Ling Tianhe wealth and glory.
His future would certainly hold more than just the position of deputy master of Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower in Qingcheng City.
Besides, he had followed Su Chen's father before. Following Su Chen now didn't weigh so heavily on his conscience.
At that thought,
Ling Tianhe suddenly felt clearheaded.
Meanwhile,
in a manor in the city,
lamps blazed brightly, and music and dancing filled the place.
An old man in luxurious robes was entertaining two guests.
One was an old man in a black robe.
His face was sallow, and his hands resembled withered wood, yet a sharp glint flashed in his eyes from time to time.
The other was a young man in a white robe, with an air of noble bearing.
The three were drinking and chatting.
Just then, Lei Ao, who had earlier gone to meet Ling Tianhe, emerged from the rear.
He came to the old man in fine robes and quietly whispered something into his ear.
The old man's expression immediately tightened. He waved a hand and said, "You may all leave."
The dancing courtesans and musicians rose and withdrew one after another.
In moments, the hall fell silent.
"Young Master Qin, Elder Mo, something has happened. Lei Ao just went to see Ling Tianhe and found him injured. Someone attacked him."
The old man in fine robes spoke to the two men, his tone carrying a hint of deference.
The old man was Lei Mo, the second master of the Lei Family and one of the two deputy hall masters of Lei Hall. His strength was at the Innate Late Stage.
The fact that he spoke to these two with such respect showed that they were no ordinary people.
"Someone attacked Ling Tianhe?"
The young man known as Young Master Qin furrowed his brow slightly and glanced at the old man in black.
"I didn't make a move. It must have been someone else."
"But we should seize the mine as soon as possible and extract the Void Nether Stone deep within it. That's the only way to speed up the maturation of the Fifth-grade Lotus Platform."
The old man spoke.
The Fifth-grade Lotus Platform did indeed exist. As for why they wanted to seize the mine belonging to Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower,
it was mainly because of the Void Nether Stone deep inside.
It was a stone capable of hastening the maturation of the Fifth-grade Lotus Platform.
As for why they had approached Ling Tianhe,
it was because they believed he was the one running Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower,
while Su Chen was merely a puppet.
Hearing the old man's words, the young man narrowed his eyes, seemingly deep in thought.
"Young Master Qin, with our strength and Lei Hall behind us, what's one Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower? If we openly demand the mine, can they really refuse?"
The old man continued.
Lei Mo remained silent at the side, but concern flickered in his eyes.
There were problems with using open force against Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower.
Behind Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower stood Zitan Palace.
If Lei Hall openly pressured Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower at a time like this, people would suspect that Lei Hall had murdered Su Mengbai.
Once the people of Zitan Palace arrived, they would surely make trouble for Lei Hall.
Zitan Palace was one of the five great demonic sects beyond the frontier.
Lei Hall couldn't afford to provoke them.
Before you continue