Of course, they couldn't afford to offend the person in front of him.
All he could do was follow orders.
"Lei Ao has already shown himself, hasn't he? Then have him meet Ling Tianhe head-on tomorrow and make him hand over that mine."
The young man spoke.
With that, he rose to his feet and said, "I'm a little tired. I'll head back and get some rest."
"Lei Ao, take Young Master Qin to his room."
Lei Mo instructed Lei Ao to escort the young man away.
The young man nodded and followed Lei Ao toward the manor's back courtyard.
Only Lei Mo and Elder Mo remained in the hall.
"Elder Mo, I have a bad feeling about this. How do you think word of the Fifth-grade Lotus Platform got out?"
Lei Mo carried his wine cup over to the old man and spoke in a low voice.
"Who knows? If Young Master Qin could get the news, so could others. The most important thing for us now is to secure that mine, extract Void Nether Stone, and speed up the maturation of the Fifth-grade Lotus Platform."
"But this Fifth-grade Lotus Platform is truly hard to fathom. They say that treasures like lotus platforms can only grow when cultivated by eminent Buddhist monks. Yet we've found one growing naturally. It's astonishing."
The old man spoke.
Hearing this, Lei Mo nodded.
He said nothing more and drank with the old man for a while.
Meanwhile,
Lei Ao, who had arranged for Young Master Qin, entered his room and bowed. "Greetings, my lord."
"Tell me about Ling Tianhe's injuries."
Young Master Qin asked.
"They're internal injuries. They aren't too serious, but they're affecting his strength. Whoever fought him should be a little stronger than he is—possibly at the Innate Late Stage."
Lei Ao reported.
"Have you found out who spread the news through the black market?"
Young Master Qin asked in a low voice.
"We're investigating, but the black market is a tangled web of people. Our Lei Hall doesn't specialize in intelligence, so it'll be difficult to find the person quickly."
Lei Ao answered gravely.
"I suspect Elder Mo was the one who leaked the news about the black market. He's trying to force me to hasten the Fifth-grade Lotus Platform's maturation."
"Since he wants this done quickly, and Mu Qingxue has already come from Zitan Palace, we're halfway to success. Start using every means at our disposal to ripen the Blood Demon Flower!"
"You can pressure Ling Tianhe directly and make him hand over the mine. We need to have the flower ripened by the time Mu Qingxue arrives."
"Once I devour the Nine Nether Cold Qi inside Mu Qingxue with the Blood Demon Flower's help, my talent and strength will soar. The Refining Soul Realm won't be my limit."
As he spoke, Young Master Qin's face shone with excitement.
From his words, it was clear that he might be the mastermind behind all this.
His goal was to obtain the Nine Nether Cold Qi inside Mu Qingxue.
Meanwhile,
Su Chen returned to the secret chamber. After leaving it, he went back to his own courtyard.
He changed and went to sleep.
His mind relaxed, and he soon drifted off.
Bai Tianyu was protecting him from the shadows.
Su Chen was certain that no one in Qingcheng City could harm him.
The next day!
After a quick bite to eat, Su Chen headed to the main branch of the Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower.
The tower's headquarters was a five-story building on one of Qingcheng City's bustling streets.
By the time Su Chen arrived at the Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower,
Ling Tianhe was already waiting for him.
As soon as he saw Su Chen, he bowed and welcomed him, then led him up to the fifth floor.
The fifth floor was reserved exclusively for the tower's master.
Su Chen stood on the balcony.
He looked out at the streets of Qingcheng City.
Feeling a faint breeze, he drew in a breath of fresh air.
"My lord, I've been compiling the late master's movements and contacts. Three months ago, he seems to have met someone."
"This person had no business dealings with the Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower, and the master had never met him before."
Ling Tianhe spoke with a bow.
"Who?"
Su Chen simply asked.
"The third young master of the Qin Family, one of the eight great clans in Lingnan Commandery—Qin Hao. He's currently visiting Lei Hall, where he's being received by Lei Mo, the second master of the Lei Family."
The Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower might not have had much muscle,
but its intelligence network and business were well known.
"Qin Hao, Lei Mo of the Lei Family, and Lei Ao..."
"It seems they were involved in my father's death."
"Keep investigating. I want to know why they killed my father."
Su Chen's gaze turned cold.
The Qin Family was one of the eight great clans in the commandery seat of Lingnan Commandery. Though merely a clan, its strength rivaled that of the Shanhe Sect.
Why would someone like that come to meet his father?
It couldn't have been for information.
The eight great clans had intelligence networks far stronger than the Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower's.
The Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower was only prominent in Qingcheng City and its surrounding territory.
"Have you found the people harboring disloyal intentions? If so, deal with them."
Su Chen said to Ling Tianhe.
If Ling Tianhe acted, it might look like he was purging his rivals and preparing to take control of the Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower, making Su Chen seem less important.
"This is the list of those with disloyal intentions. Eight of the seventeen have been in contact with the other four major powers."
Ling Tianhe handed the list to Su Chen.
"No need to give it to me. Handle it yourself."
Su Chen didn't take the list. Instead, he spoke.
He wasn't the Su Chen of before. He felt no attachment to anyone in the Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower.
All he wanted now was control.
It didn't matter to him if Ling Tianhe had some ulterior motive.
The other man's life and death were in the palm of his hand.
At Su Chen's words, Ling Tianhe's face brightened.
He hadn't tampered with the list at all.
"Where is my father's Fine Rain Blade? Bring it to me."
"Also, bring me a copy of the Golden Wind Fine Rain Tower's martial arts manuals and their details."
Su Chen said.
He still had one Primary Enhancement Card, and he planned to use it on Su Mengbai's Fine Rain Blade.
He wanted to see what grade it could reach.
"The late master's Fine Rain Blade is in the inner room. As for the list of manuals, I'll go to the third floor and bring it to you."
As he spoke, Ling Tianhe led Su Chen into the adjoining inner room.
The Fine Rain Blade rested on a weapon rack.
"Good. Bring me the information on the manuals, then take care of the matter. You have one day to finish it."
"Once it's done, I expect Lei Ao will come looking for you again."
Su Chen said.
"Yes!"
Ling Tianhe bowed and left the room.
Su Chen walked over to the weapon rack and took down the Fine Rain Blade.
Shing!
He drew it from its sheath.
The blade was thin as a cicada's wing, its keen aura sharp enough to cut.
Su Chen swept his hand. A flash of blade light streaked through the air, leaving what looked like a mark in its wake.
His eyes lit up. The energy within him poured into the Fine Rain Blade, which suddenly hummed and trembled. A visible Blade Qi blossomed along its edge.
Seeing this, Su Chen's face brightened. On instinct, he swung the blade.
Shing!
The blade passed straight through the long table before him.
After the blade passed, the tabletop remained whole, without the slightest visible change.
Su Chen slowly stepped up to the table and lightly touched it with his hand. At once, the table split in two.
"What an incredibly sharp Fine Rain Blade. It could probably kill without drawing a drop of blood."
"I wonder how powerful it'll be after enhancement."
Su Chen's eyes glittered, his heart surging with anticipation.
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