Phantom, the Chen Family's Conflict (Tuesday PK, please read more over the next couple of days, everyone, orz)

[Essence Soul: Water Ghoul]

Luo Bin's consciousness seemed to reach out a tentacle and silently press it against the "Crimson" panel.

[Phantom] talent activated.

As the black characters on the panel flickered, an indescribable sense of weightlessness welled up in Luo Bin's mind, as if his soul had grown a little lighter. He tensed, listening closely to the information transmitted by the panel.

After a while, Luo Bin let out a breath of Turbid Qi. He had more or less figured out the specific abilities of this talent.

The first and foremost ability of [Phantom] was "Breath Concealment." When activated, it could suppress his blood and qi, heartbeat, and aura. Martial Masters of the same rank would find it difficult to sense his presence. How long the effect lasted depended on the depth of his blood and qi.

Put simply, the thicker your health bar, the longer you could turtle up, and the more effective your surprise attacks would be.

Luo Bin silently grumbled at the thought. That's way too underhanded... A deep reserve of blood and qi already means you're strong. Add a heaven-defying skill like this... It's practically made for knocking people out from behind.

Breath Concealment was an active skill. Used well in a crisis, it could be a huge help.

The second ability was a permanent passive called "Water Affinity." Near water—such as rivers, lakes, and seas—or in rain, damp areas, and mist, it increased his movement speed and ability to conceal his aura by 30%.

It greatly extended the time he could hold his breath underwater and slightly reduced the resistance of the water.

It was practically a simplified copy of the Water Mountain Ghoul's natural aquatic instinct.

A few words surfaced in Luo Bin's mind for no apparent reason: Carry a knife on a rainy night, but don't bother with an umbrella.

At noon, the sun hung drowsily overhead, and the white mourning cloths in the Chen Residence were gradually taken down.

After what had happened at the Moon Veil Nightclub, Chen Tianren knew that the Sun and Jiang families were plotting against the Chen Family. With Ran Shaohua's betrayal on top of that, even though the Black Sheath Hall had broken away from the Green Bamboo Gang and remained loyal to the Chen Family, it couldn't change the fact that the family was now weakened.

Ping City sat beside the Li River, a vital route for river transport, and its many tributaries. The Chen Family had built it up like a cake, but lacked the strength to hold on to what they had, so Chen Tianren had parceled out much of their interests...

After his old father, Chen Shuo, died, many business channels and backers had dried up. Fortunately, he could still keep things stable for now... But if this went on too long, the decline would only deepen.

If the Chen Family wanted to keep its place in Ping City, there was one issue it could not avoid: they needed to put forward another leader who could keep the petty troublemakers in check...

Ideally, it would be a powerful Great Martial Master. At the thought, Chen Tianren pictured Jiang Ling, then shook his head... He remembered the esteem in which Jiang Ling had spoken of Luo Bin.

"Golden aura, good character, decisive and brave..."

"Manqing's marriage needs to be put on the agenda."

Because Chen Manqing had slept in, the Chen Family members at the estate outside the city had waited an extra half hour before setting out. By the time they returned to the Chen Residence, it was already noon.

Chen Tianren had already had the servants prepare a lavish meal in the main hall.

Chen Jing and Chen Mansheng tried to persuade Luo Bin to stay and eat with them, but he felt it would be inappropriate. This was clearly a family banquet, and no matter how close he was to the Chen Family, he shouldn't go out of his way to ingratiate himself and invite their contempt.

Luo Bin simply said, "It's been a few days. I want to go back and see my family and friends."

"All right, then. Brother Luo, you'd better come back to practice martial arts soon!"

"Don't worry."

Chen Jing reluctantly walked him to the entrance, called a rickshaw for him, and only turned around after watching him go.

"Ah!"

"Second Sister, are you a ghost? You can't just appear behind people without a sound. You'll scare them to death!"

Chen Mansheng looked on with interest as she poked Chen Jing between the eyebrows. The boy, who was barely five-foot-three, was shorter than she was, yet he had latched onto an outsider. That was a rare sight under normal circumstances.

"Is your Brother Luo really that great?" Chen Mansheng asked curiously.

Chen Jing's face darkened. "Is Brother Luo not great? Did you see how the Duan Gong who attacked you last night died?

"Does our Chen Family deal with everyone purely for profit now, to the point that you've forgotten we're the ones asking Brother Luo for help? Have you forgotten what it means to return someone's kindness?"

Chen Mansheng hadn't expected Chen Jing to react so strongly. Somewhat flustered, she pursed her lips. Images from the previous night flashed through her mind, and she chuckled. "All right, then. I shouldn't have asked. Your Brother Luo is the best... Hurry back and eat."

The Chen Family's main hall.

The table wasn't laden with dragon liver and phoenix marrow, but dishes like French foie gras terrine, lion's head meatballs with crab roe, and braised shark fin in rich sauce were dazzling enough, alongside an assortment of side dishes.

Too bad poverty had limited Luo Bin's horizons for now. Otherwise, he would have shamelessly joined them for a meal and gained some Spirit Charm.

Chen Manqing still looked as if she hadn't slept enough. She sat midway down the long table as the family chatted and ate merrily. Then Chen Tianren called out, "Manqing," and every gaze around them immediately turned toward her.

The weather was hot and humid. Today, she wore a sleeveless, dark-green brocade cheongsam. Its fabric shimmered like a lake, and its tailored fit accentuated the dramatic curves from her shoulders and neck to her waist and hips, full and shapely.

"Father, what is it?"

Chen Tianren took a bite of rice. "You haven't seemed in very good spirits lately."

Chen Manqing paused with her chopsticks and replied, "Maybe it's the heat. It makes me sleepy..."

Chen Tianren didn't want to beat around the bush. He came straight to the point. "Let me ask you something. What do you think of Luo Bin?"

The moment he said it, the room fell silent. Everyone knew the soul-searching question had arrived—a turning point that concerned the future of the Chen Family.

Chen Manqing's thoughts were thrown into disarray. She still didn't quite understand what was going on, but when she glanced around the table at Ji Xuan, Chen Jing, and Chen Mansheng, she saw them all watching her, as if waiting for an answer.

Her mind cleared in an instant. She curled her lips in scorn. "What do you mean, what do I think?"

Chen Tianren believed the simplest approach was often the most effective. He continued, "What would you think about marrying Luo Bin?"

Although Chen Manqing had heard rumors from the maids and servants around her over the past couple of days, she hadn't expected this day to come so soon. Her mind reeled. She had suspected something like this might happen, but thought the match would be with a young master from one of the other families in Ping City.

She hadn't expected it to be some nobody...

"I don't think anything of it. I don't want to marry him!"

Chen Tianren seemed to have expected this. His anger simmered beneath the surface, but he still asked with a smile:

"You don't want to marry him? The Primordial Stance is the prerequisite for the Yellow Court Inner Landscape, a miraculous art. Everyone in the Chen Family knows that. Do you remember how many levels your eldest brother reached?"

Chen Manqing fell silent for a moment, then answered uncertainly, "The third?"

Chen Tianren chuckled and set down his bowl and chopsticks. "That's right. The third level means he'd reached the small-success stage. Do you know how far Luo Bin has gotten?"

Chen Manqing recalled the day of the Black Sheath Hall's Elite Selection, when Chen Jing and she had competed over that young man. His eyes had been bright, but his clothes were ragged. Anyone could tell he was a poor commoner who had spent years struggling to survive at the bottom.

Uncle Luo had said he was a "household slave" of the Pei Family...

"He's only just begun?

"Father, you don't need to persuade me. Although I didn't get far in my studies during my two years in the Yingluo Kingdom, I still know what I truly want. I want a love match..."

"Not an arranged marriage that you people can decide with a single word!"

Chen Tianren smacked his chopsticks down on the table. The atmosphere grew tense at once.

"Luo Bin went from never having mastered the Primordial Stance to the second level in one night. Among the talents our Chen Family has recruited over the years, that's practically unheard of!"

"A martial prodigy like him must be tied to the Chen Family. As for whether you like him... You'll naturally develop feelings after living together. Just like your mother and me.

"The bloodline you have together will also belong to the Chen Family, and they'll be able to cultivate this miraculous art, helping our family flourish..." When Chen Tianren mentioned Chen Manqing's mother, he suppressed his agitation.

The Chen Family was now surrounded by wolves. One careless move and they would lose everything. Without anyone to protect them, these youngsters would be lucky to survive, let alone keep living in luxury.

Chen Jing realized how serious the issue was. He was mature for his age, and as a man, he could better understand his father's long-term strategic vision.

"Eldest Sister, Brother Luo isn't just talented at cultivation. He's got this natural air of pride and refinement, too. Maybe he's descended from some noble family of the previous dynasty... That'd be great."

Chen Mansheng just kept eating, while Ji Xuan didn't dare to say a word.

Chen Manqing's hand trembled around her chopsticks. She sprang to her feet and shouted at Chen Tianren:

"I'm not marrying him! He's a poor commoner. What makes him good enough for me? I want us to like each other. I won't be bound by your rotten, outdated rules!"

"So what if he was lucky enough to break through two levels of the Primordial Stance? Cultivation only gets harder from here. How can you be so sure he'll amount to anything? And why should I gamble my marriage on it?

"I have someone working under me named Wu Gou. He's no worse than that poor commoner, and his grandfather was a General of Martial Might in the previous dynasty..."