But on second thought, Lin Yi realized—had he not been exactly the same in years past?!
He had possessed not the slightest bit of guile. No matter what he looked at, he could only see its surface, and every joy, anger, sorrow, and delight showed plainly on his face.
Born from the grassroots and brimming with youthful spirit, it would have been stranger if he had known how to hide his thoughts.
At that thought, the anger in Lin Yi's heart dissipated somewhat without his noticing.
Of course, he knew that the reason for his anger just now was not truly his adopted son's childish remarks. It was because Xu Qing was not the only one who was afraid—he, too, was afraid. That was why the slightest spark had made him explode.
Although he had not made any mistakes this time, and the people under his command had also been kept in good order without stepping out of line, Xu Qing's affair had allowed him to scent the breath of danger.
Ten years was not long, yet it was enough to bring enormous changes to many things. He had changed from the high-spirited man he once was into someone deeply calculating, while Zhao Cheng's arts of empire had been honed to an unfathomable level. He was already a completely different man from when they had still been in the Chain Mountains.
Though Lin Yi, too, had continued to grow, the fear in his heart had not diminished alongside the growth of his courage. On the contrary, it had only deepened.
Though he and Xu Qing often clashed in ordinary times, in truth, there was also a measure of tacit understanding between them.
Now, Zhao Cheng was suppressing Xu Qing over this matter. On the surface, this seemed like a good