It was nearly dusk.
At home.
Yan Lingji had changed into a long, fiery-red dress. The shade was rich and vivid, yet not ostentatious; instead, it made her skin look as fair as snow and her features as lovely as a painting.
The hem trailed along the ground, rippling like water as she walked. A silver sash cinched her waist, accentuating its slender curve.
Six glossy black hairpins were arranged in a fan-shaped arc at the back of her head. A few blood-red gems adorned them, trembling gently with her steps like dots of vermilion scattered through her hair.
A jade bangle with drifting floral patterns encircled her right wrist, while a silver necklace set with tiny crimson gems rested against her fair neck.
She stopped in front of Zhao Linchuan, lightly lifted both sides of her skirt, and spun gracefully.
"Am I beautiful?"
"Beautiful beyond words." Zhao Linchuan leaned back in his chair. "So beautiful that I want to build you a house out of gold and hide you inside."
Yan Lingji froze for a moment, then her lips curled up. Her smile spread from the corners of her mouth to her eyes, and her whole being radiated an indescribable, bewitching charm.
"Wouldn't that make me a beauty hidden in a Golden House?"
She gave a soft laugh and turned toward the back room. After a few steps, she looked back, her eyes glimmering.
"Get some rest. I'll go make you something to eat."
She blinked, lowering her voice as if afraid someone might hear. "Wait for me~"
As soon as she finished speaking, her figure disappeared behind the curtain, leaving only the faintest trace of fragrance in the air.
Zhao Linchuan watched her leave, then withdrew his gaze and slowly closed his eyes, sinking his mind into his sea of consciousness.
Deep within, a cold prompt had been waiting for some time.
[You have changed the course of the continent's future.]
[Reward acquired: Character Summoning Cards—Zi Nu, Nong Yu. Jinyiwei × 1,000.]
Zhao Linchuan's thoughts lingered for a moment on the floating card.
The card showed an elegant pavilion. Two women sat by the window, drinking together.
One wore purple as brilliant as rosy clouds, her expression blissful. The other lowered her head as she plucked the strings of a qin, her profile serene and focused.
The scene was lifelike; even the moonlight outside the window was clearly visible.
"Zi Nu, Nong Yu." Zhao Linchuan silently repeated the two names, satisfaction flashing in his eyes.
Zi Nu was an exceptional woman. To build an intelligence network like the Zilan Pavilion amid such turbulent times required outstanding methods, character, and ability.
And with a thousand Jinyiwei... He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze settling on the twilight beyond the window.
With these, he could build an intelligence network entirely under his command in the shortest possible time.
After an unknown length of time, night had fallen completely.
After dinner, Zhao Linchuan watched Yan Lingji sip tea from her cup, then suddenly said, "Tomorrow, I'll take you out Soul Hunting."
"Hm?"
Yan Lingji set down her teacup and raised an eyebrow.
"So tonight, we'll sleep separately."
Yan Lingji froze for a moment. Then a mischievous smile appeared in her beautiful eyes.
She tilted her head slightly, propped her chin on one hand, and let her gaze roam over Zhao Linchuan's face.
"What's the matter?" Her voice was languid. "Are you afraid of me?"
The next morning.
The sky was just beginning to brighten. The morning mist had yet to lift, and a few birds chirped in the courtyard.
Zhao Linchuan opened his eyes and turned his head, looking at the figure curled up in the covers beside him.
"Do you know what time it is?" He reached out and gently pinched her cheek. "Get up and go pee."
Yan Lingji wrinkled her nose without opening her eyes. One hand emerged from the covers and slapped his hand hard.
"Could you act normal for once!" Her voice was muffled and slightly slurred, but her annoyance still came through. "You have no manners at all."
"You're the one with manners." Zhao Linchuan chuckled, threw off the covers, and got up. His bare feet touched the cold floor as he casually grabbed his outer robe and put it on. "Sleep a little longer."
"I'll go tell Qian Xunji. We'll set out around noon."
"Got it..." Yan Lingji rolled over and pulled the covers up to her chin, mumbling sleepily.
"You said we'd sleep separately... You still kept me up all night."
About a quarter of an hour later.
Pope Hall.
The guards in front of the hall saluted when they saw Zhao Linchuan. He walked inside without meeting any obstacles.
To his surprise, Bibi Dong was there too.
She stood in the hall wearing a simple outfit in pale purple, looking down at the documents spread across Qian Xunji's desk.
Hearing footsteps, she raised her head and nodded at him in greeting.
Qian Xunji sat behind the broad desk. Documents were piled high before him, and he still held a pen in his hand. Clearly, he had been working for a long time.
It had to be said: Qian Xunji really was a workaholic.
It wasn't even fully light out, and he was already here.
"You're just in time."
Qian Xunji looked up, saw Zhao Linchuan, and set down his pen. Leaning back in his chair, he rubbed his brow.
"You said before that you wanted to control public opinion across the continent. Have you come up with a plan?"
Zhao Linchuan stopped in the middle of the hall, considered the matter briefly, then spoke slowly. "This will involve a great deal of work, and the cost could be an absolutely staggering sum."
"No matter." Qian Xunji waved a hand, his tone casual. "Just tell me what you have in mind."
"Then forgive me for offering my humble opinion."
Zhao Linchuan's gaze was clear as he said:
"As everyone knows, the masses are foolish."
"They tend to follow the crowd blindly, believing the first person to bring them 'information,' or the last person to 'talk' to them."
He looked at the two of them. Seeing that they were both listening attentively, he continued.
"I mean to use the Spirit Hall branch halls across the continent to publish something called a 'newspaper.'"
"Newspaper?" Qian Xunji repeated the word, a spark of interest in his eyes.
"It's similar to official gazettes and court bulletins, but different," Zhao Linchuan explained. "It can print all kinds of strange and interesting stories from across the continent to attract ordinary people to buy it."
"We can hire renowned writers to compose novels and serialize them in its pages."
"We can also hire people to dig up the scandals hidden in the palaces of the Two Great Empires and the various kingdoms, quietly tarnishing the royal families' image in the eyes of the people."
Hearing this, Bibi Dong couldn't help raising an eyebrow, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly.
Zhao Linchuan continued, "After that, we can send people to wipe out the bandit Soul Masters and Fallen Soul Masters entrenched in the mountains, then widely publicize their deeds in the newspapers."
"That way, we can quietly elevate the image of the Spirit Hall."
His voice remained unhurried.
"As long as we can make the people unable to do without the newspapers, it'll take no more than a year or two for us to gain complete control over public opinion."
"Then, heh..." Zhao Linchuan's lips curled. "We'll be able to make black sound white."
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