Jiang Daoguo's words instantly brought everyone back to their senses.
He was right. If they approached Tang Xiaoling rashly, they might face retaliation from Netherworld Fengdu.
But with such an incredible opportunity right before their eyes, were they really supposed to give it up?
"Old Jiang, have you investigated Tang Xiaoling's father?"
An elder named Li Yan asked the question in a grave voice.
"I have, but the results weren't encouraging."
As Jiang Daoguo spoke, he picked up the projector's remote and pressed it twice.
A photograph of a handsome young man appeared on the screen, with his profile beneath it.
"Tang Long, male, thirty-two years old."
"No steady job, no social circle, not even any friends."
"Even his neighbors said they only saw him once in a great while."
"You could say that, if Tang Xiaoling hadn't appeared, we would never have discovered this man."
By the time Jiang Daoguo finished, his voice was full of helplessness.
The other members of the Ten Elders looked slightly disappointed.
Still, deep down, they had more or less expected this result.
How could a mighty figure from the Evil Spirit Realm leave traces behind, even while staying in this world?
"What about Tang Xiaoling's mother?" Li Yan asked, unwilling to give up.
At that, Jiang Daoguo sighed. "We don't know. There are no records relating to her."
His words instantly chilled the atmosphere in the meeting room.
They couldn't approach Tang Xiaoling lightly, and her father, Tang Long, was elusive as a phantom.
Worst of all, they didn't even know who her mother was.
Were they really going to abandon their only chance to learn about the Evil Spirit Realm?
Just then, however, Jiang Daoguo suddenly spoke up.
"Actually, everyone, there's no need to lose heart."
"I already put arrangements in place after arriving."
"Unless something unexpected happens, Tang Xiaoling's neighbors should already be moving out."
"The homes they vacate will be more than enough for us."
Hearing this, the dispirited elders immediately perked up.
"Old Jiang, you mean we should disguise ourselves as ordinary people and lie low near Tang Xiaoling's home?"
"Exactly." Jiang Daoguo smiled.
"Since we can't approach her without permission, we might as well observe the situation first."
"With enough time, we might even catch sight of that mysterious Tang Long!"
"When that happens, there's no harm in trying to make contact."
At this, the other nine lit up with delight and exclaimed excitedly:
"Well, you old rascal! You had everything arranged already, and you left us sitting here feeling sorry for ourselves!"
"I was wondering why you summoned us in such a rush and insisted on holding the meeting here in River City. So you had it all planned!"
Though they sounded reproachful, their words were filled with joy.
Now that they knew Tang Xiaoling's identity, their attitudes had completely changed.
If it meant making contact with her, being dragged to River City in the middle of the night and having to pose as ordinary people were nothing.
Even if they had to go to the desert and live as lizards, they wouldn't utter a single complaint!
After all, she was the little princess of the Evil Spirit Realm!
If they could establish that connection, Dragon Country's future would hold limitless possibilities!
Seeing that everyone agreed, Jiang Daoguo wasted no more time and said:
"All right. Since no one objects, let's get ready."
"We should be able to move in before long."
But at this point, his voice suddenly deepened, becoming utterly solemn.
"Before we go, though, there's something I need to make clear."
"We're not just going there to learn about the Evil Spirit Realm. We're doing this for Dragon Country's future!"
"I know some of you may have your own little schemes, but you'd better put them aside!"
"If you cause trouble, the consequences will be more than any one person can bear!"
Hearing this, the other nine stopped joking, their expressions turning serious.
"Don't worry, Old Jiang. We'd be careful even if you hadn't said anything."
"This concerns our nation's destiny. If anyone dares to try anything underhanded, whoever they are, I, Old Chen, will be the first to deal with them!"
"Damn it! What's the point of all this talk? Isn't Old Jiang's meaning obvious? Anyone with unmarried women in the family had better keep an eye on them. Don't try using a honey trap to marry into that family!"
As everyone chimed in, the quiet meeting room quickly grew noisy.
Seeing that they understood what was at stake, Jiang Daoguo couldn't be bothered to lecture them further.
He promptly went back to being a spectator, leisurely sipping his tea and letting them argue.
Just then, someone knocked on the meeting room door, and everyone instantly fell silent.
"Come in," Jiang Daoguo called in a low voice, and the door opened.
A middle-aged man entered and said respectfully:
"Esteemed Ten Elders, all the neighbors near Tang Xiaoling have moved out. Shall we head over now?"
The moment he finished, the Ten Elders could no longer contain themselves and rose to their feet.
"What are we waiting for? Let's go!"
"Get the cars ready. We're leaving now!"
As they spoke, they filed out of the meeting room.
Watching them, Jiang Daoguo shook his head and grumbled:
"These old fellows. Can't even one of them keep his composure?"
As he spoke, he stood up and jumped out through the third-floor window...
As one of the Ten Elders, he was naturally among those who had cleared an Instance.
With his enhanced physique, a mere three-story drop was hardly much of a height.
Of course, the main reason was that he had once consulted a fortune-teller.
The fortune-teller had told him he would live to two hundred!
Ever since learning that his birth chart promised such extraordinary resilience, he had rarely bothered with stairs...
Once the other members of the Ten Elders reached the ground floor, they got into the cars one after another and headed toward Tang Xiaoling's home.
After a twenty-minute drive, the convoy of more than a dozen cars arrived at Lasting Peace Community.
The street in front of the community had already been cordoned off.
Over a hundred fully armed soldiers stood ramrod straight on both sides, with a sentry every few paces.
As Jiang Daoguo and the others got out, the soldiers all saluted.
The middle-aged man who had notified them earlier hurried over as well, pointing to an apartment building as he spoke.
"Esteemed Ten Elders, Tang Xiaoling lives in apartment 301, entrance three, building two."
"All the residents in this community have now been replaced with people from our Investigation Bureau."
"The entirety of building two has also been set aside for the ten of you."
Hearing this, all the Ten Elders nodded in satisfaction.
"Cheng, well done. You've certainly lived up to my decision to handpick you as director of the River City Investigation Bureau."
Jiang Daoguo offered his praise without reservation.
Cheng Li looked overwhelmed by the compliment and quickly replied:
"Elder Jiang, you're too kind. I was only doing my duty."
He turned slightly aside and gestured for them to proceed.
"Everyone, please follow me."
"I've temporarily converted one of the first-floor rooms into a meeting room, with a projector for watching the livestream."
"From there, the ten of you can keep track of Tang Xiaoling's activities at any time."
Before you continue