The assassination attempt was eventually "quelled".
At least, that's how it appears on the surface.
The official report was written in a grand and respectable tone: The Fallen Ones caused chaos and disturbed the peace of Qingtang Town. The Ye Clan and the Spirit Hall have joined forces to eliminate all the troublemakers and restore peace to the town.
But in secret, it was as if nothing had ever happened—no investigation, no trial, no real "truth," as if the rain of arrows and the explosion of Soul Power that night were just a nightmare that would dissipate upon waking.
Lin Kong received no useful information.
The only thing he was certain of was that he had been lying on Ye Lingling's bed for three days and three nights. When he woke up, his injuries had almost completely healed. The cracks in his bones had been carefully repaired, the broken tendons had been reconnected, and even his back, which had been almost shattered, had grown new skin and flesh.
He then stayed in Qingtang Town for three more days.
During these three days, while recovering from his injuries, he listened to the faint discussions in the town, but a heavy weight remained on his mind—who was the mastermind behind the assassination? Was it someone from within the Ye Clan, or an external force using him as a scapegoat? He had no evidence, so he could only keep quiet for the time being.
It's just a bit of a pity—he can no longer linger in Ye Lingling's boudoir and continue sleeping in her bed.
That evening, Ye Lingling found him.
She still maintained her aloof demeanor, but a hint of weariness and unspoken heaviness lingered between her brows. She handed a thin wooden box to Lin Kong, her voice soft yet firm. "Here, this is what you wanted."
Lin Kong was slightly taken aback. "What is that?"
"A map." Ye Lingling looked up at him. "The location of the plant-type Soul Beast with life force attributes, which my Ye Clan knows."
Lin Kong's pupils suddenly contracted, and his heart was filled with shock.
This kind of intelligence is simply priceless!
If it were put up for auction, it would fetch not just hundreds of thousands of Gold Soul Coin, but even tens of millions of Gold Soul Coin, without any exaggeration. After all, Soul Ring determine the future, while intelligence determines whether you can survive to reach the future.
Ye Lingling seemed to see through his shock, her tone tinged with helplessness. "I originally wanted to give it all to you, but those guys were so stingy, they only gave you a portion."
Lin Kong couldn't help but smile.
As expected, it was impossible to get them all.
Ye Lingling is willing to make sacrifices for the sake of being saved; however, the rest of the Ye Clan may not be willing. Even if she is the future heir to the family headship, as long as she has not truly taken that position, there will always be people who dare to oppose her and dare to outwardly comply but inwardly defy her.
Ye Lingling opened the wooden box, inside were several neatly folded parchment sheets. Pointing to the dense markings on them, she patiently explained, "Your Martial Soul is Dark Blue Silver Grass, so I've marked out the gathering places of all Blue Silver Grass Soul Beast. In addition, for each of your later Soul Ring Soul Ring, I've selected five alternative locations for plant Soul Beast with the life force attribute."
Lin Kong took the map, his fingertips trembling slightly.
What does this intelligence mean? It means that when he needs Soul Ring in the future, he will no longer have to waste time aimlessly in the forest, no longer have to gamble on luck, and no longer have to entrust his life to "coincidence." He can go directly to the target location and choose the most suitable Soul Beast for himself, which will improve both efficiency and safety to a higher level.
"Thank you." Lin Kong looked up at her, his tone sincere.
Ye Lingling gave a soft "hmm," as if she wanted to laugh but couldn't.
Lin Kong remained silent for a moment, then finally asked the question that was on his mind most, "How's that matter going?"
Ye Lingling's eyes darkened, and she gave a bitter smile, "It won't be anything."
The answer was understated, yet it carried more weight than any explanation.
Lin Kong's brow furrowed even more. "Have you always been this dangerous?"
"It's alright." Ye Lingling avoided his gaze, her voice lowered. "Once we're back at the academy, it won't be dangerous anymore."
Those who dare to commit murder certainly wouldn't dare to enter the Heaven Dou Royal Academy to do such a thing.
"How can I help you?" Lin Kong pressed.
Ye Lingling paused, as if she hadn't expected him to ask so directly. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but ultimately swallowed it back, leaving only a vague sentence. "Um... I'll tell you when I have the chance."
As soon as she finished speaking, she seemed to suddenly remember something, and her cheeks flushed uncontrollably, her gaze drifting further away.
Lin Kong looked at her reddened ear tips, his heart stirred, but he didn't ask any further questions.
There were some things she couldn't say, so he kept them to himself for her.
After bidding farewell to the Ye Clan, Lin Kong returned to Heaven Dou City and immediately sought out Ning Fengzhi.
The aroma of tea wafted through the private room on the top floor of the Seven Treasure Hotel.
Ning Fengzhi took a sip of tea, looked up at Lin Kong, and said with a hint of amusement, "Your luck is pretty bad, but to survive a full-force attack from Soul Emperor is not bad."
Upon hearing this, Lin Kong breathed a sigh of relief, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing his back—the scars there still throbbed faintly. Recalling the explosion, he realized he had indeed been just a hair's breadth away from death.
"It's good that you're not dead," he said softly.
Ning Fengzhi his keen insight, saw through his thoughts at a glance and raised an eyebrow, asking, "What are you pondering now?"
Lin Kong frowned deeply, his tone tinged with melancholy. "Has the Ye Clan... always had this kind of thing going on?"
Ning Fengzhi paused slightly in the hand holding the teacup, but did not answer.
There was no need to answer. Lin Kong knew the answer just by looking at his expression—for the sake of the Nine Heart Begonia's inheritance, this kind of infighting among family members had probably never stopped.
Ning Fengzhi suddenly put down his teacup, his eyes sharpening as if he could see right through Ning Fengzhi's thoughts. "You little rascal, you're tempted."
Lin Kong's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly feigned ignorance. "Huh? No!"
"You must have fallen for Ye Lingling!" Ning Fengzhi decisively, without holding back. "Otherwise, you wouldn't be so concerned, and you wouldn't be thinking of helping her solve this mess."
Lin Kong's eyes flickered unconsciously, but he couldn't find a single word to refute her.
Seeing this, Ning Fengzhi's face darkened, and his tone became somewhat authoritative. "What's it like in a girl's boudoir?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Kong was completely speechless, his ears turning uncontrollably red, and he simply lowered his head and pretended to be mute.
"Bang!" Ning Fengzhi slammed his hand on the table, making the teacups on it shake slightly. He glared at Lin Kong and snorted irritably, "Kid, let me tell you! If you dare to mess with other women, as Rongrong's father, I... hmph..."
Lin Kong opened his mouth, as if to say something, but only managed to utter, "This..."
"What the hell!" Ning Fengzhi interrupted him mercilessly, his face as black as ice. "There's no room for negotiation! As Rongrong's father, I'm not going to waste my breath on this nonsense!"
Lin Kong raised his hands in surrender, "Let's talk business!"
Ning Fengzhi: "What important matter is it?"
"I need protection to enter Sunset Forest and head towards the gathering area of Blue Silver Grass Soul Beast."