Qing Linyun strode in with long, confident steps. In response to everyone's greetings, he merely nodded calmly and gestured for them to sit with both hands.
After everyone sat down, the atmosphere in the conference room began to change again.
Or rather, the atmosphere had been a little off ever since Leng Yulai shut Ye Lingling up with a single sentence.
Na Nali stopped playing with her bell.
Her large, limpid eyes moved between Ye Lingling and Leng Yulai with interest before settling on Qing Linyun, her lips curving into an ambiguous smile.
"Boss, look at them. They're both about ready to eat me alive."
She drawled the words, leaning forward slightly.
With that slight movement, her absurdly ample curves pressed together above her collar, forming a deep, dazzlingly pale cleavage.
Ye Lingling turned her face away. Leng Yulai clenched her back teeth, her knuckles cracking.
"Na Nali."
Qing Linyun leaned back in his chair without so much as lifting his eyelids.
He knew Na Nali's temperament all too well. She was a born hellraiser, and even after being placed under the Devil Card, she still wouldn't behave in his hands.
"Hmm?"
"Sit properly."
"Nooo..." Na Nali drew out the word, sliding down from her chair and planting her bare feet on the carpet. In a few steps, she sauntered over to Qing Linyun.
She bent down, bracing her hands on the armrests of his chair, and brought her ridiculously beautiful face right up to the tip of his nose. Even her breath carried the sweet fragrance of her bell.
"Boss~ How can you bear to leave me all alone in this lousy place..."
She didn't finish.
Qing Linyun raised a hand and caught her chin.
He didn't grip her hard; he was even gentle. But when his two fingers tightened slightly, Na Nali's face was forced upward, and she swallowed the rest of her words.
"I said, sit properly."
He lifted his eyes to look at her.
Just that one look.
The careless smile remained on Na Nali's face, but something trembled deep in her eyes.
She knew all too well what that look meant.
This boss of hers usually joked and laughed with her, but when his face truly darkened, even an Evil Soul Master like her, who had crawled out of piles of corpses, felt a chill down her spine.
Of course, much of that was also due to the Devil Card. Qing Linyun did have an imposing presence, but it wasn't particularly strong.
The Devil Card's effect could indeed keep a seed of fear planted in the contracted person's heart at all times.
"...I know, I know."
She muttered as she straightened up, but she didn't go far. Instead, she took the opportunity to sit on the armrest of Qing Linyun's chair, crossing one leg over the other. Her skirt slipped down partway, exposing her pale calf.
She even rubbed the tip of her foot lightly against the back of Qing Linyun's hand.
"Boss, you're so mean."
Of everyone present, only Leng Yulai and Ye Lingling could look directly at the scene. Every one of the remaining knights had their heads bowed.
Qing Linyun couldn't be bothered with her. He turned to look at Leng Yulai.
Leng Yulai was already seething. When he looked at her, her purplish-red pupils abruptly contracted, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
"W-what are you looking at me for?!" She stiffened her neck. "She started..."
"She started what?"
"..."
Leng Yulai clenched her teeth and fell silent.
Qing Linyun simply looked at her without pressing.
He knew Leng Yulai's temperament all too well. She was the tsundere losing-dog type.
On top of that, she didn't have a particularly good temper to begin with. Otherwise, she couldn't have fallen out with his older sister back then, eventually running away from home and falling completely into becoming an Evil Soul Master.
The conference room was quiet for about three seconds.
Leng Yulai's shoulders gradually slumped, and the purplish-red flames receded completely from her fingertips.
She turned her face away, her voice muffled.
"...I understand."
Tsk.
Qing Linyun sighed inwardly.
This brat needs to be taught a lesson.
Who was it that defied his ban last time and secretly went out to hunt down an unruly Soul Master guild elder? Who was it that he pinned to his desk and spanked three times, only for her to turn around and glare at him?
He couldn't even be bothered to bring it up.
If he did, the brat would get teary-eyed again and put on that "You're being mean to me, you don't love me anymore" look. It was a real bother.
"All right."
Qing Linyun stood, walked around to the head of the conference table, and braced both hands on its edge, sweeping his gaze over the people seated in the room.
"I have something to tell you."
All twelve people sat up straight.
"In a couple of days, I'm going to Eastsea City."
The moment he said that, the atmosphere in the conference room changed.
The three women who had just been at each other's throats all switched from "bickering" to "worry" in unison.
"Boss?" Ye Lingling was the first to speak, her brows furrowed. "So soon? You just got back, and the injuries from your last fight with the Evil Soul Masters..."
"Those little injuries healed long ago."
"But over in Eastsea City..."
"I said, it's fine."
Qing Linyun waved a hand.
Na Nali jumped down from the armrest, her carefree smile gone. For once, she looked at him seriously.
"Boss, things haven't been peaceful over there lately. People from the Holy Spirit Cult have been active around Eastsea City. If you're really going, why not take a couple of people?"
"For example, me..."
As she spoke, Na Nali couldn't help leaning a little closer, her fragrant pink tongue circling lightly over her lips.
"No need."
"But..."
"I said, no need."
His tone wasn't harsh, but Na Nali fell silent.
Leng Yulai hesitated for a moment, but in the end couldn't hold back. "...Then when are you coming back?"
As soon as the question left her mouth, she froze, as if she hadn't expected herself to be so direct. The tips of her ears turned slightly red, and she hurriedly added, "I-I was just asking! Don't read too much into it!"
"Mm." Qing Linyun didn't expose her. "A few months at least, half a year at most."
That was also the deadline Qing Linyun had set for himself. Once things settled down over there, he really would need to come back often.
The others in the conference room also stirred.
The eighth knight, seated at the end, cupped his fists and bowed. "Boss, for this trip, do you need us to go ahead and make arrangements?"
"No need. Guard the home base."
"We obey."
The ninth and tenth knights exchanged a glance, then bowed their heads together. "Please rest assured, Boss. There will be no oversights anywhere at the home base."
They adopted an extremely deferential posture as they spoke, leaning slightly forward with their gazes on the floor, even keeping their breathing quiet.
It was completely different from the awkward, flirtatious air around the three women in front.
This was the absolute obedience of true retainers, true subordinates, toward the fifteen-year-old boy at the head of the table.
Qing Linyun nodded in satisfaction.
"Lingling will have full authority over the company's affairs."
He looked at Ye Lingling. "The accounts, personnel, the research at those newly opened Soul Tool facilities, and most importantly, the development of new Soul Spirits. Keep an eye on them. If there's anything you can't decide, send me a soul communication. I'll check it on the road."
"...Okay." Ye Lingling bit her lip. "Take care of yourself."
"Mm."
He turned again, letting his gaze rest on Na Nali and Leng Yulai for a second each.
"Na Nali."
"Here~"
"Stop thinking about sneaking out to have fun all day. While I'm gone, help Lingling keep things under control. If you dare take your people to gamble at an underground boxing den again, I'll smash your bell when I get back."
"Oh~ I know, I know..." Na Nali stuck out her tongue.
"Leng Yulai."
Leng Yulai stiffened and instinctively straightened her back. "...Here."
"You too." Qing Linyun looked at her, his tone even.
"Don't flare up at the slightest spark. Listen to whatever Lingling says. If you dare go against Na Nali and Lingling again..."
He paused.
"Have you forgotten what last time felt like?"
Leng Yulai's face instantly turned red, the color spreading from her ears all the way down her neck.
She opened her mouth and, after a long while, squeezed out an answer:
"...N-no, I haven't."
"Good."
Qing Linyun withdrew his gaze, straightened his collar, and turned toward the conference room door.
Ye Lingling hurried after him, took a dark cloak from a cabinet, and handed it to him.
"Eastsea City is colder than Shrek. Take this."
"Mm."
He took it and put it on, then stopped at the door and looked back at Ye Lingling.
Such a good girl. As expected of my good secretary. Looks like I really should give you a proper reward in a couple of days.
Qing Linyun muttered to himself inwardly.
"Oh, right."
"Hmm?"
"When I get back, I'll give you that right leg bone."
Ye Lingling abruptly raised her head, her eyes lighting up.
"...Really?"
"When have I ever lied to you?"
"Boss!" She threw herself at him and hugged his arm, rubbing her cheek against his sleeve. "You're the best!"
"All right, all right. You're not a child anymore."
Qing Linyun peeled her off, pushed open the door, and walked out.
Behind him, all thirteen people saw him off all the way to the foot of the Heaven-Supporting Pillar.
Na Nali leaned against a doorpost, twirling her bell in her hand and waving at him with a smile.
Leng Yulai stood beside her, awkwardly turning her face away, but she still couldn't resist stealing a glance at him. Ye Lingling stood at the front, watching until his figure disappeared at the end of the street.
Qing Linyun didn't look back.
He walked along Shrek City's main street toward the outskirts, the wind lifting a corner of his cloak's hem.
Actually, going to Eastsea City wasn't entirely a bad thing.
He had spent fifteen years in Shrek, and he really was tired of it.
Sea God Island was only so big, and it was the same few faces coming and going.
Of course, Qing Linyun wouldn't admit it was because Shrek really didn't have many girls who caught his eye.
One had enrolled recently, Ye Xinglan, and had been transferred to the inner court, but she was too young, and Qing Linyun hadn't had much contact with her to begin with.
He wasn't particularly interested in forcing a connection, either.
Qing Linyun took a casual approach to his harem: if he could get someone, he would; if he couldn't, so be it. There was no need to force things.
The company went without saying. The three women there were each clingier than the last.
Ye Lingling was a gentle knife, Na Nali never took anything seriously, and when Leng Yulai's fur bristled, he had to coax her.
It really was time to get out and take a breather.
In this life, a person had to have some freedom, after all.
Besides, going to Eastsea City would let him relax and ease some of the pressure in his heart.
More importantly, Na'er's problem also needed to be resolved.
Twelve years ago, he had personally gone to Aolai City and brought Na'er back after "adopting" her.
Ahem... Actually, Qing Linyun had gone there specifically to keep watch and had carried Na'er away before Tang Wulin could.
In the original story, Yun Ming had taken Na'er as his disciple after seeing her astonishing talent.
In this life, unexpectedly, Yun Ming had taken Na'er as his disciple early simply because her personality was endearing and Ya Li felt sorry for her.
Although the plot had deviated somewhat, the course correction had turned out reasonably well.
Na'er was an avatar of the Silver Dragon King.
One half of Gu Yuena.
According to the original story, he would fuse with Gu Yue, and that was certainly not something Qing Linyun wanted to see. So he couldn't let Na'er and Gu Yue become one.
That wouldn't be his Na'er anymore.
But he couldn't touch Gu Yue, either.
At least, he couldn't touch her now.
With the little strength he had now, he was no match for a true god-level powerhouse.
The Devil Card?
To put it bluntly, that thing was just a binding contract, and the other party had to sign it willingly. It was useless against someone who didn't value their own life, let alone a top-tier god-level powerhouse like the Silver Dragon King. Against her, it was worth jack shit.
He could strut across the Douluo Continent now because of his information advantage and the system. If he really wanted to go head-to-head with these big shots who possessed god-level power, he would at least have to wait until Qing Linyun rolled a god-level item in the Daily Shop.
Those things were just too hard to roll. In fifteen years, only four or five had appeared in total. Some were no use to him, and when others appeared, he hadn't had enough money on hand to buy them.
In the end, all Qing Linyun had gotten his hands on was this one Devil Card.
Qing Linyun had also thought it over in secret. At least for now, there were only three big shots on the continent he truly couldn't touch.
Gu Yue's side was actually easy to deal with. Given his relationship with Na'er, Gu Yue definitely shared those memories.
He only had to look at Tang Wulin in the original story to know that. If all else failed, he could follow Tang Wulin's old path and deal with the Silver Dragon King that way too.
Qing Linyun was confident about that much.
One was Tang San, who wouldn't return for another ten thousand years.
Another was the big daddy over in the Abyss, who was building up his strength.
Damn it, he had no idea what screw had come loose in Tang San's head for him to bring that big daddy over.
And there were two more top-tier threats hiding who knew where: Tang Hao, the Plane Master, and Ah Yin, the Life Core.
They were Tang Wulin's grandparents.
If he really woke those two up, Qing Linyun and his entire company wouldn't be enough for them to crush with one finger.
So he couldn't rush this trip to Eastsea City, but he couldn't avoid it either.
He'd go and take a look first.
He'd see Tang Wulin, see Gu Yue, and see how far the chess game on the Douluo Continent had progressed.
Qing Linyun had actually calculated it in secret. He should have been six years older than Tang Wulin. Tang Wulin was nine now, probably just old enough to have started school.
As for the rest...
Qing Linyun raised his head and glanced at the sky in the direction of Eastsea City, the corners of his mouth slowly curling upward.
He'd take it one step at a time.
"But... I think I left in a bit of a hurry. If I'd known, I would've had Ye Lingling book me a ticket first."
When Qing Linyun reached the station, he discovered a problem.
Damn it, he hadn't booked a soul-guidance vehicle ticket.
He had left so jauntily. Was he supposed to go back now?
"Forget it, forget it. I'll buy one myself."
Qing Linyun sighed and walked helplessly toward the ticket office.