Don't Underestimate My Intelligence Network!

"Sigh... What's all this about...?"

Lu Guan sighed helplessly. He really hadn't known that Resonators had to be tested to enter Jinzhou, nor had he expected Dania's disguise to fail the inspection...

"Sorry... I think I forgot to disguise my frequency just now." Dania edged closer to Lu Guan and guiltily poked his arm.

"It's all right." Lu Guan shook his head. "Something like this was bound to come out sooner or later anyway. It's better for everyone if we explain things sooner."

Ever since that bout of Overclocking, Lu Guan had gradually gotten the hang of controlling his Resonance ability.

As for how it worked, Lu Guan had no desire to investigate. After all, according to "Sora," even if she could heal the pain of Overclocking, there was nothing she could do about the permanent damage it caused.

For now, as long as he didn't get too worked up, he could control whether his Resonance ability activated most of the time, so he no longer had to watch every word in fear.

Lu Guan stepped forward and lowered both hands slightly, using his Resonance ability. "Everyone, please settle down and hear me out-please calm down."

If the Jinzhou Engineering Department personnel at the gate attacked him and Dania without a word, he would have no choice but to flee with her to keep things from getting worse.

So he could only resort to this last-ditch measure.

But make no mistake: Lu Guan hadn't used the Word Spirit Technique to forcibly distort anyone's mind or perception. That was something he despised.

He had only used the Word Spirit Technique to ease the tense atmosphere and buy himself time to explain.

The effect was clear. As he spoke, the guards surrounding them felt as though a gentle breeze had swept over their hearts, and the urgency they felt in the face of the sudden situation eased considerably.

"Ahem... First, I have to admit that my companion is indeed connected to a threnodian, but there's more to the story..."

Lu Guan looked at Yangyang.

"Cousin, could I ask you to help and bring someone with enough authority out here? I'd like to explain it to her in person."

There was no point in arguing with ordinary guards. They neither understood things like the relationship between a threnodian and a threnodian Resonator nor had the authority to make decisions on their own. They could only follow the rules.

If Lu Guan tried to find a way out through them, he would only make things difficult for both sides. It would be better to find someone knowledgeable and influential enough to make the call.

"All right..." Yangyang instinctively started to agree, but as she turned to enter the city, she suddenly realized something, and a cold sweat broke out all over her.

The younger cousin before her could very well be a Tacet Discord disguised as Lu Guan. Why was she agreeing to his request?

No, even if it really was him, she had no reason to help this little demon who had often bullied her when they were children!

At that thought, Yangyang turned back with her sword in hand and stood near the guards, confronting the two of them. "...No, I refuse!"

"Right now, I suspect you're a Tacet Discord capable of disguising yourself. You have to prove your identity to me, or else..."

"That's easy... After you learned your first song as a child, you excitedly played it for me and your sister. When I said it sounded awful, you chased me for two li with a wooden sword..."

"Suisui also likes to pinch the soft flesh at your waist. Apparently, she can tell whether you've gotten thinner or fatter by how it feels..."

"And there's that feather fan..."

"Shut up!" Yangyang, now red-faced, thundered, cutting Lu Guan off. To stop him from going on, she turned to the surrounding guards. "Please keep a close watch on this scoundrel. I'll go fetch Officer Taoqi..."

With that, she shot Lu Guan a fierce glare and was about to leave when a mature woman's voice came from behind her.

"Oh my~ What are so many people gathered here for?"

The guards hurriedly saluted when they saw the newcomer.

"Lady Changli!"

"Mm~ There's no need for such courtesy." The newcomer was none other than Changli, who had spent quite a bit of time with Lu Guan when he was little, back at the Ming Court offices.

In fact... she had even held him as a child!

She was no longer wearing the official robes she had worn at the Ming Court. Since she had requested a post in Jinzhou, she had changed into the outfit she wore in the game.

Her long, narrow eyes swept over the crowd before settling on Lu Guan, and she spoke with interest.

"Could one of you tell me what just happened?"

"I will, Lady Changli." Baizhi stepped forward and gave her a detailed account of what had happened. "It was like this..."

After listening to Baizhi, Changli nodded.

"I understand the situation now."

She looked at Lu Guan.

"Then... my friend, could you explain why Lament energy was detected in your companion?"

"Auntie Changli..."

Changli's gaze turned a little dangerous. "Hm?"

Seeing that, Lu Guan hurriedly corrected himself. "Sister Changli..."

"Mm~" Changli nodded in satisfaction. In fact, she had already recognized Lu Guan. "Go on~"

"Ahem... Actually, Dania is a threnodian Resonator."

"But she isn't under the threnodian's control. On the contrary, the threnodian she resonates with has temporarily left Solaris."

"I'll personally vouch for her. She absolutely won't harm anyone else."

His words caused an uproar.

At present, the existence of threnodian Resonators was still only spoken of among the Fractsidus and a small number of high-ranking members of other nations and factions on Solaris.

Lu Guan had dropped such a bombshell right off the bat, giving the guards, who had rarely faced any truly great trials, quite a fright.

Changli, who knew some of the inside story, reacted quickly and spoke up to keep things from getting worse. "In that case, I'll vouch for you as well... Come into the city with me. The magistrate needs to be informed of this girl's situation in person."

Lu Guan looked at Changli in surprise. Seeing her repeatedly signal to him with her eyes, he immediately understood and nodded.

"Thank you, Counsellor Changli. Sorry for the trouble."

With Changli, one of Jinzhou's high-ranking officials, having spoken, the guards at the gate had no reason to stop Lu Guan and Dania. After a brief registration at the gate, the two followed Changli into the city.

Lu Guan saw no problem with it. Once inside, he even began looking around and studying Jinzhou's architectural style.

Dania, however, was uneasy. Her little hand gripped the hem of Lu Guan's clothes tightly, and she didn't dare stray a single step from him, as though she could only feel sufficiently safe by his side.

As Changli led them along, she asked Lu Guan a question.

"How has your father been these past few years? Is he in good health?"

"About the same, I suppose." Lu Guan shrugged. "But he's been exercising these past few years, so his health is much better than it was before. At least he's a lot faster than he used to be."

After all, at first Lu Guan had been able to get through most of an incantation before his father could cover his mouth. But by the time he left home, his father had nearly become faster than some high-level Resonators...

Who would have thought Lord Lu Yi was a civil official?

"Mm~ That's about what I expected."

Why did he exercise? That's really so hard to guess~

Changli nodded slightly and continued asking in the tone of an elder, "How are your studies at Stardust Academy?"

"They're all right, I guess..." Lu Guan scratched the back of his head while wrapping his other arm around Dania's shoulders and patting her to reassure her.

"That answer is a little perfunctory, don't you think~?" Changli gave a soft hum. "I won't hide it from you. A friend in Lahai-Roi told me you've been getting up to quite a bit of mischief at the academy~"

"Ahaha... How did you know, Sister Changli?"

Changli perked up at that. Smiling proudly, she looked back at the two of them and gestured for them to be quiet.

"Don't underestimate your big sister's intelligence network!"

To achieve the peaceful and prosperous age she longed for, Changli knew that her strength alone was far from enough.

And so the strategist entered the fray herself. Several years ago, Changli had requested a post in Jinzhou and become the magistrate Jinhsi's teacher. It was not only to teach the then-young magistrate, but also to wait for the golden-eyed outsider her master, Immortal Xuanmiao, had spoken of.

On top of that, thanks to being a woman, she was also adept at making female pen pals through correspondence.

She knew people throughout Huanglong's one court and six regions, the New Federation, Rinascita, and even Lahai-Roi, making it easy for her to learn information she wanted to know.

Although Lu Guan's existence had been classified as top secret within the Ming Court, Changli had not yet resigned from office at the time, so she knew how important he was.

She had been willing to help the two of them out of their predicament partly because of information she had learned from corresponding with her pen pal in Lahai-Roi, and partly because she was fond of Lu Guan, her colleague's child...

But most of all, she was afraid the boy wouldn't buckle under pressure...