Far-Sighted Scheming
At this point, a hint of satisfaction appeared in the old man's dazed gaze. "I never expected Wanqing to have such good judgment! He's only 16 years old, and he's already a mid-level Daoist priest. Such talent is rare, perhaps only seen once in a century."
Jiang Wanqing's blush hadn't faded yet, and she was taken aback when she heard her grandfather's words, a sense of pride rising in her heart.
"But this is also his greatest danger." The old man sighed, "The tallest tree in the forest is bound to be felled by the wind. The more amazing his talent, the less the Chen Lineage will tolerate him—that kid Chen Lingfeng is vying for the position of deputy director of the provincial capital's Night Watchers. Meng City is his base of operations; how could they allow a rising young man to interfere? If A-Xu stays in Meng City, he will definitely become the target of everyone's criticism."
Jiang Wanqing's heart tightened, and she unconsciously tightened her grip. "Grandpa, isn't A-Xu in great danger?"
"A married daughter is like water spilled from a cup; you haven't even married yet and you can't keep her." The old man immediately laughed.
"Grandpa, if you keep talking nonsense, I'm leaving!" Jiang Wanqing feigned anger, but the tips of her ears were burning red.
"The Chen Lineage is powerful. If Lin Xu wants to establish himself in Meng City, he must leverage their influence. Although our Jiang Clan has declined, we still retain some of our former prestige. If you two were to marry, he would have the protection of the remaining power of our Jiang family. At least on the surface, the Chen Lineage wouldn't dare to act rashly." The old man waved his hand, his smile undiminished.
"At present, the invasion of the Spirit Realm is becoming more and more frequent, and the higher-ups have increased their support for the Night Watchers. All forces are vying for resources and the right to speak."
If Lin Xu wants to rise quickly, he must enter the inner circle. Your marriage should be arranged sooner rather than later. Once your status is established, I can use the Jiang Clan's name to apply for a special position for him, and even try to secure him a dungeon mission in the Spirit Realm."
Jiang Wanqing gently bit her lower lip with her pearly teeth, her heart pounding like a drum.
In downtown Meng City, Chen Lingfeng stood with his hands behind his back in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows on the top floor of a luxurious building, overlooking the entire city, the afterglow of the setting sun shining on his cold profile.
He slowly raised his wine glass, a sinister glint flashing in his eyes behind his glasses. "Lin Xu? A sixteen-year-old mid-level Daoist... a genius boy!"
"Chief, he's just a newly promoted mid-level Daoist priest; he can't possibly cause this trouble. Just give the word, and I'll have someone take care of him right away," a middle-aged man in Night Watchers uniform said in a low voice, a fierce glint in his eyes. "He even dared to curse Xiao Hao! I'll skin him alive!"
Chen Lingfeng waved his hand gently, a meaningful smile playing on his lips, "No rush. If we deal with him now, it will make us seem intolerant of talent, leaving a bad impression on the higher-ups. On the contrary, the Jiang Clan cannot be allowed to remain."
At this point, his gaze turned cold. "I know that old bastard Jiang Yelei will definitely not miss this opportunity."
Over the years, we have been pressing him relentlessly. He had no opportunity before, so he kept quiet and patient. Now that Lin Xu has appeared, it is the perfect opportunity for him to launch a counterattack.
If the Jiang Clan joins forces with Lin Xu, they will become a major threat. Since that's the case, we might as well go all the way and eliminate the Jiang Clan first, then cut off Lin Xu's escape route. At that time, this young genius might even become an honored guest of the Chen Lineage."
"Director, you are truly insightful," Meng Changlin quickly flattered, but also expressed some concern, "But Jiang Yelei, after all, a level 9 professional when he was young. Although he is old and frail now, there's no guarantee that this old man still has some strength left..."
"So, we don't need to lift a finger." A ruthless glint appeared in Chen Lingfeng's eyes. He opened a drawer and took out a sealed wooden box. "This contains a coordinate of the Spirit Realm. Have someone throw it into the Jiang Clan. We won't even need to lift a finger; the monsters of the Spirit Realm will come looking for us."
The wooden box felt icy cold to the touch, and it seemed as if whispers were seeping from its cracks. Meng Changlin's heart trembled, but he dared not ask any further questions.
Chen Lingfeng gazed at the deepening twilight outside the window and said softly, "The century-old feud between the Chen and Jiang families should come to an end."
The night was as dark as ink, and dark clouds quietly obscured the moonlight.
In the Jiang Clan, Jiang Wanqing sat by the window, quietly pondering her grandfather's instructions from the day.
"The Chen Lineage is already planning to wipe us out, and Lin Xu is the only variable. Given Chen Lingfeng's character, unless Lin Xu bows down to him and pledges allegiance, he will definitely want to get rid of him as soon as possible."
But you know what kind of person Lin Xu is. Even giving him a copy of the "Complete Compendium of Basic Talismans" would be a huge undertaking. Would he really bow down to Chen Lingfeng? He's not one to be subservient to others! If our two families join forces, there's still a glimmer of hope."
"But Grandpa, does A-Xu really want to believe us? What if he thinks we're just using him?"
"Wanqing, it all depends on you now."
As she thought about it, a blush crept onto Jiang Wanqing's face, and her heart began to beat faster involuntarily.
"Oh no, there's Spirit Realm Mist!"
A shrill scream shattered the silence, instantly waking Jiang Wanqing. She abruptly stood up and looked out the window. She saw a gray-white mist quietly spreading through the courtyard, with distorted black shadows vaguely emerging from it.
The alarm suddenly went off in the courtyard, its piercing sound cutting through the night sky, plunging the Jiang Clan into chaos.
"How could this happen?" Her face turned pale, and her fingertips almost crushed the window frame.
She completed the Spirit Realm Trial more than half a month ago, and is still only a Level 1 Spellcaster. Faced with the sudden Spirit Realm Mist, she is completely powerless to deal with it.
She suppressed her fear and quickly searched for talismans in her sleeve. Her fingertips trembled as she pinched a basic exorcism talisman, but she knew this was like a drop in the ocean.
The distant rumble of collapsing buildings, mixed with shrill screams and cries, made Jiang Wanqing grit her teeth and rush out of the room.
The fog in the courtyard surged like a tide, and in the midst of the movement of dark figures, several guards were dragged into the darkness. Their screams came to an abrupt halt, as if they had been swallowed by an invisible maw.
A baby's cry suddenly rang out. Jiang Wanqing looked down and saw that there was a swaddled baby in her arms. The baby inside had no eyes or mouth, and only black mucus was seeping from under the cracked skin.
"Ah~" She staggered backward, the talisman slipped from her fingers, and turned to ashes in a flash of fire.
The ghost baby had disappeared. Jiang Wanqing felt a chill run up her spine and her back was soaked with cold sweat.
She resisted the urge to turn around and run back into the room, her fingertips trembling as she reached into her sleeve again and pulled out a soul-suppressing talisman.
The fog grew thicker, and the lights in the courtyard flickered. Only the lingering chill of the swaddling clothes reminded her that it wasn't an illusion.
"Miss..." Two guards stumbled in, their faces ashen. "Miss, run! The east courtyard has collapsed, and the west courtyard is surrounded by evil spirits. The old master is trapped in the backyard... that's where the evil energy is strongest. We can't break in!"
Jiang Wanqing's pupils contracted sharply, and she clenched the Soul-Suppressing Talisman in her hand tightly, her knuckles turning white. "Where are the guards at home?"
"They've all scattered. The Spirit Realm Mist came too quickly; there wasn't enough time for everyone to regroup. Some have already..." The middle-aged guard couldn't finish his sentence, his voice choked with emotion.