Cooperation and Suspicion
"You're the same age as Wanqing. If you don't mind this old man, just call me Grandpa." The old man smiled, and the heavy atmosphere in the room immediately eased a bit.
Lin Xu smiled and called out, "Grandpa."
He paused, then said, "Grandpa, if I want to settle down in Meng City, where should I begin?"
"If we're talking about Meng City today, the Chen Lineage is the first name that comes to mind. Chen Lingfeng, the head of the Chen Lineage, is ostensibly the director of the Meng City Night Watchers, and he nominates the directors of all seven county and district bureaus in the city."
Taking advantage of their status, the Chen Lineage controlled over 70% of the extraordinary resources in Meng City, and secretly cultivated countless loyal followers. Jiang Yelei looked at Lin Xu, his gaze grave.
"Over the years, as the Chen Lineage family's power has grown, Chen Lingfeng has begun to seek expansion into Lei City, the capital of Xiang Province, and even attempted to be promoted to deputy director of the Night Watchers. If he succeeds, the Chen Lineage's power will break free from the constraints of Meng City and become a behemoth spanning several cities."
Lin Xu silently made notes, pondering the realities of the situation. After learning about the power structure in Meng City, he realized that if he relied solely on himself, it would take a long time to gain a foothold, which did not align with his plans.
Jiang Yelei looked at him and tentatively said, "A-Xu, if you want to establish yourself in Meng City, our Jiang Clan can provide you with assistance. Although the Jiang Clan's power has declined significantly in recent years, our network of connections remains. If you are interested, I can introduce you to some old friends in the Night Watchers Council..."
Hearing this, Lin Xu frowned slightly, waved his hand with a wry smile, and said, "Grandpa, I'm good at fighting and killing, but playing power games and building relationships is really not my forte."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yelei laughed heartily, "It's good to know how to fight and kill. In this world, in the end, might makes right."
He glanced at the silent Jiang Wanqing, then turned back to Lin Xu: "A-Xu, it's good that you don't want to take the path of political maneuvering. My granddaughter Wanqing has learned some family strategies. If you trust her, let her help you navigate between various forces. One of you will handle external affairs, and the other will handle internal affairs; you'll complement each other perfectly."
Lin Xu looked at Jiang Wanqing and, seeing the determination and expectation in her eyes, nodded slightly. "With Wanqing's assistance, things will naturally be much easier."
Jiang Yelei smiled with relief, "You young people are so shy, it's actually easier for an old man like me to say some things. Wanqing has you in her heart..."
"Grandpa..." Jiang Wanqing's face flushed red, and she quickly scolded, "Grandpa, what nonsense are you talking about!"
Lin Xu was also taken aback, then lowered his head and coughed twice to cover his embarrassment.
Jiang Yelei stroked his beard and laughed, "Silly child, what's there to be ashamed of? Back then I... Okay, I won't say anymore, I won't say anymore."
After watching Lin Xu and Jiang Wanqing leave, the room fell silent for a moment. Jiang Yelei's gaze fell on Uncle Tang, who was silent to the side. "Little Tang, what do you think of A-Xu?"
"A young hero, so rare to find someone so loyal and righteous." Uncle Tang looked up at the closed door, his face beaming with genuine joy. "Congratulations, sir, Wanqing has found a good husband."
"I'm relieved that Wanqing has found a good home." Jiang Yelei nodded, a look of relief in his eyes, which then flashed with a sharp glint. "This time, we can't let Yungui's tragedy repeat itself!"
A trace of sorrow flashed in Uncle Tang's eyes. Jiang Yungui was Jiang Wanqing's father. He was originally the head of the Jiang Clan family in this generation, but he disappeared in the Spirit Realm a few years ago and has not been heard from since.
"What? Lin Xu suddenly appeared at the Jiang Clan?" Chen Lingfeng stood up abruptly, his teacup falling to the ground, shards of porcelain scattering everywhere.
"Yes, Director Chen." Meng Changlin lowered his head, his voice trembling slightly, "Lin Xu's strength is beyond imagination. The direction he came from was where A Lin and his group were responsible for intercepting him, but Lin Xu killed three people with a single spell..."
Chen Lingfeng's face was grim. The men Meng Changlin brought tonight were all his trusted elites, each a senior professional of level 2 or above with rich practical experience and especially good at teamwork, yet they were so easily defeated!
"That's not right. Hasn't Lin Xu been staying at home the whole time?" A cold glint flashed in Chen Lingfeng's eyes. "Could it be that that old fox from the Jiang Clan already knew about our movements? Has someone tipped him off?"
Meng Changlin dared not speak, cold sweat pouring down his forehead.
Chen Lingfeng slowly paced back and forth. "Continue, what happened next? How did Lin Xu fight? And how did he deal with that corpse-guarding ghost?"
"This..." Meng Changlin opened his mouth, "I didn't see it clearly..."
Seeing Chen Lingfeng's sharp gaze, he quickly explained, "Director Chen, it's not that I'm being perfunctory, it's just that he was too fast~ Tonight, besides the corpse-guarding ghost, a mid-level red-clothed vengeful ghost also came to the Chen Lineage. As a result, Lin Xu arrived and immediately released a spell..."
He gestured with his hand, his face still showing undisguised shock. "Just one spell, and the vengeful ghost was dragged out of the Jiang Clan and into his lamp-shaped magical artifact."
"Just one spell?" Chen Lingfeng frowned, looking at him suspiciously.
"It really was Director Chen! Just one spell! Everyone here saw it. It looked like a line of fire, but when it wrapped around the red-clothed ghost, it expanded into a pillar of fire, so lifelike, it looked just like a snake." Seeing his disbelieving look, Meng Changlin immediately became anxious, "And the corpse-guarding ghost, Lin Xu only used two or three spells, and in the end, he used the fire snake to entangle the corpse-guarding ghost, burning it directly to ashes. The whole process only took a few breaths."
Chen Lingfeng sat back in his office chair, his fingertips tapping lightly on the desk.
His expression remained unchanged, but his mind was racing—even he would find it extremely difficult to deal with that corpse-guarding ghost. Recalling his previous examination of Chen Hao which yielded nothing, a sense of dread arose within him.
"According to what you've said, this Lin Xu is no ordinary person. After casting a spell, he can freely manipulate his form; this is something only high-level mages or even archmages specializing in fire magic can do..."
"Director Chen, are you saying that Lin Xu is a high-level mage? A 16-year-old high-level professional?" Meng Changlin's mouth dropped open slightly, secretly glad that he had retreated quickly.
"Impossible. Before the trial began, he was just an ordinary person. In less than a month, no matter how many extraordinary encounters he had, it was impossible to advance to a high-level professional overnight." Chen Lingfeng shook his head. "Even the evil gods of the Spirit Realm couldn't do that, otherwise the world would have been in chaos long ago. Perhaps he has extraordinary talent, or maybe it's the enhancement from his equipment..."
"Could it be that lamp-shaped magical artifact?" Meng Changlin wondered.
"Regardless of the reason, Lin Xu must be closely monitored. Immediately arrange for people to investigate all those who have been in contact with him, especially his past, including relatives, neighbors, and his first teacher. Any abnormalities must be investigated." Chen Lingfeng ordered, a cold glint in his eyes.
"Also, who tipped off Lin Xu tonight? Find out! The Jiang Clan is a full twenty li away from where Lin Xu lives. Could it be that he sensed it himself? Someone must have betrayed him!"
"Yes, Director Chen!"