After confirming Lin Wushuang was unharmed, Yun Fan left.
"Grandfather, if it weren't for Yun's help, I might not have been able to break through to the Half-step Innate realm!" Lin Wushuang said sincerely.
He had originally planned to surprise his grandfather, but since his grandfather already knew, there was no need to hide it anymore.
"This child is indeed a prodigy, but he has already become entangled in a bloody conflict. His future is uncertain!" Lin Wudi stated the facts.
"This time, I will do my best to help him!" Lin Wushuang declared resolutely. He hadn't helped Yun Fan during the Crown Prince's recent turmoil purely to avoid suspicion. After all, the Lin family and the Crown Prince were not on good terms, and any help to Yun Fan would lead to gossip.
"No!" Lin Wudi said directly. "You should interact with him less from now on!"
Hearing this, Lin Wushuang asked, confused, "Grandfather, why?"
Lin Wudi explained, "This storm is too immense. Our Lin family can only protect itself. If you get too close to him, it will be very disadvantageous to our family, do you understand?"
"Grandfather, our Lin family is not afraid of trouble!" Lin Wushuang was deeply puzzled. The Lin family had never feared anyone; why was his grandfather so apprehensive this time?
"Because I am destined to ascend to the throne. Before I do, the Lin family cannot afford any accidents!" This was Lin Wudi's truth.
Upon hearing this, Lin Wushuang felt a pang of unease. In his view, his grandfather had always been indifferent to fame and fortune. Why was he so interested in the throne now? Having served by the Heavenly Emperor's side for so long, he knew that position was thankless.
"Grandfather..."
"Silence!" Lin Wudi commanded. "This is my order!"
The grandfather and grandson parted on unhappy terms.
...
After resolving Lin Wushuang's matter, Yun Fan returned to his hotel. However, the moment he opened the door, he was stunned. There was someone in the room. It was none other than Zhulian. He wondered why Zhulian, like Ye Qingcheng, liked to appear in his room without warning. It was quite inconvenient.
"Sister, why are you here?" Yun Fan asked with a smile. Unlike Ye Qingcheng, he could afford to be impolite or even dismiss her. But Zhulian was different. She wasn't as annoying as Ye Qingcheng and often helped him. He couldn't possibly treat her that way.
Zhulian replied, "Of course, I'm here to bring you good news!"
"What good news?" Yun Fan asked, puzzled.
Zhulian said, "What else could it be but good news? It's about that mysterious force hiding in the shadows! I have a lead!"
"No way!" Yun Fan exclaimed in shock. "Sister, how did you know I was troubled by this?"
Facing Yun Fan's question, Zhulian calmly stated, "As I've said, nothing that happens in Jinling can escape my eyes!"
"That's amazing!" Yun Fan's curiosity about Zhulian's true identity grew. Almost everything that happened around him seemed to be within her control. "Terrifyingly powerful" wouldn't be an exaggeration. What kind of means did a woman possess to be so all-knowing? However, the most important thing now was to find out the origin of this mysterious force.
"Sister, what did you find out?" Yun Fan asked expectantly.
Zhulian replied, "I've found some origins. Take a look yourself!" She handed him the information. Though the records were only a rough outline, Yun Fan noticed a few things. Firstly, the group had no ties to the hidden sects, as those sects, while stirring, had little contact with the secular world. Secondly, they had been planning for a long time, even before Yu Shuai was apprehended, and seemed to have facilitated his exposure. Moreover, after Yu Shuai's downfall, they had secretly interfered with the Crown Prince's plan, causing him to hastily withdraw, leading to utter failure. This force was truly formidable.
Of course, the information above wasn't particularly useful to Yun Fan. What truly mattered was their movements. Their entry and exit points, as well as their safe houses, were all within the central district. Although the central district wasn't large, it was inhabited by the top tier of people in China.
Yun Fan then said, "They're in the central district, which makes it difficult, as there are too many potential suspects!"
Zhulian smiled. "Little brother, although the figures there are not simple, only a few families truly possess power! Having narrowed down the general direction is already a significant victory for you."
Yun Fan agreed, "Indeed. It seems this force won't be able to hide for much longer!" Even if he lacked manpower, he still had the Ye family. If he told Ye Qingcheng about this, she would surely find out the truth.
"Little brother, how do you plan to reward me?" Zhulian asked with interest.
Yun Fan thought about it. He did need to reward her, as she had been a great help. He replied generously, "Sister, I'll agree to any reward!"
"Oh?" Zhulian looked at him with a half-smile.
Yun Fan quickly hugged himself. "I don't do anything involving selling my body!"
"Pfft!" Zhulian rolled her eyes. "Little brother, I'm helping you for free this time!"
"Then thank you, Sister!" Yun Fan said gratefully. He had received the most help from Zhulian since arriving in Jinling.
"Don't be polite, you've helped me a lot too!"
"That's what I should do, what I should do!" Yun Fan chuckled sheepishly.
Zhulian then said, "Alright, I know you have other matters to attend to, so I won't disturb you any further!"
"Sister, please take care," Yun Fan said, ushering Zhulian out quickly to avoid any potential misunderstandings.
However, as they reached the door, Zhulian bumped into Lin Tianxin. Lin Tianxin's face immediately fell. Seeing Zhulian coming out of Yun Fan's room, she first assumed Yun Fan had hired a prostitute.
"Yun Fan, how could you be so disgusting!" Lin Tianxin scolded him. Yun Fan had a history of such behavior, and she couldn't understand why he, with a beauty like her available, always seemed to be seeking out others.
Yun Fan awkwardly explained, "Tianxin, it's not what you think. She's my sworn sister!"
"Sworn sister?" Lin Tianxin scoffed. "I think you mean a 'sworn' sister!"
"Uh..." Yun Fan's face turned dark. He hadn't expected Lin Tianxin's mind to be so wicked.
Just as he was about to explain, Zhulian, unfazed, smiled and said, "Little sister, he and I really have no relation. Don't overthink it!" Before leaving, she cast a meaningful glance at Lin Tianxin. "Is this his daughter? She is indeed beautiful and charming!"
At this, Lin Tianxin glared at Yun Fan. "You're dead. I'm going to tell Sister Leng about this!" Without waiting for Yun Fan's explanation, she returned to the room, and the ensuing scene was predictable. Yun Fan was lectured extensively. However, he was accustomed to it and had become immune.
"Sister Leng, do you think that seductive woman is really just his sworn sister?" Lin Tianxin asked curiously.
Leng Ningshuang replied, "I don't know. But don't worry, little junior brother won't mess around before he breaks through that barrier. However, I am very curious about who that woman is!" After questioning Yun Fan earlier, she learned that Zhulian was no ordinary person, and it seemed everything happening in Jinling was under her control.
"What a shame, I should have taken her photo just now!" Lin Tianxin grumbled.
"Even if you took her photo, it would be useless. Since she hasn't revealed her identity for so long, her origins are very mysterious," Leng Ningshuang said with concern. "My only fear is that her approaching little junior brother must have ulterior motives!" This was her primary concern. Therefore, she decided to investigate Zhulian's identity herself. If the woman had no ill intentions, so be it. But if she had a hidden agenda, Leng Ningshuang would nip the threat in the bud.
...
Ye Family.
When Yun Fan called Ye Qingcheng to tell her he had locked onto the general target, Ye Qingcheng's heart skipped a beat. She had spent days investigating without success, and now Yun Fan knew. She didn't believe Yun Fan's methods in Jinling were superior to hers. The only possibility was that his sworn sister had helped him again. She had tried to investigate Zhulian's identity but found nothing. There seemed to be no such person in Jinling. Who would use the name Zhulian from back then?
Ye Qingcheng then told Yun Fan, "Since the general target has been identified, we can start taking action."
"What's your plan?" Yun Fan asked curiously over the phone.
Ye Qingcheng replied, "The most important thing now is to find a reason to enter the central district!"
"Isn't that simple? Old Master Lin's birthday banquet is coming up soon. We can use the excuse of offering birthday wishes to sneak in and investigate!" This was Yun Fan's plan. However, Ye Qingcheng awkwardly said, "This matter might require you to go alone!"
"Why?" Yun Fan asked, confused.
"Because my Ye family didn't receive an invitation!" Ye Qingcheng stated the fact.
"No way! With your Ye family's status, you wouldn't receive an invitation?" Yun Fan was puzzled. Logically, even if the person in charge was at odds with the Ye family, they should have extended an invitation out of courtesy.
"Never mind that for now. I do have a way for us to go to the Lin family together!" Ye Qingcheng said on the phone.
"Alright, I'll contact you then!" Yun Fan hung up. On the other end, Ye Qingcheng revealed a slight smile. Without an invitation, it would be inappropriate to barge into the Lin family. Although she had a way, it might have some repercussions. Therefore, she decided to seek permission from Ye Ji.
However, upon reaching the vicinity of the back mountain, she was stopped by Ye Ji's two maids.
"Eldest Miss, please stop. The Family Head is in seclusion and cannot be disturbed!" the maids immediately told Ye Qingcheng.
"In seclusion?" Ye Qingcheng's suspicion grew that her mother's injuries might be beyond control. She turned to leave. The two maids thought she had left, but she hadn't. Instead, she used a secret passage to enter the garden in the back mountain. This secret passage was known only to her, as she had designed it herself.
She then approached the only wooden house in the garden. Ye Ji usually practiced seclusion in this room.
"Mother, Mother!" Ye Qingcheng tentatively called out. However, there was no response from inside the room.
"Hmm?" Ye Qingcheng looked confused. If her mother were truly in seclusion, she should have responded. Cautiously, she pushed open the door and entered the cozy room, only to find it empty.
"She's not here!" Ye Qingcheng was shocked. The maids had said her mother was in seclusion, so why wasn't she in the room? Where had her mother gone? She searched around the room but found nothing. Just as she was about to leave, she discovered Ye Ji standing at the doorway, staring at her coldly.
"What are you doing here?" Ye Ji asked directly, her tone exceptionally cold.
Ye Qingcheng quickly replied, "Mother, I've come to seek your permission for something!"
"Permission?" Ye Ji said coldly. "Didn't I tell you that you have full authority over all Ye family matters?"
"This is different. I want to go to the Lin family to congratulate Old Master Lin on his birthday." Ye Qingcheng stated the truth.
"Yes, I agree!" Ye Ji nodded in approval.
"Thank you, Mother. I'll take my leave now!" Ye Qingcheng left immediately. However, before departing, she glanced back at the room, ensuring that all traces of her search were restored to their original state before she breathed a sigh of relief.
After she left, Ye Ji approached the bed, glanced around, and a cold smile played on her lips. "You truly are my obedient daughter!" "Everything you do is to escape my arrangements, but in my eyes, you are merely a golden canary. Your fate is already sealed!"
...
Three days later.
Yun Fan and Lin Tianxin arrived at the Lin family's entrance. Since they were attending the birthday banquet on a mission, Yun Fan had only brought Lin Tianxin. Too many people would attract undue attention. He had originally intended to come alone, but bringing Lin Tianxin would serve as a cover while he investigated.
"I might need to leave for a while later. You stay at the banquet and wait for me. I'll find you after I'm done," he instructed Lin Tianxin.
"Okay. Go ahead. I'll handle things here," Lin Tianxin said, naturally understanding Yun Fan's intention.
"Good. Let's go in!" Yun Fan then took Lin Tianxin's hand and entered. However, Yun Fan's gaze was unsettled. Ye Qingcheng had said she had her own way of getting to the Lin family, but she was nowhere to be seen. He tried calling her, but her phone was off. If all else failed, he would have to proceed alone.
After offering birthday wishes to Lin Wudi, Yun Fan and Lin Tianxin were present at the scene.
"Miss Ye has arrived!" At this announcement, everyone looked in confusion at the newcomer. No one expected Ye Qingcheng to come. The Ye family had never attended Old Master Lin's birthday banquets in the past. This was the first time. In fact, it wasn't just others who were surprised; even Lin Wudi hadn't expected it.
"Miss Ye, if I recall correctly, our Lin family did not invite you!" Lin Wushuang said directly. The Lin family and the Ye family had always been at odds, constantly exchanging barbs. Seeing Ye Qingcheng walk in without any intention of offering birthday wishes, he felt displeased.
"Who said I came to offer him birthday wishes?" Ye Qingcheng stated directly, showing no regard for either side.
"Is this your 'method'?" Yun Fan, standing in the crowd, was speechless. He couldn't understand Ye Qingcheng's actions.
"Then why are you here?" Lin Wushuang asked angrily.
"A guest is welcome. We welcome Miss Ye!" Lin Wudi smiled calmly, showing no signs of anger.
Ye Qingcheng declared, "I'm here to settle accounts with this scumbag!" With that, she pointed directly at Yun Fan.
"Holy hell..." Yun Fan was instantly exasperated. He hadn't expected Ye Qingcheng to pull such a stunt, which was completely beyond his anticipation.
"He slandered me!" Seeing the murderous glint in Lin Tianxin's eyes, Yun Fan quickly explained. Lin Tianxin knew what kind of person Ye Qingcheng was and naturally believed Yun Fan. Moreover, this might be part of a plan between Yun Fan and Ye Qingcheng, so she chose to forgive Yun Fan.
"Hiss!" At that moment, Yun Fan gasped in pain as Lin Tianxin's hand pinched his waist. It was incredibly painful.
"Everyone, look! This scumbag, just a few days after parting with me, already has a new flame!" Hearing this, everyone cast strange glances at Yun Fan, wondering what methods this unknown fellow possessed to attract two stunning beauties successively. Yun Fan was embarrassed, thinking Ye Qingcheng had gone too far. Whatever the plan, why did she have to make him the scapegoat? His reputation as a "scumbag" was now firmly cemented.
Lin Wudi glanced at Yun Fan, then at Ye Qingcheng, and his face darkened. Had Yun Fan set his sights on that pair of...?
"Hmph!" Lin Tianxin snorted. "That only means you're not good-looking enough. My husband is a visual person. Women like you are just for playing with; he'll return to me when he's tired of you!" At these words, everyone was rendered speechless. Ye Qingcheng's beauty could be described as nation-toppling. Was this a battle of the ultimate beauties?
Ye Qingcheng, unwilling to be outdone, was about to respond when Lin Wushuang, unable to watch any longer, said coldly to Ye Qingcheng, "Miss Ye, that's your private matter. But today is my grandfather's birthday, and Brother Yun is a guest of our Lin family. I hope you won't make a scene here!"
"Fine!" Ye Qingcheng said with a cold laugh. "As long as he gives me an explanation, I'll leave immediately!"
Yun Fan understood. He immediately said to Lin Tianxin, "Darling, wait for me here. I'll go sort her out and come back to you!"
"Mmm, mmm!" Lin Tianxin nodded obediently. This scene simply blinded the onlookers. They had never seen such a scumbag. The key was that two peerless beauties actually fell for Yun Fan's act. Was this the pinnacle of scumbaggery? Many male attendees were already contemplating asking Yun Fan for advice later. As for many female attendees, they were curious if Yun Fan was exceptionally skilled in bed, making a high-and-mighty young lady like Ye Qingcheng so infatuated and unable to forget him. After all, they didn't believe Ye Qingcheng had only come to settle accounts with Yun Fan; risking her reputation and making a public spectacle, what else could it be but lingering affection, with a possibility of rekindling their romance?
The two went to a secluded corner.
Yun Fan said angrily, "Ye Qingcheng, you've gone too far!"
"Have I?" Ye Qingcheng replied. "I don't think so!"
"You don't think so!" Yun Fan was almost collapsing. "Do you know that with your stunt, I can't clear my name even if I jump into the Yellow River? My reputation as a perfect man has been ruined by you!"
"Hmph!" Ye Qingcheng snorted. "Haven't I sacrificed anything? My sacrifice seems much greater than yours!"
"It's not about who sacrificed more. Don't you have any other options?" Yun Fan realized Ye Qingcheng was not on the same wavelength as him.
"I just like simple and direct methods!" Ye Qingcheng said. "Without such an excuse, how could you and I have an opportunity to avoid everyone's gaze? Only this way will people not be suspicious." This method was indeed good. If he and Ye Qingcheng suddenly disappeared from the birthday banquet, it would likely arouse suspicion. With this method, people would only assume they were there to deal with private matters. However, even so, Yun Fan felt the sacrifice was too great. But it didn't matter, as neither he nor Ye Qingcheng had any reputation to speak of anymore.
"Let's go!" She gave Yun Fan a look, and the two disappeared from the Lin family compound.
"Why did you bring me here?" Ye Qingcheng asked, confused. Yun Fan had brought her to a desolate, long-abandoned side courtyard of the Lin family. She couldn't imagine Yun Fan expecting to find clues here.
Yun Fan said, "Last time I was here, I heard a cry for help, so there might be new discoveries here!" He then approached the secret passage. Ye Qingcheng stood by, looking disdainful.
"Strange, where did the secret passage go?" Yun Fan looked confused. There was an inconspicuous secret passage here last time, but now there was only a rockery.
"Are you done making a scene?" Ye Qingcheng said, leaning on the rockery. "If you're done, let's not waste time here. We don't have much time!" However, the moment she finished speaking, the rockery suddenly opened in the middle, revealing a secret passage. Su Dan Novel Network.
"This works?" Yun Fan looked at Ye Qingcheng in shock. He had searched for a long time without finding any mechanism, but Ye Qingcheng had managed to activate it with a single touch. [Hmm! This wording seems a bit inappropriate!]
"There really is a secret passage?" Ye Qingcheng was also perplexed.
"Didn't I tell you?" Yun Fan urged. "Let's go in and take a look!"
"Okay!" The two then entered the secret passage. To their surprise, it was like a tunnel, very long and narrow. In the dark tunnel, they walked for about ten minutes before finally seeing light. The area ahead became increasingly spacious.
"A dungeon!" Ye Qingcheng exclaimed in shock. Who would have thought that a dungeon was hidden in the Lin family's side courtyard? Many people were imprisoned in the dungeon, but unfortunately, they had all gone mad, clearly driven to insanity by unbearable torture. This discovery was earth-shattering.
Yun Fan then heard someone calling for help, but after the cry, it turned into frantic laughter. Another person who had lost his mind. As he approached, he realized the person was an acquaintance. Indeed, it was Ouyang Canyue.
"You can give up! I won't tell you!" Ouyang Canyue roared furiously. Then he descended into madness.
Yun Fan opened the cell and, supporting the crippled Ouyang Canyue, said, "Calm down, it's me, Yun Fan!" Hearing Yun Fan's voice in his frenzy, Ouyang Canyue fell silent for a moment.
"Kid, even if you kill me, I won't tell you where the treasure is!" he snarled at Yun Fan. Clearly, he mistook this place for Yun Fan's territory.
Yun Fan replied, "Don't misunderstand, I'm not from here. Tell me, what happened?" Unfortunately, Ouyang Canyue didn't listen to his explanation and roared, "Yun Fan, you think you can get our three great families' treasure by colluding with this bitch and eliminating the three patriarchs? Don't even think about it!"
Yun Fan was shocked. After the demise of the three patriarchs, a mysterious force had absconded with all their assets. Now it seemed they hadn't obtained the true treasure of the three families, or they wouldn't have let Ouyang Canyue live. Yun Fan cursed himself for being foolish. When Lin Wudi spoke with him that day, he had suspected that the last person might have been Lin Wudi. But Lin Wudi was indifferent to fame and fortune, highly respected, and was about to become the next Heavenly Emperor. He couldn't understand the meaning behind Lin Wudi's actions. Of course, he had no concrete evidence that the person in the shadows was Lin Wudi, but even if it wasn't Lin Wudi, it was definitely related to the Lin family. And currently, Ouyang Canyue was the best breakthrough point.
"Believe it or not, this has nothing to do with us. We came here to investigate this matter too!" Yun Fan stated directly. If Ouyang Canyue didn't believe him at this point, there was nothing he could do.
"Hypocritical tears, Yun Fan. You're still acting even now!" Ouyang Canyue said disdainfully. "Your goal will not be achieved. You will never get this treasure, and my three families' surviving direct descendants will use this treasure to rebuild their glory, and then it will be your and this bitch's death date!"
Alright! This guy was truly beyond saving. Just as Yun Fan was about to give up, Ye Qingcheng walked over.
"Perhaps I have a better way of asking!"
"Bitch, you..." Ouyang Canyue had only spoken half of his sentence before Ye Qingcheng punched him in the stomach and forcibly made him swallow a pill.
"You... what did you give me?" Ouyang Canyue looked at Ye Qingcheng warily.
"Guess!" Seeing Ye Qingcheng's mischievous smile, Ouyang Canyue wanted to smash his head against the wall. However, at that moment, he suddenly entered a state of stupor.
"The pill has a problem!" Yun Fan realized.
Ye Qingcheng then asked, "I'll ask you, who imprisoned you here?"