Chapter 279
279 Shadow 1
Chapter 279 279 Shadow 1
Lin House.
Family dinners are held once a week as a routine.
Lin Xiaoliu, who had just returned from the academy, was being scolded by her mother.
"How dare you? In that situation, even if you have a strong sense of perception, you should go to the martial arts academy teacher first, instead of trying to figure out what to do on your own. What if that person gets angry and hits you back? What will you do then? Do you still care about your own safety?" Liu Shenglan made his youngest daughter stand still and not move, and then scolded her sternly, word by word.
"I just saw that Song Yunhui is my classmate," Lin Xiaoliu glanced at her father not far away, then quickly lowered her head.
"What do you mean by 'classmates don't study together'? You've just gotten arrogant!" Liu Shenglan said irritably. "You just think our family is someone important in Black Cloud now, that we have some influence. But wasn't all of this earned by your third brother through hard work, risking his life every day? What does this have to do with you? Are you even that close to your third brother? If you were in danger, would he be able to get to you in time?" Liu Shenglan was so angry that she was almost incoherent.
Lin Hui, who was chatting with Liu Xiao not far away, had a slightly stiff expression.
Aside from cultivating, he would spend his days lost in thought and contemplation, taking walks with Liu Xiao to relax and enjoy the private pleasures of married life.
This could be a life-or-death struggle.
Seeing his second aunt's current emotional state, he decided not to get involved in educating Lin Xiaoliu.
"Alright, alright, Mother, little sister knows she was wrong, so let it go. I'll send someone to follow her on the road for a while, it shouldn't be a big problem. Once we find out who that purple-robed man is, things will be much easier to handle." Liu Wujun, sitting at another table not far away, ate some fried peanuts while smiling and trying to smooth things over.
"By the way, Auntie, has the White Child Sect been making any moves lately? Could you tell me?" After saying a few words, he turned his head to Lin Hui's mother, Yao Shan.
“There’s nothing going on. My White Child Sect has always abided by the law, and our missionary work has never violated the Black Cloud Laws. Why are you always watching me?” Yao Shan said irritably.
“This isn’t one of the cases I’m handling. There have been quite a few cases involving children lately. This is the sixth one to go missing, all of them boys around seven years old,” Liu Wujun sighed. He currently works in the Security Department of Black Cloud, specializing in these kinds of major cases involving civilians both inside and outside the city.
“Our White Child Cult is not some low-level cult that traffics children. You’ve come to the wrong place,” Yao Shan said speechlessly.
"Hey little sister, what about you over there?" Liu Wujun then looked at his younger sister, Liu Xiao.
"I just comfort the believers every day, offer incense and make wishes, what news could I possibly have?" Liu Xiao said speechlessly.
"I won't ask about my third brother anymore," Liu Wujun sighed.
Lin Hui spends all his time either cultivating or cultivating. The rest of the time he is either with Liu Xiao, teaching his disciples, or going home. He can be said to be the one who spends the most time at home with his parents these days.
There are probably even fewer sources of information.
Even the deputy city lord is just a title in name only.
"Speaking of which, I do have some information," Old Man Lin Shunhe said with a smile, offering a clue. "It didn't come from my shop's merchant alliance, but from the Benevolent Sect."
Lin Hui shook his head speechlessly.
Look at this family.
The White Child Cult, the Benevolent Heart Cult, his own Qingfeng Dao, the Rain Palace, the Black Cloud Official Department, and his elder brother's own Blood Tide Society.
With just a few people present, six different organizations were assembled.
Our weekly family gatherings are essentially a major exchange of information and intelligence.
However, this harmonious atmosphere is exactly what he has always wanted.
What people pursue in this world is nothing more than feelings.
Striving for a career in your past life is a feeling, playing games is a feeling, eating and drinking well is a feeling, and relaxing and resting is also a feeling.
Now that he's experiencing the feeling he wants, all he needs to do is maintain it.
If only life could continue like this forever.
As Lin Hui thought this, his face involuntarily softened.
"By the way, I have some news from within the church," Mother Yao Shan suddenly said. "You all should probably take note of this."
As the matriarch of the family, she already held a high position. With her son Lin Hui's power and influence skyrocketing, the moment she opened her mouth, everyone's attention was immediately drawn to her.
"Shanshan, you speak." Lin Shunhe unconsciously straightened his back. After many years of marriage, he could tell when his wife was serious and when she was relaxed.
"Yes, recently our sect has been mobilizing a large number of experts from various departments to gather at a place called Misty Island in the south of Black Cloud. According to reports from my informants, a mysterious treasure has appeared there. And this treasure is very likely the legendary evil weapon!" Yao Shan said softly.
"!!?"
"!!"
Immediately, everyone in the room became serious.
The Evil Insect Codex is the foundation of the Mist People! Once successfully integrated, a new Mist People will be born!
"Speaking of which, I also have something to report. Indeed, the Hundred Seas Merchant Alliance has mobilized a lot of fleets to Fogfrost Island." Lin Shunhe was reminded of this and immediately recalled the recent unusual activity.
“It must be the successive deaths of the Mist People that have led to the new Evil Weapon Insect Codex choosing a new master,” Liu Wujun said in a deep voice. “However, this has nothing to do with us. Mist Island is far away from us, and even if there are fluctuations, they cannot affect Black Cloud. After all, we have three city lords stationed here, making it the fourth largest city in the Federation.”
Everyone nodded slightly at these words.
After the meal, Lin Hui and Liu Xiao returned to Qingfeng Taoist Temple together.
"Actually, I just attended a friend's funeral a couple of days ago," Liu Xiao said softly.
"What's wrong?" Lin Hui held her hand and felt her trembling slightly.
"She decayed first and was then killed by her colleagues." Liu Xiao looked up at the misty afternoon sky.
"I'm thinking, my abilities are limited, and if one day I decay before you." "Don't think like that, it's too early now. Not to mention your own lifespan, there are all sorts of life-extending items. You and I can live for hundreds of years without any problem," Lin Hui comforted him.
There isn't really a definite limit to lifespan. For priests, two or three hundred years is quite common. They've only been together for a few years, and to be thinking about such distant things is indeed a bit too much worry.
"That's true." Liu Xiao said with relief, gently leaning against Lin Hui's arm.
Just then, Lin Hui's gaze suddenly swept across a house alley not far away.
In the alley, a slender woman in a purple robe floated silently in mid-air, slowly passing through the alley and disappearing into the street at the other end.
The purple-robed woman had a strange aura, which slightly attracted his attention, but that was all.
Within Black Cloud City, caravans and tourists number in the hundreds of thousands daily, and all sorts of strange races can be seen. There are also quite a few races that appear somewhat unusual.
Lin Hui glanced at it and then looked away, no longer paying attention.
While chatting with Liu Xiao, he was also pondering the core of the Annihilation Saint.
He has recently begun to vaguely grasp the method of comprehending the Holy Type of Annihilation.
The inspiration actually came from the strange, limitless power emanating from his apprentice, Xia Si.
That power could turn anything to ashes, and Lin Hui vaguely sensed the meaning of annihilation within it.
Essentially, his indulgence of Xia Si was also partly driven by a desire for her to bring him new inspiration.
At his level, his limitless power is just the foundation. What truly distinguishes him from others of the same caliber is the instantaneous intensity of his burst output and the essence of his power.
*
*
*
On another street.
A slender woman in a purple robe floated slowly by, passing a barbecue restaurant run by a tiger-man, and stopped outside a liquor store next to the restaurant, as if she had gotten tired and wanted to rest.
Soon, a faint male voice entered her ear.
"How about it?"
"I've observed it, and there's no problem. The intensity can be calculated according to the standard fog person. The impact will be minimal," the woman replied telepathically.
“Based on this person’s previous record, we can appropriately raise his level by half a tier and bring him into the scope of the Master’s plan. This level of strength is indeed not a big problem,” the male voice said.
"Understood." The woman disconnected the telepathic message and continued strolling around casually like an ordinary passerby.
*
*
*
More than ten days passed quickly after Lin Xiaoliu's incident.
As Amamiya's public holiday approached, Lin Hui and Liu Xiao went to an island to soak in a geothermal hot spring. Before they even arrived, while still on the boat, they heard that something had happened at the Martial Academy.
On the Jade Sea, on a large silver-black ship.
"That's the situation. This is a special express letter for you."
The sparrow-man, responsible for delivering urgent messages, carried a gray cloth backpack, flapped his wings, and pulled out a palm-sized leather scroll from the backpack.
"Thank you." Lin Hui nodded, took the letter, and watched the messenger, who was only up to his calves, turn and fly off the ship's side, disappearing into the distance.
He sighed, picked up the letter, and gave Liu Xiao, who was looking at him curiously, a wry smile.
"Looks like our honeymoon is going to be canceled."
"It's alright, business is more important," Liu Xiao comforted him. Her spirits had been low lately, and her temper had softened considerably. She approached him, gently resting her ample bosom against his arm as they watched him unfold the letter.
Lin Hui glanced at the cover; it was a specially requested and tightly sealed letter from Lin Xiaoliu's class leader.
The thought of Lin Xiaoliu made his brows furrow slightly involuntarily.
Unfold the letter, and its contents will slowly unfold.
Lin Hui had only glanced at it a few times and hadn't reacted yet, but Liu Xiao became somewhat serious.
"How did Xiao Liu get involved in this kind of thing again?" Liu Xiao said in a low voice.
"It's fortunate that we escaped unharmed, but Song Yunhui's ability to withstand a second attack suggests he has something behind him. It's unlikely Xiao Liu was also targeted; she was probably just implicated again. But that's not necessarily true. It's also possible that Song Yunhui deliberately used Xiao Liu to save his life, thus actively seeking her help," Lin Hui said.
“It’s also possible that Xiao Liu is kind-hearted and couldn’t bear to see Song Yunhui suffer, but either way, Xiao Liu was too reckless,” Liu Xiao said in a deep voice.
Lin Hui nodded.
The Lin family is indeed large and powerful now, but that's only compared to ordinary forces. Compared to some of the larger forces within Black Cloud, they are still quite a bit weaker.
Putting aside everything else, the three major original blood families of Black Cloud are the biggest local powers. Next are the branches of the royal city and other major cities here. These forces may seem weak, but in reality, a single move can have far-reaching consequences, and several are even feared by the great city lords. After all, while they are strong, they are not invincible.
(End of this chapter)