Lao Tzu is Ji Gong

“This time, all of the Wen family’s strongholds in Linghai City have been wiped out, including all of the Wen family’s open shops, secret intelligence agencies, and special channels in Linghai City. They were all taken down in one fell swoop. Let’s all share our opinions.”

"Furthermore, I feel it's necessary to offer a word of advice. If any of you here are even remotely connected to this matter, please come to me immediately after this meeting. Otherwise, killing you is a minor matter; I will wipe out your entire faction."

"Furthermore, don't talk to me about morality or beg for mercy. Since someone dares to do it, they must be prepared to fail in the end. So, I, Wenmou, swear here and now that I will never tolerate it once it is discovered. I know some people have just had newborn grandchildren, but the ending will be the same. I, Wenmou, have killed countless people in my life, and men, women, young and old make no difference to me."

"Of course, if you are willing to come to me, I may consider letting your families go. I'll give you more time to think it over, five days. Within five days, no one is allowed to leave without permission, otherwise, you will know what the Jianghu Order is. And you should also know how great the status of my Wen family in the Jianghu."

"Finally, I want to say something. Don't say that I have nothing to do with any of you. I can accept those things, both overt and covert, as actions taken by competitors. But I think only those of you here know about the special channels. So, please be open and honest. Alright, I've finished speaking. Now, if you have anything to say, please begin." After speaking, Wenmou's gaze swept across the faces of the elders one by one before he closed his eyes.

For a moment, the entire hall fell into a deathly silence. No one dared to speak, and no one dared to utter a sound. After a long while, an elder sitting next to Wenmou, a man of extremely high status whom Wenmou had to respectfully address as his uncle, opened his eyes, looked at Wenmou who was resting with his eyes closed, and asked him a question.

"Where did the little monkey go?"

The little monkey is Wenlong, which is the affectionate name the old people use for Wenlong.

"Long'er has arrived in Linghai City."

"Is anyone traveling with you?"

"Uncle Huang is with them."

"Okay, good." After asking the question, the old man closed his eyes again and stopped speaking. Everyone in the hall broke out in a cold sweat. The destruction of the open shops, the secret intelligence agencies, and even the important special channels were minor matters; they could all be rebuilt.

But if something happens to Wen Long, the situation could really get out of control. Wen Long has been handpicked by the current head of the family, Wen Mou, as the successor to the Wen family.

Chapter 1249 Question

"Xiuchen, I'm asking you, where did you find out about this?" After a short while, Wenxiang raised his head and looked at Li Xiuchen, asking calmly, but clearly, there was a hint of accusation in his tone.

"As for where I learned about this, it doesn't seem to have any necessary connection to the matter at hand. And where I got the information doesn't seem to be any of your business either." Li Xiuchen stared intently at Wenxiang, answering Wenxiang's question directly and without any mercy.

After hearing Li Xiuchen's answer, Wenxiang didn't say anything, only nodded. Because Li Xiuchen really didn't need to tell Wenxiang where he had heard this news from.

Just as Wenxiang was pondering what to do next, the door was suddenly pushed open again. Li Xiuchen was startled and instinctively turned around to look behind him. Wenxiang also snapped out of his thoughts and looked towards the doorway. In that instant, both of them were stunned.

"Chong'er, what's wrong?" Wenxiang was the first to come to his senses, immediately standing up and rushing to the door. He knelt down and hugged Wenchong tightly, his brows furrowed and his expression extremely tense.

"Young Master is alright, Master, please don't worry. Let him go inside and rest for a while. I'll go tell someone to prepare some food and drink." The middle-aged man who had been sitting on the other side of Wenxiang's temple reacted and hurriedly ran to Wen Chong's side. He reached out and placed his hand on Wen Chong's wrist, his brows furrowed in thought for a moment before relaxing, and softly spoke to the anxious Wenxiang.

"Alright, alright, hurry in, hurry in." Upon hearing this, Wenxiang hurriedly helped Wenchong up and then carefully led him to the bedside, placing him on the bed.

After the middle-aged man who had been helping Wenxiang put Wenchong on the bed, he turned around and was about to go out to prepare things for Wenchong when Li Xiuchen, who had been standing silently to the side, suddenly spoke up.

"Wait, I'll just go out and buy this food. Don't bother." Although Li Xiuchen's voice was gentle and pleasant, and there's a saying that you can't hit a smiling face, it felt a little unpleasant at this juncture.

We were just discussing the presence of an undercover agent in this inn, and now Li Xiuchen has interfered by saying that food preparation is not allowed. Does that mean the middle-aged man in front of us is also part of the undercover team?

"What do you mean? Are you implying that I'm also an undercover agent and that I want to harm the master and young master?" The middle-aged man was clearly angry after being stopped by Li Xiuchen, so his expression was very bad.

“I don’t know if you want to harm your master and young master, but it’s obvious that someone in your inn wants to harm them. So, I’m sorry, I can’t let you go out to prepare these things. Also, you must be Wang Lin.” Li Xiuchen shrugged indifferently, answering the middle-aged man’s anger with righteous indignation.

"That's right, I am Wang Lin. Do you have any questions?" The middle-aged man was no longer as angry as before. Although the anger on his face had not completely subsided, his tone had softened a lot and he was no longer as aggressive as before.

"Wenxiang, I want to know if there is any way to identify people wearing human skin masks." Li Xiuchen nodded and stopped looking at the middle-aged man in front of him, Wang Lin, and instead skipped over him to start talking to Wenxiang.

“If you want to tell if he’s wearing a human skin mask, find some lamp oil and run your fingers along his neck. If it wrinkles, then he’s wearing a human skin mask. If not, then the result is obvious.” Wenxiang said without turning his head, his eyes fixed on Wen Chong, who was lying on the bed.

After hearing Wenxiang's explanation, Li Xiuchen nodded and stopped looking at Wenxiang. Instead, he turned his gaze back to Wang Lin, but didn't say a word, just staring at Wang Lin in front of him.

"Okay, I understand." Although Wang Lin was a little annoyed, he couldn't say anything since his master was here. He could only follow Li Xiuchen's gaze to the lamp on the side, reach out and touch some lamp oil, smear it on his neck, and then raise his neck to look at Li Xiuchen in front of him.

Li Xiuchen didn't say anything, he just glanced at Wang Lin casually, then stopped looking at him and took a towel from the washstand next to him and handed it to Wang Lin.

"I'm sorry, Brother Wang Lin. For safety reasons, I have offended you in any way. I hope you can forgive me."

Wang Lin glared at Li Xiuchen without saying a word, but took the towel from Li Xiuchen and began wiping the lamp oil off his neck. Li Xiuchen knew that this meant Wang Lin had forgiven his words and actions.

After smiling and nodding to Wang Lin, Li Xiuchen turned his gaze to Wen Xiang and Wenchong.

"Wenxiang, I'm going out to buy some food for Wenchong. Please wait a moment. Also, be careful."

"Alright, be careful too. Food isn't important. If you notice anything amiss, come back immediately. Although my cultivation level isn't particularly high, since I made that promise, I will definitely keep you safe." After hearing Li Xiuchen's words, Wen Xiang finally turned his head and looked at Li Xiuchen seriously.

"Okay, I understand." Li Xiuchen nodded to Wen Xiang and was about to turn and leave when he suddenly noticed a glint of shrewdness in Wen Chong's eyes, who had been lying on the bed, along with a faint hint of killing intent and murderous aura. And when Li Xiuchen looked closer...

The murderous intent and killing aura had vanished. Li Xiuchen was stunned, not quite reacting, and suddenly felt a little dazed. He was unsure whether that fleeting moment had been real or just a mistake due to his nervousness. After thinking for a moment, Li Xiuchen shook his head with a wry smile and walked out, no longer dwelling on it.

Not long after Li Xiuchen left Wenxiang's house, a voice suddenly came from behind him.

"Wait! Stand still for a moment."

Li Xiuchen subconsciously stopped and turned around to look. He saw that Wang Lin had chased after him and was waving at him.

"Are you... calling me?" After looking around and finding that there was no one else but himself, Li Xiuchen pointed at himself and asked Wang Lin with some confusion.

"Yes, that's right, I'm calling you." As he spoke, Wang Lin had already run to Li Xiuchen's side.

"What is it, Brother Wang?" After letting go of his previous concerns, Li Xiuchen smiled at Wang Lin and asked him gently.

"I caught up with you just to tell you that if you're going to buy food for the young master, try to buy something light, like porridge or something similar. Don't buy anything too greasy. We still don't know exactly how the young master is doing right now," Wang Lin said seriously to Li Xiuchen after taking a deep breath.

"Okay, I understand. Is there anything else?" Li Xiuchen nodded and asked Wang Lin with a smile.

"No, that's all. Just be careful. You know the situation the master and young master are in right now, so you must be careful. You'll be a great help to them in the future." Wang Lin thought for a moment and said softly.

"Okay, I understand, Brother Wang. If there's nothing else, I'll be going now." Li Xiuchen nodded, thinking to himself that he hadn't expected Wang Lin to be so loyal. Of course, Li Xiuchen only thought this to himself and didn't show it outwardly.

Wang Lin nodded to Li Xiuchen and gave a soft "hmm." Li Xiuchen nodded back, turned around, and continued walking forward. But after only a couple of steps, Li Xiuchen suddenly stopped, turned around again, and slowly walked to Wang Lin's side, leaning close to his ear. Although Wang Lin was curious, he didn't say anything, simply standing there quietly waiting for Li Xiuchen's next move.

"Brother Wang, I trust you. So, I'd like to ask you for a favor. Please keep an eye on Wenchong."

Li Xiuchen's voice was low, but it was enough for Wang Lin to hear clearly. Wang Lin was startled by Li Xiuchen's words and didn't come to his senses for a moment. He stared wide-eyed at Li Xiuchen, who had already stood up again with a faint smile on his face, and couldn't say a word for a long time.

But since Wang Lin was able to manage such a large intelligence agency and was in charge of the chaotic Tianwu City, it meant that Wang Lin himself was truly capable and possessed remarkable responsiveness and intelligence. Therefore, although Wang Lin was shocked, he quickly understood Li Xiuchen's meaning, so he nodded seriously and didn't ask any more questions.

"Oh right, about Wenxiang..." Li Xiuchen seemed to remember something.

"I understand, thank you." Li Xiuchen didn't finish his sentence, but Wang Lin already understood what Li Xiuchen wanted to say.

"Okay, I'll be going now. Please keep a close eye on things." Li Xiuchen chuckled and nodded. Then he turned and left, while Wang Lin frowned as he watched Li Xiuchen's departing figure.

After Li Xiuchen completely disappeared from Wang Lin's sight, it took Wang Lin a while to come back to her senses and break out of her reverie. She took a deep breath, relaxed her furrowed brow, stretched her slightly stiff limbs and neck, and then turned around and went back into Wenxiang's room.

After leaving the Tonglai Inn, Li Xiuchen stood at the entrance and looked around. The last time he came to Tianwu City, he was just a clueless newbie, but he didn't expect that in just a few days, Tianwu City had changed so much.

Not only did he acquire a brand-new cultivation technique, but he also gained new partners, bidding farewell to his solitary past. Furthermore, he had new tasks and missions. More importantly, he carried a truly earth-shattering secret that would make many people's expressions change upon hearing it.

Although Li Xiuchen felt deeply moved, the current situation didn't allow him much time to dwell on these thoughts. His most important task now was to find a reliable restaurant and buy some food for Wen Chong, who was lying in bed unaware of his condition. Only then could things progress further.

Li Xiuchen took a deep breath and turned around to look at the Tonglai Inn behind him, which seemed quite different from the bustling atmosphere around him. He felt a little dazed. But Li Xiuchen quickly recovered and hurriedly shook his head to clear his head.

When Li Xiuchen regained consciousness, he looked at the Tonglai Inn in front of him and smiled. As expected, it was an intelligence agency of the Wen family; even the outer perimeter of this inn was shrouded in an illusion that was difficult to detect. Li Xiuchen smiled bitterly; indeed, with a large family and a large enterprise, there were always more problems.

Li Xiuchen looked around at his surroundings, then fixed his gaze on his right before walking in and blending into the crowd.

"So, did he go?" After Wang Lin returned to Wenxiang's bedroom, Wenxiang had already sat back down at the tea table, holding a cup of hot tea. His expression and calm demeanor were clearly not the same person as the Wenxiang from before.

Wang Lin knew his master's temperament, so he wasn't surprised. He simply bowed slightly and replied.

"Yes, he went. What do you think of him, sir?" Wang Lin asked Wenxiang a question, then sat down next to him.

Just as Wang Lin sat back down, his eyes inadvertently glanced at Wen Chong lying on the bed. It was only for a moment, but his eyes were filled with a great deal of complex emotions.

Chapter 1250 Deterrence

"Wang Lin." Wenxiang stared at the empty space in front of him, but upon closer inspection, it seemed to be empty. His eyes were unusually vacant, devoid of any life. The hand holding the teacup remained to his lips, letting the steam rise and float around in front of him.

"Ah? Master, what are your orders?" Wang Lin was suddenly called out by Wenxiang. Although a little confused, he quickly responded. When Wang Lin saw the look in Wenxiang's eyes, Wenxiang seemed to understand.

"Wang Lin, do you think what Li Xiuchen said is plausible?" Wen Xiang's voice was devoid of any emotion, sounding extremely cold. Wang Lin's heart skipped a beat upon hearing Wen Xiang's words. What was bound to happen had finally arrived.

"Sir, this matter... I can't say for sure, I can't make a guarantee." Wang Lin lowered his head, thought carefully for a moment, and then said.

“Raise your head.” Wenxiang did not respond to Wang Lin’s reply.

"Huh? What did you say, sir?" Wang Lin seemed not to have heard what Wenxiang said and was subconsciously stunned for a moment.

“Raise your head and look at me,” Wenxiang repeated. This time, Wang Lin heard him clearly and obediently raised his head, looking at Wenxiang sitting in front of him without saying a word. Wenxiang did not respond to Wang Lin immediately, but continued to stare at the ground.

After a while, Wenxiang finally responded. He slowly turned his head and stared intently at Wang Lin, who was sitting next to him. His empty eyes suddenly sharpened. Although Wang Lin was a prominent figure, for some reason, when he met Wenxiang's gaze, he felt inexplicably uneasy, and cold sweat poured down his forehead.

"Wang Lin, you've been following me for decades, haven't you?"

"Yes, sir. I've served you for thirty years." Wang Lin was a little apprehensive, but he still nodded.

"Thirty years...that's so long. How many thirty-year periods does one have in a lifetime?" Wenxiang looked away from Wang Lin. In that instant, Wang Lin felt a great sense of relief. Taking advantage of Wenxiang's inattention, Wang Lin raised his arm and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

"Tell me, would you betray me?" But the next question made Wang Lin's heart jump again.

"I...Master...I..." Wang Lin was speechless for a moment, not knowing how to answer.

"What's wrong with you..." Wenxiang continued to ask slowly.

"I'm sorry, sir, Wang Lin didn't know." In the end, Wang Lin gritted his teeth, lowered his head, and dared not look Wen Xiang in the eye again.

"Yes, I know. In this life, where do you find so much loyalty and disloyalty?" Wenxiang paused here, and continued after a while.

“There’s a saying that goes, ‘There are no permanent friends, no permanent enemies, only permanent interests.’ You know, if you had just said you’ve always been loyal to me, if you hadn’t looked so flustered and stammered, I really would have killed you without hesitation.” At this moment, Wenxiang appeared particularly resolute.

Upon hearing this, Wang Lin's heart skipped a beat. He was speechless for a moment, his breathing became rapid, and his eyes darted around, unsure of what to do next.

"Master, I have absolutely no ulterior motives. Everything I have over the years is thanks to you. I would never dare to have any disloyal intentions. Master, heaven is my witness!" In his panic, Wang Lin knelt down abruptly, lowering his head and not daring to look Wen Xiang in the eye. Large beads of cold sweat dripped from Wang Lin's forehead and fell onto the floor in front of him.

"Alright, get up. I will find out who betrayed me one by one." After Wang Lin had been kneeling on the ground for a long time, Wen Xiang slowly said these words. However, Wen Xiang's tone was still devoid of any emotion, but it was not as unusually cold as before.

"Thank... thank you, sir." Wang Lin stammered a thank you after hearing that Wenxiang hadn't blamed him, but he seemed a little apprehensive.

But as soon as Wang Lin stood up, Wen Xiang suddenly sprang to his feet and slapped him hard across the face. Wang Lin, unable to withstand the force, collapsed to the ground. However, Wang Lin dared not make any other move, and immediately knelt down again without saying a word, quietly waiting for Wen Xiang's next instruction.