Lao Tzu is Ji Gong

"Do you know why I hit you?" Wenxiang's gaze drifted to Wang Lin, who was kneeling on the ground, and he asked in a low voice. Although Wang Lin could not see Wenxiang's eyes, she still felt an unprecedented pressure and a deep sense of fear welling up in her heart.

"Reporting to...Reporting to Your Excellency, I know it's because I failed to properly supervise and monitor my subordinates, which led to their infiltration without my knowledge," Wang Lin quickly replied after a moment's thought.

"Alright, get up. I think you know what to do next." Wenxiang withdrew his gaze, put down his teacup, and gently rubbed his temples. Suddenly, he felt an inexplicable irritability and headache.

"Yes...yes, I understand, I understand." Upon hearing Wenxiang's words, Wang Lin quickly nodded, indicating his stance. He then obediently stood up, but only remained standing in place, not daring to move further, for fear that any action he took might cause trouble.

"Alright, come sit here." Wenxiang glanced at Wenxiang, who was standing still and dared not move, and waved his hand.

Wang Lin nodded, slowly walked to Wen Xiang's side, and sat down gently, his head lowered, not daring to look at Wen Xiang again. His hands seemed unsure of what to do, so he obediently placed them on his lap. Wen Xiang glanced at Wang Lin beside him slightly, but didn't say a word. He simply stood up, went to the washstand, took a towel, returned to his seat, placed the towel in front of Wang Lin, and remained silent.

Although Wang Lin caught a glimpse of the towel placed in front of him out of the corner of his eye, he still dared not pick it up to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth. To be honest, Wang Lin knew that the slap Wen Xiang had given him wasn't actually that hard; it was just a warning. But even so, Wang Lin could feel Wen Xiang's rage and dissatisfaction with him from that slap.

"Pick up the towel and wipe the blood from the corner of your mouth," Wenxiang said casually when he saw that Wang Lin hadn't moved for a while.

Wang Lin's body trembled slightly. He didn't speak, but quickly took the towel and gently wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, as well as the sweat from his brow. After wiping himself, Wang Lin dared not move again, but simply clutched the towel tightly in his hand, barely daring to breathe.

While Wang Lin was wiping away the blood and sweat from his face, Wenxiang poured him a cup of tea and then pushed the full cup of tea in front of him.

"Have a sip of water and calm down."

"Huh? Ah~ Thank you, sir." When Wang Lin heard Wenxiang say this, he didn't react for a moment and let out a confused "ah". But Wang Lin quickly came to his senses, nodded repeatedly, carefully picked up the cup of tea in front of him, and then gulped down the water.

This was the first time Wenxiang had fetched a towel and poured tea for Wang Lin, and Wang Lin was overwhelmed with emotion, tears welling up in his eyes. Although the Wen family had many members of other ethnic groups under their command, and Wang Lin was one of them, without exception, all of them managed peripheral businesses and industries.

Wang Lin was the first non-Wen family member to be able to lead the Wen family's most important intelligence agency, which seemed incredibly glamorous to outsiders. But only those within the circle could truly understand how difficult it was for Wang Lin to operate in this industry, and how much hardship he endured.

Undoubtedly, Wen Xiang, who had always stood behind Wang Lin and supported him, also received a lot of criticism as a result. Wen Xiang was a man of few desires throughout his life, and he could laugh off anything as long as it didn't cross his bottom line. But in this matter with Wang Lin, Wen Xiang showed a completely different and firm attitude than before.

He even received a meeting with the elders and patriarch Wen Mou about this, but in the end, although Wang Lin didn't know what kind of deal Wen Xiang had made with those elders and the patriarch, Wang Lin only knew that when Wen Xiang walked out that door that day, he seemed to have aged ten years in an instant.

Wang Lin had tried to ask Wen Xiang why he did this, but Wen Xiang always just smiled and didn't offer any further explanation. In the days that followed, Wang Lin successfully took charge of one of the Wen family's intelligence agencies, located in the rather chaotic and unpredictable Tianwu City. He remained in this position for thirty years.

During this time, Wang Lin made both minor and major mistakes. But whenever Wang Lin felt he was about to be taken away by the Wen family for questioning, without exception, no one ever bothered him. This greatly surprised Wang Lin, who had lived in the Wen family's atmosphere for decades. Because whether they were from the same clan or not, anyone who made a mistake would be taken away by the Wen family's enforcement team for questioning.

But Wang Lin was an exception among this group. Later, after Wang Lin privately inquired through his connections, he discovered that it wasn't that no one wanted to cause him trouble, but rather that everyone had been stopped by one person—Wen Xiang, the very person who had helped Wang Lin rise to power.

This surprised Wang Lin greatly, but Wenxiang never mentioned it. So Wang Lin didn't dare ask Wenxiang. However, Wenxiang's actions made Wang Lin feel exceptionally warm and gave him a sense of family. Although Wang Lin knew that Wenxiang was not his father, nor was he family.

"Lin'er, aren't you curious about why I betrayed the Wen family this time?" After a while, Wen Xiang suddenly said this. Wang Lin subconsciously glanced at Wen Xiang, but his heart clenched instantly. He had seen Wen Xiang with this expression before. The last time Wang Lin saw it was thirty years ago when Wen Xiang emerged from the power struggle between the elders and the family head.

"This subordinate...doesn't know, and dares not guess." Looking at Wenxiang's haggard face, Wang Lin felt a pang of heartache. It would be a lie to say he wasn't curious, but Wang Lin didn't want to know. Even if he did know, what could he do? It was Wenxiang's decision, and Wang Lin was Wenxiang's man, so wherever Wenxiang was, Wang Lin would follow closely in his footsteps.

"Hahaha, hahahaha, hahahahahahaha." Upon hearing Wang Lin's reply, Wenxiang suddenly burst into wild laughter without warning, and his laughter grew louder and louder, as if someone had tickled his funny bone and he couldn't stop. However, the few tears welling up in the corners of Wenxiang's eyes were heartbreaking.

"Master..." Seeing Wenxiang's state, Wang Lin was speechless for a moment, not knowing what to do or what to say next, and could only wait anxiously on the side.

"Lin'er, do you know why I insisted on bringing you to Tianwu City and why I had to withstand the pressure from those above to put you in charge of this intelligence agency? You also know that in our Wen family, there has never been a precedent of an outsider taking charge of our Wen family's intelligence agency." Wen Xiang laughed for a while, finally calming down and stopping his laughter, then changing to a serious and profound expression.

“I…I don’t know. And I’ve always felt sorry for you, sir. In the end, I’m just an outsider. You’ve done so much for me, so much.” Wang Lin took a deep breath upon hearing Wenxiang’s words, his eyes looking somewhat dazed.

Chapter 1251 Clues

"You've been in charge of this intelligence agency in Tianwu City for... at least thirty years, haven't you?" Wenxiang looked out the door, raised his head to look at the azure sky, where fluffy white clouds drifted by, creating a serene and leisurely atmosphere.

“Yes, I’ve been in charge of this intelligence agency for thirty years.” Seeing that Wenxiang seemed to be in a better mood, Wang Lin’s own mood improved as well, and he turned to look at the scenery outside the door.

"Didn't you ever try to find out about your origins in these past thirty years?"

Upon hearing Wenxiang's words, Wang Lin paused, turning to look at Wenxiang beside him. However, Wenxiang did not turn to look at Wang Lin, his eyes still fixed on the distant sky.

“I…I’ve looked into it, and I’ve been searching for decades, but…” Wang Lin’s expression became noticeably complicated, showing pain and confusion, and he didn’t continue.

“But you still have no clue and can’t find any leads.” Wenxiang finally withdrew his gaze and turned to look at Wang Lin beside him.

“Yes, I have no clue. I don’t even know where I was born.” At this point, Wang Lin lowered his head, no longer looking at Wen Xiang, and seemed to be deep in thought.

"Do you want to know about your background?" After a short while, Wenxiang seemed to have made a decision.

"I want to! No, no, no, I don't want to... I... I don't know, I don't know." Upon hearing Wenxiang's words, Wang Lin abruptly raised his head, staring intently at Wenxiang. But quickly, Wang Lin rejected his own idea, hastily refusing. He seemed very hesitant, somewhat unsure of what to do. Wenxiang simply looked at Wang Lin quietly, without speaking or offering any opinion.

He was waiting; Wenxiang was waiting for Wang Lin's final decision. He knew this matter was a bit too cruel for Wang Lin. So Wenxiang was waiting for Wang Lin's final thought.

"Thirty years have passed... Thirty years is enough time for everything to change beyond recognition. And I'm almost fifty now. I don't know if I still have that drive, I don't know if I still have that courage to face it." Wang Lin took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"Your home is in Linghai City." Wenxiang waited silently for Wang Lin to finish speaking, then said this after a short while without offering any advice.

"Linghai City... Linghai City... Linghai City..." When Wang Lin heard those three words, his closed eyes suddenly opened, and he kept muttering to himself. However, his empty and unfocused eyes made people feel uncomfortable, or rather, made people feel sorry for him.

"Wenxiang! I'm back!" Just as Wang Lin was lost in thought, Li Xiuchen's voice suddenly came from outside the door. After hearing Li Xiuchen's voice, Wenxiang turned his head to look at the door. Soon, Li Xiuchen walked to the door carrying a large pile of things.

"You're back. What did you buy to eat?" Wenxiang smiled and stood up when he saw Li Xiuchen. He walked over to Li Xiuchen, greeted him with a smile, and then looked at the pile of things in Li Xiuchen's hands.

When Li Xiuchen saw Wenxiang approaching, he smiled and nodded to him, but his gaze involuntarily drifted towards Wang Lin, who was still sitting at the tea table, looking rather bewildered. Of course, Li Xiuchen only glanced at him quickly before turning his attention back to the large pile of things in his hands, following Wenxiang's gaze.

"Ah~ I bought a few bowls of congee, some dry food and meat, and a few side dishes. The congee is for Wenchong, and we'll eat the rest. We've been traveling for so long, we should eat something to tide us over."

"Hmm, not bad, not bad. Wait a moment, I'll go get the bowls and chopsticks." Wenxiang smiled and nodded after hearing Li Xiuchen's answer, looking quite satisfied. He then turned around and went to a corner of his bedroom to get the bowls and chopsticks.

"No need, please go back to the tea table. Just in case, I've also bought bowls and chopsticks, so everyone can start eating right away." Seeing Wenxiang's actions, Li Xiuchen smiled and said to Wenxiang, then took out the bowls and chopsticks he had bought on the street from behind his back, walked to the tea table and placed them on it.

"Hmm, Xiu Chen, you've thought of everything quite thoroughly." After hearing Li Xiu Chen's words, Wen Xiang turned around and saw the bowls, chopsticks, and food that Li Xiu Chen had placed on the table. He smiled and nodded.

"It's always better to be careful when you're out and about. After all, we're some people's targets right now." Li Xiuchen didn't look at Wenxiang, but kept his head down tidying up his things. But at the end of his sentence, Li Xiuchen's eyes clearly glanced at Wang Lin.

"Alright, everything's ready. Let's eat." Soon, Li Xiuchen had finished tidying up everything in front of him and turned to say to Wenxiang.

"Brother Wang, let's go together. Don't just stand there, what's wrong? Missing your little wife?" As he spoke, Li Xiuchen turned around and glanced at Wang Lin, who was still in a daze.

"Wang Lin, Li Xiuchen has bought some food. Let's eat together. We can't do anything else until we've eaten." Wenxiang said as he walked towards his seat, seeing Li Xiuchen talking to Wang Lin.

"Huh? Ah~ Li Xiuchen, you're back. You bought some delicious food? Eat up, eat up, I'll go get it for the young master, don't let it get cold." Wang Lin finally came to his senses, but it was obvious that his reaction was still a little slow.

After saying that, Wang Lin looked at the table in front of him and hesitated for a while before taking the porridge to feed Wen Chong, who was resting in bed.

"No rush, no rush, he hasn't woken up yet. Let's wait until he wakes up. Why don't you eat something with us? You've had a long day." Li Xiuchen stopped Wang Lin from doing so.

“Yes, Wang Lin, let’s eat something together first. Don’t worry about Chong’er for now, we’ll talk about him when he wakes up.” As he spoke, Wenxiang also advised Wang Lin. Wang Lin raised his head and looked blankly at Li Xiuchen and Wang Lin beside him, then stopped talking, slowly nodded, and lowered his head again.

"Brother Wang, I just went out to buy some food. Why do you seem so distracted when I got back? What happened? You don't really miss your little wife, do you?" After Li Xiuchen, Wen Xiang, and Wang Lin sat down to eat for a while, Li Xiuchen broke the dull atmosphere.

"Oh, it's alright. We've cleared up the misunderstanding, so don't be nervous. You're Wenxiang's right-hand man, and I don't think he'll make things difficult for you. After all, it's not easy for you to manage such a large business all by yourself. Nobody's perfect, and everyone makes mistakes sometimes, right, Wenxiang?"

“Yes, yes, Wang Lin, don’t worry about these things anymore. Let’s eat first, then we can think about them. No rush. I don’t believe those people would dare to cause trouble while I’m here.” Wen Xiang picked up where Li Xiuchen left off and began to advise Wang Lin, though his tone concealed a deep emotion. Li Xiuchen heard and understood, but he just smiled and didn’t say anything.

"Yes, yes, you're right. It was indeed my fault for not handling things properly this time, causing you and Master Xiu Chen to be frightened. I will definitely investigate thoroughly later." Hearing Li Xiu Chen and Wang Lin both trying to comfort him, Wang Lin looked up at the two people in front of him and nodded. At that moment, Wang Lin also regained his superior demeanor.

"Haha, I knew it! Brother Wang wouldn't be such a weak and cowardly person. And I don't think Wenxiang would be stupid enough to put someone untrustworthy, a fool who can't do anything, in this position. After all, everyone knows this position isn't easy to hold." Li Xiuchen chuckled twice as he looked at Wang Lin.

"Hahaha, Xiu Chen, what are you saying? I'm your elder and your partner, how can you talk to your partner and your elder like that?" Wen Xiang, who had been drinking porridge, laughed twice after hearing Li Xiu Chen's words, but there was a hint of resentment in his tone.

“Hey, we’re all on the same side now, so let’s be direct and skip all the beating around the bush, right? Besides, after what Brother Wang Lin did just now, I believe he’s a trustworthy person. Otherwise, how could I dare to say these things?” A glint of shrewdness flashed in Li Xiuchen’s eyes as he glanced at Wang Lin. But it was only for a moment.

"Brother Wang, I haven't asked you yet. What exactly is going on with Wen Chong? How did things get like this?" After both of them finished speaking, and the atmosphere fell into a strange mood again, Li Xiuchen suddenly turned his head to look at Wang Lin, who was drinking porridge.

When Wang Lin heard Li Xiuchen ask him a question, he swallowed the congee in his mouth with a gulp, gently wiped the corner of his mouth, and then looked at Li Xiuchen and said.

"Young Master's problem isn't serious. Although it looks like he's been badly injured, it's not. Of course, Young Master must have fought with some people, but from what I can tell, the fight was very brief. As for Young Master's physical problems, it's just because he suffered some minor internal injuries."

"Internal injuries? What do you mean? We didn't fight for very long, so how could you have internal injuries?" Li Xiuchen was a little confused by Wang Lin's explanation.

"This internal injury was probably left by the person he fought. It won't cause any major problems; it's just a warning and nothing to worry about. The young master hasn't woken up yet simply because he's currently repairing himself," Wang Lin replied dismissively.

"Ah~ so it was just a warning. It seems the person who fought Wen Chong didn't want to escalate things." Li Xiuchen nodded thoughtfully after hearing Wang Lin's explanation.

"Xiuchen, do you have any other questions? If not, I'll be leaving now. There's a problem at the inn, and I need to hurry and fix it." After seeing Li Xiuchen deep in thought, Wang Lin put down his bowl and looked at Li Xiuchen.

"Ah~ Of course, of course. Brother Wang, are you full?" Li Xiuchen was instantly pulled back to reality by Wang Lin's words and nodded.

"Yes, I'm full. You and Master can continue eating. I'll be going now." Wang Lin nodded in response. Li Xiuchen also smiled and nodded back to Wang Lin. Seeing this, Wang Lin turned to look at Wenxiang, who also nodded. Wang Lin then got up and walked out of the house.

Just as Wang Lin stood up, his legs gave way and he stumbled forward. Li Xiuchen reacted quickly and caught him.

"Brother Wang, are you alright?" Li Xiuchen asked with concern.

"It's nothing, I'm fine. I was just lost in thought and my legs suddenly went numb. It's nothing serious, you guys keep eating." Wang Lin shook his head with a wry smile, then turned to look at Wen Xiang without saying anything.

"Ah~ that's good. Brother Wang, be careful when you walk. Your legs are numb and won't recover for a while. If you can't, hold onto the wall." Li Xiuchen replied with a smile.

"Are you stupid? We're cultivators. A little circulation of our battle qi will do the trick. It's no big deal. I'm leaving now." Hearing Li Xiuchen's words, Wang Lin couldn't help but laugh.

"Haha, I forgot about that in my haste. Well then, I won't get up to help you to the door." Li Xiuchen scratched his head a little embarrassedly, looking somewhat awkward and embarrassed.

"Hahahaha." Seeing Li Xiuchen's expression, Wang Lin and Wen Xiang both burst out laughing. This Li Xiuchen, it's hard to tell if he's genuinely stupid or just pretending.

Chapter 1252 Chong'er

After laughing for a while, Wang Lin calmed down, turned around, and said goodbye to Li Xiuchen and Wen Xiang again before leaving Wen Xiang's room. After Wang Lin left, only Wen Xiang, Li Xiuchen, and Wen Chong, who lay unconscious on the bed, remained in the room. An awkward atmosphere immediately filled Wen Xiang and Li Xiuchen.

After a short while, Wenxiang put down his bowl, and then Li Xiuchen did the same. After looking at each other for a moment, Wenxiang broke the silence.

"I'll go feed Chong'er." With that, Wenxiang picked up the bowl of congee that was placed to the side, stood up, and walked towards Wen Chong, who was lying on the bed.

"Alright, I'll tidy up and wash the dishes. I'll come back in a bit and leave the things here with you." Seeing Wenxiang feeding Wenchong with porridge, Li Xiuchen also stood up, talking as he tidied up the mess in front of him. Wenxiang agreed without turning his head, then sat down next to Wenchong and reached out to check on his body.

After packing his things, Li Xiuchen glanced at Wenxiang and Wenchong, said nothing, and then turned and walked out to find the kitchen. When Li Xiuchen found the kitchen, he put all the bowls and chopsticks he was holding into the sink in front of him.

Then, looking around and checking every nook and cranny, Li Xiuchen felt relieved and returned to the sink. With a flick of his wrist, a note appeared in his hand. He didn't take it out; he simply glanced at its contents, folded it, and tossed it into the nearby stove fire. Only after watching the note slowly burn to ashes did Li Xiuchen turn and leave.

After a while, Li Xiuchen returned to Wenxiang's bedroom with the washed dishes and chopsticks. Wenchong had woken up, and Wenxiang was carefully feeding him the bowl of porridge he was holding, spoonful by spoonful. Li Xiuchen stood in front of the tea table, looked around, and then walked straight to a small table in a corner. He placed his bowl and chopsticks on that small table and then returned to the tea table.

Li Xiuchen stood by the tea table, quietly glancing at Wenxiang and his son Wenchong before sitting down and pouring himself a glass of water. He then slowly sipped his tea, his eyes fixed on Wenxiang and Wenchong. Time passed slowly, and the porridge in Wenxiang's bowl gradually emptied. Li Xiuchen put down his teacup, took a deep breath, and stood up.

"Wenxiang, I'm going back now. Call me if you need anything." Seeing Wenxiang put down his bowl, Li Xiuchen said casually.

"Okay." Wenxiang glanced at Wenchong, who was pale-faced in front of him, then turned to look at Li Xiuchen and gave a soft reply. He then stood up, picked up his bowl, and walked towards the tea table.

"Would you like me to wash this bowl for you?" Li Xiuchen glanced at Wenxiang, then looked down at the bowl in Wenxiang's hand and asked with concern.