Divine Emperor Demon Emperor

After everyone from the great families had departed, Lin Yun, who had appeared dead drunk, circulated the Elemental Power within his body, evaporating all the alcohol from his system.

His complexion returned to normal, the lecherous look gone from his eyes. The Lin Yun of this moment was astute and composed.

The sudden transformation left the dancer sitting beside him utterly bewildered. This young man was about her age, but she couldn’t figure him out. ’Which one is the real him? The one who loves wine and women, or this astute, composed version?’

Turning to the dancer, Lin Yun offered a faint smile and said softly, "Thank you. You’re not needed anymore. Go get some rest. I’ll have Patriarch Bai reward you tomorrow."

This Lin Yun bore no resemblance to the man from moments ago. Though he was smiling, the dancer could clearly feel an aura of authority radiating from him, the kind possessed by those in high positions. Hearing his words, she didn’t dare ask any questions. She could only nod respectfully and quickly depart from the main hall.

After the dancer left, Bai Ling, who had been seeing off the various families, returned. The moment she saw Lin Yun, she chuckled and teased, "I never realized that when you act the part of a lecher, you’re the spitting image of your master."

Hearing Bai Ling’s words, Lin Yun retorted irritably, "Don’t lump me in with him."

"By the way, where are those two?" Lin Yun asked, looking at Bai Ling.

"They’ve been taken care of just as you instructed, of course," Bai Ling replied with confidence. "Don’t you worry, Eldest Young Master Lin. No one can find the Bai Family’s secret chamber."

Hearing Bai Ling’s words, Lin Yun nodded in satisfaction. He then turned to Zhou Wen and rattled off the names of twenty families, ordering him to dispatch men to closely monitor their every move.

After giving these orders, Lin Yun smiled at the others. "Alright, the show is over. It’s time we went and made our apologies."

The two people Lin Yun mentioned were, of course, Patriarch Qi and Patriarch Cai. They hadn’t actually been killed by Lin Yun; the entire scene had been an act he orchestrated.

Led by Bai Ling, the group arrived at the Bai Family’s secret chamber. It was remarkably well-hidden, built beneath the family estate’s central lake.

Who would have ever thought the Bai Family would build their secret chamber in such a place?

Upon entering the chamber, Lin Yun saw Patriarch Cai and Patriarch Qi. Both of them stared at Lin Yun in utter confusion. His current demeanor was a world away from what it had been earlier. Who could possibly imagine that this was the same lecherous brute from the banquet?

"My apologies for startling you both," Lin Yun said with a smile, cupping his fists to the two patriarchs.

The two patriarchs had no idea what Lin Yun was planning and were completely baffled. Just then, Li Tian, who had been with them the whole time, stood up with a grin. "You’re finally here. These two were about to go mad with worry."

With a slight smile, Lin Yun gestured for the two patriarchs to sit. Then, he explained, "Gentlemen, I came to Wind City on my master’s orders, which is why I couldn’t reveal certain things to you. Everything that happened earlier was indeed a farce that I directed and starred in myself."

Hearing Lin Yun’s explanation, the two patriarchs exchanged a glance. Neither of them had imagined that the recent events were all a deliberate act by Lin Yun.

"Young Master Lin..." Having learned the truth, the hot-tempered Patriarch Qi was instantly embarrassed. Recalling how he had just confronted Lin Yun, he quickly rose to his feet to apologize.

Seeing this, Lin Yun also stood and stopped him with a smile. "Patriarch Qi, as the saying goes, there’s no blame for the ignorant. Besides, I should be the one thanking both of you for your excellent cooperation."

From the moment he entered the secret chamber, his demeanor was utterly different from how it had been at the banquet. This was the real Lin Yun, worthy of his title as the Head Disciple of Flawless Palace: astute, composed, and possessing a brilliant mind.

"Haha, with this move, Young Master Lin, you’ve likely fooled every patriarch in Wind City. I’m certain that after today, their guard against you will be lowered significantly." The wily old Patriarch Cai didn’t know Lin Yun’s specific objective, but after hearing this much, he naturally understood the intended outcome of this charade.

"Patriarch Cai, Patriarch Qi, this junior has come with one more matter for which I must ask your help," Lin Yun spoke up.

"Young Master Lin, just give the word. I would go through hell and high water for you without a second thought!" Patriarch Qi declared, thumping his chest.

"Haha, it’s nothing that serious," Lin Yun laughed. "I just need to impose upon you both to remain here for a while. Once everything is settled, you will be free to leave."

Patriarch Cai had already anticipated this request. He chuckled and said, "Brother Qi, we’re dead men now. Looks like you’ll be keeping me company here for a while."

"Oh, right, right! We’re dead men!" Patriarch Qi finally caught on. With a thick-headed grin, he added, "Rest assured, Young Master Lin. Without your command, neither of us will take a single step out of this room."

After settling matters with Patriarch Cai and Patriarch Qi and exchanging a few more words, Lin Yun and his group departed.

Outside the secret chamber, night had fallen. Lin Yun sent He Yuntian and the others to get some rest, while he and Li Tian went to the small courtyard Bai Ling had prepared for him.

Everyone else had dispersed. Little Ape was already fast asleep. Only Lin Yun and Li Tian remained, sitting in the courtyard pavilion, sipping tea and discussing their next moves.

"Today’s events alone probably won’t be enough to completely eliminate their wariness of you," Li Tian said with a faint smile after taking a sip of tea.

"I know," Lin Yun replied softly. "That’s why, for the rest of my time in Wind City, I will continue to be a hedonistic young master."

After a moment’s pause, Lin Yun asked, "Is there still no news?"

Hearing Lin Yun’s question, Li Tian pondered for a moment, his expression growing heavy. "The situation in Wind City is more complex than I imagined. It’s a massive city with a population in the millions, and over a hundred families all vying for power. Trying to pinpoint the exact location of their stronghold in a place like this... it’s not easy."

"And what’s more..." Here, a sharp glint flashed in Li Tian’s eyes, and a challenging smile spread across his face.

"It seems this mysterious organization also sent a clever operative to Wind City. Many leads I’d already uncovered have been severed one by one. This person doesn’t hesitate in the slightest—they’ve even directly abandoned assets that couldn’t be protected."

Hearing this, Lin Yun knew Li Tian had likely met his match. The other side also had a master strategist pulling the strings from behind the scenes, controlling the overall situation.

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