Chapter 1966 A Cultivator (1)
Li Zong initially hesitated to leverage his connections to find Yun Lintian. After all, Yun Lintian was his savior; without him, Li Zong would have perished that day on the street.
A year of inquiries couldn't quell his curiosity. A grown man like Yun Lintian had vanished without a trace gnawed at Li Zong. Driven by concern, he decided to have someone discreetly investigate Yun Lintian's whereabouts.
The results were a bombshell. Yun Lintian was actually the leader of the famed Hidden Cloud Mercenary Group. Tragically, he had been slain by the Hell Church the very night Li Zong was admitted to the hospital.
Li Zong also discovered Zhu Ding's involvement. Unfortunately, the lack of concrete evidence left a retired man like him powerless to act decisively.
Taking a proactive role in the matter would undoubtedly destabilize the nation, especially with the recent pandemic outbreak. Having served the country all his life, Li Zong naturally wouldn't cause trouble from his personal matters.
His focus, therefore, shifted to protecting those closest to Yun Lintian: Ye Ling and Lei Hao.
Xu Longfeng and Yun Lintian had no idea that Lei Hao would have surely met a tragic end a long time ago without Li Zong's intervention. With Zhu Tianlong's ruthless nature, it was impossible for him to leave Lei Hao alone.
After a thoughtful pause, Li Zong spoke, "Enter."
A tall, middle-aged man promptly entered the room and bowed respectfully. "General."
"Ensure Yun Lintian's grave remains undisturbed," Li Zong instructed calmly. "Additionally, have our men keep a close watch on Zhu Tianlong."
Rong Jie, the middle-aged man, was taken aback. "Sir, are you implying…?"
Li Zong's voice held a steely edge. "If they wish to cause trouble, let them come to me."
Rong Jie was inwardly stunned. The normally inactive old man was suddenly activating his network, which would undoubtedly create a significant stir.
"I'll handle it immediately, Sir," Rong Jie bowed deeply before taking his leave.
Li Zong released a weary sigh. "Even the most impeccable system can harbor individuals like Zhu Tianlong. Is there really no other way?"
***
The following day, Yun Lintian awoke to the sight of a beautiful woman in his arms. A smile played on his lips as he gently kissed her head. "Sleep well."
Lynn responded with a drowsy hum and burrowed deeper into the pillows.
Yun Lintian washed up and headed to the living room. Upon entering, he was met with knowing gazes from Anna and Lei Hao.
Luckily, Yun Lintian's face was thick enough. He took a seat and inquired, "Where's Fifth Sister?"
"Outside. Apparently, she's decided to become a streamer today," Lei Hao replied with amusement. "Are all your senior sisters like this, Boss?"
Yun Lintian shook his head, a wry smile gracing his lips. "Fifth Sister is… unique. Let her have fun," he said, then turned to Anna. "How many people from Lynn's group are left?"
"Only a hundred," Anna answered honestly. "Master wanted them to experience a normal life."
Yun Lintian understood. Lynn's people were orphans raised under her care, fiercely loyal to her. "Do you think they truly desire a normal life?" he asked.
Anna shook her head firmly. "Absolutely not. They've been working in secret to help Master. Without them, I wouldn't have received news so quickly."
"I could turn them into cultivators," Yun Lintian offered, "but their lives would change drastically. They'd have to leave Earth."
Anna pondered for a moment. "I believe they wouldn't hesitate. We have no real attachments to this world. Master is all we have."
"Excellent," Yun Lintian said. "Contact them and bring them here. They'll be recruited into my Misty Cloud Sect and operate in the Nine Heavens Realm in the future."
Anna readily responded with a nod and excused herself to make a call.
"Where to today, Boss?" Lei Hao inquired, his voice simmering with a desire for vengeance.
"First, I'll meet General Li and see what he has planned," Yun Lintian replied. Then, he tapped Lei Hao's forehead, sending a sliver of light into it.
A surge of information flooded Lei Hao's mind – a profound art called the Nine Profound Thunder Sutra, once practiced by the Nine Profound Thunder God in the Primordial Era.
With this powerful technique, Yun Lintian believed Lei Hao had the potential to become a true god.
"This…" Lei Hao stammered, overwhelmed by the opportunity to finally embark on his cultivation journey.
"The Earth's environment isn't ideal for training," Yun Lintian explained. "Let's make use of these divine stones first."
He waved his hand, and a pile of top-grade divine stones materialized on the ground.
Lei Hao's eyes widened with excitement. "Can I start now?"
"Certainly," Yun Lintian said, "but be cautious. Cultivation, like the novels you've read, requires steady progress, step by step."
"Don't worry, Boss," Lei Hao assured him, his expression determined. He picked up a divine stone and eagerly began his cultivation.
Yun Lintian gathered Qingqing and Linlin before setting off for Li Zong's villa. On the way, he stumbled upon Nantian Fengyu, who was engrossed in conversation with her audience.
"Chat, what do you think about today's weather?" Nantian Fengyu beamed, prompting a deluge of messages to flood her chat room.
Yun Lintian was rendered speechless. Nantian Fengyu must have employed some method to attract such a large viewership for her first stream. It was simply impossible otherwise.
Choosing to ignore her, he continued to Li Zong's residence. As long as Nantian Fengyu wasn't harming anyone, he saw no reason to intervene.
Just as Yun Lintian reached the villa's entrance, Ren Jie emerged and greeted him. "Are you Yun Lintian?" he inquired, seemingly expecting his arrival.
Ren Jie's eyes turned sharp as he secretly observed Yun Lintian. He couldn't fathom the young man in front of him at all.
"Yes," Yun Lintian confirmed simply.
"Please, follow me. The General is waiting for you inside," Ren Jie gestured, inviting him inside.
Yun Lintian followed Ren Jie through a tranquil bonsai garden. Inside a pavilion, Li Zong sat enjoying his morning tea.
Yun Lintian approached and said respectfully. "Greetings, General Li."
Li Zong's face creased with a warm smile. "There's no need for formalities here. Come, take a seat."
Yun Lintian sat down, placing Qingqing and Linlin beside him.
Li Zong's gaze softened as he looked at Qingqing. "What an adorable little one," he commented kindly.
"She's my sister, Qingqing," Yun Lintian explained gently.
Li Zong rose and personally poured cups of tea for everyone. "I've been pondering how to express my gratitude. Now, I believe I have an idea."
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