Chapter 135: Chapter 100: Xu Zhi Returns
"The core members of the Evil Blood Sect are all aware of this. It’s just that Liao Zhou has been publicly claiming that Wu Kecun and Yang Rupei are in seclusion, attempting to break through to the Mythical Tier."
"Those two Fantasy Tier Peak Bizarre beings who allied with Liao Zhou changed their names after helping him ascend to the Mythical Tier. They are now called Liao Min and Liao Peng, respectively."
Lin Zhuo thought Wen Tao’s words sounded utterly absurd, like she was listening to a work of fiction.
"The Evil Blood Sect has been operating in Starlight City’s Lower City District for decades. As I recall, the true leaders of the Evil Blood Sect have always been Wu Kecun and Yang Rupei."
"Who is this Liao Zhou? How did he manage to steal the Evil Blood Sect right from under Wu Kecun and Yang Rupei’s noses?"
"Could he be a plant from another Bizarre organization sent to infiltrate Starlight City?"
Wen Tao considered this for a moment before replying.
"You may not have heard of Liao Zhou before, but he has been on my radar for a long time."
"He’s been a cadre in the Evil Blood Sect for twenty or thirty years now. You could consider him an old-timer."
"As for the Evil Blood Sect’s other two Fantasy Tier Peak Bizarre beings, Liao Zhou has been secretly supporting them for years."
"Wu Kecun and Yang Rupei are both quite timid. After Frost Day warned them, they’ve been strictly reining in the members of the Evil Blood Sect."
"Of all the trouble the Evil Blood Sect has stirred up over the years, eight times out of ten, it was caused by people under Liao Zhou."
"Liao Zhou is devious, but he probably doesn’t have any ties to other Bizarre factions."
"Otherwise, with the backing of another faction, there would have been no need for him to lie low and spend decades building his power in Starlight City.
"Wu Kecun and Yang Rupei held a transcendent status within the Evil Blood Sect. Even after Liao Zhou ascended to the Mythical Tier, a great deal of internal conflict still occurred."
"If another Bizarre faction were plotting to take over the Evil Blood Sect, they wouldn’t have allowed its effective strength to be so drastically reduced by infighting."
Lin Zhuo’s mind wasn’t on the Evil Blood Sect’s internal affairs. She couldn’t be bothered to analyze how Liao Zhou had usurped control.
"Ah Tao, since you understand the situation within the Evil Blood Sect so clearly, you’re the perfect person to make a judgment call."
"Should Starlight City accept the Evil Blood Sect’s offer of allegiance, or not?"
"This matter hasn’t been discussed within the Ghost Suppression Bureau yet, but from my personal standpoint, I’m hesitant."
"If the Evil Blood Sect, the largest Bizarre faction in the Lower City District, is willing to help restrain the Bizarre in the area, it could save the Ghost Suppression Bureau a great deal of manpower and resources. Moreover, the Evil Blood Sect’s ability to control the Bizarre in the Lower City District would surely be more effective than the Bureau’s method of suppression by force."
"However, all my past experiences tell me that the Bizarre are not to be trusted."
"They informed the Ghost Suppression Bureau that two Mythical Tier Bizarre beings are hiding in Starlight City, but they didn’t reveal what their purpose for coming here is."
"But it’s obvious that if the Evil Blood Sect knew of their presence, they must also know the reason these two Mythical Tier Bizarre came to Starlight City."
Wen Tao just chuckled, his tone remaining perfectly calm.
"Honestly, Ah Zhuo, I don’t think you need to agonize over it so much."
"The Evil Blood Sect has a new leader now. The fact that Liao Zhou contacted Starlight City right after taking over is enough to demonstrate his personal resolve."
"If the other members of the Evil Blood Sect found out that Liao Zhou offered to ally with Starlight City, it would undoubtedly create many disadvantages for his leadership."
"If it weren’t for Xiaoyi’s discovery, we wouldn’t even have known that Mythical Tier Bizarre had come to Starlight City."
"Even in defecting to Starlight City, Liao Zhou certainly has his own selfish motives. There’s no doubt about that."
"The fact that he told us about the existence of these two Mythical Tier Bizarre is already the greatest show of sincerity he could offer."
"If it weren’t for the fact that the Soul Contracting Gu Mother can’t adapt to the harsh environment of a Bizarre’s Soul Base, and that Deceit Holders can’t control Mythical Tier Bizarre, I would even advocate for giving Liao Zhou an official position within the Ghost Suppression Bureau as a way to win him over."
Just then, a light chuckle sounded from nearby.
"Tsk tsk tsk, Wen Tao, I never thought I’d hear even you talking about winning people over."
"For a second there, I almost thought Jin Cai had finished the Xin Xia conference and come back early."
Hearing this, Lin Zhuo stood up with a smile.
"Weiwei, you’re back."
"Where are Xiaochen and Juanjuan?"
"How did they do at the exchange conference?"
You Weiwei had been about to speak in a deliberately cutesy voice, but at Lin Zhuo’s words, she couldn’t help but rub her temples, a headache forming.
"After Xiaochen and Juanjuan got back, I sent them both off to Starlight Academy."
"Juanjuan insisted on taking a month off to stream from home, trying to win back the fans he lost during his one-month hiatus."
"That kid has no ambition at all. He’s going to be the death of me."
"Juanjuan ate his way through the entire exchange conference again. If Xiaochen hadn’t brought digestive relief tablets for him, Juanjuan would have had indigestion at least three or five times."
At this point, You Weiwei changed the subject.
"Zhuozhuo, how are that Zhong Yi and Shen Xuan you mentioned?"
"Those two little ones aren’t slackers like Juanjuan and Xiaochen, are they?"
"When Juanjuan came back, he told me he was too lazy to form a six-person team and wanted to join Zhong Yi and Shen Xuan’s squad instead. He kept muttering, ’If my teammates are strong, then I’m strong.’"
Thinking of Zhong Yi and Shen Xuan, Lin Zhuo couldn’t help but smile as she said,
"Xiaoyi is very thoughtful and very driven."
"As for Shen Xuan, I’ve had less contact with him, but I’m sure there are no issues with his personality."
"From now on, you’ll be Xiaoxuan’s Guardian. You’ll have more opportunities to interact with him than any of us, so you can get a feel for yourself."
"I heard from Xiaoxuan that he and Xiaoyi have already committed to forming a team."
"As for whether Juanjuan can join their team, that’s something they’ll definitely have to ask Xiaoyi and Xiaoxuan about."
As soon as You Weiwei heard Lin Zhuo praise Zhong Yi and Shen Xuan, she asked,
"Where are they now?"
"Zhuozhuo, aren’t you going to take me to see them?"
"Shun Lan will be back in a day or two, and as the Head Director, he’ll be handling the Ghost Suppression Bureau’s external affairs."
"You, as Director, will only need to manage the Bureau’s internal affairs, so you won’t be as busy."
"How about coming to my Starlight Academy as a guest professor for a while?"
Lin Zhuo wasn’t opposed to the idea of teaching at Starlight Academy.
On the contrary, Lin Zhuo was very willing to mentor the outstanding younger generation of Starlight City.
"No problem. By the way, if Xiaoyi and the others didn’t go exploring a Secret Realm today, Shen Xuan is most likely in class at Starlight Academy right now."
You Weiwei had come to the Star Frost Tower as soon as she returned to Starlight City. As the principal of Starlight Academy, she really should make an appearance there.
’Maybe I’ll even run into Shen Xuan!’
Before officially meeting Shen Xuan, You Weiwei wanted to get a feel for his temperament first.
You Weiwei was about to leave, but before she could even turn around, Lin Zhuo’s phone rang.
Seeing the call was from Chen Yin, Lin Zhuo answered it.
The moment she picked up, Lin Zhuo’s expression turned grim.
Lin Zhuo listened as the anxious voice on the other end of the line said,
"Lord Wei Re, I heard from my Yufeng that Lord Su Sheng and Lord Suide have entered a First Level Ice Cave Secret Realm that’s on the verge of erupting."
"Entering the Ice Cave Secret Realm is incredibly dangerous. This particular one has already been cordoned off by the Starlight Army, so there are no other Adventurers inside."
"Even if the two lords run into trouble in the Secret Realm, they won’t be able to call for help."
"I thought it was necessary to report this to you."
After receiving the call from Zheng Yufeng, Chen Yin had immediately called Lin Zhuo.
Besides her concern for the two Celestial Destiny Seekers, Zhong Yi and Shen Xuan, she was actually more afraid that if something happened to them inside the Ice Cave Secret Realm, Zheng Yufeng—who had escorted them to the entrance and negotiated with the Starlight Army to let them in—would be implicated.
Chen Yin’s words sent Lin Zhuo right back to that feeling she’d had a few days ago, when she heard from Lu Jinnan that Zhong Yi, the new Healing-type Celestial Destiny Seeker, had entered the Horned Demon Secret Realm.
The interval between feeling this way twice was less than a week.
For a moment, Lin Zhuo was at a loss for words, unsure of what to do.
