Chapter 1028: Chapter 1028: Intervention in the Investigation
"Uh..." This question left Pei Yan momentarily unsure of how to respond. Lin Ruxue saw this and smiled, saying, "Actually, in the past, this wouldn’t have been a difficult matter. Even if we didn’t deal with a sect that has doubts, we could always replace it. Even if the rest of the Immortal Palace’s departments were tense and dissatisfied, causing unrest, I could handle it. But now, with external threats and internal betrayals under such external and internal threats, the Daoist Realm cannot withstand such changes. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have stopped the once-every-500-years selection of the Immortal Palace, just to stabilize the situation."
"I understand. Regarding these internal issues of the Immortal Palace, my Investigation Bureau will refrain from saying another word. Sister Lin, you can decide for yourself." Pei Yan nodded, sensibly ending the topic.
Unexpectedly, Lin Ruxue shook her head and said with a smile, "It still needs to be discussed. One of my purposes in coming this time is to borrow a group of people from your Investigation Bureau."
"Borrow people? Who?" Pei Yan asked in confusion.
"The one you mentioned earlier, Director Mei." Lin Ruxue tapped her forehead to confirm. "Just borrow him! People like him. Go back and discuss with your superiors to see if it’s feasible." As she spoke, she looked playfully at Lin Junzhao and said, "Or you could decide it here right now."
"I can’t decide this, you better ask him!" Ever since the two started their conversation earlier, Lin Junzhao had been silently drinking the new tea Lin Ruxue had set on the table. He smiled and said, "I only give advice on major issues, I usually don’t get involved in such minor matters. They are still an independent institution, and our superior-subordinate relationship is only limited to me and a few Children of Origin, while the relationship between me and the Investigation Bureau is more of a cooperative one."
"Cooperative relationship! Hmm... that’s not bad either." Lin Ruxue nodded thoughtfully, then turned to look at Pei Yan, asking, "What about your opinion?"
"Um, can I ask why you want to borrow these people? Is it to deal with the sect that you suspect? But didn’t you say you’re not planning to take action against them for now?" Pei Yan cautiously inquired in a low voice.
"I never said I wouldn’t deal with them, only that it would be troublesome without concrete evidence. If the evidence is conclusive, like today’s Peach Blossom Spring, although the other departments would still be fearful, they would understand my actions. After some warnings and persuasion, I could calm their emotions again."
As Lin Ruxue spoke, she leaned on the back of the chair, lightly tapping the armrest with her fingers, and said with a headache, "I originally thought that after purging the Peach Blossom Spring, it would serve as a warning to those potential traitors, letting them understand that cooperation with the Blood Demon is unreliable. The other side could discard them like worn-out shoes at any time to protect their own interests. This is why I made a big show of blood-washing the Peach Blossom Spring and didn’t hide any of the information from spreading it outside. Otherwise, do you think your Director Mei’s newly established so-called friendship with the elders of the Immortal Palace would be enough to quickly know the detailed process of the entire incident?"
Saying this, Lin Ruxue stopped tapping and said regretfully, "It’s a pity that some people are just stubborn. I have repeatedly sent out messages openly and secretly. As long as they come to me and admit their mistakes in the dark, even if they have previously collaborated with the Blood Demon or committed unforgivable mistakes, I would forgive them completely. However..."
"But no one has come forward, right?" Lin Junzhao interjected with a mocking tone, "My dear teacher, sometimes I think you’re very shrewd, but sometimes you’re really naive. If it were me, I wouldn’t step forward to admit my mistakes either. Completely forgiven and forgotten? Do you think those old-timers in the Jianghu would believe such a saying? It’s just an excuse for settling scores in the future. Everyone has a lucky mindset. Why live in fear every day worrying about a knife falling at an unknown time in the future? It’s better to muddle through and please both sides. What if it succeeds? Placing bets on both sides won’t necessarily lead to a loss, right?"
As he spoke, Lin Junzhao placed down his empty tea cup, smacked his lips, and continued, "These people have a pure gambler’s mindset. Once on the gambling table, there’s no turning back. You expect them to be suddenly enlightened and realize there’s a way back, huh." After a cold laugh, Lin Junzhao pointed at the tea cup and smiled, "This tea is nice, is there more?"
Being mocked by her former disciple in front of the juniors, Lin Ruxue’s face alternated between red and white. With a wave of her hand, two more cups of tea appeared in front of him, and she muttered, looking away from Lin Junzhao with dissatisfaction towards Pei Yan, "So, can you make this decision or do we need to discuss it with Black Teeth?"
"I’m not saying I can’t decide, it’s just why do you want to borrow our people? This should be something the Immortal Palace can handle, right?" This matter involved the safety of his colleagues, forcing Pei Yan to be cautious and ask clearly.
Lin Ruxue sat back in her chair, swinging her legs back and forth against the Grandmaster Chair, and said irritably, "Just like your dear sister said, our Daoist Realm people are foolish and don’t have such intricate thoughts."
"Pfft." Lin Junzhao was amused again by Lin Ruxue’s antics, swallowed down his tea, and took a scarf to wipe his mouth, pleading, "Alright, alright, I was wrong! I shouldn’t have said that about you!"
Lin Junzhao’s plea softened Lin Ruxue’s expression considerably. She looked at Pei Yan, spreading her hands in self-mockery, "That comment wasn’t entirely a joke. Although we are not fools and there are plenty of intrigues in the Jianghu, we often put most of our energy into cultivation. For solving such problems, we often use force or punishment. When it comes to finding clues and gathering evidence, we do lack talent in that area."
As Lin Ruxue spoke, she leaned forward with an excited expression, "I’ve stayed in your world. I’ve watched some of those, uh... movies and TV shows you make. You all seem quite skilled at such things, what you call special agents or spies? Although their abilities seem insignificant to me, their variety of tactics is quite impressive. Your Investigation Bureau should be a similar organization, right?"
Upon hearing this, Pei Yan was at a loss whether to laugh or cry, waving his hand repeatedly, "Not the same, not the same! There are some differences!" Finally, he added, "But we do have the kind of talents you’re talking about, not exactly like the ones in movies, but we can get things done."
Lin Ruxue, hearing this, nodded with satisfaction, her small hand resting on the table clenched with a hint of anger in her voice, "Now these sects, for their own protection, everyone is worried and doesn’t want to delve deeply into this issue. My Personal Guard Embroidered Robe Envoy is also acting with tied hands, so I wanted to borrow some professionals from you to inject some fresh energy into this stagnant water and help me break through the situation."
"Ah~!" Finally, this was Lin Ruxue’s true purpose for doing this. It’s clearly borrowing a knife to kill, isn’t it? Pei Yan scratched his head and let out a long sigh of helplessness.
