Chapter 1621: Chapter 1923: Dengzhou City
Ling Chen spoke no more, stood up, and walked towards the outside. At the door, he suddenly stopped and looked back at Jiang Yue’e, saying: "Mrs. Jiang, I hope you won’t regret your decision."
Jiang Yue’e replied coolly, "You don’t need to worry about that. Even without you, the Nanrong Family will be just fine."
"I hope so." Ling Chen smiled and walked out.
...
Returning to the Dragon Tiger Hall, Ling Chen went straight to the office, pushed open the door, and saw someone sitting inside—the person was Zhu Qing.
"When did you come back? Why didn’t you notify me in advance?"
"Just arrived," Zhu Qing replied casually, then took out a thick stack of photos from his pocket and placed them on the desk. "These past few days, I’ve been secretly following the traitor. I’ve photographed everywhere he went and everyone he met."
Ling Chen picked up the photos and examined them one by one. After looking at all the photos, he asked, "Any discoveries?"
"Netherworld Snake probably has a base in Jinhai City," Zhu Qing said. "These days, that person visited eight places in total. For safety reasons, to avoid being discovered, I didn’t investigate deeply. But I believe one of these places is a secret base of the Netherworld Snake."
"Alright." Ling Chen nodded, saying: "Thank you for your hard work. I’ll have Hu Fei investigate it later."
"What do you plan to do?"
"What else can I do? Since Netherworld Snake wants a life-and-death struggle with me, I can’t just sit and wait for death. I have no choice but to retaliate." Ling Chen said with curiosity: "Zhu Qing, how much do you know about the Netherworld Snake?"
Previously, he heard Ling Gengqiu mention that there were two mysterious forces in the martial arts world in those years—one was the assassin force of Netherworld Snake, and the other was the assassin family, Zhu Family. These two forces had crossed paths hundreds of years ago, so the Zhu Family should know more about the Netherworld Snake.
"I’ve heard of the force of Netherworld Snake, but it’s all history from hundreds of years ago. If you want to know more about Netherworld Snake, it’s best to go to the Zhu Family and ask our Family Head clearly. He knows Zhu Family’s history the best."
Ling Chen smiled and said: "I’ve dealt with your Zhu Family for so long, but I’ve never visited your Zhu Family. It’s just right; since I’m free these few days, why not make a trip to your Zhu Family."
"When do you want to go?"
"There’s no better time than the present. Let’s go today. Later, help me book four tickets."
"Four tickets? Who else do you plan to take with you?"
"Sir Chen and Ji Gang. They are my personal bodyguards now. The people of Netherworld Snake are watching closely, ready to make a move at any moment. If they’re not by my side, I really can’t feel at ease."
Zhu Qing nodded and said: "Alright then."
At 4:30 in the afternoon, Ling Chen and his group arrived at the airport, boarding the flight to Dengzhou City. The ancestral home of the Zhu Family is located in Dengzhou City, a major southern city over a thousand kilometers from East Sea City. The plane flew for more than two hours, until evening, when Ling Chen’s flight finally reached its destination.
Upon exiting the airport passage, Zhu Qing led the three to the roadside. Shortly, a convoy of Mercedes cars slowly approached, stopping before the four of them. Zhu Qing and Ling Chen boarded the central sedan, while Chen Junfeng and Ji Gang sat in the front and rear Mercedes respectively. As the convoy hit the road, Zhu Qing said: "The Zhu Family has some rules that everyone visiting must follow. So, please understand later."
Ling Chen smiled slightly and said: "This is your territory. The guest obeys the host; I’ll cooperate with you."
As the convoy was halfway, Ling Chen handed over his phone as required. Simultaneously, a barrier rose between the sides of the car windows and seats, blocking Ling Chen’s view and leaving him unable to see anything.
Seeing this, Ling Chen couldn’t help but laugh: "Zhu Qing, isn’t this too cautious?"
"For the Zhu Family to be passed down until today, it relies on this caution. Apart from Zhu family members, outsiders don’t know the real location of the Zhu Family. Only with this can we better protect ourselves."
"What if there is a traitor in the Zhu Family?"
Zhu Qing shook his head, saying: "Impossible. The Zhu Family has been passed down for hundreds of years and has never had a traitor. This is thanks to the strict family rules and education—every Zhu Family member values honor and loyalty more than their life."
As they spoke, the convoy’s speed gradually decreased. "We’re here!" As Zhu Qing spoke, the barrier on the car window immediately rose. Ling Chen turned to look outside, discovering the convoy had arrived in a brightly-lit manor. As the sedan came to a stop, a middle-aged man in a suit quickly came over, opening the car door.
"Mr. Ling, welcome to the Zhu Family as a guest," the man said enthusiastically.
Looking at the middle-aged man before him, Ling Chen smiled and extended his hand, saying: "Mr. Zhu, long time no see." This middle-aged man was none other than Zhu Houchang, who had represented the Zhu Family in negotiating cooperation with him before.
"Come on, I’ll take you to see the Family Head. The Family Head has already prepared good food and wine."
Following Zhu Houchang, the group soon arrived at the Siheyuan in the center of the manor. The Siheyuan had a front hall and a back hall, with the front hall primarily for hosting esteemed guests. Upon entering the front hall, Ling Chen’s gaze was immediately drawn to an elderly man. The man was seventy or eighty years old, with a fair and ruddy complexion, appearing vigorous and spirited.
"Mr. Ling, let me introduce you. This is the Family Head of our Zhu Family, Zhu Qian, who is also my father."
"Family Head Zhu," Ling Chen respectfully cupped his hands and greeted.
Zhu Qian smiled, stood from his seat, walked over to Ling Chen, examined him closely, and nodded: "I’ve often heard Houchang talk about you, saying you’re an outstanding young talent. Seeing you today, you are indeed impressive."
"The Family Head praises me too much. I’m just an ordinary person in the martial arts world."
"There’s no need for humility." Zhu Houchang interjected: "You are our Zhu Family’s major client. As the popular saying goes, ’the customer is like an emperor,’ so it’s only right for the Family Head to extol you a bit."
Hearing Zhu Houchang’s joke, everyone couldn’t help but laugh. After introducing Chen Junfeng and Ji Gang, Zhu Qian led everyone to the adjacent dining room, saying: "Knowing you were coming, I specially had the chef prepare a feast to welcome you. Come, let’s have a couple of drinks first."
With a few drinks down, Ling Chen began to talk, naturally turning to the topic of Netherworld Snake.
"Netherworld Snake..." Zhu Qian set down his wine glass and spoke slowly: "I’ve read the records left by the Zhu Family in the past, and they do mention Netherworld Snake. It’s an assassin organization, extremely powerful, causing bloody storms in the martial arts world, resulting in countless deaths and injuries."
