Chapter 1637: Chapter 1939: Wiped Out
"Mom, I understand what you mean," Nanrong Wanqing said. "But everyone has their own aspirations, and my aspiration is not to be a strong woman. In the past, I took over the Hongyu Group not because I loved the work, but because Nanrong Hao was not proactive and someone had to step up to take on the responsibility. If I had to choose, I would rather be an ordinary person, someone without responsibility, without obligations, just purely enjoying my own life."
She paused slightly, then continued, "Ling Chen visited my home that day. Both my brother and I were at work, only you and Grandpa were home. The security personnel told me that he didn’t go to see Grandpa that day, but met with you instead. I don’t know what you talked about, but I can sense his change. It’s been a week since you met, and he hasn’t called me, not even to see me off for my trip abroad. He had Nanrong Hao tell me that he’s very busy lately and can’t find the time. However, having known him for so long, I understand him well; no matter how busy he is, he would definitely make time to see me."
"Wanqing, Mom was just having a casual chat with him that day, we didn’t discuss anything significant. Even if I did say something, it was for your own good."
"Mom, you don’t have to hide things from me. I know you don’t like Ling Chen; otherwise, you wouldn’t have introduced me to all those outstanding young men. But what I want to say is, everyone has their own fate and the right to choose. No matter what my future looks like, as long as it’s my own choice, I’ll never regret it. Besides, I’m already an adult, a woman capable of independent thinking, so Mom, please don’t make decisions for me anymore."
Having heard Nanrong Wanqing’s words, Jiang Yue’e’s expression slightly changed, struck silent, seemingly unsure of what to say.
After a while, she slowly spoke, "My dear daughter, I’m more experienced than you in many matters. As time goes on, you’ll understand my well-intentioned efforts."
"Maybe I will, maybe I won’t. But what I want to say is, the reason I agreed to go abroad with you this time isn’t because you persuaded me, but because I wanted to. I’ve heard Ling Chen’s situation hasn’t been great lately, and many people might trouble him. Although I’m not very familiar with the world he’s in, I know I can’t provide much help to him. Moreover, my presence might pose a risk to him. So leaving temporarily is the best choice for both of us."
"Wanqing, you..." Jiang Yue’e sighed and said, "You’re still too young. I know Ling Chen is an excellent young man; I’ve done some investigations myself. Ling Chen is indeed much stronger than others his age, but he’s not very loyal to one person. As far as I know, you’re not the only woman around him. How can I trust putting you in his hands? What if he falls for someone else in the future?"
Nanrong Wanqing replied calmly, "I’ve said it before, as long as it’s my decision, I’ll never regret it. As for Ling Chen’s character, I know him better than you." After finishing, she turned and walked to the bathroom door, saying, "Mom, it’s getting late, get some rest."
Watching the bathroom door close, Jiang Yue’e shook her head helplessly and walked straight out of the bedroom.
In the blink of an eye, over a week passed. Just as Ling Chen anticipated, the entire Martial Arts world was in turmoil, with conflicts occurring daily. Forces that just rose up were immediately suppressed by alliances of other forces, leaving bloody chaos everywhere.
Fortunately, Ling Chen was prepared early on, giving up several branches of the Dragon Tiger Hall, leaving only the five branches closest to East Sea City and Beijing. This way, all personnel could be concentrated together, so even if trouble came knocking, they could handle it independently.
During this period, Ling Chen stayed at the Dragon Tiger Hall headquarters, daily staying informed of the latest dynamics in the Martial Arts world, and making arrangements for Dragon Tiger Hall. There were so many events happening in the Martial Arts world lately that the situation changed daily, requiring him to make adjustments at any time to ensure the safety of Longhu Martial Arts Hall.
"Ling Chen." At this time, Zhu Qing quickly ran in from outside, her face full of anxiety.
"What happened?" Ling Chen asked. Having known Zhu Qing for so long, he never saw her so anxious.
"We just received news that Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion sent people to the Dark Pavilion’s secret base, resulting in a battle where Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion’s people were completely wiped out, not a single survivor left."
Hearing this, Ling Chen’s expression changed sharply, standing up, "What did you say? They were all killed?"
Zhu Qing nodded, "That’s right! As far as I know, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion sent disciples from Yangxin Pavilion this time, including Elder Du’s disciple Yang Tao, and they all died in battle."
Yang... has died! Ling Chen muttered to himself, his face becoming extremely unpleasant. He had encountered Du Kang’s disciple Yang Tao several times and considered him a friend; he never thought he would die.
Lingering in thought for a moment, Ling Chen quickly asked, "What’s the reaction from Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"
"I’m not sure about that; it’s a recent event, and Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion must have just received the news. Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was attacked not long ago, suffering significant losses, and now this has happened. It’s a heavy blow to Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Considering their centuries-old foundation, this time, it’s going to be difficult for them to endure."
Ling Chen pondered for a while, then spoke, "Remember, never let Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion know that we were the ones who leaked the information to them. Otherwise, they’ll definitely resent us." His concern wasn’t baseless, as it was their leaked information that led Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion to lose so many outstanding disciples. Yang Tao and the others were Yangxin Pavilion disciples, the future pillars of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Their deaths meant that Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion might not be able to cultivate Heavenly List experts in the coming decades. For a force like Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, losing talent was a fatal blow.
So if Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion learned the truth, there’s no guarantee they wouldn’t resent them.
"I know." Zhu Qing responded, "It seems we all underestimated the strength of Dark Pavilion. That a secret base could have so many powerful experts."
"Were Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion people killed after entering that base?"
"Yes."
"Last time you mentioned, the Dark Pavilion was established by He Honggang, and its members are all proficient in assassination techniques. Yang and the others were too careless, recklessly barging into a base that has been operated for so many years; it’s no surprise they encountered an ambush."
"What do we do now?" Zhu Qing asked, "Should we continue monitoring that base?"
"Have everyone stay concealed and not expose themselves. Also, keep an eye on Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion’s movements; I want to know how they react."
"Okay."
