Chapter 1647: Chapter 1949: An Awkward Situation
"I appreciate Master Guo’s kind intention." After speaking, Ling Chen checked the time and said, "It’s getting late; we should be heading back to avoid disturbing Master Guo’s rest."
"Mr. Ling, I sincerely apologize. As the host, I should have had you stay overnight, but as you can see, my estate is still undergoing renovations, and many facilities are not yet complete. When Mr. Ling visits next time, I will certainly fulfill my duties as a host."
"There’s no need to be so formal." Ling Chen smiled and stepped out of the collection room. After coming up from the basement, Zhu Qing was already waiting outside. After some pleasantries, Ling Chen and his group left the estate accompanied by Guo Halong.
Once in the car, watching the estate gradually fade from view, Ling Chen withdrew his gaze and said softly, "There are significant issues with this Heavenly Dragon Sect."
"What have you discovered?" asked Chen Junfeng.
Ling Chen didn’t directly answer him but instead turned to Zhu Qing and asked, "Did you find anything?"
The latter shook her head and said, "No, the time was too short to conduct a detailed investigation. But personally, I feel that the secrets of this estate should be hidden underground." Previously, when she said she needed to use the restroom, she was actually finding an opportunity to investigate the estate. With her skills, she could easily sneak out even if there was someone guarding outside the restroom.
"Why do you say that?"
"I checked all the buildings in the estate. Besides those few under renovation, there were not many people inside the other houses, only a large storage of food. I roughly calculated: the villa plus the other few buildings have only about twenty rooms, with each room having a single bed. However, there are about fifty to sixty people between the Heavenly Dragon Sect disciples inside and outside the estate and those around Guo Halong. These rooms are simply not enough for them to live in. So, there must be hidden areas in that estate."
"Now you should talk about your findings." Chen Junfeng chimed in.
"That Guo Halong has major issues," Ling Chen said. "From the way he talks, he doesn’t seem like the cunning, scheming type. Generally speaking, the more scheming a person is, the more hypocritical they are, but Guo Halong seems quite straightforward, and he doesn’t like to beat around the bush. Honestly, after interacting with Guo Halong, I now seriously doubt whether he’s the one really planning everything. To me, that Tan Gang seems more scheming than Guo Halong."
"What’s so strange about that?" piped up the porridge girl. "In the past, generals would have several advisors by their side to offer strategies. Perhaps the attack on the Dragon Tiger Hall was a strategy thought up by Tan Gang and then suggested to Guo Halong. Also, don’t forget, the Heavenly Dragon Sect has deep ties with the Dangyang Sect; maybe Qi Yong is the one advising him."
Upon hearing this, Ling Chen nodded and said, "Your guess makes sense. Qi Yong is indeed the type with a calculating mind." After speaking, he turned to look out the car window and said, "Our current position is somewhat awkward. The Heavenly Dragon Sect has become very powerful and can’t be moved temporarily. Although Dragon Tiger Hall is stronger than the Heavenly Dragon Sect overall, we have to be wary of the Dangyang Sect. If Qi Yong secretly intervenes while we’re dealing with the Heavenly Dragon Sect, we could be attacked from both sides, suffering significant losses. Besides, ’that person’ mentioned by Yu Zhen has yet to appear, so we can’t act rashly right now."
Chen Junfeng frowned and said, "Isn’t this too disgraceful? Knowing that others are bullying us but not being able to strike back, if word gets out, others might think Dragon Tiger Hall is cowardly."
"Others’ opinions don’t matter; it’s key to preserve our strength. Sir Chen, this chaos has just begun. More conflicts await, and for Dragon Tiger Hall to continue, keeping a low profile is necessary. Regardless of how long this chaos lasts, only those who laugh last are the true victors. Do you understand what I mean?"
After hearing Ling Chen’s words, Chen Junfeng remained silent. He understood Ling Chen’s concerns; besides the Heavenly Dragon Sect and Dangyang Sect, Ling Chen also had to be on guard against assassins from the Netherworld Snake. If a war begins, not only would it cause huge losses to Dragon Tiger Hall, but it might also give Netherworld Snake an opportunity. As Ling Chen said, Dragon Tiger Hall’s position is very awkward. For the larger picture’s sake, he must endure in silence for now and secretly wait for the right moment.
...
At this moment, back in the Heavenly Dragon Sect headquarters, shortly after Ling Chen and his group left, Guo Halong returned alone to the basement collection room.
He walked over to a rusty iron sword, grasped the hilt, and gently pressed down. With a light ’ka’ sound, the adjacent wall slowly moved aside, revealing a wide passageway.
Through the passage, Guo Halong entered a room. Though built underground, the room was spacious, over a hundred square meters, with two bedrooms and a living room, complete with a kitchen and bathroom, like an ordinary residence.
At this moment, a young man was sitting on the sofa in the living room. Though the young man wasn’t very old, his hair, whether due to dyeing or some other reason, was prematurely graying, incongruous with his age. Opposite the sofa was an LCD TV, and the young man, holding a remote, leaned on a pillow, one hand supporting his head, idly watching the news playing on TV.
Hearing footsteps beside him, the young man didn’t even twitch his corner of his eye, seeming to speak to himself, "Gone?"
As soon as the youth spoke, Guo Halong immediately stopped and stood respectfully, replying, "They have left."
"What do you think of Ling Chen?"
"A worthy opponent. He knows it was our Heavenly Dragon Sect’s doing but said nothing, acting as if nothing happened."
"He’s not just an opponent; he’s a troublesome one. I’ve clashed with him before but never gained the upper hand, not just due to personal shortcomings but also a lack of luck. However, I no longer need luck now." The youth put down the remote, sat upright, and said, "You’ve done well this time, catching Ling Chen off guard. Even if he reacts, it will be too late."
Guo Halong hurriedly said, "All thanks to Mr. Zhu’s strategy."
The Mr. Zhu he referred to is none other than the long-lost Zhu Hong.
"Ling Chen suffered a significant setback this time, but he’s a smart man. He knows his situation isn’t favorable, which is why he’s holding back. Otherwise, do you think he’d come for no reason to chat with you? He just wants to gauge your depth by engaging with you."
"What should we do next?"
Zhu Hong said slowly, "No rush. First, consolidate your power. Though those small factions joined us out of fear of the Dragon Tiger Hall, they’re likely unwilling, and might make some small moves. You need to pay attention to that. As soon as you discover anything, don’t hold back, just kill them. If I can’t get their loyalty, then let them fear me. Only if they fear will they obey."
Guo Halong nodded and said, "I understand."
