87: Intelligence Update: Black Wind Stronghold's Reaction

Lin Jingxia's petite frame huddled against the doorframe, like a frightened little rabbit. Her small face was deathly pale, streaked with tears, and she bit her lower lip so hard it was almost bleeding.

Little Ash in her arms was also listless. Its two little paws were clutching her clothes tightly, its pitch-black bean-like eyes filled with unease, and its small body was trembling slightly.

"Brother... The Family head... he really..." Her voice trembled uncontrollably, thick with a crying tone, as if she would collapse at any second.

If the Family head really met with some mishap, then her brother would have to face the high and mighty Grand Elder directly.

She didn't even dare to imagine that!

"Rest assured, the Family head has a very tough life; he won't die."

Lin Jingyu's face was full of ease. He vigorously rubbed her already messy hair, his movements carrying a somewhat rough sense of comfort.

He also casually flicked Little Ash, which was huddled in Lin Jingxia's arms, on the head. The little guy let out a sharp "squeak" and curled up into a ball of fur.

"Hmph!" Lin Jingxia puffed out her cheeks and glared at him with dissatisfaction, her eyes still red.

Lin Jingyu grinned, revealing two rows of white teeth, and lowered his voice, speaking with a somewhat mysterious certainty: "Trust your brother, everything is under control."

He pointed to the closed door of the side room, "Your task is to guard this place, watch our Family head, and don't let outsiders get close."

He pointed to the doorway again and said, "If anyone sends things over, whether it's spirit rice, cured meat, Spirit Stone, or Medicinal Pill, take them all."

"And add one more sentence: this is not enough, is there any more..."

Such shameless behavior made Lin Jingxia blush.

After speaking, Lin Jingyu didn't delay any longer, turned around, and strode toward his room, leaving Lin Jingxia stamping her feet in place, hugging Little Ash, and looking at the side room with worry.

The entrance to the underground secret chamber slid open silently under the urging of Lin Jingyu's spiritual power. He flashed inside, and the heavy stone slab fell, isolating the noise of the outside world and his sister's worried gaze.

This was his temporary safe haven, not much of a big secret.

He hadn't planned on hiding it forever.

When the time was right, he would tell Lin Jingxia.

Actually, it didn't matter if it was discovered by others, as long as they could afford the Spirit Stone.

Lin Jingyu would happily move out and hand it over.

The most core and confidential "brick" Jade Slip was always kept in the Storage Pouch in his bosom, more important than his own life.

Sitting cross-legged on the cold and hard meditation cushion, the faint Spiritual Qi leaking from the secret chamber seeped into his body like clear, cool stream water, finally allowing his nerves, which had been tense all night, to relax slightly.

He first settled his mind and ran the "Evergreen Art" for a few cycles.

The spiritual power in his body, which had been slightly agitated due to emotional fluctuations, was combed through as if by an invisible hand, gradually calming down and flowing obediently through his Meridians.

His mind also calmed down, distracting thoughts were dispelled bit by bit, and he entered a state of emptiness.

But he didn't rush to start Cultivate. Instead, with a slight movement of his mind, the familiar light blue light screen unfolded silently before his eyes, with ghostly light flowing.

[Intelligence Refresh.]

A few cold, large characters jumped out first.

[At the third quarter of noon, inside the Fourth Leader's Immortal Cave in Black Wind Stockade, the scent of wine and meat drifted, and the atmosphere was as lively as a bandit's victory banquet.]

[The Fourth Leader was able to sit in his current high position entirely because he was backed by his brother-in-law, the First Leader, who was at the Qi Refining Perfection. His own cultivation was only at the Qi Refining Seventh Layer, and his abilities were mediocre; he relied entirely on nepotism.]

[Under his command, there were two genuine Qi Refining Seventh Layer thugs, notorious for their cruelty, plus a dozen or so henchmen at the Qi Refining Fifth or Sixth Layer. They could be considered a vicious force not to be underestimated.]

[As for the three unlucky ones, Chen Biao, the Grand-Uncle, who had died, they were just subordinates of his subordinates. No one cared at all.]

[After three rounds of drinking and five courses of food, the Fourth Leader was flushed, burping, and threw out a "good news" that made all the henchmen's eyes turn green.]

[A small, destitute, and poor-as-dirt immortal cultivation Family—the Lin Family—dared to touch the tiger's whiskers and killed people from their Black Wind Stockade.]

[As soon as these words came out, all the henchmen instantly boiled over, their eyes as green as wolves who hadn't eaten for three days seeing a Fat Sheep, howling.]

[Why were they so excited? Because mixing in this "formal" organization of Black Wind Stockade, they usually felt very stifled.]

[They couldn't rob and plunder as they pleased like Loose Cultivator bandits; they could only do "proper" work like collecting protection fees and managing stolen mines and herb fields.]

[Life was more boring than being a Loose Cultivator. Besides drinking and gambling to find some fun, it was simply boring to death.]

[But, if any "blind" force dared to offend the Black Wind Stockade? Hehe.]

[Then they could rightfully "enforce Family law" and enjoy the "work benefits" of burning, killing, and looting. This was a rare opportunity to vent and make some money.]

[Everyone was eager, rubbing their hands with excitement, wishing they could immediately summon their flying Magical Artifacts and rush over to have a big fight and ransack the Lin Family.]

[Some hot-tempered henchmen were about to pull out their weapons on the spot, but were stopped by the Fourth Leader with a slow wave of his hand.]

[He squinted his small eyes, looking like a mastermind: "What's the rush? That Lin Family is just a destitute household. The most powerful person is an old man at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer. The house is so poor that even mice would leave in tears. What kind of profit is there?"]

[He changed the subject, lowered his voice, and carried a seductive temptation: "However! Four days later, they are going to form an alliance with the wealthy Liu Family."]

[Mentioning the Liu Family, even the Fourth Leader's eyes flashed with a hint of greedy light.]

[The Liu Family's strength was not weak, their foundation was deep, and they even had disciples who had joined the Qinglan Sect. The Black Wind Stockade usually had to weigh the pros and cons and dared not provoke them easily.]

["But this time is different." The Fourth Leader smiled sinisterly, "We are going to 'take revenge.' It's justified and righteous."]

["Using the pretext of dealing with the Lin Family, we will heavily blackmail the Liu Family. Who dares to say no? If the Liu Family dares to say no, then they are going against our Black Wind Stockade."]

[The henchmen suddenly realized, gave thumbs up one after another, and flattered him loudly: "High! It's really high, Fourth Leader is wise!"]

[Not only could they vent unscrupulously, eat the Lin Family dry, and knock every bone dry, but they could also scrape a layer of oil off the Fat Sheep that was the Liu Family. It was simply killing two birds with one stone, beautiful.]

[Listening to his subordinates' flattery, the Fourth Leader's eyes flashed with an imperceptible sneer and smugness.]

[Was his real goal just these petty profits? It was the heavy treasure hidden under the Lin Family—the "eye of the spirit spring"—revealed by that old man Lin Chengyuan.]

[I don't know what kind of deep hatred that old man had with the Lin Family to reveal the whereabouts of such a precious treasure.]

[But it doesn't matter, this treasure should belong to him.]

[Those who know? Hmph, after the matter is done, they must all die. Not a single living soul can be left.]

[By the way, I can also squeeze a lot of Spirit Stone from the Liu Family... This wave of operation is simply a huge profit. A guaranteed profit without loss.]