216: The Art of Managing People

Lu Chen returned to the small courtyard and, without stopping, walked straight into a more secluded inner room.

Inside the room, a single ever-burning lamp flickered faintly, its light and shadow swaying.

Li Wuya was sitting upright on a prayer mat, his eyes slightly closed, appearing to be adjusting his breathing or perhaps waiting.

Sensing Lu Chen's arrival, he slowly opened his eyes, his gaze calm.

Lu Chen skipped the pleasantries and went straight forward, taking out the thin booklet Wang Hou had delivered from his Storage Pouch and handing it over with both hands.

Li Wuya took it and, by the lamplight, flipped through it page by page.

The handwriting in the booklet was neat, and the records were detailed.

He did not read quickly; his gaze moved slowly between the lines as he softly read out several key names and pieces of information: "City Lord's Mansion guard... Zhong Jian..."

After a moment, he closed the booklet and looked up at Lu Chen, his eyes filled with inquiry.

"Zhang Tie the blacksmith at the Zhang Family Blacksmith Shop in the north of the city; Wang Fu the manager at the Wang Family Talisman Shop in the east; and... Zhong Jian, who has successfully infiltrated the City Lord's Mansion and is currently an ordinary guard. These three are all hidden agents planted by our Sect's original base, having been undercover for many years."

Lu Chen confirmed in a low voice, explicitly pointing out the information Li Wuya had discerned.

He paused briefly and continued, "As for Zhang Tie and Wang Fu, I have already instructed Su Li and Ding Wu to find excuses to contact them and first investigate their current situations and states of mind. Only this Zhong Jian, being a mansion guard, is difficult to contact. Moreover, several stewards have recently gone missing from the City Lord's Mansion, so security is tight and the situation is tense; there isn't a safe opportunity for the time being."

Upon hearing this, Li Wuya nodded slightly, already understanding Lu Chen's unspoken implication: "Leave this person to me. I have my own ways to find an opportunity to contact him."

With the matter settled, Li Wuya did not look away. Instead, he stared at Lu Chen, a rare trace of hesitation crossing his usually resolute face.

He was not one for meddling, but at this moment, he could not hold back after all. He spoke slowly, his voice even lower than usual: "Inspector Lu, forgive my presumption... besides these three, are there... any others... who survived?"

Since Lu Chen could precisely pinpoint these three so deeply buried agents, the information he possessed likely went beyond this.

Li Wuya's question held both concern for his fellow Disciples and a hint of indescribable hope.

Lu Chen met his gaze, stayed silent for a moment, and then nodded frankly: "There are. I have already settled them in a secure place."

He admitted it, but did not reveal names, identities, or locations, nor did he detail how they were rescued or their current status.

This brief answer was both a response to Li Wuya's inquiry and a way of drawing a boundary.

Some things were not convenient to state clearly for the time being, nor was there a need to probe deeply.

A man of Li Wuya's stature immediately understood Lu Chen's meaning.

His question just now had indeed been a bit overstepping.

Since the other party had honestly informed him that there were survivors, it was a sign of great trust; if details were left unsaid, he must have his own considerations.

He stopped probing, a hint of apology appearing on his face, which was soon replaced by a deeper solemnity.

Suddenly, Li Wuya stood up, took a half-step back, and facing Lu Chen, clasped his hands together and actually bowed with great formality.

Lu Chen was slightly startled, then stepped forward two paces, reaching out to firmly support Li Wuya's arms: "Elder Li, why are you doing this? Please, rise quickly."

Li Wuya straightened up and a look of sincere emotion and gratitude appeared on his usually cold face: "That Yuanbai was able to return alive is entirely thanks to you, Inspector Lu, for risking such great danger to rescue him from that perilous place. This kindness, I and Yuanbai shall keep it engraved in our hearts!"

Having escaped danger and returned, Li Yuanbai had naturally informed his Revered Master of how Lu Chen had killed powerful enemies and aided him during the thunderstorm in the Thunder Roar Ruins.

However, with so many people around earlier, it hadn't been convenient for Li Wuya to thank him publicly.

Now in the secret room with only the two of them, this gratitude could finally be expressed openly.

Lu Chen's expression turned serious as he said earnestly: "Elder Li, you overstate it. Junior Brother Yuanbai was ordered to infiltrate the Soul Returning Hall for the Sect and for us to gather intelligence. When he fell into danger, it was my duty as the patrol envoy to step in and help; it was an unavoidable responsibility. Currently, the situation in Ruins Abyss City is treacherous and the undercurrents are surging, far more complex than we anticipated when we first arrived. In the many hardships to come, I will still need to rely on your full support, Elder Li."

These words of his both accepted Li Wuya's thanks and attributed the matter to duty and obligation.

At the same time, he pointed out the current situation, binding both parties more closely together under a common goal.

Li Wuya gave Lu Chen a deep look, his expression complex, containing gratitude and approval.

There was also recognition of this young patrol envoy's meticulous mind and steady conduct.

He said no more, only nodding heavily: "I shall naturally do my best."

The two of them discussed details in low voices for a while longer regarding recent movements in the city, the activities of the Soul Returning Hall and the Black Flood Dragon Society, and how to contact Zhong Jian in the future, before Li Wuya finally took his leave.

Silence returned to the secret room, leaving Lu Chen standing alone.

The light from the ever-burning lamp cast his shadow against the stone wall, stretching and shrinking it fitfully.

"Young Master,"

Qing Yi's soft voice rang out gently in Lu Chen's Sea of Consciousness, carrying a hint of understanding and faint admiration, "Your art of managing people is something this Little Maid truly admires."

From beginning to end, Lu Chen had not said a single word about bestowing favors or winning people over, and had even modestly declined Li Wuya's thanks.

But Qing Yi, having accompanied him all the way, saw it clearly.

From risking his life to save Li Yuanbai, to sharing intelligence and entrusting important tasks now, and even that perfectly measured honesty and reservation regarding the survivors' whereabouts... he was moving step by step, balancing emotion and reason.

He both bestowed practical kindness and gave full respect and reliance.

Even more so, he invisibly tied the loyalty and strength of this Core Formation Elder, Li Wuya, and his Disciple firmly to his own ship.

Looking at it now, this effort had already taken effect.

Hearing this, Lu Chen's face remained calm and unruffled.

He simply walked to the side of a table, his fingertips unconsciously brushing across the cold surface as his gaze fell into the depths of the flickering lamp flame.

It was unclear whether he was contemplating a more far-reaching chess game or the increasingly blurred undercurrents within the city.

The candlelight reflected in his calm eyes, the dancing shadows outlining that deep thought in shifting light and dark.

Lu Chen's thoughts did not cease.

While the surging undercurrents outside required planning, the integration and management of internal personnel...

...was likewise a top priority that he had to weigh carefully.

Bestowing the Secret Essentials of the Thousand Mechanisms upon Su Li and giving the Hundred Explanations of Spirit Talismans to Ding Wu were by no means random acts.

These two gifts were both intentional acts after repeated consideration based on their strengths, Heart-Nature, and even the responsibilities they might shoulder in the future.

They were rewards, cultivation, and also a deeper level of guidance and binding.

He had been in Ruins Abyss City for over a year now, and the time ahead would surely be longer, with the situation only becoming more complex.

He had long since understood that relying on his own strength alone would make it extremely difficult to truly gain a foothold and open up the situation in this place where dragons and snakes were mixed.

He needed reliable eyes and ears, and he needed assistants who could play to their strengths in different fields.

The encounter in the Thunder Roar Ruins, especially the helplessness and luck when facing the Astral Wind Thunderstorm...

...made him realize even more clearly that his own cultivation strength was the fundamental cornerstone for dealing with all changes.

He had to extract himself from tedious trivialities and invest more effort into the Cultivation concerning the Great Dao.

However, the Sect's missions had to be completed.

The hidden agents here had to be sorted out, and potential threats had to be investigated.

This meant he needed a more effective and composed way of operating.

Putting the right people in the right places, giving them appropriate trust and resources, and letting them perform their duties and operate on their own.

Only in this way could he transcend specific affairs and obtain that crucial time and space used to improve himself.

Missions had to be done, and Cultivation could not be neglected.

The two were not entirely opposed; strong power was the guarantee for completing dangerous missions, while the tempering of missions and the acquisition of resources could also feed back into one's practice.

The key lay in how to find that balance point, how to build a framework that could move forward steadily, gather information, and respond to changes even if he temporarily stayed behind the scenes.

Under the lamplight, Lu Chen's gaze gradually became deep and firm.

A network with himself at the core, with Li Wuya, Su Li, Ding Wu, Kui Sang, and even Shao Qing who had not yet fully committed as its branches...

...while cautiously contacting old hidden agents like Zhang Tie, Wang Fu, and Zhong Jian, and using external eyes and ears like Wang Hou as a supplement, gradually took clear shape in his mind.

What he wanted was not a group of subordinates who blindly followed orders, but a system where each person excelled in their field, could stand on their own, and could collaborate around a common goal.

He himself needed to be the most crucial chess piece that controlled the direction, provided support, and decided victory or defeat at the critical moment.

At the same time, he also had to be the one who became powerful the fastest.