138: Chapter 138 Wrath, the Aristocratic Families!

The next morning.

Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a faint golden glow over the room.

On the bed, a man in cyan robes sat cross-legged, his chest rising and falling slightly as he breathed evenly.

His breathing went from shallow to deep, eventually growing louder and louder.

Finally, the sound of Tiger-Leopard Thunder echoed throughout the entire room.

Chen Ran opened his eyes, and a terrifying Aura radiated from his body before quickly being reabsorbed within.

After reaching the Aperture Condensation Realm, his sleep requirements had shortened significantly compared to ordinary people.

A night had passed.

He only needed about four hours of sleep to fully restore his energy.

Chen Ran stood up and walked out to the courtyard, feeling the sunlight from outside.

In the early morning of the capital, the sun had not yet fully risen, and the whistling of the cold wind could still be heard in his ears.

Yet the young man standing in the courtyard, wearing only thin clothing, seemed completely oblivious to it.

Suddenly, the sky seemed to sprinkle silver frost; what had been a clear sky moments ago was quickly filled with a thick white mist.

The weather seemed to have turned even colder.

Chen Ran reached out his hand, and a crystalline snowflake drifted into his palm.

“It's snowing...”

Chen Ran was slightly dazed; this was the first time he had seen snow in the several months he had lived in the capital.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh.

In just a few moments, heavy snow like goose feathers covered the ground in a layer of white blanket.

“If it snows this heavily now, the common folk at the bottom will suffer...”

In a prosperous era, this snow might be a sign of a bountiful year, but in the current Great Wei Dynasty, this cold snap would likely claim many lives.

Chen Ran shook his head. His blood and Qi surged, releasing a wave of heat that evaporated the moisture on his clothes, forming a visible white mist behind him.

This chill was not even worth mentioning compared to the blood and Qi of a Martial Artist.

...

The snow fell incessantly.

Six Doors, Meeting Hall.

The atmosphere was oppressive, with several Constables standing solemnly on both sides of the hall.

Ye Wuya had disappeared during transport, and the accompanying experts from the Inner Court had been completely wiped out.

This news had spread through all the government offices in the capital in just one night.

Lin Wan sat in a chair, her expression grim.

“Absurd.”

She slammed her hand on the table, making the teacup hum from the vibration.

“Does that group of eunuchs in the Inner Cabinet really think everyone in the world is a fool?”

“What 'mysterious expert hijacked the prisoner,' what 'mighty figure intervened'?”

“Ye Wuya is a cripple now. Who would risk offending the Imperial Court to save him?”

Lin Wan snorted coldly.

This was clearly a play directed and performed by those in the Inner Cabinet to cover up some unspeakable secret.

Killing to silence him, destroying the corpse to remove the evidence.

And then finding some random excuse to brush it off.

She had seen such methods far too often in Six Doors.

The Head Constable of Six Doors, sitting in the main seat, had his brows locked tight.

“Lin Wan, watch your words.”

“This matter involves the Inner Cabinet and the Demon Suppression Division. Without solid evidence, you must not jump to conclusions.”

Lin Wan grit her teeth, her heart full of resentment.

“Head Constable, are we just supposed to watch them cover the sky with one hand?”

“So many brothers were sacrificed to arrest Ye Wuya, and we're just letting him get away like this?”

The Head Constable sighed.

“Constable Lin, I can understand your feelings, but the waters in the capital are getting muddier and muddier.”

“For now, we in Six Doors can only wait and see.”

Lin Wan rubbed her temples, feeling a deep sense of powerlessness.

Her proud fifth-grade Meridian Opening Realm cultivation was simply not worth mentioning in this storm.

“No, I must increase my strength as soon as possible.”

Lin Wan stood up, her gaze becoming determined.

She didn't want to be a pawn at the mercy of others; she wanted to uncover the truth.

And the prerequisite for all of this was having sufficient strength.

Without hesitation, Lin Wan left Six Doors and headed toward the Inner City.

...

The Residence of the Duke of the State, the Lin Family.

As a top-tier noble Family of Great Wei, the Lin Family's estate was vast and magnificent.

Lin Wan navigated the winding corridors with practiced ease, arriving at a quiet bamboo forest in the backyard.

Deep within the bamboo forest was a simple, ancient pavilion.

An old man with white hair and a white beard sat at a stone table, slowly and methodically brewing tea.

The old man wore brocade robes and looked like an ordinary wealthy elder.

But only those within the Lin Family knew just how prestigious this old man truly was.

The Old Patriarch of the Lin Family, Lin Zhentian.

True to his name, he was the pillar of the Lin Family and a person of immense weight in the Great Wei court.

“Grandfather.”

Lin Wan stepped forward.

Lin Zhentian looked up, glanced at her, and pointed with a smile at the stone stool opposite him.

“Sit.”

“How do you have time to come back and see this old man today?”

As the only female descendant in the current direct line of the Lin Family,

Lin Wan had been showered with affection since birth, and even the Head of the Lin Family doted on her immensely.

Lin Wan sat down and, without beating around the bush, directly stated her purpose.

“I want to enter the Family's Marrow Cleansing Pool.”

Lin Zhentian's hand pouring the tea paused slightly.

“The Marrow Cleansing Pool?”

“Do you know the danger of that place? With your current cultivation, you'll suffer greatly if you go in.”

Lin Wan grit her teeth.

“I'm not afraid.”

“The situation in the capital is turbulent. With my current strength, I can't do anything at all.”

Lin Zhentian put down the teapot and looked at her deeply.

“Is it because of the Ye Wuya matter?”

This news had been out since last night; as a powerful Family, it was impossible for the Lin Family not to have received word.

Lin Wan nodded and recounted the events of the day they arrested Ye Wuya.

When he heard that she had almost fallen into a life-threatening crisis due to faulty intelligence,

Lin Zhentian's expression changed instantly, and a terrifying Aura radiated from him.

Lin Zhentian remained silent for a moment, suppressing his anger before speaking:

“That group in the Inner Cabinet is indeed playing with fire. Don't worry, Grandfather will definitely make them pay a painful price for this...”

Lin Zhentian pulled a black token from his robe and handed it to Lin Wan.

“This is the pass for the Marrow Cleansing Pool. Take it to the back mountain.”

Lin Wan took the token, her heart filled with joy.

“Thank you, Grandfather!”

She was just about to get up and leave when Lin Zhentian suddenly called her back.

“Wait.”

Lin Wan turned back in confusion.

Lin Zhentian picked up his teacup, took a slow sip, and the expression on his face suddenly became a bit strange.

“Now that we're done talking about martial arts, let's chat about something else.”

Lin Zhentian looked at her with a beaming smile.

“I heard that a while ago, during a blind date, you fell in love at first sight and insisted it had to be him?”

Lin Wan's face stiffened.

“Grandfather, who did you hear that from...”

Lin Zhentian waved his hand.

“Never mind who I heard it from.”

“I'm just asking you, that kid is named Chen Ran, right?”

“A Seventh-Grade Prison Official in the Heavenly Jail?”

Lin Zhentian leaned forward slightly, his eyes sparkling with gossip.

“Be honest with Grandfather, how far have you two developed?”

Lin Wan's face instantly turned bright red, her usual image as a decisive female Constable completely vanished.

“Grandfather, what nonsense are you talking about!”

“He and I are perfectly clean; we have no relationship at all!”

Lin Zhentian stroked his beard, looking entirely unconvinced.

“No relationship at all?”

“So many young talents in the capital were introduced to you, and you ignored them all. Why did you happen to pick him this time?”

“I heard that you've been seeing a lot of him lately.”

Lin Wan stomped her foot in frustration.

“That's because I'm investigating a case! Chen Ran is my informant and my subordinate, of course we're close!”

Lin Zhentian laughed heartily.

“Right, right, right, an informant, an informant.”

“But girl, Grandfather has to remind you.”

“Even though our Lin Family has a high status, I am not a pedantic man.”

“As long as he has good character and ambition, even if he's just a small Prison Officer, Grandfather won't object.”

Lin Wan was about to go crazy.

“Grandfather, I'm ignoring you!”

She stomped her foot, turned, and ran away. Her fleeing figure made Lin Zhentian burst into laughter again.

Watching his granddaughter's receding back, the smile on Lin Zhentian's face gradually faded.

He picked up his teacup, took a light sip, and his eyes shifted slightly.

“Chen Ran...”

He knew his granddaughter's temperament; she wouldn't just pull someone in to make up the numbers unless that young man truly had some quality that attracted her.

And seeing Lin Wan's reaction to his test just now, he was even more certain that this young man definitely had some sort of connection with his granddaughter.

“Interesting.”

“Someone, come here.”

Lin Zhentian called out calmly.

A dark shadow appeared outside the pavilion like a ghost, kneeling on one knee.

“Go and investigate this Chen Ran's background.”

“I want to know everything, down to the smallest detail.”

“Yes!”

“Also, go and see what happened with the matter Wan'er mentioned. Why was her life in danger?”

Lin Zhentian spoke calmly, but his tone was exceptionally cold.

The shadow acknowledged the order and vanished silently.

Lin Zhentian put down his teacup and looked toward the Outer City of the capital, lost in thought.