236: Chapter 236 The Storm Is Brewing

"It is rumored that he displayed exceptional talent for the Dao of martial arts from a young age, possessing extraordinary aptitude; he was a martial arts prodigy seen only once in a century."

"However, when he was only six years old, he was secretly abducted by secret agents of the Cabinet."

"In order to forge a blade of absolute loyalty and unmatched sharpness, the Cabinet subjected him to extremely cruel brainwashing and secret methods of torture."

"It is said that the Cabinet locked him in a dark, sunless colosseum, tempering his Physical Body daily with poisonous insects and herbs, while supplementing this with soul-snatching techniques to forcibly erase his memories."

"After more than a decade of torture, Cao Yong's seven emotions and six desires had long been thoroughly eradicated, and even his self-awareness had become fragmented."

"As he is now, while he may be a living person, his core is already controlled by the Cabinet."

"Such a mad dog with no scruples is the most troublesome."

Chen Ran heard this, his eyes lowering slightly, masking the thoughts in his gaze.

"So that's how it is." Chen Ran thought to himself, "No wonder he acts so recklessly; it turns out he is a mad dog with no weaknesses."

Eldest Brother Lin Xiu sighed and continued, "However, the Heavenly Dao is clear; for every gain, there is a loss. Although the Cabinet's brainwashing secret technique created an Innate Realm killing weapon that fears no death, it also completely severed Cao Yong's future path in the Dao of martial arts."

"On the path of martial arts, the Lower Three Grades focus on Body Refining, the Middle Three Grades on Qi Refining, and the Upper Three Grades on Spirit Cultivation."

"Upon reaching a Breakthrough to the Innate Realm, if one wishes to advance further and step into the legendary Grandmaster Realm, one must comprehend their true heart and achieve Perfection of their Heart-Nature."

"Cao Yong's Heart-Nature is closed off, like a pool of stagnant water. Since he has even lost his sense of self, how can he speak of comprehending his true heart? His state of mind is already riddled with holes."

Eldest Brother Lin Xiu said with certainty, "Therefore, it is absolutely impossible for him to achieve a Breakthrough to the Grandmaster Realm in this lifetime. Merely achieving a Breakthrough to the Innate Realm was already his limit."

Chen Ran nodded slightly, understanding already clear in his heart.

"A fragmented state of mind, cultivation stagnant..." Chen Ran calculated silently in his heart, "In that case, this Cao Yong is at most at the Early Stage of the Innate Realm, and he will never be able to advance an inch in his entire life."

For an ordinary Martial Artist, the Early Stage of the Innate Realm is certainly an unattainable Realm.

But in Chen Ran's eyes, it was not invincible.

He possessed hundreds of years of deep internal energy, cultivated multiple top-tier Cultivation Techniques, and had numerous strange talents at his disposal.

If it truly came to a life-and-death struggle, who would emerge victorious remained to be seen.

"It cannot be considered an insurmountable chasm; I need only wait for a period of time." Chen Ran felt settled in his heart, though his expression remained calm.

Eldest Brother Lin Xiu did not notice the turmoil in Chen Ran's heart; he frowned slightly, and a lingering worry appeared between his brows.

"Originally, regarding the decree pushed by the Cabinet to weaken the power of the clans, as long as the Four Great Families stood together and reached a secret consensus not to compromise..."

Eldest Brother Lin Xiu said in a deep voice, "No matter how crazy Cao Yong is, the Cabinet would not dare to risk chaos under heaven to forcibly take action against us."

"After all, the Four Great Families stand together, and their deep foundations are enough to shake half of Great Wei's empire."

"But who would have thought..." Eldest Brother Lin Xiu gritted his teeth, "The Lu Family actually defected at the critical moment, agreeing to sign that decree without any warning!"

"The Lu Family's action is tantamount to tearing a hole in the Alliance of the Four Great Families. The Cabinet seized this opportunity to press step by step, and the situation instantly became passive."

Eldest Brother Lin Xiu looked at Chen Ran and smiled bitterly, "The Lu Family has always been driven by profit, and their head is an old fox who never acts without seeing the prey."

"There must be a great secret behind this sudden compromise, but because it happened so suddenly, the secret agents our Lin Family planted in the Lu Family were unable to send back any useful information."

After speaking, Eldest Brother Lin Xiu stared intensely at Chen Ran, with a hint of calculation and expectation, and asked tentatively:

"Brother Chen, although you are not involved in this situation, in your opinion, how should my Lin Family respond to this predicament?"

Chen Ran's expression was indifferent, his slender fingers gently rubbing the warm teacup, making a faint rustling sound.

The room was silent for a moment.

"The enemy is in the shadows while we are in the light; the situation is unclear, and acting rashly is a major taboo in military strategy." Chen Ran spoke slowly, his voice cool and clear like a spring, "Eldest Brother Lin Xiu, perhaps you should observe for a while longer."

"Although the Lu Family has retreated, as long as the Lin, Wen, and Qin Families continue to hold their bottom line, the Cabinet will not dare to act rashly."

Chen Ran raised his eyes, his gaze deep, "Perhaps the Cabinet will encounter an accident, or be forced by pressure, and this decree will suddenly be terminated."

Eldest Brother Lin Xiu heard this, and a look of appreciation flashed in his eyes. He clapped his hands and sighed, "Brother Chen, your words align exactly with my intentions. I also intend to avoid the sharp edge for now and wait and see how things develop."

However, the worry on his face did not completely fade; instead, it deepened slightly.

"My Lin Family and the Wen Family have been on good terms for generations, so we can still figure out each other's background and intentions. The Wen Family's attitude remains firm."

Eldest Brother Lin Xiu sighed, "But that Qin Family... they have always acted mysteriously, like looking at flowers through a fog."

"Now that the Lu Family has defected, it is truly difficult to fathom what the Qin Family's intentions are. If the Qin Family also develops ulterior motives, then the sky over this capital city is truly going to change."

Chen Ran remained silent.

He did not care about the infighting and conflicts of interest between the clans.

All he cared about was how to protect himself and restore a peaceful life amidst this chaotic situation.

If anyone dared to obstruct his life, then regardless of their status, they would eventually be liquidated and swept away by him.

"Forget it, these intrigues in the imperial court only add to your troubles when I tell you about them." Eldest Brother Lin Xiu shook his head, drank the remaining tea in his cup, and stood up.

He smoothed his robes and looked at Chen Ran with a solemn expression, "The situation is unclear, and the capital will certainly not be peaceful these next few days."

"Stay at home with peace of mind during this period; I will have Grey Wolf protect your safety in secret."

"Those mad dogs under Cao Yong have no bottom line in their actions. Remember not to act alone, so as to avoid falling victim to their sneak attacks."

Chen Ran stood up as well and bowed slightly, "Thank you, Eldest Brother Lin Xiu, for your concern; Brother Chen knows the weight of the situation."

Eldest Brother Lin Xiu nodded and turned to leave.

Just at this moment, Chen Ran suddenly raised his eyes, his gaze clear and penetrating, like cold stars.

He looked at Eldest Brother Lin Xiu's back, his tone as calm as water, yet carrying an inexplicable certainty: "Eldest Brother Lin Xiu, you might as well have more patience these few days and wait and see."

"Perhaps... things will suddenly take a turn for the better very soon."

Eldest Brother Lin Xiu paused his steps slightly and turned back to look at Chen Ran.

Under the dim candlelight, Chen Ran was dressed in plain clothes, his expression indifferent, as if he had just casually spoken a word of comfort.

Eldest Brother Lin Xiu did not think deeply about it, assuming Chen Ran was simply soothing his anxious emotions.

"I'll take your kind words." Eldest Brother Lin Xiu smiled faintly, pushed open the door, and stepped into the deep night.

The door slowly closed with a soft sound.

The room returned to silence once again.

Chen Ran stood with his hands behind his back in front of the window, looking through the gaps in the lattice at Eldest Brother Lin Xiu's gradually receding figure, the corners of his mouth curling into a very faint arc.

"A turn for the better, hmm..."

He murmured softly, his voice melting into the night wind.

However, in his deep eyes, a chilling light that made one's heart palpitate suddenly erupted at this moment.

Since Cao Yong had already reached out to him and even sent people to make assassination attempts, he naturally had no reason to sit and wait for death or let himself be slaughtered.

He was also not one to blindly retreat and endure.

When there is no way to avoid it, striking like thunder and strangling all threats in the cradle is the truly prudent path.

Moreover, as a running dog of the Cabinet, Cao Yong did not know how much blood he had stained his hands with or how many sins he carried.

If he could kill him, or pull out his minions one by one, it would certainly be a very generous Karma reward for his [heavenly book of prison suppression].

"A madman in the Innate Realm..."

Chen Ran slowly raised his right hand, his fingers joined like a sword.

At his fingertips, a wisp of crimson flame quietly emerged, emitting a terrifying high temperature capable of incinerating everything, but it was retracted into his body in an instant.

Chen Ran's eyes gradually turned cold,

"I would like to see just how tough the Cabinet really is."

The night wind grew stronger, blowing down the autumn leaves in the courtyard.