221: Chapter 220 The Shen Family

As long as Wang Lin was willing to give him a hand, he could enter the Twelve Zodiacs.

Zhou Zhenghao took a deep breath, suppressing the excitement in his heart.

He couldn't show it too obviously right now; he needed to be natural.

Zeng Aniu's gaze shifted from Zhou Zhenghao and landed on Qiao Shuwan: "Shuwan, have your dad come over to my place to sit for a while; he hasn't been here for a long time."

Zhou Zhenghao's brain raced. As expected, Qiao Shuwan's father was not as simple as just the boss of an advertising company.

How could an advertising company boss have a relationship with a core member of the Twelve Zodiacs?

And it sounded like they were on good terms, to the point of saying things like "he hasn't been here for a long time."

Afterward, the group chatted for a while longer, and then Zeng Aniu stood up to leave: "Nephew, I'm heading back first. Come play at the The Slaughterhouse when you have time; I'll have someone stew a pot of good meat for you."

Old Zhao and his subordinates followed behind him, the sound of chains dragging on the ground gradually fading away.

Wang Lin looked in the direction where Zeng Aniu had disappeared: "Let's go too."

...

As the days of the training exercise passed, the atmosphere at Qingshi Camp grew more tense with each passing day.

The required tasks were basically all completed, and the day to return to school was approaching.

Students were scattered about the camp in twos and threes, packing their luggage, exchanging contact information, and discussing how they would brag to their classmates about their experiences in the Mist Forest after returning.

However, the central area of the camp was permeated with a completely different, oppressive atmosphere.

Director Fang was now pacing back and forth in a panic.

He stood in the center of the training ground, holding a list in his hand, pacing back and forth; the wrinkles on his face were deeper than when he had arrived.

The reason was simple: Shen Junlin was missing.

Three days ago, someone had last seen Shen Junlin walking out of the camp, and no one had seen him since.

His dormitory was empty; his luggage was still there, but his sword and tactical suit were gone.

Director Fang sent people to look for him—once, twice, three times—but no one found any trace of Shen Junlin.

Some said he had gone home alone, some said he was still in the Mist Forest, and some said he was already dead.

Director Fang received notice from the school that the academy had already sent a large number of personnel into the Mist Forest to search for Shen Junlin, but they still hadn't found him.

The Night Watchers' patrol team had also joined the search, the Holy Court's knights had arrived, and the Shen Family had sent people as well.

But the Mist Forest was too vast, the fog was too thick, the terrain was too complex, and there were too many exotic beasts.

If a person didn't want to be found, they could hide in there for a very long time.

If he was already dead, his body might have already been eaten by exotic beasts or consumed by the forest.

Director Fang's forehead was drenched in sweat, and his hands were trembling.

If it were someone else who couldn't be found, it would be fine.

But Shen Junlin was the direct descendant of the Shen Family, the future heir to the Shen Family's main lineage.

If he died, the wrath of the Shen Family was not something a lowly Director Fang could bear.

Losing his position was a minor matter; whether he could leave Qingshi Camp alive was the real question.

He took a deep breath and shouted to the teachers beside him: "Go look again! Expand the search area! Bring him back alive, or bring back his corpse if he's dead!"

Those teachers looked at each other, but no one dared to argue.

They picked up their equipment and walked into the Mist Forest once again.

Director Fang stood in the center of the training ground, watching their backs disappear into the fog, his hands clenched into fists, his fingernails digging into his palms.

Wang Lin stood at the edge of the camp, watching Director Fang's frantic state, his expression unchanged.

Zhao Meng stood beside him and said in a low voice: "Wang Lin, do you think Shen Junlin... is really dead?"

"How would I know?"

Zhou Zhenghao stood on the other side and also said: "I heard that the Shen Family is in an uproar and has sent many people to search."

"If they can't find Shen Junlin, I'm afraid Director Fang will be in serious trouble."

Wang Lin still didn't speak, withdrawing his gaze and continuing to look at the gray-white sky: "Let's go. Pack your things; we return to the academy tomorrow."

Two days later, Wang Lin and the others returned to the Holy City.

But at the same moment, in the main hall of the old Shen Family mansion, the lights were blazing, and the atmosphere was so heavy it made it hard to breathe.

Shen Tianyou sat on the master's chair in the center, holding a cup of tea in his hand, but the tea had already gone cold.

There was no expression on his face, but those eyes were like two bottomless, dry wells; there was no light in them, only darkness.

His gaze fell upon the two people kneeling before him...

Shen Haochen and a family steward responsible for searching for Shen Junlin at Qingshi Camp.

"Speak."

The weight suppressed within that voice was more terrifying than any roar.

Shen Haochen's body trembled slightly, and he raised his head:

"Uncle, when Big Brother Junlin last left the camp... someone saw him heading deep into the Mist Forest."

"Before that, Big Brother Junlin had been looking for someone named Wang Lin."

"There was... bad blood between them."

Shen Tianyou's brow moved slightly: "Who is Wang Lin?"

"A freshman at Holy City Academy. LV4... no, he reached LV5 during the training exercise a few days ago."

"He got in through the back door, but he is very strong."

"Big Brother Junlin was beaten by him before, had his sword stolen, his face stepped on, and... and he even had his space ring taken away."

"I suspect... I suspect Big Brother Junlin's disappearance has something to do with him."

The main hall was silent for a long time.

Shen Tianyou didn't speak immediately, turning to the steward kneeling on the ground: "Have you investigated that Wang Lin?"

The steward nodded quickly.

"I have. But I couldn't find anything useful."

"His file is blank, his admission channel is unclear, and it is said that he was arranged to be admitted by the Holy Court side."

"His parents' information cannot be found either; we only know he came from out of town, and everything before he arrived in the Holy City... is a blank slate."

Shen Tianyou tapped his fingers lightly on his knees. "What is his Superpower?"

"According to the records of the academy's physical fitness tests and the feedback from the Ancient Martial Arts Training Hall,"

"He has the Blade God Superpower, as well as Vajra Transformation, Wind Element, and Regeneration..."

"It is said he also has some kind of Black Flame; what it specifically is, is still unclear."

Shen Tianyou was silent.

An LV5 Esper possessing Blade God, Vajra Transformation, Wind Element, Regeneration, and Black Flame—at least five Superpowers.

This kind of configuration does not look like something a normal family could cultivate.

He stood up, walked to the window, and turned his back to everyone in the main hall.

"Continue investigating this Wang Lin. Investigate all his movements, investigate where he went and what he did during the training exercise in the Mist Forest."

"Investigate everyone around him... his classmates, teachers, and friends."

"Yes," the steward replied quickly.

"And," Shen Tianyou's voice suddenly turned cold, "what about Third Grand-Uncle? Where is he?"

The steward's body stiffened abruptly.

"Old Senior Henian... has not returned either."

"The people we sent out couldn't find him; the last time someone saw him was also in the depths of the Mist Forest, and it is said... he seemed to be chasing someone."