271: Chapter 271 Senior Investigator, New and Old Secret Realms

Liang Xiaotang was slightly stunned, the playful look on his face instantly fading, replaced by a trace of solemnity.

He stepped forward two paces, locking his gaze onto Ling Zifang, and asked in a low voice:

"Are you sure? That old thing has been missing for so many years, how could he suddenly pop up? Back then, he caused quite a bit of trouble, and the higher-ups have always harbored resentment regarding his matters."

Ling Zifang rubbed his temples, a wave of exhaustion washing over him. He leaned against the tree trunk beside him and slowly sat down, saying in a hoarse voice:

"Tonight, I exchanged blows with people from the Lu Family, and I witnessed one of their experts use abilities to fight against the Black Sect lamas. Although his appearance changed drastically, given that level of strength and Lu Yongquan's attitude toward him, I'm sure it's Lu Shihua."

"That old fellow is hiding deep!"

Liang Xiaotang muttered softly, a trace of surprise revealing itself in his eyes:

"According to common sense, after a noble Family's Secret Realm declines, not only is it difficult to produce offspring, but many can't even live past fifty. For this old fellow to have suffered severe injuries and still live this long, the Lu Family's abilities are truly enviable..."

"I wonder what he has been plotting while hiding away all these years. Now that he has shown himself, he must have everything prepared."

After Liang Xiaotang couldn't help but sigh with emotion for a few moments, his gaze suddenly sharpened, thinking of some crucial matter, and he immediately looked at Ling Zifang:

"Could it be that he still wants to restart the unfinished plan from back then?"

"Heh, this time the stakes are much bigger than back then."

Ling Zifang's mouth twitched into a cold sneer:

"The anomalists attracted by the golden bumpa bottle recently are the nourishment prepared for the Lu Family's ancestral spirits. Everything they are doing is to transfer the Legacy Secret Realm, attempting to continue the Family's glory. Their methods can be described as using any means necessary."

"Whoever could think of this method is quite the formidable figure..."

Speaking of this, he paused and smacked his lips, seemingly showing a bit of appreciation for the Lu Family's boldness.

"Did the Lu Family succeed in the transfer?"

Hearing this, Liang Xiaotang's heart tightened, and he immediately pressed on.

"Who knows."

Ling Zifang leaned lazily against the tree trunk and curled his lips:

"I originally planned to sneak in to check out the situation, but I got entangled by a bunch of rats, and then attracted an encirclement by Lu Family guards. Lu Shihua was the leader."

"This old fellow inexplicably mistook me for a Black Sect lama, shouting about killing me. If I hadn't transformed and left in time, I'm afraid I would've had to reveal my identity and use the Public Relations Department to bail me out of the Lu Family tomorrow."

As he spoke, he raised his hand to tidy up his tattered clothes, but his disheveled state could not be concealed no matter what.

Seeing Ling Zifang's disheveled appearance, Liang Xiaotang roughly guessed what happened. The corners of his mouth couldn't help twitching upwards, holding back his laughter, and instead he asked:

"What about that Buddhist supreme treasure, the golden bumpa bottle?"

Seeing that Ling Zifang seemed somewhat nonchalant, he slightly frowned, his expression turning serious and solemn as he added:

"Although this treasure has no direct use for us in the Special Investigation Team, it belongs to the Saints Relic after all."

"If it falls into the hands of a noble Family, it's still controllable. But if it falls into the hands of some anomalist, in a few years, they might just gather a crew and form a new faction. By then, the landscape will change, conflicts from all sides will be endless, affecting social stability, and we'll have to step in to clean up the mess."

Saying this, his gaze stared intently at Ling Zifang, as if urging him to answer quickly.

"No one got their hands on that thing."

Ling Zifang raised his eyelids and said listlessly:

"The Lu Family used the golden bumpa bottle as the core of the Formation, wanting to use it to transfer the Secret Realm. Those anomalists fought over it until their eyes turned red with murder. During this, I don't know what kind of anomaly occurred, triggering the Formation early. Then Miwu Mountain was sealed off by a powerful force, and everyone was involuntarily dragged into the Inner World."

"Once inside, the situation became even more chaotic. The golden bumpa bottle flew high into the air, and Lu Shihua subsequently squared off against Venerable Roger of Lingquan Temple, fighting to a standstill."

"At that time, a mysterious person used Flight abilities and appeared in the air, shattering the golden bumpa bottle with a heavy punch, and the Formation trapping us was broken accordingly."

Listening to Ling Zifang's unhurried description, Liang Xiaotang gasped.

Being able to fly in mid-air, and also blowing up the golden bumpa bottle with a single punch, causing the entire Formation to collapse?

Such skill and ability, exactly what sacred being was this?

Could it be a hidden expert from another noble Family, or some young Genius who suddenly burst onto the scene?

Out of a sense of duty, Liang Xiaotang couldn't help leaning forward and pressing:

"Who was the person that shattered the golden bumpa bottle?"

"I don't know."

"Did you see his face clearly?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know anything, how do you even work as an investigator?!"

Liang Xiaotang grew a bit anxious, raising his tone a few notches, his face full of complaints.

"The scene was too chaotic at the time, and there were too many people, how could I see clearly?"

Ling Zifang spread his hands with a calm expression:

"Besides, this has nothing to do with me. My mission is to monitor the Lu Family's movements; as long as no major incidents happen, that's fine. Now that I've told you the situation, if you have any opinions, feel free to take them back to headquarters."

Liang Xiaotang's face stiffened with anger, but he didn't dare to flare up easily, and could only keep muttering:

"With such a mysterious expert appearing, you actually don't know anything—this is a serious dereliction of duty! If the higher-ups blame us, neither of us will hear the end of it..."

"So what?"

Ling Zifang let out a soft hum, interrupting impatiently:

"I'm exhausted right now, I need to rest for a bit. The Lu Family's matters are very complicated, and sorting them out won't be that easy. I'll submit the specific mission report myself in a few days."

Liang Xiaotang looked helpless and could only reply:

"Fine, you rest first, I'll head back and report the situation to headquarters first."

Before turning to leave, his footsteps paused, and he urged with a concerned expression:

"Remember, during this time you still have to continue monitoring the Lu Family. In case Lu Shihua makes any more moves, let me know in time."

Ling Zifang rolled his eyes and didn't reply.

He leaned his head back against the tree trunk, watching the retreating figure of this Intelligence Department colleague gradually walk away.

Liang Xiaotang got into a car parked by the roadside, skillfully inserting the key to ignite it.

Along with the roar of the engine, the car slowly drove away.

From beginning to end, Liang Xiaotang didn't invite Ling Zifang to get in the car together, and as for Ling Zifang, he had no intention of catching a ride at all.

As a freak in the eyes of others, he had always been used to acting alone.

Listening to the rising and falling insect chirps around him, Ling Zifang slightly frowned, as if his mind was disturbed by this annoying sound.

Then, supporting the ground with one hand, the veins on his neck slightly bulged, and he climbed to his feet somewhat laboriously.

"If it weren't for the Lu Family people suddenly popping out to make trouble, how could I have been injured by a bunch of Trash? What bad luck!"

He dusted off the dirt from his body, a sharp look flashing through his eyes.

"But it doesn't matter, the more you rats scurry up and down and run around everywhere, the more excited I get."

"After a while, I will pay a visit, find you one by one, and use the tentacles all over my body to let you thoroughly enjoy what is called a loving embrace..."

Amidst his savage grin, suddenly remembering something, he narrowed his eyes, looked up at the night sky, and a figure suddenly popped into his mind.

That was a very interesting man, wearing a peculiar mask on his face.

The bizarre styling was very similar to that murderer named "White Owl" on headquarters' dangerous list.

"White Owl... White Ghost..."

Ling Zifang muttered to himself, the corners of his mouth slightly lifting, revealing a faint, elusive smile.

Although he had some guesses in his heart, he didn't plan to speak them out.

"There are too few interesting people in this world. If there could be a few more freaks like this, I wouldn't feel lonely anymore..."

He curled his lips and muttered a few words softly, his voice so low it seemed swallowed by the surrounding darkness, audible only to himself.

Then he stepped out, walking leisurely onto the lakeside running track.

Raising his eyes to look, Miwu Mountain in the distance was hazy and indistinct under the shroud of night.

A few lights flickered faintly like ghost fires, and from time to time, a clamor of human voices drifted over, appearing particularly abrupt in this quiet night.

Looking ahead on the road, it seemed there were still searching figures swaying, with flashlight beams swaying back and forth, giving one an inexplicable sense of tension.

Seeing this scene, Ling Zifang's expression was calm and collected.

Unhurriedly, he raised his hand and pulled out a steel needle stuck in the center of his forehead.

Then he spread open the red crystal held in his palm, and carefully embedded the steel needle into one of the popped-open grooves.

Just like that, he pulled out the steel needles covering his head one by one, and methodically retracted them one by one back into the core device.

The entire set of movements was proficient and smooth, like performing a precise ritual.

As the steel needles were pulled out, a magical scene occurred:

His appearance seemed to be re-sculpted by an invisible hand, and his facial features changed once again accordingly.

His originally slender eyes gradually became rounded and bright, the corners of his eyes slightly upturned, exuding a clever charm.

His prominent bridge of the nose gradually softened, and the lines became smoother and more natural.

Those distinct lips also became warm and plump, as if smeared with a layer of light lip balm.

The originally rugged contours on his cheeks gradually faded away, replaced by soft curves, making his entire aura shift from masculine to feminine.

Even his originally bald head grew a head of dark, lush, beautiful hair at a lightning-fast speed, cascading wantonly over his shoulders.

In the blink of an eye, from a man with an ordinary appearance and a bit of ruggedness, he instantly transformed into a very handsome man with long hair draped over his shoulders, his brows and eyes still exuding a hint of frailty.

No one could have imagined there would be such a strong contrast.

A guy who was decisive in battle and viciously perverted in his strikes—his true face turned out to be such an effeminate fellow.

Ling Zifang seemed to very much enjoy this feeling of hiding in the shadows, making people unable to figure him out.

Of course, sticking his head with steel needles wasn't him intentionally seeking thrills.

Rather, it was to suppress the pain brought by wearing this set of biological armor, while also changing his appearance and hiding his aura.

It was precisely by relying on this unique method that he smoothly endured the inhumanly rigorous evaluation and selection, becoming an Advanced investigator with an elite status in the Xia Country's Special Investigation Team.

Ling Zifang gently tossed his long hair, the corners of his mouth curving into an imperceptible arc.

Then, with light steps, he walked in the opposite direction of the flashing lights.

Soon, like ink blending into the deep sea, he completely merged into the darkness.

Night fell like a shroud, the mountain ranges resembling giant beasts hidden in the dark.

Inside Lu Family Manor, wisps of mist lingered around the broken walls and ruins.

It was as if the smoke of a great battle had not yet dissipated, or like ghosts lingering here, unwilling to scatter.

In the courtyard, the originally exquisite carved floor tiles were blasted into huge craters, with gravel and soil mixed together, resembling hideous wounds.

Broken stone pillars were scattered everywhere in disarray; some still stood halfway, while others were leaning crookedly.

The Auspicious Beast carved on top was now missing its head and broken in its claws, casting eerie shadows under the moonlight.

There were still bloodstains lingering on the ground; although the corpses had been cleaned up, the bloody scent had not completely dissipated.

With a solemn expression, Lu Yongquan stepped across a patch of scattered rubble, and surrounded by several guards, walked toward the central area of the entire manor.

Along the way, the broken walls appeared even more ghastly under the shroud of night, with only the sound of their footsteps echoing through the ruins.

Before long, they arrived at their destination.

In the darkness, a spatial rift emitting a pale cyan light floated quietly like a door.

The halo rippled gently like water waves, exuding an unfathomable aura, as if leading to another unknown world.

As they approached, the air around the light door seemed to become viscous, and a faint humming sound of flowing energy faintly reached their ears.

Lu Yongquan gazed at this special "door", his eyes full of complex emotions.

For a long time, he slowly turned his head, his gaze sweeping over the guards behind him, and said in a deep voice:

"You guys wait outside; without my permission, no one is allowed to approach here."

As the head guard, Lu Tao led a group of guards in bowing and bending over, responding in unison:

"Yes!"

Afterwards, everyone silently watched Lu Yongquan walk towards that light door.

The moment he stepped into it, a violent fluctuation rippled across the surface of the rift.

Like stones thrown into water, ripples quickly expanded outward, and the pale cyan light flashed a few times accordingly, becoming even more dazzling.

Following closely, Lu Yongquan's figure completely disappeared behind that "door".

After a while, the spatial rift slowly returned to calm, as if it had never been opened, isolating the two worlds.

The surroundings once again plunged into a dark, dead-silent ruin.

Stepping into the light door, after a brief dizziness, Lu Yongquan slowly opened his eyes.

The scene coming into view was strikingly different from the past.

That grayish, mist-filled old Secret Realm was like a dispelled nightmare.

At this moment, his field of vision became exceptionally broad, and the sky also appeared much brighter.

Resembling that intoxicating pale cyan at the break of dawn, pure without a trace of Impurities.

Looking around, under his feet was lush grassland, the tender green tips of grass hanging with crystal-clear dew, sparkling with fine light.

Raising his eyes to gaze into the distance, mountain ranges undulated, brimming with vibrant green.

Several square kilometers around were covered by lush forests, the dense vegetation resembling a green ocean with undulating waves.

Except for the areas shrouded in gray mist at the edges, the entire space was about the size of half of Miwu Mountain.

Compared to the desolate, dilapidated, cramped, and narrow scene in the old Secret Realm, it was simply worlds apart, as if stepping from an apocalypse into a fairyland.

Everything was so different; this dreamlike scenery made Lu Yongquan couldn't help feeling a bit dazed.

From childhood to adulthood, he had always shuttled through dark corners, and had never seen such a vibrant scene.

Although the legendary Lu Family Secret Realm had once flourished for a time, those stories of the past were ultimately too distant and illusory to him.

At least, the vibrant vitality that could be truly felt before his eyes was so heart-shaking.

Seeing this scene, as the eldest son of the Lu Family, he couldn't help but feel a sense of pride, showing a trace of joy on his face.

Afterwards, Lu Yongquan's gaze slowly shifted, concentrating on the towering giant tree rising straight from the ground in the center of the Secret Realm.

However, the moment his line of sight touched the giant tree, his pupils suddenly constricted, his joyful expression instantly freezing, replaced by a look of shock and solemnity.

He saw that the trunk of the giant tree was actually covered with eerie dark red patterns, resembling blood-flowing blood vessels.

Shining with a dim luster under the illumination of the sky, exuding an inexplicable sense of horror, instantly casting a shadow over this originally beautiful scenery.