After everyone returned to the temporary accommodation arranged by Lin Ruofu, Yan Shouyi briefly recounted the evening's events to Lin Zitong.
Upon hearing this, Lin Zitong also deemed the matter of great importance.
Harmful talismans circulating freely among the populace would soon create all sorts of trouble. If not stopped promptly, while still in its nascent stage, Rongcheng would descend into chaos in the future.
At the same time, Lin Zitong harbored doubts. Such a significant issue, with its plain and easily understandable logic, could not possibly be unknown to the Lushan Sect. So why were they indifferent? Even if the Lushan Sect remained inactive, other smaller sects should not have been unaffected. In other words, with the behemoth Lushan Sect standing by, smaller sects should have been more eager to step forward and handle the situation, thereby enhancing their own standing among the populace.
These numerous uncertainties led Lin Zitong to suspect the situation within the Lushan Sect. After showering, the two lay on the bed. Lin Zitong voiced her thoughts: "Big fool, do you think Lu Xin might be involved behind this?"
Yan Shouyi was silent for a moment. By the faint moonlight, he turned his body to look at Lin Zitong's stunningly beautiful face. "Actually, I've suspected it for a long time, but I didn't want to damage the reputation of the Lushan Sect without evidence, so I never mentioned it."
Lin Zitong twirled a strand of her hair around her fingertip and said, "The Lushan Sect's reaction is too abnormal. It's as if they are intentionally tolerating the spread of talismans among the people, and perhaps even… warning other sects not to intervene."
"The results will be known tomorrow," Yan Shouyi said. "Tomorrow night, Officer Xia Zhi and I will arrest those selling the talismans. Once questioned, the truth will come to light."
Lin Zitong nodded, a hint of worry in her eyes. Yan Shouyi sighed slightly. On the flight back, he had inquired about the situation from Huang Dahai and Zhou Yuquan. It was said that after Lu Jing was sidelined, he became extremely angry but, due to Lu Xin's status, could do nothing to her. In a fit of pique, he went into seclusion. This meant that now that Yan Shouyi and Lin Zitong had returned, they would have to wait for Lu Jing to emerge from seclusion before they could meet him.
Lin Zitong suddenly said, "I don't want to be idle either. Since we can't see Sect Leader Lu Jing for the time being, I'll go visit some of the smaller sects and see if I can uncover any clues."
"That's fine," Yan Shouyi replied. "Let A Gong and Luo Ning accompany you."
"Fool, am I unable to walk or jump that I need protection?" Lin Zitong shot Yan Shouyi a glare. "Besides, Hua Ying and the others are with me."
Yan Shouyi chuckled. Although he knew he was being overly cautious out of concern, he couldn't help it. The thought of the fragile life in Lin Zitong's womb made him unable to resist fussing over her. He had even insisted on helping Lin Zitong bathe earlier, fearing she might get tired, but Lin Zitong had not accepted his offer and had directly summoned Hua Ying to drive Yan Shouyi out. This left Yan Shouyi feeling a bit dejected. As the child's father, what was wrong with offering to help the child's mother bathe? Was that too much to ask?! Humph!
...
The next day.
For the night's apprehension operation, Xia Zhi planned to set up an inescapable net to capture all involved suspects. After all, any talisman circulated could potentially lead to a loss of life. Therefore, Xia Zhi spent the entire day coordinating personnel, preparing for a major crackdown. Yan Shouyi, however, had nothing to do during the day.
After breakfast, Lin Ruofu, accompanied by Ye Chengfu and the sisters Lin Yu and Lin Yin, drove to their residence.
The noticeably pregnant father-in-law smiled and said, "Since you have no business today, why not visit West Lake and see your future residence?"
Yan Shouyi, who was drinking tea,'s eyes lit up. Initially, he had some reservations about the buildings at West Lake, feeling he didn't deserve to occupy West Lake alone, as West Lake belonged to the people of Rongcheng. Hence, he hadn't paid much attention to its architecture. Later, he learned that the buildings at West Lake were designed according to influential strongholds. Concurrently, he and Wang Jizhi had already begun considering the establishment of a folk sect. The nature of the matter then changed entirely. In the future, the folk sect organization he would lead would allow everyone to reside at West Lake, where they could help each other, progress together, protect the people of Rongcheng, save the endangered folk sects, and fight against villains like Li Genmiao. This was Yan Shouyi's vision. Thus, he immediately called everyone, and they set off for Rongcheng's West Lake together.
...
To avoid being mobbed by tourists, Lin Ruofu specially constructed a dedicated access road on the northern side of West Lake. At this moment, the luxurious motorcade bypassed the tourists and entered through the dedicated route. On either side, the West Lake water shimmered, and occasionally fish leaped out. As the car windows were lowered, a gentle breeze brushed against their faces, refreshing Yan Shouyi and the others.
Looking straight ahead, Yan Shouyi saw a newly constructed complex of ancient-style buildings in the center of West Lake. The complex was complete with pavilions, towers, rock gardens, and fish ponds, along with flora and trees. From a distance, Yan Shouyi was reminded of "Zui Huali" in the ordinary people's village in Guling's Liu family, where only the extremely wealthy resided. Even an unremarkable sapling by the roadside could be worth hundreds of thousands. The buildings at West Lake were similar; the flora and trees planted within were not ordinary varieties. If the plants were like this, how much more exaggerated and luxurious must the architectural details be? It was evident that Lin Ruofu had invested heavily.
As the cars drove into the complex, Lin Ruofu did not immediately have everyone alight. Instead, he instructed his trusted driver to take them on a loop for an overall tour. The entire complex was laid out in a Tai Chi and Bagua formation. Within the complex, from a tall building to a small rock garden, every element was imbued with feng shui intricacies. All the buildings combined formed a vast and complex formation. This formation possessed capabilities for gathering spiritual energy, creating illusions, and defense. If someone mistakenly entered the complex, they would be affected by an illusionary formation, which would lead them out in a "ghostly wall" fashion, causing them to wander in circles. If someone tried to approach by boat on the lake, the formation would cause the lake water to ripple, pushing back even a speedboat and preventing any approach to the complex. If someone tried to force their way into the complex from the front, the complex would activate a defensive barrier, leaving the intruder helpless. This was the West Lake complex, personally designed by Yan Chou and supervised in construction by Lin Ruofu, built specifically as a stronghold for the future folk sect.
In addition to the external design, many intricacies were hidden within the complex, some of which even Lin Ruofu was unaware of. He could only offer simple introductions to everyone. Nevertheless, everyone was already quite satisfied, especially Luo Ning. She was surprised to discover that within this scenic West Lake complex, Yan Chou had specifically designed an area of extreme yin, an excellent location for nurturing corpses!