Ye Longlin hadn't expected that his search for his relatives would lead him to the Dark Hall.
Although he didn't yet know the full extent of the Dark Hall's situation, now that they had appeared here, he naturally had to deal with it.
His current concern was whether the Dark Hall's presence in Great Xia meant they had already controlled many people, or how many people they controlled, and how many were their people.
The thought was chilling.
These things couldn't be considered too deeply. If one were to analyze it, the Dark Hall had established a vast network since its inception, making their complete eradication a formidable task.
"What are you thinking about?"
Mu Hanqi walked over, leaning lightly against his back and massaging his brow.
Ye Longlin casually rested his head on Mu Hanqi's belly, closed his eyes, and pondered. After a long while, he sighed softly, "I thought this search for my relatives was just a simple one."
Mu Hanqi wasn't foolish. Upon hearing this, she knew Ye Longlin would have more matters to attend to. She rolled her eyes and said speechlessly, "I've realized that wherever you go, all sorts of things crop up. Even if the place was peaceful before.
You're like a fuse, always accelerating the progress of everything. I don't know if that's good or bad. Anyway, I've gotten used to this trait of yours. I had already guessed that we would stay in Chang'an for at least two to three months, or even half a year."
Ye Longlin took her hand and pulled her forward. Mu Hanqi sat on his lap, her arms around his neck, her gaze filled with tenderness.
He nuzzled Mu Hanqi's nose with his own, saying helplessly, "I don't want to either. I really want to rest, but what can I do? Some things just find their way to me."
These matters already existed, and he was merely like a propeller, pushing forward the progress of all these events.
Mu Hanqi stared blankly into the distance, murmuring to herself, "I just don't want you to get hurt. I don't want you to deal with these things anymore. You've already done enough for this country. If even the tall trees can't stand, how can you stand against the entire nation alone?"
Ye Longlin was silent for a moment, then reached out and flicked her nose, chuckling softly, "Silly girl."
"Eww, cheeky, cheeky."
"Mommy, you're already so old, and you're still sitting on Daddy's lap. Yiyi is unhappy!"
The little girl showed no signs of being a third wheel. Instead, she covered her eyes with her hands, her fingers spread apart. It was as if she wasn't covering them at all.
Mu Hanqi stood up, turned, and ran towards the little girl, pretending to be stern, "Little girl, how dare you talk about Mommy? Haven't I spanked you in a while? Don't run, see if Mommy catches you and spanks you!"
"Ahhh, Great-Grandfather, Mommy is hitting me! Help!"
Watching the mother and daughter play in the courtyard, Ye Longlin smiled wryly. Such a scene was also the life he dreamed of, though such a life was only ever temporary.
Ye Longlin stood up and stood beside Xia Lingxuan, looking at his calligraphy and nodding slightly.
For his age, being able to write like this was already quite good, certainly better than outside calligraphy classes.
"Brother, do you want to write something?"
Xia Lingxuan smiled gently, setting aside his own writing and grinding ink for Ye Longlin.
Ye Longlin took the largest brush, dipped it in ink, and with a stroke and a sweep, a word quickly appeared.
"Kill!"
As the saying goes, read a thousand poems, wield a brush ten thousand times.
Inspired by Qin and Han literature, mastering the styles of Jin and Tang.
With his brushstrokes, he completed it in one go, the characters dancing like dragons and snakes, his movements swift and his strokes powerful. The characters were large and bold, exuding a sense of heaviness. With strokes like iron hooks and silver dashes, it was as if killing intent was leaping from the paper, transforming into substance.
"Hiss!"
Xia Lingxuan gasped, staring at the word "Kill" in shock. A chill shot through his scalp, and he felt a powerful killing intent surge into his mind.
"I've realized it, Brother, you're a jack-of-all-trades."
At least so far, Xia Lingxuan hadn't seen anything Ye Longlin couldn't do.
Ye Longlin patted his shoulder without a word. Just then, the butler came in to report.
"Young Master Sun, there are people outside asking to see you. They say they are your subordinates."
The Young Master Sun the butler mentioned was a grandsonly young master, not a young master surnamed Sun.
"Let them in."
Soon, Xuan Niao and Yuan Gang walked in.
"Boss."
"Boss."
Ye Longlin nodded and walked out, the two following closely behind.
"The Dark Hall has been found in Chang'an. Xuan Niao, first, you investigate the Ju Jing Gang and Ju Jing Chamber of Commerce. These two should be related, just with different names. Also, in two days, you will be responsible for liaising with the intelligence chief of Jiutian Yunxiao. Report any findings immediately."
"Yuan Gang, you lead your men to hide in the shadows. Do not reveal yourselves. Erase all traces of yourselves and wait in the nearby mountains. I will have the local military establish temporary martial jurisdiction over the area where you and your men are located."
"Yes!"
"Yes!"
Ye Longlin arranged their tasks without hesitation.
"Xuan Niao, go and gather the information on the Ju Jing Gang and Ju Jing Chamber of Commerce for me."
"Yes!"
In less than ten minutes, both of them left.
Jin Wu also had no useful information, only basic details about the Ju Jing Chamber of Commerce.
The Ju Jing Chamber of Commerce had thirty members, all of whom were CEOs of major companies in Chang'an. None of them were simple, and these individuals held numerous titles, which could sometimes serve as their means of survival. The implications were too vast and widespread, leaving Jin Wu with no easy solutions.
Therefore, this matter was extremely tricky, compelling Jin Wu to seek Ye Longlin's help.
The Ju Jing Chamber of Commerce was established twenty years ago, and the Ju Jing Gang was also established twenty years ago. Could this indicate that the Dark Hall was also established twenty years ago?
If the Dark Hall hadn't been so deeply hidden, an organization like the Dark Hall would no longer exist!
Did they really think the Glorious Hall was to be trifled with!
No one within the Glorious Hall was simple, let alone those from many established families. Ye Longlin didn't even know how many established families there were; only the Supreme knew such things.
"If the Dark Hall was only established twenty years ago, then the Dark Hall is far too terrifying. The Eight Divine Heavens alone represent eight Saint realm powerhouses in the open. Then how many trump cards does the Dark Hall truly possess? Or rather, how much hidden strength does the Dark Hall have in the shadows?"