“Chen Family?”

Lin Xi gave Chen Feirong a look and then looked at his own hands, quietly repeating these two words.

There were many people in the massive Yunqin Empire who had Chen as their surname. However, Lin Xi knew that the Chen Family Chen Feirong spoke of was definitely Chen Yicheng’s Chen Family, the Chen Family senator seated behind the layers of curtains.

When Leng Family replaced Huang Family, the nine senators who sat behind the layers of curtains, overlooked and managed Yunqin Empire were respectively Wenren Family, Jiang Family, Rong Family, Yuhua Family, Hu Family, Huang Family, Chen Family, Zhong Family, and Kong Family.

These nine families all had areas where they were established in.

Wenren Family’s senator was the late emperor’s old Grand Secretary. The group of elders with the greatest seniority were mostly promoted by him, the leader of the older faction. Jiang Family had extremely great authority over the Judicial Sector, in charge of the Secret Intelligence Institution and in control over much of Yunqin Empires’ eyes and ears. Rong Family had large amounts of feudal fiefdom and workshops and the support of a great amount of merchant companies. Moreover, ever since the age of the late emperor began, they had many of Yunqin’s best artisans. Much of Yunqin’s military equipment came from Rong Family. Yuhua Family had the support of the priests, there were many fanatical believers within them. Moreover, Priest Hall had many powerful secret cultivation methods, so it was also equivalent to being supported by many cultivators. Hu Family had powerful influence in the military, Thousand Sunset Border Army’s great general Hu Piyi the best example of this. Huang Family has some local armies’ absolute support, many figures in the royal court and local officials view Huang Family as their leader as well. Kong Family was in charge of Justice Sector. As for Zhong Family’s Zhong Mulin, when the late emperor established the empire, he was in charge of casting coins and transportation, moreover someone who came from Immortal Academy. Many Immortal Academy students attached themselves to Kong Family, so this could be considered the role Immortal Academy played in the royal court.

As for Chen Family’s Chen Zhaoli, he was one of the founders who helped the emperor establish Thunder Academy, having many students who came from Thunder Academy. Moreover, from a certain perspective, this seat of the nine senators could also be considered the emperor himself occupying a seat.

Apart from these ‘nine elders’, ignoring all of the powers publicly known, what was unknown was how much hidden power they possessed. No one knew just how many cultivator followers these ‘nine elders’ gathered during these past few decades.

This unknown amount was definitely astonishing. This power made up of unknown cultivators was precisely what the emperor and this world truly feared.

Chen Family already reached its current state, but they still couldn’t be considered completely under the emperor. However, taking on Chen Family as the enemy meant that they would be making at least a portion of Thunder Academy their enemy.

…

Lin Xi looked at his own hands, his brows furrowed slightly, and then he raised his head again. He looked at Chen Feirong, quietly saying, “That is why just now, when you said that I will soon leave, wishing to borrow my shoulder to lean on… it is instead you who felt an inward burden, not wishing to bring me and Auspicious Virtue down with you, as a result thinking that you should leave?”

Chen Feirong’s expression was indescribably moved. She looked at Lin Xi and said, “Why did you not interpret it as me wishing to use you as my shield?”

“In the recent half year, I couldn’t move too much, but I learned how to more carefully sense and look at things.” Lin Xi seemed to be saying this for himself to hear, as if he was recounting some type of price for growth, quietly saying, “Moreover, during these days, the two of us have already become quite familiar with each other. Even the best performances might only be able to deceive some people who don’t understand us. Of course I could sense your true intentions… Actually, to put it a bit more simply, if you had other intentions, you wouldn’t have told me about yourself when nothing has been made clear yet, in this type of situation where you only felt like Liu Family’s strategist’s expression was odd. If I make it even simpler, actually, I feel like even these explanations are unnecessary… it is just that I know that right now, you are definitely thinking about many unhappy things, feeling terrible inside, which was why I spoke these words of nonsense just now.”

Chen Feirong released a burst of light sob-like laughter. She gave Lin Xi a deep look. “Do you know that you are really suitable for being a close female friend?”

“I know that the intuition of women sometimes are extremely sharp, so Liu Family’s strategist might truly have something to do with your matters. Liu Ziyu is also a youngster, even if they belong to the same background, I still don’t think Liu Ziyu will help Zhang Lingyun, this type of youngster.” Lin Xi didn’t laugh, instead calmly looking at Chen Feirong and saying, “Regardless of whether it is Rong Family or Chen Family, it has nothing to do with me… What matters is that you are one of my people.”

𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Normally, if one heard Lin Xi say ‘you are mine’, Chen Feirong might speak some mischievous words. However, at this time, she instead calmly looked at Lin Xi and then bowed towards him, saying quietly and seriously with great respect, “Yes, I am yours.”

“What kind of matter is it exactly.” When the carriage began to enter Auspicious Virtue branch store’s rear courtyard, Lin Xi looked out of the window through the gap between the curtains, looking at the outside scene, at the same time quietly asking this.

“Actually, it is merely a well-worn story of wives and concubines.”

Chen Feirong calmly said, “My father is Shui Qianchen, I don’t know if you’ve heard of him before. Back then, he could also be considered a well-known gifted scholar of Yunqin. He is currently Justice Sector Inspection Hall Head. Even though his official rank in Justice Sector is below the Sector Head and Vice Sector Head, his wife is Chen Luoyan, Chen Family’s eldest daughter. That is why his true authority might not even be beneath that of the Sector Head’s.”

“My mother’s surname is Ying, the daughter of a Mountain Crass Province River Cross City rich merchant. Since Shui Qianchen was able to obtain the favor of Chen Family’s honorable daughter, he is naturally outstanding and elegant, moreover truly talented. After inadvertently meeting with my mother in River Cross City one day, the two admired each other wholeheartedly. My mother, for his sake, didn’t hesitate to become a concubine who didn’t see the light.”

“When I was still really small, Shui Qianchen was already an official in Central Continent Imperial City, meeting with my mother less and less, maybe only once or twice a year. However, unknown as to why, Chen Luoyan learned of me and my mother’s existence. As such, a cultivator came to my family one night, killing everyone in my family.”

“Fortunately, I was born pretty, my body also developed early. I seduced that cultivator, moreover used some words to make him feel a bit of guilt and uneasiness, and only then was I able to survive… that year, I was thirteen years old.” Chen Feirong spoke these things extremely calmly, even when she spoke up to here, her expression was still extremely calm. However, Lin Xi’s hands gripped tighter. He could completely imagine how horrifying of a matter this was for a thirteen year old girl.

“Later, that cultivator brought me to Dragon Snake Border Pass… He was a deathsworn knight of Chen Family to begin with. After massacring my entire family, out of fear of not involving Chen Family, he became an exiled cultivator, remaining in the border army to do some black market business. He no longer had any dealings with Chen Family. Later on, I also learned more things through his mouth. Chen Luoyan is extremely beautiful, but also extremely conceited, believing that after Shui Qianchen had her, having other women was an unreasonable matter. That is why she is a true tigress, I reckon not even Shui Qianchen could handle her nature, having more than one concubine other than my mother outside. The reason why me and my mother were discovered by Chen Luoyan was because something else happened between him and another concubine in Central Continent City, thus leading to Chen Luoyan finding out. Chen Luoyan naturally erupted into great fury… Meanwhile, for the sake of calming Chen Luoyan’s rage, it was Shui Qianchen who took the initiative to completely kill all of the women who were involved with him. That is why what triggered this matter, despite being forced by Chen Luoyan, the main culprit is still Shui Qianchen.”

“Later on… I learned many things from that cultivator, eventually killing him… Afterwards, I waited the entire time for someone who could bring me to Central Continent Imperial City.”

“I don’t know if they know whether I am alive or dead, but I know that if they knew I was still alive, they would know that I hate Chen Family to the extreme… so while I am hiding my own identity, the surname I used is precisely Chen. This way, I am constantly reminded not to give up, not to forget this Chen surname, at the same time thinking that they should think that someone who hates Chen Family and Shui Qianchen this much definitely wouldn’t take on the surname Chen or Shui.”

…

Lin Xi calmly listened to this entire story.

This was indeed quite the well-worn story. A great official supported some lovers outside, but was then discovered by his wife with even greater authority back home. For the sake of fully expressing his standpoint, he didn’t hesitate to use the method of killing all of his lovers to express that the one who was important to him was still his wife. For the sake of not exposing his own matters and giving his enemies in the royal court a chance, he even killed all those who knew anything, massacring his lovers’ entire families.

However, this type of well-worn story had things that crossed his bottom lines.

Even his own daughter had to be killed… for the sake of living and getting revenge, the thirteen year old Chen Feirong didn’t hesitate to offer up her own body to the one who massacred her entire family… That assassin naturally knew about the hatred she carried inside… but in the end, he was still killed by her. Just how great of a price did Chen Feirong pay within all of this?

These were all things that made him develop cold killing intent inside.

He looked at Chen Feirong, calmly saying with a quiet voice, “In your plans, even if you entered Central Continent Imperial City, obtained an identity that could meet them… their identities are still extremely respected, so you would still only be able to risk danger in carrying out an assassination. Even if you can succeed, there is definitely no chance that you can come out alive.”

Chen Feirong nodded. “It is just like how if you don’t kill Wenren Cangyue and that archery master, it will be hard for you to feel happy, if I don’t kill Shui Qianchen and Chen Luoyan, it will be hard for me to feel happiness in this life.”

Lin Xi also nodded. “I understand… but previously, I told you that hatred can make us forget some pain, make us become more resolute, but we cannot let hatred consume us, cannot let hatred become the sole meaning of our existence. Getting revenge, giving up everything to do so, isn’t worth it at all.”

“Only by watching our enemies cry while we laugh, seeing our enemies die, but still living properly ourselves, is it worth it.” Lin Xi looked at Chen Feirong, saying slowly and seriously, “Life is like a journey. All sceneries and all friends are worth cherishing.”

Chen Feirong chuckled, saying softly, “With someone like you behind me… I won’t immediately try to do this type of indiscriminate destruction. I will properly think over the words you have said to me.”

“Help me watch over the situation in this branch store. I will go after Zhang Lingyun first.”

Lin Xi nodded, no longer saying anything else. He opened up the carriage door and walked out.

Gentle radiance seeped in through the carriage entrance,scattering over Chen Feirong’s body softly and warmly.