Chapter 49. Time to go on a hunt.
Chapter 49: 49. Time to go on a hunt.
An awkward silence settled over the room.
Ouyang Jun quietly leaned back in his chair, wisely deciding not to say another word. The more he spoke, the more he felt as though he was willingly stepping into one of Lin Xuan’s carefully laid traps.
Zhao Moying’s gaze drifted between Lin Xuan and Lin Zhaoyue before she let out a soft, helpless laugh.
"It seems I was overthinking things."
Lin Xuan merely smiled.
"It is only natural to be cautious, if our positions were reversed, I would have done exactly the same."
His calm and understanding response only deepened Zhao Moying’s favorable impression of him.
He possessed the strength of a top expert, yet remained composed even after being questioned again and again. Rather than taking offense at their suspicions, he had patiently answered every doubt they raised.
Such patience was rare.
At that moment, Ouyang Jun secretly glanced at Lin Xuan once more.
I still don’t believe you’re that simple; people like you never leave everything to chance, and even if this truly was nothing more than a coincidence, you still managed to turn every single one into an advantage.
His thoughts involuntarily drifted back to the words of his senior brother.
’The most troublesome opponents are never the strongest.
They are the ones who make every move appear completely natural, leaving you unable to tell where the scheme even began.’
The room gradually fell silent once more.
Just then, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed from outside and a moment later, the door was gently pushed open and Su Qingci stepped into the room carrying several thick ledgers and a stack of folded documents in his arms.
"I have kept everyone waiting."
He carefully placed the ledgers upon the table before letting out a quiet sigh.
"These are all the records we have concerning the imposters who claimed to be elders of the Mystic Sky Sect over the past several decades."
Ouyang Jun’s expression immediately became solemn.
"So many?"
Su Qingci gave a bitter smile.
"Far more than I would have liked."
He untied the string securing the documents and slowly spread them across the table.
"The earliest confirmed incident occurred nearly fifty years ago. Since then, similar cases have appeared every few years throughout the surrounding kingdoms."
Zhao Moying frowned slightly.
"Are they all connected?"
Su Qingci shook his head.
"We cannot say for certain. Some were nothing more than ordinary swindlers who used the Mystic Sky Sect’s reputation to extort spirit stones and treasures."
He gently pushed aside several reports before tapping one of the remaining documents.
"But these are different. The victims all described the same pattern. He would identify the most talented children within a family before presenting himself as a benevolent elder from the Mystic Sky Sect.
He claimed he wished to nurture the younger generation and would bestow precious medicinal pills upon them.
Most families considered it a blessing from the heavens."
His expression darkened.
"Only after the children began disappearing did anyone realize something was terribly wrong."
Ouyang Jun’s eyes narrowed.
"Did anyone ever survive?"
Su Qingci slowly nodded.
"A few. They were either rescued before Huang Guangzhou could act or escaped by sheer luck."
He unfolded another worn report.
"Unfortunately, none of them ever saw his true appearance. Each witness described a different face, a different name, and even a different cultivation level."
Lin Xuan calmly listened without interrupting.
It seemed Huang Guangzhou had been far more cautious than he had expected.
No wonder the man had managed to evade the Blue Sea Restaurant for so many years.
Su Qingci slid the final document toward Ouyang Jun.
"This is the report from fifteen years ago, it’s the incident in Azure Willow City."
Ouyang Jun immediately picked it up while Zhao Moying leaned closer to read alongside him.
As their eyes swept across the contents, both of their expressions gradually darkened.
The room became deathly silent.
After a long while, Ouyang Jun slowly lowered the report.
"So... this is what really happened."
His voice was unusually heavy.
"No wonder the Blue Sea Restaurant has spent fifteen years searching for him."
Even Lin Xuan was slightly surprised.
He had assumed the restaurant’s hatred stemmed solely from business ties.
He had not expected their connection to run so deep.
The room fell silent once more.
Su Qingci slowly drew in a deep breath before cupping his fists toward Ouyang Jun and Zhao Moying.
"Young Master Junou, Young Lady Ying."
The two disciples immediately turned their attention toward him.
"I have an unworthy request."
Ouyang Jun smiled faintly.
"Manager Su, please speak freely."
Su Qingci nodded gratefully.
"For fifteen years, the Blue Sea Restaurant has searched for Huang Guangzhou without success. Now that Patriarch Lin has finally uncovered his whereabouts, I cannot allow this opportunity to slip away."
His expression gradually became solemn.
"I humbly ask the two of you to lend us your strength and help eliminate this blood cultivator. I ask not only as the manager, but on behalf of every parent who has lost a child to these monsters."
Ouyang Jun and Zhao Moying exchanged a glance.
Neither answered immediately.
They had indeed come to investigate the imposters masquerading as elders of the Mystic Sky Sect.
Capturing Huang Guangzhou, however, was a different matter altogether.
Although the two were undoubtedly connected, hunting down a Golden Core blood cultivator carried considerable danger.
Su Qingci did not rush them.
Instead, he quietly lowered his clasped hands and waited for their decision.
At that moment, Lin Xuan calmly lifted his teacup and took a slow sip, showing no intention of influencing their choice.
Whether they agreed or refused, it was a decision only they could make.
Just then Lin Xuan received a telepathic transmission from Lin Zhaoyue.
"Papa, as much as possible, please don’t get too close to this Su Qingci guy. He may help us today, but he will try to backstab us at any chance he can get."
Lin Xuan’s expression remained unchanged.
Before he could ask his daughter why, she send another telepathic message.
"He is also a blood cultivator."