Chapter 627 - 627: Cut the Chatter, Hug Me

The mastermind!

Jiang Wendong's hands trembled as he fell into deep thought.

'That's right!'

The Jiang Family had suffered a calamity five years ago, but they still didn't know who the mastermind behind it was.

If they suddenly renovated the old Jiang Family mansion, it would inevitably attract the attention of certain interested parties.

"Xinghai, what if our goal is precisely to flush out the snake?"

Jiang Wendong turned to look back at Jiang Xinghai. "Just think, if the mastermind discovers signs of renovation at our old family mansion, wouldn't they be forced to show their hand?"

"But we'd be out in the open, while they'd be in the shadows."

Jiang Xinghai quietly walked over. "Right now, we don't know the mastermind's identity, let alone their strength. Following your plan, Father, might seem feasible, but it would still be fraught with danger."

Jiang Wendong's expression darkened once more.

He couldn't deny that Jiang Xinghai's analysis was pertinent and reasonable.

"Old Jiang, you must be careful," Ji Qingya said, her heart a mix of emotions as she gazed at her husband's resolute yet world-weary back.

She understood her son Jiang Xinghai's worries, and she knew this once-warm home held countless memories for them, of both joys and sorrows.

"Honey, what do you think?" Jiang Wendong finally hesitated.

"I think Xinghai is right. Let's go rest at a hotel for now. We can figure everything else out after sunrise tomorrow."

Ji Qingya said gently, then turned to Jiang Xinghai. "Son, your father and I both have injuries of varying degrees. The tasks ahead are difficult, and the burden will likely fall on your shoulders. You must take care of yourself and not overwork."

"Don't worry, Mom. I'm not alone. Have you forgotten that we rescued over thirty geniuses back at Mirror Lake Manor in Shanghai?"

Jiang Xinghai gave a meaningful smile. "Timing-wise, they should be arriving at Little Hua Mountain in the Imperial City tomorrow to regroup. When they do, I know what to do. I'll use my four-star identity to quickly assemble a force."

"That's right. Those people are the best of their generation in the country. And since they, like your father and I, were tortured by the Shadow Sect, they're grateful for your rescue and willing to follow you. It's wonderful that we'll have their help."

Realization dawned on Ji Qingya. She took Jiang Xinghai's hand and added, "Also, after much consideration, I've decided to pass on the inheritance of the Celestial Essence Star Sect to you."

"Mother, isn't the inheritance of the Celestial Essence Star Sect forbidden from being passed to outsiders?" Jiang Xinghai was instantly taken aback.

It was precisely for this reason that his uncle, Ji Xiao, who felt no familial affection whatsoever, had hunted his parents down—all to obtain the inheritance of the Celestial Essence Star Sect!

"I'm afraid I am the sole heir of the Celestial Essence Star Sect, which gives me the right to choose who inherits the quintessence of this founding art of arrays. You are my son. There is no one more suitable to receive it than you," Ji Qingya said, her reasoning firm.

Hearing this, Jiang Wendong stopped what he was doing and turned to his wife and son, nodding slightly. "Xinghai, your mother is right."

"Alright." Jiang Xinghai didn't feign reluctance any longer.

"Alright then, let's find a place to rest. We'll put the matter of the old mansion aside for now." Jiang Wendong finally turned and left.

Although his heart was set on restoring their home, he understood that the most important thing right now was to protect his family and uncover the truth.

The family left the old mansion and headed to a nearby hotel.

The night grew deep.

After seeing his parents to sleep, Jiang Xinghai sat alone in his room, lost in thought.

He understood that only by completely unraveling the conspiracy from all those years ago could his family truly be restored, and only then could they truly begin a new life.

'I'm afraid I'll have to trouble Third Senior Sister with this matter.'

Jiang Xinghai lit a cigarette and dialed the number for his Third Senior Sister, Zhao Linglong.

"Little Junior Brother, don't tell me you're already in the Imperial City?"

The woman on the phone was in a hotel suite, bathing in a tub full of flower petals and milk that made her skin glow with a rosy luminescence. She was none other than Zhao Linglong, the Commander of the Celestial Net Mercenary Corps, one of the top three mercenary groups in the world.

"What if I said yes?" Jiang Xinghai chuckled.

"Then come to the Imperial Capital Hotel, Room 1909. I'm waiting for you. Hurry." Once Zhao Linglong confirmed that Jiang Xinghai was in the Imperial City, the longing in her heart grew ever stronger.

But Jiang Xinghai shook his head. "I came back with my parents. We're staying in a small hotel right now, and I can't leave them, just in case something happens."

He was worried his parents would be in danger if he wasn't there.

"Then you wait for me. I'll come to you. Give me your address."

Zhao Linglong quickly rose from the bathtub. Utterly naked, she was a vision of breathtaking beauty. She threw on a bathrobe and returned to her bedroom.

「Half an hour later.」

Zhao Linglong appeared at Jiang Xinghai's hotel, dressed in a short, form-fitting black dress.

"What's wrong? Don't you recognize your Third Senior Sister?" Zhao Linglong leaned against the doorframe with one hand, placing the other on her willow-thin waist in an utterly captivating pose.

"Senior Sister, it's good to see you're well." Seeing her, Jiang Xinghai felt a warmth spread through his heart.

"Enough chitchat. Hug me." Zhao Linglong spread her arms wide. "Carry me straight into the room."

Jiang Xinghai's eyes lit up. "Alright. Let's see if my Senior Sister has kept her weight under fifty kilograms."

As he spoke, he had barely opened his arms before Zhao Linglong leaped right onto him.

Feeling her fiery and graceful body squirming against his, Jiang Xinghai instantly felt his control slipping.

He closed the door with a backwards reach and carried Zhao Linglong straight to the large bed.

"Little Junior Brother, what's the big idea, putting me on the bed?" Zhao Linglong's hands were still wrapped around Jiang Xinghai's neck, her expression one of feigned confusion.

"Shouldn't this be one of those 'lost in the depths of passion, unable to pull away' moments?" Jiang Xinghai chuckled mischievously.

"Little Junior Brother, what kind of person do you take your Third Senior Sister for?"

Zhao Linglong gave Jiang Xinghai a light shove, but used the momentum to lie back on the bed. "You remember this: Your Senior Sister can do whatever she wants, and you just have to cooperate. But you can't force things when I don't want to. Got it?"

"So, Senior Sister, do you want to right now?" Jiang Xinghai asked, feigning innocence.

"This Senior Sister has always been curious just how formidable you became after mastering the Dragon Locking Secret Technique to the Great Achievement stage."

Zhao Linglong's eyes curved into a smile. "Then let's find out. But don't be too rough, okay?"

"Your Little Junior Brother understands," Jiang Xinghai said with a serious nod, and then, step by step, he began...

When Jiang Xinghai opened his eyes, he found that Zhao Linglong was already awake and gazing at him.

"Senior Sister, you're up so early," he chuckled.

Zhao Linglong had experienced a unique kind of pleasure last night. "I've known you for five years. I never thought that finally having you, even for just one night, would make this Senior Sister so incredibly happy."

"Senior Sister, last night was just the warm-up," Jiang Xinghai said with a smile, his gaze growing more and more earnest.

"Just the warm-up?

"Hehe, alright then. This Senior Sister is looking forward to seeing what you can do during the main event. But for now, let's talk about the matter at hand." Zhao Linglong's eyes curved into a smile, but her expression then turned serious. "No matter what difficulties you face, I will be by your side, even if it means death."

Hearing her words, Jiang Xinghai felt his blood boil with passion.

He knew that even though Zhao Linglong was the Commander of a mercenary corps, she would always stand by his side without hesitation at every critical moment.