A Servant of Three Surnames

Perhaps he was the very tempest Huang Jingji needed. Of course, Lianshan Xin was not acting out of the goodness of his heart. His primary targets remained the Golden Scale Alliance and the Kong clan. "Gang Leader Huang, you probably know about my relationship with the sixth young master of the Kong clan, don't you?" Lianshan Xin asked. Huang Jingji nodded. "Of course I do." The Thorn Gang controlled this very district. If he didn't even know that Kong Ningyuan had come to see Lianshan Xin in person, he would be completely useless. But Huang Jingji was clearly a capable man. And having the nerve to seek out Lianshan Xin despite knowing that proved he had even more substance than met the eye. Kong Ningyuan's generation had seven brothers. Though born of the same root, they had made an art of frying one another with undue haste. With Lianshan Xin's help, Kong Ningyuan had used his "Yielding a Pear" maneuver to fry all six of his brothers to a crisp. The fraternal affection between them rivaled that of Cao Pi and Cao Zhi—a true picture of brotherly love, filial respect, and blissful harmony. Lianshan Xin stood unequivocally on Kong Ningyuan's side. If an opportunity arose to fry Kong Sanlang again, he would never pass it up, if only for the sake of his ties with Kong Ningyuan. Lianshan Xin cast another meaningful glance at Huang Jingji. The man wanted to be a servant of three surnames, playing multiple masters at once. Yet Fengxian's martial might was not something an ordinary turncoat could match. Playing the field offered immense rewards if one succeeded, but once the boat capsized, the fall was far more miserable than that of an honest man. It would all depend on Huang Jingji's luck and skill. "Let's go." Seeing that Du Jiu had finished conferring with the other Nine Heavens members, Lianshan Xin gave Huang Jingji a nod. Huang Jingji, however, felt a chill run through him. Du Jiu had merely waved toward the crowd a moment ago, and an ordinary-looking man had stepped out at once. Evidently, that man was also a member of Nine Heavens. Yet even if he stood right before your eyes, you would never guess his true identity. Such was the reach of Nine Heavens. During the raid on the Qu household yesterday, Qi Shiyun had similarly given a single command, and elite Nine Heavens operatives had emerged silently from all directions. Concealed within the crowd, they looked no different from ordinary onlookers, yet at any moment, they could tear off their disguise and turn into slaughtering gods. Back then, Lianshan Xin had been shocked by the concealment and organizational prowess of Nine Heavens. Now, it was Huang Jingji's turn to experience that same awe. This led Lianshan Xin to consider another question: *Did Thousand Faces really escape through sheer power, or was Nine Heavens deliberately dangling him as bait? Most likely, it was a bit of both.* Clearly, the rank-and-file members of Nine Heavens were all trained in disguise and concealment. While they could not achieve the flawless deceit of Thousand Faces, Thousand Faces was one of the Four Great Elders of the Demon Cult. The moment one had to measure an elder of the Demon Cult against an ordinary member of Nine Heavens, the superior party was already obvious. "The methods of Nine Heavens truly open this humble one's eyes," Huang Jingji said, thoroughly cowed. He knew very well that Lianshan Xin was warning him right to his face not to play any petty tricks. If Lianshan Xin lost a single hair in the Thorn Gang, Huang Jingji's entire nine familial lines would be doomed. A middle-aged man with a business, a wife, and three children was covered in soft spots; the chance that he would risk sacrificing his entire clan was virtually zero. Huang Jingji received the warning loud and clear and grew even more deferential. "Young Master Xin, after you." "Lead the way." Lianshan Xin followed Huang Jingji out, unaware of the peculiar look in his father's eyes. Lianshan Jingcheng hesitated, looking as if he wanted to speak, but in the end, he decided that silence was golden. Yet after sharing a bed for twenty years, He Miaojun knew him better than Lianshan Xin did. "Did Huang Jingji bully you? Why do you keep staring at him?" Lianshan Jingcheng looked at her in surprise. "Even Little Xin didn't notice. You have sharp eyes, Madam." He Miaojun said smugly, "How could you men ever be as attentive as women?" "Little Xin is usually very sharp, but too much has happened over the past two days. Besides, success has come too easily for him. Rising to fame at a young age isn't necessarily a blessing—it makes it easy to take a hard fall." Lianshan Jingcheng had clearly noticed the brash arrogance Lianshan Xin was deliberately projecting. He Miaojun understood her son no less than her husband did, and she saw through it just as clearly. However, she found it entirely natural. "Little Xin is already precocious compared to ordinary youths. If an eighteen-year-old possessed the worldly wisdom of a forty-eight-year-old, that would truly be bizarre. Husband, I've come around to it now." "Come around to what?" "Little Xin isn't like us. He's young, and the young ought to be spirited and high-flying like this. The imperial court has endured for a thousand years, but its rules are not suffocatingly rigid, and laws are applied differently depending on who you are. Many among those who kill and set fires are regarded as heroes, and most who forge great achievements are domineering and unyielding. The moment one's name shakes the world, one earns the chance to transcend their social class and soar straight into the nine heavens. "Little Xin grew up listening to tales like that, and he received the most orthodox classical education from Master Dai before this. Pursuing fame and wealth is only natural. That is how the favored scions of heaven across this realm grow up. "We cannot demand the restraint of forty years of life from an eighteen-year-old boy. In this thousand-year dynasty, countless geniuses rose to renown in their youth. Compared to them, Little Xin is already quite modest." He Miaojun came from a wealthy and distinguished background, possessing insight and experience far beyond that of ordinary folk. Her words left Lianshan Jingcheng with no room to argue. The Great Yu Immortal Dynasty operated under its own unique realities. With a millennium of heritage, it possessed so deep a foundation that the imperial family was supremely confident—even arrogant. Because they were overwhelmingly powerful, their suppression of the common folk and even high-ranking ministers was far from heavy-handed. Toward those who dared to speak bluntly or acted brazenly and lawlessly, they often held more admiration than anger. As a result, Great Yu was full of fierce, unyielding officials, and the jianghu teemed with master martial artists, among whom many used their prowess to defy prohibitions. Yet the emperor hardly cared. This did not align with the conventional mindset of rulers. But clever individuals understood: true power bred immense tolerance. History had also proven that despite producing countless towering warlords who held sway over the realm and frequent appearances of land immortals displaying divine wonders across the jianghu, Great Yu, with its thousand-year legacy, remained standing firm to this day. "Don't deliberately change the subject. What is really going on with Huang Jingji?" He Miaojun steered the conversation firmly back on track. Lianshan Jingcheng shook his head. "It's nothing. Perhaps I was mistaken." "I despise people who leave words half-said the most." He Miaojun narrowed her eyes. Sensing danger, Lianshan Jingcheng promptly decided to back down, leaning in to whisper a few words into her ear. "What?!" He Miaojun froze in sheer disbelief. "Doctor Lianshan, congratulations, congratulations!" "Your esteemed son being recommended for Bailudong Academy is a blessing for our entire street!" "We truly envy Doctor Lianshan and Madam. I must tell my own child to learn from your son in the future!" Lianshan Xin had officially become the paragon child every parent compared their own offspring to, and Lianshan Jingcheng and He Miaojun were finally enjoying the sweet perks that came with it. The two exchanged a glance, each catching the broad smile tugging at the other's lips that could barely be suppressed. In the end, they were only ordinary mortals. Who didn't enjoy being showered with praise?