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Chapter 271 Senior Investigator, New and Old Secret Realms
Liang Xiaotang was slightly taken aback, and the playful look on his face instantly faded, replaced by a solemn expression.

He took two steps forward, his gaze fixed on Ling Zifeng, and asked in a low voice:

"Are you sure? That old man disappeared for so many years, how could he suddenly reappear? He caused quite a bit of trouble back then, and the higher-ups have always held a grudge about him."

Ling Zifeng rubbed his temples, a wave of exhaustion washing over him. He slowly sat down against the tree trunk beside him, his voice hoarse as he said:
"I fought with the Lu family tonight, and I witnessed one of their experts using his abilities to fight a Black Cult lama. Although his appearance has changed a lot, I am certain that it is Lu Shihua based on his level of strength and Lu Yongquan's attitude towards him."

"That old man has been hiding it well!"

Liang Xiaotang muttered to himself, a hint of surprise in his eyes:

"Logically speaking, after the decline of aristocratic families' secret realms, not only is it difficult to have offspring, but many also do not live past fifty. This old man was seriously injured, yet he has lived for so long. The Lu family's abilities are truly enviable..."

"I wonder what he's been planning all these years while he's been hiding. Now that he's shown up, he must have made all the necessary preparations."

After a few words of reflection, Liang Xiaotang's gaze suddenly sharpened as she remembered something crucial, and she looked directly at Ling Zifeng:
"Could it be that he wants to restart the plan he didn't finish back then?"

"Heh, this time they're playing on a much bigger scale than they did back then."

Ling Zifeng's lips curled into a cold smile:
"The strange people who have been attracted to the Golden Benba Bottle recently are the nourishment prepared for the ancestral spirits of the Lu family. Everything they do is to transfer the inheritance secret realm in an attempt to continue the family's glory. They have used every means possible."

"The person who came up with this idea is quite a shrewd and ambitious figure..."

He paused, clicked his tongue, and seemed to have some admiration for the Lu family's boldness.

"The Lu family's relocation was successful?"

Upon hearing this, Leung Siu-tong's heart tightened, and he immediately pressed for details.

"Who knows."

Ling Zifeng leaned lazily against the tree trunk and pursed his lips:
"I originally planned to sneak in quietly to check the situation, but I was entangled by a group of rats, which then attracted the Lu family guards to attack me. Lu Shihua was the leader."

"This old bastard inexplicably mistook me for a black cult lama, shouting and threatening to kill me. If I hadn't transformed and left in time, I probably would have had to reveal my identity and have to use the public relations department to bail me out of the Lu family tomorrow."

As he spoke, he raised his hand to straighten his tattered clothes, but his disheveled state was impossible to conceal.

Looking at Ling Zifeng's disheveled appearance, Liang Xiaotang roughly guessed what had happened. Her lips twitched involuntarily, but she forced a laugh and asked instead:
"Where is that precious Buddhist treasure, the Golden Bumpa Vase?"

Seeing that Ling Zifeng seemed somewhat nonchalant, he frowned slightly, his expression becoming serious and earnest, and added:

"Although this treasure is not of direct use to our special search team, it is, after all, a relic of a saint."

"If it falls into the hands of a powerful family, it's still manageable. But if it falls into the hands of some extraordinary person, in a few years, they might be able to gather a group of people and form a new force. At that time, the situation will change, conflicts will continue, and social stability will be affected. We'll have to step in to resolve it."

As she spoke, she stared intently at Ling Zifeng, as if urging him to answer quickly.

"Nobody got their hands on that thing."

Ling Zifeng raised his eyelids slightly and said weakly:

"The Lu family used the Golden Benba Bottle as the core of the formation, intending to use it to transfer the secret realm. Those supernatural beings fought each other to the death for it. During this time, something unexpected happened, which triggered the formation ahead of schedule. Then, Misty Mountain was sealed off by a powerful force, and everyone was involuntarily drawn into the inner world."

"Once inside, the situation became even more chaotic. The Golden Bamba Bottle flew into the sky, and Lu Shihua and Venerable Roger of Lingquan Temple then clashed, fighting fiercely to a standstill."

"At this moment, a mysterious person appeared in the air using the ability to fly, and shattered the Golden Bomba Bottle with a heavy punch, thus breaking the formation that had trapped us."

Listening to Ling Zifeng's slow and methodical description, Liang Xiaotang gasped.

It can fly through the air and even shattered the Golden Benba Bottle with a single punch, causing the entire formation to collapse.

Who is this person with such skill and ability?
Could it be a hidden master from another aristocratic family, or a young genius who has suddenly appeared out of nowhere?

Out of a sense of duty, Liang Xiaotang leaned forward and pressed for an answer:

Who was the one who broke the golden Bamba bottle?

"do not know."

"Did you get a clear look at his face?"

"do not know."

"You know nothing, how did you become an investigator?!"

Liang Xiaotang became a little anxious, her voice rose a few decibels, and her face was full of complaints.

"The scene was too chaotic and there were too many people, how could I see clearly?"

Ling Zifeng spread his hands, looking completely at ease:
"Besides, this has nothing to do with me. My job is to monitor the Lu family's movements. As long as nothing major happens, that's fine. Now that I've told you the situation, feel free to raise any objections you may have when you return to headquarters."

Liang Xiaotang's face stiffened with anger, but he dared not lose his temper easily, and could only mutter to himself:

"Such a mysterious expert has appeared, and you know absolutely nothing about it? This is a serious dereliction of duty! If the higher-ups blame us, we'll both be in deep trouble..."

"So what?"

Ling Zifeng snorted and impatiently interrupted:

"I'm exhausted right now and need to rest for a while. The Lu family's affairs are very complicated, and it won't be easy to sort them out. I'll submit the detailed task report myself in a few days."

With a helpless expression, Leung Siu-tong could only reply:

"Okay, you rest first, I'll go back and report the situation to headquarters."

Before turning to leave, he paused, then gave a concerned look and gave the following instructions:
"Remember, you still need to keep an eye on the Lu family during this time. If Lu Shihua makes any further moves, let me know immediately."

Ling Zifeng rolled his eyes and did not reply.

He leaned back against the tree trunk, watching his colleague from the intelligence department walk away into the distance.

Liang Xiaotang got into a car parked on the side of the road and skillfully inserted the key to start the engine.

With the roar of the engine, the car slowly drove away.

Liang Xiaotang never invited Ling Zifeng to get in the car, and Ling Zifeng had no intention of getting in the car at all.

As someone considered an oddball by others, he was used to being a loner.

Listening to the chirping of insects all around him, Ling Zifeng frowned slightly, as if the annoying sounds were disturbing his mind.

He then braced himself with one hand on the ground, the veins on his neck bulging slightly, and struggled to get up.

"If the Lu family hadn't suddenly appeared and caused trouble, how could I have been injured by a bunch of good-for-nothings? What bad luck!"

He dusted himself off, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

"But it doesn't matter, the more you rats jump around and run around, the more excited I get."

"After a while, I will visit you all in person, find you one by one, and use my tentacles to let you enjoy what a loving hug is like..."

As he grinned maliciously, something suddenly occurred to him. He narrowed his eyes, looked up at the night sky, and a figure suddenly appeared in his mind.

He was a very interesting man, wearing a peculiar mask.

Its bizarre appearance bears a striking resemblance to the serial killer known as "White Owl" on headquarters' dangerous list.

"White Owl... White Ghost..."

Ling Zifeng muttered to himself, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Although he had some suspicions, he did not intend to tell anyone.

"There are too few interesting people in this world. If there were more oddballs like this, I wouldn't feel lonely..."

He pursed his lips and muttered a few words under his breath, his voice so low it seemed to be swallowed by the surrounding darkness, and only he could hear it.

He then started walking slowly onto the lakeside running track.

Looking up, the Misty Mountains in the distance were shrouded in shadow under the cover of night. A few lights flickered faintly like will-o'-the-wisps, and occasional bursts of voices could be heard, sounding particularly jarring in the quiet night.

Looking ahead, there seemed to be figures searching the road, their flashlight beams flickering, creating a sense of inexplicable tension.

Seeing this, Ling Zifeng remained calm and composed.

He calmly raised his hand and pulled out a steel needle stuck in the center of his forehead.

Then, unfold the red crystal held in your palm and carefully insert the steel needle into one of the spring-loaded grooves.

And so, he pulled out the steel needles that were stuck in his head one by one, and then methodically put them back into the core device.

The entire set of movements was skillful and fluid, as if a precise ritual was being performed.

As the steel needle was removed, a miraculous scene unfolded:

His appearance was as if it had been re-sculpted by an invisible hand, and his features changed once again.

Her originally narrow eyes gradually became round and bright, with the corners of her eyes slightly upturned, giving her a lively look.

The high, straight bridge of the nose gradually softens, and the lines become smoother and more natural.

Those sharply defined lips became moist and full, as if they had been coated with a light layer of lipstick.

The originally strong features on his face gradually disappeared, replaced by soft curves, making his overall temperament change from masculine to feminine.

Even her originally bald head grew a thick head of jet-black hair at a rapid pace, which fell freely over her shoulders.

In the blink of an eye, he transformed from an ordinary-looking man with a rugged and tough appearance into a handsome man with long, flowing hair and a hint of gentleness in his eyes.

No one could have imagined such a stark contrast.

A guy who is decisive and ruthless in battle turns out to be such a sissy.

Ling Zifeng seemed to enjoy the feeling of being hidden in the shadows, making him unpredictable.

Of course, he didn't use a steel needle as a plug because he was deliberately seeking thrills.

Rather, it was to suppress the pain caused by wearing this biological armor, and at the same time, to change one's appearance and conceal one's aura.

It was through this unique method that he successfully passed the inhumanly rigorous selection and assessment, becoming a senior investigator with a superior position in the Xia Kingdom's special search team.

Ling Zifeng gently tossed his long hair, a barely perceptible smile curving his lips.

Then, with light steps, she walked in the opposite direction of the flashing lights.

It quickly merged into the darkness, just as ink had dissolved into the deep sea.

....................................

As night fell, the mountains resembled giant beasts hidden in the shadows.

Inside the Lu Family Manor, wisps of mist lingered around the ruins.

It was as if the smoke of war had not yet dissipated, or as if ghosts lingered here, unwilling to leave.

In the courtyard, the originally exquisite carved floor tiles were blasted into huge pits, with rubble and soil mixed together, resembling hideous wounds.

Broken stone pillars were scattered haphazardly everywhere, some still standing in half, others leaning to one side or the other side.

The auspicious beasts carved on it are now missing their heads and claws, casting eerie shadows under the moonlight.

Bloodstains remained on the ground, and although the body had been cleaned up, the stench of blood lingered.

With a solemn expression, Lu Yongquan stepped over a pile of scattered rubble and, surrounded by several guards, headed towards the central area of ​​the manor.

Along the way, the broken walls and ruins appeared even more eerie under the cover of night, with only their footsteps echoing in the ruins.

Before long, they arrived at their destination.

In the darkness, a spatial rift emitting a pale blue light floated silently like a door.

The halo rippled gently like water, exuding a mysterious and unpredictable aura, as if leading to another unknown world.

As these people approached, the air around the portal seemed to thicken, and a faint humming sound of energy flowing could be heard.

Lu Yongquan stared at the unusual "door," his eyes filled with complex emotions.

After a long silence, he slowly turned around, his gaze sweeping over the guards behind him, and said in a deep voice:

"You all wait outside. No one is allowed to approach this place without my permission."

As the head of the guards, Lu Tao led a group of guards to bow and respond in unison:

"Yes!"

Afterwards, everyone silently watched Lu Yongquan walk towards the gate of light.

The moment he stepped into it, a violent ripple appeared on the surface of the crack.

Like a pebble thrown into water, the ripples spread rapidly outwards, and the pale blue light flickered a few times, becoming even more dazzling.

Immediately afterwards, Lu Yongquan's figure completely disappeared behind that "door".

Soon, the spatial rift slowly returned to calm, as if it had never been opened, separating the two worlds.

The surroundings were once again plunged into a dark and desolate ruin.

Lu Yongquan stepped into the portal and, after a brief moment of dizziness, slowly opened his eyes.

The scene that came into view was strikingly different from what I had seen before.

That gray, misty old secret realm seemed like a nightmare that had been dispelled.

At this moment, his vision became exceptionally wide, and the sky appeared even brighter.

Like the intoxicating pale blue at dawn, so pure and without a trace of impurity.

He looked around. Beneath his feet was a lush lawn, the tender green tips of which were covered with crystal-clear dewdrops, shimmering with tiny rays of light.

Looking into the distance, the mountains rise and fall, lush and green.

The area, spanning several kilometers, is covered by lush forests, the abundant vegetation resembling a green ocean with undulating waves.

Excluding the areas shrouded in gray mist at the edges, the entire space is roughly the size of half a Misty Mountain.

Compared to the desolate, cramped, and narrow landscape of the old secret realm, it was a world of difference, as if stepping from the apocalypse into a fairyland.

Everything was so different; the dreamlike scenery made Lu Yongquan feel somewhat dazed.

He had always lived in dark corners since childhood and had never seen such a vibrant scene.

Although the legendary Lu family secret realm was once prosperous, those past stories were ultimately too distant and illusory for him.

At least, the vibrant life force that we can truly feel right now is incredibly awe-inspiring.

Upon seeing this scene, as the eldest son of the Lu family, he couldn't help but feel proud, and a hint of joy appeared on his face.

Then, Lu Yongquan's gaze slowly moved and focused on the towering tree that rose from the ground in the center of the secret realm.

However, the moment his gaze fell upon the giant tree, his pupils suddenly contracted, his joyful expression froze, and was replaced by astonishment and solemnity.

The trunk of the giant tree was covered with strange dark red lines, like blood vessels flowing with blood.

Under the illumination of the sky, it shimmered with a dark luster, exuding an inexplicable eeriness that instantly cast a shadow over this otherwise beautiful scene.

(End of this chapter)