Alert! The Dragon Lord has emerged from seclusion!

"Pay special attention to whether any suspicious persons approach or attempt to place unknown objects."

"Everything's arranged!" Qin Huaigu nodded repeatedly, placing the bowl of porridge on the small table beside the bed. He looked at his granddaughter with affection, "Yurou, how are you feeling?"

"Grandpa, I'm much better." Qin Yurou held her grandfather's hand and tried to give him a reassuring smile. "I'm sorry to have worried you."

Watching the tender moment between the grandmother and grandson, Lin Chen silently left the room and went to the courtyard.

As the ancient street gradually awakens in the early morning, several seemingly ordinary but actually vigilant figures have appeared around the Qin family's old residence—these are the Qin family's own guards, as well as some of the Su family's hidden agents who had been deployed in Jiangcheng in advance.

He walked to a secluded spot, took out the special phone Su Qingxue had given him, and the screen lit up, displaying encrypted information.

In addition to the confirmation that the Su family guards had arrived on the outskirts of Jiangcheng, there was also a reply from the "Tianji Pavilion" regarding the preliminary investigation results of the "Seven Yin Convergence" and the "Warring States Yin-Yang Jade Pendant".

"The Seven Yin Gathering is an evil formation recorded in the ancient texts of the Netherworld Sect. It requires the gathering of seven women with specific birth dates and constitutions who possess the Yin energy. At a specific time and place, their Yin energy must be activated using a secret method to open the 'Gate of the Nine Netherworlds,' allowing the flow of Yin evil power or the creation of heaven-defying evil treasures."

"The Yin-Yang Jade Pendant from the Warring States period is suspected to be a ritual implement made by ancient sorcerers. It has the effect of balancing Yin and Yang and stabilizing the energy field, and may be a key medium for setting up formations..."

Lin Chen's eyes were icy cold.

Their ambitions were indeed grand; they not only sought to seize the source, but also to sacrifice seven people at once!

He quickly replied: "Focus on investigating the source of the auction items, the seller's information, and all the Zhao family's and Netherworld Sect's strongholds and personnel lists in Jiangcheng. I need the most detailed tactical map."

Tianji Pavilion was extremely efficient. Ten minutes later, a detailed electronic map of Jiangcheng and a personnel list were sent over.

On the map, the Zhao family residence, several suspected outposts of the Netherworld Sect, the auction venue, and other locations are highlighted in red.

The list of personnel included Zhao Shichang and Youquan Zhenren, not to mention other dangerous figures such as "Black Wolf," the captain of the Zhao family's bodyguard team (a former special forces soldier, proficient in firearms and hand-to-hand combat).

"The evil practices of modern society must indeed keep up with the times."

Lin Chen sneered and began to plan a scheme in his mind.

……

For the next two days, Lin Chen performed acupuncture on Qin Yurou at regular intervals to dispel the cold and strengthen her meridians.

Qin Yurou's health improved at a visible speed; she was able to get out of bed and walk slowly, and her face regained color.

The two started communicating more, and besides their illnesses and engagements, they would also talk about other things.

Gradually, Qin Yurou discovered that Lin Chen was not as cold and hard as he appeared. He was knowledgeable and had expertise in ancient book restoration and artifact appraisal. He also possessed a convincing and composed demeanor when he spoke.

Qin Yurou's gentle yet strong-willed and meticulous personality gradually comes to the fore.

Although she felt helpless about the sudden engagement and her special physical condition, she did not try to escape.

Instead, he began to ask questions about cultivation and the Netherworld Sect, his eyes filled with a firm determination to take control of his own destiny.

That afternoon, after the second acupuncture treatment, Qin Yurou watched Lin Chen pack up his acupuncture equipment and suddenly whispered to him:

"Lin Chen, the auction... is there anything I can do? I can't just lie here and wait to be protected, or... to be taken away."

Lin Chen paused and looked at her.

At this moment, Qin Yurou sat on the edge of the bed, dressed in simple home clothes. She was still thin, but her eyes were clear and firm.

"Your most important task right now is to get your health back," Lin Chen said gently.

"However, if you really want to help... you should be more familiar with the Zhao family and the process and details of antique auctions than I am."

"Perhaps you could help me analyze the possible actions they might take, and the aspects I need to pay attention to during the auction."

Qin Yurou's eyes brightened slightly, and she nodded: "Okay! I'll write down what I know about the Zhao family's auction house's operating practices and possible collection protection measures."

Seeing her earnest expression as she immediately searched for paper and pen, Lin Chen's lips curved into a barely perceptible smile.

Just then, his ears twitched slightly, and he heard an extremely faint buzzing sound, unlike the flapping of wings of ordinary birds, coming from afar.

His expression hardened, and he instantly moved to the window, lifting a corner of the curtain to look outside.

As dusk settled in the sky, three inconspicuous black dots, arranged in a triangular shape, silently flew towards the Qin family's old residence, especially the small building where Qin Yurou lived, from different directions.

Miniature drones!

Lin Chen's eyes suddenly turned cold.

As expected, the other party did not intend to wait until the auction; reconnaissance and harassment had already begun.

"Miss Qin, lie down!"

He gave a low shout, and at the same time, he flipped his wrist, and three ancient bronze coins were already between his fingers—these were the "Five Emperor Coins" given to him by his fifth master.

After being tempered by incense, it has a certain interference effect on evil spirits and electronic devices.

Although Qin Yurou didn't understand what was going on, she already trusted Lin Chen. Upon hearing this, she immediately lowered her body and hid behind the solid wood bed.

Lin Chen did not directly attack the drone, as that would immediately reveal that his side had been detected.

He channeled a wisp of his inner energy into the copper coin, and then lightly flicked his wrist.

call out!call out!call out!

The three copper coins transformed into three blurry yellow beams of light, precisely striking the shadows on different parts of the building's outer eaves—where hidden were miniature signal jammers disguised as bird nests, pre-arranged by the Su family guards.

The jammer was activated instantly by the true energy contained in the copper coin, and an invisible electromagnetic pulse spread out from the Qin family's old house.

The three aircraft in the air are adjusting their attitude, preparing to take high-definition photos.

It could also be a drone intended to deploy miniature eavesdropping or poison gas devices, which immediately seemed to have gone intoxicated.

The camera shook violently, the screen flickered with static, and the signal connection to the control unit was intermittent.

Inside a black van two streets away from the old house, the Zhao family's technician, staring at the monitor screen, let out a soft "Huh?" and began typing furiously on the keyboard.

"The signal is being severely interfered with!"

"The target area has counter-surveillance equipment!"

Sitting in the passenger seat, the bodyguard captain "Black Wolf," with a scar on his face, frowned and said in a deep voice into his earpiece, "Reconnaissance by human means has been thwarted; it seems the other side was prepared."

The chilling voice of Master Youquan came through the earpiece: "It's alright, it was just a test. It seems that the Qin family girl does indeed have someone knowledgeable by her side."

"Withdraw the drones. The auction is imminent; there's no need to alert them. Focus on unfamiliar faces entering and leaving the Qin family's residence."

"Yes."

The three drones wobbled and turned around, then flew away.

Inside the small building, Lin Chen breathed a sigh of relief after confirming through the gap in the curtains that the drone had been removed.

He turned around and saw Qin Yurou peeking out from behind the bed. Her face was a little pale, but her eyes were still relatively calm.

"It's...a drone?" Qin Yuju had obviously guessed it in her mind.