Starting as the heir of a marquis's mansion, I gained access to a summoning system.

Chapter 76 My Own Path

The room fell silent again.

Qin Lanyin stood up, walked to the window, and frowned as she looked at the moonlight outside.

"I'm only fifteen years old..."

She murmured, "The Azure Dragon Society... Grandmaster level... unfathomable... how could any of this be related to him?"

Dongfang Wudi did not answer immediately, but instead picked up his teacup and took a small sip.

"You know it in your heart, don't you?" He put down his teacup and spoke calmly.

Qin Lanyin turned around and looked at him: "You mean..."

"The time and place are highly coincidental," Dongfang Wudi said. "The Azure Dragon Society's first move was because Wei Wo was attacked. Every subsequent expansion coincided with Wei Wo's schedule. There aren't that many coincidences in this world."

"But he's only at the Innate Realm! How could he possibly control a force with a Grandmaster-level expert?" Qin Lanyin shook her head. "It doesn't make sense."

"I didn't say that he founded the Azure Dragon Society."

Dongfang Wudi stood up and walked to Qin Lanyin's side. "But there must be some kind of connection between him and the Azure Dragon Society. Perhaps Shangguan Jin Hong has taken a liking to him, or perhaps there's something special about him..."

"What do you plan to do?" Qin Lanyin asked.

Dongfang Wudi stood with his hands behind his back, gazing out the window.

"Don't do anything."

Qin Lanyin was taken aback: "What?"

"Let him go and make his own way," Dongfang Wudi said slowly.

He turned around and looked at Qin Lanyin, his eyes filled with complex emotions—gratification, worry, expectation, and a hint of barely perceptible guilt.

"Young eagles must learn to fly."

"But the Azure Dragon Society is unfathomable, what if..."

"There's no 'what if'."

Dongfang Wudi shook his head. "If the Azure Dragon Society were truly hostile to him, he wouldn't be alive now. Besides..." He paused, "He has my life-saving jade pendant, with the power of a Grandmaster's strike. If he were to face a life-or-death crisis, it would be enough to hold out until I arrive."

Qin Lanyin bit her lip: "How can you be so at ease?"

Dongfang Wudi remained silent for a moment, then a glint of light flashed in his eyes.

"Six months ago, when he proposed to go to Qinghe City to serve as a junior officer, I knew that this child was not content with an ordinary life."

Qin Lanyin was taken aback: "What do you mean?"

"He was mediocre from a young age, but I could tell he was faking it."

Dongfang Wudi said calmly, "After he turned ten, he changed completely—he became calm, reserved, and meticulous. That kind of look in his eyes is not something an ordinary boy should have."

"You mean...?"

"He is ambitious."

Dongfang Wudi spoke frankly, "It's not a bad thing for my son, Dongfang Wudi, to be ambitious. Let him go out and see how far he can go. If he can really control a force like the Azure Dragon Society... that would be a blessing for the Dongfang family."

Qin Lanyin remained silent.

She thought of her son, who had been "mediocre" since childhood, how he suddenly became calm and reserved after the age of ten, and the determination that flashed in his eyes when he left the capital...

"But he's still young..."

"I'm fifteen." Dongfang Wudi interrupted her. "When I was fifteen, I was already on the battlefield killing barbarians. Lingyun started managing the affairs of the Marquis's mansion at fifteen, and Mingyue joined the Qingyun Holy Land at fifteen. I am no less capable than them."

Qin Lanyin sighed: "You spoil him too much."

"Spoil him?" Dongfang Wudi laughed. "If I spoiled him, I wouldn't have let him go to Qinghe City alone to be some minor officer."

Qin Lanyin rolled her eyes at him: "You still say that? I didn't agree in the first place..."

"Alright." Dongfang Wudi put his arm around her shoulder. "Children and grandchildren have their own blessings. I'm not a child anymore; he has his own thoughts. All we can do is step in when he's truly in danger."

"But……"

"No buts," Dongfang Wudi interrupted her. "I've already had my guards keeping a close watch, but they won't interfere. He has the jade pendant for protection; that's enough."

Qin Lanyin remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded.

"Alright." She sighed, then remembered something, "That Azure Dragon Society... the January Hall... how many other branches do you think it has behind it?"

Dongfang Wudi shook his head: "I don't know. But if one 'Yiyue Hall' can kill a mid-stage Grandmaster, and if there are really ten or eight halls... then the strength of this force is probably no less than any holy land."

"This is terrible."

"It's terrifying."

A thoughtful look flashed in Dongfang Wudi's eyes. "But it's also admirable. The Tianxuan Continent is vast and boundless, teeming with extraordinary people and talents. The sudden appearance of a mysterious force, while rare, is not without precedent. Moreover, the world is beginning to change drastically..."

"Are you planning to continue the investigation?"

"check."

Dongfang Wudi said, "But don't alert them. The Azure Dragon Society has now unified Pingyang County, and their next step is likely to be expansion into Guangling Prefecture. I want to see what this force is really up to."

He looked out the window; the moonlight was like water.

"And... I'm the only one involved. I want to see just how far this kid can go."

His eyes held not only worry and anticipation, but also a deeply hidden ambition.

The men of the Dongfang family never settle for being inferior to others.

Only I, if you can truly make a name for yourself...

As your father, I am proud of you.

At the same time, in the front hall of the Marquis's residence.

Dongfang Lingyun sat behind his desk, flipping through account books and letters sent from various places.

At twenty-five, he was handsome, with the fortitude of his father and the spirit of his mother in his eyes. Dressed in a brocade robe and wearing a commander's badge at his waist, he appeared refined and composed.

"Young Master, the military supply list sent from the Northern Border has been verified," a steward said respectfully.

"Yes." Dongfang Lingyun nodded. "Father is working hard in the Northern Frontier, and we can't afford any mistakes at home. Tell the warehouse to speed up preparations and send another batch of supplies over next month."

"Yes."

"Also, is there any news from Mingyue?"

"The young lady has broken through to the late stage of the Grandmaster realm. The Holy Land has sent word that she is currently in seclusion to consolidate her cultivation."

A smile appeared on Dongfang Lingyun's lips: "This girl has never caused us any trouble since she was little."

The steward hesitated for a moment: "Young Master, what about the Second Young Master...?"

Dongfang Lingyun remained expressionless: "Continue."

"The guards report that the Second Young Master is safe and sound in Pingyang County. However... he seems to have connections with a force called the 'Azure Dragon Society'."

"I know," Dongfang Lingyun said calmly. "Father already knows."

"Then, young master..."

"I trust Wei Wo." Dongfang Lingyun put down the letter in his hand. "He acts with discretion. We shouldn't interfere or cause him any trouble."

"Yes."

Dongfang Lingyun stood up and walked to the window.

Gazing at the bright moon in the night sky, he murmured to himself, "Only I... my brother is waiting for you to come back."

The night in the imperial city is deep and long.

The lights in the Marquis of Weeping Blood's mansion have been extinguished.

But neither Dongfang Wudi nor Qin Lanyin slept.

They were both thinking about the same son.

A fifteen-year-old son, working hard away from home on his own.

"Young eagles must learn to fly."