Storm of Gods

Chapter 56 The Lin Family Past

In the evening, the Black Rose interviews began again. This time, Lu Shuai and his team were no longer interviewees, but examiners. Nan Kai, along with Lu Shuai and Roland, were in charge of the first round. Those who passed the first round would proceed to the second round, which was handled by Luo Xue, Li Xin, and Zhao Qing.

Luo Xue and Li Xin mainly showcased their tacit understanding and ambiguous relationship. There were no big moves, but constant small gestures and a lot of eye contact. During the break between rounds, Li Xin helped Luo Xue fix her hair, and Luo Xue helped Li Xin straighten his collar, back and forth.

Whenever Zhao Qing looked at the two of them, they would exchange knowing glances.

Zhao Qing remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was about to explode. It was all an act, both sides were definitely acting, but damn it, even the act was infuriating. Luo Xue had never looked at him with such adoration before, so gentle, clear, and radiant. He never admitted to liking a woman; women were merely embellishments in his life. But pursuing Luo Xue was undoubtedly the most serious and time-consuming thing he had ever done.

Zhao Qing, who had already mentally rehearsed countless scenarios, heard nothing at all.

"Vice President, Vice President Zhao Qing, it's your turn to give your comments."

After being called several times, Zhao Qing finally came to his senses, loosened his hand which was a little pale from exerting too much force, and said, "I have no objection."

A small act of impatience can ruin a great plan. Before dealing with the Mondlier issue, we must keep the Luo family in check. If the Luo family doesn't interfere, Mondlier will be released in three days. Then we can settle accounts with them one by one and defeat them one by one. Let Li Xin run wild for a few days first.

Seeing Li Xin's smug smile, Zhao Qing suddenly laughed, bursting into laughter, leaving the interviewees wondering what had happened and feeling that Vice President Zhao was a little out of his mind.

Throughout the event, Zhao Qing managed to hold back his temper and not lash out.

This left Li Xin at a loss for what to do. If he provoked too much, he would be at a disadvantage. If Zhao Qing had a handle on him, appealing to the Order Academy would only cause trouble for Lao Luo.

Zhao Qing's personality is clearly not that of someone who can tolerate things. The fact that he can tolerate things only shows that they are very confident and will launch a counterattack once Mondlier is released.

The more this is the case, the less we should let Mondlier come out.

But how can we prove it?
He and Luo Xue had discussed this issue. There was no way to deal with it at the moment; they couldn't use force. They could only wait for Mondlier to lose his temper. The Night Watchers were currently using psionic energy, fresh flesh and blood, and Philmi to stimulate Mondlier, but none of these methods had any effect. Philmi was not dead yet, but he had lost his human mind and become a complete monster.

Mondliel adopted a victim's stance, having already conveyed the message to the city hall that his child was persecuted. How could a respectable knight captain have fallen so low? He was from the Order of the Cavalry, with a promising future. There was no motive, no reason; it was definitely a conspiracy, a conspiracy against the nobility.

It wasn't directed at anyone in particular, but the aristocratic class in Tianjing all knew that the Church and the Night Watchers, who dealt with mysterious events all day long, weren't exactly normal either. Who knew if they possessed the means to turn people into monsters?

In recent years, the influence and voice of the Church of the Moon God in Tianjing have been gradually declining. Is it possible that this is a conspiracy by the Church to make an example of someone?

Rumors spread unnoticed among the powerful and privileged. From the very beginning, they have been wary of those who wield such power, and sometimes the truth becomes irrelevant.

The city hall began to exert pressure and strengthened security measures in Mondlier. The Knights and the city guards sent psionic experts to monitor the situation and prevent anyone from resorting to underhanded tactics.

Time is no longer on the Night Watchers' side.

Another day passed, and nothing happened in the academy. Li Xin returned home and saw a familiar figure. A warm feeling welled up in his heart. Hmm... it seems there's someone else here.

"Casey, what brings you here?"

"What do you mean 'why am I here'? I can sense some unwelcome tone in your voice?"

"No way, we couldn't get them to come even if we tried. Looks like we'll have to have an extra meal today," Li Xin said with a smile.

"Casey found Xueyin an excellent dance teacher. Do you think you're the one?" Lin Fei laughed. Her resources weren't enough to provide Xueyin with a better life. She had only mentioned it casually last time, but she didn't expect Casey to take it to heart and find Xueyin a very good teacher at a very affordable price. Dance can improve one's temperament and posture.

Despite Xueyin's protest, Lin Fei insisted that a woman can live without pretty clothes, but she cannot live without elegance.

Xiao Xueyin pouted, expressing her silent protest, and gestured to Li Xin with her eyes to say something. Li Xin dared not say anything, as he had no say in this matter.

After being stepped on a few times by Xueyin, Li Xin had no choice but to speak up, "The security situation isn't very good right now. Is that dance teacher safe?"

Casey glared at her. "What do you think, my aunt? I'm picking you up and dropping you off, and you're questioning me?"

"Ha, haha, how could that be?" Li Xin said with a fawning smile, giving Xueyin a look that said "good luck." The little girl was completely deflated. Just thinking about all the painful training made her want to play. Wouldn't it be better to be happy? Why did she have to train like this?

"Xueyin, get rid of these unrealistic ideas as soon as possible. I'll check on you." Lin Fei adopted a parental tone. "Of course, if you behave well, I can agree to let Li Xin take you out to play."

"Yay, time to go out and play!"

"Going out to play isn't the right thing to do now; let's wait until things are over." Lin Fei knew that the city had been in turmoil lately.

She wasn't some ignorant young woman. Her family had almost been wiped out, and she had lived in the underground city for so long, so of course she knew that one move could have far-reaching consequences. Although they were just small people, it was precisely because they were insignificant that they had to take good care of themselves and not cause trouble.

"Sister Casey, how is the situation now?" Li Xin asked. He felt that Casey came here not just for Xueyin, but also to wait for him.

“Look, you asked, not I wanted to tell you,” Casey said. Li Xin smiled wryly, “Yes, I forced you to, so just tell me.”

Good heavens! Lao Luo is just average-looking, unromantic, and broke. Where does he get such charm to bewitch this rich young woman like that?

Casey knew that Luo Jin didn't want to involve Li Xin, but she knew that Luo Jin's current situation was particularly difficult and dangerous. Since Li Xin arrived, all sorts of ingenious methods had been effective, and she subconsciously felt that Li Xin might have a different approach.

"Xueyin, after you finish eating, go do your homework," Lin Fei said.

"I haven't finished eating yet." Xueyin pouted, her ears perked up, her lips so thick they could hang a soy sauce bottle.

It's always like this; she thinks what Ashin and Sister Casey do is so cool.

"Take this inside and eat, then close the door." Lin Fei divided the food and placed it in Xueyin's hands before pushing her away. Xueyin could understand many things now, and Lin Fei didn't want her to get involved in mysterious events.

“We’ve used every means at our disposal, but there’s been no change in Mondlier. The city hall is already very dissatisfied, and with the instigation of certain individuals, they’re putting pressure on us. The Archbishop is also overwhelmed, and the Vatican has sent people to say that we shouldn’t escalate the conflict, so we can’t use potions either.” Casey sighed. Although Luo Jin didn’t say anything, she knew he must be under tremendous pressure. If things didn’t work out, Luo Jin would be the one to bear the biggest consequences.

Imprisoning and abusing nobles is a capital offense.

Li Xin pondered for a while, "This is a dead end. Lao Luo and I agree that there must be something wrong with Mondlier. If it really comes down to the last moment, we have to try whatever method we can."

There's no turning back now; we've been forced into a corner. Anyone who hesitates will die.

"I know, and the enemy knows too. Right now, the city hall, the Knights, and the city guards are all watching. If we try to force our way in, they're just waiting for us."

If the procedure is followed, at most only Luo Jin will be implicated, but the Night Patrolmen will not be involved. However, if things go wrong due to a forced approach, the Night Patrolmen will be in trouble. Many of them have families to support, and their youthful vigor has long passed.

"There's not much progress on the Ministry of Education's side yet. I suspect the Zhao family is also involved in this matter, but Zhao Qing is very composed. I'm worried that if we make too obvious a move, we might fall into their trap."

“The relationship between the Zhao family and the Mondlier family is closer than I imagined. They have business dealings. The Mondlier family was already in decline due to its extravagance and decadence, but it has developed rapidly in recent years. There must be something going on with the Zhao family behind this. It’s just that it’s more difficult to start with the Zhao family right now. It’s too far away to solve the immediate problem,” Casey said.

Lin Fei, who had been listening silently, suddenly spoke up: "Most of the businesses in Mondlier now originally belonged to the Lin family."

Li Xin and Casey were both taken aback, while Lin Fei's face didn't show much expression. "During my time back in the city, I secretly checked, and most of it has been transferred to the Mondlil family."

"Aunt Fei, can you tell me about it?" Seeing that Lin Fei was speaking up for the first time about her past, Li Xin immediately chimed in.

Lin Fei nodded, her already fair face slightly pale. Her family had been almost completely wiped out. As a woman who had not yet awakened her inner demons, she had endured too much, but she was also exceptionally determined. Anyone else would have collapsed long ago.

It's not that she doesn't want revenge; if she were all alone, she would have done so without hesitation. But she has a daughter, and compared to revenge, her daughter's healthy growth is more important to her.

The Lin family runs a transportation business, which is the largest in Tianjing. They also have several stores. The family is very low-key, but they are indeed among the wealthiest families in Tianjing. Six years ago, during the family's annual memorial service, three people suddenly went berserk and turned into Lickers, committing massacres. Among them was Lin Fei's father. Afterwards, the Night Patrol killed the monster, but the Lin family also collapsed. Due to their involvement in the cult and the massacre of innocent people, all their property was confiscated.

Because Lin Fei and Lin Xueyin did not have any signs of corruption, they were ultimately released only after being vouched for by the Night Patrolmen.

“My father was a devout follower of the moon goddess,” Lin Fei said, without offering much explanation, as she had witnessed far too many grotesque expressions in the past.

Once a person develops a prejudice, no amount of explanation can change that; it's just a cover-up.

Casey didn't know any of this, and could only hold Lin Fei's trembling hand, which was shaking with anger.

These nightmarish memories have never faded.

“I’ll go back and check the files to see if there are any clues. If most of the assets have fallen into Mondl’s hands, then there might be a connection.”

Philmi is a licker, and the Lin family was labeled a cult because of a licker going out of control. At the same time, three lickers appeared and went out of control simultaneously during the family's memorial service...

Both Li Xin and Casey sensed a strong whiff of conspiracy.

"Aunt Fei, you stay home and take care of Xueyin. Sister Casey and I are going back to the Night Patrol," Li Xin said, sensing there might be a big problem there.

Lin Fei pulled Li Xin back, "You must be careful."

　Dear readers, the cultivation system and power levels will be gradually revealed in the subsequent plot. This change in writing style is a decision made with the story as the main focus, and other elements will complement the story's development.

　　I'm asking for a monthly pass at this late hour, thank you everyone!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)