Brocade Robe Unparalleled

Chapter 41
Inside the room, Lin Xuan looked at the man in black robes.

Between Qingluan and A'luo, which one does he prefer?
What does this have to do with him?
The man in black robes said coldly, "Answer my question."

The man in black robes was unpredictable, and Lin Xuan didn't know the purpose of his question, nor did he know how to answer it.

He suddenly remembered that the man in black robes had said that emotions were a major taboo for spies. Could this question be a test for him?

Lin Xuan shook her head and said, "I don't like any of them."

The man in black robes said coldly, "You must choose one of them."

This answer clearly did not satisfy him, and Lin Xuan could only think to himself, "Miss Tian is too shrewd. I don't like overly shrewd women..."

If I really had to answer this question, there's no reason to hesitate.

It wasn't that Lin Xuan had any issues with Tian Qingluan, but rather that he preferred a girl like A Luo who was a bit naive, silly, and obedient.

Girls like this evoke a protective instinct in people.

But he didn't feel the same way about Miss Tian.

She was too shrewd and too clever; in terms of martial arts, Lin Xuan was no match for her.

Facing her was far less comfortable than facing Aro.

Lin Xuan looked at the man in black robes and asked, "Why does Your Excellency ask this question?"

The man in black robes said calmly, "That woman from the Tian family is no ordinary person. You'd better not have any other ideas about her. If she discovers your identity, you know the consequences yourself..."

Lin Xuan was surprised. He only said not to have any thoughts about Tian Qingluan, but did not mention A Luo.

Is this another form of tacit consent?

He nodded and said, "Understood."

The man in black robes didn't continue the topic, but changed the subject, saying, "Oh, by the way, I have some good news to tell you..."

Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow slightly and asked, "What good news?"

The man in black robes said calmly, "You have been promoted to a Xuan-level secret agent. In less than two months, you have advanced from Huang-level to Xuan-level. Since the establishment of the Secret Service, you are the first..."

Lin Xuan thought that Nanzhao had rewarded him with a few more bottles of bone-tempering liquid, and was somewhat disappointed upon hearing this.

He then asked, "What are the benefits of being promoted to a Xuan-level secret agent?"

The man in black robes leaned back in his chair and said calmly, "There are benefits, of course. The salary of a Xuan-level secret agent is twenty taels of silver per month, which is what you would earn in half a year at the Jingbian Division..."

Lin Xuan didn't care at all.

He earns dozens of taels a day from the dividends of refined salt and white sugar. He does a job that could cost him his life, but he earns far less than he does selling salt. Should he thank them?

The man in black robes continued, "Furthermore, with the rank of a Xuan-level secret agent, upon returning to Nanzhao, one could at least serve as a seventh-rank county magistrate."

Lin Xuan remained silent.

The Nanzhao Kingdom was a tiny, isolated country, and even the county magistrates there didn't hold much real power.

Seeing that he was in low spirits, the black-robed man's lips moved beneath the hideous demon mask, but he didn't know what to say for a moment.

Wealth, power...

This is something that so many people dream of.

But he didn't seem to care about any of them.

Come to think of it, with his abilities, if he were to go into business, he could easily become incredibly wealthy.

With his methods, if he were to focus on mastering the ways of officialdom, he could probably achieve something great.

The man in black robes was speechless for a moment, so he could only change the subject, saying, "By the way, you've been in the Secret Service for so long, but you still don't have your own code name. Why don't you think of one for yourself..."

Originally, Lin Xuan was a low-level informant. Informants did not belong to the Secret Service and could be abandoned at any time, so they did not need a code name.

After the Xuan Guang Jia incident, he was promoted to Yellow-level secret agent.

Huang Jie, a secret agent, is the lowest-ranking member of the Secret Service and does not need a code name.

Later, he contributed the method of refining salt, which made a great contribution, and he was promoted to the Xuan level by his superiors.

A Xuan-level secret agent is already at the level of a branch leader.

Their names cannot be revealed; each of them needs a unique code name.

Lin Xuan thought for a moment and said, "Emei Peak."

The man in black robes said calmly, "You belong to the Intelligence Division. Secret agents in the Intelligence Division must have code names related to flowers, plants, and trees, such as Black Lotus, Nettle, Iris, Ghost Orchid, Datura..."

It must be said that the code names of the Nanzhao Secret Service were all more sinister than the last.

Lin Xuan thought for a moment and said, "I choose the black lotus."

Of these code names, Lin Xuan prefers Black Lotus, which sounds quite sophisticated.

The man in black robes said, "These have all been used by others. Think of something new."

When Lin Xuan realized that someone else had already taken the code name he wanted, he thought for a moment and said, "Then let's call it 'Gentleman Bamboo'."

He admired the resilience of bamboo, its ability to grow tenaciously and persevere even in harsh environments. This code name also reflected Lin Xuan's expectations for himself.

"The gentleman's bamboo..."

The man in black robes said a few words in a low voice, then nodded and said, "Alright, I will report it. From now on, your code name will be 'Gentleman Bamboo'."

Lin Xuan looked at the man in black robes and suddenly asked, "What is your code name, sir?"

The man in black robes said coldly, "Don't ask what you shouldn't ask."

Lin Xuan lowered his head and said, "My lord, I have one last question. Is there anyone in the Secret Service who knows my identity?"

The man in black glanced at him, knowing what he was worried about, and said, "Don't worry, your identity is top secret. Only the Chief and a few Deputy Chiefs have the right to access it. Few spies are safer than you..."

Upon hearing this, Lin Xuan's heart sank slightly.

He originally thought that after curing the Heart-Eating Gu and eliminating the man in black robes, he would be free from the control of Nanzhao.

Now it seems things are more complicated than he imagined.

From the very beginning, this was a road of no return...

……

The next day at breakfast, A'Luo noticed that Lin Xuan seemed a little down and asked with concern, "Brother Lin, is something on your mind? You don't seem very happy..."

Lin Xuan smiled slightly and said, "It's nothing, it's just that the Jingbian Division has some troublesome matters."

The identity of the Nanzhao spy was always a huge weight on Lin Xuan's mind.

He couldn't even share this with his close friends.

A'Luo picked up a piece of food for him and gently comforted him, "Today is your day off, Brother Lin, don't think about those things. When you're at the Jingbian Division, just do your job well. Once you leave the Jingbian Division, forget about your identity as a banner officer and try a different way of life. You'll be much happier that way..."

A Luo's words brought Lin Xuan some comfort.

He chuckled softly, "You're quite good at comforting people..."

A Luo said with a smile, "When I was little, my parents were very strict with me. They always forced me to learn this and that. If I couldn't learn them, they would punish me severely and not let me eat... Later, when I was alone, I forced myself to forget my original identity and pretend to be someone else, so that I wouldn't be unhappy because of what happened before..."

Although she said it with a smile, Lin Xuan could hear a lot of sadness and heaviness in her voice.

It turned out that her childhood was so miserable. Lin Xuan didn't know what to say, and could only softly comfort her, "People should look forward, all of that is in the past..."

A Luo nodded vigorously and said, "Yes, it's all in the past. I'm quite happy with my life now. You're all so good to me, and I get to eat such delicious meals every day. I wish I could live like this forever..."

Lin Xuan just smiled and didn't say anything.

Although his life is relatively stable now, he is a man without a tomorrow, walking a tightrope every day, not knowing when he will fall and be smashed to pieces...

I wonder if, when he opens his eyes again, he will start a new chapter in his life, just like when he fell off the cliff.
After breakfast, Lin Xuan began practicing the Zhenyue Gong.

After advancing to the eighth rank, Lin Xuan had already consumed four bottles of bone-tempering liquid.

With his own cultivation, his current strength has reached the mid-stage of the eighth rank.

Today, the Tian family will also send two bottles of Bone Tempering Liquid, which, after use, will be enough to allow him to enter the late stage of the eighth rank.

In this way, even if he stops using the Bone Tempering Liquid, he will have a chance to break through to the seventh rank within six months.

The third level of Zhenyue Gong, also known as the Meridian Opening Realm, is where the primordial energy of heaven and earth condenses into Zhenyue True Qi within the body, which circulates along the meridians. Zhenyue True Qi can also be attached to fists, feet, and weapons, greatly enhancing strength, speed, and the power of the weapon.

Even the "iron bones" of an eighth-rank martial artist are no different from brittle bones in the face of the Zhenyue True Qi.

All day long, Lin Xuan waited for the Tian family to deliver the bone-tempering liquid.

Just as the sun was about to set and Lin Xuan had finished preparing dinner, there was finally a knock on the door.

Lin Xuan strode to the gate, opened it, and saw the figure standing outside. He exclaimed in surprise, "Miss Qingluan, why did you come in person..."

Lin Xuan thought she would send a helper or manager over.

I didn't expect her to come by herself.

Tian Qingluan smiled and took out a brocade box from her sleeve, handing it to Lin Xuan. She said, "The Bone Tempering Liquid is quite valuable. I'm a little uneasy about having someone else deliver it."

Lin Xuan said somewhat embarrassedly, "I've troubled Miss Qingluan to make another trip..."

Tian Qingluan said, "It's alright, I don't have anything else to do anyway, and I just happen to be inspecting the nearby salt shops..."

After saying that, she suddenly wrinkled her nose and asked curiously, "What did Lin Xiaoqi cook today? It smells so good..."

Lin Xuan could only say, "I just finished making dinner. Has Miss Qingluan eaten yet? Would you like to come in and have some with us?"

"Then excuse me."

Tian Qingluan nodded and stepped into the courtyard...

A moment later, in the kitchen, A'Luo peeked outside and whispered to Lin Xuan, "Brother Lin, why is Miss Tian here again? The food we made isn't enough for three people..."

Lin Xuan divided the two bowls of rice into three bowls and said, "Never mind, she's a guest. Don't argue with a guest. I'll cook you some noodles later..."

(End of this chapter)