Why did you provoke me?

Sure enough, Secretary Wu listened to Yu Meng's words and sent all the people who had no work to the fourth battlefield.

Then he started muttering that if the first battlefield was also safe, he would have no one to send out. That's all money! Just watching it slip through his fingers like that, how wealthy must a family be to not care?

The cripple tried to smooth things over, saying, "Yu Meng, my men are very capable. Let them come and give it a try. If they don't work out, we'll just kick them out."

After they finished speaking, the two of them stared at Yu Meng expectantly.

Yu Meng could only sigh, "You know, the first time I saw the people from the Yan Palace was on the first battlefield, and they were massacring my sect's people. If I hadn't arrived in time, that group of sect members would have all died. I really have a bad impression of them, and I don't want to have to be on guard all the time, wondering if they'll stab me in the back."

Secretary Wu fell silent. He was worried about this kind of person too. If he were to be tempted by money, their little family would be doomed.

The cripple didn't directly defend his people. Instead, he inquired in detail about their attire and the methods they used.

Yu Meng didn't hide anything at this point, and specifically mentioned the dense lines.

The cripple understood. "Where did you meet them? These people are members of the secret service. They usually carry out classified missions, and their rule is to leave no survivors."

"Do you know who it is?" Secretary Wu exclaimed in surprise.

The cripple gave him a disdainful look. "How could I not know who my people are?"

Secretary Wu didn't care about his attitude. "Looking at you now, do you think they'll listen to you?" That was what Secretary Wu was concerned about.

The cripple ignored him and instead looked at Yu Meng. "You killed them all?"

Yu Meng rolled her eyes. "What are you talking about? They just caught one alive, asked him a few questions, and then released him."

The cripple didn't speak, but looked at Yu Meng with a suspicious gaze.

"I really didn't kill him. I wasn't as strong as I am now back then, and the sect's power was also very weak. I was completely dumbfounded when I saw those lines. How could a man have so many lines? I won't easily touch a major power that I don't understand."

The cripple gave Yu Meng a deep look. "I believe you. You met in the dense forest, right?"

Yu Meng nodded; there was no need to hide anything at this time.

"You've probably heard about the wonders of the dense forest. They went in to find a miraculous elixir to prolong my life. You didn't kill them, but they all died."

"Huh?" Yu Meng and Secretary Wu both looked surprised.

"They're all... all dead? How did you know?" Secretary Wu stammered.

"They have fixed contact times with their superiors. If they haven't been in contact for more than three days, their chances of survival are slim." The cripple didn't treat this as a secret and said it directly.

But Secretary Wu seemed to be thinking about something. This method is good, and we can borrow it.

Yu Meng frowned. Liu Wei and the others had told her everything that had happened in the dense forest when they returned. Of course, she knew what had happened.

After thinking for a moment, he said, "When I found my people, they were fighting a fierce battle with another force. I don't know if those people were yours. The fight was intense, but no one died. On the way back, I encountered your people. I intervened, and that's how I learned about the Underworld."

This time it was the lame man's turn to frown. "You mean there was another group of people there back then?"

"Yes, the gathering team found a lot of things. It seems that the group came to rob us. If I hadn't gone, it's uncertain whether Yan Lei and the others would have survived. When I arrived, he was already unconscious. It took a lot of my medicine to save him."

"Do you know who the other force is?"

Yu Meng shook her head. "After we showed up, both sides made peace and each took a step back. They then quickly withdrew, but they brought with them a Bone Painter, and a very skilled one at that. We only had a slight advantage that time because we outnumbered them."

After hearing Yu Meng's story, the cripple was finally free of his doubts. He could only sigh, "None of the men I sent survived; I had resigned myself to my fate. I never expected to find such an opportunity with you. Did you know what this thin ring was about when you gave it to me?"

Yu Meng laughed, "Do you think I know what I made?"

Secretary Wu glanced at it furtively. Oh, he had that thing too. Judging from the cripple's tone, it was a rare and precious item!

The cripple nodded. "I told you about those people's backgrounds, but for ordinary work like this, we don't need them at all."

Yu Meng asked curiously, "You have so many people, how do you manage them? I haven't seen you go out much."

The cripple's eyes darted around. "I only care about the general direction; I never concern myself with the specifics."

"Huh?" Secretary Wu was also stunned. "If you don't care, then who will?"

The cripple said matter-of-factly, "I'm in charge of the Twelve Halls and the Secret Department. As for their subordinates, of course they're in charge of them."

"Where are those people you mentioned?" Secretary Wu asked again.

"Of course it's the main court officials. There are twelve halls, the few people you need are nothing." The cripple said matter-of-factly.

Yu Meng smiled, raising an eyebrow at Secretary Wu. "Uncle Wu, it seems I'm still doing quite well, right?"

Secretary Wu nodded with a smile, "Our Teacher Yu is the best person."

The cripple wasn't angry at being looked down upon. "It's settled then. I'll send someone over now to introduce them to their new master before proceeding with the rest."

After saying that, he looked at Yu Meng with a smile.

Yu Meng smiled and asked, "How do I get them to listen to me?"

"I'm standing here. Normally, they'll listen to what I say. But to convince them, you have to show them real ability."

"Real skill? Beating them?"

The cripple looked at Yu Meng's slender frame with some doubt, "You think you can win?"

"Well, winning isn't certain, but knocking him out should be possible." Yu Meng was also a little uncertain.

The cripple couldn't quite understand Yu Meng's line of thinking. "Knocking her out means you've won, right?"

The cripple's twelfth hall master arrived quickly, and even the head of the secret department came.

Looking at the large group of people of all ages and backgrounds in front of me, I was surprised to find three women among them, all around thirty years old.

Everyone looked at the cripple, and then subtly glanced at Yu Meng a few times.

The cripple, dressed in specially made clothing, sat in a chair and looked completely different from his usual self.

Without any foreplay or explanation, the cripple stated bluntly, "This is the successor I've chosen. From now on, her words will be the highest orders from the Underworld."

Yu Meng held the token given to her by the cripple above her head.

Without the slightest hesitation, everyone bowed deeply and said, "Greetings, Palace Master."

Yu Meng looked at the cripple, unsure of what to do next.

The cripple roused everyone to their feet. "I know you may not truly want to serve her as your master. Back then, you all fought your way to your positions as hall masters among many others. I won't show favoritism; you can all challenge this new hall master."

"Really?" a burly man asked in a muffled voice.

"Okay." Yu Meng said, "But as you can see, I'm still a young girl, so please go easy on me."

The man nodded. "But how do we fight?" He clenched his fist and gestured in the air. "New Temple Master, can you take my punch?"

Yu Meng laughed, "That depends on what you want to compete in. If it's strength, I'm no match for you. If it's a life-or-death contest, then you're already powerless to fight back."

A black line came to rest steadily on his neck.

A woman dressed in a maroon cheongsam and wearing a dark shawl chuckled. "New Palace Master, the power of a single line probably won't suffice!"

Yu Meng smiled faintly, "Want to see the results?"

Before anyone could answer, she snapped her thumb and middle finger together with a flourish, and the man who had just been comparing his fists suddenly lunged forward without warning.

The cripple's lips twitched; he felt sorry for that big, dumb guy.