Chapter 251: Secrets

Yang Chen made his way through the gusty alleyways to a small courtyard shaded from the sun. The courtyard appeared somewhat aged, with its door left unlocked even during the daytime. Several camphor and ginkgo trees made the whole yard unusually cold, with fallen leaves covering the ground, suggesting it hadn't been cleaned in a while, emitting a musty smell.

Standing in the courtyard were two figures. One was the gray-clothed old man, the guardian of the Eight Parts, who had led Yang Chen here. The other person wore a dark green military coat, facing away from the door, seemingly lost in thought while gazing at the hazy city skyline—that was Lin Zhiguo.

Since their parting in the Zang District that day, Yang Chen hadn't formed a favorable impression of this middle-aged man. Yang Chen wasn't inherently disrespectful towards elders, despite having few elders in his life. However, Lin Zhiguo's past actions and current demeanor had made Yang Chen uncomfortable. He could understand why Lin Ruoxi and Yun Miao, as his granddaughter and wife respectively, couldn't accept him.

As for the title of General of the Yanhuang Iron Brigade, it held no special significance for Yang Chen.

Seeing Lin Zhiguo now, Yang Chen didn't display warmth; he simply asked calmly, "You asked Gray Cloak to bring me here. What's the matter?"

"You seem busy," Lin Zhiguo turned around with a serious expression.

"Let's get to the point. If there's nothing else, I have someone to see," Yang Chen replied without wanting to engage further. In fact, he didn't like assuming a deferential attitude towards someone just because they were older.

Lin Zhiguo frowned. "Yang Chen, I am your elder. Haven't you even the most basic respect?"

Yang Chen chuckled lightly, shaking his head indifferently. "When Ruoxi is willing to acknowledge you as her elder, then I'll acknowledge it too."

"She's just having a quarrel with me, can't you see that?!" Lin Zhiguo's voice grew slightly agitated.

"I only see that you don't really act like an elder," Yang Chen replied impatiently. "If there's nothing else, I'm leaving."

Lin Zhiguo's eyes narrowed, and an imposing aura radiated from him, as if the entire courtyard's atmosphere condensed around him.

"Your attitude disappoints me greatly," Lin Zhiguo said sternly.

Yang Chen remained fearless, inwardly amused. If it weren't for the fact that Lin Ruoxi was indeed related to him by blood, he would have kicked Lin Zhiguo away for daring to compete with him in terms of aura.

"You'd better not try to display the demeanor you show to those in the Yanhuang Iron Brigade in front of me. My patience has its limits. If you provoke me, it won't benefit you," Yang Chen said coldly.

Lin Zhiguo's face flushed slightly with anger, clearly frustrated internally. However, seeing Yang Chen's calm expression made him hesitate to erupt. He had initially planned to use his elder status to soften Yang Chen's attitude, but it seemed Yang Chen wasn't buying it at all and completely disregarded him.

Even worse, Yang Chen seemed to harbor the same aversion towards him as Lin Ruoxi did. This was undoubtedly a significant blow to Lin Zhiguo. He had hoped to leverage his relationship with Lin Ruoxi to win over Yang Chen, but now it appeared he had overplayed his hand.

"Was I too hasty?" Lin Zhiguo asked himself, finding the answer ambiguous. He sighed helplessly and withdrew his imposing gaze before asking, "Will Hui'er be coming to Zhonghai next month?"

"Which Hui'er?" Yang Chen countered.

"Lin Hui, also known as Huilin, my granddaughter," Lin Zhiguo clarified.

Yang Chen recalled the meddling old nun Yun Miao's idea of bringing the precious young nun to Zhonghai, causing him a headache. "Yes, there's such a thing. Why don't you discuss it with Master Yun Miao and spare us this pointless effort? I have enough to handle on my end. I don't have time to take care of another grown person."

"Do you think Yun Miao will listen to me?" Lin Zhiguo questioned.

Yang Chen was taken aback and rubbed his forehead. "Well, you can only shout at your subordinates like this."

"Hmph," Lin Zhiguo clearly wasn't pleased but acknowledged the truth. He refrained from losing his temper. "Since you've married Ruoxi, I won't allow you to pursue Hui Lin."

"What do you take me for? Why would I want trouble for myself? By seniority, she's my younger aunt. I don't have that kind of free time," Yang Chen replied, shaking his head.

"Don't think I don't know how many women you have outside. Once you start, it doesn't stop. I have to be cautious with you," Lin Zhiguo said distrustfully. "How do you plan to handle Hui Lin when the time comes?"

Yang Chen sighed in frustration. "If I knew, would I be worrying about it?"

"I have a suggestion for you," Lin Zhiguo offered.

"What?"

"Let Hui Lin live with you and Ruoxi," Lin Zhiguo proposed.

Yang Chen's interest was piqued. He wondered how Ruoxi would react to suddenly meeting Hui Lin. Logically, one was the legal wife while the other was a younger aunt. They should have been "enemies," but both women seemed detached from worldly affairs—one silent and frosty, the other charmingly straightforward and pure-hearted.

What's more, they both seemed indifferent to their grandfather, which struck Lin Zhiguo as a considerable blow. He had hoped that leveraging his relationship with Lin Ruoxi could win Yang Chen over, but now it seemed like a miscalculation.

"Who's older, Hui Lin or Ruoxi?" Yang Chen had been wrestling with this question.

A hint of affection flashed in Lin Zhiguo's eyes. "Hui Lin is ten days younger than Ruoxi. Ruoxi's birthday is September 5th, and Hui Lin's is September 15th."

"Ah, Hui Lin seems younger than Ruoxi. Mountain children do seem more innocent," Yang Chen remarked.

Lin Zhiguo glared, "Are you harboring ill intentions towards Hui Lin?"

"Hey, don't jump to conclusions! I'm an honest man. Even if I ever have any intentions, I won't hide them. Unlike you, your own granddaughter won't even call you," Yang Chen retorted with a smirk.

"YOU!" Lin Zhiguo was so furious that he seemed to emit smoke, yet he couldn't muster a single word of defense. The romantic debts of the past were now being brought up by his juniors, which left him speechless.

Yang Chen understood that Lin Zhiguo wanted Hui Lin and Ruo Xi to be together, hoping that his descendants wouldn't suffer the consequences of his past actions. Seeing this opportunity, he intended to facilitate their closeness.

Yang Chen didn't reject this approach outright but decided he needed to talk to Lin Ruo Xi first. Moreover, discussing Hui Lin's identity posed a significant issue. Although Lin Ruo Xi would eventually find out, revealing it directly was out of the question.

"Is there anything else?" Yang Chen checked his phone; there were three minutes left.

Lin Zhiguo pondered for a moment before saying, "The divine stone, it's still in your possession."

A glint flashed in Yang Chen's eyes, and he smirked, "Didn't Tianhuayu already see it? The divine stone, I've already given it to the Bayi Society."

"That was a fake." Lin Zhiguo stared straight at Yang Chen, hoping to discern something from his expression, but it was in vain.

Yang Chen remained composed. "Why do you say that? You should know, the divine stone for me is less a treasure than a burden. Giving it to the Bayi Society won't cause me any loss."

"Although the divine stone is of no use to you, you should understand that if it falls into the hands of another organization, the world won't be at peace. I'm sure you wouldn't like to see that outcome. That's why you've been carrying it all this time," Lin Zhiguo said. "And now you deliberately gave the fake divine stone to the Bayi Society, probably hoping to make them a target. It allows those coveting the divine stone to attack them, while giving you peace for a while, without endangering those around you. Am I right?"

Yang Chen chuckled, "That's just your speculation. If the Bayi Society gets a fake stone, wouldn't they say something?"

"Takugawa Zang Er of the Bayi Society isn't just a super high-level ninja, he's also the leader who turned the Bayi Society into a world-class organization. Even if he gets the divine stone, he won't foolishly announce to the world that it's real. No organization would admit they possess the real stone because it would only attract more attention and enemies," Lin Zhiguo said, unable to hide his smile. "I'm sure Takugawa is quite upset now. Your little sleight of hand this time has caused quite a bit of trouble for the Bayi Society. From what I know, Sakura Motohara's 'Takamagahara' from Japan is already making probing attacks against the Bayi Society."

"Believe what you want. The divine stone is no longer in my hands now. But whether you believe it or not, I hope your Flame Iron Troop won't disturb my life for the sake of the divine stone. You should know, I came back to China seeking peace, not looking for fights with you guys. Besides, you're not my match," Yang Chen said coldly before turning and leaving the courtyard.

As Yang Chen walked away, Gray Robes, who had been silent, approached respectfully and asked, "Master, is it true that the divine stone Yang Master gave away was fake?"

Lin Zhiguo shook his head. "I don't know. I was just testing him. After the Bayi Society got the divine stone, there hasn't been any movement. Takugawa Zang Er is a cunning old fox; he knows that whether it's real or fake, silence is the best choice."

"If it's indeed fake, then where is the real divine stone?" Gray Robes asked cautiously.

"That, only Yang Chen himself knows," Lin Zhiguo sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Let's go, Gray Robes, back to Yan Du. This time, we underestimated the Bayi Society's strength in the Mediterranean Sea by failing to intercept Banrao and Lixi. When we return, the members of Dragon Second Group need to reflect on this and intensify their training."

"Master, I don't think Yongye from Dragon Second Group is suitable as the leader," Gray Robes said carefully.

Lin Zhiguo paused, sighing. "I know what you mean. But our country is different from Europe and America. Although our Flame Iron Troop operates independently from the national political scene, it's still a government department. It's impossible to completely escape the scrutiny of those pests in the court. Yongye is still young; try to mentor him along with a few older members. With his strength, arrogance, we'll have to work on that slowly."

Gray Robes looked somewhat helpless. "Yes, Master."

"By the way, the last time I asked you to investigate Yang Pujun's unusual mobilization of the South Defense Zone's navy and army, did you find out anything?" Lin Zhiguo inquired.

Gray Robes nodded. "Yes, Master. Yang Pujun indeed only responded to the request from the Yuan Family in Zhonghai to help eliminate the existing underworld power, Dongxing Association. There were no other hidden intentions."

"This son of Yang Gongming is quite remarkable. It seems he's set to join the next Standing Committee and may even take the second seat in the Military Commission. It appears destined to fall into his hands," Lin Zhiguo analyzed with a complex expression. "Since the founding of the country, it's been the Yang family and ours, the Lin family, who have maintained the strictest standards. But now, among the legitimate descendants of our Lin family, there's not a single pillar like Yang Pujun. It's truly lamentable."

"Master, while investigating Yang Pujun's activities, I stumbled upon something unexpected. Although I can't confirm it, it seems highly likely," Gray Robes hesitated before deciding to reveal.

"Oh? What is it?" Lin Zhiguo rarely saw Gray Robes speak so cautiously.

Gray Robes leaned closer and whispered the information to Lin Zhiguo.

Lin Zhiguo's expression shifted from initial shock to a deep, inscrutable calm.