Trouble Strikes and You Still Dare to Come

With Black Ink Studio exposed, Linden Ling immediately knew he was being watched and became even more cautious in his actions. Yet, in the dead of night, Jason Lan still showed up at his door...

"You actually dare to come here." Linden Ling nearly jumped out of his chair when he saw Jason Lan.

With the city on edge and rumors swirling, Jason Lan coming into the Capital at this moment was insanely bold. If anyone discovered the two of them together, they'd both be finished.

Jason Lan was dressed in coarse gray cloth, completely out of place in the room, but he showed no discomfort at all and simply picked a spot to sit down.

"Panicking over a little incident—how are you supposed to accomplish anything big that way?" Jason Lan was calm and composed, not the slightest bit afraid. His steadiness even helped Linden Ling cool down.

Linden Ling took a deep breath and sat down across from Jason Lan. "Don’t you know Black Ink Studio was raided?"

"I know. So what? It’s just a bookshop." Jason Lan spoke calmly, though only he knew how unsettled he really was inside. But he couldn’t afford to lose his composure now—if he panicked, everyone under him would panic too, and that’s when things would go wrong.

At a time like this, they couldn’t show a single flaw. If Prince Nolan or Serena Feng caught the scent and started digging, none of them would get away.

"You know perfectly well it’s not just some bookshop." Linden Ling gritted his teeth, secretly regretting his own stupidity—how could he have been so reckless as to join forces with this lunatic?

"If I say it’s a bookshop, then it’s a bookshop. Don’t worry—the only person who knows the real story will die tonight. Neither you nor I will be implicated." Jason Lan poured himself a glass of water and took a sip to moisten his throat.

"You have someone inside the Capital Prefecture Court?" Linden Ling asked in shock, secretly thinking: This Jason Lan really does have some skills—maybe he really could help me achieve my ambitions.

Just as Jason Lan dreamed of unifying the Nine Provinces Realm, Linden Ling’s lifelong goal was to unite the jianghu and become its true master—the Wu-lin Alliance Leader who could command all factions.

Jason Lan nodded, inscrutable as ever. "I’ve survived in Eastlyn this long, and Prince Nolan hasn’t been able to touch me. Of course I have some cards to play."

"That’s for the best." Linden Ling let out a sigh of relief, his last bit of anxiety finally fading away.

To be fair, this was his first time dealing with something like this. He’d never tangled with the authorities before and didn’t understand all their twists and turns—otherwise he wouldn’t have lost his composure so badly.

Jason Lan hid the scorn in his eyes and calmly analyzed the situation with Linden Ling. In the end, he advised, "You’d better find an excuse to return to Skyvault Fortress as soon as possible. Staying here does you no good."

If Linden Ling left the city, Jason Lan could go with him. After being cooped up in a coffin shop for a month, Jason had had enough of living in the shadows—he was desperate to leave the Capital, and Linden was his best ticket out.

Linden Ling was working with Prince Nolan. If Linden wanted to leave the Capital, Prince Nolan wouldn’t investigate too closely. That way, Jason could slip out with them—once they were out of the city...

With the Nine Provinces Realm so vast, it would be much harder for Prince Nolan and Serena Feng to track down him or Feng Jin.

But Linden Ling looked troubled. "Prince Nolan wants to leave with me. We’ve already agreed on a rough date—I’m afraid I can’t leave any earlier."

Pfft... Jason Lan almost coughed up blood. "How was I supposed to know?"

His urgency made his tone slip into interrogation, which instantly annoyed Linden Ling. Linden’s face darkened. "This is my business. Do I have to report everything to you? Mr. Jingyang, don’t forget—I’m your ally, not your subordinate. Don’t treat me like one."

Jason Lan realized he’d misspoken and quickly tried to smooth things over. "I just got anxious, Young Master Linden, don’t take it to heart. We’re grasshoppers tied to the same rope now—I just want you to do well, because if you’re safe, I’ll be safe too."

That did make Linden Ling feel better, but he still put on his Young Master airs. "I appreciate Mr. Jingyang’s concern, but I already have an agreement with Prince Nolan. It wouldn’t be right to go back on it."

Jason Lan had to swallow his words of persuasion, nearly losing his composure. He forced himself to breathe and kept up a gentle smile. "It’s best for Young Master Linden to travel with Prince Nolan—your safety will be guaranteed. Just be extra careful these days, so Prince Nolan and Serena Feng don’t catch on."

"Don’t worry. Serena Feng calls me ‘little uncle’—she’ll show some restraint." Linden Ling said confidently. Jason Lan secretly scoffed: Linden Ling clearly hadn’t seen how ruthless Serena could be. A cheap little uncle meant nothing—when Serena got serious, she’d even go after her own kin.

Jason Lan knew just how ruthless Serena Feng could be—and so did Clara Phoenixfield. After leaving the coffin shop with little Feng Jin, Clara stood in the street, utterly lost: Where could she go now?

In all the world, there wasn’t a single place she truly belonged.

"Sweetheart, where should we go next?" Clara Phoenixfield looked down at Feng Jin, her beautiful face streaked with tears. Her thin body shivered in the cold wind as she hugged Feng Jin tighter, terrified he’d catch a chill.

"Ah... ah..." Little Feng Jin squirmed uncomfortably in her arms, his tiny hands waving helplessly. But his body was so weak that his soft little fists barely made an impression on Clara Phoenixfield, who didn’t even notice.

"Ah... ah..." Feng Jin’s little face turned red as he struggled, but Clara Phoenixfield was lost in her own thoughts and didn’t notice anything was wrong. She was still hesitating, still weighing her options...

Should she take Feng Jin to find Aunt Serena?

Feng Jin was miserable and aggrieved, his little body losing strength from all the struggling. Suddenly, he burst into tears. His crying wasn’t loud, but in the silent night it sounded piercing. Clara Phoenixfield was startled and hurried to comfort him: "Shh, don’t cry, sweetheart, be good. You can’t cry now, or you’ll draw the bad guys here. Then we’ll both be in trouble."

There was no time for Clara Phoenixfield to space out. She soothed Feng Jin as she hurried onward, not caring which direction she ran—she just had to keep moving.

She’d been running from the coffin shop for a quarter of an hour now—those people had surely noticed.

Sure enough, just as Clara Phoenixfield got a hundred meters away, she heard footsteps behind her. Her heart raced and she quickened her pace.

She couldn’t—she absolutely couldn’t fall into Jason Lan’s hands again. If she did, life would be worse than death. She refused to go back to living like a dog.

Run. She had to get away. She couldn’t let herself be caught.

Clara Phoenixfield’s anxiety made her hold Feng Jin even tighter. He squirmed uncomfortably and cried louder. The pursuers rejoiced when they heard the sound: "Quick, they’re just ahead—I hear a baby crying! Don’t let them get away!"

Clara Phoenixfield’s face went pale. She stumbled and fell, and Feng Jin bumped his head, wailing even louder. Clara panicked, scrambled up, and rushed to his side. As she looked at the crying Feng Jin, hesitation flashed in her eyes...