Chapter 417: Li Family Turmoil (Part II)

Three days later.

Night fell, the lanterns were lit, and the entire city was shrouded in a bustling play of light and shadow.

In front of the Beijing Li Family mansion, luxury cars arrived one after another, like a flowing galaxy. The metallic luster of the car bodies shimmered under the lights; each one was worth a fortune, fully displaying the family's immense wealth.

Walking into the mansion, the courtyard had long been newly decorated. Huge crystal chandeliers hung from high above, casting light as bright as day, illuminating the entire courtyard.

In the surrounding flower beds, rare flowers vied for beauty, and the rich fragrance of flowers permeated the air, interweaving with the faint scent of wine.

Servants in neat uniforms, with upright postures, moved among the guests in a well-trained manner, silver trays in their hands filled with exquisite delicacies.

The skin of the roasted suckling pig was golden and crispy, its glistening color making one's mouth water; fresh lobsters were meticulously plated, the meat tender and white, as if they were works of art; and there were the French escargots exuding an enticing aroma, each one prepared to perfection.

Inside the main hall, the huge dining table was covered with a snow-white tablecloth, set with sets of exquisite tableware, the knives and forks flashing with a cold glint under the lights. The guests were dressed in gorgeous evening wear, the ladies wearing dazzling jewelry, greeting each other with smiles on their faces.

On the stage, a band played melodious classical music, the graceful melody echoing in the hall, adding an elegant atmosphere to the entire banquet.

Children played on the side, wearing brand-new little suits and beautiful princess dresses, holding exquisite little gifts in their hands, their eyes shining with excitement.

In a corner not far away, several important members of the family were talking in low voices, their eyes revealing confidence and majesty, nodding and smiling from time to time, or frowning slightly, as if discussing important family affairs; every expression and every movement hid mysteries.

A Follower ran in anxiously and whispered something into the ear of an old man of the Li Family.

That Li Family old man stood up quickly and led everyone from the Li Family out of the main gate.

Outside the gate, a car with special license plates slowly pulled to a stop; Xie Wanning and Luo Lin were the first to get out and open the car door.

Wu Qingkui, dressed in monotonous yet majestic attire, stepped out of the car. As her gaze swept over them, everyone from the Li Family lowered their heads: "Greetings, My Lady."

Wu Qingkui smiled and said: "We are all one family. I am here to attend a family banquet today, so there is no need to be so formal."

"Qingkui, it is truly wonderful that you could come back to have a meal with me!"

The Li Family Fourth Elder was all smiles, "Come in quickly, I have so much I want to talk to you about."

"Alright, I will certainly keep Fourth Uncle company and talk today."

As Wu Qingkui said this, she supported the Li Family Fourth Elder, and they walked into the main gate together.

"Aunt!"

Walking into the courtyard, Li Ziming came up to meet them and said: "The banquet is still a while away. My father has something he wants to discuss with you, so he asked me to invite you to the study."

"Presumptuous!"

Li Fourth Elder said with displeasure: "What is Qingkui's status? It is one thing that your father didn't come to greet her in person, but he even wants Qingkui to go to the study to see him!"

"It doesn't matter."

Wu Qingkui smiled and said: "Fourth Uncle, this is the Li Family, and Li Shizheng is the Patriarch. It is not inappropriate for me to go see him."

"Sigh, it is a grievance to you after all," said Li Fourth Elder.

"Let's go."

Wu Qingkui looked at Li Ziming, and the latter led the way, walking toward the study.

After Wu Qingkui had gone far away, Li Fourth Elder's expression changed; the kindness and amiability of an elder were swept away, replaced by hostility and malice: "Pass on my word: the Li Family is to stand ready and wait for the Patriarch's orders."

"Yes."

………

Arriving outside the study, Li Ziming looked at Xie Wanning and Luo Lin behind Wu Qingkui and said: "Aunt, this is a family matter; outsiders cannot listen."

Xie Wanning narrowed her eyes with an unfriendly expression and said: "We are responsible for My Lady's safety."

"In the Li Family, Aunt is very safe," said Li Ziming.

Xie Wanning was about to say something more, but was interrupted by Wu Qingkui: "Enough, you two stay outside the door."

Li Ziming opened the door, Wu Qingkui walked in, and Ziming followed, closing the door.

Xie Wanning stood guard outside the door, hands on her hips, and said indignantly: "These Li Family members are all villains! They had better not pull any tricks on me!"

Luo Lin smiled and said: "My Lady has a noble status. Besides, the people from the Inspection Division have already surrounded the Li Family on the perimeter, so nothing will happen."

"That is true."

Xie Wanning felt much more at ease. Watching a Follower walk past with delicious food, she couldn't help but swallow her saliva: "The Li Family members aren't much, but this taste is truly not bad... It's best if they don't cause trouble today; it's just right for me to have a good meal."

Luo Lin reached out and handed over a piece of candy: "I swiped this just now. Here, have a piece to settle your stomach first."

Xie Wanning's eyes lit up. She took the candy, twisted off the wrapper, and joked: "The Inspection Division has top-tier skills at catching thieves. If they were to become thieves, they would definitely be the leaders in the industry."

"Who's to say they aren't?" Luo Lin smiled meaningfully, while simultaneously putting a piece of candy into her own mouth first.

Xie Wanning held the candy in her mouth, her eyes curving: "So sweet..."

"But this sweetness... is a bit strange... Hey, why are you swaying... Why do I feel... so sleepy..."

Xie Wanning held the candy, her eyes unfocused, swaying as if about to fall. Luo Lin's smile did not fade as she watched her quietly.

"No, something is wrong!"

Xie Wanning was shocked in her heart, spat out the candy, and quickly channeled her True Qi to neutralize the poison.

"Crack!"

Luo Lin was a step faster, grabbing Xie Wanning's wrist, and a cold Limiter was placed on her wrist.

"You..." Xie Wanning furrowed her brows, looking at Luo Lin in disbelief. The feeling of dizziness grew heavier, yet Luo Lin's appearance became increasingly clear in her vision.

"I'm sorry. You are a Martial Artist; even if your True Qi is Sealed, the poison in the candy cannot do much to you. At most, you will sleep for a while; you won't die."

Luo Lin helped Xie Wanning's limp body to sit down, and she also slowly squatted down, staring into Xie Wanning's eyes: "Many people will die today, including Chen Che and your fellow disciples. As long as you stay put, you can survive."

"Alright, now go have a good sleep." Luo Lin pressed the button on the Limiter, and a current of True Qi spread throughout her body, causing Xie Wanning's already fragile consciousness to collapse completely, "When you wake up, everything will be over."

………

Night shrouded the port of Beijing, and the ink-blue seawater gently lapped against the hull, emitting a dull echo.

The dim streetlights on the shore swayed in the humid sea breeze, casting ghostly light and shadows. The fishing boat slowly docked, its bow cutting through the calm water surface, creating layers of ripples.

On the deck, Chen Che and the others looked at the solemn Inspection Division team on the pier, feeling a sense of familiarity.

"The one leading them is Gao He, Luo Lin's confidant," Cheng Kexin said, translating the message from the Micro Radio.

"Great, finally home!" Lin Qingye shouted excitedly; her long life of house arrest had made her never yearn for a return to Xia as much as she did now.

The others also revealed smiles one after another, cheering and leaping for joy.

Chen Che likewise showed a smile, though there was a barely perceptible gravity within it.

On the pier, Gao He stood tall and straight in his crisp uniform, a seemingly warm smile hanging on his face, though that smile appeared somewhat eerie in the shadows.

Behind him, a group of soldiers from the Justice Inspection Bureau stood in neat formation; however, not far away behind shipping containers and inside abandoned warehouses, another group of fully armed soldiers from the Justice Inspection Bureau had long been lying in ambush, their gazes cold and stern as they stared fixedly at the gangway about to be lowered, the weapons in their hands glinting coldly in the darkness.

The ship finally came to a steady stop, and the lowered gangway made a heavy sound in the silence.

Lin Qingye and the others were already impatient, jumping onto the gangway first and rushing down.

Chen Che walked behind, slowly disembarking; his gaze scanned the pier sharply, and an inexplicable sense of unease spread in the depths of his heart.

The sea breeze whistled past, fluttering the hem of his clothes, and it seemed to be a portent of the coming storm.

Suddenly, Akiyama Minako grabbed his clothes at this moment and whispered in his ear, "Something is wrong."

"What is wrong?" Chen Che asked.

Akiyama Minako shook her head: "I don't know... it just feels wrong."

Chen Che lowered his head in thought, but Gao He had already come up to meet them at this moment, calling out enthusiastically: "Special Commissioner Chen, welcome back, the journey this time must have been exhausting!"

………