Chapter 490: There Is Always Someone Willing to Take a Gamble

"Lord Cheng, then this subordinate will take his leave first!"

"Take care, Lord Qi. Let us spend more time together when we have the chance!"

Emerging from the secret stronghold, the two parted ways on the street with feigned reluctance, appearing like a pair of soulmates who had met too late in life.

However, once they separated, a cold expression hung upon each of their faces.

"Come here!" Reaching a corner, Cheng Lin spoke in a low voice, and immediately, two people shrouded in black, their faces indistinguishable, knelt before him.

"My Lord!"

"Have A Yi personally lead men to monitor every move Qi Chengan makes and report back at any time! I want to know everything he does every day and everyone he meets!"

"Yes, my Lord!" The two appeared quickly and departed just as fast, leaving only Cheng Lin silently gazing into the distance.

He could not understand why someone like Qi Chengan had been sent over; the guy started sowing discord the moment he arrived.

Moreover, he kept crowding around him, and he had no way to refuse, forced to be alone with him.

If this were seen by someone with ulterior motives, would they have thoughts? This was clearly an attempt to frame him.

This guy was clearly not on the same page as them; no matter how one looked at it, he was no good!

"I just feel this kid is ill-intentioned. No, I must drop a hint to Lord Shen."

"I may not be able to deal with you easily, but I don't believe you can withstand being targeted by Lord Shen. Kid, just you wait!"

With a trace of a smile at the corner of his mouth, Cheng Lin strolled back to his room. To be honest, he had basically given up on the mission of finding Cannibal Valley and Evil Man City.

He had led his elite subordinates to search back and forth in the locations where Cannibal Valley and Evil Man City might exist, yet he hadn't found a single trace.

The Black-Clad Guards in his hands were the elite of the elite, carefully selected; if it came to raw martial power, they might not be the strongest.

But when it came to technical work like interrogation and investigation, he considered them the best in the world. If even they couldn't find it, then it would be a waste for anyone else to come.

Cheng Lin even suspected that the general scope of Cannibal Valley and Evil Man City, which the imperial court had spent hundreds of years investigating, had been intentionally leaked by them.

It was very likely that these were just schemes by Cannibal Valley and Evil Man City, and their locations were not there at all.

If that were truly the case, it would be even harder to find, basically an impossible mission.

The people of Evil Man City and Cannibal Valley had been wiped out, which seemed convenient, as they no longer had to worry about anything while searching for people.

But a careful thought would reveal that since the people inside were all dead, no one would appear again.

If no one appeared, it meant no excessive traces were left behind, so where were they supposed to look? They couldn't just turn all of Xiaozhou upside down.

In terms of area alone, Xiaozhou was even larger than two or three other provinces combined. And it was full of mountains and rivers with treacherous terrain; people could be hiding anywhere.

Let alone just these Black-Clad Guards, even if they brought an army of one hundred thousand, it would still be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Most crucially, Cheng Lin worried that the things they wanted to find had fallen into the hands of Shen Yu, and that the very locations of Cannibal Valley and Evil Man City might have been claimed by this Lord Shen.

He did not think he had the teeth to snatch anything from Lord Shen's hands.

It was fine that Qi Chengan had come; since you want to provide guidance, I will let you lead.

Originally, Cheng Lin had been worried about whether he would be blamed for poor performance later, but now that this scapegoat Qi Chengan had arrived, he wasn't here to supervise them at all—he was clearly here to deliver warmth. What a good man!

Although as long as he broke through to the Transcendence Realm, any poor performance would be a minor issue and he would only be courted, no one wanted to see their own ability questioned.

If I alone cannot handle it, that is a matter of ability; if everyone cannot handle it, then it is a problem with the matter itself.

However, although he had made up his mind to use Qi Chengan as a scapegoat, he still had to stir up some trouble for him.

If he didn't let him know his methods, he would really think he was something special!

"Come out!"

Just as Qi Chengan had left, he sensed someone nearby, and he could also feel that the other party had intentionally let him discover them.

Afterward, Qi Chengan found a secluded corner and looked around with a frown; soon, a figure appeared beside him.

A trembling figure, appearing as if he could fall at any moment. But anyone who underestimated him would truly be not far from death.

Qi Zhong, the head steward of the Qi Family, the confidant his father trusted most. At the same time, he had another identity: a Transcendence Realm expert, a true top-tier expert of the pugilistic world.

His status in the Qi Family was very high; even as a legitimate son, he had to perform the rites of a junior upon seeing Qi Zhong.

"Young Master!"

"Head Steward, why have you come personally? The Black-Clad Guards are everywhere; they might be monitoring me right now!"

Upon seeing the person, Qi Chengan felt somewhat displeased, though he did not show it.

His father had sent his own confidant over; what was the meaning of this? Was it saying his ability was insufficient?

"Young Master, do not worry. There are indeed Black-Clad Guards monitoring, but this old servant has already found a way to temporarily dismiss them."

"There really are? This Cheng Lin is truly unappreciative!" Hearing Qi Zhong's words, the anger in Qi Chengan's heart grew even stronger.

He had come this time as an imperial envoy, carrying a secret mission from that person in the imperial palace, and had been granted the authority to mobilize the Black-Clad Guards.

Yet he hadn't expected that just after he had slightly reprimanded Cheng Lin, Cheng Lin would immediately arrange this for him. What was this? Did they all think he was easy to bully!

"Young Master, the Master is also taking precautions. Cheng Lin is just a small character, but we must be wary of Shen Yu!"

"The Master's meaning is that even if we cannot get the item, we must remember not to make an enemy of Shen Yu!"

"I understand!" Although he had only met Shen Yu once, and that person seemed unremarkable, Qi Chengan did not dare to relax at all.

The more ordinary one was, the more terrifying they were; this was something they, as children of noble families, naturally understood very well. Shen Yu's battle record had been fought out with his own hands.

The Qi Family was still a bit inferior compared to the Lan Family. Look at the current Lan Family; their strength was so weak they were almost being removed from the Eight Great Families, as they were considered a disgrace.

If they were truly targeted by Shen Yu, the Lan Family would be the fate of the Qi Family, and they might even be worse off.

"There is one more thing, Young Master. You must be extremely careful in Xiaozhou; there are quite a few experts who have entered Xiaozhou this time."

"Everyone knows Cannibal Valley and Evil Man City are gone; who knows how many people will jump out!"

"I know this!" Nodding, Qi Chengan said indifferently, "We are not the only ones eyeing Xiaozhou. Do you really think our little Duke came here just to play?"

"But that person is truly ruthless. Knowing that news of the Xiaozhou affair had leaked, he simply threw everything out!"

"Letting everyone know, letting everyone come to fight for it, even I was appointed as an imperial envoy. He has completely given up, hasn't he!"

"Indeed, after searching for over a year without results, and with the news leaked, it is time to give up!"

"Not only that, this is also a feint to the east to attack in the west; that person has sensed danger!" Sighing, Qi Zhong also said in a low voice.

"The health of Lord Chen Xing is failing day by day, and it is said that the one from the Imperial Household has not appeared for a long time. There is gossip claiming that he is already gone."

"Under such circumstances, many people are restless, and he naturally must think of a way to divert everyone's attention—it would be best if we kill each other!"

"Is he not afraid that the item will be snatched away by someone?"

"Of course he is not afraid!" Shaking his head, Qi Zhong said in a low voice, "The more we fight, the more naturally we will be seen by this Lord Shen here!"

"If this Lord Shen makes a move, no one will have anything left to fight for; he certainly has a clever plan!"

"Since it is very likely that the item will end up in Shen Yu's hands in the end, then what is there to fight for?"

"Young Master, profit moves people's hearts!" Looking at the spirited Young Master before him, Qi Zhong could not help but whisper, "There are always people willing to take a gamble—what if!"

"Indeed, what if! Even though the situation is clear, everyone is still willing to jump in!"

Shaking his head with disdain, Qi Chengan said indifferently, "Am I not also sent here? Is our Qi Family not also willing to enter the game!"