Chapter 16: What Kind of Transmigrator Chat Group?

In the stone fortress’s study, Lin Yu closed the chat window in his mind and stretched out in the reclining chair.

After friendly exchanges with the three group members, he had fully understood their situations.

Su Haoming is a transmigrator from *Tang Ghost Chronicles*, and he is Su Wuming’s cousin, currently existing in the timeline of the first case in the TV drama—the Chang’an Black Tea Case.

Xiang Yunye is the protagonist of *Tang Brick*, transmigrated to the Tang Dynasty’s Zhen Guan era, now holding the title of Marquis of Lantian, timeline roughly at the start of the novel’s second volume, before the Yushan Academy was officially founded.

Fan Xian is the male lead of *Qing Yu Nian*; he believed he transmigrated to an ancient parallel world, but in truth, it is a future world where humanity rebuilt itself from the Stone Age after a nuclear apocalypse.

As for the timeline, according to Fan Xian himself, he had just arrived in the capital and had not yet met Lin Waner.

Undoubtedly, the common point among these three is their status as transmigrators!

Add Lin Yu himself, also a transmigrator, and he couldn’t help but suspect whether the chat group had some hidden criterion, selecting only transmigrators from countless worlds.

…What kind of transmigrator chat group!

Lin Yu teased himself inwardly while pondering another question—the energy level of the members’ worlds.

Xiang Yunye and Su Haoming both transmigrated to non-magic worlds, or more accurately, worlds that appeared non-magic.

As for the strongest, Fan Xian, it was merely a low-magic world, where only Grand Masters barely touched the threshold of mid-magic.

Compared to them, the world Lin Yu inhabited—whether his internal universe or *The Dying Frieren*—had far too high an energy level.

If the chat group truly had a hidden selection criterion, the gap between members shouldn’t be this vast.

So… was it really his own problem?

Lin Yu blinked; when the chat group had first drifted into his internal universe, it had no intention of inviting him in.

He had forcibly seized it, insisting it stay, forcing the chat group to recognize him as its master…

Forget it; the deed was done, obsessing over this was meaningless—better to figure out how to get along with these three kids first!

Thinking of this, Lin Yu couldn’t help sighing.

While chatting with Su Haoming, he had lost restraint and revealed his desire to visit other worlds.

Su Haoming was delighted by this, but Fan Xian and Xiang Yunye fell into brief silence, seemingly hesitant about inviting Lin Yu to their worlds.

This was natural; even in real life, meeting an online friend you’ve known for years requires hesitation, let alone an overpowered outsider from another world who’d been in the group less than twenty minutes.

But it didn’t matter—the seed had already been planted.

When they inevitably faced unsolvable problems in the future, they’d think of him first!

As Lin Yu thought this, he turned his gaze through the stone fortress toward the ten-li territory around him.

He had chosen to end the chat at this moment for a reason—

After ten years away, the warrior finally returned home, covered in wounds and medals.

Seeing his hometown transformed beyond recognition, the warrior, who had journeyed with Vlam, was stunned; seeing his parents, still strong despite nearing sixty, he was stunned again.

Of course, none of these surprises compared to the two small children cradled in his parents’ arms.

“…These aren’t adopted kids, are they?”

The towering, muscular warrior carefully held the two children and couldn’t help asking his parents the soul-question.

The old village chief’s smile froze, then he snapped: “Don’t imagine nonsense—they’re your real younger siblings!”

Dai Meng still looked skeptical: “But you two…”

The old village chief glared at him and kicked his son in the waist.

But the mighty Dai Meng was clearly immune; even with his father’s full-force kick, he didn’t budge an inch, nor did the children in his arms feel the slightest tremor.

“Father, be careful—you’ll scare my sister!”

“Hmph!”

The old village chief reluctantly lowered his leg and fixed Dai Meng with a stare: “Remember, this is the Lord’s grace—you have no right to question it!”

The Lord?

Dai Meng froze.

The old village chief seemed to recall something and smiled: “The city wall of Spine Peak is now one-fifth complete; I’m preparing to form a Lord’s Guard for him, and you’ve returned just in time…”

Before he finished, Dai Meng frowned.

The old village chief noticed his son showed no intention of serving the Lord, so he cleared his throat and changed the subject: “Since you’re back, rest at home first. After dinner, come with me to pay respects to the Lord.”

“….”

Dai Meng relaxed his brow and nodded.

Even if his father hadn’t said it, he planned to visit the castle to deliver Vlam’s greetings to the Lord he’d never met.

…

…

Compared to ten years ago, the stone fortress had changed slightly.

Though the ceiling remained high and the great hall still grand, the stone pillars on either side were no longer as empty as before.

Besides intricate carvings now adorning the pillars, the bronze candelabras had been replaced by glittering magical crystal chandeliers.

Between the pillars stretched a long red carpet, flanked by two rows of soldiers over two meters tall, clad entirely in plate armor.

Their silver armor bore arcane runes, each wielding a wolf-headed greatsword at their waist and a long spear in hand, standing like statues, spear tips pointing straight upward toward the ceiling.

From the blue magical glow in their eyes, these were no human soldiers—they were powerful magical golems.

*With these things, why even need you to form a Lord’s Guard?*

Dai Meng’s lips twitched as he cast a questioning glance at his father.

At this moment, the old village chief had donned a proper robe.

Facing his son’s doubt, his expression was solemn, but inwardly he sneered.

Whether needed was one thing; whether done was another…

Indeed, this fellow had been away ten years and remained as childish as ever!

Just then, familiar footsteps echoed from behind the crystal throne at the end of the carpet.

The old village chief’s expression tightened; he quickly pulled his son to one knee, bowing his head respectfully: “My Lord—”

Before he finished, the figure before them appeared as if teleported.

An invisible force surged forth, lifting them both upright, allowing them to look directly into the face of the black-robed elven boy.

…What?!

Dai Meng, forcibly raised, was stunned—but before he could react, he met the boy Lord’s pitch-black eyes.

Seeing the Lord who defied all protocol, the old village chief’s face wore a helpless expression.

“My Lord, according to custom, you should…”

“Enough, enough!”

Lin Yu waved his hand carelessly: “Customs? Here, my word is the custom.”

“…Yes.”

The old village chief sighed and replied respectfully.

Lin Yu turned to the towering warrior, still bewildered, and smiled: “I live here alone—this whole display is just for show, no practical use.”

“Usually, I receive your father in the study behind.”

“This time, your father insisted on meeting me in the great hall—I agreed only because of you.”

Hearing Lin Yu’s candid words, the old village chief blushed, clearly embarrassed.

Lin Yu didn’t care; he scanned the towering warrior before him, then smiled and asked:

“You’re Dai Meng?”

(End of Chapter)