Chapter 495: Ling Family Secrets

Su Lin had been out on her apprenticeship for over half a month now. With that girl not at home, the house felt much colder than usual, and Ling Chen rather missed her. But the girl knew his mobile number; why didn't she just call him directly instead of bothering Nanrong Wanqing?

Picking up the phone, Ling Chen answered with a "Hello," only to hear Su Lin’s sweet voice from the other end of the line: "Future brother-in-law, I’m not at home. Are you and Wanqing enjoying your time alone together?"

"That we are," Ling Chen replied with a laugh. "If it were up to me, you wouldn’t come back and disturb us at all."

Hearing this, Nanrong Wanqing gave him a reproachful look.

"You wish! Let me tell you, this young lady will be back in a month. You’d better cherish the time you have alone with Wanqing, and don’t blame me when I interrupt your duo’s world."

"Alright, just be safe out there."

After a bit of idle chat, Su Lin seemed to have something come up suddenly on her end and had to hang up.

"Su Lin said she’ll be back in a month."

"That’s just around Chinese New Year; it’s time to come home."

Chinese New Year!

A thought struck Ling Chen. Had it not been for Nanrong Wanqing’s reminder, he would have almost forgotten. Since his childhood, he had never really had a concept of celebrating the New Year. When he lived with his father, festivals were just like any other day, with simple meals and no distinctions. After joining Ghost, he was always performing tasks outside, never getting the chance to enjoy the festivities.

Involuntarily, Ling Chen found himself looking forward to the upcoming festival.

After taking a bath, Ling Chen watched an entertainment program in the living room with Nanrong Wanqing. At ten o’clock, after escorting a sleepy Nanrong Wanqing back to her room, Ling Chen changed into fresh clothes and left the Nanrong house alone, wandering in the garden of Wealthy Manor.

The night was as dark as ink, decorated with stars.

Ling Chen strolled on the flagstone path, his thoughts drifting to recent events, and a bitter smile appeared on his well-defined face.

He had thought that after leaving Ghost, he could wave goodbye to his past life and return to normalcy, but some matters are hard to disentangle once involved. For him, leading an ordinary life had almost become a luxury.

Moreover, the circumstances he was facing now plunged him into profound confusion, as if everything were veiled in layers of fog, obscuring the truth.

While wandering, Ling Chen’s gaze suddenly landed on a pavilion in the garden.

Sitting with his back to a stone bench in the pavilion was a man. Due to the dense night, only his slender silhouette and dense hair were faintly visible. His simple suit outlined his form, and according to Ling Chen’s judgment, the man appeared to be in his forties or fifties.

The man sat alone in the pavilion, with a jug of wine and two cups on the stone table, pouring and drinking by himself as if he hadn’t noticed Ling Chen’s presence.

Ling Chen looked twice and guessed that the man was probably brooding over some troubles, thus drinking alone here. Thinking it over, Ling Chen decided to take a detour to avoid disturbing him.

"Since you’re here, why not join me for a drink?"

The voice came from the pavilion. Before Ling Chen could react, a whooshing sound suddenly emerged.

Ling Chen focused his eyes, his brows slightly raised. He quickly reached out and caught the incoming object. Looking at the wine cup in his hand, its contents not spilled, Ling Chen’s eyes narrowed with interest, sizing up the man in the pavilion.

"Are you specifically waiting for me here?"

"Is that important?" the man countered.

"If you want to drink with me, at least tell me who you are."

"These things are not important." The man in the suit said indifferently, "What’s important is that I can answer the doubts in your heart."

"How do you know I have doubts?"

"Because I know you. Whether it’s your time with Ghost or the things you’ve experienced in East Sea City, I know it all, clear as day. I believe you must have many questions in your mind. Since you left Ghost, you’ve been living aimlessly, clueless about which direction to take."

Ling Chen said with a smirk, "Do you know then?"

"Your father once asked me to secretly watch over you and ensure your safety. His intentions were clear, hoping that after you left Ghost, you could live an ordinary human life, carefree for the rest of your life. Unfortunately, fate does not always follow one’s wishes, and the more you try to avoid some things, the harder it is to stop them. Many troubles will find you even if you do not seek them out."

Hearing this, Ling Chen’s expression changed slightly, and he quickly walked towards the pavilion. However, before he could get close, the man in the suit waved his large hand, and a stone bench on the ground immediately flew up, landing in front of Ling Chen, blocking his path.

"Don’t come closer; I do not wish to reveal my identity."

Ling Chen stepped back two steps, impatiently asking, "Do you know my father?"

"Of course. I came to find you at his behest. He knows you’ve been using Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion’s intelligence capabilities to find him, and due to some reasons, he cannot show himself right now, so he had me meet you instead. You can ask whatever questions you have, and I will try my best to answer them."

Ling Chen paused for a moment and said, "Since you know my father, then you should be aware of my origin and background."

"You mean… the Ling Family?" Upon hearing this, the man in the suit chuckled, adding, "Your father had predicted you would be curious about your own ancestry. Since you were young back then, he didn’t tell you, but now that you are an adult, it’s time to tell you the truth."

"You were born into the Ling Family, a grand family that has been passed down for hundreds of years, with dozens of siblings. You and your father both belong to a collateral branch of the Ling Family, which, for hundreds of years, has only had a single descendant per generation. Due to the actions of several of your ancestors, your line has not been well-liked in the Ling Family, often neglected. However, given that you both have the blood of the Ling Family, they have not done anything too outrageous to you or your father, until an incident more than a decade ago that completely severed relations. After that incident, your father took you and left the Ling Family, moving far away."

After listening to the man’s words, Ling Chen couldn’t help but say, "Can you clarify? You’re telling me so much it’s like you’re saying nothing."

"You must already know about Ling Gengqiu."

"I know about his deeds, all that happened hundreds of years ago."

"Correct, but what you do not know is that Ling Gengqiu is actually your ancestor."

"What?"

Hearing this, Ling Chen was completely shocked.

"Back then, Ling Gengqiu was secretly poisoned by his wife, which led him to become a monk. After that, Ling Gengqiu’s wife sent his only son to the Ling Family, then quietly disappeared, leaving no trace. Later, it was the Ling Family who raised Ling Gengqiu’s child, which led to your line’s existence."