There are no ghosts in the world.
Moreover, even if there were, their terror would fall far short of the human heart.
Li Erzhou gradually realized that Chen JinZhao was extremely displeased with him, even wanting to kill him.
This made him break out in a cold sweat, unsure where he had gone wrong.
He couldn't figure it out at all.
Meanwhile.
Chen JinZhao was also contemplating how to deal with this old man.
It was obvious that Li Erzhou knew about the Wu family, but since Li Erzhou wouldn't speak, Chen JinZhao could do nothing.
For Li Erzhou was the head of the Li family, and his father was the true King of Southern Heaven, who had guarded Lingnan for thirty years! In recognition of the King of Southern Heaven's achievements, the prosperous Lingnan was designated as the Li family's fiefdom. Anyone who wished to prosper in Lingnan had to curry favor with the Li family. Coupled with the fact that the Li family was a military family, the 300,000 troops in Lingnan obeyed the Li family's orders. If Li Erzhou were to be killed here, these soldiers would undoubtedly harbor resentment.
A single spark could turn Lingnan into a powder keg!
Chen JinZhao shook his head, extinguishing this thought.
Meeting Li Erzhou's apprehensive gaze, Chen JinZhao realized the old man might have sensed something. He sighed, "I didn't expect Lingnan to be so cold at this time of year. Since Elder Li knows nothing about the Wu family, I shouldn't bother you further."
Li Erzhou blinked a few times. So he had guessed wrong.
He nodded in agreement, "Yes, why has Lingnan become so cold? By the way, what is this Wu family you mentioned? Are there hidden families in Lingnan that I don't know about? It sounds rather frightening."
Chen JinZhao shook his head, "It's nothing. I just heard rumors. Since even Elder Li doesn't know about the Wu family, it means this so-called Wu family is likely fictional."
Li Erzhou immediately chimed in, "That's just cheap tabloid literature, unreliable."
"There are no hidden clans in this world; it's all nonsense to fool three-year-olds, not to be taken seriously. Otherwise, with current technology, satellites could see everything clearly, and they wouldn't escape the eyes of the secular world."
Chen JinZhao nodded.
He then steered clear of discussing the Wu family with Li Erzhou. After inquiring about Lingnan's military affairs, he said to Li Erzhou, "Alright, I've understood the situation. I have another notification to convey to Elder Li during my visit to Lingnan. After a meeting of the high-level officials in the capital, we have unanimously agreed that you are of advanced age and should rest well. We will soon send people to Lingnan to share some of the burden with the Li family, allowing these young people to continue building Lingnan."
Li Erzhou's expression changed slightly upon hearing this.
Wasn't this tantamount to asking him to hand over his military seal?
He was naturally unwilling to do so, stating that it was a special period and it wasn't a burden for an old man like him to work harder, as the most important thing was to serve the country.
Chen JinZhao could tell Li Erzhou was displeased with this decision.
However, he wasn't insistent. After all, Li Erzhou probably wouldn't live much longer. Chen JinZhao's focus would then be on supporting another faction within the Li family, allowing him to control Lingnan through this proxy in the future.
Only when he held all these things in his grasp would Chen JinZhao feel at ease.
As Chen JinZhao left, he specifically requested Li Xiaoning from Li Erzhou to accompany him on his tour of Lingnan. This would serve two purposes: firstly, to send a signal to the outside world that Li Xiaoning was Chen JinZhao's person, drawing attention to her; secondly, because Li Xiaoning was a native of Lingnan, Chen JinZhao could learn more about Lingnan from her.
After Chen JinZhao left.
In the lounge, Li Erzhou's face turned grim.
"This brat is clearly trying to undermine me. I'm truly worried that this vast Li family will fall into Li Xiaoning's hands. She's always been just a concubine's daughter, and more importantly, a great family cannot be led by a woman, or it will fall into chaos." He tapped his fingers on the table, pondering a countermeasure.
It was fine as long as he was alive, but it would be troublesome after he died.
Because Chen JinZhao would be in his prime then, the golden age for a man. It was foreseeable that no one in the Li family would be able to contend with Chen JinZhao at that time, and it would be almost certain that the Li family would fall into the hands of Li Xiaoning, a concubine's daughter.
What should he do?
Li Erzhou pondered endlessly, unable to find a solution.
He furrowed his brow and murmured to himself, "Do I have to seek help from the Wu family?"
If it were not an absolute last resort, Li Erzhou would truly prefer not to deal with the Wu family, as such hidden clans were too mysterious to him. Even he, the second-generation King of Southern Heaven, had not been able to glimpse the full picture of the Wu family.
The thought of the Wu family brought to mind Chen JinZhao's frost-covered face, making him tremble uncontrollably.
"This is troublesome. I don't know where Chen JinZhao got information about the Wu family. I shouldn't have helped them back then." Li Erzhou recalled that a couple of years ago, the Wu family had asked him to find several young women, and by chance, he had found Tao QiYue.
At the time, Li Erzhou thought that Tao QiYue's entire family was in prison, making her an easy target, and he never expected Tao QiYue to have that kind of relationship with Chen JinZhao.
If Chen JinZhao were to find out about this...
Li Erzhou's scalp tingled.
"This matter must not be known by anyone, otherwise Chen JinZhao will surely kill me." His expression turned cold. If necessary, he would even kill Li Xiaoning, lest she become a root of disaster for the Li family.
As the saying goes, "A ruthless man is a hero." He did not feel that his actions were problematic in any way.
Meanwhile.
Chen JinZhao and Li Xiaoning left the airport. They did not check into the accommodation prepared by the Li family for Chen JinZhao's visit but found a quiet courtyard instead, as Chen JinZhao knew that staying in the Li family's prepared residence would be equivalent to being under surveillance by the Li family.
The two sat in the living room.
Li Xiaoning seemed a little more reserved than before.
Back then, she knew Chen JinZhao was very capable, but she hadn't expected him to be at the pinnacle of success at such a young age. The gap between them had widened even further than before!
"You don't need to be so reserved," Chen JinZhao said.
"It's just a pretense to say I'm not reserved. You are a prominent figure, while I am just a commoner," Li Xiaoning said with a smile, making the atmosphere a little more lively. Chen JinZhao grunted and then said, "I know you're not one to beat around the bush, so I'll get straight to the point."
"Do you know of a hidden clan with the surname Wu?"
Li Xiaoning shook her head blankly.
Although Chen JinZhao had already anticipated the outcome, a trace of disappointment still arose in his heart.
Seeing this, Li Xiaoning hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Mr. Chen, you're actually looking for someone in Lingnan, aren't you? And if I'm not mistaken, it's a woman named Tao QiYue."
Chen JinZhao's brow instantly furrowed.
"Do you know her whereabouts?"