Chapter Twenty: Things Have Escalated

While Lin Qingyun continued to instruct Chu Qing on how to deal with Zhang Baole and act as a double agent, the internet was set ablaze with activity.

Nangong Lingyue was live streaming that day, and it happened to be her fan festival for the Moonshadow Society. With tens of millions of fans across the globe, all calling themselves her Moonshadows, this was a major event. Not only was she holding a lottery, she was also offering cultivation advice to some of her fans and hosting a variety of activities. Yet, after taking a call during the event, she departed in anger.

Her fans erupted, and the incident immediately shot to the top twenty trending topics domestically. Originally, there were just over five million concurrent viewers, but after Nangong Lingyue's abrupt exit, the number kept climbing. Some were loyal fans, others were drawn by the growing buzz, eager to see what had happened.

Her team struggled to reach her and considered suspending the event, but soon reestablished contact. She assured them she would return soon, and the broadcast resumed.

This was an era of hyper-developed social media. News of Nangong Lingyue’s whereabouts spread like wildfire. No one knew exactly what transpired in the private room, but after she agreed to Lin Qingyun’s terms, she intentionally left traces of a fight and let slip a few choice words as she exited. The story’s momentum became unstoppable.

By the time she returned to her stream, more than eleven million people were watching live. The virtual chat was inundated with questions. Nangong Lingyue tried to maintain a casual air, refusing to address the incident, but her evasiveness only fueled speculation, especially with a flood of journalists, bloggers, and curious onlookers joining in. Her core fans were now just a fraction of the audience; if not for them, she might have simply ended the broadcast.

Finally, cornered by the relentless pressure, Nangong Lingyue could no longer contain her anger and blurted out the truth:

“In this day and age, someone actually used a joke my father made years ago to force my father into agreeing to marry me off to him. He even tried to morally blackmail us. I was so furious I beat him up.”

“But don’t worry, everyone. I just wanted to make it clear that even if he asked me to risk my life for him, I would do it, because the kindness he showed us, the Nangong family will never forget. But in this era, I absolutely will not marry him because of it.”

As Nangong Lingyue half-revealed, half-explained the reasons, the internet exploded. The topic’s popularity surged, quickly breaking into the top three trends. Public opinion overwhelmingly favored Nangong Lingyue—after all, these modern times abhorred moral coercion, and she had made it clear she was willing to do anything except marry the man.

The story spread with lightning speed. In just half a day, her fanbase grew by over three million, and by the time she ended her stream, there were more than sixteen million fans online, with over twenty-one million non-fans watching. Concurrent viewers exceeded thirty-seven million, and the controversy only intensified after the broadcast ended.

Nangong Lingyue never revealed the man’s identity, but that didn’t stop countless voices from speculating.

“Refuse to see, refuse to listen, refuse to answer…”

Her staff reported updates one after another, but eventually Nangong Lingyue simply cut off all contact and interviews, unconcerned with the consequences.

“This has gotten out of hand. What is that guy thinking? Isn’t he worried his reputation will be ruined?” Nangong Lingyue had only said and done what she did because she’d promised Lin Qingyun. But as the controversy grew beyond all expectations, she began to feel things slipping out of control.

Even though seventy or eighty percent of the commentary was in her favor, the pressure was immense. Meanwhile, in the Lin family’s grand residence, Zhang Baole burst in excitedly, clutching his live-streaming communicator.

“Sis, sis, it worked! Haha! Now Lin Qingyun’s being called a spoiled playboy and a lecherous scoundrel by everyone—some are even calling him a modern-day corrupt official! They’re saying—”

He stopped short as his sister, in the midst of a call, shot him an irritated glare. Zhang Baole immediately clamped his mouth shut.

“Stop shouting. It’s no wonder your brother-in-law gets annoyed with you. You’re not a child anymore—some things shouldn’t be yelled about like that,” Zhang Xueyi scolded him after finishing her call. But despite her words, she couldn’t hide the hint of happiness in her expression. If she couldn’t keep Lin Qingyun trapped at Site Eighteen and take his shares, at least she could keep him from meddling in the family business.

“With brother-in-law away, it’s just you and me, sis. What’s there to be afraid of?” Zhang Baole grinned, then grew excited. “Did you see? Millions of people online! This is all over the world now. That punk thought he was untouchable!”

He was practically giddy with the joy of revenge.

“Hmph, I thought that brat had gone from a wild monkey to the Monkey King himself. Turns out we worried for nothing. With this scandal, even if he has shares, we can keep him out of the company for now. Even if he tries to come back, I doubt anyone will support him for a while,” Zhang Xueyi chided, more for form’s sake since she had just been on the phone with Lin Kunshan, who overheard Zhang Baole’s words.

In truth, she was even happier than her brother, her delight impossible to conceal.

She turned to Zhang Baole again. “How did the task I gave you go?”

“Don’t worry, sis! That girl is their class beauty. With things like this, it’s so easy to control him. Before Nangong Lingyue went back to her stream, the girl texted me everything that happened—just as we planned.”

“Nangong Lingyue didn’t go too far, but she beat Lin Qingyun half to death and said she’d hit him every time she saw him. He was so afraid he didn’t dare leave the private room, just stayed inside to heal. Nangong Lingyue didn’t go into detail during her stream, but I figured it out immediately.”

“So don’t worry, sis. With the class beauty tempting him at a time like this, how could such a young guy resist? Soon, we’ll have our person right by his side, ready to deal with him whenever we want.”

Zhang Baole was immensely proud, detailing his achievements to win his sister’s praise.

“Good. We can’t let that wild monkey run rampant. Keep me updated on his every move,” Zhang Xueyi replied, satisfied at last to have vented some of her long-held frustration.

While chaos raged outside, Lin Qingyun had already switched off his communicator and, amid the wreckage of the private room, quietly ate his meal while continuing to instruct Chu Qing on the art of being a double agent.

Because of Nangong Lingyue’s actions, hundreds of journalists and thousands of fans later swarmed the restaurant. Fortunately, it was an upscale establishment, so order was quickly restored, and as Lin Qingyun never emerged, the crowd gradually dispersed.

Ordinary fans may have left quickly, but the media remained, staking out the scene. Although the public still didn’t know exactly whom Nangong Lingyue had referred to, some had already begun to piece things together—after all, it wasn’t much of a secret that Desert Wind King Nangong Aoshi had once had close ties with Lin Qingyun’s parents.

Without confirmation, the reporters waited. Lin Qingyun knew that as long as Nangong Lingyue didn’t explicitly name him, suspicions would remain just that, and he was unconcerned.

By evening, with the hotel owner’s cooperation, Lin Qingyun, Chao-ge, and Chu Qing slipped out quietly. As they left, Chao-ge instinctively glanced at the enormous advertising screen on their floor, which was currently displaying a panorama of the desert, promoting tourism near Kistan and advertising the opening of a beast-hunting zone for cultivators.

It was a routine advertisement, but she remembered clearly: Lin Qingyun had seen this ad upon leaving earlier, and after noticing the grand festival it was promoting, he had turned back.

Chao-ge only paused briefly, but nothing escaped Lin Qingyun’s notice. He smiled but offered no explanation.

He had indeed altered his plans after seeing that ad, because something significant would happen near Kistan soon. At the time, it seemed a minor event—a relic would be discovered during a large festival. That area was under the control of the Desert Wind King, and with his recent alliance with the China Federation, any disturbance could be suppressed. Some beasts would escape from the ruins, causing minor chaos, but nothing truly alarming. The real disaster would come more than twenty years later, when an event in this very place would shake the world.

Lin Qingyun had not personally experienced that calamity; he only learned about it decades later. The memory was vague, but seeing the ad made him recall its importance.

In just over a month, he would need a public reason to visit the area, and the upcoming intercollegiate competition for freshmen—hosted by the China Federation at Kistan—would provide the perfect cover.

By enrolling in Haicheng University, he would have every justification to go. At a critical moment, he might even need the help of the Desert Wind King, Nangong Aoshi.

None of this could be explained to the others, and Chao-ge asked no questions.

With the hotel owner’s help, they activated some of the establishment’s disguise formations, and Lin Qingyun’s private flyer arrived to whisk them away in secret.

He did not return to the Lin family estate or the Lin Pharmaceutical Group’s research facility; neither location was safe for now. Lin Qingyun was not without alternatives, but instead of any properties in his own name, he headed straight for the finest manor-style hotel near Haicheng University.

The accommodations were several times better than those in Fenhe City, even boasting a special cultivation chamber for those at the Soaring Cloud level. But such facilities were far too intense—not only for Chao-ge and Chu Qing, but even for Lin Qingyun himself at his current stage.

It was not a matter of money, but of whether his body could withstand the dense spiritual energy inside.

He reserved a private courtyard suite suitable for advanced practitioners at the Heart of the Zither stage, and his flyer landed directly within.