Chapter 2669: Purpose
After Shao Qingfeng heard He Shu's words, he dismissively swished his golden robe and coldly stated, "Tu Ke is right—this Xuan Qi is too arrogant. He thinks that he’s ascended to the heavens just because he’s captured a few spies. He went against Sovereign Ninth Lotus's disciples in the Voidforce Universe, and now, he has offended your sister in the Transcendent Universe. Rumors are starting to spread rampantly, and the You family must already be suspicious of him. The man won't be able to remain in the Transcendent Universe any longer. We should make sure that he also can't stay in the Three Monarchs Universe, leaving him with nowhere to go."
He Shu fell deep into thought.
...
In the Ziyou Realm, Lu Yin met with You Fang.
As usual, they were in the room where it was possible to monitor the entire Transcendent Universe. You Fang stood in the center, which gave him the appearance of having everything in the palm of his hand.
You Fang did not look up at Lu Yin when he arrived and instead simply asked, "Have you heard the rumors?"
"Isn’t this what you always believed to be the case?" Lu Yin replied, "Why are you making a fuss about it now and calling me over?"
You Fang chuckled. "I thought about it before, but no longer."
Lu Yin arched a brow. "What do you mean?"
You Fang turned to face Lu Yin. "Initially, I believed that everything you did was masterminded by He Ran, starting with the moment you first approached my family. I had assumed that you were the one who instigated Luo Shang into attacking us, but these rumors have shown me another possibility. It’s possible that He Ran is indeed the one who orchestrated everything, but you may not be the person executing her plans. You might have been used, or rather-" the man paused before explaining, "You genuinely intend to pursue spies and have no other intentions towards my family."
Lu Yin gave the man a small smile. "I told you that from the very beginning. I don’t have any other intentions towards your family. You’re the one who was overthinking things. However, why don’t you think that this rumor was purposely spread by me, just to make you trust me?"
"Hahaha, we certainly did overthink things! When the rumors first surfaced, I considered that possibility," You Fang roared with laughter.
You Lele's voice suddenly echoed from behind, "I also considered it."
Lu Yin chuckled. "Don’t you guys get tired?"
You Lele scratched her head as she looked up at Lu Yin. "How can using your brain be tiring? It's what we're best at. The little games we play are beyond what people like you can even comprehend."
Lu Yin smirked. Where on earth did these people get their sense of superiority from? Maybe he should introduce Wang Wen and Wei Rong to the You family’s games one day.
"So you suspected me before, but no longer. Why?" Lu Yin asked, quite curious about this.
You Fang stared at him. "Haven't you thought about who has been spreading these rumors?"
"Bai Qian," Lu Yin replied without hesitation.
"Idiot," You Lele instantly retorted.
You Fang explained, "Bai Qian can’t do it, as she simply lacks the necessary influence. Tu Ke is the only one who openly supports her on the Ruling Council. I personally believe that there is something wrong with Tu Ke as well—Bai Qian lacks the power and influence for him to support her. You should understand that these rumors have spread throughout the entire Sixverse Association and the Three Monarchs Universe in just two days. Can you comprehend just how much power is needed to accomplish such a thing?
"If Bai Qian had so much power, then He Ran wouldn't be able to sleep."
"Then who was it?" Lu Yin felt a bit confused, but deep down, he was becoming more and more certain that it had been He Ran.
You Fang answered, "He Ran."
Lu Yin frowned. "Impossible! I call her Sister Ran, and she’s helped me so much. Why would she want to harm me?"
"That's a question that you’ll need to ask yourself," You Fang replied, "To be honest, I didn't expect He Ran to spread such rumors, which is why I suspected you. Your status and influence are a great help to He Ran. Because of you, she’s managed to gain a foothold in the Voidforce Universe and has purchased massive amounts of resources to accelerate her cultivation technology research. Despite that, she clearly nurtured this rumor. You must have crossed her bottom line.
"Yesterday, when the rumor first appeared, I already had my suspicions, but then today, I learned that Zi Jing has gone missing. So, is this rumor related to Zi Jing?"
Lu Yin and You Fang stared at each other in silence.
You Fang finally gave a small smile. "You don't trust me? That's reasonable. Compared to He Ran, I don’t deserve your trust. So..." The man then casually opened a series of displays that showed various places the rumor had spread to.
"He Ran belittles my You family. She believes that we are able to watch far fewer people than is true. She assumed that the people who spread the rumors were outside the range of surveillance, but we were actually able to monitor everything.
"See for yourself. You might even know some of these people. If you still doubt me, then I can provide you with additional evidence."
Lu Yin scanned the people shown on the various displays, but there was no one whom he recognized. However, his current focus was to advance things further. His expression fell. "Her people are involved."
You Lele smirked. "He Ran is becoming more and more foolish in her actions. To think that you would recognize some of these people."
You Fang said, "Over these years, we have never stooped to her level. Now that Bai Qian is nearly out of the game, He Ran believes that she controls the entire Transcendent Universe. Such recklessness and arrogance isn't too surprising."
Lu Yin's expression grew worse and worse. "Why did she do this?"
Looking back at Xuan Qi, You Fang replied, "As I've said, you touched her bottom line."
Lu Yin commented, "I just wanted to see Zi Jing. Even though I offended He Ran over that matter, I went to make trouble for Tu Ke, helping Sister Ran slap Bai Qian in the face. Why did she do this?"
With a sigh, You Fang recalled, "Sixteen years ago, a member of the Ruling Council went against He Ran, and his entire clan vanished.
"Thirteen years ago, He Ran ordered a planet to be destroyed, even though its inhabitants had not stepped into outer space yet. Those people only knew their own world and were completely unaware of other life. Their planet was destroyed simply because they had unintentionally created a face that was similar to He Ran's. Four billion people once lived on that planet, but not a single one of them survived. They all died without knowing that a mere face had caused their extinction.
"Seven years ago..."
You Fang shared many similar incidents. He remembered all of them quite clearly, and every story demonstrated He Ran’s vindictiveness.
"The woman is arrogant above all else, as she sees herself as someone above and beyond all others. She is unwilling to even breathe the same air as commoners. She sees herself as some sort of deity within the Transcendent Universe, relishing in the feeling of complete control over everything. Anyone who opposes or stands up to her will meet a bad end, especially those she raised up herself."
Staring at Lu Yin, You Fang continued to say, "As far as she is concerned, you are one such person. No matter how excessive your actions may have been or how much you may have helped her, as long as she feels that you are beyond her control, she will find ways to suppress you.”
"She truly believes that she stands in the heavens and looks down on all others. Not even her face can be casually looked upon. That is how He Ran is. Do you truly understand her?"
Lu Yin clenched a fist. "Why are you telling me all of this?"
You Lele responded with a question of her own, "What exactly is your goal in approaching my You family?"
Lu Yin looked over at her.
You Lele raised her head high. "Don't try to deny it. You deliberately approached my You family, and your motives for doing so should be connected to He Ran. Now, He Ran is trying to ruin you. Do you still intend to help her?"
You Fang intervened, "Xuan Qi, you don't need to worry about He Ran. You already have several peak powerhouses supporting you. In the Three Monarchs Universe, you have Chen Le. In the Transcendent Universe, my You family can protect you. Given your current status, you stand on equal footing as He Ran. She is not the true master of my Transcendent Universe, far from it. So, why must you help her?"
"Zi Jing is in her hands," Lu Yin replied.
You Fang replied, "The cultivation technology that Zi Jing is working on is extremely important to my entire universe. Zi Jing does not serve He Ran, but rather that person."
"The ruler?" Lu Yin was taken aback.
You Fang waved a hand while looking over the display of the entire Transcendent Universe. "Given He Ran's ability, it's hard for her to hide anything from me. The only person who can truly hide from me is that person. Zi Jing was taken by that person, not He Ran. This is something that you need to understand."
"Then where is Zi Jing?" Lu Yin asked anxiously. He was truly curious about where the parallel universe with the different rate of time was located.
You Fang shook his head. "I can't find her. As I said, as long as that person wants to hide someone, no one will be able to find them. In other words, the fact that Zi Jing has been hidden proves that she has caught that person's eye. He Ran can’t do anything to Zi Jing. I promise you this on my You family’s name."
"But I met with Zi Jing just a short while ago," Lu Yin said.
You Lele rolled her eyes. "I told you that He Ran must have been forced to pay a price, which is what angered her to the point of spreading malicious rumors about you."
A smile slowly spread across You Fang's face. "Zi Jing has been hidden by that person, which means that no one can touch or do anything to her, including He Ran. In such a situation, what do you think He Ran sacrificed to let you see Zi Jing? You forced her to pay a price so high that she now holds a grudge against you. You’ve sparked her anger, and now, she won’t leave you alone."
Lu Yin's eyes flickered. Was this true? It seemed possible. He had already noticed that both Uncle Mo and Ke Jian's attitudes towards him had changed, and even He Shu looked at him differently. Perhaps He Ran was the reason for those changes.
"We've told you everything we know, as well as who attacked you. You should show us some sincerity as well," You Lele pressed.
Lu Yin exhaled. "Yes, He Ran was the one who ordered me to get close to your You family."
Neither of the two showed any surprise, and they simply continued to stare at Xuan Qi.
"My goal," Lu Yin’s eyes moved to You Fang. "is to unify the Bureau."
Both You Fang and You Lele were startled by this admission. "What did you just say?"
Lu Yin explained, "Your You family once had a man named You Xian, correct?"
Both You Fang and You Lele’s expressions fell. You Xian was You Fang’s grandfather and You Lele’s great-grandfather. On top of that, the man was a joke in the entire Sixverse Association. The man had caused the You family to fall for an entire generation, all because of his ambition to unite the Bureau into a colossal entity. He wanted to both enjoy the authority given to it by the Sixverse Association and also stand outside of the overall structure. However, the man had failed, and that failure had made him nothing more than a joke. His name had become taboo for the You family.
Outsiders believed that the You family led the Transcendent Universe’s Bureau as part of a plan to split the family’s power and influence, but in truth, You Xian had taken control of the Bureau.
Seeing the ugly expressions on the faces of the father and daughter, Lu Yin knew that Uncle Mo had been absolutely correct. You Xian’s matter had truly been a severe blow to the You family.
"I have a natural talent for uncovering spies, so He Ran hoped that I would be able to wrest control of the Bureau from you and then use my abilities to unite it. Given You Xian’s history, she even felt that it was possible that your family would help me do so," Lu Yin stated.
You Fang sneered. "Not a bad plan at all. She sent you to us, understanding what my family values. If we didn't suspect you, it certainly is possible for my family to have helped you. At least for now, my family doesn't want to remain in control of the Bureau here. It would be best for you to take it over."
You Lele gritted her teeth. "That woman’s vicious!"
Lu Yin moved to a seat and sat down. "I'm telling you this as a return for the favor you’ve done me. After all, the rumors have already spread, which means that, in He Ran's view, there's no way you'd trust me, let alone help me. She's probably already given up on unifying the Bureau. Her original plan wasn't perfect, or else you wouldn't have seen through things so quickly."
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