Chapter 557 - 557: A Trap Set for You

One of these two auras belonged to Zhao Wenxiang, the Patriarch of the Zhao Family of Piaomiao Mountain Villa and a brother to Jiang Xinghai's grandfather, Jiang Long.

The second aura belonged to Jiang Xinghai's servant, Sun Zhen.

Sun Zhen had been the Patriarch of the Sun Family in the Provincial City, but after offending Jiang Xinghai, he was stripped of everything and ultimately taken in as his servant.

Both Zhao Wenxiang and Sun Zhen were at the Great Perfection of the late-stage Celestial Destiny Realm, a cultivation level that made them nearly unrivaled in the Provincial City.

This was especially true for Zhao Wenxiang, who, at over ninety years old, held the greatest prestige in all of Shanhe Province.

"Grandpa Zhao."

Jiang Xinghai looked back, his arm linked with Shen Lingxue's.

"Haha, young Xinghai, do you remember I told you to come see me once before you left?" Zhao Wenxiang, still dressed in simple gray robes, strode toward them, full of vigor.

"Of course I remember. I was planning to go and chat with you later, Grandpa Zhao."

Jiang Xinghai led Shen Lingxue forward to greet him and made the introduction. "Lingxue, this is Grandpa Zhao."

"Hello, Grandpa Zhao," Shen Lingxue said, bowing politely.

"Miss Shen, would you mind excusing us for a moment? I'd like to speak with Xinghai alone," Zhao Wenxiang said, looking at Shen Lingxue with a kind expression.

"Of course," Shen Lingxue replied with a charming smile. After a glance at Jiang Xinghai, she walked into the rear garden alone.

Only then did Zhao Wenxiang turn to Jiang Xinghai. "Xinghai," he said in a low voice, "are you and Miss Shen a couple?"

"On the surface, at least."

Jiang Xinghai's answer was complicated. In his heart, he had already developed genuine feelings for Shen Lingxue, but he had been holding back from confessing them because he still hadn't found his parents or killed Mr. Long.

"I don't understand," Zhao Wenxiang said with a wry smile.

Jiang Xinghai scratched his head, unsure how to explain. "Well, it's pretty much what it sounds like. I can't give her a formal commitment just yet."

"So, can I take that to mean her feelings are one-sided?" Zhao Wenxiang asked with a grin.

"Well..."

Jiang Xinghai shook his head. 'It was Shen Lingxue who first brought up the idea of having my child,' he thought.

'And she swore she wouldn't ask me to take any responsibility for it.'

'But could I really just walk away from my responsibility?'

'Let alone the fact that Shen Lingxue was carrying his child, just considering how much this woman had sacrificed for him... he couldn't just use her and cast her aside.'

"Honestly, for a young man like you, skilled in both Medical Martial Arts—a true rarity in the Dragon Country—it's only natural to have a few women by your side. It's perfectly understandable."

Zhao Wenxiang suddenly put his arm around Jiang Xinghai's shoulder and started walking. "Don't feel burdened by it. It's completely normal for a great man to act unconventionally."

"Grandpa, what are you really trying to say?" Jiang Xinghai asked, scratching his head again.

'Surely Zhao Wenxiang didn't seek me out just to talk about this, right?'

"Take this file. It contains information on Shanghai's three great families. Five of the experts ranked between thirtieth and forty-ninth on the Hidden Dragon List are in Shanghai. On this trip, you can try to befriend them. Once your cultivation reaches the Great Perfection of the late-stage Celestial Destiny Realm, you could even challenge them."

Zhao Wenxiang took out a document and pressed it into Jiang Xinghai's hand.

"Grandpa, does this mean that if I can defeat one of the experts ranked in the top forty-nine of the Hidden Dragon List, I'll get the information on whether Mirror Lake Manor is in Shanghai or the Imperial City?" Jiang Xinghai asked, looking at Zhao Wenxiang with delight instead of opening the document.

"That's right. This is as much as I can do to help," Zhao Wenxiang confirmed with a solemn nod.

"To be honest, I already received word last night. Mirror Lake Manor is on one of the islands off the coast of Shanghai. However, there are many islands, and they're all leased and monopolized by Shanghai's three great families, so I haven't been able to pinpoint the exact one yet." Jiang Xinghai then recounted the message he had received from Nightingale.

"Oh?"

A flicker of surprise and delight crossed Zhao Wenxiang's eyes. "That's even better, of course. But it's undeniable that you'll still have to deal with Shanghai's three great families, so this information should still be of some use to you."

"Of course, of course. Thank you, Grandpa," Jiang Xinghai said, breaking into a grin.

"However, when you arrive in Shanghai, you must not rush into danger. Take it easy at first and operate from the shadows. That way, you can avoid a situation where, as you suggested, this information was intentionally leaked. It could be a trick or even a trap set specifically for you." Zhao Wenxiang's expression grew increasingly grave.

Jiang Xinghai nodded emphatically. Zhao Wenxiang's warning aligned perfectly with what he had already decided.

"Are you leaving tonight or tomorrow night?" Zhao Wenxiang asked.

"Tonight."

Jiang Xinghai was extremely eager to get to Shanghai as soon as possible.

As for the grand opening of the AM branch company tomorrow and the launch of the new Repair Ointment, he would simply have to miss them.

"In that case, conceal your cultivation level when you arrive. Have Sun Zhen accompany you and let him handle all public matters. For now, just keep a low profile for a few days." Zhao Wenxiang patted Jiang Xinghai's shoulder firmly, as if he had been planning this for some time.

"I'll do as you say, Grandpa." Jiang Xinghai understood Zhao Wenxiang's intentions.

'Only by keeping a low profile after arriving in Shanghai could he avoid being thrown into the spotlight and targeted by those with ulterior motives.'