Oh no! My grandmother made me shoulder the responsibility for eight households!

Chapter 372 Compassion

The dinner ended late at night.

The sea breeze blew in through the window, making the candlelight flicker.

Lin Chen leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the table, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

Lan Fenghuang came over with tea, and could tell from Lin Chen's expression that he was thinking about something.

"What are you thinking about?"

Lin Chen took the tea, took a sip, and without answering, suddenly called out, "Yan University!"

Before he could finish speaking, Yan Da climbed over the wall and knelt on one knee at the entrance.

"My lord."

Lin Chen put down his teacup and said calmly, "Cha Haisha Gang."

Yenching University raised its head, waiting for the rest of the story.

"Before dawn, I need to know all their details, their hideouts, strongholds, and gang members, from top to bottom, without missing a single one."

Yan Da clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Yes!"

He stood up to leave.

"Wait a minute," Lin Chen called out to him.

Yenching University turned around.

Lin Chen slightly raised his eyelids and said calmly:

"Be careful, the Sea Sand Gang has a heretical cultivator with Celestial Realm cultivation behind them, don't lose any men."

Yan Da nodded: "Understood."

After saying that, he turned and disappeared into the night.

Lan Fenghuang frowned as she looked in the direction Yan Da had disappeared.

"Before dawn? You're rushing way too much!"

Lin Chen stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the dark sea in the distance.

The moon hangs in the sky, making the sea surface sparkle and look beautiful, but who knows what dirty things are hidden beneath the sea.

"Every day it drags on, more people will suffer." Lin Chen sighed softly.

"Those abducted women, falling into the hands of evil cultivators, every day is hell for them."

He doesn't consider himself a good person, but he still has some compassion when it comes to things he can do.

Blue Phoenix fell silent.

She recalled what Zhou Wu had said at the banquet—that by absorbing yin to replenish yang, one's essence and blood would be drained, turning one into a dried corpse.

She shivered.

It wasn't cold, it was disgusting.

Yao Yao ran out of the inner room at some point, barefoot on the floor, her eyes red, as if she had been crying.

Lin Chen turned and looked at her: "What's wrong?"

Yao Yao pouted, her voice muffled:

"I...I can't sleep. When I think about those people who have been trafficked, I...I feel terrible."

Lin Chen sighed, walked over, and reached out to rub her head:

"Alright, stop thinking about it. Let's do it tomorrow."

Yao Yao nodded vigorously.

……

Yenching University returned early the next morning.

Lin Chen had just gotten up and was practicing boxing in the yard. Yao Yao was squatting on the steps eating a steamed bun, and Lan Fenghuang was drinking tea next to her.

Yan Da knelt on one knee: "My lord, the matter has been investigated thoroughly."

Lin Chen withdrew his fist, took the towel Lan Fenghuang handed him, and wiped his hands: "Speak."

Yan Da stood up, took out a map from his pocket, and spread it on the stone table in the courtyard.

The map was large, a detailed nautical chart of Donghai City and the surrounding sea area, densely covered with red, blue, and black dots.

"The headquarters of the Sea Sand Gang is located on Shamen Island, about 300 miles east of Donghai City."

The gang leader, known as "Sea Dragon King," whose real name is Liu Dahai, is a Grandmaster in the early stage and is 68 years old this year.

He had eight hall masters, thirty-six incense masters, and about three thousand followers, distributed across seven cities surrounding the East China Sea.

Yenching University pointed to the red dots on the map and said them one by one:

"This is their dock, this is their warehouse, this is their casino, this is their brothel..."

These are the only businesses they have openly; they also have five more clandestine operations.

Lin Chen looked at the map without saying a word.

Yenching University continued, "The abducted people are being held in three places."

Donghai City has two hideouts, one in a fishing village in the south of the city and the other in an old house in the north of the city.

The third one is on Shamen Island, which is the main hideout.

According to undercover investigations, at least 300 people are currently being held captive on the island, mostly young women, along with dozens of children.

Yao Yao dropped the steamed bun in her hand.

She squatted there, mouth agape, eyes wide open, face as white as paper.

"More than three hundred... people?"

Yan Da glanced at her and nodded.

Lan Fenghuang frowned: "Where are those evil cultivators? Where are they?"

Yenching University pointed to the location of Shamen Island:

"Also on the island, there are seven evil cultivators, led by a guy called 'Bloody Hand Butcher,' who is at the mid-stage of the Celestial Realm."

It is said that he practices an evil technique called "Blood Fiend Absorption Technique", which is specifically used to practice on living people.

The remaining six include three early-stage Celestial Realm cultivators and three peak-stage Grandmasters.

Blue Phoenix gasped.

Seven heretical cultivators: one mid-stage Celestial Being, three early-stage Celestial Beings, and three peak Grandmasters.

With Liu Dahai, a Grandmaster in his early stages, there are eight high-end combatants alone.

With this configuration, it would be a formidable force anywhere.

Lin Chen laughed, but it was a cold laugh. "Interesting."

He stood up, looking at Shamen Island on the map, his eyes as deep and unfathomable as a bottomless pit.

"Let's make our move tonight."

Yan Da was taken aback: "Tonight? My lord, we haven't fully ascertained the situation on the island yet—"

"No need to touch them anymore." Lin Chen waved his hand. "You lead the team to the two hideouts in Donghai City to rescue the people. I'll handle things on the island."

Yan Da hesitated for a moment: "My lord, there are at least seven or eight hundred gang members on the island, plus seven evil cultivators and Liu Dahai..."

Lin Chen glanced at Yan Da.

Yenching University swallowed back everything he was about to say.

There was no emotion in his eyes, as calm as a stagnant pool.

But it was precisely this calm that sent a chill down Yenching Da's spine.

He had witnessed Lin Chen kill someone.

That's not killing people, it's crushing ants.

"Yes." Yan Da clasped his hands in a fist salute, turned around and left.

Yao Yao stood up and patted the dust off her skirt:

"Husband, I'll go too."

Lin Chen frowned slightly: "You're going to the island?"

"right."

"The island is dangerous."

Yao Yao puffed out her chest: "I'm also at the Celestial Realm, okay? I'm not some delicate little woman."

Lin Chen's lips twitched: "Are you sure you're not going to cause trouble?"

Yao Yao, hands on hips, exclaimed, "Husband, what do you mean by this! When have I ever caused any trouble?!"

Blue Phoenix said quietly from the side:

"Last time in Nanlin City, you demolished half of their restaurant."

Yao Yao blushed: "That...that was an accident!"

Lin Chen smiled and shook his head, then reached out and lifted her up:

"Alright, follow me, but don't wander off. Listen to my instructions."

Yao Yao's eyes lit up, and she nodded frantically, "Yes, my lord!"

Lan Fenghuang sighed, "I'll go too. More people means more help."

Lin Chen nodded: "You've just broken through to the Celestial Realm, this is a good opportunity for you to practice."

Ah Yue peeked out of the house and whispered, "I...I want to go too..."

Lin Chen glanced at her. "What are you doing, a nobody with only an eighth-grade cultivation level? Going to get yourself killed?"

Ah Yue pouted and shrank back, looking aggrieved.

Liu Shengxue also came out and said calmly, "I'll go too."

Lin Chen shook his head slightly, "You stay and take care of A-Yue and Piaopiao."

Liu Shengxue frowned, but didn't say anything more.

Lingbo appeared at the doorway at some unknown time, standing there expressionless.

Lin Chen glanced at her: "You're coming with me?"

Lingbo nodded.