Ding Meng could see the ancient courtyard from afar. This ancestral hall had left a deep impression on him. The last time he had been here, he'd already felt a deathly aura. This feeling was even stronger this time. Even though the sun was shining brightly in the sky, just a glance at the tightly shut mahogany door was enough to make him feel cold and gloomy.
A familiar voice rang out from behind the mahogany door. "Mister Zu, you really did come back alive. You didn't hand me a bottle."
This was Long Lin's voice. These were the words that Long Lin had said to him the last time he'd left this place. Ding Meng knew that there was no need for him to be secretive anymore.
Ding Meng's eyes focused slightly, and he released his telekinesis. The ancestral hall tore apart like the skin of an orange, but Long Lin was completely unharmed. She was still sitting on the grass tatami, her back facing Ding Meng. The wooden table in front of her was also completely undamaged. A white tea set was placed on top of it.
An Ugly Woman's eyes were filled with shock. This white-haired old woman before her was actually an unfathomable expert. Even she couldn't sense the other party's aura and strength, but the other party was still sitting there unscathed.
"It's been a few years since we last met. You've improved a lot. Please, take a seat!" Long Lin said unhurriedly.
Ding Meng sighed. He'd thought that he had been careless the last time he'd come here, not activating his telekinesis or telekinesis. However, that wasn't the case. He hadn't been able to reach the ranks of the Galactic Warriors back then, so he hadn't been able to see through the other party's strength. Only now did he realize that Guan Lin's mother was actually a terrifying expert.
Ding Meng sat down on the opposite side of the wooden table. An Ugly Woman stood behind him.
Long Lin's face was still old and haggard, but her expression was still calm and indifferent. If one did not see it with their own eyes, it would be hard to believe that this person had just blocked Ding Meng's Micro Attack.
Just like that year, Long Lin personally poured a cup of steaming hot tea for Ding Meng. "Please have some tea!"
An Ugly Woman was speechless. Ding Meng was also very generous. He raised his cup and drank it in one gulp. He was not worried that the tea would be tampered with.
Long Lin stared at him. "Is it bitter?"
Ding Meng said, "It's good tea this time!"
An Ugly Woman noticed that after Ding Meng put down the teacup, the sun shone on it, and there was a strange black circle around the rim of the cup. It was obviously the essence of the Demons. Even she could feel the purity of the magic energy. It was violent and sharp, but it did not disperse. It was completely integrated into one.
Long Lin said lightly, "Good things often give people an illusion. They are too evil, too dirty, too extreme. On the contrary, the so-called good things are bright and beautiful. For example, roses, diamonds, and cigarettes!"
This was a very philosophical statement, but there was another meaning behind it. Ding Meng could not help but smile. "I admire you!"
It was not a compliment. He had experienced it firsthand. Long Lin was able to say something like this, which proved that her vision and experience were top-notch.
"I should have known that you would come back to me sooner or later, but I didn't expect that the person I found would be you!" Long Lin said slowly. Her words were simple, but there was a deep meaning behind them.
Ding Meng said, "Then who do you think could have found you?"
"The Fifth Lord of the Black Handprint!"
Long Lin answered immediately. "Unfortunately, I seem to have overestimated him. Since he was released, he didn't seem to have any achievements to show. Since he couldn't show anything, he shouldn't have been able to find me..."
She paused and suddenly looked up. There was a hint of sharpness in her eyes. "But you found me!"
Ding Meng seemed to sigh. "To be honest, I never suspected you, but the clues slowly pointed to you."
Long Lin said, "I'd like to hear more!"
Ding Meng said, "I heard that the Hidden Front has existed for thousands of years?"
Long Lin said, "To be precise, it has been 1036 years, 2 months, and 28 days."
Ding Meng said, "But the real rise of the Hidden Front was more than a hundred years ago. The forces of the Hidden Front infiltrated the Fertile Chalk System. At that time, Guan Zong was still backed by the Gauss Organization and had dealings with the Empire's military and the upper echelons of the Frogs. He seized a lot of wealth from them, until the birth of the Chuangyu..."
Long Lin listened quietly. She even filled Ding Meng's cup with tea.
Ding Meng continued, "I've checked Guan Zong's history. He's not a business genius."
Long Lin was curious. "Oh?"
Ding Meng said, "Strictly speaking, he's a successful opportunist. When he was still in the Fertile Chalk System, he took advantage of everyone. He sold the information of the Frogmen to the Federation, then sold the information of the Federation back to the Frogmen to raise the price. Finally, he repeatedly sold the information of the Gauss Organization. He relied on this method to make his fortune."
Long Lin said, "Is there a problem?"
"There is a huge problem!"
Ding Meng said in a low voice. "Guan Zong was just a commoner, but he was able to play the upper echelons of the three factions. Not only was his life not in danger, but he was also able to withdraw. In the end, he even founded the Chuangyu Organization. This can be considered a miracle, but there is a reason behind this miracle."
An Ugly Woman was also curious. "What reason?"
Ding Meng said, "Think about it. If he didn't have someone backing him, would he have been able to make such a big move?"
An Ugly Woman's gaze fell on Long Lin. "Could it be that he was relying on Madam?"
Ding Meng shook his head. "Madam was still General Long's daughter at the time. She hadn't really entered the mainstream yet. However, if my guess is correct, General Long must have been Guan Zong's backer in the upper echelons of the Empire's military. If it wasn't for General Long's protection, Guan Zong would have been finished long ago."
Long Lin said, "That makes sense!"
Ding Meng said, "Later on, the Long family fell. Your father had clearly thought of a way out. He had Guan Zong marry you and make you the wife of an official. With the giant that is the Chuangyu Organization behind you, the upper echelons of the Empire couldn't do anything to you. Perhaps at that time, Madam had already come into contact with the Demonic Sky Civilization."
Long Lin's expression did not change. "Please continue!"
Ding Meng said, "In order to strengthen the power of the Demons, it is necessary to nurture a direct line of martial artists. That is why I met Guan Wuming Duxing at the Fengyun Conference, as well as Long Quan, Long Yan, and the others recently. They all had something in common. Not only were they proficient in the martial arts of the Demons, but they all changed their surnames to Long. But why didn't they change their surnames to Guan?
You must know that these people had once followed Guan Zong through life and death in the Fertile Chalk System. "
Long Lin said, "These are all a bunch of vicious interstellar criminals. As the boss of the Chuangyu Organization, how could Guan Xinqing have anything to do with them?"
"That's more like it!"
Ding Meng clapped his hands and said, "Only with enough benefits and power can we keep them in check. After they were taken in by Madam, not only did their power increase greatly, but they also enjoyed great wealth and glory, becoming the true defensive force of the Chuangyu Organization. It is widely rumored that the Chuangyu Organization does not interact with other organizations, not because they are arrogant, but because they do not dare to do so. This is because after these forces have been in contact with the outside world for a long time, it is inevitable that they will reveal some clues."
Long Lin praised, "It is commendable that you can think of this."
Ding Meng continued, "At the same time, this force is the true core of the Hidden Front. With this group of people, it will be easier for Madam to do things. For example, looking for General Gong Ping. I'm guessing that General Gong Ping was an old acquaintance of General Long when he was alive."
Long Lin sighed and said, "Gong Ping, Yuwen Liang, Zhang Tianyang, Ross, and the others were all old acquaintances of my father when he was alive. They were generals that my father personally trained on the battlefield."
Ding Meng said, "This explains why Gong Ping was willing to give himself to the Hidden Front and why Yuwen Liang and the others betrayed Wen Yang. This is not something that Lin Fei can do. Only you, Madam, can do it."
Long Lin refused to answer this question. She changed her words and said, "I'm afraid that this alone does not prove anything."
Ding Meng said, "This is just my speculation. General Long must have been a hawk general when he was alive. He always advocated for war with the Federation, but he had no choice but to give in under the circumstances and eventually died. The things that he could not do when he was alive should be done by you, Madam."
Long Lin nodded and said, "You're very smart!"
Ding Meng said, "The Hidden Front has a huge influence and many people. You have bases almost everywhere in the world. To run such a huge machine, you can't do it without a lot of financial resources. However, no one could find out the source of the Hidden Front's financial resources because no one would have thought that the Hidden Front was secretly supported by the Chuangyu. Only a large financial group like the Chuang Yu could support it, and no one in the Chuangyu dared to investigate it, not even the Head of State."
The admiration in Long Lin's eyes deepened.
Ding Meng said, "However, it is precisely because the Hidden Front has been moving more and more frequently in recent years that they have become a threat to the frontline war zones in the Fertile Chalk System. Perhaps someone has already begun to investigate in secret. Perhaps someone is already suspecting you, Madam."
Only then did Long Lin reveal a trace of surprise: "It is indeed very impressive that you can guess this point. In fact, I am not afraid to tell you that the people who are investigating me are the upper echelons of the military, and who leaked this information?
It was Guan Xinqing! "
An Ugly Woman was shocked. "You are his wife. Why is he still plotting against you?"
Ding Meng smiled and said, "Perhaps I can explain this reason. The Chuang Yu's wealth and the Hidden Front's power were all controlled by Madam. Guan Zong was just an empty shell. He had worked hard for many years and naturally did not want his achievements to be stolen by Madam. He definitely wanted to find a way to take it back. However, he did not have the ability to fight for power, so he had to use someone else to get rid of Madam. But he did not dare to do it too obviously, so he provided some secret information to the upper echelons. This upper echelon was probably Head of State Wen Yang. At that time, Head of State Wen Yang was still a pure Divine Light martial artist. He was definitely one of the people that Madam wanted to get rid of sooner or later."
Long Lin praised, "It's a pity that you were still unknown at that time. Otherwise, I would definitely have chosen you to be my spokesperson in the Hidden Front."
Hearing this, An Ugly Woman was shocked beyond words. She could not help but cry out, "Could you be the real leader of the Hidden Front behind the scenes?"
Ding Meng said, "Correct. Because no one would associate the Hidden Front Boss, who was everywhere with a meticulous plan, with Madam Guan, who shut herself in the ancestral hall all day, eating vegetarian food, chanting scriptures, and praying to the gods. Because no one would believe that such a powerful person would live such a life, no one in the world could find anything here."
An Ugly Woman was dumbfounded. She was speechless.