Chapter 9: Swapping the Civet for the Crown Prince
At the same time, the Chen family mansion was bustling.
Servants hurried back and forth, preparing for the evening's coming-of-age banquet.
In the master study, sandalwood smoke curled lazily in the air.
Chen Guodong clutched a military missive, his knuckles white.
His face was flushed with excitement, his voice trembling. "Ling... Ling Xiao is really sending someone?"
"It seems she still values her bond with Lin Lan!"
Zhang Li walked in, placing a cup of tea on the desk.
Her voice was soft and soothing. "Master, have you forgotten? Sister Lin Lan took a bullet for General Ling back then. How could a figure like the General forget such a life debt?"
"Our Chen family has relied heavily on General Ling's silent support all these years."
Chen Guodong gulped down the tea. "Hahaha! It seems I, Chen Guodong, am still worthy in Ling Xiao's eyes.
For a General of the Military to send a representative... this gives us massive face!"
"Her husband is a Senior Professor of the Alliance, and her daughter, Ling Yue, is a famous genius in the capital! If we can cement this relationship..."
Greed flashed in his eyes, but was quickly replaced by a frown. "Only... the engagement she made with Lin Lan back then was for that rebellious son, Chen Yu. And now I've kicked him out..."
Thinking of Chen Yu ruining his plans, a surge of anger rose in his chest.
Zhang Li's eyes darted around. She dabbed at a non-existent stain on her dress, her tone dripping with manufactured regret.
"Speaking of which, fate really toys with people. Why is Chen Yu so insensible? If Sister Lin Lan has a spirit in heaven, she would be heartbroken."
She paused, then shifted her tone.
"However... General Ling is stationed at the border, living through gunfire and war. I doubt she has the energy to investigate the details of our family life."
"What she remembers is the agreement with Sister Lin Lan. She just wants to know that the Chen family has a child she can support..."
Chen Guodong raised an eyebrow, catching her drift.
Zhang Li continued, her voice barely a whisper.
"Chen'er is now the sole heir. He has awakened an SS-grade ability; his future is limitless. And since entering the family, he has respected Sister Lin Lan greatly. Outsiders often say Chen'er reminds them of her."
"Sister Lin Lan and General Ling are both people who value righteousness above all else."
"Husband..." She looked up, her eyes shimmering with fake tears. "If General Ling's representative asks about the boy from the agreement... what do we say?"
She didn't use the words "imposter" or "replace," yet every syllable guided him toward that conclusion.
Chen Guodong's breathing quickened.
He needed the Ling family's backing.
His position as head of the house was shaky; without Ling Xiao's reputation as a shield, he would have been ousted long ago.
As for Chen Yu... that ungrateful brat didn't deserve this sky-high opportunity.
"I know what to do!" Chen Guodong slammed his hand on the table, a ruthless light shining in his eyes.
"Ling Xiao is stationed abroad year-round; how could she possibly distinguish these minor details? What she acknowledges is the sentiment with Lin Lan and the influence of the Chen family!"
"Furthermore, it's not as if she is coming in person."
"Chen'er is the heir of the Chen family, so naturally, it should be him who fulfills the engagement!"
Chen Guodong stood up and paced around the study. The more he thought about it, the more brilliant the idea seemed. "When General Ling's people arrive tonight, we will simply say that Chen'er is Lin Lan's son!"
"Make sure to mention frequently during the banquet how much Chen'er resembles her character from back then."
"It's just... I'm letting you suffer a grievance." Chen Guodong hugged Zhang Li.
Zhang Li leaned gently against Chen Guodong's chest, a cold glint flashing deep in her eyes.
"As long as we get past today, this marriage contract will be nailed to Chen'er!"
"With the Ling family as a backer, my position as the head of the Chen family will finally be truly secure!"
Zhang Li forced a smile on her face and responded softly, "It's alright. I understand it's all for the good of the Chen family."
Seeing this, Chen Guodong felt another pang of heartache for her.
"I'll go instruct Chen'er right now," she said, turning and retreating from the room.
Chen Guodong picked up his teacup and drank a large gulp of tea with satisfaction. "With such a virtuous wife, what more could a husband ask for?"
Whether intentional or unintentional, the news that Ling Xiao would send a representative to attend the Young Master's Coming-of-Age Ceremony at the Lanjiang Chen family spread like wildfire.
Who was Ling Xiao?
The Chief General of the 8th Border Defense District of the Great Wall! A General of the Military!
In the entire Eastern War Zone of the Great Wall, there were only two people with more authority than her.
For a moment, this news exploded in Lanjiang like a depth charge.
Inside the home of the Mayor of Lanjiang City.
"Ling Xiao?!"
"There were always rumors that the Chen family had shadows of the military behind them, but I didn't expect it to be General Ling!"
Zhou Mingyuan looked at the border entry report handed to him by his subordinate, secretly shocked.
The report also stated that Ling Xiao's daughter, Ling Yue, and her husband, Ling Wenhe, had arrived in Lanjiang.
"Hiss..." Zhou Mingyuan sucked in a breath of cold air.
Chen Chen had an SS-Class Natural Type ability. In this awakening ceremony, he was the only SS-Class Natural Type in the Eastern Domain of the Alliance.
And news from the capital stated that Ling Yue possessed an SSS-Class Natural Type ability. There were only three SSS-Class awakenings in the entire Alliance this time.
These two people... these two families... it was terrifying to think about.
The more Zhou Mingyuan thought about it, the more he felt that these two families were about to join forces.
Originally, he had thought he might skip the Chen family's banquet. After all, as the dignified Mayor, it wasn't appropriate to get too deeply involved with these people.
But now, it seemed he had to show face. He took out his phone: "Xiao Liu, clear my schedule for tonight. Also, prepare a... no, prepare two expensive gifts."
___________
Beijing, the Ye Family.
A depressingly low pressure pervaded the depths of the ancient courtyard.
Ye Bai smashed the teacup in his hand onto the ground, sending porcelain shards flying.
Intense anger surged in his eyes, and white smoke steamed from his body.
"Ling Yue went to Lanjiang? Is the Ling family really going to fulfill the engagement?"
He gritted his teeth and repeated the words, squeezing each one out through the gaps in his teeth.
Since awakening the SS-Class Smoke-Smoke Fruit ability yesterday, Ye Bai's confidence had expanded to the extreme.
This ability allowed him to control smoke, making him formless and intangible, and he could obscure the enemy's vision. This allowed him to walk sideways—unchallenged—among the younger generation.
And Ling Yue, that girl as dazzling as the stars, had always been the person at the tip of his heart. How could he tolerate her being bound by a so-called engagement?
"The Chen family, is it?" Ye Bai's mouth curled into a cold sneer.
The white smoke behind him condensed into a vague human shape.
"They are nothing but local snakes in Lanjiang. They want to cling to the Ling family's thigh? Do they even look at themselves to see if they are worthy?"
"Uncle Fu, we are going to Lanjiang too!" Ye Bai said, walking toward the main gate.
"Let the people of Lanjiang see who is truly worthy of standing beside Ling Yue."
_________________
Chen Yu was unaware of the undercurrents surging in the dark.
He arrived at the school gate of Lanjiang No. 1 High School.
According to the memories of his predecessor, after becoming an Awakened One, the school would establish a special "Awakening Class" for successful students.
Before military training, they would undergo a month of training in this class.
Since the comprehensive combat power of an Awakened One was mainly reflected in two aspects, the Awakening Class curriculum was also divided into two types.
First was Ability Development, and second was Body Arts (Taijutsu).
The Ability Development class was for students who had awakened Fruit abilities.
The Body Arts class included Swordsmanship, Kicking Techniques, the Marine Six Styles, and so on.
All students were required to participate.
This was where it got interesting.
(To be Continued)