Upon hearing this, Cong Jixian furrowed his brow.
“Don’t boost others’ morale at the expense of our own,” he said. “Even if that Lu Ran is a provisional member of the Heavenly Alliance, that doesn’t mean much. How could he possibly become a core member? He’s just a Necromancer.”
Cong Shuang let out a sigh and replied, “Dad, you know my personality. I’m not someone who gives up easily. Even against Lu Ran, I won’t concede defeat—after all, we’ve never even fought. Like you said, he’s just a Necromancer, but… although he’s a provisional member of the Heavenly Alliance, he’s also a provisional member of the War Banner National Guard, the Mirror Flower Water Moon, and the Red Garment Pavilion.”
At those words, Cong Jixian almost wondered if he’d misheard.
As for Cong Yu, who knew nothing about this, her eyes went wide as saucers!
She never imagined that the helper she’d dragged over from the Necromancer Guild’s entrance would turn out to be this outrageous!
“Impossible! Has anything like this ever happened in Longxia before? Lu Ran is a provisional member of all four major guilds?” Cong Jixian was dumbfounded.
And if that truly was the case, then Cong Shuang’s deduction was spot on.
Once Lu Ran got through his rookie phase, he’d definitely become a core member of the Heavenly Alliance without a hitch.
After all, the four top guilds of Longxia had never simultaneously listed the same newcomer as their provisional member before!
This clearly showed just how highly the four guilds valued Lu Ran.
“I find it strange too, but that’s the reality,” Cong Shuang said.
“Is it because of Lu Ran’s background? Just who is that guy?” Cong Jixian’s voice grew cautious.
Because if the four guilds were acting this way due to Lu Ran’s identity and connections, then that kind of background was beyond even Cong Jixian’s wildest imagination!
“It’s most likely unrelated to his background. I looked into it, and it was easy to find out—Lu Ran comes from Blackfire City, grew up in the slums, and has no notable connections,” Cong Shuang stated.
Cong Jixian stared at Cong Shuang in astonishment.
If it had nothing to do with background, then it could only be because of his combat prowess.
But a Necromancer…
“At first, I also thought it had nothing to do with his background or his own fighting ability—after all, he’s just a Necromancer. But you already know the situation. On Ring Six, Lu Ran took out his opponent with a single Blood Spear—instant kill. If there’s no trickery involved, that’s absolutely terrifying. His opponent was a Mystic Armor Berserker—the bane of magic-based classes! Even I couldn’t pull off an instant kill!” Cong Shuang said with a grave expression.
“Hold on!” Cong Jixian suddenly thought of something and called out, “That doesn’t add up, does it? I just remembered—isn’t the Red Garment Pavilion a women-only guild? How could they list Lu Ran as a provisional member? The rules set by Ye Hongyi aren’t something you can just change on a whim.”
“That’s where the problem lies.” Cong Shuang sighed and continued, “According to my investigation, the rules of the Red Robe Pavilion were changed by Ye Hongyi herself. She personally modified the rules so that Lu Ran could become a prospective member. However, after Lu Ran, other male professionals still cannot join the Red Robe Pavilion. In short, Ye Hongyi changed the rules for Lu Ran alone!”
What incredible clout!
Cong Jixian was taken aback.
“Moreover, I suspect that the four guild masters making their first-ever appearance at this year’s Hundred Cities League aren’t here because they’re interested in the tournament—they’re here for Lu Ran,” Cong Shuang added.
It had to be said, for someone her age, Cong Shuang had done remarkably well piecing all this together from her investigation. She was clearly talented.
But this only made Cong Jixian’s heart tighten.
Although he didn’t understand why this Necromancer was entangled with such massive forces, having someone like that around would inevitably affect Cong Shuang.
“The championship will still be mine. I don’t know how Lu Ran pulled it off, but I’ll give him the respect he deserves. I will defeat him and take the crown. My goal remains the same—to become a core member of the Heavenly Alliance!”
“Good! That’s my daughter!” Cong Jixian’s eyes lit up. “That’s exactly what you should do. Don’t overthink all that complicated stuff. Focus on your opponents, win every match—that’s what truly matters!”
Cong Shuang nodded solemnly, then led her people away.
Cong Jixian sat there for a long time, only snapping out of it when most of the crowd had dispersed and a servant reminded him it was time to eat.
Suddenly remembering something, he whipped his head around.
Cong Yu was still sitting nearby. After the initial shock had worn off, her mind had quickly emptied again. Basking in the sun, she sat there drowsy and swaying, almost blowing a snot bubble—which oddly suited her petite, adorable appearance.
“Xiao Yu?” Cong Jixian smiled warmly at her and gave her a gentle nudge.
Cong Yu smacked her lips and looked at him groggily. Glancing around, she mumbled, “Oh, food. Food.”
“No rush. Dad’ll take you to the Imperial Capital Restaurant for something nice later. By the way, how’s your relationship with that Lu Ran?” Cong Jixian asked.
“Pretty okay, I guess. Met him yesterday,” Cong Yu said casually.
“That’s great! He helped you out big time with your quest—it’d be rude not to thank him properly. Tell you what, over the next few days, get in touch with him. After the Hundred Cities League wraps up, invite him over to our place. We’ll host him well. It’s only proper etiquette,” Cong Jixian instructed.
“Okay.” Cong Yu didn’t refuse.
She cast a slightly strange glance at her father.
Ever since she and Cong Shuang were little, the two sisters had been the apples of Cong Jixian’s eye.
Even though Cong Yu’s profession wasn’t anything impressive, Cong Jixian had always treated them equally.
But he’d never allowed either of them to have male friends.
Let alone invite any male friends over to the house.
This was a first!
“Dad, didn’t you always say no boys from school could come over?” Cong Yu asked.
“Ah, that was before. You two are grown up now—it’s time to be a bit more flexible. But as for other male friends, be careful, alright?” Cong Jixian cautioned.
The message was clear enough.
Lu Ran was acceptable. Anyone else? Still off-limits!
And of course, the reason was Lu Ran’s intricate web of connections behind him.
As the head of a major family—especially in a place like the Imperial Capital, where different factions were tangled and interwoven—this was practically instinct. Perfectly understandable.
“Alright, I’ll mention it to him then. But whether he comes or not, I can’t say,” Cong Yu nodded.
“Good, good, good. Just bring it up—it’s just a meal, nothing major,” Cong Jixian said with a nod.
Meanwhile, Cong Shuang wasn’t heading off to eat.
Instead, she made her way to the upper floor of a small western-style building.
Through the window, she gazed at the Heavenly Alliance headquarters across the way.
“So this is where Lu Ran’s been staying lately…” Cong Shuang murmured thoughtfully.
Then she turned to look at a portly man beside her and casually said, “Name your price. How much for this property?”
