After awarding the medals representing the "Reverse Scale" members to the group, Han Feng accompanied Lin Zhengguo back to his office.
Han Feng gently stroked the medal on his chest with his fingertips—in the center of the dark silver dragon-shaped relief, a reverse scale was specially made to be gilded, shimmering with a strange luster under the light.
"Against the Scales..." Han Feng's lips curled up slightly. "I didn't expect Uncle Lin to be able to come up with such a fitting name." Since that family banquet, he had privately started calling Lin Zhengguo "Uncle Lin," a title that held a special bond between the two generations.
Lin Zhengguo pushed a cup of pre-Qingming Longjing tea towards Han Feng, then sipped from a glass himself: "You think I'm just sitting around doing nothing?" His eyes gleamed with a rare excitement. "Now that China finally has its own cultivator organization, what are your plans?"
Han Feng gazed at the unfurling tea leaves in the tea soup, remaining silent for a moment before speaking: "They're like children just learning to hold a pen." He tapped his fingertips lightly on the rim of the cup. "They possess the power of the stars but don't know how to use it; even the most basic energy cycle is a problem."
"Oh?" Lin Zhengguo raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you say you were going to teach them those moves?"
"The techniques are just the tip of the iceberg." Han Feng looked up, his eyes seemingly shimmering with starlight. "Which true ancient martial arts family hasn't accumulated centuries of experience? A complete cultivation system, martial arts inheritance, energy utilization methods..." A wisp of starlight condensed and dissipated at his fingertips. "But they only have this—the simplest energy projection."
Lin Zhengguo's expression gradually turned serious. He got up and walked to the electronic safe in the corner. After unlocking it with iris recognition and a triple password, he took out a file bag that looked very heavy.
"This is intelligence we collected years ago." He spread the documents out on the solid wood desk. "These are traces of activity from the three existing top ancient martial arts families." Three red circles were marked on the yellowed satellite photos: an ancient mansion deep in the snowy mountains of the North, a stone fortress in the rainforest of the Southwest, and a blurry group of buildings on an island in the East China Sea.
"Dongfang, Shangguan, Zhang family." Lin Zhengguo's finger traced the photos one by one. "Especially the Zhang family; they've only been photographed showing signs of activity three times in the last fifty years." He turned to the last page, which featured a blurry close-up of a profile. "This is an image they captured last year on the coastline. Notice the tattoo on his wrist."
Han Feng bent down to take a closer look—it was a peculiar mark shaped like a moon. His pupils contracted slightly, and he looked up to exchange a knowing glance with Lin Zhengguo.
"Do you think these reclusive families will share their heritage?" Lin Zhengguo closed the file, his tone clearly skeptical.
"Of course not." Han Feng sneered, "So I plan to 'borrow' it from a second-tier family."
"You're joking!" Lin Zhengguo slammed his hand on the table, splashing a few drops of tea from the enamel mug. "The networks of influence behind these powerful families are ten times more complex than you imagine! Last year, an agent from the US was only investigating the peripheral businesses of their local families, and three days later he was found adrift at sea!"
Han Feng calmly took a sip of tea: "Uncle Lin, I was referring to the Nangong family."
"Nangong?" Lin Zhengguo frowned, flipping through the documents. "You mean the Nangong family, the one that had a conflict with the Liu family..."
"Yes, it's the Nangong family." Han Feng explained unhurriedly, "The decline of the Liu family was caused by the Nangong family. Now, some elders of the Liu family are even trying to use marriage alliances to bring the Liu family back into the ranks of ancient martial arts families."
Han Feng paused and continued, "Moreover, you know about the relationship between Liu Mengran and me. Old Master Liu also told me to take some time to reflect."
Lin Zhengguo stared at Han Feng for a long time, then suddenly chuckled: "Good lad, so you've been digging up your ancestors' graves all along." He stroked his chin thoughtfully, "Does Liu Mengran know about your plan?"
"I haven't said yet." Han Feng rarely showed a hint of embarrassment. "This matter needs to get your approval first."
"Speaking of the Liu family, why wasn't he among the team members you selected this time? Considering his abilities and your relationship with him, he should be a good candidate, right?" Lin Zhengguo asked with some suspicion.
"Him?" Han Feng shook his head. "He possesses the complete Liu family's original power, which clashes with the power of the stars. That's why I didn't choose him to join 'Reverse Scale'—the collision of these two original powers within the body can, at best, destroy all meridians, and at worst, cause the body to explode and die."
Lin Zhengguo suddenly grinned mischievously: "What about Liu Mengran? That little girl didn't practice the Liu family's martial arts, did she?" He glanced meaningfully at the faint red mark on Han Feng's neck, "I heard you've been 'tutoring' her quite a bit these past few days?"
Han Feng's ears instantly burned: "She's very talented... Su Wanwan is too..." He suddenly realized he was being tricked and quickly changed the subject, "In short, the Nangong family is currently the most suitable target for contact. They've been suppressing families of similar caliber, and I suspect there might be internal problems within them."
Lin Zhengguo laughed loudly, the sound making the windowpanes rattle. After laughing, he said seriously, "We must be fully prepared before any action, especially in managing our relationship with the Liu family." His eyes suddenly sharpened, and he said very solemnly, "Remember, any action involving ancient martial arts families must be reported to me in advance. I need to ensure we have sufficient contingency plans."
"Understood." Han Feng stood up and saluted.
Lin Zhengguo waved for him to sit down, his tone suddenly softening: "Xiao Feng..." This address startled Han Feng. "No matter what, you must ensure your safety. If anything happens to you, I'll have no face to face your father."
"Don't worry, Uncle Lin, I know what I'm doing." Han Feng felt a warm current flowing through his heart when he heard Lin Zhengguo's concerned words. No matter what the old man's motives were, he always told him to pay attention to his own safety.
After saying goodbye to Lin Zhengguo, Han Feng glanced at the training ground before leaving. There, five people sat facing each other, absorbing the power of the stars and cultivating according to Han Feng's instructions. Seeing this, Han Feng was very pleased and left the base with peace of mind.
It was already dark when Han Feng got home. He didn't find the two women in the villa. He turned to look at the other side, where his parents' villa was brightly lit. At that moment, his stomach started growling.
So Han Feng walked toward Villa No. 3, and when he knocked on the door, it was Su Wanwan who opened it.
"Ha, you're back?"
"Uh, what are you doing here?" Han Feng asked, puzzled.
"Your uncle and aunt invited us to eat dumplings? Who told you to only leave breakfast and not dinner?"
At this moment, Han's mother came over: "Xiao Feng is back? Why didn't you call? You didn't make that many dumplings."
Han Feng gave a wry smile: "It's okay, Mom, I can just cook myself a bowl of noodles."
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