Lu Luo smiled at Zhang Yifan and, taking advantage of the moment Zhang Yifan closed his eyes, pinched his own forehead.

His head ached, but he could distinctly feel that he had established some sort of connection with the eye on Zhang Yifan's forehead!

As Lu Luo focused his attention on Zhang Yifan's head, Zhang Yifan, as if sensing something, opened his eyes and looked towards Lu Luo.

"Mr. Lu Luo, is there something you need, staring at me like that?"

"Oh, sorry. You're so handsome, I couldn't help but stare a bit longer."

Suppressing the stinging sensation in his eyes, Lu Luo averted his gaze.

It was an incredibly uncomfortable sensation for Lu Luo. However, to Zhang Yifan, it simply looked as though Lu Luo was wincing from eye discomfort while staring intently at him.

This guy is too much! Doesn't he have any manners?

Zhang Yifan seemed angry but dared not voice it.

And so, the two of them ended up in a staring contest.

He has no idea Lu Luo put an eyeball on his head. Poor thing!

Lu Luo was actually a bit surprised. He had initially thought that Zhang Yifan would leave on his own after bringing him to the study.

But clearly, that was not the case.

Zhang Yifan stayed. Luo Xuemin had surely agreed to this.

Lu Luo had always believed his conversations with Luo Xuemin were very important and private. They could involve secrets between the Inner and Outer Rings. For Luo Xuemin to let Zhang Yifan stay during such an important discussion meant Lu Luo had to reassess his perception of Zhang Yifan.

This Zhang Yifan is probably more than just a confidant. Even a mere confidant wouldn't typically be trusted this unreservedly by Luo Xuemin!

Lu Luo waited in the study for a while.

Soon, Luo Xuemin, having changed into casual clothes, arrived.

Once in the study, the two did not immediately resume their unfinished conversation but instead began to chat casually, as if catching up.

"Lu Luo, do you enjoy reading in your free time?"

"I'd say I love it. After all, when I'm not cultivating, reading is the only thing that gives me a sense of fulfillment."

Is that what you call reading? Have some shame, will you?

Luo Xuemin nodded. People who enjoyed reading might not necessarily be outstanding, but their knowledge base certainly wouldn't be too limited. That was a given. No matter if one read novels, essays, or academic papers, these books would always impart some previously unknown knowledge. That process itself was acquisition. Therefore, reading was indeed incredibly important.

"It's good to enjoy reading; it can broaden one's horizons. I especially like reading history books. A family's history spans decades, a dynasty's centuries, and history itself millennia. I often find many useful things in history. These things help me avoid mistakes, especially those that have already been made in the past."

"History is great. I particularly like that story about starting with a bowl," Lu Luo suddenly said.

"Starting with a bowl? What do you mean?" Luo Xuemin didn't quite understand.

"Oh, it's nothing. Just a novel called 'The Tale of the Sun and Moon Dynasty'."

"'The Tale of the Sun and Moon Dynasty'? Perhaps I haven't heard of it. What kind of books do you usually like to read?"

"I dabble in all sorts of books!"

"You dabble in all sorts? That might sound a bit arrogant to some people, Lu Luo."

Luo Xuemin thought Lu Luo was bragging and meant it as a gentle reminder, but Lu Luo wasn't actually bragging. The advantage Observers possessed in information acquisition was indeed incomparable to others.

"Actually, it's quite true. I've pretty much read all the books in the East Ring University library. If Uncle is interested in anything, feel free to ask."

Seeing Lu Luo's confidence, Luo Xuemin narrowed his eyes.

Without sufficient strength and foundation, it would be very difficult to possess such confidence.

"That won't be necessary. It's impressive for someone so young to have read so extensively."

"It's mainly because knowledge in the Fourth Ring is so scarce that I cherish it all the more."

Cherish it, my foot! Every day, when you're not cultivating, you're ogling girls. I'm the one who memorizes the books!

Lu Luo began to spout nonsense, but neither Luo Xuemin nor Zhang Yifan could see through it.

After a round of probing, they returned to their previous, unfinished topic.

"Alright, Lu Luo, if we keep chatting like this, I'm afraid we won't get any sleep tonight. A Seventh Tier from the Ji Family has died. Do you know what that means?"

"I... I don't know."

"It means that while the Ji Family is without a Seventh Tier, they are no longer safe. They initially just wanted to plunder some resources from the Fourth Ring but ended up staking their own trump card. How ridiculous! At a critical juncture when the Inner Ring and Outer Ring were completely fractured, the Ji Family lacked ultimate military power as a guarantee. What do you think will happen to a Council family without a trump card?" Luo Xuemin asked, pushing up his glasses. The reflection from the lenses obscured his eyes, making his thoughts unreadable.

The question wasn't difficult, but Lu Luo still wanted to stall and understand Luo Xuemin's intentions more clearly.

With a look of surprise, Lu Luo responded, "Uncle, why would you ask me this? I'm just an ordinary person from the Outer Ring. How could I possibly fathom the affairs of such prominent Inner Ring families?"

It was clear Lu Luo did not want to get involved in the matters of Council families.

But now, Luo Xuemin clearly wanted Lu Luo to get involved.

"It's alright, speak freely. Say whatever you want, whether it's right or wrong, it won't get out. After all, we're all family here. Besides, you're the leader of a faction now. When faced with such matters, you must have some thoughts of your own, right?"

Lu Luo grimaced. Did this old fox really want to drag him into this?

If you don't spill some information, he probably won't let you off easily.

"If Uncle insists on my opinion, then I can only offer my humble personal viewpoint. According to the power hierarchy of the Wasteland Alliance, this shouldn't be a very difficult question, should it? The Seventh Tier represents the pinnacle of human strength. As you implied, Uncle, if a family loses its Seventh Tier expert, then its ultimate power is gone. This means it no longer has the strength to contend or compete with other families. And once that strength is lost, there can only be one outcome: its controlled interests will be redivided."

Luo Xuemin nodded in satisfaction after Lu Luo spoke so bluntly.

So this is what Lu Luo thinks? Such a straightforward and cruel idea! "But why don't you consider the alliances within the Inner Ring Council? We are allies, after all. Isn't it right to offer a helping hand when an ally is in trouble?" Luo Xuemin remained smiling, and if one were to ignore the content of their conversation, one might even think he was asking about dinner.

Yet, the conversation between Luo Xuemin and Lu Luo could very well determine the future of a family—the future of a top Inner Ring family.

"Uncle, I don't know what allies in the Inner Ring are like, but if this were outside the walls, we'd only believe in the law of the jungle, where the strong prevail. There are no permanent allies, only permanent interests. From the moment Ji Shaoran died, the Ji Family was no longer considered an ally by other families. This family itself has gone from being a Hunter to becoming prey. Once it becomes prey, many will contend for it."

Such a blatant and unreserved display of aggressive desire... is this how people from the Outer Ring operate?

Lu Luo did not disguise his attitude in the slightest. His implication was that these Inner Ring families were essentially no different from beasts, which somewhat surprised the nearby Zhang Yifan.

And right at that moment, Luo Xuemin gave Zhang Yifan a meaningful look.

"Yifan, did you hear that? That kind of approach is what a leader should demonstrate. Though cruel, it aligns with the standard of interests!"

Zhang Yifan didn't know why Luo Xuemin had suddenly chosen this moment to say these things to him. However, he sensed that the words were not just for him, but also for Lu Luo.

"I understand, Family Head. I will strive to learn more."

"Learning more is useless if you don't learn from the right people. Lu Luo, at his young age, has achieved so much; he is clearly someone worth learning from. You two should exchange ideas when you have free time. Spending more time with him should benefit you as well; after all, you are also a very intelligent young man."

"I understand, Family Head."

Zhang Yifan bowed his head, hiding his expression. But through the Observer, Lu Luo could tell that Zhang Yifan's eyes were filled with resentment.

What was the deal with this confidant of Luo Xuemin? What exactly was his standing with Luo Xuemin? If, like in other families, the Luo Family was grooming him as the next successor, Zhang Yifan should have already changed his name to Luo Yifan, just like the deceased Seventh Tier expert Ji Shaoran.

In the Inner Ring, changing one's name was an unwritten rule. Adopting the Luo family name would signify that one's future lay with the Luo Family; this was a custom for Inner Ring families to maintain their strength. If anyone violated this rule, they would surely face opposition from everyone in the Inner Ring. Therefore, the fact that Zhang Yifan hadn't changed his name was very strange indeed.

Had he not mentioned it himself? Or had Luo Xuemin not agreed?

"Uncle, you're too kind. I'm just an inexperienced young fellow."

"Sometimes, experience isn't about age. For example, children who grow up in the Fourth Ring will definitely have more farming experience than children from the Inner Ring! Experience depends on what one has gone through, not age! People like Luo Feng and Luo Nan, even if they lived to be eighty, would still be clueless."

Lu Luo grew increasingly puzzled by Luo Xuemin's intentions. He had just seemingly belittled Zhang Yifan, and now he was even criticizing his own two sons. Fortunately, Luo Shan seemed to have some competence and wasn't denigrated by Luo Xuemin.

This made Lu Luo secretly sigh with emotion; Luo Shan really did have some capability!

"Actually, a quiet and simple life is also a kind of happiness!" Lu Luo said.

Luo Xuemin suddenly stood up and took out a map of the Wasteland Alliance from a cabinet. Rings One through Four were all clearly marked. He pointed to a section of the Third Ring and said, "Lu Luo, you don't need to be so conservative. Though we haven't known each other long, I can sense your level of understanding isn't truly reflected in that statement. A quiet and simple life is indeed a kind of happiness; I admit this as well. But you should also understand, Lu Luo, that this world is never truly peaceful and idyllic. If some people experience tranquility, it's only because others are carrying their burdens and forging ahead for them. The Luo Family's stability stems from its strength—a strength accumulated over many years, developed and consolidated by successive Family Heads. If one day, the Family Head were to do something foolish, like the Ji Family did by losing their Seventh Tier, getting him killed, then even the Luo Family would be in trouble! A seemingly peaceful life requires absolute, overwhelming power to support it. You should understand this very well, right?"

Lu Luo very much agreed with Luo Xuemin's words, but he still didn't quite understand the purpose behind them. So, he chose to agree perfunctorily.

"Uncle is right!"

Indeed, you are right!

Luo Xuemin was speechless. He felt that after saying so much, Lu Luo should at least have some opinions to express. Why was he being so perfunctory?

"Lu Luo, how do you think the encroachment on the Ji Family will unfold?"

"How would I know about such things? Uncle, you must be asking the wrong person."

This time, Lu Luo genuinely didn't know; he wasn't familiar with the Ji Family's industries at all. He could spout some grandiose, empty rhetoric, but discussing specifics was impossible.

"You really don't know?"

"I really don't know."

Luo Xuemin took out a cigarette and gestured towards Lu Luo. "Mind if I smoke? I quit because of Tong Tong, but I kind of feel like having one now."

"Of course."

Why would Lu Luo try to stop his prospective father-in-law from smoking? Wasn't that just asking for trouble?

After taking a contented puff, Luo Xuemin slowly began to talk about the Ji Family's current situation, "Lu Luo, you know, devouring a family like this is a very cold and cruel process. Setting aside Chief Justice Qi Lin, the other eleven families will first ignore the Ji Family's voice on Council matters, instilling fear in them. This fear will cause other Transcendents within the Ji Family to become disaffected. Transcendents are very sensitive; when they sense something is amiss with the Ji Family, some of them will naturally leave. That's the first stage of weakening the Ji Family.

"Once a portion of the Ji Family's Transcendents has left, the members of the branch families will be jolted into awareness. They'll become fearful and panicked, each fending for themselves, no longer united. In their bid for self-preservation, they might even break away and betray the family. That's the second stage of weakening.

"After these two stages of weakening, the Ji Family will only have two options: either fight a desperate battle to show others their resolve, or slowly wait for the other families to devour them. This process won't take too long, nor will it be too bloody. After all, we're all from the Inner Ring; we still need to maintain some decorum when doing things."

A bunch of ruthless vultures who devour people whole! What decorum is there to speak of!

Lu Luo also felt somewhat speechless at this hypocrisy; he thought the interest disputes among these Inner Ring families were as foul as the latrines in the Fourth Ring. But he still listened carefully to Luo Xuemin's words, because he felt that since Luo Xuemin had said so much, there had to be a reason.

"Uncle, telling me all this… is there something you need me to do?"

"Hahaha, you're really quite smart; you catch on quickly. Well, Lu Luo, any interest in joining in?"

"Joining in? Join what?" Lu Luo asked, feigning ignorance.

"Join in, to personally destroy an Inner Ring family!"

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