Chapter 268: 211. Set traps for the candidates

Qing Chen didn’t know what tasks had been involved in past Shadow Clashes, he just felt it strange that all the candidates were suddenly heading to City No. 18.

According to the information he had, Qing’s Bloodline was scattered across nine cities, with factions engaging in constant intrigue and rarely gathering together.

It was only for the Clan’s grand meeting, which occurred every four years, that everyone would converge in City No. 10… the political heart of the Federation.

But whatever the case, this intel was crucial for Qing Chen.

For the upcoming Shadow Clash, he would have to rely on himself.

And this chat group might provide him with a lot of useful information in the future.

It seemed that Li Si, this Time Traveler, must also have connections with Qing’s Family, otherwise he wouldn’t be so concerned about the Shadow Clash.

In the chat group, Li Si asked, “Is the gathering of candidates in City No. 18 related to the Lee family? Why?”

Chuang Wang replied, “Don’t you know? The old man from the Lee family isn’t going to last much longer. His residence in District 1, Half-Mountain Villa, has been under sudden martial law three times in the past two months, and there’s a medical team that’s become a permanent fixture there. From all indications, the Lee family is about to enter a period of chaos.”

Chuang Wang continued, “When a corporation undergoes a power transition, there’s always a host of problems. Qing’s Family has its Nine Dragons power struggle, and the Lee family is no different. The most likely successor now is the Li’s Big Room. But rest assured, the others won’t just sit by idly.”

“But why are Qing’s shadow candidates getting involved in the Lee family’s affairs?” asked Li Si, still puzzled.

“Qing’s historial shadows are most notorious for their underhanded tactics,” explained Chuang Wang. “You think these underhanded means involve running out on the street to brick someone in the face? Of course not. These so-called underhanded tactics involve espionage, alliances, and betrayal. In other words, the shadows have control over all foreign affairs. So, I suspect Qing’s second round of tasks might have something to do with the Lee family’s power transition. Perhaps it involves quietly choosing someone from the Lee family to support. That way, when the Lee family changes hands, Qing’s next generation of shadows can maintain a close relationship with them. Ha, just a thought, take it as you will.”

Contemplating, Qing Chen found Chuang Wang’s speculation quite plausible.

At that moment, he took Nan Gengchen’s phone and sent a message to the group.

A little duck: “I heard that the first task in the Shadow Clash requires everyone to successfully obtain a Taboo. Is that so?”

Chuang Wang happily replied, “Little Duck Brother is well-informed. That’s right. Previously, Qing Huai entered Taboo Land No. 002 as part of a task to retrieve a Taboo named Snake of Trickery, ACE-003.”

Qing Chen slowly typed, “So, that means every Shadow Candidate must have a Taboo on them. If we rob them, could we not get their Taboos? How about we join forces? Each Taboo has incredibly powerful effects; they are the cornerstone for establishing oneself in the Inner World.”

Nan Gengchen, who knew Qing Chen was a Shadow Candidate, watched him send this message and immediately hailed him as an expert!

This wasn’t just a desire to steal Taboos; it was clearly an attempt to incite others’ greed for the Taboos, thereby smoothing out his own path in the Shadow Clash!

That was Qing Chen’s real purpose for suddenly joining the chat!

Previously, he had baited the holder of the Devil’s Stamp.

This time, he had baited the Shadow Candidates.

Qing Chen was either tricking people or on his way to trick someone. Nan Gengchen looked on with respect; perhaps only such a person was best suited to survive in harsh environments.

The chat group suddenly quieted down as everyone seemed to ponder deeply about the Taboos.

As Qing Chen thought about how to steer the conversation, Chuang Wang suddenly chimed in, “Hehe, about Little Duck Brother’s suggestion, I gave it some thought and it’s not a bad idea. At least, I can provide two pieces of information: some of the shadow candidates heading to City No. 18 have no foundation there whatsoever.”

“Moreover, since they are participating in a Shadow Clash, they naturally have to fight each other, and we Time Travelers can just sit back and watch the rivalry. Friendly reminder, rumor has it that one of the shadow candidates has two Taboos on them.”

With those words, Chuang Wang undoubtedly pushed everyone’s emotions to a new height.

Taboos.

There were known to be just over three hundred Taboos in total, and most were still missing. Qing’s shadow candidates could leverage Qing’s powerful information network to relocate lost Taboos, but the Time Travelers weren’t as capable.

Therefore, pillaging would be a shortcut.

The Shadow Clash is a path of struggle; isn’t there also competition amongst Time Travelers?

After all, it’s just a more populous Shadow Clash, no less bloody than Qing’s own Shadow Clashes.

Many have already felt the strangeness of Taboos, like the Devil’s Stamp, a functional Taboo that, despite its lack of significant combat support capabilities, is equally mysterious.

To those newly acquainted with mysticism, such an item is irresistibly attractive.

Qing Chen sent another message, “But I think it’s safer to work together.”

But then, Lu Ya sent a message to the group, “There’s no need for an alliance, let’s just rely on our own skills.”

Qing Chen sighed in relief, it didn’t matter if they truly formed an alliance or not, he could never team up with these strangers.

All that was necessary was to establish some enemies for the other Shadow Candidates.

As he looked up, he caught Li Tongyun and Nan Gengchen staring at him blankly.

“Qing Chen, brother, you’re too crafty,” the young girl said.

Qing Chen picked up on a telling detail, Li Tongyun said he was too crafty.

If she were an outsider, unaware of his status as a Shadow Candidate, she would at most believe he coveted the Taboo, but only those aware of his identity would understand that he planned to set the wolf to deal with the tiger!

Qing Chen looked thoughtfully at Li Tongyun, only to see the young girl suddenly cover her mouth: “Oops, I revealed too much.”

“When did you confirm my identity? Through what clue?” Qing Chen asked curiously.

Li Tongyun replied sweetly, “No need for any clues. After all that has happened, even online there are people speculating whether Liu Dezhu might have a boss behind him. I figured if someone was silently controlling everything, it had to be you. Only Qing Chen brother has the ability. So, I’ve been certain of your identity for a long time, Qing Chen brother is the best!”

Qing Chen was astonished; many were seeking clues to unearth his true identity, yet Li Tongyun used unquestioning trust and admiration to directly deduce it.

Then, Qing Chen said to him, “Xiao Nan, now that you two have revealed your identities to each other, from now on, you’ll be partners in the Inner World. Try to support each other, and if you’re unsure about anything, you can always ask XiaoTongyun…”

Nan Gengchen listened on the side, feeling more and more that something was amiss…

Qing Chen turned to Li Tongyun: “How is the situation with the old master of the Li family? Is it really that bad?”

“Yes,” Li Tongyun nodded: “I went to see him three days ago. He was in good spirits at that time, but I overheard from the servants at Banshan Manor that he had fallen into a coma before, and it was not easy to resuscitate him. These days, there have been people continuously coming in and out of Banshan Manor, and members of the Li family from the Federal Group’s military are being summoned individually. It must be Grandpa Li arranging his affairs. The servants say he’s still holding on, simply because there are still matters unsettled.”

“Who in the Li family is most likely to take over the reins of power now?” Qing Chen inquired.

“During the internal meetings, I only had the right to listen. I could only sit quietly in the corner without the ability to observe everyone’s expressions and nuances,” Li Tongyun said: “For now, Li’s Big Room looks the most overbearing in the meetings, as if they have the situation well in hand. But I don’t think it’s that simple. The dog that bites doesn’t bark. My old butler said that there’s trouble brewing in City 18, and many will die in the coming times.”

Qing Chen nodded. In the Inner World, the heads of powerful corporations were no different from emperors. How many dynasties in history had managed a peaceful transition of power?

Thus, the old butler was right; many in City 18 would die soon.

Many people in the world think that the struggle for Qing’s shadow is a cruel process, and also foolish.

After all, the battle for the shadow that occurs every few years always results in the sacrifice of several outstanding young members of the family, making the system appear as if it were stabbing itself in the foot.

However, upon closer examination of these corporations, Qing Chen suddenly realized that the struggle for shadow was a clever system. It allowed for a very prolonged process of transitioning power before any extreme situation erupted.

By the time a Family Head retired, the Shadow was already in full control, leaving no room for anyone to dispute.

Furthermore, the process of becoming a Shadow Candidate also selected the cruelest, smartest, and most powerful successor for the family.

Even if a candidate was initially kind-hearted, it was difficult to maintain that kindness through this ordeal.

As harsh as it may be for the candidates, the system was beneficial for the Clan.

A huge entity like a corporation could only stand tall in the Federation for so long not out of goodness, but out of ferocity and wisdom.

It was only at this moment that Qing Chen looked at the time on his arm.

The countdown read 46:00:00.

It was two o’clock in the morning, which meant there were only two short days left for the current return trip.

“XiaoTongyun, go back to sleep. You still have to go to school tomorrow,” Qing Chen said as he escorted Li Tongyun up to the second floor.

Before entering the house, the young girl looked up at him eagerly: “When grandma and grandpa go back to Zheng City, can I come stay with you and mom for a few days?”

“Of course,” Qing Chen smiled indulgently: “Hurry back now.”

At this moment, everyone needed to rest and gather their strength, as they were about to head back into the Inner World and face the brewing storm in City 18.

…

Thanks to the students ‘Yanyu Jingruhua’ and ‘Ching Youyu’ for becoming new allies of this book. The bosses are generous, may the bosses make a fortune!

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