The Shameless Young Master
Chapter 3: Departure and the Plan (Revised)
Long Lianyun suddenly leaned closer to Long Chen, her face mere inches from his. "That's right! Chen'er, I heard from the maids that you're planning something with Xue Xianxian. She's going to the Ice Cold Palace today, isn't she? What are you scheming?"
Long Chen maintained his composure and smiled innocently. "Aunt Yun, I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm just going to bid farewell to a friend."
"Hmm~? Just a farewell?" Long Lianyun's amber eyes glinted with amusement. She reached out and pinched his cheek playfully. "The maids told me you had Xue Ying prepare some special... medicine?"
Yue Lianxue's expression shifted. "Chen'er, what is your aunt talking about?"
"Master," Long Xue Ying spoke in her melodious voice, drawing everyone's attention.
"The Transparent Soul Poison mixed with Love Adoring Poison is ready as you requested. I've made it into a pill form that dissolves instantly in the mouth."
The silence in the dining hall was deafening after Xue Ying's announcement.
Every eye turned to Long Chen, from the dignified Duchess to the curious household maids who had paused in their serving.
"Poison?" Yue Lianxue's voice carried a dangerous edge. "Chen'er, explain yourself. Now."
Long Chen calmly picked up his chopsticks and took a bite of jade dumpling, chewing thoughtfully before responding. His leisurely attitude only made his mother's expression more stern.
"Mother, do you remember what happened ten years ago?" Long Chen's voice dropped, losing its usual playful tone. "When I was eight years old?"
The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly. The older household maids who had served the family back then visibly tensed. Even Long Lianyun's playful expression faded, replaced by something more serious.
Yue Lianxue's grip tightened on her teacup, her knuckles turning white. "Chen'er... that incident... we searched everywhere..."
"We destroyed more than half of the evil sects in the entire Eastern Region," Long Chen said quietly, his eyes distant with memory. "Father personally led the army. He razed over a hundred evil sect branches to the ground. Mountains of corpses. Rivers of blood. All looking for her."
The household maids who had been with the family during that time shuddered at the memory. Duke Long's fury had been legendary—a rampage that lasted for months, turning the Eastern Region's evil sects into a wasteland of destruction.
"But we never found her," Yue Lianxue whispered, pain evident in her voice. "Luo Ling'er... she disappeared that day. We found you in that evil sect, covered in blood, sitting atop that mountain of corpses. But Ling'er..." her voice cracked slightly, "she was gone. No trace. No body. Nothing."
Long Lianyun reached over and gently placed her hand on her sister-in-law's arm. Despite her usual playfulness, even she looked somber.
"Mother-in-law, that was ten years ago. We searched for three years. Every evil sect in the Eastern Region paid the price..."
"I haven't given up," Long Chen interrupted, his voice firm. "And I never will."
"Chen'er," his mother looked at him with both concern and sadness, "we searched for three years. Your father destroyed every evil sect we could find in the Eastern Region. We interrogated thousands of survivors. We hired the best trackers, consulted the most powerful diviners. There was no trace of Ling'er anywhere."
"Until six years ago," Long Chen said quietly. "When the Ice Cold Palace in the Central Region elected a new Sect Master. Luo Yan. She was fourteen years old at the time—the same age Luo Ling'er would have been."
Long Lianyun's eyes widened. "The Ice Cold Palace... that's one of the most powerful sects in the entire Central Region! Chen'er, you can't possibly think—"
"Luo Yan looks exactly like Luo Ling'er," Long Chen continued, his voice carrying conviction. "Same face, same age, same dual ice-fire spiritual roots. Tell me, Mother—how many people in this world possess such a rare constitution? And how many of them would look identical to my fiancée?"
Yue Lianxue's hands trembled. "Chen'er, the Central Region is far from here. The Ice Cold Palace is practically untouchable. Even if your suspicions are correct, how would you even get close enough to confirm anything?"
Long Chen's expression shifted to one of calculation, and that familiar roguish smile began to appear. "That's where today's opportunity comes in, Mother. Luo Yan herself has come to the Wuyun Empire."
The room fell completely silent. Even the maids stopped breathing for a moment.
"What?" Yue Lianxue stood up abruptly. "The Sect Master of the Ice Cold Palace is here? In our empire?"
"She arrived three days ago," Long Chen confirmed. "She's here personally to escort Xue Xianxian back to the Ice Cold Palace. Apparently, Xianxian's dual ice-fire spiritual roots impressed them enough that the Sect Master herself came to ensure her safe arrival."
"That's... unprecedented," Long Lianyun breathed. "Sect Masters from the Central Region almost never visit the Eastern Region. They consider it beneath them."
"Which is exactly why this is my only chance," Long Chen said firmly. "Once Xianxian enters the Ice Cold Palace and Luo Yan returns to the Central Region, I'll never get another opportunity like this."
Yue Lianxue sat back down slowly, her mind clearly racing. "Chen'er, even if Luo Yan is here, what exactly are you planning? You can't just walk up to the Sect Master of the Ice Cold Palace and demand to see if she has a birthmark on her chest!"
"Of course not, Mother," Long Chen said with that shameless grin fully returned. "I have a much more... elegant plan."
"Elegant?" his mother repeated skeptically. "When you use that tone, it usually means something outrageous."
"I prefer to think of it as creative," Long Chen corrected. "You see, I've gathered extensive information about Luo Yan over the past six years. Unlike the previous Sect Master Luo Yun, who was cold and distant, Luo Yan has a completely different personality."
"Different how?" Long Lianyun leaned forward with interest.
"She's curious. Talkative. Some even say playful," Long Chen explained. "The disciples of the Ice Cold Palace were shocked when she became Sect Master because she's so unlike the traditional image of their sect. She laughs, she jokes, she's genuinely interested in people and new experiences."
"That does sound like..." Yue Lianxue's voice caught, "that sounds like Ling'er."
Long Chen nodded. "Exactly. Luo Ling'er was always curious about everything, always talking, always smiling. If Luo Yan truly is her, then her core personality might still be intact, even if her memories are sealed or altered."
"So what's your plan?" his mother asked carefully.