Chapter 1348: Chapter 677: Something Fishy (Part 2)

The servant understood immediately and promptly agreed.

Lin Beichen nodded gently, remaining silent.

That afternoon, Huo Sizun, without any hesitation, headed straight to the city where Lin Beichen was located. Fortunately, he had been here before; otherwise, he might have gotten lost.

Huo Sizun arrived at Lin Beichen’s residence and instinctively raised his hand to knock on the door.

"Lin Beichen, it’s me, Huo Sizun."

"Come in." A man’s voice came from inside, sounding particularly weak. From outside the door, it was clear that he was injured.

Usually, Lin Beichen’s voice was never like this. Huo Sizun’s heart tightened, and he hurriedly pushed the door open. As soon as he stepped in, a strong smell of blood filled the air.

Lin Beichen noticed the panic in Huo Sizun’s eyes and calmly said, "What’s wrong? Since when did you become so flustered? Did something happen?"

Huo Sizun gazed at Lin Beichen, noticing his slightly pale lips and poor complexion. Moreover, there was a hint of blood seeping from his left shoulder, looking like a fresh wound.

At a glance, it was evident that he was injured. After hesitating for a moment, Huo Sizun walked closer to Lin Beichen and instinctively asked, "Lin Beichen, what’s wrong with your shoulder? I see blood, are you hurt? What exactly happened?"

Lin Beichen didn’t know how to respond for a moment. He instinctively coughed twice, cleared his throat, and attempted to change the subject.

However, Huo Sizun kept pressing about the wound.

"Just tell me what happened, so we can figure something out together. Don’t bear everything on your own. Besides, the wound is already bandaged and still bleeding, it must be deep this time."

Worry filled Huo Sizun’s eyes, but Lin Beichen didn’t take it to heart; he just didn’t care about himself.

Admittedly, the wound was indeed quite severe this time, but given his current physical condition, he could manage.

"Don’t worry, I’m fine. I just got a little hurt going out today. Besides, Ji Fan has already applied medication and bandaged it. You don’t need to worry about it. Ji Fan takes care of me every day and will change my bandages regularly."

Hearing this, Huo Sizun relaxed slightly and nodded, unsure of what to say.

Huo Sizun understood Lin Beichen’s nature. No matter what happened, he always liked to shoulder it himself without telling outsiders. But this very nature made him more prone to getting hurt.

"Just don’t wander around these days and let your wound heal first. Leave the rest to me, I’ll handle everything for you."

"How’s the investigation going on what I asked you to look into? Any leads?"

Lin Beichen instinctively asked. As soon as he spoke, Huo Sizun placed a thick stack of documents in front of him.

Then, he hesitated for a moment before telling Lin Beichen everything happening recently in Port City.

"It’s strange. In my investigation, there’s been a bizarre case in Port City recently with children disappearing one after another. But there’s no trace, no clues to be found."

As he spoke, Huo Sizun furrowed his brows involuntarily, and from his eyes, it was clear that this matter was quite tricky.

Lin Beichen understood that if Huo Sizun said this, it certainly wasn’t going to be easy.

"Is there really no clue whatsoever? It shouldn’t be. The people should have known about the missing children. How could there be no hints at all?"

Lin Beichen murmured to himself while flipping through the thick stack of documents. This matter was truly strange.

Suddenly, Lin Beichen realized that this might be related to the monster he encountered. Perhaps there wasn’t just one monster. These creatures were extraordinarily mysterious; could they have a preference for children?

The more Lin Beichen thought about it, the more puzzled he became, feeling particularly heavy-hearted as he couldn’t quite figure it out.

If the missing children were indeed linked to those creatures, it was somewhat plausible. But this time, he had no evidence, only speculation.

Engrossed in reading the documents, Lin Beichen drifted into deep thought.

"Lin Beichen... Lin Beichen, what are you thinking about so intently?"

Huo Sizun instinctively patted his shoulder, and Lin Beichen snapped back to attention, clapping in commendation.

"I understand now, I have some leads on this matter. For now, keep it discreet that I’m investigating this and the missing children case; don’t let anyone know. We need to investigate this secretly without attracting attention."

Lin Beichen issued these instructions with a serious expression.

Of course, hearing this, Huo Sizun understood the importance. After all, with so many people in Port City nowadays, any slight error could lead to a trap set by others.

"I’m aware, don’t worry. Besides, I’m not someone who talks much. I certainly won’t tell anyone about this. If there’s anything I can help with, just say the word, and I’ll do my best."

Huo Sizun readily agreed. However, Lin Beichen’s words earlier seemed a bit strange.

He looked at the man in front of him and instinctively asked, "You were so deep in thought earlier, did you think of something? Also, you said you know, what do you know?"

Lin Beichen glanced at Huo Sizun and replied, "It’s about the missing children case. This matter is peculiar, but I suddenly linked two things together and felt there’s some connection, although I have no evidence now. Once I find proof, I’ll definitely tell you everything."

Three days later, the Xuanzhen Temple was completely renovated, and believers began to gather voluntarily in front of the hotel. They knew that Lin Beichen’s presence was crucial for their gathering this time.

Thus, someone from Xuanzhen Temple immediately instructed a follower to invite Lin Beichen.

"Why isn’t Lin Beichen here this time? Hurry and send someone to invite him over."

The followers naturally understood the meaning. Meanwhile, Lin Beichen soon learned of this and was completely surprised by how warmly the people at Xuanzhen Temple regarded him.

"The higher-ups specifically urged that they hope you’ll return to Xuanzhen Temple this time. Everyone is eagerly looking forward to seeing you."

The fervor of the follower was genuine, with a smile on their face, showing no trace of displeasure.

Lin Beichen smiled slightly and quickly replied, "In that case, I should graciously accept. Please wait a moment while I get ready, then I’ll join you in returning to Xuanzhen Temple."

Lin Beichen tidied up his outfit, followed by a large entourage. Moreover, they had brought several reporters.

In the past, Lin Beichen might have felt a bit uncomfortable, but he had dealt with the media quite a bit for the company, so he was somewhat adept now.

Having the media present was advantageous, as it saved him the effort of promoting by himself; it was a free publicity opportunity.

At Xuanzhen Temple, its appearance had been beautifully repaired. The large bronze triple-door, with locks modeled after lion heads, exuded majesty.

Further inside was a foyer, empty in the center, likely reserved for something. There were no incense burners in sight.

Dark drapes hung on both sides, and the multicolored ceiling above was quite impressive.

"The completion ceremony is in the backyard, please proceed."

The person in charge, seemingly proud, directed everyone to the backyard.

Lin Beichen heard continuous praise from behind but remained silent.