14. Ancestor spies!

As soon as Lan appeared in his family compound, he was greeted by a scene of chaos. Bodies lay scattered everywhere, and his family members were pummelling those who were still conscious and screaming. It looks like these guys were safe from the previous ordeal. He searched for Situ Xi, the family head, who magically appeared with a radiant smile.

"Great Ancestor," Situ Xi announced proudly, "I have sealed their cultivation, and we are waiting for your judgment to pass punishment." He glanced at the almost-dead people and continued, "Ancestor, these cronies of those vile families were restrained by our people."

Lan was going to ask if there was a different meaning of "restraint" in this world, but his concern about his mind being affected by that mysterious force took precedence. He simply nodded and decided to head home. Caretaker Rin, who had been hiding, hurriedly followed him without speaking.

Situ Xi, unfazed by the Ancestor walking out, continued to enjoy his work, happily going back to pummeling the remaining enemies.

Once in his bedroom, Lan summoned the system. "System, come out!"

He found himself back in the shady shop, and the blocky robot with square eyes was waiting. Lan asked, "What happened to me? Why did the summoning card take over my mind? System, your products are faulty."

The robot whirled in response:

< Query Accepted >

< Summon Card hidden requirement completed >

< Summon Card new information Updated >

<

Summon Card: 30 FP.

When registered user's blood is dropped on the card, the host will be summoned to the card after three seconds. Restrictions: Consumes user's lifespan (half lifespan × distance between registered user and host in meters) for every use. Three Uses Only.

Hidden Condition: The host summoned by the registered user will have characteristics desired by the registered user. Physical appearance of the summoned host will be as desired by the registered user. The power of the summoned host will be as desired by the registered user but cannot be less than the host's real power. Use of power will reduce the time of the summoned state. Max time of summoned state is 30 minutes.

> 

Lan read the description carefully. His sharp mind quickly analyzed the details. "So, my power will depend on the summoner. This is indeed a powerful item. But it affects my mind. Even if I accidentally harmed a few people, they would recover in a day, so no problem there."

He pondered for a moment and added, "But are there hidden requirements for every item?"

< Query rejected >

"Hmm, it would have been too easy if you answered that," Lan mused. Then another thought struck him. "System, what if someone imagined me as a girl or an animal?"

He was sweating as he asked, concerned about the possibility of becoming something undesirable. Dragons and tigers might be powerful, but humans always triumph. As a proud member of human society, I loathe the idea of being imagined as an animal.

< Query Accepted >

< Host's body structure will not undergo change; only the appearance will be affected. >

Lan heaved a sigh of relief. He bought a few boxes of sunflower seeds and exited the system shop.

The sun was just past noon, and Lan planned to review the Spynet footage. He had installed the Spynet but hadn't had time to observe its feeds recently. With the new members arriving and having seen their Great Ancestor, Lan expected they would be relaxed now. This was the best time to gather information as people would reveal their true nature. He adjusted his imaginary glasses and began reviewing the screens.

He watched as his family's crowd gathered the beaten bodies of intruders. Within an hour, the area in front of the main gate looked as if it had been newly built. Everyone then went to their respective courtyards. Lan noticed a drunken young man stumbling through the main gate.

The young man, around 21, had an unshaven face, scraggy beard, dirty clothes, and torn garments. Lan found him intriguing. The guards helped him inside and led him to his courtyard with familiarity, suggesting this was a normal occurrence. When the maids washed his face, Lan recognized him as the one who had slept during his first family meeting.

Lan made a mental note to address this person. He didn't watch further as the man had collapsed on the floor, snoring. He took a quick screenshot of the man's face and continued observing other camera feeds.

Lan saw Situ Xi pushing four rival family heads into stables. Situ Xi, along with Situ Pao, were trash-talking and occasionally beating the poor guys who were now awake. Lan realized the meaning of "toxic speech" from Situ Xi's behavior. He quickly switched to other feeds.

He then saw a conversation between two figures on one of the cameras: a stalwart middle-aged man whose posture exuded uprightness and a young boy around 16 or 17.

The young boy complained, "Father, now that the Ancestor is here and you saw his power, why aren't you asking for his help? I want to become like others, I want to cultivate. Why don't you ask for his help?"

The middle-aged man, with a strained smile, replied, "My son, cultivation is not everything. My foundation was crippled and cannot recover, and the same goes for you. The Ancestor has just returned. Do you think he will care about some crippled guys like us? Don't hold onto false hope and join me in the shop. The money we earn is enough for a happy life."

The father was straightforward, not sugarcoating his words. The son, going through a rebellious phase, stomped his feet in anger and ran away. The middle-aged man sighed, "This is for your future, my son. If they hear you are cultivating, they will not leave us alone."

Lan sensed a significant plot behind this and decided it was worth investigating further. He jotted down the details and saved the screenshot. He continued observing, but nothing else of interest appeared. The family seemed content, except for the rival family heads.

The family gathering was scheduled for three days from now. Lan planned to investigate the two new cases tomorrow.