Problematic

Glancing at the group in front, Yang Lin said nothing. Instead, he veered with his dark orbs and gave Grandma Mo a stern look. Meeting his cold gaze, she knew what he thought, but so was fate. She didn't feel stress or threat from Yang Lin, but she could tell he wasn't feeling the least inclined to accept this outcome.

At first, Yang Lin assumed that Grandma Mo was related to Ming'er, but now he felt that was a naive train of thought. Grandma Mo was simply her alias in the orphanage, she was basically everyone's Grandma. Thinking like this, Yang Lin returned his gaze towards Ming'er, closed his eyes, and imitated her in meditation.

The scarlet-haired youth's expression froze, then he coughed awkwardly. Him, the young lass by his side, and their group altogether were ignored just like that. It ticked him off, but he could do nothing under Grandma Mo's eyes, he had to swallow it for today.

Still, laughter and ridicule resounded from all around, albeit in faint whispers. Each word and gesture gnashed at his arrogant heart, his face boiled red in shame. Yang Lin had already conveyed his attitude.

Ming'er parted her right eyelid, sneaking a glance at the young youth who sat there not saying a word. His calm expression, a silver trace of hair bled into the tranquil river of black, resting draped over his shoulders. For some reason, his temperament appeared refined through hardships, but what hardships could he experience in little under half a year?

Enough to change him so drastically.

It was but a simple glance, a split second if one may say, and she returned to her meditation.

"Alright children," Grandma Mo's voice broke the atmosphere, suppressing everyone into a silent stalemate. Her hoarse yet dignified voice, as if it had a magical resonance to it, plucked the playfulness from everyone's eyes and planted a seed of apprehension.

Even Ming'er stopped her meditation, greeted by Yang Lin's eyes, in the ambient of this silence. No dared speak, Grandma Mo was about to announce something, and thus she parted her lips to speak.

"How long do you have?" Yang Lin's voice spread, shocking everyone present. He, clearly, hadn't planned to give an iota of respect to Grandma Mo after realizing she wasn't the least related to Ming'er. Now he had two figures in his books of retribution, and it seems like he would have to inscribe the City Lord's name in this book as well. He didn't know, but in fact, Grandma Mo's voice was actually imbued with her spiritual presence as it rippled, which explains its ensnaring attributes to those in lower realms than her; it was inevitable. Nonetheless, Yang Lin was actually unaffected, catching not only the children but Grandma Mo in surprise. Of course, the children had no knowledge that they've been hypnotized periodically, they had long believed it was an inborn reverence towards Grandma, everyone obeyed her unconditionally.

Ming'er had heard Yang Lin's voice. Alas, she had resigned her undivided attention to Grandma Mo, causing him to frown ever-so-slightly. Was I ignored? He thought, not knowing why she should follow people who would throw her off a cliff like that or had she already made up her mind of submitting in both body and mind to that City Lord? Yang Lin felt very displeased with getting ignored, though his expression didn't betray him, he seemed as calm and collected as before.

Reluctantly, he turned around and gave Grandma Mo his attention as well.

Grandma Mo's eyes flashed, no one knew what she was thinking. As everyone expected her to announce an urgent matter in regards to the Plight Canyon Region, she said, "All of you head to the ground floor. Lin'er, Ming'er, you two stay."

Her tone was amiable, coupled with her smile, the children could only comply in oblivion under the influence of her will. Once everyone finally left, Grandma Mo smiled at Yang Lin who had a passive, wary look in his eyes.

She chuckled and said, "Even having your wrist broken, that didn't cause the slightest ripples in your emotions, you seem to care very much about Ming'er?" Of course, the influence of her bewitching spirit was gone, allowing Ming'er to listen with her own discretion.

Silently, she grazed Yang Lin's side profile with her glance, vivid shock could be seen in the depths of her pupils. Was he mistreated on the ground floor? If that's the case, it could only mean he wasn't accompanied here by Grandma, but tried to close in on the orphanage unauthorized, all just to search for her whereabouts. Thinking down that line, a strange feeling budded in her heart, but she quickly drowned that feeling; she had no right to govern such notions.

"What do you want?" Yang Lin asked coldly, taking a step to shield Ming'er behind his back. Ming'er was a tad confused, was he protecting her from Grandma Mo? For what reason?

"Three years," Grandma Mo said, "You two will attend the Military School of Plight Canyon for three years, that's how long she has." She knew what Yang Lin was concerned about, but whether he could stand between Ming'er and the City Lord in the future, just how he stood before her now, that's still an unanswered question.

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It was the morning of the following day, gentle blades of sunlight enveloped the Cloud Mist Orphanage, some believe it was too good of a name for such a place in the middle of nowhere since the entire continent was called the Verdant Cloud Continent, installing the word 'Cloud' in the name of any institution could draw unwanted attention.

In front of the carriage stood the four guards Yang Lin had encountered earlier. Currently, he stood alongside a group of other teenagers of varying temperaments and uneven ages. However, he didn't care, he stood close to Ming'er, albeit he spoke naught a word, and she did the same.

She wasn't aware that Yang Lin attempted to converse with her yesterday, her mind was blank. On the other hand, Yang Lin was convinced she had ignored him, giving him a mental blow that she had yet to acknowledge him. Since then, they barely spoke, which had inevitably loaded both their minds with negative thoughts about their ambiguous connection.

On the second floor of the building, in a closed office that had a few large windows, a middle-aged man stood. He rubbed his chin, one arm behind his back, and in his shadow stood Grandma Mo.

She had briefed upon Yang Lin's affairs, then explained in detail about what transpired in the underground facilities. After which, the man said nothing for a while.

"If he is really a descendant of that family, it's not surprising that they would provide their junior with a treasure to protect his spirit," he said. Then, he clicked his tongue and continued, "If we can't control him, that's quite problematic…"

"Sir," Grandma Mo said, "We can't control him, but we can still control Xiao Ming, indirectly controlling the Yang descendant."

"That's not a long-term solution, we only have her for three years. In three years, if we can't control him, and he couldn't protect her from the City Lord, then he will undoubtedly seek us to bear responsibility…" The man said, frowning.

"This is indeed problematic…" He sighed, waving his hand about to dismiss Grandma Mo.