Chapter Sixty-Three: The True State of Peach Blossom Cove

"You... have you been investigating all this all along?" Lin Grape had always regarded Yi Shen as the reluctant boy who never wanted to work out at home. But hearing Yi Shen openly speak about Anqing and Bloodslaughter, and his concern for the future of Peachblossom Dock, she finally sensed something was off with her son.

"Or is it that someone told you about these things?" Lin Grape's brows drew together; nothing unsettled her more than the thought of her son being dragged into such complicated affairs. Peachblossom Dock’s current state wasn’t just due to the heavy losses suffered by its main group—too many twisted dealings had taken root over the years. All she wished for was that Yi Shen could grow up healthy and unharmed, staying far away from all this.

"I found out on my own. I’ve changed professions now; I’m a mage." Yi Shen knew his mother was worried about him. With a wave of his hand, he conjured a small fireball and then casually dispersed it, revealing a glimpse of his abilities. "Recently, I made some friends—they’re helping me. What happened to Dad and Uncle Zhao can’t just be left at that. Sooner or later, I’ll demand an explanation." His tone was earnest.

Lin Grape looked at him with a different gaze. This reunion made her realize that Yi Shen was no longer the same as before, but she hadn’t expected him to become a mage. She casually cast an Identification Spell on him.

The spell failed, only returning a string of question marks. Lin Grape’s pupils contracted sharply. Only now did she understand the expression on Jiang Jinying’s face earlier.

"Did your father give you some special item to block identification spells? What level are you now?" A flood of questions rushed into Lin Grape’s mind.

Although anti-detection equipment was common, her level was more than forty higher than Yi Shen’s. For her to be unable to glean any of his stats, the equipment must be at least A or even S grade. Unless Yi Shen’s own level had risen sharply—but she found that unlikely. He'd barely reached level ten before, and even with rapid growth, hitting level fifteen in a month would be remarkable. So she suspected this was a trump card left by Yi Qinfei for his son.

"A little over level thirty. I’ll try to raise it quickly," Yi Shen replied truthfully. "I’ll seek the truth in my own way. My friends will help me from behind the scenes. But I’m not clear about Peachblossom Dock’s current situation, nor do I know what Bloodslaughter told you. Honestly, I don’t trust anyone from Bloodslaughter." His voice was steady and sincere.

Lin Grape was stunned again. Her first thought was that Yi Shen was joking—level thirty was no small feat. But the seriousness in his eyes, and the fact that he was never the type to lie, made her realize he was speaking from the heart. Though she was a priest, she’d mostly lived under Yi Qinfei’s protection, but now the way Yi Shen spoke reminded her inexplicably of his father. Her son was no longer that carefree youth; he was growing into someone truly capable of standing on his own.

...

After revealing some of his strength, Lin Grape’s main concern shifted to the “friends” backing her son, worried he might be deceived. Nevertheless, the two of them finally exchanged all the information they’d gathered.

After hearing his mother’s account, Yi Shen’s brows furrowed in deep thought. If everything she said was true, the situation at Peachblossom Dock was nearly insoluble—and his father’s circumstances were even worse than he’d imagined.

First, the issue of Peachblossom Dock. The direction Yi Shen got from Bai Hongjiang was essentially correct. The other guilds were indeed trying to win over people from Peachblossom Dock as their own representatives. Peachblossom Dock was simply too large to be toppled overnight, whether due to history or procedure. Even officially, Peachblossom Dock was being hailed as heroes who sacrificed themselves for Jingan Safe Zone’s exploration of the new world. So at least on the surface, no one dared to go too far against Peachblossom Dock.

Currently, there were four main factions in Peachblossom Dock. The largest was led by Anqing, the acting guild leader with many privileges. As former head of logistics, Anqing had no shortage of supporters and had publicly declared his determination to fight for Peachblossom Dock, winning much popular support.

Second was Bloodslaughter, which mainly rallied high-level members’ families like Lin Grape, as well as escapees from the Land of Moonlight. They resisted Anqing’s control, denied his legitimacy, and demanded more power to prevent Anqing from ruining Peachblossom Dock.

The third faction was led by Qi Gu, former chief of Peachblossom Dock’s eastern district, and included the third and fourth squads. In the past, these squads served as reserves for the first two and didn’t participate in the Land of Moonlight battle. Qi Gu was now the guild’s strongest fighter in name. He’d been aligned with Anqing not long ago, but recently split off, reportedly coveting the guild leader’s position himself. Rumor had it that he had the backing of Jingbei Industries—his uncle allegedly held real power there.

The final faction was formed by Zhao Weimin’s niece, Zhao Nanxing, who rallied a group of supporters. She sought to claim the resources her uncle had left in Peachblossom Dock. From the beginning, the guild was built on the foundation of the Peachblossom Dock Chamber of Commerce, in which Zhao Weimin, as guild leader, held over thirty percent of the shares. Zhao Nanxing, his only direct blood relative, had always been raised by him as a daughter and now held undisputed inheriting rights. Bloodslaughter had tried to recruit her, but she refused and instead drew closer to Jiang He’s group. She’d even approached Lin Grape several times, hoping she would speak on her behalf.

Each faction had its own representatives and justifications within Peachblossom Dock. Because of this, none of the real power holders behind Jingan Safe Zone wanted to get involved in this dispute, and to outside observers, the splitting of Peachblossom Dock had become an established fact.

...

PS: There will be another chapter soon.