As they rode on their horses into the courtyard, they were greeted with a garden like scenery with blue waters surrounding them, fake mountains erected. The feeling of spring, with flowers and bushes all around with a wonderful fragrance. It made one feel as though they were in the holiday resort of a Duke.

After going pa.s.s the front hall, there was a small training field with white populus trees around it. Behind the trees were neatly arranged houses able to fit a few thousand people. Every door had a short willow tree beside it, swaying in the wind. By the sides of the doors, there were two pots of flowers, making it look like the residence of the common folk; it was there to fool people.

Walking in deeper, their view suddenly widened, walking into a large, well equipped plaza capable of holding 10,000 people at once. After crossing the plaza, Mount Victory would be up ahead. For the construction of the outer wall and houses, Ling Tian ordered that the required rocks can only be extracted from Mount Victory. At the same time, he sent someone to specially oversee the whole excavation process. After the courtyard was fully completed, almost half of Mount Victory was dug away! The large volume of rocks being dug out formed a deep cave with two huge stone doors on the outside. Apart from a large training room, a few stone chambers were dug out as per Ling Tian’s request. This place was the real secret base!

Only after achieving an outstanding result on the outside will they have the chance to enter this cave to train. Those training in the cave would be changed every month, with every batch being completely different. In the eyes of Ling Tian’s private army of 20,000, it was a glorious affair to be able to enter the cave! Entering the cave would mean that they received the approval of the young n.o.ble! Thus, in order to enter the cave, everyone would train like mad. As such, their strength had rose rapidly!

As the eight burly guards saw Ling Tian arrived, they took a bow and opened the stone door. Ling Tian did not stop as he instructed, "Call Feng, Yun, Lei, Chi, Dian and Liu, Qi, Ba, Jiu, s.h.i.+ to my study."

After acknowledging his command, they went to inform the relevant people.

A short while later, the people who Ling Tian requested for arrived at his study.

While it was called a study, it was actually a cave with a few simple table and chairs. Ling Tian nodded his head as he saw that everyone had arrived. Then, he pressed a switch on the table. With the sound of grinding gears, the stone wall behind Ling Tian flipped open, revealing a large s.p.a.ce. In the middle of the s.p.a.ce was a large, oval stone desk with chairs filled around it: it looked exactly like a modern day conference room. In truth, Ling Tian had modelled this room after a modern day conference room.

By the side of the walls, there were large bookcases with blank s.p.a.ces separating many small compartments, being stuffed with different information. Every compartment would have the name of an empire, aristocratic family, with the large majority being filled with names.

This was Ling Tian’s information gathering net; in these few years, he had collected news from all over the continent. Every other day, there will be someone who would come here to categorize the information and arrange it neatly. This was like the archive room from his previous life. Anyone who is able to enter this room had either followed him since he was young, or was nurtured by Ling Tian from young. They were all the aides which he trusted! These were the core personnels in his current organization!

All of them stood up straight with hands behind their backs as they looked at Ling Tian with a face full of wors.h.i.+p and admiration! While Ling Tian was like a good for nothing youth in the Ling family, he was the iron mask hades in the Ling Family Courtyard! As Ling Tian grew up, his authority began to grow as his body gradually began to emanate prestige and majesty! In front of Ling Tian, they all felt as though they were looking at the peak of a tall mountain.

Ling Tian sat down calmly at the head of the table and Ling Chen stood behind him with a chilly face, her cold gaze sweeping pa.s.s the whole crowd. Out of respect for Ling Tian, they did not dare to look down on Ling Chen either. They all knew that Ling Chen was the closest to Ling Tian. Thus, they would only call her Miss Chen usually and would not address her by her name.

Furthermore, everyone in front of Ling Tian now had suffered under Ling Chen before. While they knew that she was Ling Tian’s personal maid, her martial arts was also a head above the rest. In the Ling Family Courtyard, only Ling Jian, who everyone feared, was able to compete with her. The rest of them were not even able to last 10 moves against her! As such, they were all afraid of this cold but beautiful lady. They knew that if they offended Ling Tian, Ling Tian may still let them off the hook and give them a lenient punishment. But if they were to frustrate Ling Chen, it would be worst than frustrating their young n.o.ble! It would probably be useless even if Ling Jian were to personally plead on their behalfs.

After glancing at everyone, Ling Tian said calmly, "Take a seat."

Everyone acknowledged and sat down silently. They then looked at Ling Tian, knowing that their young n.o.ble would probably have something big to tell them.

Just when Ling Tian wanted to open his mouth, he thought of something and instructed, "Ling Chi, go and call Feng Mo and w.a.n.g Han over. There is something for me to instruct them today."

Ling Chi was a scrawny teen with a resolute gaze. After hearing Ling Tian’s instructions, he acknowledged it and left swiftly.

Ling Tian then hammered the stone desk lightly with his finger as he asked, "Ling Qi is in charge of the south right?"

A well built young man stood up and said, "Yes, young n.o.ble."

Ling Tian responded with a ‘mmm’ and said, "Go and take out all the information regarding the marriages of the children in the NanGong family. Also, bring out all the information on NanGong Le and NanGong Yu, together with their relations.h.i.+p with the successor. Bring out anything related to these things. I want them in front of me before Feng Mo arrives."

Without a change in expression, Ling Qi said, "Yes!" He then stood up and walk to the bookcase to search for the information.

"Ling Jiu, go and take out the same information regarding the Yang family. Ling Liu, information on the Yu family."

"Yes, young n.o.ble."

The stone door then opened gently as two maids walked in, one holding hot water and the other holding a tea set. After placing a cup of tea in front of everyone, they left silently. From the start to the end, they did not dare to lift their head and look at Ling Tian! When they glanced at him occasionally, their gazes would be full of wors.h.i.+p and grat.i.tude.

Ling Tian then read through the information Ling Qi and Ling Jiu presented to him with his eyebrows furrowed.

"Reporting to young n.o.ble, Feng Mo and w.a.n.g Han requests to enter."

Ling Tian responded with a ‘oh’; while it wasn’t loud, it pa.s.sed through the door, entering into the ears of the person outside.

Feng Mo and w.a.n.g Han then walked in respectfully. The both of them were filled with explosive muscles, burly and tall.