You don't want your secret to be revealed by others, right?

"I understand, father." Xu Mingli promptly sat upright and inquired, "Father, I heard that it was at Lin Yue's residence that young master Xia Lie was discovered last night?" "Indeed, it was so." The Qingdu Prefectural Governor nodded and said, "I don't know how Lin Yue managed it, but he somehow kept young master Xia Lie hidden and imprisoned for three months." Sitting to the side, the Eldest Son of the Xu Family spoke, "This matter seems unlikely to have been accomplished by an ordinary person alone, right? Merely dealing with Xia Lie's Martial Cultivator guard is a challenge for Lin Yue, perhaps Daoist Master Tu assisted?" "Correct, that's what I have been thinking too." The Qingdu Prefectural Governor softly said, "This is also an opportunity for our Xu Family to eliminate future troubles. Daoist Master Tu poses no threat to Baili Fengzhi, but if he were to be released, he would be a disaster for our Xu family." The Eldest Son of the Xu Family nodded and said, "Although revealing Daoist Master Tu's true identity did pose a risk to our Xu Family, it is worth it to curry favor with Commander Baili." "Father, you do not need to worry too much." Xu Mingli also said, "Young master Xia Lie surely harbors deep hatred towards Lin Yue. Now that Lin Yue is dead, only Daoist Master Tu remains, and he is unlikely to let him off." "One must not hope for good fortune to come by chance." The Qingdu Prefectural Governor shook his head and said, "When we meet young master Xia Lie later, we must find an opportunity to mention this matter and let him know that it was our Xu Family that provided the lead on Daoist Master Tu. Not only could we ensure Daoist Master Tu's demise, but we might also gain young master Xia Lie's favor." ... "Qingdu Prefectural Governor Xu Zhiren, pays respects to young master Xia Lie." Inside the main hall of the Observatory Tower, the Qingdu Prefectural Governor, accompanied by his three sons, knelt before Lin Yue. Although they were unsure of young master Xia Lie's exact status, whether he was a Prince's progeny or of lower rank, his status far exceeded theirs, and kneeling was deemed appropriate. Moreover, with so many present, being among the first to kneel was considered fortuitous. Lin Yue sat lazily in the seat of honor, with Baili Fengzhi, acting as a close guard, standing behind him. He scrutinized the Qingdu Prefectural Governor's family and suddenly asked, "What gift did you bring?" The Qingdu Prefectural Governor was slightly taken aback, apparently not expecting young master Xia Lie to be so direct; it seemed his disposition was indeed as arrogant and unrestrained as the rumors suggested. He promptly responded, "Having heard of young master Xia Lie's bloodline awakening, you will presumably need Essence Pearls for your cultivation in the future, so I have prepared nine Essence Pearls, hoping that you will kindly accept them." As soon as the Prefectural Governor spoke, a low murmur of awe rose around the room. "Essence Pearls?" Lin Yue looked at Baili Fengzhi and asked, "What's their value?" "An Essence Pearl is worth about thirty thousand gold and is beyond price on the market." Baili Fengzhi, understanding Xia Lie's character, promptly explained, "It was unexpected that this Qingdu Prefectural Governor's family coffers are so full, richer than some of my subordinates, it seems they've bought Essence Pearls to store their wealth." Lin Yue's eyebrows rose slightly. Gold maintains value, but it certainly isn't as priceless as Essence Pearls, which only increase in price over time. He smiled at the Qingdu Prefectural Governor and said, "I hear a Prefectural Governor's monthly salary is just over a hundred taels of silver, yet you can afford nine Essence Pearls? Truly, the fat of the land is easy to acquire; it seems the position of Prefectural Governor is quite lucrative." The Qingdu Prefectural Governor had not expected young master Xia Lie to speak so bluntly, breaking out in a cold sweat, but dared not to agree to anything, merely forcing a smile. "Enough, you may go." Lin Yue waved his sleeve robe, indifferently instructing, "Let the others come forward." "Family Head Wu Yuanping of Wu Family from Liangzhou, with son in tow, pays respects to young master Xia Lie, presenting five Essence Pearls." "Capital Commandant Song Kaihong of Qingdu, pays respects to young master Xia Lie, presenting one Mystic Iron Treasure Saber." ... One after another, influential families from Qingdu knelt before Lin Yue to present their gifts, all cleverly mentioning the gifts they brought. Among the seven families, five brought Essence Pearls, but aside from the Qingdu Prefectural Governor, the others could only present up to five Essence Pearls at most. This led Lin Yue to realize his previous understanding had been somewhat incorrect. Previously, he had thought the wealthiest family in Qingdu was the Wu Family, with businesses spread throughout the city, but now it seems the Qingdu Prefectural Governor holds that title. "All your gestures of goodwill, I have accepted." Lin Yue sipped his tea, casually saying, "I can tell you all put thought into them." He then looked towards the Qingdu Prefectural Governor and said, "I am most satisfied with the Governor's gift; feel free to state your request." The Qingdu Prefectural Governor immediately bowed and said, "What are you saying, young master Xia Lie? My offering of gifts carries no ulterior motive; it's actually meant as an apology—I wouldn't dare to make any requests." "An apology?" Lin Yue looked at him. The Qingdu Prefectural Governor's face showed embarrassment, "I am ashamed to say, young master Xia Lie encountered trouble under my jurisdiction in Qingdu, and yet I was late in discovering Lin Yue's despicable intentions. It's truly a dereliction of my duty." The other families couldn't help but internally curse the sycophant. Lin Yue was a man not even Baili Fengzhi could capture, so why pretend to be accountable for a negligence? Just find an excuse to present a gift and try to rub shoulders and curry favor. "Young master Xia Lie, I too feel remorseful." Xu Mingli seized the opportunity and said, "I studied with Lin Yue in the academy, yet over these three months, I failed to notice his vile and despicable nature. If I could have discovered it earlier, I'd have been able to put such a scoundrel to death and avenge young master Xia Lie." Baili Fengzhi listened with some speechlessness; this was practically courting death. "Oh?" Lin Yue glanced at the governor's mansion's family, then turned his head to Baili Fengzhi, "Would I have any trouble if I killed the entire Qingdu Prefectural Governor's family?"