The Lin's Patriarch is weird.

Chapter 152: 152. The Father & Son duo.

It was important to understand that something like this had never happened before.

In the cultivation world, strength was power.

Without sufficient strength, how could anyone expect to lead others?

Respect was almost always given to those with a higher cultivation realm, or at the very least, to those who stood on equal footing.

Expecting clan members to willingly follow someone whose cultivation was weaker than their own was therefore difficult to imagine.

Su Qinglan genuinely could not understand what the Patriarch was thinking.

"Elder Su, think about it."

Lin Xuan leaned back slightly.

"How many members of our family possess decent Martial Spirits, yet have ended up doing absolutely nothing except drinking wine every day while living off the monthly resources we provide them?"

Su Qinglan’s expression became slightly awkward.

"B-But they have depression."

Lin Xuan shook his head.

"You know as well as I do that they’re simply mooching off the clan."

Su Qinglan did not deny it.

In fact, she had even previously proposed ways to reduce the monthly expenses allocated to those who had completely abandoned the path of cultivation.

Unfortunately, Lin Zhenghai had still been alive at the time.

Every proposal she made had been overturned whenever it threatened the benefits of those people.

But Zhenghai was no longer alive.

For the first time, Su Qinglan could actually put some of those ideas into practice.

Lin Xuan continued,"Still, let’s not be too heartless."

He paused briefly before adding,"If they truly want to give cultivation one final try, we can help them find a dual cultivation partner."

Su Qinglan’s expression immediately turned stern.

"No, I’m definitely not letting the treasury fork out money for the dowries."

"Uh..."

Lin Xuan was momentarily speechless.

"I suppose we can work that out slowly."

He cleared his throat before returning to the main topic.

"For now, what I really intend to do is allow those who possess talent for leadership to take on greater responsibilities within the clan.

Those with exceptional cultivation talent can then devote more of their time to cultivation instead of being buried beneath administrative duties."

Su Qinglan fell silent as she gradually understood what Lin Xuan was trying to accomplish.

Yet she still could not figure out how he intended to make it work.

"As noble as your idea may be, Little Xuan, those old fellows will definitely reject your proposal. And I don’t think anyone will willingly take orders from someone whose cultivation is weaker than their own."

Lin Xuan smiled calmly.

"Well, I do. I’m sure the others will manage."

Su Qinglan was about to ask what he meant by that.

But then she suddenly understood.

Despite possessing the cultivation of a Golden Core expert, as the patriach he didn’t have free reign and still needed to weigh in the opinions of the elders.

Su Qinglan could not help but mock herself inwardly.

If the Patriarch has been doing it every day for this long, why shouldn’t we?

A faint smile appeared on her face.

"All right, Little Xuan. I’ll definitely train one."

She paused, seemingly recalling someone.

"In fact, there is a young girl I’ve had my eye on for quite some time. I’ve always thought it was a pity that her Martial Spirit was so weak. She only awakened a First-Grade Martial Spirit, yet she is exceptionally talented when it comes to calculations and managing figures."

Su Qinglan’s smile became warmer.

"I suppose she wasn’t as unlucky as I thought."

Lin Xuan laughed.

"That’s wonderful to hear, Elder Su. I’m surprised you’re willing to accept the suggestion before I’ve even made it into a rule."

Su Qinglan laughed along with him.

"Well, if you somehow decide not to make it a rule after all this. I’ll simply spend my entire fortune making sure everyone remembers you as a liar."

Lin Xuan’s smile froze for a moment.

"Elder Su, that’s a rather expensive threat."

"Then you’d better keep your word."

The two exchanged glances before laughing together.

The two continued chatting for a few more minutes before Su Qinglan finally stood.

"Thank you for your time, Little Xuan. And I’m genuinely happy about this new Merit Hall you’re establishing. It has already taken a considerable weight off my shoulders."

Lin Xuan smiled politely.

"And I’m happy that you’ve continued standing with the clan despite everything we’ve been through. Your loyalty hasn’t gone unnoticed."

He paused before adding,

"Don’t forget to train that girl properly and help her prepare for her breakthrough. I’ll have Zhaoyue prepare the necessary pills."

"All right."

Su Qinglan nodded.

With that, she left the office and the room soon fell silent.

Lin Xuan leaned back in his chair and sighed as he stared out the window.

He really did not have the heart to continue reading the pile of documents in front of him.

Still, forcing himself to get back to work, he picked up the next document, stamped his approval on it, and placed it to the side.

It concerned the Xu Family.

He had decided to relocate them to Hollowshade Village, one of the villages within the Yew Woods, while providing them with sufficient resources to establish themselves there.

The Lin Family would also provide them with financial and personal assistance during their transition.

Lin Xuan stared at the document for a moment.

He did not exactly have any pleasant memories involving the Xu Family.

If anything, his encounters with them had been rather unpleasant.

However, because of his daughter’s advice, he had decided not to completely disregard them.

Perhaps there was more to the Xu Family than what he had seen so far.

At the very least, they were worth keeping an eye on.

Lin Xuan exhaled deeply and leaned back in his chair.

Then another thought surfaced, "What is that old man and his son doing right now?"

———————————————————

"Achoo!"

Shen Haosi suddenly sneezed.

The young boy beside him immediately looked over with concern.

"Are you all right, Dad?"

"I’m fine. Don’t worry."

Shen Haosi rubbed his nose and shook his head.

"It’s just a sneeze."

The young boy nodded, though the worry in his eyes did not completely disappear.

The two of them were currently in Moonveil City, a place situated a considerable distance from Azure Willow City.

It was far enough that returning to Azure Willow City was no longer a simple matter.

Shen Haosi had deliberately brought his son here after his encounter with the Lin Patriarch.

That encounter had changed his plans completely.

He had originally believed that remaining in Azure Willow City would be possible, but after having been greeted by the patriach, he had immediately abandoned that thought.

There was no point being in the radar of someone he could not afford to offend.

For now, Moonveil City was where he and his son would begin again.

"Waiter! Another bowl of chicken and ginger soup!"

A loud voice suddenly rang out from one of the nearby tables.

Shen Yumeng immediately straightened and nodded.

"Coming right up, dear customer!"

The shout brought Shen Haosi back to reality.

Without wasting a moment, he immediately returned to work.

His hands moved with practiced ease as he lifted the pot and began preparing another serving of chicken and ginger soup.

The rich aroma quickly filled the small restaurant.

Beside him, thirteen-year-old Shen Yumeng quietly watched his father cook.

As he watched, he could not help but think back to everything that had happened.

His father had originally brought him to Azure Willow City with the intention of settling down and opening a business there.

At the time, neither of them had expected anything unusual.

They had merely wanted a peaceful place to live.

Who could have imagined that they would immediately attract the attention of the Lin Family?

Not only that, but the Lin Patriarch himself had personally come to greet them.

He had even handed them a gift.

Even now, Shen Yumeng still found the entire experience surreal.

The Lin Family was one of the ruler of Azure Willow City.

People like them should never have crossed paths with someone as important as the Lin Patriarch yet somehow they had.

And after that encounter, his father had made a decision that surprised him even more.

They decided to run away.

The very next day, Shen Haosi had begun making preparations to leave Azure Willow City.

They packed everything they could carry and traveled as far away as possible until they eventually arrived in Moonveil City.

At the time, Shen Yumeng had not understood his father’s reasoning.

Even now, he only understood part of it.

His father rarely spoke about the matter.

The only thing Shen Yumeng knew was that ever since meeting the Lin Patriarch, his father had become noticeably more cautious.

"Yumeng."

His father’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

Shen Yumeng immediately looked up.

"The soup."

"Oh!"

Realizing he had been daydreaming, Shen Yumeng hurriedly picked up the steaming bowl.

"Coming right up, dear customer!"

A cheerful smile appeared on his face as he carried the meal toward the waiting table.

Behind him, Shen Haosi continued stirring the pot.

Yet as he watched his son walk away, a complicated expression briefly appeared in his eyes.

I’m afraid I won’t be able to protect you for long.

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