The Lin's Patriarch is weird.

Chapter 171: 171. Horse Driver.

Weeks passed as preparations were made to ensure the Winter Harvest proceeded without a hitch.

After news spread that the Lin Family had been chosen as this year’s host, Azure Willow City erupted into celebration. Merchants were especially delighted.

With cultivators and influential families from across the kingdom soon to descend upon the city, everyone knew that business was about to boom.

Some watched the development with envy, while others regretted not ha

ving secured their businesses in advance. At this point, however, almost everyone in the city was jealous of the merchants who had the fortune of operating within Azure Willow City.

The Lin Family had been given two months to prepare after the royal family’s announcement.

During that time, Lin Xuan had already finished booking the restaurants and inns that would be needed for the upcoming event.

He had ensured that every establishment was properly compensated and, more importantly, had them sign contracts guaranteeing that their rooms and facilities would remain available when the Winter Harvest began.

He had even paid the agreed amounts in advance.

For Lin Xuan, spending the money now was preferable to discovering at the last moment that a merchant had accepted a more lucrative offer from another faction.

Just as he finished reviewing another set of documents, the door opened.

Lin Zhaofeng entered the room and immediately bowed.

"Greetings, Patriarch."

"Rise."

Lin Zhaofeng straightened.

Lin Xuan looked at him for a moment before a faint smile appeared on his face.

"Congratulations on your promotion, Zhaofeng."

"I was simply lucky."

Lin Xuan nodded thoughtfully.

"Luck is a very important factor on the path of cultivation."

Lin Zhaofeng was slightly surprised by the straightforward response.

He had expected the Patriarch to dismiss his claim.

Instead, Lin Xuan continued calmly.

"Talent determines how far you can go, effort determines whether you can reach that distance, but luck often determines whether you encounter the opportunity to advance in the first place."

Lin Zhaofeng’s expression became thoughtful.

"Remember that," Lin Xuan said. "When fortune presents itself, make sure you’re prepared to seize it."

"Yes, Patriarch."

Lin Zhaofeng cupped his fists respectfully.

"So, what brought you here to me?" Lin Xuan asked.

Lin Zhaofeng straightened his posture.

"Patriarch, I wish to participate in the upcoming Winter Harvest."

Lin Xuan’s hand stopped above the documents.

He slowly lifted his gaze from the desk and looked at the thirteen-year-old before him.

"Zhaofeng, you’ve only recently entered the Golden Core Realm. Cultivation is not something that should be rushed."

He intended to say more, but the determination in the boy’s eyes made him pause.

Lin Xuan stared at him for a moment before finally shaking his head.

"All right. But only if you can master the Cloud Chasing Technique before the Winter Harvest begins."

Lin Zhaofeng’s eyes immediately lit up.

"I won’t let you down, Patriarch!"

He bowed excitedly before turning around and hurrying out of the room.

Lin Xuan watched the child disappear through the doorway.

For a boy who had only recently entered the Golden Core Realm, Zhaofeng was far too excited about participating in an event where death was a constant possibility.

Lin Xuan did not know whether he should be proud of that courage or worried about it.

He let out a long sigh and stared at the closed door.

"The family is too weak."

His gaze gradually became distant.

The problem was not simply due to the lack of powerful cultivators.

Most of the clan’s elders had already entered seclusion, leaving the day-to-day affairs of the family in the hands of people who were simply not strong enough to control the situation should something go wrong.

They were like ordinary drivers attempting to keep a powerful horse pulling a carriage under control.

The horse possessed enough strength to overturn the carriage whenever it pleased, while the driver could do little more than pull desperately on the reins and hope it obeyed.

The Lin Family was not much different.

The elders were the ones who should have been holding the reins, yet most had withdrawn into cultivation.

Those remaining were doing their best to maintain order, but their authority was ultimately limited by their own cultivation.

Fortunately, there was one difference.

Lin Xuan was not merely another passenger sitting inside the carriage.

He was the hunter walking alongside it, rifle already in hand.

The horses might be powerful enough to overpower the driver, but they knew better than to cause a disturbance when the hunter was watching.

The family remained orderly not because its current leaders possessed enough strength to suppress every problem, but because everyone knew that Lin Xuan was there.

And Lin Xuan understood better than anyone that this was not enough.

If the Lin Family wanted to stand on its own feet, it could not remain a carriage held together by one man’s presence.

The clan needed someone else to hold the reins.

And that was the clan mortals, those without the talent to cultivate, but possessing sound judgment, patience, ambition, and the ability to manage others.

They could never become Golden Core cultivators but that was precisely why they were also suited for the task.

They had no cultivation bottleneck to worry about, no breakthrough to pursue, and no obsession with extending their lifespan. Their entire attention could be devoted to the affairs of the clan.

Of course, such an arrangement would be dangerous.

Giving mortals authority over cultivators was practically inviting rebellion if handled poorly. A cultivator might possess overwhelming strength, yet be expected to listen to someone who could not even refine Qi.

But both sides didn’t really needed to compete.

The mortals could manage the clan while the cultivators could protect it.

The mortals could decide how resources were allocated, while the cultivators decided how those resources were transformed into strength.

One side would provide order, the other would provide power.

If both sides learned to trust one another, something far more effective than either could achieve alone might emerge.

It was like taming a wild horse.

The driver did not need to possess the strength to overpower the horse.

He only needed to know how to guide it.

And perhaps, after years of learning one another’s nature, the horse would eventually understand that following the reins did not mean surrendering its freedom.

It meant allowing the driver to take them both where they wanted to go.

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