"Miss, the spies from Baihe County reported that the Lin family's Yunling Mountain was breached. It is said that a guest elder of the Lin family let the western marauders in."
"In order to protect the escape of four people including my future son-in-law, all 32 members of the Lin family who practice Qigong were killed."
"The Lin family is finished."
"Miss, you should cancel the marriage with your future son-in-law. Without the Lin family, Lin Jie is just a stray dog at the second level of Qi training. Didn't the second son of the Xuan family send you an invitation not long ago? I think this is a good opportunity."
"The Xuan family is a ninth-rank family canonized by the imperial court. Although the second young master is not a legitimate child, he is still a member of a noble family with a certain rank. He is many times better than the future son-in-law who is still wet behind the ears."
"Miss, if you are too embarrassed to come forward, I will go and talk to Lin Jie in person and ask him to take the initiative to cancel the engagement. What do you think?!"
"Mammy, you talk too much today."
Wang Meilin, who was sitting in front of the dressing table, took off all the red hairpins on her head and only wore a white flower. Even so, she couldn't hide her charming look:
"Mammy, please go to Qingyun Hall and ask the clan leader to come to Lanfang Garden."
In the reception room.
Lin Jie, who had fled from Baihe County, was pacing back and forth anxiously. This time he came to the Wang family, hoping to ask them to send troops to rescue him for the sake of their ancestors.
But two hours passed.
He was left here, not to mention the Wang family leader's face, he didn't even get a sip of hot tea:
"Could it be that the western marauders have marched all the way north and reached Linghu County?"
The two counties can be reached by crossing the Tianzhu Mountains and then the Songling River.
Lin Jie couldn't sit still anymore.
The longer time goes by, the more dangerous it will be for Grandfather and the others:
"We can't wait any longer!"
He planned to ask Meilin to help pass the message directly.
Get up from your position.
Arrived at the door.
I just happened to meet Aunt Wang.
When Lin Jie learned that it was Meilin who was looking for him, he was delighted. The two of them seemed to be in sync with each other.
Meilin was fostered in the Lin family for a few years when she was a child.
Though Meilin was born into the illegitimate branch of the Wang family, at such a young age, she is already a first-class lower-grade alchemist and has some influence in the Wang family. If she comes forward, the probability of Patriarch Wang sending troops will be greater.
Lin Jie walked quickly all the way.
When he arrived at the reception room of Lanfang Garden, he saw the conspicuous white flower on Meilin's temple. He was shocked. When he heard that none of the 32 Qigong elders who stayed in the mountains were spared, his head buzzed, he felt dizzy, and his legs went weak!
This morning.
The words that Third Uncle gave them when he was teaching in Hui Lecture Hall are still ringing in their ears.
How could it be—
"Brother Jie, the dead cannot be resurrected; you must accept your condolences.
Though the elders of the Lin family are no longer with us, the foundation of your clan is still there.
As long as we hold on to that first-level spiritual vein and the fifty acres of spiritual farmland on the mountain, we will have hope of making a comeback."
Wang Meilin held Lin Jie's hand.
Her voice was gentle but firm:
"Brother Jie, now is not the time to be sad.
Since you are from the direct lineage of the patriarch, according to the clan rules, you are now the head of the Lin family.
We must protect the foundation that our ancestors have worked so hard to build over the years!"
Lin Jie suddenly woke up.
There are five major Qi training families in Linghu County, including his own.
At this time, not only was the Lin family's mountain protection formation broken, but even only one in ten of the cultivators in the family were left. To the other four major families, the Lin family was a big piece of fat meat at this time. If they were not careful, the clan would be completely swallowed up.
Lin Jie shook Wang Meilin's hand gratefully:
"Meilin, please help persuade Uncle Wang to send a formation master to accompany me back to Baihe. As long as we repair the mountain protection formation, with this first-level formation, our Lin family will have a chance to turn things around."
The words haven't finished yet.
There were footsteps outside the door—it was Patriarch Wang.
He patted Lin Jie's shoulder to comfort him, and after sitting down at the head, he looked at Lin Jie with complicated eyes, sighed, and said:
"Jie, your Lin family's affairs have been discussed at our elders' meeting just now, and a plan has been proposed."
After a pause, Patriarch Wang looked at Lin Jie steadily and said:
"If you want to defend your Lin family's land, it is obviously not enough to rely on a first-level magic array. You must also send a late-stage Qi training cultivator who can control the magic array to guard it."
"Our Wang family is happy to help with this.
But there is a prerequisite:
From now on, 60% of the output from your Lin family's spiritual fields will be handed over to our Wang family."
The only source of income for the clan is the fifty acres of spiritual fields, and they have to pay 30% of it to the Xuan family every year. The Wang family just wants 60%, leaving only 10% for the Lin family—less than they'd earn by renting spiritual fields outside.
The Wang family was rejecting him in disguise.
Lin Jie was so angry that his chest heaved violently.
Twenty years ago.
The Wang family's mountain was besieged by the western marauders. At that time, the elders of the Lin family led their people to support without saying a word.
Now that the Lin family is in trouble, the Wang family chooses to stand by and watch.
With such ungrateful and cruel behavior, he wonders who else dares to form an alliance with their Wang family in the future!
Lin Jie took a deep breath, stood up, and said:
"Patriarch Wang, I appreciate your kindness. Just pretend I have never been here today."
Lin Jie immediately turned around and left.
He hurried out of the meeting room but was stopped by Madam Wang, who handed him a box with a white background and plum pattern:
"This is what the young lady asked me to pass on to you."
Lin Jie took the box, opened it, and saw 152 low-grade spirit stones, a first-level speeding talisman, and a note:
"Brother Jie, you are not fighting alone. If you need anything, just let me know."
Seeing the familiar small handwriting, Lin Jie's originally sad and angry heart suddenly felt warm.
The number of spirit stones—both whole and fragmented—showed this was all of Meilin's savings. This was a life-saving stone for him, who had nothing left.
After leaving the Wang family's territory, he immediately took out a communication jade talisman, cast a spell into it, and said quickly:
"Brother, the Wang family is unreliable. You and your third brother and fourth sister should stay where you are. I will ask the Xuan family to send troops for support. If I don't send you any more messages after three days, send another person to Linghu County."
The Xuan family was a noble family canonized by the imperial court, responsible for governing all Qi-cultivating families within their fiefdoms.
According to the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty, as long as they paid tribute on time, the Xuan family must lend a helping hand when the family faced life and death—though the Lin family would owe heavy repayment.
He hadn't gone to the Xuan family earlier because the journey was too long. He'd hoped the Wang family would help due to ancestral ties. He never expected such betrayal.
Thirty years in the east, thirty years in the west!
The Lin family is not extinct; there will be a day when they rise again.
One day, he will make Wang Qingfeng and the Wang family regret their actions!
Lin Jie had already arrived at the dock while he was thinking.
Right at this moment.
A mechanical voice suddenly sounded in his mind:
"Ding—
The Patriarch's Intelligence System has been activated!"