Cultivation Begins with Daily Intelligence Reports

200: Lin Lingshan’s shockLin Jingyu swept his Divine Sense, confirmed the number was correct, and the quality was good. He calmly accepted it without declining, ”Clan Chief Zhong is thoughtful.”

He also didn’t want to completely offend the Zhong Family.

Being able to overpower the Zhong Family and make them bow their heads in apology.

Was already a very good outcome for the Lin Family.

The items in the Storage Pouch were worth six or seven thousand Spirit Stones, which was a considerable sum.

To stop here was quite good.

Zhong Yue finally let out a long sigh of relief, feeling the cold sweat on his back almost freezing. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and forced out an extremely reluctant, almost fawning smile, carefully inviting them again:

”Young Friend Lin, President Gu Yue, Elder Wang, Shopkeeper Shui Sheng, if you don’t mind, please come to my humble abode to rest for a while, and allow me to prepare a simple banquet to apologize.

It would also... completely resolve this misunderstanding. In the future, my Zhong Family, the Lin Family, the Association, and Tianfa Pavilion can have more interactions.”

His words were a naked attempt to seize the Opportunity to build connections.

Lin Jingyu looked at Gu Yue and the other two. Gu Yue stroked his beard in thought, Wang Meng looked at Lin Jingyu, while Shui Sheng smiled faintly and said softly, ”Jingyu will decide.”

They clearly all handed the initiative to Lin Jingyu.

Lin Jingyu pondered for a moment. The goal of deterrence had been achieved today, and it was not appropriate to push too hard, so he nodded and said:

”Alright. Then I shall trouble Clan Chief Zhong.”

A look of joy appeared on Zhong Yue’s face.

It’s better to resolve enmity than to maintain it.

Lin Jingyu’s agreement showed that there was still a possibility for the two Families to repair their relationship, or even become allies.

Under countless gazes of shock, complexity, reverence, and disbelief, Lin Jingyu, Gu Yue, Wang Meng, and Shui Sheng.

Followed the respectful, almost fawning, Zhong Yue into the magnificent gates of the Zhong Family’s mansion.

Leaving behind a crowd of dumbfounded people outside the gate, as well as Zhong Peng, whose face was burning with fear of having escaped disaster, and a hint of bewilderment.

The Zhong Family’s banquet hall was extremely spacious, with carved beams and painted rafters. The floor was paved with lustrous green jade slabs, and moonlight stones were embedded in the surrounding walls for illumination, casting a soft light that made the hall as bright as day.

A huge round table made of red sandalwood was already laden with a dazzling array of spiritual delicacies. Many ingredients even emitted faint Spiritual Qi, clearly indicating their high value.

Maids in uniform stood respectfully to the side, heads bowed, but the atmosphere was somewhat stagnant due to the previous conflict.

Zhong Yue personally led Lin Jingyu and the other three to their seats, placing Lin Jingyu in the honored guest position, second only to Gu Yue, while he himself sat at the very end, adopting an extremely humble posture.

After three rounds of wine and five tastes of dishes, Zhong Yue almost poured his heart out to show goodwill, constantly probing with his words.

He tried to ascertain the extent of Lin Jingyu’s mysterious ”master’s lineage” and his close relationship with the Alchemist Association’s high-ranking officials.

”...Young Friend Lin is truly a young talent, with Alchemy Dao talent that is unprecedented. May I ask which reclusive master your esteemed teacher is? To be able to teach such a Disciple as Young Friend, they must be an extraordinary Senior and powerful figure, right?”

Zhong Yue toasted a cup of wine, testing him.

Lin Jingyu picked up his teacup and took a sip, his expression calm, responding flawlessly, ”My teacher is a recluse, dislikes worldly disturbances, and does not wish to be famous. It was merely an accidental Opportunity, and he casually gave this Junior a few pointers; there is nothing special about his background.”

The more casually he spoke, the more Zhong Yue felt surprised and uncertain, increasingly convinced that the other party’s background was unfathomable.

Gu Yue stroked his beard and smiled from the side, interjecting at the right moment. What seemed casual actually added to the stakes:

”Jingyu’s Alchemy techniques indeed have unique aspects; even I feel inferior in some regards. It is our Association’s fortune that he could join us.

The President also pays close attention to this.”

He lightly brought up the President of the Alchemist Association’s main branch, which made Zhong Yue’s heart tremble even more, secretly congratulating himself for having yielded quickly and thoroughly enough.

Wang Meng, on the other hand, ate meat in large mouthfuls and drank wine from big bowls, huffing, ”Old Wang doesn’t care about those twists and turns, I just know that Young Friend Jingyu is to my liking! Whoever goes against him goes against me!” This blunt threat made the smile on Zhong Yue’s face stiffen again.

Shui Sheng, with a charming smile, spoke of interesting anecdotes from the market, occasionally mentioning new Formation Plates and Magical Artifacts suitable for Family defense that Tianfa Pavilion had recently acquired, subtly hinting at the possibility of cooperation with the Lin Family.

This made Zhong Yue both envious and afraid to show any jealousy, only able to repeatedly agree and express that he would definitely become closer to the Lin Family and strengthen cooperation with Tianfa Pavilion in the future.

The banquet proceeded in this subtle and slightly awkward atmosphere.

Lin Jingyu mostly listened in silence, occasionally responding with a few words, his attitude neither servile nor overbearing, neither overly intimate nor deliberately distant, firmly controlling the pace.

After the banquet, declining Zhong Yue’s repeated attempts to make them stay, Lin Jingyu and Gu Yue rose to take their leave.

Zhong Yue personally escorted the four out of the mansion gate, smiling all the way, until he watched their figures disappear at the end of Qingzhong Town’s street.

The humble smile on his face instantly vanished, replaced by extreme gloom and lingering fear.

He suddenly turned around and looked at his cowering clansmen behind him, especially his son, who was dodging his gaze with a swollen face, and squeezed a sentence through gritted teeth:

”Immediately! Right now! Prepare the heaviest apology gifts for me! Bring that Green Scale Colt too! Tomorrow morning, I will personally escort this rebellious son to Lin Family Village.

Effective immediately, Zhong Peng’s position as Young Clan Leader is revoked.”

Then he cast his gaze westward, towards where the Liu Family was located.

Gritting his teeth, he said:

”Liu Family, just you wait! To actually incite my Zhong Family to be the scapegoat, very good, very good indeed!

If I don’t avenge this, I, Zhong Yue, swear I’m not a man!”

In the evening, the setting sun dyed the clouds in the sky into a brilliant brocade, and soft golden light sprinkled on the protective Family formation’s light curtain at the entrance of Lin Family Village, creating a colorful halo.

The light curtain rippled open again, and Lin Jingyu’s figure appeared safely at the village entrance.

Lin Lingshan, Lin Lingkuang, and others who had been anxiously waiting at the village entrance immediately gathered around.

”Jingyu!”

”How was it?”

”They didn’t make things difficult for you, did they?”

Everyone spoke at once, their faces filled with concern and eagerness.

Lin Jingyu looked at them, a faint, reassuring smile on his face. He handed the heavy Storage Pouch to Lin Lingshan:

”Uncle Lingshan, the matter is resolved. This is the Zhong Family’s compensation. Tomorrow, Zhong Yue will personally escort Zhong Peng to our Lin Family to apologize.

Those who attacked yesterday will also be handed over to us for disposal.

These are the Spirit Stones and other items they compensated.”

Lin Lingshan took the Storage Pouch, swept it with his Divine Sense, and immediately gasped, startled by the generous compensation inside.

Upon hearing Lin Jingyu’s subsequent words, his body trembled, and his eyes burst with incredulous light, his voice shaking with excitement: ”Re-really? They... they really agreed...”

Lin Lingshan couldn’t believe it.

The Zhong Family, with their terrible attitude, would actually apologize and offer reparations.