The Xu Family's Plan

The Xu Family.

Xu Junwen stood on the balcony of the villa, his eyes slightly narrowed and a cigar clenched between his lips. Smoke curled around him as though he were contemplating something.

Beside him, Xu Xiaoyu stood respectfully, waiting for her father's orders. To her, Xu Junwen's authority was absolute.

"Xiaoyu, Lin Xiuran's birthday is coming up, isn't it?"

Xu Xiaoyu froze slightly, a sense of danger rising within her, but she still replied quietly, "Yes. It's on the same day as mine."

She was somewhat worried. After all, her birthday fell on the same day as Lin Xiuran's. It was time to make arrangements, yet Xu Junwen had never mentioned it. And now, he had suddenly brought up Lin Xiuran's birthday.

Something was wrong. They had never celebrated Lin Xiuran's birthday before. The only reason she remembered it was because they shared the same birthday.

Xu Junwen took a deep drag from his cigar, then slowly exhaled a thick cloud of smoke. "On his birthday, find a way to invite him to the estate outside the city. Tell him it's a chance to relax and celebrate. The environment there is nice."

"Father!" Xu Xiaoyu's eyes widened, and anxiety appeared on her face. She was flustered, yet she did not know what to say.

Xu Xiaoyu was still too young. It was nearly impossible for her to conceal her thoughts. How could an old hand like Xu Junwen, who had spent years navigating official circles, fail to see what was on his child's mind?

"Xiaoyu, haven't I taught you that you must remain calm in all things?"

Xu Junwen's stern words brought Xu Xiaoyu back to her senses. She suppressed the chaotic thoughts in her heart and said in a low voice, "Yes, Father."

Only then did Xu Junwen nod. He lightly patted her shoulder and reassured her, "You needn't worry either. You are my biological child and the future heir of the Xu Family. There is no need to concern yourself with outsiders."

Those words carried immense weight within the Xu Family. Xu Xiaoyu stood there stunned, unable to react for a moment.

Then came overwhelming joy. Xu Junwen's meaning was not only that he was guaranteeing her position as the future heir; he was also indirectly telling her that Lin Xiuran did not carry the Xu Family bloodline at all.

She had always harbored such suspicions before, but Xu Junwen had never admitted it personally. Moreover, the Clan Elder had protected Lin Xiuran several times. That had always placed immense pressure on Xu Xiaoyu.

But Xu Junwen's personal confirmation was undoubtedly a powerful reassurance, finally allowing Xu Xiaoyu to put her worries to rest.

Xu Xiaoyu suppressed her ecstatic emotions and cautiously asked, "Then Lin Xiuran..."

Xu Junwen's gaze darkened as he said coldly, "It's time for him to go below and atone for his sins."

"Understood, Father. I'll make the arrangements right away." Xu Xiaoyu immediately understood. She hurried away with light steps, for this was undoubtedly tremendous news to her.

After Xu Xiaoyu left, Xu Junwen finally stopped concealing the overwhelming emotions within him. He viciously ground out the cigar against the balcony railing and stared into the distance.

"It's time to repay the debt. The debt your mother owed will be repaid by you."

After returning from the Donghai Spirit Transfer Pagoda, Lin Xiuran moved into the student dormitory and began attending classes normally.

However, during the first few days of school, Lin Xiuran was completely unlike his formerly proactive and enthusiastic self. His eyes were dull, and he spent several classes lost in a daze.

Because of this, Ye Yingluo, his homeroom teacher, had even spoken with him several times.

There was no other reason for it. His trip to the Spirit Pagoda to obtain a Soul Spirit had left him thoroughly bewildered. Not only had he failed to condense his second Soul Ring, but his first Soul Ring had inexplicably vanished as well.

Even in the entire Soul Master Realm, this was an utterly shocking occurrence. He had absorbed a Soul Spirit, yet not only failed to condense a Soul Ring—his first Soul Ring had disappeared instead.

Yet it could not be called a complete failure either. Lin Xiuran could feel that his own strength had increased. Both his Soul Power and spiritual power had improved.

But the disappearance of those two Soul Rings meant losing two Soul Skills. If the problem could not be resolved, he might still be unable to obtain Soul Rings in the future. For a Soul Master, that was undoubtedly fatal.

This left Lin Xiuran deeply troubled, which was why he had been in such an abnormal state over the past two days.

The only thing that comforted him now was that cultivating Soul Power could still strengthen him without any obstruction. But that was all.

Lin Xiuran had no solution to this. Even after several days of research, he had not found the slightest clue.

After class, he had intended to find his homeroom teacher, Ye Yingluo. Since he could not solve it himself, he should seek out a teacher.

But before he could go, just as he stepped out of the classroom, Lin Xiuran spotted a rather familiar figure.

"Clan Elder, you're here!"

Not far away stood a hunched old man leaning on an ordinary wooden cane. He wore plain cloth robes, his hair was streaked with white, and his expression was kind.

Only when Lin Xiuran approached did the old man examine him closely. Then, stroking his beard, he smiled. "I heard you've moved into the dormitory, so I came to see you."

Lin Xiuran nodded, a trace of bitterness in his eyes. In the blink of an eye, the Clan Elder had truly grown very old. Every time they met, the old man's condition seemed to worsen.

This Clan Elder could be said to be the person in the entire Xu Family who treated him best. He was also the true authority of the Xu Family, though he had largely stopped handling affairs now. Old and frail, he rarely showed himself, and even Lin Xiuran saw him only once or twice a year.

It was no exaggeration to say that Lin Xiuran had been able to live healthily in the Xu Family until now thanks to this man's help. The Clan Elder's repeated interventions had made his life in the Xu Family somewhat easier.

This was also someone Lin Xiuran respected deeply. Seeing the old man's health deteriorate day by day pained him from the bottom of his heart.

The Clan Elder chatted with Lin Xiuran about everyday matters for a while, though he mostly offered Lin Xiuran advice, providing him with much life experience and cultivation experience.

Lin Xiuran could have told the Clan Elder about his Soul Rings, but he truly did not wish to make the old man worry, so he did not mention it.

After they talked for a while, the Clan Elder's mental state visibly declined. With Lin Xiuran's spiritual power, he naturally sensed the change.

It made him feel terrible. The Clan Elder's lack of energy had already reached such a degree. It was enough to show that the old man's physical condition was truly dire.

The Clan Elder seemed to realize his own condition as well. Lin Xiuran did not want him to worry, but how could he want Lin Xiuran to worry either?

The Clan Elder smiled. "All right, enough talk. I still need to go back for afternoon tea. This time, the Clan Elder has brought you a gift."

Lin Xiuran instinctively wanted to refuse, but the Clan Elder gave him no chance to speak. He quickly stuffed the item into Lin Xiuran's hand, then slowly walked away with his cane.

"Clan Elder, take care on the way." Lin Xiuran did not inspect the item immediately. He only hurriedly reminded the Clan Elder to stay safe.

The old man walked steadily without looking back, merely raising one hand behind him in a casual yet slow wave.