Gifts May Be Accepted, but Hatred Cannot Be Erased

After spending over an hour at the Drill Ground, Lin Changqing finally returned home. From a long way off, he could hear the sound of hammering coming from the courtyard.

Thankfully, the Forging Workshop was nearly finished. Otherwise, Lin Changqing would truly have been depressed to death.

At noon.

After finishing his meal, Lin Changqing prepared to head to the summit of Great Green Mountain to cultivate once more.

Suddenly, something stirred within him, and he looked toward the village entrance.

"Someone's coming to see me..."

Lin Changqing frowned. His Spiritual Perception was growing ever stronger, but it was still incomplete, allowing him to sense only fragments of information.

He knew someone was coming for him, but he had no idea who it was.

Still!

Lin Changqing did not care. He would find out soon enough, so he simply opened the courtyard gate, lay beneath the osmanthus tree, and waited at ease.

Less than the time it took to burn a stick of incense later.

A convoy of carriages arrived at the entrance to Green Mountain Village, only to be stopped before it could enter.

It was Lin Hu!

Following Lin Changqing's instructions, he had stationed sentries at the village entrance to guard against outsiders.

The moment this convoy arrived, Lin Hu received word and rushed over with his men.

"Who are you? What are you doing in Green Mountain Village?"

Lin Hu frowned and asked in a deep voice.

"I serve under the Wei Family's Eldest Young Master. Sent on a mission by my young master, I have come to deliver some items to Young Master Lin Changqing."

The one answering was the Young Man who had spoken with Wei Zhengming.

He narrowed his eyes as he looked at Lin Hu, as well as the sturdy young men of Green Mountain Village standing several dozen meters behind him, and his brows immediately knitted together.

He was faintly astonished.

Every one of these villagers possessed vigorous blood and energy; they had clearly cultivated martial arts.

Lin Hu in particular radiated surging vitality and was on the verge of attaining rank.

This left him deeply unsettled.

It was merely a backwater village, yet so many aspiring Martial Artists had appeared all at once. What in the world was going on?

This Green Mountain Village truly was strange.

"Could all of this be because of Lin Changqing?"

The Young Man secretly pondered this, becoming even more curious about Lin Changqing.

At the same time!

Lin Hu was also quietly sizing up the Young Man and his companions. After a long while, he finally said in a deep voice, "Since you're here for Changqing, come with me!"

As he spoke, Lin Hu immediately ordered a sharp-witted youth to go ahead and notify Lin Changqing.

The Wei Family was a great clan of Fengle County. He could not afford to be careless.

Before long, led by Lin Hu, the Wei Family's convoy finally arrived outside Lin Changqing's courtyard.

Seeing Lin Changqing reclining beneath the ancient tree, Lin Hu was just about to speak when the Young Man stepped forward first. He cupped his hands toward Lin Changqing and said, "Young Master Lin, I am a Guard of the Wei Family's Eldest Young Master. Sent on a mission, I have come to deliver a gift to Young Master Lin.

My young master said that it is better to resolve enmity than deepen it. He hopes Young Master Lin will accept this gift.

Let all the misunderstandings from before be wiped clean with a single stroke..."

"Wei Zhengming!"

The corners of Lin Changqing's lips curled into a slight smile as he gave a cold laugh. "Heh, your Eldest Young Master truly is an interesting man.

First, he personally stepped in to threaten Mr. Lin. Now he has sent you with an entire cartload of gifts.

Could it be that all children of great clans are this good at playing games?"

The Young Man's expression turned somewhat strange. Faced with Lin Changqing's words, he had no idea how to respond.

Even a fool could hear the sarcasm dripping from Lin Changqing's words.

He narrowed his eyes at Lin Changqing and said, "Young Master Lin, will you accept these gifts or not?

I am merely a Guard. Why make things difficult for me, Young Master Lin? Give me a definite answer.

Then I can return and report..."

"A Guard? Heh!"

Lin Changqing sneered. The man before him was no ordinary Guard, but Lin Changqing had no intention of digging deeper.

Whatever this man's identity or background, it had nothing to do with him.

So long as he did not come provoke him, that was enough.

Of course, if Wei Zhengming thought he could show weakness and dismiss him with a mere cartload of gifts, he was still a little short of the mark.

If he had not known that Qingfeng Stockade had been informed by Wei Zhengming's guard, Shi Peijiu, Lin Changqing might still have had a chance to bury the hatchet with Wei Zhengming.

But now?

That was impossible.

He would accept the gifts, but the hatred could not be erased.

When the chance came, he would not mind giving Wei Zhengming a knife.

Then Lin Changqing swept out a hand and said, "Leave the things behind. You people can go..."

The Young Man's pupils narrowed slightly. He looked straight at Lin Changqing, unable to tell what Lin Changqing was thinking.

He had a feeling that Wei Zhengming was probably going to miscalculate this time.

But none of that had anything to do with him. Since Lin Changqing had accepted the gifts, he only needed to return and report back.

As for what Wei Zhengming would think or do—

That was none of his concern.

After all, he was only a guard. In Wei Zhengming's eyes, he was nothing but a servant.

And since that was the case, a servant had to conduct himself like one.

"Young Master Lin, then we shall take our leave."

The Young Man clasped his hands toward Lin Changqing, then led the Wei Family party away without hesitation.

At the Courtyard Entrance, only that cart of gifts remained.

Along with Lin Hu and the others, who stood there utterly dumbfounded.

"What are you all standing around for? Take a look at what Wei Zhengming sent..."

As he spoke, Lin Changqing had already sprung up from his reclining chair.

In just a few strides, he was out of the courtyard and standing before the cart of gifts. He casually lifted the cloth covering it.

Six large chests sat there in neat rows.

Seeing this, Lin Hu hurried forward and opened the chests one by one.

"Medicinal ingredients, and silk..."

"Damn, this Eldest Young Master of the Wei Family really went all out. These six chests together must be worth over a hundred gold, right?"

"More than that!

"Precious medicinal ingredients, fine silks and satins, all kinds of jewelry and treasures—none of them are cheap! There are six huge chests in all; they must be worth at least Two hundred gold."

"My heavens, two hundred gold is twenty thousand taels of silver! The Wei Family truly deserves to be one of the Three Great Families of Fengle County. They're rich enough to drip oil!"

Once the six chests were opened, the villagers who had come with Lin Hu were all stunned.

Their faces were full of shock as cries of amazement rang out one after another.

Even Lin Hu was unconsciously swallowing hard.

Lin Changqing merely let out a dismissive light laugh. These things were indeed valuable—far more than Two hundred gold, in fact. They were worth roughly three hundred gold.

If this had been in the past, Lin Changqing would certainly have been shocked by Wei Zhengming's lavish gesture.

He might even truly have considered burying the hatchet with Wei Zhengming.

But now?

He truly did not care that much.

Three hundred gold was all it was—not even the price of two Ninth Rank Divine Weapons. He would not even need to act personally; if his father, Lin Yongfan, worked for a few days, he could produce that much.

Naturally, he would not care about such a trifling sum of gold and silver.

"Hehe, Wei Zhengming indeed."

Lin Changqing gave a light laugh. "Luring me with profit, then taking the chance to show off the Wei Family's wealth before me.

"Is this a roundabout way of flexing his muscles, along with a warning?

"What a pity!

"I, Lin Changqing, don't fall for that!"