Knowing One's Place

"You..."

Lin Xiao was so enraged that he choked on his words, but before he could say anything further, Lin Zhentian cut him off with a wave of his hand.

"Enough... Xiao'er, there's no need to waste words on this fellow. I'd like to see just how long Lei Bao intends to keep us waiting."

"Don't forget why we came to the Lei Family this time. Forget one hour—even if it takes ten days or more, we can afford to wait."

"Though by then, I'm afraid the Lei Family may no longer exist."

Hearing this, Lin Xiao seemed to recall something and nodded with a smile.

"Hehe... Lin Zhentian, it's been a long time since I last saw you, old bones. Your arrogance has certainly grown."

As soon as Lin Zhentian finished speaking, laughter rang out from beyond the hall. Upon hearing it, Lin Zhentian instinctively furrowed his brows, while the expressions of Lin Xiao and his brother beside him became much more solemn.

Recognizing the speaker by his voice, the three father and sons of the Lin Family watched as a large group of people filed magnificently into the hall.

At the forefront of this group was an old man dressed in a light gray silk robe. He appeared to be about the same age as Lin Zhentian, with deeply sunken eyes that gave him a rather cold and stern look. He was the head of the Lei Family, Lei Bao.

"Old Lei, no matter how arrogant I am, I'm afraid I still can't compare to the airs you put on."

Enemies meeting face-to-face were especially hostile, and Lin Zhentian immediately retorted.

"Speak. What are you three father and sons doing at my Lei Family?"

A trace of puzzlement surfaced in Lei Bao's deeply sunken eyes as he got straight to the point.

"Old Lei, since you're so straightforward, I won't beat around the bush either."

"We came to the Lei Family at someone's request, for the Yang Yuan Stone Vein beneath Ironwood Manor."

Lin Zhentian rose from his seat and explained their purpose to Lei Bao.

Upon hearing this, Lei Bao's body stiffened at once. He asked in surprise, "You were sent by someone?"

"The Yang Yuan Stone Vein beneath Ironwood Manor?"

Lin Zhentian was not at all surprised by Lei Bao's shock and confusion. After all, the Lei Family had possessed Ironwood Manor for many years, yet had never conducted a detailed survey of it. Their failure to discover the Yang Yuan Stone Vein beneath it was rather pitiful.

"Old Lei, all these years, your Lei Family has been sitting on a treasure mountain without knowing it. You can't blame anyone else for that. If you must blame someone, blame yourself, Lei Bao, for being weak and shortsighted. All you saw were those ironwood trees, while overlooking everything else within Ironwood Manor.

"You should know that I was originally a member of the Lin Clan Inner Family. I only came to Qingyang Town due to certain unavoidable circumstances. This time, I came to your Lei Family at the request of someone from the Lin Clan Inner Family to negotiate with you over Ironwood Manor."

"Old Lei, I hope you understand that today, this is not my Lin Family negotiating with your Lei Family!"

"There are One Hundred Thousand Yang Yuan Pills in this Cosmic Bag, compensation for your Lei Family's losses after giving up Ironwood Manor. I also hope that no one in your Lei Family spreads word of this matter in the future. Otherwise, there may be consequences that your little Lei Family cannot bear."

Lin Zhentian spoke eloquently to Lei Bao, wielding the Lin Clan's name with complete ease. First, he had once been a member of the Lin Clan Inner Family, and second, with an expert like Lin Chen watching from the shadows, Lin Zhentian was brimming with confidence.

After hearing Lin Zhentian's words, which did not seem false in the slightest, Lei Bao and the Lei Family members behind him stared at the Cosmic Bag Lin Zhentian casually tossed over with disbelief written all over their faces. The entire hall fell into an eerie silence.

Who knew how much time passed.

After steadying himself somewhat, Lei Bao looked up at Lin Zhentian. Unable to suppress his curiosity, he stretched out his trembling hands and opened the Cosmic Bag. After probing it with Origin Energy, intense ecstasy immediately appeared on his cold, stern face.

"It's actually real..."

"It seems Ironwood Manor was worth quite a lot... What a pity..."

One Hundred Thousand Yang Yuan Pills were enough to allow every Earthly Origin Realm expert in the family to cultivate to the Heavenly Origin Realm. They could also be exchanged for a substantial number of Pure Yuan Pills for his own cultivation, allowing his Origin Energy to reach the peak of the Heavenly Origin Realm. He could then successfully condense a Yuan Core and become a Lesser Core Formation Realm expert.

At that time, the Lei Family's overall strength would rise by an entire level, allowing them to leave Qingyang Town and establish themselves in cities such as Flame City in Tiandu Commandery.

At this thought, Lei Bao's hands gripping the Cosmic Bag began to tremble with excitement. Yet when he thought that the moment he accepted these One Hundred Thousand Yang Yuan Pills, Ironwood Manor would no longer have anything to do with the Lei Family, an indescribable bitterness and pain filled his heart.

In that brief instant, Lei Bao had considered fighting Lin Zhentian to the death and swallowing both the One Hundred Thousand Yang Yuan Pills and the benefits beneath Ironwood Manor whole. But when he thought of the person behind Lin Zhentian who could produce One Hundred Thousand Yang Yuan Pills, that greed immediately died away without a trace.

One Hundred Thousand Yang Yuan Pills definitely had not come from Lin Zhentian himself. Lei Bao, who had dealt with Lin Zhentian for many years, was capable of making that judgment.

It had to be said that Lin Chen's grand gesture had greatly intimidated Lei Bao's greed, giving him every reason to believe that the existence behind Lin Zhentian was not someone he could provoke.

Lei Bao naturally understood the strength of the Lin Clan of the Great Yan Dynasty. The Lin Clan Branch Family and the Lin Clan Inner Family were entirely different things.

Although Lei Bao was greedy and had always dreamed of monopolizing Qingyang Town's resources, as the head of a family, he was not some foolish and ignorant man.

Someone from the Lin Clan Inner Family of the Great Yan Dynasty was absolutely not someone the Lei Family could afford to offend.

"Fine. Since that lord is so sincere, my Lei Family should naturally oblige. From today onward, Ironwood Manor will belong to your Lin Family. I'll send word at once for the Lei Family members to withdraw from Ironwood Manor. When you return, simply send people to take it over."

"Furthermore, I will have all Lei Family members who know of this matter today keep their mouths shut and refrain from mentioning Ironwood Manor before outsiders. What does Brother Zhentian think?"

Lei Bao let out a long breath and clasped his fists toward Lin Zhentian as he gave his answer. His words sounded quite sincere.

"Very good. Since the transaction is complete, I won't stay any longer. I'll take my leave now and return home to arrange for people to take over Ironwood Manor."

Seeing Lei Bao being so sensible and not causing the dispute Lin Zhentian had planned for, Lin Zhentian felt a measure of satisfaction at Lei Bao's unprecedented friendliness. He responded with a faint smile.

If they could remain at peace with the Lei Family while also completing what Lin Chen had instructed, then in Lin Zhentian's view, there was nothing better.

Unlike the shortsighted Lei Bao, Lin Zhentian's thoughts did not lie in Qingyang Town or even Tiandu Commandery. He constantly thought of returning to the Lin Clan, returning to Lin City in Great Yan Commandery.

Since Lin Chen's arrival, that desire had become increasingly impossible to contain.

"I hope Lei Bao remains sensible and keeps his greed under control..."

Hidden in the shadows, Lin Chen cast a calm glance at Lei Bao's somewhat conflicted expression and murmured to himself.

Heaven and earth were boundless, and the human heart knew no end. There were countless powerful experts—the Great Thousand World, the Heaven Origin Realm, All Heavens and Myriad Realms...

Greed would only lead people astray onto a path with no end. Therefore, one had to remain true to one's heart and keep to certain bottom lines. Otherwise, even if one became a peerless powerhouse of heaven and earth in the future, one day they would still die an unnatural death because of greed.

Lin Chen's peaceful transaction with the Lei Family over Ironwood Manor was not because he had any misgivings. Rather, he simply did not care about the Yang Yuan Pills that the Lei Family valued so greatly but were nearly useless to him. The Lei Family had not provoked him either, so he had no desire to act against them directly.

Ultimately, from beginning to end, Lin Chen had never been a cold-blooded and ruthless person who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.