Lin Yan had no idea that such a story had unfolded between Lin Ken and Lin Xia after he left.
He headed straight for the family head's hall and soon arrived at its entrance.
"Uncle Yu, Uncle Yue, I have something to discuss with Grandpa. Could you let me in?"
As he walked toward the doors, he soon spotted the two guards standing on either side. Lin Yan cupped his hands to them and smiled.
"Oh, it's Lin Yan."
"The family head said that if you have something to discuss, you may go right in. There's no need to announce you."
"Please, go ahead!"
The two guards treated Lin Yan extremely well, even with a touch of deference. Everyone else had to ask permission before seeing Lin Zhentian, but Lin Yan could skip that step. The guards returned his salute and promptly let him through.
"Thank you, uncles."
Lin Yan thanked them, then went straight inside.
Lin Zhentian had just finished cultivating and was taking a moment to sip tea. He hadn't expected Lin Yan to show up, and a kindly smile immediately appeared on his aged face.
"Yan'er, you're here! Hahaha, sit down!"
"What brings you here today? What made you find time to visit your grandpa?"
"Someone, bring Yan'er a teacup so he can sample my new tea, too."
Lin Zhentian laughed heartily. When he was with Lin Yan, he had none of the airs of a family head. Instead, he was a kind, caring elder.
Lin Yan thanked Lin Zhentian, then took out the medicinal liquids.
"Grandpa, I came today to bring you a gift."
Lin Zhentian looked at the medicinal liquids in confusion. "Yan'er, what are these?"
Lin Yan smiled and explained their effects. "These medicinal liquids are for cultivation, and they're suitable for Body Tempering Realm martial artists. I happened to get the recipe from an expert a while ago. With these liquids, I advanced several levels in just a few months."
"I had some free time today, so I went out to buy some medicinal ingredients, prepared a batch of the liquid, and brought it to you."
Lin Zhentian's eyes lit up. He gazed at the batch of medicinal liquids as if they were precious treasures.
He naturally trusted Lin Yan, and that was precisely why he understood how valuable these liquids were.
Advancing several levels in just a few months was astounding, even in the Body Tempering Realm!
Lin Zhentian carefully asked, "Yan'er, the ingredients must have been precious, right?"
Lin Yan smiled. "Grandpa, don't worry about that. Think of these as a little gift from me. If you see any promising youngsters in the family whom you want to train, you can use these to help them cultivate. The medicinal effects are gentle, so they won't harm their bodies. Add them to bathwater, and they'll be of great benefit."
Lin Zhentian looked deeply at Lin Yan, committing what he had done to memory.
Then he burst into laughter again. "Good, good, good! In that case, Grandpa will accept your gift."
"Remember, if you need anything in the Lin Clan, just tell me. There's no need to be polite."
"Come, have some tea!"
Lin Yan began drinking tea. He didn't bring the matter up again, instead chatting with Lin Zhentian about everyday life and cultivation.
Their conversation was genuinely pleasant. It was the first time Lin Zhentian had ever spoken at length with Lin Yan. Afterward, he saw Lin Yan in a new light: he was a good kid, well worth treating with sincerity!
But Lin Yan didn't intend to stay long. After chatting for a little while, he prepared to leave.
Lin Zhentian casually handed him another bag of silver, then said, "By the way, Yan'er, your Uncle Xiao and the others are going to take over Ironwood Manor tomorrow. Go with them. Get out more and see the world. Even when you're cultivating, remember to balance work and rest."
Lin Yan nodded in agreement.
As soon as he left the hall, he couldn't help murmuring to himself, "Ironwood Manor, huh?"
"I seem to remember it being a special kind of instance. I think there's a Yang Origin Stone Mine there, too..."
"Could I sign in somewhere like that?"
As he made his way home, Lin Yan thought that good deeds really did bring good fortune. If he hadn't visited Lin Zhentian today, the old man probably wouldn't have gone out of his way to find him. He might have wasted a sign-in opportunity.
The more he thought about it, the more eager he became. Could he sign in at Ironwood Manor? And if so, what would he get?
The next day, dozens of fine horses stood in neat formation outside the Lin Clan's gates, each carrying one of the clan's capable fighters.
Lin Ken and Lin Xiao were among them. As two of the Lin Clan's Heaven Origin Realm experts, they naturally had to personally handle an important matter like taking over Ironwood Manor.
But the most eye-catching figure was Lin Dong. He had ridden out on the Fire Python Tiger, looking imposing and majestic.
Lin Yan looked much more ordinary. He was riding one of the horses, since, despite having a Nine-Colored Heaven-Swallowing Python, he couldn't ride it just yet.
"When you go out today, taking over Ironwood Manor is important, but you must also keep Lin Yan and Lin Dong safe. Don't let anything happen to them, or I won't forgive you." At the gates, Lin Zhentian saw everyone off. Before they departed, he solemnly instructed Lin Xiao and Lin Ken.
"Don't worry, Father," the two replied at once.
Uncle Xiao treated Lin Yan almost like his own son. Lin Ken wasn't quite so overprotective, but he knew how important Lin Yan and Lin Dong were to the Lin Clan. He would protect them even at the cost of his own life.
The group soon set out, heading straight for Ironwood Manor.
Ironwood Manor was a well-known estate near Green Sun Town. It produced ironwood, a timber as hard as refined iron, impervious to water and fire, and exceptionally dense. It was ideal for making weapons and all kinds of buildings.
There was always great demand for this ironwood, and over the years, the Lei Clan had profited handsomely from the manor.
But all that was about to become a thing of the past. The Lin Clan was coming to take over Ironwood Manor, and from then on, the estate would have nothing more to do with the Lei Clan.
Lin Xiao and the others rode for most of the morning, finally reaching the area around Ironwood Manor at midday. As they neared the estate, they found the gates firmly shut, making it clear that uninvited guests weren't welcome.
But Lin Xiao and the others weren't about to turn back over something so trivial. They continued forward, only to be stopped before long by members of the Lei Clan.
"Stop right there! This is Lei Clan territory. No one may enter without permission."
Lin Xiao had expected this. He let out a low shout, his voice ringing out like thunder across the estate. "Tell whoever's in charge to come out! The Lin Clan is here to take over Ironwood Manor!"
The Lei Clan had clearly prepared for this, too. As soon as Lin Xiao's voice faded, two figures appeared. "Hey, isn't your Lin Clan being a little too impatient? If you want to take over the estate, go to the Lei Clan and exchange the paperwork first!"
"That's right, Brother Lin Ken, Brother Lin Xiao. Since our Lei Clan promised to hand over Ironwood Manor, we won't go back on our word. Why the rush? You'll only sour relations between our clans. How about giving us another five days? We'll hand over the manor then. What do you say?"
One of the speakers was Lei Ying, the other Lei Nuo. One played the bad cop, the other the good cop, but their message was the same: they wouldn't let the Lin Clan enter Ironwood Manor.
Lin Xiao and Lin Ken frowned at that.
Lin Yan also sensed that something was wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"Ugh, my memory's awful. The longer I've been in the Martial Movement World, the more details I've forgotten."
"I only remember that there's a Yang Origin Stone Mine at Ironwood Manor. I've completely forgotten what actually happened."
"How frustrating."
Lin Yan scratched his head, thinking.
"Brother Lin Yan, I think they're deliberately stalling us. How about we sneak into the manor and see what they're up to?"
Lin Dong quickly turned the matter over in his mind and made the suggestion.
Lin Yan nodded. "Let's go!"
They didn't waste a moment. The two quickly slipped out of sight, entered the woods, and soon sneaked into Ironwood Manor.
The sight before them made their eyelids twitch.
They quickly discovered that the Lei Clan had arranged a large force of men to chop down trees frantically. They were even pouring huge quantities of chemicals onto the ground, apparently trying to ruin the land.
Clearly, the Lei Clan intended to drag everyone down with them. They couldn't keep Ironwood Manor, but they didn't want the Lin Clan to profit from it, either. That was why they'd kept stalling the Lin Clan: they needed time to carry out this massive act of destruction.
"Bunch of bastards!" Lin Dong cursed angrily.
Lin Yan glanced over at the Lei Clan guards on security duty.
There were fourteen guards. Three had reached the Earth Origin Realm: two were at the Early Earth Origin Realm, and one was at the Late Earth Yuan Stage.
The rest were mostly martial artists at the seventh or eighth layer of the Body Tempering Realm.
Lin Dong explained, "Brother Lin Yan, I know a few of them. The one at the Late Earth Yuan Stage is Lei Shan. He's the strongest in the Lei Clan besides those few Heaven Origin Realm experts. Of the two at the Early Earth Origin Realm, one is Dai En. He used to be a bandit, but later became a guard for the Lei Clan. The other is his brother."
Lin Dong had originally wanted to charge straight in, but after thinking it over, he realized the enemy had strength in numbers. There were only two of them, and their opponents also had Lei Shan, a Late Earth Yuan Stage expert. If they forced their way in, they might well stumble into disaster.
Still, Lin Yan made his decision. "Lin Dong, take Little Yan and my pet, Xiao Cai, and deal with those Body Tempering Realm fighters. Leave the three Earth Origin Realm experts to me."
Lin Dong raised his brows, stunned. "Brother Lin Yan, there are three Earth Origin Realm experts. Won't that be too much for you? Shouldn't I help take one of them?"
Lin Yan answered with an easy smile. "I can handle them. And once you've cleared your side, you can come help me, can't you?"
As he spoke, Lin Yan released the Nine-Colored Heaven-Swallowing Python and gave it an order. Then, without another word, he charged forward.
Lin Dong could only look on helplessly. But since things had come to this, he had no choice but to follow Lin Yan's instructions.
Lin Dong muttered to himself, "All right, Brother Lin Yan, just hold on, okay?"
"I'll come help you as soon as I've taken down those bastards!"
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