"Uncle Lin, thank you!"
Su Zhan formally and sincerely expressed his gratitude.
The Lin family's sincerity had truly been taken to the utmost extreme.
They had started by signing an unprecedented contract, then advanced an entire year's worth of investment resources... after that, they had specifically arranged for an Advanced Martial General to protect him, brought his entire family over, and opened their martial arts archive for him to study as he pleased...
Now this was even more outrageous—they had casually handed him a treasure worth over a hundred thousand Gold Coins!
Over a hundred thousand Gold Coins—even for the enormous Lin family, that was no small asset.
They had so easily given it to him as a gift, without demanding anything in return... No matter how thick-skinned Su Zhan was, he could not possibly show no gratitude at all.
"How was that? Didn't I tell you?" Lin Baitian said proudly. "My father has always been like this. If he doesn't make a move, that's one thing—but once he does, he's bound to be exceptionally generous!"
"It really is a generous gift. Holding it makes me feel a little pressured," Su Zhan said with a smile.
The gift was indeed generous, but the pressure was fake. Su Zhan wished there could be as many as possible so he could accept every last one!
"As long as you're satisfied."
Lin Fanlong nodded with a smile. "Go on, cultivate in peace, and prepare well for next year's college entrance examination!"
Knock, knock!
Just as Su Zhan was about to speak, someone knocked on the door.
"Come in."
"Patriarch!"
A Lin family higher-up strode inside, his expression somewhat anxious.
His realm was the same as Elder Feng's—both were Advanced Martial Generals.
Yet Su Zhan's brows immediately furrowed.
He sharply caught sight of it—there was blood on this man's hand!
"Uncle Yaobai, your hand!" Lin Baitian's expression tightened.
"Did something happen at a stronghold?" Lin Fanlong asked calmly.
Every Lineage, no matter its size, possessed quite a few Fierce Beast strongholds outside the city.
Everyone knew that Fierce Beasts were treasure from head to toe.
The higher their rank and the more vicious they were, the more valuable every part of their bodies became!
Therefore, all Lineages would seize the nests where these Fierce Beasts appeared, or regions where they gathered in the greatest numbers, and conduct fixed-point hunts to reap enormous profits.
From the lowest D-class Fierce Beast strongholds to the highest A-class Fierce Beast Strongholds, the Lin family had them all.
Lin Yaobai was responsible for coordinating all of the Lin family's A-grade strongholds.
He analyzed situations, issued commands, and handled strategic planning and expansion.
Now that he had appeared here with blood still on his hand, there was no need to ask. Something must have gone wrong at a stronghold.
"Patriarch, this..."
Lin Yaobai glanced at Su Zhan.
Su Zhan was the only outsider here.
Su Zhan understood at once. After all, he was merely an investment target, and it was not yet appropriate for him to be exposed to top-secret information... Just as he was about to excuse himself and leave, Lin Fanlong directly raised a hand.
"It's fine. I suspect this matter may have something to do with him as well. Just say it."
It had something to do with him?
Su Zhan did not understand at first, but he quickly realized— the Meng family!
"Patriarch, the Scorching Desert, White Bear Mountain Range, and Rotten Grotto."
"One A-grade stronghold and two B-grade strongholds have all come under attack from the Meng family!"
Lin Yaobai said gravely, "They launched their attacks at almost the same time, without any warning whatsoever. Caught off guard, our people suffered heavy losses... White Bear Mountain Range in particular has already been occupied by the Meng family. Only Hong Wu returned alive... Everyone else was wiped out."
"Damn Meng family!!"
Lin Baitian flew into a rage on the spot, cursing through gritted teeth.
As the future heir to the family head position, he naturally understood the importance of those three strongholds.
The two B-grade strongholds were still manageable.
But the A-grade stronghold concerned the very foundation of the Lin family!
Losing even one would be an irreparable, colossal loss to the Lin family!
"What about the other two strongholds?"
As the family head, Lin Fanlong asked calmly.
"The Meng family wreaked havoc, killed many of our Lin family Martial Masters, wounded several Martial Generals, and then withdrew," Lin Yaobai said solemnly.
"People have already been sent to support them, right?"
"People were dispatched immediately. I also contacted Guest Official Zhou. He is currently on his way to the Rotten Grotto, but..."
At this point, Lin Yaobai glanced at Su Zhan, leaving Su Zhan somewhat baffled. "Because you instructed us to ensure the manor's safety, Patriarch, I did not withdraw the personnel protecting the manor."
Su Zhan finally understood.
So, because Lin Fanlong had wanted to protect his parents and the others, part of the personnel had been withdrawn from the Fierce Beast strongholds, leaving their defensive strength somewhat weakened... The Meng family had seized that opportunity, dealt them a vicious blow, and even taken a B-grade stronghold.
Looking at it this way, this matter really did have something to do with him.
"The personnel protecting the manor are not to be withdrawn."
Lin Fanlong ordered, "Contact the Martial Artist Corps. Find several corps with decent combat strength, deploy sufficient manpower, and retake the B-grade stronghold."
"Yes, Patriarch!" Lin Yaobai accepted the order. "Then, regarding the Meng family..."
Having a stronghold taken was secondary.
The key was that they had lost far too much face.
The mighty Lin family, one of the four great families, had actually had its stronghold smashed, looted, and robbed, and had even lost one. Once word spread, they would inevitably become a laughingstock... If they did nothing, the Lin family would lose all dignity!
"I'll pay them a visit myself."
Lin Fanlong said indifferently.
His expression appeared calm, yet a sharp edge lay hidden deep within his eyes.
Lin Baitian and Lin Yaobai both knew that Lin Fanlong was angry.
The two great families could scheme and contend openly and secretly in ordinary times... But launching a sudden, unprovoked sneak attack, smashing, looting, robbing, and slaughtering Lin family members was no different from slapping the Lin family across the face!
If they did not show some attitude now, the Meng family would truly turn the heavens upside down.
And Lin Fanlong was going personally.
One could well imagine that Heaven City was about to see a major upheaval!
"Yes, Patriarch!"
Lin Yaobai immediately accepted the order and quickly left to carry it out.
"Dad, I'll go help too." Lin Baitian said furiously.
"You need not involve yourself in this matter. Just carry out your current task properly."
Lin Fanlong's words left Lin Baitian helpless.
He dearly wanted to help.
But he also knew that even though he was an Advanced Martial Master, even though he possessed the strength to sweep through opponents of the same realm... he was still far too insignificant. Any Beginner Martial General could make him die without a burial ground!
"Go on. These matters are still far too distant from you. It won't be too late to get involved after you graduate."
Lin Fanlong waved a hand, and Lin Baitian and Su Zhan left the room.
"Damn Meng family, those bastards!"
Lin Baitian was beside himself with rage.
"Brother Lin, I know a Martial Artist Corps. They're quite capable... Could you give me a map of the Meng family's strongholds? Maybe they can be of some help!"
Su Zhan suddenly spoke.
He had listened in the entire time and roughly understood the situation.
Lin Fanlong was right. This matter was far too distant from them. It was basically a conflict between Martial Generals, while Martial Masters could only count as cannon fodder within it.
However...
Su Zhan could not afford to provoke those A-grade and B-grade strongholds guarded by Martial Masters and Martial Generals, but C-grade and D-grade strongholds were a different matter!
He could kill people.
He could hunt.
He could seize treasures.
Most importantly, if Su Zhan were asked to deal with strangers, he would certainly have some psychological reservations. But against Meng family members... he would never show mercy!
Before you continue