A Visit to Their Doorstep

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

At dawn on the fourth day, faint light touched the sky, and mist drifted over the Clear Sand River.

Before the water residence's main hall, Wang Ming stood with several cultivators who had recovered some of their spirits, their hands at their sides.

Xu Yuan, dressed in a plain blue-green Daoist robe, stood with his hands behind his back on the steps before the hall. He gazed across the mist-shrouded river toward the faint outlines of mountains along its banks.

"Lord Warden, which family shall we visit first today?"

Wang Ming stepped forward and asked in a low voice. A trace of worry still lurked in his eyes.

Over the past three days, with Xu Yuan's authorization, he had thrown himself into setting things right. The water residence had barely regained its structure, but he knew the real test was only beginning. The three great families had occupied the Clear Sand River for generations, their roots deep and their foundations firm. Killing a few stewards to establish authority would not easily cow them.

"The Lin Family," Xu Yuan said, his voice calm and level.

Wang Ming was somewhat surprised. He had expected Xu Yuan to visit the relatively weaker Zhao Clan first, since its steward had been the one most directly involved in the execution the day before, or else the Wang Family, the most arrogant and overbearing of the three.

The Lin Family was the only one openly known to have a Foundation Establishment cultivator presiding over it. But its head, Lin Moxuan, was said to be relatively mild-tempered and spent most of his time in seclusion. Family affairs were largely handled by his younger brother, Lin Moshan, who had reached Qi Refining Perfected.

"The Lin Family's head reached Foundation