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His mother praised him for being sensible and clever, but only Lin Zhinian knew that none of it was enough.

He wanted the position of city lord. He wanted to be the one who ruled others' fates, not someone confined to a corner of the world, his life and death at another's whim.

And his mother's death had set the ambition in his heart ablaze.

But because the tallest tree catches the wind, he had already become a thorn in the eyes of his older siblings in Xishan City. Xishan City might have been a warm place, but the City Lord's Office was not. The people living there were bound by blood, yet there was no familial affection between them.

They were rivals. They had different mothers, so how could they possibly act like devoted brothers and sisters? Besides, their father had never demanded that they stand together. Sometimes Lin Zhinian even felt as though his father was breeding venomous insects in a jar, and he was merely one of the sturdier specimens.

Coming to Langyuan City for Yonglu Mountain's entrance examination was an escape route Lin Zhinian had chosen for himself.

He had still been too weak then, though his talent was undeniably great. He needed somewhere that would accept and shelter him while he grew strong quickly. Yonglu Mountain was the place he had chosen. It was close by and one of the Five Major Sects. Once he joined Yonglu Mountain, his standing as one of its disciples would surely become a powerful bargaining chip in his bid for the city lordship.

Lin Zhinian had gotten what he wished for and passed all three of Yonglu Mountain's entrance trials. By all rights, given his talent, family background, bearing, and looks, Yonglu Mountain was almost certain to take him