Outer Lake, Cave Abode Number Ninety-Eight.
Inside the hall.
Lin Changheng's words reached the Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Fan Family of Fallen Phoenix Forest. Though they grated on his ears, the cultivator showed no anger. Instead, he smiled apologetically, seemingly unbothered.
"You jest, Pill Master Lin. How could our lineage possibly harbor such thoughts?"
"Leaving aside our promise and the obligations of honor, just consider your mastery of the Pill Dao in refining [Foundation Establishment Pills]. How many Pill Masters of your rank in the Immortal City could compare? Why would we abandon the light for the darkness?"
His words not only cleared up the matter but also subtly flattered Lin Changheng.
A thought stirred in Lin Changheng's mind. He deliberately looked pleased by the praise, and his expression softened considerably.
Seeing this, the Fan Family's Foundation Establishment cultivator inwardly relaxed and continued explaining.
"As for arriving several days after your message, Pill Master Lin, it was not that I refused to come. I was away from the Immortal City then, attending to other matters back in our lineage. But the moment our people forwarded your message, I set everything aside and flew here through the night without the slightest delay."
"In that case, I misunderstood you, Fellow Daoist Fan."
Lin Changheng took the offered slope to dismount and stopped while he was ahead.
Given his disposition, he did not actually mind the man arriving a few days late.
But he had chosen to make that display for the negotiations to come: suppressing the other man's momentum and planting the notion that the fault lay with him, thereby securing the initiative.
"As long as the misunderstanding is cleared up. We did indeed keep you waiting, Pill Master Lin, and I apologize."
The Fan Family's Foundation Establishment cultivator was a