The Three Great Families Make Their Move!

Qian Yang smiled faintly and said softly, "The young city lord has already made his position clear. Since the three family heads have been so generous as to send so many precious resources, he won't stand on ceremony and will accept this lavish gift."

Hearing this, Zhao Tong and the other two relaxed a little.

As long as he accepted it. They weren't afraid of giving gifts; they were afraid of being unable to give them away.

Then Qian Yang added, "The young city lord also specifically asked me to tell the three family heads that he is deeply grateful for your wholehearted efforts toward Shenglin City's prosperity."

"And he hopes the three great families will continue to support Shenglin City's development wholeheartedly, as always. As long as everyone has Shenglin City's interests at heart, the young city lord will remember it."

Then, looking troubled, Qian Yang continued, "It's just that the young city lord has only recently returned from the Spirit Realm and is at a critical point in his cultivation breakthrough. He truly cannot spare the time to receive you three. I hope you can understand."

Hearing this, Zhao Tong and the other two hurriedly nodded and replied, "Please assure the city lord and the young city lord that we will spare no effort in contributing to Shenglin City's future."

Although being unable to meet Lin An and his father, Lin Xiao, left them somewhat disappointed,

they did not dare voice a single complaint at this moment.

Then a trace of hesitation appeared on all three faces.

"Is there anything else, family heads?" Qian Yang asked.

"Steward Qian, after what my son experienced in the Spirit Realm, he admires the young city lord immensely and wishes to follow him."

"Yes, my boy feels the same. Even if he could only serve as an attendant, bringing the young city lord tea and water, my boy would gladly do it."

"Please put in a good word for us, Steward Qian. Whether it succeeds or not, we will repay you with generous gifts."

The three spoke up in turn. Having recognized Lin An's potential, they had already decided to hug his thigh.

But merely sending resources certainly wasn't enough. They could only rest easy once their sons became the young city lord's attendants, or even his trusted aides.

"Gentlemen, the city lord and the young city lord have both entered secluded cultivation. I wouldn't dare disturb them."

Qian Yang said, "As for your request, I will report it once the city lord and the young city lord emerge from seclusion."

Disappointment showed on the faces of Zhao Tong and the other two.

"Then please mention this matter once the city lord and the young city lord emerge, Steward Qian."

"Of course."

The three family heads left, while Qian Yang called over the household servants and had them move cartload after cartload of resources into the treasury.

Inside the quiet chamber.

Lin An and Lin Xiao sat facing each other.

Lin An's eyes were tightly closed. As he circulated his cultivation technique, he rapidly refined the pills, and strands of spiritual energy gathered toward his dantian.

Meanwhile, Lin Xiao held the Heaven and Earth Spirit Crystal and circulated the Lin Clan Cultivation Technique as well.

However, he wasn't cultivating. Instead, he was improving his comprehension of the technique by sensing the circulation route of Lin An's technique.

The Heaven and Earth Spirit Crystal radiated spiritual light, and Lin Xiao had fully entered a state of unity with heaven and earth.

In this state, the speed at which he comprehended the technique was rapidly increasing.

He simply didn't have a player's panel. Otherwise, notifications of proficiency +100 and proficiency +1,000 would surely have kept appearing.

I still underestimated the Heaven and Earth Spirit Crystal's effects. Even if I can't enter a state of sudden enlightenment, I'll be able to bring the technique to perfection in three months at most.

Lin Xiao was filled with excitement.

In the hundreds of years the Lin Family had stood in Shenglin City, aside from the ancestor who had founded Shenglin City and surpassed the Platinum Realm, their descendants had reached Gold Ninth Grade at most.

Not a single person had broken through to the Platinum Realm again.

Their ancestors over the generations had also speculated that their cultivation technique was most likely the cause.

Although the Lin Clan Cultivation Technique made them cultivate very quickly, once they reached Gold Ninth Grade, breaking through became difficult.

Some ancestors had also suggested that perhaps they could only break through to the Platinum Realm after bringing the technique to perfection.

But throughout all these years, the furthest anyone had taken the technique was major mastery. No one had ever reached perfection.

Lin Xiao had also thought he would stop at Gold Ninth Grade for the rest of his life, but he hadn't expected his son to bring him such an enormous surprise.

He had learned that perfecting the technique could also allow him to undergo a marrow and meridian cleansing.

Moreover, by observing Lin An circulate his perfected technique, he had found a concrete direction, bringing his own technique to major mastery in just over a month.

Now, with the Heaven and Earth Spirit Crystal as well, he even had a chance of perfecting the technique in three months.

Perhaps I'll be the one to break the curse preventing my Lin Family from reaching platinum. Lin Xiao couldn't help glancing at Lin An, who was cultivating.

A sense of urgency immediately rose within him.

This brat cultivates too quickly. At this rate, he might surpass me in a year.

Although being surpassed by my own son would be something to feel proud of,

it shouldn't happen this quickly! Your father hasn't even had a proper chance to display his kingly aura yet.

With that thought, Lin Xiao cast aside his distracting thoughts and devoted himself wholeheartedly to comprehension.

Days passed.

Shenglin City remained much as it always had, with little change.

Even Lin Xiao's brief absence from public view would have no effect on Shenglin City.

The three great families, however, had been making quite a few moves lately.

"Steward Qian, have the city lord and the young city lord still not emerged from seclusion? I have something to report," Feng Shan, commander of the city garrison, asked when he sought out Qian Yang.

"They haven't emerged yet. Commander Feng, have the Sin Beasts made a move? If so, I'll notify the city lord immediately," Qian Yang said gravely.

Feng Shan generally didn't leave the military camp. Since he had come in person, the Sin Beasts might well have made a move.

But on second thought, Qian Yang felt that was unlikely.

If the Sin Beasts really had made a move, Feng Shan, as commander of the garrison, should have remained in camp and simply sent someone to report it.

"It's not about the Sin Beasts. It's the three great families."

"I don't know what's gotten into these three great families. Over the past few days, their people have kept taking the garrison assessments and joining the ranks."

"It's not as though members of the three great families never joined the garrison before, but there weren't many of them."

"This time is different. More than two hundred people from the three families have joined the garrison already. Even the three families' young heads have come."

Feng Shan said helplessly, "I don't know what the three families are trying to do either, so I came specifically to report this to the city lord and let him decide."

He had considered whether the three great families wanted to infiltrate the garrison or even seize military command.

But even if the three great families intended that, they shouldn't have been so blatant about it, even sending their next heirs into the garrison.

Besides, with the city lord around, the three great families simply couldn't seize military command.

Even if he, the commander of the garrison, ordered the troops to attack the city lord's residence, the soldiers would tie him up on the spot.

So-called military command amounted to nothing more than a word from City Lord Lin Xiao.

After hearing Feng Shan's account, Qian Yang quickly understood why the three great families were doing this.

Having failed to place their sons at the young city lord's side as attendants earlier, the three families had simply sent their younger members into the garrison instead, finding another way to build closer ties with the city lord's residence.

As expected of families that have endured for so many years, Qian Yang thought.

He immediately shared his conjecture with Feng Shan.