Chapter 191: The Su family is my target [1]

Chapter 191: 191: The Su family is my target [1]

Lin Xuan stared at the child kneeling before him.

If this were a novel, an arrogant young master like this would probably be the perfect excuse to eradicate the Su Family.

That was what he had thought when he heard the kid scream about burning the Lin family down.

A young master who had nothing but women and the strength of his family on his mind.

Such a person would usually be more than enough to create a perfect reason for destroying an entire clan.

To his surprise, however, the young man had actually placed the survival of his family above his own life.

He had been willing to endure humiliation rather than say another word that might bring disaster upon the Su Family.

Interesting.

Still, no plan was ever foolproof.

If the young master refused to take the bait, he would simply have to change his target.

The elders of the Su Family were far more likely to be prideful than a frightened child.

Lin Xuan lowered his gaze toward Su Mingyuan.

"Watch your tone, boy."

His voice remained calm.

"I will punish anyone I deem guilty, regardless of their identity."

Su Mingyuan trembled slightly.

Lin Xuan continued, "Since you have sincerely apologized, I will overlook this matter."

The young man’s expression loosened slightly.

"But there is one condition."

Su Mingyuan immediately became tense again.

"You will convince your father to come here personally and apologize for the way he raised you."

Lin Xuan’s expression remained indifferent.

"If he does not come within a week and offer that apology himself..."

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"...then I will have the Su Family for dinner."

The surrounding atmosphere immediately became cold.

Su Mingyuan’s face went pale.

Lin Xuan turned around and walked away, leaving the young master and his Golden Core guard behind.

The first thing Lin Xuan had noticed when he saw Lin Zhaoxi was that she had already reached the late stage of the Qi Refinement Realm.

It was an impressive achievement for an eleven-year-old girl, especially considering that she had only spent a single year cultivating.

If the Lin Family had possessed a wider selection of breathing techniques, with one specifically suited to her physique and cultivation needs, she might have even had a chance of reaching the Golden Core Realm by now.

Lin Xuan headed toward the treasury, intending to find Lin Zhaoyue.

Meanwhile, Lin Zhaoyue had just finished escorting the young girl back to the treasury. She stood there for a moment and looked up at the ceiling, a strange feeling lingering in her heart.

Something felt wrong.

"Young Miss, are you alright?"

Hei Bing’er looked at her with concern.

Zhaoyue turned toward her and smiled lightly.

"Ah, no. I’m fine."

Her gaze swept across the treasury.

"So this is where you work."

Bing’er nodded her head and replied,"Yes, Young Miss."

Most of the people working inside were cultivators, yet none of them looked particularly happy to be there.

Some counted spirit stones with dull expressions, while others recorded incoming and outgoing resources without showing much enthusiasm.

Zhaoyue quietly observed them.

She quickly pinpointed the crux of the issue.

It was the idea of mere mortals holding positions of authority within the family.

The Lin Family was not the royal family. They did not need to please the mortals of the kingdom in order to rule over them.

The Lin Family had fostered mortals to handle menial tasks in the first place.

In fact, that was how almost every cultivation family operated.

So when the Patriarch suddenly implemented a rule that allowed even mortals to hold positions of power within the family as long as they possessed the necessary skills, many cultivators had felt that the rule was almost mocking them.

What skills could they possibly have?

What could mere mortals even do?

That was why, when Qinglan had chosen Bing’er to oversee the treasury while she prepared to enter seclusion, the people working there had been deeply dissatisfied.

Some had even complained privately.

"Qinglan is an outsider. Her choosing another outsider to look after the clan treasury needs to be investigated."

Others had expressed similar doubts, questioning how a mortal could possibly be trusted with such an important position.

Zhaoyue understood their thoughts immediately.

To these cultivators, Bing’er’s position was not something she had earned through ability.

It was something they believed should have belonged to a cultivator simply because they were stronger.

And in the cultivation world, that mindset was deeply ingrained.

Zhaoyue looked around the treasury for another moment before deliberately clearing her throat.

"Ahem."

The sound echoed through the hall.

She waited for someone to react, but the cultivators continued with their work as though they had heard nothing.

Zhaoyue raised an eyebrow.

"Are you all so petty that you cannot even greet the Hall Master?"

Her voice carried clearly through the treasury.

Still, no one answered.

The atmosphere remained strangely quiet.

Zhaoyue’s expression immediately hardened.

Without another word, she released her Golden Core aura.

A powerful pressure swept through the entire treasury, causing several cultivators to stiffen in place.

The spirit stones in their hands trembled slightly beneath the sudden pressure.

Zhaoyue’s eyes swept across every person in the hall.

"Not only do you refuse to respect your Hall Master, but you also dare to disrespect me?"

Her voice was cold enough to make the entire treasury fall silent.

"I am the daughter of the Patriarch of the Lin Family."

Her Golden Core aura pressed down even harder.

"If you think you are too important to follow the rules of this family, then you are free to find another place that will tolerate your arrogance."

An elderly cultivator suddenly raised his head despite the pressure bearing down on him.

"Is this how the Lin Family repays decades of loyalty?"

His voice was strained, but there was anger behind it.

"We have served the Lin Family for decades, yet now we are being threatened by a child who knows nothing about how the world works!"

His breathing became heavier as he forced himself to remain standing.

"You are young, Lin Zhaoyue. You have no idea how this family operates, nor do you understand what it takes to manage the treasury."

He glared at her through the pressure.

"If your father were here, you would never dare speak to us like this."

The moment his words fell, the silence inside the treasury broke.

"Exactly!"

"We have served the Lin Family for decades!"

"How can you speak to us like this simply because you are the Patriarch’s daughter?"

"Do you think becoming a Golden Core makes you superior to everyone here?"

"You are only a child!"

"All you know is how to attract attention!"

One voice after another joined in.

In an instant, dozens of cultivators began pouring out their resentment despite the suffocating pressure weighing on their bodies.

Some complained about Qinglan placing a mortal in charge of the treasury.

Others accused Zhaoyue of abusing her status as the Patriarch’s daughter.

Several even openly called her an attention seeker, claiming that she was deliberately making a scene simply to show off her cultivation.

The treasury, which had been silent moments ago, suddenly became filled with angry voices.

Amidst the growing complaints, she raised her right arm and the pressure of her Golden Core aura suddenly intensified.

In an instant, every voice in the treasury fell silent.

The cultivators who had been shouting moments ago immediately lowered their heads, their bodies becoming stiff beneath the overwhelming pressure.

Hei Bing’er hurriedly stepped forward.

"Young Miss, please let them go."

She bowed her head apologetically.

"I’m sorry on their behalf. They are only acting this way because I was appointed as the Hall Master. I’m sure they have the utmost respect for you and the Patriarch."

She glanced nervously at the surrounding cultivators.

"They are only agitated right now. Please forgive them."

Bing’er then turned toward the others and tried to placate them. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ

"Everyone, please calm down. Once Elder Qinglan completes her seclusion, I will personally hand in my resignation and leave immediately. You will not have to worry about me holding this position any longer."

Before she could bow again, a gentle force pressed against her shoulders.

Zhaoyue calmly pushed her down until she was seated on the floor.

Bing’er looked up at her in surprise.

Zhaoyue’s expression remained firm.

"Your position was made possible because of Father’s will."

Her gaze swept across the cultivators surrounding them.

"Whether you respect Bing’er or not is one matter, but refusing to acknowledge the position Father gave her is the same as openly defying him."

Her voice carried through the treasury.

"I will not tolerate it."

Bing’er remained seated, unable to find the words to respond.