NOVEL NEXT Chapter 11 - A Clearer Mind, Punishment for Lin Song
Without the [Grass and Wood Spirit Pearl], even with Lin Chen’s special constitution, his growth would have been significantly slower. His path to higher realms could have been forever limited, losing the chance to reach greater heights.
Of course, the main reason Lin Xuan didn’t want the [Grass and Wood Spirit Pearl] was that he didn’t need it.
As the head of the Lin Family, Lin Chen’s ownership of it was practically the same as his own. A loyal genius within the family was far more valuable than a treasure that merely added to his already substantial power.
As the head of the family, Lin Xuan needed to maintain a broader perspective, one that wasn’t distracted by short-term gains at the cost of losing sight of the bigger picture.
Reflecting on this, Lin Xuan felt his mind clear, as if a weight had lifted, allowing his thoughts to expand.
“Indeed, as the saying goes: a loss may turn out to be a blessing in disguise,” Lin Xuan murmured to himself with a chuckle, feeling enlightened.
With the family’s fortune on the rise, more geniuses and treasures were bound to emerge in the future. As the head of the family, his role was to make investments, delegate tasks, and act as their support system.
Seizing treasures or cutting off the potential of these talents—such actions would not only damage the family but also be beneath his leadership. Lin Xuan wouldn’t do such things now, nor would he in the future.
…
In the Jiang Family’s meeting hall, located in White Cloud City, Jiang Tianyang, the head of the Jiang Family, was discussing matters with the family’s elders.
Earlier, they had felt the massive surge of spiritual energy in the city. After investigating, they discovered that the spiritual energy was converging towards the Lin Family’s territory.
Given the current tensions between the two families, anything the Lin Family did was of great concern to the Jiang Family, leading to this urgent meeting.
“Daring to set up a Spiritual Gathering Formation at a time like this… could it be that Lin Xuan has come out of seclusion?” an older Jiang family elder, Jiang Tai, whose hair and beard were snow-white but whose face glowed with vitality, said with a tone of uncertainty.
“So what if Lin Xuan has come out of seclusion?” scoffed Jiang Tianyang, seated at the head of the table.
“As long as he hasn’t broken through to the Golden Core stage, the three of us at the peak of Foundation Establishment will be enough to kill him! And as for Lin Xuan reaching the Golden Core stage? That’s just a fantasy.”
The other Jiang family elders nodded in agreement. If Lin Xuan had truly reached the Golden Core stage, he would have already come knocking to demand retribution, rather than remaining silent.
“Tai, don’t worry. If Lin Xuan has indeed come out, I will deal with him myself tomorrow, and I’ll need you to back me up,” Jiang Tianyang reassured Jiang Tai, knowing his unease stemmed from a previous defeat at Lin Xuan’s hands.
“Very well. I’ll follow your lead tomorrow,” Jiang Tai agreed, letting the matter rest.
…
Meanwhile, in the Lin Family’s rear courtyard, Lin Xuan was revising the family’s laws in the Clan Leader’s pavilion.
Dealing with the matter of Elder Lin Song’s embezzlement of resources from the family treasury had made him realize how severely lacking the current family laws were.
They were vague, superficial, and full of loopholes. The absence of clear precedents made enforcement inconsistent.
While this issue seemed trivial, it could have profound consequences for the family’s stability.
Lin Xuan decided to start drafting new laws. However, this was not something that could be done overnight. The laws would require ongoing updates and revisions over time.
For now, he planned to lay the groundwork and improve them gradually.
“The new family laws will start with Lin Song’s case. Lin Song, let’s see how your luck holds.”
With a glance toward the dungeon, Lin Xuan murmured to himself.
…
In the dark and damp dungeon of the Lin Family’s rear courtyard, Lin Song sat on the cold floor, his face pale and lifeless. The smell of decay and dampness filled the air.
His position as an elder had been stripped, his cultivation sealed, and he had no idea what punishment awaited him. His future felt bleak and uncertain.
As a Foundation Establishment elder of the Lin Family, he had never imagined he would meet such an end.
He didn’t regret his past actions; instead, he felt lost.
“Drunken Immortal Tower…” Lin Song muttered repeatedly.
He recalled his younger days, when he had been an ambitious cultivator, focused on advancing his realm.
But the path of cultivation was long and treacherous, with no end in sight. After years of effort, he had made no real progress.
That was when he had given up, choosing to drown in the indulgences of the Drunken Immortal Tower and gamble his days away…
But in the end, it had all amounted to nothing more than an empty dream.
…
“Brother, Lin Song is being held here,” Lin Hui said, leading Lin Xuan into the dungeon.
Lin Xuan nodded slightly and cast his gaze on Lin Song.
“What punishment has the family decided for me?” Lin Song asked weakly, lifting his head to look at Lin Xuan.
He had already resigned himself to the worst but still held onto a sliver of hope, knowing that nothing had been finalized yet.
“The family has decided to give you a chance to determine your own fate,” Lin Xuan replied bluntly.
“The three-day deadline has passed. Tomorrow, the Jiang Family will move against us.”
“If you can kill Jiang Tianyang, you will live. Additionally, if you repay the resources you embezzled, your past crimes will be forgiven.”
“If, however, Jiang Tianyang kills you, your past crimes will still be forgiven. And I will personally avenge you.”
After all, Lin Song was still a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Killing him outright or imprisoning him wasn’t ideal. It was more useful to make this situation into a strategic experiment.
“Jiang Tianyang? He’s at the late stage of Foundation Establishment! Are you sending me to my death?” Lin Song shouted in outrage, his face twisting with anger.
“This is an opportunity, isn’t it?” Lin Xuan countered with a smile.
While facing a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator was risky, the gap wasn’t insurmountable. With some luck, it wasn’t impossible to win.
“Fine! I accept this opportunity!” Lin Song gritted his teeth and agreed after only a brief hesitation.
“Good. You’ve made the right choice,” Lin Xuan said, nodding as if he had expected this outcome.
“I’ll pass you half of a sword technique. If you can comprehend even a portion of it, killing Jiang Tianyang will be within your grasp.”
With a wave of his hand, Lin Xuan released the seal on Lin Song’s cultivation and transmitted half of the [Seven Kills Sword Scripture] into his mind.
After investing in Lin Zhifeng and Lin Zhiying, Lin Xuan had received three major investment rewards: the Heaven-tier top-grade spell [Seven Kills Sword Scripture], the Heaven-tier top-grade technique [Four Symbols Demon Subjugation Record], and a session of cultivation insights from the Nascent Soul stage.
Compared to [Two Elements Flower-Picking Finger], the [Seven Kills Sword Scripture] was far more powerful and versatile. Lin Xuan intended to make it his primary spell for this stage of his cultivation.
The [Seven Kills Sword Scripture] had a unique trait—its power grew with the user’s killing intent. The more vicious the cultivator, the more easily they could comprehend it and unleash its full potential.
Moreover, battles to the death greatly increased the likelihood of further comprehending the technique.
This was one reason Lin Xuan had passed half of the sword technique to Lin Song.
Lin Song’s embezzlement of family resources was an unforgivable crime, but instead of executing him outright, Lin Xuan gave him a chance to survive.
The ordeal would test Lin Song and serve as his punishment. Even if he didn’t survive, his efforts would still benefit the family, making the most of the situation.