C263 Family's Lifeline!

In the Silvermoon Empire lies the City of Silvermoon, a place where every inch of land is worth its weight in gold, with wide streets and towering buildings. To the west of the city, there's a series of pavilions adorned with green tiles and white walls, the esteemed residence of the Lin family.

Following the death of Lin Jingfei, Lin Fengyan assumed the role of Patriarch. Under his leadership, the Lin family flourished, achieving remarkable success. Tragically, Lin Fengyan met his end in the Moonfall Sanctuary. His brother, Lin Hanyu, ascended to the position with the support of Winter's Bite. Originally in the late Veil Breaking stage, Lin Hanyu smoothly transitioned into the Subtlety realm.

Yet, in comparison to Lin Fengyan, Lin Hanyu's cultivation level was considerably weaker. Within the Lin family, some elders voiced their discontent, suggesting that Lin Hanyu's cultivation and strength were insufficient to guide the family to further greatness.

Standing in a towering, tower-like pavilion, Lin Hanyu gazed towards the imperial city, his hands clasped behind his back. An elderly servant of the Lin family approached, bearing scrolls and papers, briefing him on the family's recent activities and delivering messages from afar.

"Liu Wei from Winter's Bite has sent word," the servant, named Qi Xun, announced, lifting a fresh sheet of paper. "He's currently in Asvetaesi."

Lin Hanyu snapped to attention, turning sharply. "Liu Wei is in Asvetaesi?"

"Yes," Qi Xun confirmed, his gaze fixed on the paper, his expression subtly shifting. "The Yu family's young master, Yu Yuan..."

Lin Hanyu's brows furrowed. "What about him?"

The memories of Yu Yuan were deeply etched in Lin Hanyu's mind, recalling them brought a wave of discomfort.

"He's returned," Qi Xun declared, inhaling deeply. "Without any prior indication, he suddenly reappeared in Thylethlume. Liu Wei was drawn to the town after detecting Ning Ji's peculiar movements. Upon investigating, he discovered Yu Yuan's return!"

"Yu Yuan!" Lin Hanyu's face darkened with a sudden chill. He took several deep breaths to steady his emotions before irritation set in. "He's still alive! His survival means the marriage contract remains valid. Zhuyun has been taken under the wing of the Chief Elder within Winter's Bite, and her well-being is intimately tied to the Lin family's fortunes!"

Liu Wei recently sent a message informing me that the Chief Elder has arranged another marriage for her!"

"The groom is a true prodigy of the Sunlit Order!"

At this point, Lin Hanyu was seething with anger. "So many have perished in the Moonfall Sanctuary. Why is it that he alone survived?"

Qi Xun remained silent, not daring to speak.

"Tell my Third Uncle I wish to see him," Lin Hanyu commanded.

The news that the Patriarch wanted to meet with his Third Uncle sent a jolt through Qi Xun.

As it stood, Lin Jingfei, who had covertly agreed with Yu Yuan on the engagement between Lin Zhuyun and Yu Yuan, had been the de facto head of the Lin family.

Yet, Lin Jingfei was not the most powerful member of the Yu family.

The Lin family's prominence within the Silvermoon Empire and their secure position among the top five families were largely due to another individual within the clan.

This individual was the Third Uncle Lin Hanyu referred to, Lin Mu, the younger brother of Lin Fengyan's father.

Lin Mu did not reside in the City of Silvermoon but spent his years in quiet cultivation in Lellon City, the Lin family's ancestral home. With his cultivation at the late stage of the Lunar Spirit, Lin Mu had been striving to advance to the Spirit Walk realm for many years. He had made it clear to both Lin Jingfei and Lin Fengyan that he should not be disturbed unless the matter was of utmost urgency.

Lin Mu's last visit to the City of Silvermoon was in the wake of Lin Jingfei's death, when Lin Fengyan was vying for the role of family Patriarch amidst widespread dissent.

Lin Mu's sudden arrival in the City of Silvermoon to back Lin Fengyan quelled any unrest among the clan's members, both young and old.

Lin Fengyan was held in high esteem by Lin Mu, and when word of his demise in the Moonfall Sanctuary reached him, Lin Mu was reportedly enraged back in Lellon.

Yet, when Lin Hanyu assumed leadership of the Lin family, Lin Mu was conspicuously absent.

His absence was attributed to his disdain for Lin Hanyu, although he was aware that Lin Hanyu had garnered the full support of Winter's Bite, thanks to his daughter Lin Zhuyun.

This support was also why the rest of the Lin family refrained from vehemently contesting Lin Hanyu's ascension to the head of the family.

Between the two brothers, Lin Mu had always favored Lin Fengyan over his younger brother, Lin Hanyu.

After Lin Hanyu became the new head of the Lin family, his first action was to visit Lin Mu in Lellon.

However, Lin Mu avoided him.

Now, Lin Hanyu was attempting to see Lin Mu once more. Would he succeed this time?

"I'm afraid the old man still won't agree to meet," said Qi Xun.

"He will meet with me this time!" Lin Hanyu declared resolutely. "Just convey my intention to see him and say it's about the family's prosperity! And inform him of Yu Yuan's return and his reappearance in Thylethlume."

"Alright, alright," Qi Xun acquiesced.

...

In the Su family of the Empire.

Su Yin crossed out the "Yu" character from a list of family names on a procurement document, then looked up at the old woman before him with displeasure. "Why is the Yu family's name still on this list? I've reminded you more than once that I don't want to see the Yu family's name on any list given to me!"

Had Yu Yuan been present, he would have recognized the old woman as the one who had accompanied Su Yan at the Vault of Wonders.

The woman, whose real name was Feng Lanyun, had been visiting Su Yin regularly with the family's medicinal herb purchase lists after the disappearance of Su Xiangtian and Su Yan.

The Yu family was always included.

Su Yin, on the other hand, consistently struck their name from the list.

"My mistress is Su Yan, not someone else. She instructed me to look after the Yu family," Feng Lanyun stated with dignity. "Therefore, the Yu family appears on every list. Their medicinal herbs have become increasingly affordable due to prolonged unsold stock. From the family's perspective, buying the Yu family's herbs is the most economical choice."

"If the Yu family falls and the medicinal gardens around Thylethlume become ours, wouldn't that be even better?" Su Yin retorted coldly. "Stay out of Yu family affairs; I have other plans! Just watch—in no time, we'll acquire all the medicinal fields in Thylethlume for the Su family at rock-bottom prices!"

Feng Lanyun paused, then sighed in realization, "So that's what's going on."

She had been puzzled as to why Su Yin was targeting the Yu family so aggressively, while the clan's elders seemed to overlook his actions.

Clearly, Su Yin must have already informed the elders of his intentions.

Taking over the Yu family and acquiring their medicinal garden, which was ideal for cultivating herbs, would be far more economical than buying herbs directly from them.

In pursuit of this objective, any short-term losses were inconsequential.

With this in mind, even Su Xiangtian, the head of the Su family, might have given his silent consent after Yu Yuan's "death," considering the bigger picture for the family's future.

Ultimately, absorbing the Yu family would be advantageous for the Su family's prosperity.

The Su family was not only experienced in such matters but also had a history of successful precedents.

...

In the northern reaches of Thylethlume, lush shrubs adorned the verdant lake's edge. At the heart of the lake lay a small island.

This mid-lake island, once perpetually barren and devoid of any vegetation, now hosted a surprising growth of medicinal herbs. Tiny, just-emerging shoots poked through the damp earth, their leaves and branches shyly peeking out.

There were only a handful of these herbs, their stems as green as bamboo, wrapped in delicate golden filigree that spiraled around them.

Bathed in sunlight, the golden patterns seemed to drink in the rays, shimmering brilliantly.

At night, a mysterious mist would rise from the green lake, drawn to the herbs as if by magic, winding its way around the vibrant stems.

By day, they soaked up the sun; by night, they drew in the mystical fog, thriving robustly.

Every few nights, a spectral figure would glide in like a sprite from the mountain streams, circling the herbs on the mid-lake island before vanishing once more.

On this particular day, a woman dressed in simple elegance, with a bamboo basket on her arm, navigated through the thick bushes. She occasionally sniffed the distinctive air, using the scent to guide her path.

Bai Shenshen, a member of the Sacred Hands, found herself in Asvetaesi for a dual purpose: to seek out information and to fulfill a mission from her sect by locating certain items. She was aware that the northernmost reaches of Thylethlume harbored several rare and toxic herbs.

Her quest was for these poisonous plants. Yet, as she brushed aside the underbrush and glanced casually at the small island in the middle of the lake, she froze in astonishment. With her early Subtlety period cultivation, she channeled her spiritual energy, and her eyes brightened intensely.

The dozens of peculiar herbs on the mid-lake island snapped into sharp focus. She gasped, her hand flying to her mouth in surprise. Doubting her eyes, she looked again. The herbs remained, their unique features unchanged, and in the night, they were evidently drawing in the mist hovering over the lake's surface.

Bai Shenshen was dumbfounded for a long while, struggling to believe what she saw. "Phaseblossom! A fifth-level earthly herb, exceedingly rare. How could the Phaseblossom, which is nearly impossible to cultivate or transplant in Aetherius, be growing here?" she wondered.

The Sacred Hands had been searching far and wide for the Phaseblossom, rumored to exist only in specific locales within the Land of Quiescence and Euwrea. Though not high-grade, the Phaseblossom was an essential auxiliary herb in the concoction of a unique Spirit Elixir, not the primary component. Yet, without it, the chances of successfully crafting the elixir plummeted dramatically.

This was why the Phaseblossom, despite its modest rank, held a value far surpassing its grade. Year after year, the Sacred Hands pleaded with denizens of the Land of Quiescence and Euwrea for this herb, only to be exorbitantly overcharged each time.

So, upon discovering the Phaseblossom on the mid-lake island, how could Bai Shenshen contain her excitement?

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