Chapter 49: Dangerous Situation I

Because his movement speed had improved, Lin Hui now went home to rest almost every day.

After all, it only took half an hour to get back from the Clear Wind Sword Sect, and the run served as training for his movement technique.

After finishing sword practice, it was approaching evening.

As usual, he quickly returned to the suburbs of Xinyu Town. However, as soon as he arrived at his gate, he found the courtyard doors wide open and the inside completely empty. Only a few sturdy men were sitting on the ground, wiping sweat with towels, seemingly having just finished moving things.

Seeing him enter, these men quickly stood up and bowed.

“Oh, Young Master Hui is back? The Master and Madam have already gone ahead to the new house. This courtyard and house have been sold to someone else. They instructed this lowly one to guide you there so we can go together.”

One of the bald men said with a face full of smiles.

“Moved again?” Lin Hui was stunned. They hadn’t lived here that long, had they? Had it even been two years?

It seemed his father had truly struck it rich.

“Take me there, then. Sorry for the trouble.” His thoughts were churning, but his face remained calm.

“Alright! I am Lei Song, the captain of the helpers the Master just hired. Young Master Hui, if you have any orders in the future, just say the word. Chores, repairs, running errands—we’re good at it all!” The bald man wore an ingratiating smile.

“Okay. Lead the way first.” Lin Hui nodded.

He took one last look at this courtyard he hadn’t lived in for long, feeling an inexplicable trace of reluctance.

Looking up at the sky, he saw there was about an hour left before dark. He finally turned around and followed Lei Song, quickly leaving the courtyard.

There was no need to pack; ninety percent of his belongings were in his private courtyard at the Sword Sect. This place was really just a spare set for occasional stays, and his parents had likely moved everything already.

Lei Song and the two other men quickly locked the gate and led Lin Hui toward the center of town.

Before long, passing through the suburbs, the four of them arrived in front of a large white-walled compound that was at least five times bigger than the previous one.

This could no longer be called a courtyard; it should be called a residence or a mansion.

Lin Hui stood in front of the main gate, looking up at the three-meter-high vermilion doors. Above them hung a plaque with a black background and red characters, displaying two large words: Lin Residence.

“Dad really struck it rich…” He felt he might have severely underestimated the speed of his father’s development.

“Young Master Hui, please enter, this way.” Lei Song led the way through a side door and waved to him.

Lin Hui followed him in. Inside was a large courtyard, more than double the size of the Lin Main Family’s estate. It was square and featured rockeries, pavilions, small bridges, and flowing water—exquisite and delicate. In some corners, leftover renovation materials were still piled up.

About a dozen workers were coming and going, moving furniture into the rooms.

His father was standing with his hands behind his back, constantly directing them. Seeing Lin Hui enter, a smile immediately appeared on his face, a smile containing a trace of unconcealable pride.

Walking over, Lin Shunhe patted his son on the shoulder.

“Not bad, you’ve gotten taller and stronger!”

“Dad, did you get rich again?” Lin Hui surveyed the entire courtyard. Looking inward from this position, past the eaves, there was a continuous stretch of wooden buildings that seemed endless. One building in front was a full three stories high; at a glance, there were at least thirty rooms.

Even he couldn’t help but be startled when he roughly estimated the price of this house.

“What do you mean ‘again’? Your dad has never lacked money.” Lin Shunhe raised an eyebrow. He waved his hand to let Lei Song and the others go back to work.

“Actually, I just happened to find a channel and made a huge profit. You know, the Black Mist—it’s both a danger and a business opportunity. Plus, your dad has a sharp eye and picked up a huge bargain (a ‘leak’). Not only did we make money, but we also connected with a new network, hehe…” Speaking of this, Lin Shunhe couldn’t stop his smugness, his smile almost squeezing out new crow’s feet.

“I won’t ask about the specific bargain, but you must be careful about safety,” Lin Hui frowned.

“Don’t worry, when has your old man ever been careless? Do I need you to tell me that? By the way,” Lin Shunhe paused, seeming to remember something. “The Steel Fist Brothers I hired recently invited their master over this morning. I’ve successfully hired him as our family’s resident martial arts master. The contract is signed, and he’ll move in soon. Be polite when the time comes. This master is nicknamed the Hundred-Step Divine Fist. He’s seventy-six years old, possesses extremely strong Hard Body skills, and is also an Internal Force expert from Xingdao.”

“…” Lin Hui was speechless. He hadn’t even trained to the Internal Force Realm yet, and his dad had already gone ahead and hired an Internal Force martial artist…

Is this reasonable!?

Originally, he had been quite pleased with himself for hunting hundreds of thousands worth of materials in a day, wondering if he should take his family to move into the Inner City. But the result…

“Seventy-six… that’s older than my master. Can he still fight?” Thinking of this, he questioned softly.

“You don’t know about this. When I met him, I thought this Hundred-Step Divine Fist was only forty. He looks too young,” Lin Shunhe sighed, seemingly quite impressed.

“Alright… understood.” Lin Hui sighed.

“When you have time, don’t just stare at your sword practice. You need to spend time with me to get familiar with the business channels and connections. I really can’t handle it all, and you’re the only son… As for experts, with money, you can hire them easily. Just use your sword practice for fitness…” His dad started nagging again.

Ever since his business boomed recently, his attitude toward the Clear Wind Sword had taken another 180-degree turn.

“Okay, okay, I know. Leaving that aside, where is Mom?” Lin Hui walked toward the entrance of the main hall.

“She went to rest. She’s been busy from morning until just now. Placing various items, managing, tidying up, inspecting—everything needs someone watching. Otherwise, getting cheated, scammed, or even having things stolen is possible if we aren’t careful,” Lin Shunhe replied.

“Also, you like practicing kung fu and Body Tempering. I heard from Steel Fist and the others that Body Tempering can be accelerated with some nourishing medicines. Would that be useful to you?”

“It is useful, but I don’t need it right now,” Lin Hui nodded.

“Is that so?” Lin Shunhe pondered. “What about increasing energy and strengthening Qi and blood?”

“Increasing energy?” Lin Hui paused. Such medicinal ingredients were hard currency and extremely rare. Anything useful for his level was usually snatched up as soon as it appeared on the market.

“How old are the ingredients?” he asked seriously. If he could really get some, increasing his energy would directly reduce the evolution time of the Blood Seal.

“Basically, the formula uses ingredients over ten years old. I acquired a prescription for Total Essence Powder. The cost for one portion is forty thousand. Try it first. If it works, you can use it long-term,” Lin Shunhe answered in a low voice.

“Dad, you’re amazing!” Lin Hui was truly shocked this time. He had asked Master Mingde before and knew that such medicinal ingredients were almost entirely monopolized by the Three Sects and Six Gangs of the Inner City. The Outer City only had ingredients with little age to mix, and their medicinal effects were basically useless.

But now, his dad actually had a way to get them…

“As long as you know. Otherwise, how could I be your dad!?” Lin Shunhe laughed, stroking his newly trimmed goatee with a look of triumph.

The two entered the main hall. The wall directly in front was still blank, waiting for a painting or calligraphy. There were two small doors on either side leading to the inner courtyard.

“Go left here. Once inside, go left again. That’s the bedroom, martial arts field, and a small hall for reading, resting, and meeting guests reserved for you. There’s also a loft you can arrange yourself, for storage or other uses,” his dad introduced. “Through the right door are two buildings, which are the residences for the martial arts masters, guards, and hired servants. You can familiarize yourself with it slowly later.”

“Do we need a house this big?” Lin Hui was speechless.

“We need it. Why wouldn’t we need it?” His dad laughed but didn’t continue.

“Wait, Dad, you haven’t let success go to your head, have you?” Lin Hui narrowed his eyes, sensing something was off.

“Sigh, you found out… But you would have known sooner or later. Your mother also agreed.” Lin Shunhe stopped walking, his expression complex yet gentle.

“Who is it?” Lin Hui asked in a low voice.

“During a business run a while back, I ran into some trouble and was unexpectedly saved. The person who saved me was her. She is generous and comes from an extraordinary background, but she just happens to like me… I couldn’t hold back at the time, and she got pregnant…” His dad looked helpless.

“…” Lin Hui understood instantly.

No wonder his dad became successful so suddenly. He had thought that even with his ideas, the speed of development was too fast. He hadn’t expected…

Now the truth was finally out.

“Then what about my mom?” he asked quickly.

“Naturally, it’s the same as always. Your mother is the primary wife (Big), and she is willing to be the secondary (Small). Their status is equal,” his dad said seriously.

“Dad, you really are…” Lin Hui didn’t know what to say.

Although in this world, it was common for capable men to have multiple partners, when it happened to his own father, it felt a bit weird.

“Sigh… When the time comes, she and her son and daughter will also move in. They are about your age. Be polite when you meet them,” Lin Shunhe sighed.

“I’ll try. It depends on their attitude,” Lin Hui said speechlessly.

His dad patted his shoulder and said no more.

After taking his son on a tour of the entire mansion, the family of three dined in a two-hundred-square-meter dining hall in the central courtyard.

Because of the mist, all courtyards and halls were connected by fully enclosed corridors with windows.

It was the same here.

New dishes were constantly brought up from the kitchen. Just for the three of them, fifteen dishes were laid out…

This level of luxury far exceeded the past.

However, even with the variety of dishes, many of which were complicated to make, Lin Hui felt the atmosphere of this meal was awkward.

On the other hand, his mother, Yao Shan, acted just like before, seemingly holding no grudge against the incoming second wife.

Not only that, she even comforted Lin Hui, saying that the woman named Liu Shenglan was gentle, magnanimous, and well-educated. Her two children were also polite and reasonable. Plus, the children were born in the Inner City and would rarely come to stay, so he didn’t need to worry about being unaccustomed to living together long-term. She told Lin Hui to relax.

Hearing about living in the Inner City long-term made Lin Hui even more worried.

The gap in background was too large. If they didn’t get along, his mother might end up serving them like ancestors.

But since his mother had accepted it, he had nothing to say and could only accept it too.

After the meal, servants came to clean up, and Lin Hui went to rest in his new room for the first time.

After washing up, he lay on the bed, looking at the hazy moonlight outside the window. The light cast chaotic, flickering, strange shadows on the window pane.

That was the night mist confusing the environment again.

The jade talisman hanging in front of the window swayed, releasing a layer of power Lin Hui couldn’t perceive, keeping the mist out.

‘This is good too. At least Dad might have a few more kids, so I won’t be the only one worrying all day.’

Lin Hui understood his parents’ thoughts very well.

Although compared to his peers, he was considered successful—not comparable to a Summoner, but first-tier below them.

In the mouths of neighbors, he was “someone else’s child.” He didn’t worry about food or drink and could help the family. But practicing martial arts was ultimately too dangerous.

As long as one had to personally take the field, accidents would always happen.

If one encountered danger, wouldn’t it be better to just spend money to hire someone to handle it? Why, when there was a safer way, did one have to go personally to fight others?

Once one continued to practice and mix in the martial arts circle, there would often be times when one had no choice but to fight.

(End of Chapter)