Chapter 19
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Chapter 19: Family Conflict
Xu Changsheng\’s appearance was somewhat unexpected, but Zhou Luo still received him in the main hall.
\"Brother Zhou, you have truly soared to remarkable heights these days.\"
Xu Changsheng sat in a chair, chuckling as he spoke.
\"Just some external gains. I actually envy Brother Xu\’s cultivation at Qi Refinement level two.\" Zhou Luo waved his hand dismissively.
\"Please, you flatter me too much.\" Xu Changsheng\’s expression suddenly turned somber, his voice tinged with melancholy. \"After our parting today, I fear the two of us will hardly ever meet again.\"
\"What do you mean by that, Brother Xu?\" Zhou Luo couldn\’t help feeling puzzled.
\"Haven\’t you heard, Brother Zhou? The family is recently demanding cultivators to go to the front lines?\" Xu Changsheng asked in surprise.
Zhou Luo shook his head.
He had been too busy with alchemy all this time, how could he spare attention for outside matters?
Xu Changsheng sighed. \"Yes, Brother Zhou\’s status is different now. It\’s just pitiable for sons-in-law like us, dispatched by the Lin Family to the front lines to die for nothing.\"
A distinct flash of resentment appeared on his face as he finished speaking.
Unlike most sons-in-law, Xu Changsheng had a very clear understanding of his own position.
When the Qinyuan Sect had rejected him back then, he had joined the Lin Family almost without hesitation.
Even upon later learning he had to become a son-in-law, he felt no regret.
Because he knew very well this was the price required to continue his cultivation. For the sake of immortal cultivation, he deemed the sacrifices worth it.
Therefore, since coming to the family, he had been diligent and conscientious, even forming wide connections. All to strengthen himself and enhance his cultivation.
But in the eyes of the Lin Family, he ultimately remained just a son-in-law.
Now, when the family was in need, they naturally discarded him without hesitation.
Even though he had produced offspring with spiritual roots for the family.
\"But isn\’t Brother Xu only at Qi Refinement level two?\" Zhou Luo exclaimed in surprise.
Typically, cultivators only possessed combat ability upon reaching the fifth layer of Qi Refinement.
For a cultivator like Xu Changsheng, still at level two, that meager amount of spiritual energy was completely inadequate.
Sending him to fight was practically no different than sending him to his death.
\"Sigh! Even if we can\’t do battle, we can always perform other tasks. Especially since the family recently welcomed another batch of sons-in-law…\" Xu Changsheng\’s gaze deepened.
These words caused Zhou Luo to furrow his brow.
Had the Lin Family\’s situation become so perilous?
Just as Zhou Luo was contemplating this, Xu Changsheng suddenly stood up. With a thud, he knelt down before Zhou Luo. \"Please, Brother Zhou, save me.\"
\"What are you doing?\" Zhou Luo was startled and hurried to help him up.
But Xu Changsheng stubbornly remained kneeling on the floor. \"Brother Zhou is still the Lin Family\’s son-in-law, your status is worlds apart from ours. Please intercede for me with the family. Xu will be eternally grateful.\"
As he spoke, he made as if to kowtow.
Zhou Luo swiftly stopped him. \"What nonsense are you talking about, Brother Xu?\"
When Xu Changsheng looked up, his expression was bitter as he said, \"Actually, there’s no difference between us—both lowly in status with words that carry little weight. How could I possibly have the ability to plead for mercy?\"
\"Brother Zhou.\"
Xu Changsheng’s eyes were reddened, seeming to regard him as a last hope.
But Zhou Luo understood well that this matter wasn’t one he could decide.
For such pivotal family affairs, forget a minor son-in-law like Xu Changsheng.
Even legitimate family members were being dispatched to the warfront.
Had it not been for his revealed talent in alchemy, catching the family’s favor,
he’d likely have been sent to the front lines to die like the rest.
At this critical moment, just being able to protect himself was a stroke of immense fortune.
So no matter what Xu Changsheng argued, Zhou Luo professed himself powerless to help.
Ultimately, Xu Changsheng left in a dispirited daze.
Watching this sole friend who ever interacted with him, Zhou Luo shook his head.
He planned to enter Closed-Door Training at the spiritual vein refuge the very next day, avoiding entanglement in this conflict.
Yet before he could depart for the spiritual vein, Steward Lin Fu arrived at his door.
Seeing the steward again, his previous indifference was now gone, replaced by faint worry etched in his brow—clear evidence he too felt the war’s shadow.
Lin Fu’s sudden appearance made Zhou Luo’s heart sink.
Fortunately, the family wasn’t sending him to battle, only demanding he aid them in concocting potions.
Hearing the family’s decree, Zhou Luo finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Seemed showing just enough of one’s worth at the right time was indeed wise.
Following Lin Fu to Shouchun Garden,
Zhou Luo realized, surprised, extra guards now patrolled the grounds.
Upon entering the alchemy room,
he spotted several unfamiliar faces there as well.
Lin Fu explained these were all Pill Masters cultivated by the family.
Most remained at the entry level; a small few were middle first-level.
Zhou Luo glanced casually, estimating eight or nine figures.
So the Lin Family possessed deeper reserves than assumed.
With Lin Zhi Shou in Closed-Door Training and unable to appear, Zhou Luo was assigned to the same section as Senior Brother Lin Nian.
This nominal senior brother remained coldly aloof upon seeing Zhou Luo, ignoring even his greeting.
Zhou Luo didn’t mind.
This work was infinitely better than dying on some frontline.
…
And so, in the days that followed,
Zhou Luo remained at Shouchun Garden day and night, meals and rest taken without leaving.
Staying in the alchemy room all day, Zhou Luo had no idea how the battle outside was progressing.
But seeing the daily demands constantly increasing, he vaguely guessed the situation wasn\’t optimistic.
Based on past practice, without unexpected changes, this fight would last at least one to two months.
This period was relatively relaxed for Zhou Luo.
Because he only needed to concoct entry-level potions.
Moreover, everyone was too busy to pay him any attention, so he didn\’t need to be as restrained as before.
Half a month later.
The battle finally saw a turning point.
Lin Zhi Shou made a breakthrough.
He had been stuck at the top-level first-level for many years. This time, pressured by the family, he finally took that last step, advancing to become a top-level first-level Pill Master.
Thus, the Lin Family gained its first top-level first-level Pill Master.
Among the cultivation hundred skills, only the four major skills were most favored by cultivators.
Because these four major skills often held the ability to shift the tide of battle, sometimes even reversing victory or defeat single-handedly.
Though Lin Zhi Shou, now a top-level first-level Pill Master, wasn\’t formidable in quite that way, his joining noticeably boosted the Lin Family\’s combat strength.
The most obvious sign was that Zhou Luo concocted far fewer healing potions each day.
This meant losses among the Lin Family members at the frontlinesthe front lines had decreased.
On the twenty-eighth day of the war, both sides finally chose to cease hostilities.
Zhou Luo and the others breathed sighs of relief and left Shouchun Garden one after another.
Returning home, Zhou Luo plunged straight into Lin Qing Han\’s bed and fell into a deep slumber.
Nearly a month of high-intensity concocting had exhausted him physically and mentally, and he could finally rest.
When Zhou Luo awoke again, it was already the next morning.
Lin Qing Han sat at the bedside, holding the sleeping little Chang An, quietly watching him with soft eyes.
\"You\’re awake?\"
Zhou Luo rubbed his temples and sat up. \"How long did I sleep?\"
\"A full day and night,\" Lin Qing Han replied.
Zhou Luo nodded, then clutched his stomach. \"I\’m hungry.\"
Lin Qing Han smiled faintly. \"Lin Fei Ying has already prepared the food.\"
Hearing this, he immediately jumped out of bed and dashed straight to the dining room.
…
Over the meal, Zhou Luo ate the spirit food prepared by Lin Fei Ying while listening to Lin Yi Yi recount events from the front lines.
In this conflict with the Lu Family, the Lin Family had suffered heavy losses.
Over fifty family disciples alone were lost, and among the sons-in-law sent to the front lines, two thirds perished.
The latter had little impact on the family, but the former was a severe blow.
Likely, the Lin Family would soon launch another large-scale campaign to recruit new sons-in-law.
Fortunately, Xu Changsheng had survived and returned, though he had lost an arm.
But since it didn\’t affect his ability to father children, the family kept him.
Zhou Luo initially planned to visit him after eating, but he was summoned to Shouchun Garden by Lin Zhi Shou.
