Chapter 533
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Chapter 533: Ancestor of the Clan
The Qing State was very efficient. Just a month later, various forces of the Qing State mobilized a group of elite soldiers and stationed them on the south bank of the Qing River.
Furthermore, the Qing State was building more warships, fortresses, and beacon towers, aiming to block the Demon Humans on the north bank of the Qing River.
At the same time, the Qing State prepared a group of elite scouts to secretly infiltrate the north bank of the Qing River to gather information. Previously, their defense was very passive, resulting in limited knowledge about the Demon Humans. That’s why they underestimated the number of Demon Humans.
Now that they knew some true information, they couldn’t sit still and decided to actively explore the situation of the Demon Humans.
"This shows a bit of the cultivator’s adventurous spirit."
Lin Jiang greatly admired this efficiency. Practicing the Immortal Language requires great initiative. In pursuit of the elusive goal of becoming an immortal, they were willing to do anything.
Now, the Qing State had fully embraced the practice of the Immortal Language, inheriting some of its advantages.
"Brother Zhang, my shift is over. Join me as a guest at the Lin family."
One day, Lin Haiqing found Lin Jiang and told him that his turn to rotate had come.
Normally, there are only three Martial Saints sitting on the south bank of the Qing River, one for each family. Each of them sits for three years before rotating. In case of emergencies, they use messenger hawks to communicate.
These hawks are specially trained by them and can fly very fast, faster than any postal station or swift horse.
"You’re not trying to get me to marry your granddaughter again, are you? I don’t want to call you grandpa."
"No, even if you take a liking to my granddaughter, we’ll still call each other by our names. Martial artists don’t care much about formalities or customs."
Lin Haiqing generously said, he really wanted to win Lin Jiang over to the Lin family. Having such a top Martial Saint like him was a real treasure.
"Okay, let’s go. When are we leaving?"
"In about half a month. Once the Lin family’s Martial Saint replaces me, I can leave."
"Alright, just let me know when the time comes."
"Hey, Brother Zhang, where are you going?"
"Fishing, don’t bother me."
Lin Jiang waved his hand, he was now hooked on fishing, it was so interesting, why bother with women when fishing is so fun?
Lin Jiang arrived at the river, Lin Jingzhao was already waiting there, upon seeing Lin Jiang, he immediately said. Senior, the nest is ready, with 300 pounds of wine, we can get the fish drunk.
"Got any other bait?"
"Of course we have bait, seniors taught me, I’ve already tried dozens of baits, hehe, I can make a lot of money selling them to other old fishermen."
Lin Jingzhao chuckled, they originally didn’t have the habit of preparing nests for fishing, they only had earthworms for bait.
It was Lin Jiang who taught them, making dozens of baits and having over ten types of bait, they had mastered various fishing methods, even he had fallen in love with fishing.
"Okay, let’s begin."
Lin Jiang nodded and then picked up a fishing rod. In those days, they didn’t have fancy materials, so Lin Jiang made his fishing rod using a spear he got from the camp’s supplies.
This spear wasn’t just any long spear, it was meant for high-ranking officers and took several years to craft. Though it looked like wood now, it could bend almost sixty degrees without breaking.
Fishing was going well, and soon they started catching fish from the Qing River. There was a type of freshwater fish called the Qing River fish, which Lin Jiang really liked because it was very tasty.
After spending over half a month fishing, Lin Haiqing’s term came to an end. They all headed back to Lin Family, including over a hundred others whose terms had also finished.
The journey back with Lin Haiqing was comfortable, with everything taken care of. Lin Jiang took the opportunity to carefully observe the society of Qing State, as his previous visit had been rushed and he couldn’t observe properly.
"These guys brought almost everything related to studying the Immortal Language."
Lin Jiang couldn’t help but chuckle at how these people brought everything from the Immortal Age, including architectural styles, clothing, and even languages.
If Lin Jiang hadn’t noticed the lack of flying cultivators and the absence of formations in every town, he would have thought he had traveled back to the Immortal Age.
According to Lin Haiqing, the whole Qing State was similar, with other families doing the same. It was quite different from the Xia Kingdom.
However, some cultural elements of the Xia Kingdom still exist. There are also some things from the immortal cultivation era in the Xia Kingdom. The communication between the two sides is not very frequent, but it has never been cut off.
"Then it’s a tie."
If we consider it in terms of civilization, the Huaxia Language and the Immortal Language are now evenly matched. They each absorb what benefits them, but the core remains unchanged. Neither side can conquer the other.
·······
As one of the rulers of the Qing State, the Lin family still holds a large territory. While they don’t interfere with other territories, the security at the Lin family’s mountain gate is very strict. Even some distant relatives of the Lin family cannot enter easily.
Lin Jiang was unimpeded, but many people were unhappy with the mask he wore. It wasn’t until they saw Lin Haiqing show great respect to Lin Jiang that they stopped making strange comments.
When Lin Jiang visited, the Lin family’s top members prepared a banquet for him. There may not be many Martial Saints in the Lin family, but there are plenty of Grand Masters of Martial Arts. That is the advantage of a strong foundation.
"This is extravagant."
The people living at the Lin family’s mountain gate led luxurious lives. Compared to the immortal cultivation era, it may seem mundane, but Lin Jiang understood that this was normal. Since they were all ordinary people now and no longer pursuing immortality, why bother with such material pleasures?
"Brother Zhang, I will take you to meet someone, but you have to promise me something first."
"Okay."
"The person you are about to meet is an ancestor of my Lin family. I have told you before that my Lin family is descended from immortals. I am not lying to you. That ancestor is indeed an immortal who has lived for many years. He has a bit of a strange temper. If he asks you to remove your mask, you must not resist."
"Got it."
Lin Jiang readily agreed. He was curious to see which member of the Lin family had awakened and was so impressive. He wondered if that person could live up to his reputation.
The two of them rode in a carriage and arrived at a beautiful estate. The entire estate was built very beautifully, even the plants along the roadside were carefully maintained.
"Ancestor, Hai Qing is here to pay respects."
Finally, at a magnificent building, the two of them got off the carriage. After being announced by the servants, they met the master of the estate.
"Hai Qing, is this the Zhang Mazi you mentioned?"
"Yes, ancestor."
"It seems that this person Zhang Mazi is a bit rude, coming to visit but not willing to show his true face."
Lin Huasheng was not only impolite to Lin Jiang, but also still wore a mask, which made him unhappy.
Lin Haiqing quickly hinted to Lin Jiang, "Big brother, remember our agreement, don’t let us down."
"Taoist Friend Lin, you go downstairs first, I will chat with your ancestor."
"Um…"
"Go downstairs, it’s better for you not to know some things."
Lin Jiang said, looking at Lin Huasheng. Lin Huasheng nodded, so he left.
"There’s no one here now, why not reveal your true identity?"
"What is your name?"
"Kid, should I be a bit kinder to you, think you’re quite arrogant."
"Haha, hope you can still be this arrogant later, remember, stay this way, I like it."
Lin Jiang laughed loudly, then took off the mask.
When Lin Huasheng saw Lin Jiang’s face, his eyes gradually widened, his face stiffened, eventually forming a word, that was called "stunned."
"Six, six, six…"
"Shh, remember what I said before, keep that arrogance, quick, compose yourself."
"Six, Sixth Patriarch, disciple dare not."
Lin Huasheng trembled, even though many years had passed, Lin Huasheng still feared Lin Jiang greatly.
In reality, Lin Jiang and Lin Huasheng had only met a few times. Lin Jiang didn’t even know his name. This fear came from the suppression of realms during the immortal cultivation era. Lin Huasheng was only at the Nascent Soul stage back then, while Lin Jiang had already reached Void Achieving.
During the last few hundred years of the immortal cultivation era, Lin Jiang often visited the Lin family. The high-ranking members of the Lin family greatly respected Lin Jiang, especially considering he was only a mid-level cultivator back then. As he thought about his earlier rudeness, a sense of fear inexplicably crept into his heart.
"Are you so afraid that you can’t even say your name?"
"Disciple Lin Huasheng…"
"Lin Huasheng, my given name, the last one chosen by my father Lin Batian."
"Yes, I seek forgiveness from the ancestors."
"What do you need from me?"
Lin Jiang pulled up a chair nearby and sat down casually.
"Um…"
Lin Huasheng was at a loss for words. At first, he just wanted to meet Lin Jiang to see if they were fellow cultivators from the cultivation world. But then he heard that Lin Haiqing had tried to recruit Lin Jiang multiple times without success. So Lin Huasheng’s plan was to persuade Lin Jiang to stay, whether or not he was a fellow cultivator. But now, he didn’t know what to say. His mind was blank, and he was clueless.
"If you can’t say it, it means you have ill intentions."
"No, Sixth Patriarch, I am not…"
"Stop talking nonsense. I’m not planning to investigate. If I were to investigate, you would already be dead. I have killed the unworthy descendants of the Lin family before."
"Yes, yes, yes."
Lin Huasheng quickly spoke up, remembering the records of the Lin family. Lin Jiang had slain Lin Guoning and others at the Lin family before. The tradition of the Lin family not waking the dormant clan members was established back then.
With that, Lin Huasheng recalled some previous conversations and immediately broke out in a cold sweat. Oh no, could this matter be exposed?
"Your eyes are dodging. Are you hiding something bad?"
"Disciple dare not."
"What do you want from me?"
"I just want to see who Zhang Mazi is and then bring them to the Lin family."
"Oh, I want to become the leader of the Lin family now, do you disagree?"
"No, no, the Lin family values filial piety greatly, the Sixth Patriarch is the ancestor of the Lin family, so it is only natural to become the leader of the Lin family."
"Just kidding, don’t be so excited, I’m not interested in becoming the leader of the Lin family."
Lin Jiang shook his head, he had no interest in becoming the leader of the Lin family, he didn’t know anyone there, what was the point? A group of ordinary people, he would have to support them, that would be a burden.
"Sixth Patriarch…"
"Has anyone been awakened early from the dormant place for cultivators?"
"No, since the Sixth Patriarch issued the decree, nobody has dared to disobey for a thousand years."
"That’s good, go collect a list of awakened cultivators and give it to me."
"Yes, Sixth Patriarch."
"My identity must be kept secret, I am still Zhang Mazi, do you understand what to do?"
"Understood, Sixth Patriarch."
"Alright, I’ll leave now, don’t disturb me."
Lin Jiang confidently walked away, not afraid of Lin Huasheng plotting against him. He knew he couldn’t do that in the Lin family. Once he removed his mask, he might be recognized because he remembered that his portrait was in the Lin family.
Even if he wasn’t recognized, Lin Jiang felt superior, especially compared to these few Martial Saints in the Lin family. They were no match for him.
"Haha."
Once outside, Lin Jiang burst into laughter. It felt great to be called a patriarch. They were all his juniors, and even though their ranks were lower, their strength was no match for his. It was truly exhilarating.
In the old days in the cultivation world, Lin Jiang was just making do for many years. He only became the boss when the spiritual energy gradually disappeared in the end. Now, before the spiritual energy recovery, he can still be the boss. Maybe even after the spiritual energy recovers, he will still be the boss. And he has finally become a respected elder.
