Chapter 299

Chapter 299: Planning

Second Elder Lin Guang Xuan’s statement made Zhou Luo confirm these people’s intentions.

However, this was merely the beginning. He returned to his study and began writing letters.

After a short while, he carefully stored the letters and summoned Xu Changsheng.

"Deliver this letter to Jiang City," he said calmly.

Regardless of the outcome, he was determined to seize Jiang City.

During the Lin Family and Lu Family’s fierce struggles earlier, thanks to Little White, Jiang City had remained unaffected.

By now, his second son Zhou Chang Ping and later Lin Jin Xuan had completely gained control over most industries in Jiang City.

Logically, Lin Xin, as the person in charge of Jiang City, shouldn’t have just stood by and done nothing.

Yet back during the Wang Family incident, she had promised to help Zhou Luo with three things.

Now, naturally, this first thing would be used to solidify his hold over Jiang City.

However, this Third Young Lady of the Lin Family had been preoccupied with Closed-Door Training and pill refinement, likely never imagining Zhou Luo might claim Jiang City as his own.

She had merely thought he wanted to secure some benefits.

Half a year ago, Lin Jin Xuan had already sent word back to the family.

The general message was that Jiang City’s industries were already almost entirely under their control.

The next step was to gain command over forces such as the city guards.

Once he held this portion of power, essentially the entire Jiang City would belong to him.

This also served as a fallback plan for himself.

With Jiang City as his base and his identity as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, even if he failed to control the Lin Family in the future, he could still carve out a territory and develop gradually.

In these times, cities equipped with defensive grand formations were of paramount importance.

Take that minor family head, for example, who had pleaded for their aid years ago. If their clan had possessed a city as protection, how would they ever have come to such ruin?

Similarly, in the past, the Lin Family had relied on the large city, Maple Leaf City, stubbornly enduring prolonged sieges during simultaneous attacks by the Zhang and Lu families.

Even without Zhou Luo’s intervention, conquering that city would likely have taken the enemies three to five years.

This demonstrated the crucial role of a city.

Within the Qinyuan Domain, the vast majority of cities were governed by the Qinyuan Sect, while the Five Great Long-Life Families each controlled two cities.

Other small family forces had virtually no opportunity to expand.

This was precisely why these five families were known as the long-life families.

So long as they possessed cities, their clans could flourish eternally.

The more cities a family held, the deeper its accumulated resources and heritage grew.

After all, the Qinyuan Sect had only allocated ten cities to the mortal realm. Competition was necessary to seize one.

The path of cultivation was fundamentally the way of contention. Without struggle, one gained nothing.

Now that an opportunity to control a city lay before him, Zhou Luo absolutely would not let it slip away.

This delivery of the message was also to inform his wife and son that they could act even more boldly.

After all, with Little White there, he didn’t need to worry at all about their safety.

"Master, the Wang Family and Li Family have also sent messages," Xu Changsheng said after receiving the letter.

This was something he had just learned and had intended to report.

Zhou Luo raised an eyebrow, took the two letters, and dismissed him.

Seated at the desk, he first opened the letter from the Wang Family.

Its contents expressed condolences for the loss of his son, congratulated him on his successful Foundation Establishment, and earnestly invited him to visit the Wang Family, citing gratitude for him having saved Wang Yu Wei years ago.

This was actually an excuse; the Wang Family likely simply wished to foster goodwill.

He then took out the Li Family’s letter, its content largely similar, though the Li Family mentioned that their family had produced another Foundation Establishment cultivator.

This had occurred during the second year of his Closed-Door Training for Foundation Establishment.

After reading both, Zhou Luo did not choose to reply immediately.

He sat silently at the desk, deep in thought.

As two long-life families that suffered minimal losses in the recent war,

the Wang Family was an ally of the Lin Family, their relationship extremely close. Were it not for the internal strife, the Lin Family wouldn’t have collapsed so swiftly.

The Li Family, a centrist faction, was only interested in profit, solely focused on family benefit. Though they took no side, if the benefits were substantial enough, they might switch allegiance.

If the Lu Family was to be completely destroyed, these two families would be the best allies.

Currently, the Lin Family was gradually retaking their lost spiritual mines. Whether they would later launch a counterattack against the entrenched Lu Family remained unknown.

He certainly supported a counterattack, so preparations needed to be made in advance.

However, he first needed to confirm one thing.

"Master, the Ancestor requests your presence."

Just then, a servant stood respectfully at the study door and spoke out.

Zhou Luo looked up, a gleam flashing in his eyes.

Perfect, he also intended to inquire about this Ancestor’s thoughts.

"Hmm."

He rose, exited the study, and vanished from Zhou Garden in a streak of light.

Flying over the Lin Family mansion was forbidden, deemed a provocation punishable by family law.

But for a Foundation Establishment strong person like Zhou Luo, such rules held no meaning.

The Lin Family members, sensing the pressure of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, dared not complain, let alone show discontent.

Moments later, he arrived before a grand hall in the core area.

The Lin Family Ancestor was already seated upon the throne above, smiling. "Friend Zhou Luo, you came quickly."

Zhou Luo clasped his hands. "I have some matters I’d like to discuss with Friend Lin as well."

"Oh? What would that be?" The Lin Family Ancestor sounded surprised.

"What does the family intend to reward me with this time?" Zhou Luo asked directly, his gaze steady and calm.

Seeing his demeanor, the Lin Family Ancestor’s gaze darkened slightly.

These words didn’t sound like he was asking about a reward; they sounded like he was making a demand.

So, he asked accordingly, "What is it that Friend Zhou Luo desires?"

Without answering, Zhou Luo sat down deliberately in the golden-threaded nanmu large chair nearby and slowly spoke.

"This conflict with the Lu Family dragged the entire Lin Family into a deadly crisis. If I hadn’t broken through in time, the Lin Family would no longer exist."

"It’s clear that Lin Tian Xiong’s judgment of the situation was severely flawed. He could hardly absolve himself of blame for this war."

He deftly avoided the question, shifting the topic elsewhere.

For a long time, members of the Lin Family had voiced resentment over the decisions made by this family head, especially after the family’s crisis.

Indeed, it was because of Lin Tian Xiong’s recklessly aggressive actions that the family became mired, unable to extricate itself, nearly leading to its destruction.

Yet, after the crisis resolved, everyone remained silent.

Clearly, they dared not criticize this family head.

But Zhou Luo dared, and his tone was blunt, offering no face-saving courtesy.

The Lin Family Ancestor’s face twitched slightly.

For him to directly attack the family head upon arrival meant his intent was fairly obvious.

"Friend Zhou Luo, you are right. Tian Xiong deserves punishment. I have decided to dock his stipend for ten years and confine him to his residence for three years," said the Lin Family Ancestor.

Lin Tian Xiong was of his bloodline; he couldn’t possibly execute him outright, especially since he was a potential Foundation Establishment cultivator at the ninth level of Qi Refinement.

This punishment seemed the most appropriate.

But Zhou Luo remained unsatisfied. Fixing the Ancestor with his penetrating gaze, he stated,

"Friend Lin, I fear such punishment will only breed discontent among some."