“Craftsman?”

“Craftsman!”

“He’s actually a craftsman!”

“Oh heavens, how many years has it been since the Lin family produced a craftsman?”

Voices of differing pitches carried the same astonishment as they travelled upwards from the platform below. Lin Xuanzhi heard all their clamouring, and was incomparably glad that the Lin family’s ancestor who had ascended and drawn up the family rules was a craftsman himself; it’s just that there was no descendant after him in the Lin family who had the talent for crafting.

Crafting and martial cultivation are different; crafting requires not only a spiritual root, but also a soulfire. If someone’s soul had any one of the following soulfires: metal, wood, water, fire, earth, wind and lightning that was suitable for crafting, then they can cultivate through the path of a craftsman, or else they would not have the talent for it at all.

And a crafting soulfire is inborn; every cultivator family’s descendants have to take the soulfire test the moment they are born. If their soulfire test is positive, they will be sent directly onto the path of a craftsman and be groomed as a core member of that family.

But Lin Xuanzhi had obviously undergone the soulfire test when he was born which showed that he didn’t fulfill the prerequisites for crafting, so how did he become a craftsman?

Wouldn’t that be the shock of the century?

It was practically unheard of and unseen of!

No, there were precedents.

Third elder had a malicious look on his face. He stood up and said, “Lin Xuanzhi, do you admit your guilt?”

Lin Xuanzhi said, “I don’t know what I’m guilty of.”

Third elder said fiercely, “You obviously never had a crafting soulfire for the past 17 years of your life, yet you suddenly have one now — that’s definitely impossible! You must have used some unorthodox magic to seize a craftsman’s soulfire!”

“He.” Lin Xuanzhi curved his lips up coldly, then said, “You said that I seized someone else’s soulfire, but you need evidence to back that claim.”

“You……” Third elder choked on his words.

Lin Xuanzhi had always believed in using his opponent’s methods to exact retribution; since these people had asked him for evidence, then he would require evidence from them as well. He’d really like to know if this bunch of people actually had the ability to groundlessly convict him for being a craftsman!

“Third elder, what you said wasn’t right ma.” Fifth elder narrowed his eyes, his smooth face revealed an ambiguous smile, then he said, “For my Lin family to be able to produce a craftsman is due to our ancestor taking pity on us, it might even have been a favour bestowed upon us by our ancestor in the immortal realm above.”

Even though the Fifth elder was ranked behind Third elder, that was just because he was appointed as an elder a bit later than third elder. But in reality, the Fifth elder’s standing is higher than that of Third elder.

Fifth elder’s words obviously showed that he was brazenly shielding Lin Xuanzhi.

Third elder could only shut his mouth up and sit back down on his seat with a gloomy look on his face.

But then again, Fifth elder would always determine his judgments of right and wrong for the sake of the Lin family. In order for the Lin family to continue to flourish, or even ride on the coattails of someone1, he would absolutely need to avoid suppressing someone of extraordinary talent.

In fact, the elders in the family should even offer special protection for that person.

How could the Fifth elder not see through the schemes in these people’s hearts? He had not intended to go out of his way to protect this great-grandson of his because Lin Xuanzhi was of no more use to the Lin family. And with so many people eager to throw stones at him while he was down, even if he might be able to protect him this once, he would definitely not be able to protect him his whole life.

If Lin Xuanzhi wanted to live, he would have to save himself.

It’s just that he didn’t expect this Xuan great-grandson of his would actually give him such a pleasant surprise.

The Lin family is one of the three big families within Qing city, but within the entire Five Continents’ mainlands, or even just within the entire East Continent, the Lin family was just a mere third-cla.s.s family that wasn’t worth mentioning.

The Fifth elder thought, the last time Lin family had showed its face in the Five Continents’ mainlands was when Lin Xuanzhi entered Profound Sky Sect for the first time. At that time, not fewer than 100 descendants of renowned families from the East Continent and even those from the Five Continents had taken the entrance exam; but only Lin Xuanzhi alone managed to complete the entrance exam set by the Profound Sky Sect’s sect master within the allotted time frame.

At that time, the Profound Sky Sect’s earth-level sect master Ziguang Xianshi2 had declared that the Lin Xuanzhi whom everyone had fixed their eyes upon would be at the top of the entire Five Continents’ Orthodox Sects for the past and future 500 years!

An uproar instantly erupted throughout the entire Five Continents’ mainlands!

Ever since then, no matter where the Lin family’s members walked they would be the center of everyone’s attention and was admired by many. During those years, the Lin family was indeed a hundredfold more well-off, it truly made people feel what it meant by “when one person achieves the Dao, his poultry and dogs ascend as well”.

It’s just that, following the decline of Lin Xuanzhi, the Lin family was once again suppressed by the backlash.

Lin Runru just wanted to face the skies and holler, the heavens would indeed never bar one’s way. Lin Xuanzhi really deserved to be the top member of the Lin family, with him around, the Lin family wouldn’t need to worry about planting a strong foundation as the number one family in the whole of the Five Continents’ mainlands!

When Fifth elder thought of this, the pair of eyes he looked at Lin Xuanzhi with were gleaming. Lin Xuanzhi was not the least bit surprised with how things had turned out, instead he faintly smiled and asked, “Master, I’m not sure if Xuanzhi’s evidence is to your satisfaction?”

Fifth elder had a smile on his face as he nodded satisfactorily, “Of course I’m satisfied. Xuanzhi, you were and always will be the direct descendant of my Lin family — no one can deny this fact.”

Lin Xuanzhi lightly said, “Of course.”

The Fifth elder’s words had two meanings — one, to reaffirm Lin Xuanzhi’s status as the Lin family’s young master in order to suppress the others from having any ideas about that position; two, to remind Lin Xuanzhi not to forget his important responsibilities as the direct descendant of the Lin family.

Fifth elder really is an old fox.

But, Lin Xuanzhi didn’t really mind that.

Right now, he really did need the protection of his family’s elder in order to focus wholeheartedly on cultivating.

Fifth elder’s satisfaction rose. He muttered to himself as he looked at Lin Xuanzhi for awhile, then his face turned cold and he immediately waved his sleeves, which conjured up a gust of wind that blew away w.a.n.g Wu’s family who were kneeling on the platform below out of the hall.

“From today onwards, if anyone dares to disrespect Lin Xuanzhi, they will be dealt with by Lin Xuanzhi however he wishes. Is everyone clear on that?” Fifth elder’s voice was not very loud, but it brought with it a tremendous pressure that scattered among the skies above the Lin family.

From the law enforcement hall to the Lin family’s door, within the Lin residence that occupied thousands of mu — everyone had received the order that came from the peak primary level elder; even though they didn’t really understand what was happening, everyone immediately dropped whatever they were doing, kneeled in the direction of the law enforcement hall and clasped their hands together as they said, “We will obey your command!”

Lin Xuanzhi then began to laugh softly.

Sure enough, the Lin family is really practical and smart.

Fifth elder was worthy of being the Master of the Lin family for the past hundred years. He didn’t even need to personally open his mouth before he had swept away all the obstacles on Lin Xuanzhi’s behalf and shut everyone’s mouths up. Fifth elder had given him a lot of face, which allowed him to heave a sigh of relief and dispel the indignance that had been stifling his heart for a long time.

Two tiger roars travelled in from outside the hall. Even though one could tell that these roars came from infant beasts who were in their infant stages, the grandeur of these demonic beast hegemons could not be masked.

Madam Bai sat paralyzed in her s.p.a.cious seat, cold beads of sweat dripped down her forehead.

She was a craftsman herself, so she naturally knew how highly regarded craftsmen were. But she’s not a member of the Lin family, so the Lin family could never wholeheartedly trust her, but Lin Xuanzhi was different.

It’s over, everything’s over.

Madam Bai couldn’t help but regret what she had done; if it wasn’t because she was anxious and had coveted those few treasures on Lin Xuanzhi, and had also wanted to vent her frustrations on him, she wouldn’t have given Lin Xuanzhi the opportunity to show his face in front of Fifth elder right now.

If she had known that Lin Xuanzhi was already a craftsman, she would have definitely thought up all sorts of ways to secretly get rid of him once and for all!

Third elder was feeling despondent as well, his heart felt like it was being crushed by a huge rock as heavy as ten thousand gold.

However, there were too many people talking at the same time. Other than gaining a deeper understanding of Lin Xuanzhi’s current situation, Fifth elder was also anxious to report this shocking and important news to the First elder who was currently deep in his seclusion. As such, after he had accepted the deference of the Lin family’s members, he waved his hand and stood up, “Today’s trial will end here, everyone can disperse ba3.”

But at this time, Lin Xuanzhi bowed and said, “Master, Xuanzhi still has one more matter to report.”

“Grandson Huarong need not be so courteous, if you have any requests, feel free to tell me what they are.” Fifth elder was in a relatively good mood.

Lin Xuanzhi said, “Xuanzhi doesn’t dare to make requests. But when one of our family’s stewards went to my yard to bring me here today, he provoked me several times and had even given an order to dock my supply of Five Yuan rice in the past. If it wasn’t because my Jiadi, Yan Tianhen, had not eaten a single grain of rice himself for the past half a year and saved up his portion for me instead, based on the condition of my body, I probably wouldn’t have lasted until the day when I had managed to obtain my fated opportunity.”

“Within my Lin family actually lies such a despicable servant?” Fifth elder was instantly enraged. With one palm, he crushed the tall chair casted from Xuan metal and the floor below it cracked open, then he exploded, “Guards, bring that audacious servant over, I want to personally trial him to ask him who gave him the guts to dare to humiliate my Lin family’s direct descendant!”

The crowd below were all dumbstruck. When a peak primary level cultivator gets angry, mountains could collapse and river currents could reverse. Everyone immediately kneeled down and trembled in fear, no one dared to make a single noise as they were afraid to provoke this elder.

Madam Bai was even more terrified; her clothes were soaked in sweat as she feared that Lin Xuanzhi would call her out.

But, Lin Xuanzhi had never liked to bother fussing over such matters with others, this time, he’d definitely………

“That steward is Aunt’s servant, but Aunt was probably being deceived by him and doesn’t know anything ba.” Lin Xuanzhi lightly said, and even casted a glance askance at Madam Bai.

Madam Bai instantly turned pale with fright. She inwardly cursed this d.a.m.n b.a.s.t.a.r.d before she quickly kneeled on the ground and said, “Nujia doesn’t know anything ah, Nujia had always taken care of the Lin family’s sons and nephews, how could I let people bully Xuanzhi? Master please investigate this thoroughly!”

How could Fifth elder not know what was going on? He stared at Madam Bai coldly, then lifted his hand and palmed her back from a distance to channel his Qi.

Injection of Qi!

“Ah!”

Madam Bai shrieked. She felt like there were 10 000 ants with pincers crawling all over her body pinching all her muscles, tendons and flesh; it was so painful she really wanted to roll about on the floor.

“As the Lin family’s supervisor, you couldn’t even discipline your subordinates well. But on the account of you birthing a son for the Lin family and how much you’ve contributed to the family, I won’t take your life this time. This multifarious Qi will be considered your punishment. When you manage to dispel this Qi out of your body, that’s when your punishment will end.”

Fifth elder narrowed his eyes and said, “Li Lanjun.”

“Nujia’s here.” A woman adorned in a violet robe on the platform below spoke.

“From today onwards, you’ll temporarily take over the role of being the Lin family’s supervisor. I hope something similar would not occur again.”

Li Lanjun didn’t dare to raise her head. She hurriedly said, “Master, don’t worry, Lanjun will definitely do her utmost and wouldn’t dare to slack off in the slightest, and I definitely won’t let Xuanzhi nephew suffer even a little grievance.”

Fifth elder nodded his head, then said, “Where is that despicable servant?”

He was actually going to personally resolve the matter with Steward Fang. You must know, as the Master of the house and the family’s elder, to personally deal with a servant is actually a kind of humiliation for Lin Runru, but today…….

1. Original phrase was actually the common “when one person achieves the Dao, his poultry and dogs ascend as well”↩

2. Zi = violet, guang = light, xianshi = immortal teacher; Ziguang should be the alias/zi, xianshi I’m not really sure, sounds like some t.i.tle given to a respected scholar though↩

3. I’m not sure if this is obvious, but Fifth elder speaks in a really lazy but imposing manner. His laziness is evident from his use of ‘ba’s↩

T/N: Lolol LXZ had never intended to hand over any sort of evidence……he was just gonna get his way through manipulation. Sorry for the late update today, translator has some irl issues….. ;_;