But Lin Xuanzhi’s face didn’t change in the slightest. He wasn’t moved at all by this enormous fortune. He slowly kept the sapphire blue currency card and said, “Since Fifth Grandpa is so sincere, then it would be better for Xuanzhi to accept this rather than decline your generosity.”

“You fucking……” Fifth Elder was so angry and amused that he had to curse. He said helplessly, “You and your Dad are really carved out of the same mould. You start acting obedient once you get the benefit that you want, and both of you change your tune quicker than anything else!”

Lin Xuanzhi said in a profound tone, “Fifth Grandpa need not worry, I would eventually bring even greater value to the family. But……”

Even Fifth Elder’s eyebrows were twitching, “What else do you want? Say everything in one go!”

“Hehe, Fifth Grandpa need not be so nervous. I just wanted to ask about my family’s Ah Hen’s compensation.”

Fifth Elder almost vomited a mouthful of blood, “Isn’t 100,000 gold enough to include the compensation for your precious younger brother?!”

100,000 gold, it was 100,000 gold!!

It would definitely be enough for whatever he wanted to buy!

Lin Xuanzhi shook his head, “The spiritual plants bought outside aren’t as good as the ones planted in the Lin family, and it’s a few times more expensive too, so it’s not worth it.”

Fifth Elder rolled his eyes up to the heavens. He stretched his hand out and threw Yan Tianhen a white circular card.

Fifth Elder was in a bad mood as he said, “That’s the family’s internal distribution card, you should have seen it before. There’s a total of 10,000 family contribution points inside. You can exchange it for whatever spiritual plants you want.”

After Yan Tianhen took the distribution card, he felt overwhelmed by the favour that he had received. He quickly said, “Thank you Fifth Grandpa!”

“Damn it, I really don’t want to hear you guys call me ‘Fifth Grandpa’ anymore.” After Fifth Elder scolded as he laughed, he looked at Lin Xuanzhi, “When you have time, make a trip down to the family’s material workshop.”

Lin Xuanzhi understood his intention and nodded, “Fifth Elder can be rest assured that I will craft some equipments for the family soon.”

When Fifth Elder saw that he had given him this face, he liked him even more — he really deserved to be the grandson that he regarded highly ah.

………

Yan Tianhen dawdled with every step he took as he followed Lin Xuanzhi, and would look up at him from time to time. But Lin Xuanzhi remained silent still, as if nothing had ever happened.

After they finally got back to their yard, Lin Xuanzhi set up a simple restriction array at the yard’s gate before turning around to look at Yan Tianhen, who was waiting anxiously for him. He said, “Follow me.”

Yan Tianhen thought, it’s finally time.

After they entered Lin Xuanzhi’s room, Lin Xuanzhi closed the door and stood in the middle. He jerked his chin at Yan Tianhen, “Sit ba.”

Yan Tianhen quickly shook his head, “I won’t, I won’t. Standing’s fine.”

“Keep standing then.” Lin Xuanzhi pulled a chair over and sat down facing Yan Tianhen.

There was still a burnt smell in the room that lingered around after the failure in the crafting process of a magic tool. Yan Tianhen glanced at the ground — there were a lot of multi-coloured debris, but most of them were black and pasty.

Lin Xuanzhi hated being disturbed the most while he was crafting.

Today, he had almost involved Lin Xuanzhi in a terrible disaster.

Yan Tianhen suddenly didn’t want to avoid it anymore.

Thus, he didn’t wait for Lin Xuanzhi to speak again before he fell to the floor with a thud to kneel, then bit his lower lip, “Dage, I’m sorry, it’s all my fault.”

Lin Xuanzhi was stunned by his sudden action.

But he calmed himself down very soon.

He looked at the top of Yan Tianhen’s head and said, “Are you practicing a demonic cultivation method?”

Yan Tianhen nodded, “Yes.”

Lin Xuanzhi said, “Is it the one that Ghost Masked Man passed to you the other day?”

Yan Tianhen said, “Yes.”

Lin Xuanzhi asked, “What cultivation method is that?”

Yan Tianhen paused for a short moment, “《Imperial Corpse Technique》.”

Lin Xuanzhi fell silent.

Imperial Corpse Technique isn’t a very foreign name for him. In fact, it was considered the most orthodox demonic cultivation method, and was so incomparably profound that it had formed its own faction and system.

However, Yan Tianhen did not cultivate this method when he entered Dao through the devil’s path.

Lin Xuanzhi’s silence gave Yan Tianhen a lot of invisible pressure.

Yan Tianhen couldn’t help but lift his head and shifted a bit, then said very apprehensively, “Dage, if you don’t want me to cultivate this sort of method, then I’ll just abolish it. Dage, don’t be angry, please?”

“Abolish it?” Lin Xuanzhi became infuriated, “Do you think your cultivation is akin to a head of Chinese cabbage? That it’s something you can just throw away whenever you want?”

Yan Tianhen stuck his tongue out in embarrassment.

Lin Xuanzhi took a deep breath, “Has that Ghost Masked Man come to look for you again after that?”

Yan Tianhen shook his head, “No. He asked me to be his disciple, but I rejected him. Then he threw that cultivation method book at me and left, and never appeared again afterwards.”

Lin Xuanzhi felt slightly apprehensive about the origins of that Ghost Masked Man, and he thought he seemed a bit suspicious as well. He has never seen such a character from the devil’s path in his past life.

Lin Xuanzhi said, “Let me see your cultivation method.”

Logically speaking, this kind of request could be considered to have crossed the line. As long as Yan Tianhen was just slightly wary of Lin Xuanzhi, he would definitely bear a grudge against Lin Xuanzhi in his heart.

But Yan Tianhen couldn’t wait for Lin Xuanzhi to make more requests of him.

Yan Tianhen quickly took out the worn out《Imperial Corpse Technique》that he had flipped through god knows how many times, then passed it to Lin Xuanzhi.

Lin Xuanzhi cast a glance at him, “Get up ba, I never said that I wanted to punish you like that in the first place.”

So Yan Tianhen stood up, and even shifted towards Lin Xuanzhi step by step.

Lin Xuanzhi stretched his soul consciousness forward to sweep across the book, and his heart was suddenly filled with doubt.

“A profound-level top-grade cultivation method?!” Soul Bead cried out in Lin Xuanzhi’s consciousness.

“Profound-level top-grade?” Lin Xuanzhi was stunned, “That’s such an amazing demonic cultivation method. Where exactly did that Ghost Masked Man come from? The best cultivation method in the entire family is at most a profound-level high-grade one, and not everyone is qualified to practice that profound-level high-grade cultivation method.”

The《Arabian Crafting Manual》that Lin Xuanzhi possesses now is merely a primary-level top-grade cultivation method, but for the him of today, it was more than enough.

There were probably fewer than 20 profound-level top-grade cultivation methods in the whole of the Five Continents’ mainlands.

That Ghost Masked Man was really generous.

Soul Bead uttered two tsks, “Benzun doesn’t know where that Ghost Masked Man came from. But the demonic Qi around him was especially strong, so his level should not be low. Since he has no evil intentions towards this kid, and had even given him such a generous first meeting gift, it should be okay for him to cultivate that method. Don’t forget that this younger brother of yours is not only someone who can cultivate the demonic cultivation methods, but also a potential alchemist. With this cover, he doesn’t need to worry about being discovered that he’s cultivating the devil’s path.”

Lin Xuanzhi sighed, “What worries me the most isn’t what would happen if others were to discover that he’s cultivating the devil’s path, but-”

“Dage, what’s wrong?” Yan Tianhen asked uneasily.

Lin Xuanzhi’s conversation with Soul Bead was interrupted. He looked at Yan Tianhen, “Do you know why I didn’t allow you to cultivate the demonic arts?”

The edges of Yan Tianhen’s mouth drooped, “Because since ancient times, the righteous and devil paths have never been able to co-exist. Since Dage is a righteous cultivator, you naturally wouldn’t think well of the devil’s path.”

You’re gravely mistaken.

Lin Xuanzhi shook his head, “The partition between the righteous and devil paths have always been imposed by men. Actually, any path that leads to Dao can be attempted. The reason why the devil’s path is called the ‘devil’s path’ is because some of its cultivation methods are insidious and horrifying, while others are arduous and demanding.”

Yan Tianhen asked, puzzled, “Then why was Dage so against it at the start?”

Lin Xuanzhi continued, “Since ancient times, demonic cultivators would always advance at a terrifying speed in the beginning stages, but during the later stages, there will be more restrictions that you’ll need to break through, and your advancement would generally be several times slower than righteous cultivators by then. In the end, a lot of demonic cultivators would — for the sake of advancing in their cultivation levels — massacre cities and rob people of their spiritual roots and cultivation, which is why they are spurned by others, or end up getting punished by the heavens.”

“I definitely won’t become someone like that.” Yan Tianhen raised his fingers to guarantee, “Dage, if there ever comes a day when I do become someone like that, then I’ll kill myself before Dage can even lay a finger on me.”

Lin Xuanzhi looked at Yan Tianhen’s resolute face and felt very comforted. He smiled very slightly, “Of course, I believe that Ah Hen is a good kid. I’m just worried that Ah Hen’s cultivation towards the later stages would meet more and more prohibitions and restrictions. I’ve never cultivated the devil’s path, so I don’t understand the knack to it. If you were to cultivate the devil’s path, I won’t be able to give you any extra guidance. It’ll be up to you to comprehend it alone.”

Yan Tianhen’s apprehensiveness gradually vanished. He flashed Lin Xuanzhi a brilliant smile, “Don’t worry ba Dage, I think I’m quite talented in that aspect, so I’m not afraid of being held down by prohibitions.”

Lin Xuanzhi nodded, “Since you’re insistent on it, then I won’t say much else. Cultivation is up to the individual, it’s fine as long as you can grasp it by yourself.”

Yan Tianhen didn’t expect this kind of ending at all. He couldn’t help but look at Lin Xuanzhi with a face full of gratitude, “Dage, you treat me really well.”

Lin Xuanzhi smiled, “I also think that I’ve been treating you a bit too well recently, so much so that it gave you the illusion that you could act as you please regarding such an important matter.”

Yan Tianhen, “…Dage, that. I can explain.”

“No need to explain.” Lin Xuanzhi pointed to the bed, “You should know what to do. Get on the bed and take off your pants.”

Yan Tianhen, “…”

Don’t, don’t tell him, he wants to do that!

Yan Tianhen wiped his face, then forced himself to smile, “Dage, that’s not good ba?”

“Whether or not it’s good or not is up to me.” Lin Xuanzhi’s smile didn’t reach his eyes as he looked at Yan Tianhen, “Or, does Ah Hen think that you haven’t done anything wrong, so you don’t deserve to be punished?”

Yan Tianhen instantly wilted and gave in.

He obediently got onto Lin Xuanzhi’s soft bed and lifted up the hem of his shirt, then pulled his pants down.

Lin Xuanzhi walked behind Yan Tianhen and looked at his fleshy, round butt, then took a rattan that no one knew when it had been placed in the corner of the room. He patted it on his hand to test how gentle or harsh it can get, then suddenly caned Yan Tianhen’s butt with a crack!

“Ah–!” Yan Tianhen cried out, and his tears flowed down his cheeks.

His Dage didn’t hold back at all! It hurts so bad!

Lin Xuanzhi was adept at caning. From the surface you could see that there would definitely be no blood, nor will there be any festering places, but the one being hit would truly, and very vividly, feel the pain.

“I’ve only hit you once, and you can’t endure it anymore?” Lin Xuanzhi raised his eyebrows, “Have you ever wondered where you would be at this moment if I hadn’t followed behind you today, and if I didn’t realise that Lin Yangzhi had already obtained evidence of you refining that corpse?”

Crack! The cane went down on him again, and Yan Tianhen cried out.

Yan Tianhen shouted with a hoarse voice, “I won’t dare to anymore, I won’t dare! Wuwaaaa…”

“This is the second time, to make you truly learn your lesson.” Lin Xuanzhi raised his hand, and hit him the third time.

“Waaahhhh!”

“This third time, is for acting of your own accord regarding such an important matter, and because you dared to hide it even from me!” Lin Xuanzhi narrowed his eyes as he withdrew the fury that was spilling out of his heart.

He looked at Yan Tianhen’s trembling shoulders. He was hugging the blanket and crying nonstop, so he did look quite pitiful. Lin Xuanzhi really couldn’t hit him a fourth time no matter what, but he had really been angered to the extremes.

When he saw the corpse that had undergone a preliminary treatment, and you could tell at a glance that it was a corpse that was in the middle of a refinement, Lin Xuanzhi was so angry that his whole body trembled involuntarily.

He didn’t expect that Yan Tianhen would actually do something like this behind his back.

—