The Lin's Patriarch is weird.

Chapter 21: 21. The mantis stalk the cicada, unaware of the stalker behind him.

Zhao Luhao was currently staring at the arrogant old man seated before him.

According to the fellow’s own claims, he was an elder of the Mystic Sky Sect. freewebnσvel.cøm

The Zhao Patriarch suppressed the urge to rub his temples.

Why is this troublemaker already here?

His daughter was a disciple of the Mystic Sky Sect.

It was one of his greatest sources of pride, though he never spoke of it.

In Azure Willow City, having a direct connection to a major sect was a valuable trump card, and he had no intention of revealing it unnecessarily.

Because of her, he knew far more about the Mystic Sky Sect than most people.

Which was precisely why the old man before him appeared so suspicious.

For example, genuine sect elders never traveled alone. Even the lowest-ranking elder would be accompanied by attendants, disciples, or spirit beasts.

More importantly, the badge hanging from the old man’s waist was wrong.

The design was similar, but several details were subtly different.

To an ordinary cultivator, the discrepancy would be impossible to notice.

To Zhao Luhao, however, it stood out immediately.

Even so, Zhao Luhao chose to endure.

The old man’s cultivation was genuine.

A Fourth Layer Golden Core cultivator was still a Fourth Layer Golden Core cultivator.

The Zhao Family had no reason to create unnecessary trouble.

As long as he satisfied the old man and sent him away peacefully, the matter would be over.

For now, he could only grit his teeth and play along.

At least, that had been his plan.

Then Bong Haoran spoke.

The old man’s face was filled with indignation, as though he had suffered some tremendous injustice.

"Patriarch Zhao."

His tone carried the arrogance of someone giving orders rather than making requests.

"This elder has traveled a great distance and suffered considerable grievances."

Zhao Luhao forced a smile.

"Elder, if there is anything my Zhao Family can do, please feel free to ask."

Bong Haoran nodded approvingly.

"Good."

Then he casually pointed toward the inner residence.

"I heard your wife is considered the greatest beauty in Azure Willow City."

The smile on Zhao Luhao’s face immediately froze.

Bong Haoran didn’t seem to notice or perhaps he simply didn’t care.

"This elder requires someone to warm his bed tonight."

His expression remained completely natural.

"As a host, I’m sure Patriarch Zhao understands his responsibilities."

For several seconds, the room became deathly still.

The teacup in Zhao Luhao’s hand cracked.

Just then, An angry shout thundered across the Zhao Family estate.

"Zhao Luhao! Come out here right now!"

The voice carried with spiritual energy, shaking rooftops and causing countless Zhao disciples to look toward the sky in alarm.

Zhao Luhao’s face darkened.

He had already been pushed to the edge by Bong Haoran’s shameless conduct.

Now, before he could even deal with that matter, a junior had come to his doorstep and publicly demanded his presence.

Without another word, he rose into the air.

The roof beneath him exploded into fragments as his figure shot upward.

Moments later, he stood face-to-face with Lin Xuan high above the Zhao Family. fгeewebnovёl.com

Lin Xuan calmly examined the old man.

At a glance, he could sense the aura of a Third Layer Golden Core cultivator.

The old patriarch wasn’t concealing his cultivation in the slightest.

Fortunately, Lin Xuan had no intention of fighting.

His spiritual sense stirred.

A telepathic message entered Zhao Luhao’s mind.

"Patriarch Zhao, I won’t make things difficult for you. Hand over Bong Haoran and I’ll leave immediately."

Zhao Luhao stared at him.

Is this boy an idiot?

The old patriarch nearly laughed.

Still, after seeing the young man up close, some of his irritation faded.

Lin Xuan was roughly the same age as his daughter.

Moreover, despite his aggressive entrance, the young patriarch had at least attempted diplomacy before resorting to force.

Zhao Luhao decided to overlook the earlier disrespect.

His spiritual sense transmitted a reply.

"Patriarch Lin, that Bong Haoran is a fake elder from the Mystic Sky Sect."

Lin Xuan blinked.

For a brief moment, genuine surprise appeared on his face.

How does he know?

More importantly, why is he telling me?

The Zhao and Lin Families had competed against one another for years.

Although they weren’t enemies, they certainly weren’t allies either.

Shouldn’t this old fox be taking advantage of the situation?

Shouldn’t he be scheming to drag the Lin Family into trouble while reaping the benefits himself?

Yet Zhao Luhao had simply handed over the truth.

Lin Xuan found himself staring silently at the old man.

He genuinely couldn’t figure out what was going on inside his head.

Perhaps there was some deeper scheme involved he hadn’t seen.

Indeed, with age come wisdom.

After a long pause, Lin Xuan decided to meet the information with sincerity.

"Thank you for the information. I currently offer one hundred Body Tempering Pills for every verified lead regarding Bong Haoran."

"This confirmation alone is worth far more than that."

A smile appeared on his face.

"I’ll give you one thousand Body Tempering Pills. Please don’t refuse."

Before Zhao Luhao could react, ten jade bottles flew toward him.

Instinctively, he caught them.

The exchange had occurred entirely through spiritual transmission.

To everyone below, the two patriarchs had merely stared at each other in silence.

The spectators held their breath nervously.

The Lin Patriarch had become an enigma throughout Azure Willow City.

At only thirty-one years old, he had already reached the Fifth Layer of the Golden Core Realm.

The Zhao disciples watched anxiously, worried that their patriarch might end up fighting him.

Meanwhile, inside the Zhao Family compound, Bong Haoran was also observing the scene.

His eyes immediately locked onto the ten jade bottles flying toward Zhao Luhao.

Then he saw Lin Xuan descend toward the estate.

For a moment, he was stunned.

Then realization dawned upon him.

A smug grin slowly spread across his face.

’Hah.

So the brat finally regrets his actions.’

His smile widened.

’He must have realized how valuable this elder is and is now bribing Patriarch Zhao to hand me back.’

The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became.

After all, what other explanation could there be?

"Tsk, tsk."

He shook his head with satisfaction.

’Since you’ve finally come to your senses, this elder might consider giving you another chance.’

A greedy glint flashed through his eyes.

This time, however, he wasn’t planning to leave empty-handed.

Since Lin Xuan had already shown weakness, he intended to wring every last benefit possible from the young patriarch.

The thought alone filled him with delight.