The Lin's Patriarch is weird.

Chapter 32: 32. The patriach is not present.

After seeing Su Qinglan off, Lin Xuan swept his gaze across the now-quiet room.

Now that he had made his decision, entering seclusion was the obvious next step.

Not only would it allow him to avoid the endless questions surrounding Bong Haoran, but it would also give everyone time to accept the story.

Still...

Five whole months.

The mere thought of spending that long locked inside the cultivation cave doing absolutely nothing made his scalp tingle.

If he truly spent all that time doing nothing but hiding, he would be bored to death.

After thinking for a moment, Lin Xuan decided to make a trip to the clan library.

He could borrow a few martial manuals and use the time to broaden his knowledge while in seclusion.

---

Meanwhile, within Lin Zhenghai’s residence...

The room was silent.

Lin Zhenghai sat alone, quietly turning the small jade bottle of Body Tempering Pills over in his hand.

Just then, footsteps echoed from outside.

The door opened, and two figures entered.

One was his son and the other was the genius of the Lin family, Lin Zhaowen.

Zhaowen was the grandson of an old friend.

When the boy had first arrived years ago, Lin Zhenghai had seriously considered sending him away. Taking in another mouth to feed had been the last thing the struggling Lin Family needed.

Yet, in the end, he simply couldn’t bring himself to do it.

The friendship he had shared with the boy’s parents and grandparents had lasted for decades. Some bonds could not be repaid with mere words.

"Father." freёwebnovel.com

"Grandfather."

Lin Shuning and Zhaowen bowed respectfully.

Lin Zhenghai slowly raised his head.

His gaze first settled on his son before shifting to Zhaowen.

The child stood quietly with his hands clasped behind his back, waiting patiently without the slightest trace of impatience.

A faint smile appeared on Lin Zhenghai’s face.

"Come. Sit."

The two obeyed without hesitation.

For a brief moment, the room fell silent.

Lin Zhenghai placed the jade bottle on the table between them before speaking.

"Do you know what this contains?"

Lin Shuning glanced at the bottle before shaking his head.

Zhaowen remained equally puzzled.

Lin Zhenghai gently tapped the bottle with a finger.

"Body Tempering Pills, a hundred of them."

A hundred Body Tempering Pills was no small amount. Even for a core member of the Lin Family, it would take years of monthly allocations to accumulate that many.

Lin Shuning frowned slightly.

"A hundred... The Patriarch certainly didn’t hold back."

Lin Zhenghai let out a faint chuckle.

"Indeed."

His thumb brushed across the smooth surface of the jade bottle.

"A hundred Body Tempering Pills... nearly wasted on a mediocre child simply because he happened to see someone enter the Zhao Family."

A hint of ridicule flashed across his aged eyes.

"Our Patriarch is certainly... generous."

With a flick of his wrist, the jade bottle glided across the table.

It came to a stop directly before Zhaowen.

The boy blinked, looking first at the bottle before raising his head in confusion.

"Grandfather?"

"The pills are yours."

"But... Grandfather..."

"No buts, use every single one. If Lin Xuan insists on squandering the clan’s resources on a talentless fool..."

His gaze settled on Zhaowen.

"...then this old man will simply ensure those resources end up in the hands of someone worthy of them."

For a brief moment, Zhaowen simply stared at the jade bottle in his hands.

"Grandfather... are these really for me?"

Lin Zhenghai gave a slight nod.

The boy immediately hugged the bottle to his chest.

"Thank you, Grandfather!"

His voice trembled with excitement.

"I... I won’t disappoint you! I’ll cultivate diligently! I’ll become strong and repay your kindness!"

Afraid that words alone were not enough, Zhaowen hurriedly dropped to his knees and kowtowed several times.

"Thank you, Grandfather! Thank you!"

Lin Zhenghai watched the scene quietly, his expression remaining as calm and benevolent as ever.

Inside, however, he was thoroughly satisfied.

Children were the easiest to shape.

They did not weigh schemes or hidden motives. They remembered only who had extended a helping hand when they needed it most.

A hundred Body Tempering Pills.

To an experienced old cultivator like him, it was merely an investment.

To a ten-year-old child...

It was a kindness that would likely be remembered for the rest of his life.

As long as that gratitude remained, the boy’s heart would naturally lean toward him.

Some debts did not need to be collected.

One merely had to wait for them to mature.

After Zhaowen had left, Lin Shuning rose from his seat and quietly shut the door behind him.

Only then did he turn back to his father.

"Father, has there been any response from Bong Haoran?"

Lin Zhenghai’s brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

His gaze drifted toward the tightly shut door before returning to Lin Shuning.

"Watch your words."

His voice was calm, yet carried an unmistakable warning.

Lin Shuning immediately lowered his head.

"My mistake."

Only then did Lin Zhenghai reply.

"There is still no response from him."

Lin Shuning frowned.

"Could something have happened?"

Lin Zhenghai gently rubbed his thumb against the armrest.

"It is possible."

Lin Shuning immediately shook his head.

"I don’t think that’s possible, Father. Think about it, Bong Haoran is a Fourth Layer Golden Core cultivator and on top of that, he is a blood cultivator.

Even if Lin Xuan wanted to kill him, it would never be that easy."

Lin Zhenghai slowly turned his gaze toward his son.

A trace of disappointment flashed through his aged eyes.

I truly raised an idiot to succeed me.

The thought came to him almost instinctively.

Even so, Lin Shuning was still his flesh and blood.

Lin Zhenghai patiently explained,

"Do not underestimate Lin Xuan. He is far more crafty and sinister than most people realize. If he truly set his mind on killing someone, he would find a way."

Lin Shuning frowned.

"Father, I think you are giving him far too much credit."

Lin Zhenghai quietly stared at him for several moments.

In the end, he simply gave up.

There was no point arguing over assumptions.

Instead, he changed the subject.

"What is the Huang Family doing now?"

Lin Shuning answered without much thought.

"They are simply waiting for word from Bong Haoran before making their next move."

Lin Zhenghai frowned.

That was not the answer he had expected.

He had specifically instructed Lin Shuning to keep a close watch on the Huang Family and report every unusual movement.

Instead, his son had merely repeated what he already knew.

It seemed Lin Shuning had no intention to ttruly listened to his instructions at all.