「Half a month later.」

Xu Fugui paid a late-night visit, knocking on the door to Lin Changheng’s courtyard.

He brought news.

Previously, Lin Changheng had asked him to secretly investigate how his reputation had spread so far, even reaching the ears of the Liu Family.

He had never shown his skills outside the clan and kept a low profile within it. The Xu Family had no reason to publicize him either.

But the rumors had spread regardless. After hearing about it, Xu Fugui believed the problem must be internal.

Someone in the clan was likely doing it intentionally.

The goal was to "praise him to death"—to praise him, and then to have him killed.

They would build him up so high that the Xu Family’s potential enemies would take notice, and then eliminate him as a primary target. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

But Lin Changheng had always been amiable and extremely low-key, rarely getting into disputes with anyone.

No, wait, there was one person: Lü Bailian.

Xu Fugui was not the man he used to be. With the strong backing of his wife’s family, he could now leverage some of his father-in-law’s power.

Combining the clues Lin Changheng had given him, he had been investigating quietly for a long time.

This visit meant he had found something.

"Who is it?"

Lin Changheng was pouring tea for Fugui when he heard the name, and he couldn’t help but freeze for a moment.

"It appears to be Xu Hanzhou."

Xu Fugui repeated the name seriously before explaining, "Alchemist Lü is alone, with no wife or children, and he trusts Xu Hanzhou deeply. In his drive to advance to Middle Grade, he focuses solely on Alchemy and leaves all other matters for him to handle."

"And he, using the past conflict between Alchemist Lü and you, Brother Lin, has ’reasonably’ used his master’s name, channels, and external connections to do certain things. This includes spreading your name, Brother Lin, practically building you up into the future of the Xu Family, the person most likely to become an Upper Grade Alchemist!"

One must understand that a Pill Master’s network was formidable, especially one who could create a Masterpiece Pill. All sorts of influences and individuals would be eager to establish ties with such a person; it was all benefit and no cost.

Lin Changheng, who was too cautious for his own good, was the sole exception.

"It’s actually him?" Lin Changheng’s eyes flickered, clearly not having expected this.

"Indeed. This scoundrel is quite cunning. Everything he’s done has been in the form of praise, so there’s nothing concrete to pin on him! And even in the worst-case scenario, if this were all exposed, he has an escape route. He could claim that you, Brother Lin, hold the ’enmity of obstructing his master’s path,’ and that he only acted this way because he felt for his master and couldn’t swallow the injustice..."

"He’s certainly got a few schemes."

Lin Changheng’s expression turned placid, so much so that even Xu Fugui couldn’t guess his thoughts. "So, you’re saying my fame isn’t limited to just the Liu Family?"

"Most likely."

Xu Fugui nodded, then added after a moment of thought, "That being said, while Alchemist Lü seems uninvolved, he might not be able to completely distance himself from this."

Lin Changheng had always tried to avoid fame and attention, planning to develop steadily and peacefully, but it had come to this...

He had been forced into the spotlight!

He felt a sense of helplessness but asked, "According to the clan rules, are these actions not enough to warrant severe punishment?"

"Correct. In a way, he could even be seen as having performed a ’meritorious deed’—the merit of promoting you."

Xu Fugui nodded, his expression turning slightly cold.

"So be it."

Lin Changheng indicated he understood, his thoughts unreadable.

"They say it’s not the thief you fear, but being targeted by one. Having a pair of eyes watching you from the shadows is a damned unsettling feeling! I’ll just wait for a chance and... heh heh. Brother Lin, don’t you worry. Leave this to me. I’ll make sure it’s handled properly!"

Xu Fugui was all smiles, but as he finished speaking, his grin turned chillingly cold.

This time, he was truly furious. ’Brother Lin just wants to focus on his Alchemy, gets along with others, and never looks for trouble. How could he still encounter such malicious people and get dragged into this filthy business?!’

He was no longer the farm boy he once was. After years of struggling and clawing his way up, he had his own methods. Besides, Brother Lin had helped him countless times. It was his turn to take care of this.

’Brother Lin is kind and easygoing, but I’m certainly not!’

"Be careful."

Lin Changheng saw Xu Fugui to the door and gave this parting advice.

It was unclear whether he was telling him to be careful on the dark road ahead, or alluding to something else.

...

「Two months later.」

The Xu Family’s campaign against the Tribulation Cultivators finally yielded results. They killed over a dozen of them, building a skull tower from their heads on a high mountain as a warning to all dissenters.

The clan had been endlessly harassed by this matter, and its various external affairs had been severely affected. The Patriarch had personally made the decision to transfer Xu Qianzhan from an external post to lead and organize the efforts, which was what led to this great victory!

Before this specially planned sting operation was launched, Xu Qianzhan had analyzed the previous battles and outcomes, concluding that there was likely a mole or informant within their ranks.

The Xu Family’s upper echelon was shocked by this news and took it very seriously. They granted him authority: anyone in the clan who was not elderly, a child, an Honored Guest Elder, or part of the core family could be conscripted and deployed at his discretion.

Believing in promoting talent regardless of family ties, Xu Fugui was naturally brought under his father-in-law’s command and given a position.

Before long, they achieved the aforementioned victory. The Xu Family was invigorated, and everyone sang praises of Xu Qianzhan’s fearsome reputation.

However, one clansman was lost, and three were injured.

The combat losses were still acceptable.

With a flourish of his brush, Xu Qianzhan submitted the list of names, marking those who needed special compensation.

On it was a name, circled in black ink, signifying he had died in battle:

Xu Hanzhou.

Upon their triumphant return, his body had already been cremated, leaving only an urn of white ash. Xu Fugui personally carried the urn back, and later it was even requested, as a "special case," that his ashes be scattered into the Black Water River.

A sign of great honor and contribution!

In reality, he no longer even had the chance to be "revived" through Corpse Refinement.

At that moment, Lin Changheng, who had inconspicuously blended into the distant crowd, silently watched the scene unfold before turning and leaving with a blank expression.

...

Having dealt a heavy blow to the Tribulation Cultivators and suppressed their arrogance, the Xu Family once again organized several merchant caravans to resume their journeys, albeit with a few extra Cultivator guards.

Lin Changheng also went to the Foreign Affairs Hall and found the caravan Steward he had dealt with many times before, Xu Xulin.

He was specifically in charge of the caravans heading to the Ruins District.

The two were quite familiar with each other. With just a simple greeting, Lin Changheng secured a spot to travel with them and confirmed the departure time.

A few days later, Lin Changheng arrived as scheduled, only to be surprised to find a figure already seated in the packhorse carriage—a figure whose attire seemed somewhat familiar.

It was the Veil Hat Female Cultivator he had met that first time.

This was their second meeting, an event of low probability. Lin Changheng had traveled with the caravan five or six times, and this was the first time he had ever encountered the same person twice.

Evidently, the Veil Hat Female Cultivator also remembered him in his similar attire. She showed a hint of surprise before nodding in acknowledgment.

They had shared a hardship in that abandoned temple once.

So, they exchanged a few words.

The journey was quite peaceful. One night along the way, they rested again in that same abandoned temple. This time, Xu Xulin once more stood guard himself.

It really had the feel of "once bitten, twice shy."

The long night was rather boring. He came in a few times during his watch to chat for a bit, and in doing so, revealed some of the latest news from the Ruins District.

This time, the Ruins District was about to hold a large-scale Auction, and they would be just in time for it.

According to reliable rumors, it seemed a Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object would be up for auction.

Immediately, the major families, especially the Qi Cultivation Clans, were rubbing their hands together in anticipation. If nothing unexpected happened, they would all flock to the Ruins District, creating an unprecedentedly lively scene.

A Foundation Establishment Spiritual Object could increase the probability of Foundation Establishment by ten percent.

Compared to the twenty percent bonus from a Genuine Foundation Establishment Pill, this was only ten percent less, and it was stackable.

The most crucial point was that different Foundation Establishment Spiritual Objects were not mutually exclusive; their probabilities could also be stacked.

Therefore, no one ever felt they had too many.