Chapter 79: Coming to Demand Someone Back

Wang Liuzhi stood by, serving tea and water. Lin Dong exchanged a few words with Huo Yuan and the others before getting to the point.
“Regarding the secrecy of the Spirit Speed Array, Master Xiao took over ten days to send someone over—clearly, he already has a detailed plan, so I won’t go into too much detail. The most important thing is that whenever new disciples arrive or leave the Gu Huan Sect, they need to inform me, as any increase or decrease in the number of practitioners requires adjusting the array.”
Huo Yuan glanced at Wang Liuzhi, noting his unchanged expression and realizing he was also aware of the Spirit Speed Array matter. Without further hesitation, he nodded and said, “As for keeping it secret, Manager Lin can rest assured. We prefer quality over quantity. Though we’re eager to strengthen the Gu Huan Sect, we also know that carelessness could ruin everything.”
“Hmm! Next is…” Lin Dong explained in detail the matter of setting fires, then casually looked at Huo Yuan, waiting for his response.
Huo Yuan looked troubled, hesitated for a moment, and said helplessly, “Killing two people isn’t a big deal, but the Liu family has many members. According to Manager Lin, if they dare to resist, even their entire family might be wiped out. Hundreds of people… while it may not cross the limits set by the Great Han Nation, it far exceeds the number required for investigation and registration. I’m afraid the Tianwei Pavilion might uncover the connection between the Gu Huan Sect and Lin’s Inn and eventually trace back to the Spirit Speed Array.”
“Whoever dares to kill me, I’ll kill them too. I’m willing to bear any consequences,” Lin Dong said, staring straight at Huo Yuan.
Huo Yuan frowned, forcing a pained smile on his pale face. “Could Manager Lin give me some time to think?”
Lin Dong smiled and nodded. “Alright. If there’s nothing else, shall we leave now?”
“By the way, Manager Lin…” Huo Yuan, knowing Lin Dong was upset but also helpless, spoke up, “To avoid arousing suspicion among the disciples, the Gu Huan Sect can only provide 1,000 first-tier spirit stones for now. More will follow later. I’m not sure how to deliver these spirit stones to you.”
“I have a storage spirit ring. The eldest just needs to take out all the spirit stones,” Lin Dong replied casually. With a 2x training bonus, six people only needed six spirit stones per day. Although this was double the amount agreed upon with Xiao Tianchi, 1,000 spirit stones would be enough for them to train for a month and a half.
Huo Yuan nodded. With a thought, spirit stones poured out like a waterfall, quickly piling up into a small mountain inside the room.
It was easy to release them, but harder to store—both hands were required. It took Lin Dong over ten minutes to put all the spirit stones into the mobile counter.

As the last piece of spiritual stone disappeared, Huo Yuan gritted his teeth, took out the green-sheathed sword again, and forced a smile that resembled crying: “This sword is called Qinghong Sword. It’s one of the six fourth-tier spiritual swords forged by our Guhuanshan. Before leaving, the sect leader mentioned that Manager Lin is also a martial artist, so he asked me to deliver it to him as well.”

Lin Dong’s eyes lit up. Although he didn’t like using swords, a fourth-tier spiritual sword was worth thousands of taels of silver. Xiao Tianchi was quite generous.

Over by the side, Xiao Munan and the others looked surprised but soon understood. The Qinghong Sword must have been added at the last minute by the eldest elder, probably as compensation for not agreeing right away.

After activating the inn system, changing the room to a guest room, and setting the cultivation bonus to double, Lin Dong bid farewell to Wang Liuzhi and left.

“Manager, about the Liu family…”

“Don’t worry. We can set off on time tonight. Huo Yuan should realize that it’s highly unlikely they’ll leave anyone behind in the Liu family. At the very least, even if the arson was done by the Liu family head, would the family members and guards fight to the death? And would the servants and maids do the same? According to my agreement with the Guhuanshan Sect, they’re supposed to help unconditionally. Breaking the deal on just the first day doesn’t make sense.”

“That’s good. Manager… can I come with you tonight?” Wang Liuzhi asked cautiously.

“Of course!” Lin Dong nodded.

Wang Liuzhi was overjoyed. Attacking the Liu family, the only family in Xilan City, was no small feat—it was something he could brag about to future generations.

Back in his room, Lin Dong didn’t start cultivating right away. He wasn’t actually upset about Huo Yuan’s attitude; considering the interests of his own sect was only natural. But Huo Yuan’s behavior made him realize one thing: the Guhuanshan Sect wasn’t his own. Huo Yuan and the others were only helping for the benefit of the Guhuanshan Sect.

The right path for the inn in the future was to train loyal people as guards!

Lin Dong sighed. As for loyalty, although Wang Liuzhi and the other five people he had with him weren’t very talented, they were absolutely loyal. If he was willing to invest, he could train them into a guard team. The problem was, their numbers were far from enough…

Fortunately, there was no rush. If he couldn’t promote it widely, those with good aptitude and cultivation talent wouldn’t come to the inn. To build a guard team, he needed more loyal and reliable subordinates. For now, it was better to let them focus on recruiting more people.

After figuring out the general direction, Lin Dong finally sat cross-legged to cultivate.

After forty-six cycles, there was a knock at the door. Huo Yuan’s answer met expectations.

In the evening, a group of eight people left the inn through the side door in the back yard and walked toward the Liu family’s residence. There were not many pedestrians on the street. Huo Yuan and Jiang Zhen had grim expressions, while Xiao Munan and the others were armed with weapons. Although this drew many curious glances, it did not cause much disruption. By the time they reached the north side of the city, night had fallen, and fewer people were on the roads. The Liu family was the only prominent family in Xilan City. Though not an ancient family, it still had a history of over two hundred years, as could be seen from its somewhat old-fashioned house. The gate, four to five meters wide and high, featured a shiny blue plaque with gold characters, along with a pair of imposing bronze lions at the entrance. Just from the grandeur outside the gate, Xilan City’s government building could be considered comparable. When the eight arrived at the gate, Wang Liuzhi was about to step forward and knock when Lin Dong gently pulled him back with a smile. Jiang Zhen stepped forward a few steps, suddenly shouted loudly, leaped up, and slammed his palm against the left side of the gate. Boom… A deafening explosion occurred as a huge indentation appeared on the left door, which then slowly collapsed. The echo reverberated, making people’s eardrums tremble slightly. Dust billowed and did not dissipate for a long time. Wang Liuzhi widened his eyes, his lips moving slightly. It was at that moment he truly understood what power meant. Jiang Zhen led the way through the thick dust, followed by Lin Dong and the others. In the front yard, several guards on night duty rushed out with long swords. Seeing the gate, over ten centimeters thick, lying on the ground, they were momentarily stunned. “Tell me, where is Zhou Jinchi?” Lin Dong demanded coldly. One of the guards regained his composure first and shouted, “Who are you? Do you know this is the Liu family?” “Jiang Zhen!” Lin Dong said firmly. Jiang Zhen suddenly stomped his foot, soared into the air like an eagle, and in an instant was at the guard’s side. Before the guard could react, he punched him. Bang! Blood and fragments sprayed violently from the guard’s back.