Lin Yan was unaware of the story that unfolded between Lincoln and Lin Xia after his departure.
He headed straight for the main hall of the family estate and soon arrived at the entrance.
"Uncle Yu, Uncle Yue, I need to see Grandpa. Could you let me in?" He walked towards the door and soon spotted the two guards on either side. Lin Yan greeted them with a smile and a nod.
"It's Lin Yan."
"The Patriarch said that if you have business, you can enter directly without reporting."
"Please!"
The two guards treated Lin Yan with great respect, even going as far as to bow to him. Normally, anyone wanting to see Lin Zhentian needed to be announced and receive his permission before entering. But Lin Yan didn't require such formalities, so they greeted him with a bow and quickly let him through.
"Thank you both."
Lin Yan thanked the guards before entering the hall.
Lin Zhentian had just finished his cultivation and was enjoying a cup of tea. He was surprised to see Lin Yan but welcomed him warmly with a smile.
"Yan'er, good to see you. Sit down!"
"What brings you here today? How did you find time to visit your grandpa?" Lin Zhentian chuckled and showed genuine affection towards Lin Yan, treating him more like a caring elder than the family patriarch.
Lin Yan thanked Lin Zhentian and then took out the vials of medicine.
"Grandpa, I've come today to bring you a gift."
Lin Zhentian looked at the vials with curiosity. "Yan'er, what's this?"
Lin Yan smiled as he explained the effects of the medicine. "These are medicinal elixirs for cultivation, suitable for warriors at the Body Tempering stage. I obtained the formula from a master, and with these elixirs, I managed to advance several levels in just a few months."
"Today, I went out and bought some herbs to make these elixirs specifically for you, Grandpa."
Lin Zhentian's eyes lit up as he looked at the medicines, treating them like precious treasures. He trusted Lin Yan completely, and that's why he found these elixirs so valuable.
Advancing several levels in just a few months, even at the Body Tempering stage, was incredibly impressive!
Carefully, Lin Zhentian asked, "Yan'er, are these herbs very precious?"
Lin Yan chuckled. "Grandpa, you don't need to worry about that. Consider these just a small gift from me. If you see any promising talents among the younger generation in the family and want to nurture them, you can use these elixirs to help them cultivate. They are gentle and won't harm their bodies. Combined with bathing in clear water, they'll be very beneficial."
Lin Zhentian looked at Lin Yan deeply, remembering this gesture. Then, he laughed heartily. "Well, well, well! In that case, I'll accept your gift."
"As always, in the Lin family, if you have a need, just tell me directly. No need to be polite."
"Come, have some tea!"
Lin Yan joined Lin Zhentian for tea, and they chatted about various matters, enjoying each other's company. This was the first time they had a deep conversation, and through it, Lin Zhentian gained a new appreciation for Lin Yan. He was indeed a fine young man, worthy of genuine care!
However, Lin Yan didn't intend to stay long. After chatting for a while, he planned to leave.
Lin Zhentian casually handed him a bag of silver coins and said, "By the way, Yan'er, tomorrow, Xiaoshu and the others are going to Ironwood Stronghold to subdue it. Why don't you go with them? It's good to get out, see the world, and remember to balance work and rest, even in cultivation."
Lin Yan nodded in agreement.
As he left the hall, he muttered to himself, "Ironwood Stronghold."
"I remember it's quite a special dungeon, and there should be a vein of Sunstone there."
"Can I check in there?"
Thinking as he walked home, Lin Yan felt that doing good deeds indeed brought good karma. If he hadn't come to see Lin Zhentian today, the Patriarch might not have specifically sought him out, and he might have missed the chance to check in.
With these thoughts in mind, Lin Yan grew even more eager. Could he check in at Ironwood Stronghold? If so, what would he find?
The next day, at the gate of the Lin family estate, dozens of horses stood ready, with skilled riders atop them. Among them were Lincoln and Lin Xiao, as well as other capable individuals from the Lin family.
Lincoln and Lin Xiao, as two Heaven Tier experts of the Lin family, naturally had to personally oversee the subjugation of Ironwood Stronghold, an important task like this.
But the most eye-catching figure was Lin Dong, who rode directly on a Flame Python Tiger, exuding an imposing presence.
Lin Yan appeared much more ordinary, riding one of the horses. Although he owned a Nine-Colored Swallowing Sky Python, he couldn't ride it yet.
"Today, when we go out to subdue Ironwood Stronghold, it's crucial. But both Lin Yan and Lin Dong, you two must be protected. We can't afford any accidents happening to you. Otherwise, I won't spare you." At the gate, Lin Zhentian bid farewell to everyone. But before they left, he gave a solemn instruction to Lincoln and Lin Xiao.
"Rest assured, Father." The two of them readily agreed.
Lin Xiao treated Lin Yan like his own son, so he was determined to protect him at all costs. And although Lincoln wasn't as extravagant in his feelings, he understood the significance of Lin Yan and Lin Dong to the Lin family. So even if it meant risking their lives, they would ensure their safety.
The group quickly set off, heading straight towards Ironwood Manor.
Ironwood Manor was a well-known estate near Qingyang Town, famous for its abundant production of ironwood. This type of ironwood resembled refined iron, resistant to water and fire, with a thick and sturdy texture, making it highly suitable for crafting weapons and various structures.
Consequently, there had always been a high demand for this ironwood. Over the years, the Lei family had profited considerably from Ironwood Manor.
However, those days were now in the past. This time, the Lin family was taking over Ironwood Manor, signaling the end of any connection between Ironwood Manor and the Lei family.
Lin Xia and the others probably spent the entire morning on the road and finally arrived within the vicinity of Ironwood Manor around noon. However, as they approached the estate, they found the gates tightly shut, clearly indicating a "no trespassing" policy.
But Lin Xia and the others clearly weren't going to back down over such a minor issue. They continued to advance, only to be stopped by members of the Lei family shortly after.
"Halt! This is Lei family territory. Without permission, entry is not allowed," one of them declared.
Lin Xia had anticipated this and bellowed loudly, his voice echoing like thunder throughout the estate: "Bring out the person in charge! Today, our Lin family is here to take over Ironwood Manor!"
However, it was evident that the Lei family was prepared. As Lin Xia's voice fell, two figures quickly emerged.
"I say, aren't you Lin folks a bit too impatient? If you want to take over, go to the Lei family first and exchange the paperwork before coming here!" one of them retorted.
"Yeah, Brother Lin Xia, Brother Lin Ken, since our Lei family promised to hand over Ironwood Manor to you, we won't go back on our word. Why rush things and ruin the relationship between our families? How about this, give us another five days, and after five days, we'll hand over Ironwood Manor to you. How does that sound?"
These two were named Lei Ying and Lei Nuo, one playing the good cop while the other played the bad cop, but their central idea remained the same: to prevent them from entering Ironwood Manor.
Lin Xia and Lin Ken frowned at this proposal.
Lin Yan, on the other hand, felt something was amiss, but couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was.
"Sigh, my memory... after being in the Martial World for so long, I'm starting to forget more and more details. I only remember that Ironwood Manor has a source of Yang Element Stone, but I've completely forgotten what happened exactly," he lamented.
"This is really frustrating," Lin Yan scratched his head, pondering.
"Lin Yan, bro, I think they're intentionally stalling for time. How about we sneak into the manor? See what they're really up to?" Lin Dong suggested, changing the subject.
Lin Yan nodded in agreement. "Let's go."
They left immediately, quickly circumventing the area out of sight, departing from the forest. Before long, they stealthily infiltrated Ironwood Manor.
However, what they witnessed before them caused their eyelids to involuntarily twitch.
They soon discovered that the Lei family had arranged a large number of people and horses, ruthlessly cutting down trees and even pouring a substantial amount of potion onto the ground, intending to destroy the land.
It was evident that the Lei family's intention was to ruin everything. They couldn't obtain Ironwood Manor and didn't want the Lin family to profit from it. That's why they kept delaying the Lin family, giving themselves time to complete this massive project.
"These scoundrels!" Lin Dong cursed angrily.
Lin Yan glanced at the Lei family guards performing security duties ahead.
There were fourteen guards in total, three of whom had reached the Earth Elemental Realm. Among these three, two were in the early Earth Elemental Realm, and one was in the late Earth Elemental Realm.
As for the others, most were martial artists at the seventh or eighth level of Body Tempering Realm.
Lin Dong explained to Lin Yan, "Brother Lin Yan, I know those few people. The one in the late Earth Elemental Realm is called Lei Shan. Apart from a few Heaven Elemental Realm experts, he's the strongest in the Lei family. The other two in the early Earth Elemental Realm, one is called Dai En, who used to be a bandit but later became the Lei family's guard captain. The other one is his brother."
Lin Dong originally wanted to charge in directly, but upon careful consideration, he realized they were outnumbered, with only two of them against a group. Moreover, there was Lei Shan, a late Earth Elemental Realm expert, on the opposite side. If they were too forceful, they might end up in trouble.
However, Lin Yan made a decision: "Lin Dong, you, Lin Yan, and my pet Xiaocai will deal with those at the Body Tempering Realm. I'll handle the three in the Earth Elemental Realm."
Lin Dong raised an eyebrow at this, slightly puzzled. "Lin Yan, isn't it too much to handle three in the Earth Elemental Realm? Shouldn't I help you share the load?"
Lin Yan replied with a faint smile, "I can handle it, and besides, you guys are faster at cleaning up your side, so you can come and help, right?"
With those words, Lin Yan released his Nine-Colored Devouring Sky Python and issued commands. Then, without further ado, he charged forward.
Lin Dong felt extremely helpless about this decision, but since things had reached this point, he could only follow Lin Yan's orders.
Lin Dong muttered to himself, "In that case, Lin Yan, you must hold on. Once I defeat those scoundrels, I'll come to assist you!"
(End of this chapter)