The Lin's Patriarch is weird.

After dealing with the aftermath, Lin Xuan quietly surveyed the battlefield.

The Xu Family cultivators had come prepared to take his life.

In the end, none of them were spared.

Lin Xuan stood before the rows of simple burials for a long while without saying a word.

He had come hoping to talk.

Of course, he knew that possibility had always been slim.

Every clue gathered by the Shadow Guards had pointed toward this being a carefully prepared trap.

Still, there had been a tiny chance.

A chance that Xu Wenyuan would explain himself before swords were drawn.

That chance had been worth taking but in the end, his gamble didn’t pay off.

If he had still been at the Golden Core Realm, he was certain he would have died on this mountain today.

His gaze drifted toward the shattered formation flags scattered across the battlefield.

"I’ll have to be more cautious in the future."

He quietly reflected upon the battle.

"I can’t afford to overlook formations again."

With that thought, Lin Xuan turned around and flew back toward Azure Willow City.

Meanwhile, within the Lin Family estate.

A group of children stood assembled before the main gate.

Every one of them was dressed in black travel attire with storage pouches hanging from their waists.

There were more than twenty of them.

Although still young, every single one had already stepped into the Qi Refinement Realm.

At the very front stood Lin Zhaoyue.

Her tiny hands rested confidently on her hips as she looked toward the distant road leading out of the city.

Behind her, Lin Zhaowen swallowed nervously.

He stared at the enormous gates standing before them as though they were the entrance to another world.

"You... Young Miss... Is this... really okay?"

Earlier, Lin Zhaoyue had gathered everyone and announced their mission.

"We’re going to Violet Log City to hunt spirit beasts."

It had sounded incredibly simple and short.

But reality was anything but simple.

Violet Log City was nearly three days away on foot.

That estimate already assumed they would travel without stopping, running at full speed as Qi Refinement cultivators.

And that was before considering the dangerous roads, roaming spirit beasts, and unknown dangers waiting along the way.

Lin Zhaowen’s lips twitched.

He looked toward the sky with a face full of despair.

"Patriarch..."

He clasped his hands together in silent prayer.

"Please come back quickly and save us from this trouble."

Lin Zhaoyue looked left and right before nodding in satisfaction.

"Alright. The guards are changing shifts right now."

She pointed toward the main gate and her expression suddenly became serious.

"This is our chance, don’t get caught."

She paused just long enough for everyone to grow nervous.

"If anyone gets caught... I’ll increase your training."

The entire group froze.

Their eyes widened simultaneously.

She... she’s the same age as us, right?

When did she get to grow up into a demon?

That single thought echoed through every child’s mind.

No one dared voice it aloud.

Without another word, Lin Zhaoyue darted toward the gate.

The others hurriedly followed behind her, carefully slipping through the entrance while the gate guards were occupied handing over their duties to the next shift.

Every child held their breath.

One by one...

They successfully escaped the Lin Family estate.

Not a single person wanted to be caught, absolutely no one.

Extra training under the Young Miss...

That was a punishment more terrifying than being scolded by the Patriarch.

At first glance, training sounded harmless.

If it were anything like homework from an ordinary school, they could probably endure it.

Unfortunately, Lin Zhaoyue’s idea of "homework" was completely different.

If she had been their teacher...

She would probably make them write the alphabet one hundred times for making a single mistake.

Then she’d ask them to recite it while doing horse stance.

Just imagining such a scene made everyone shiver.

As a result, more than twenty tiny figures sprinted out of the city with astonishing speed, each one silently praying that no guard would notice their little expedition before they had disappeared beyond Azure Willow City’s walls.

By the time Lin Xuan returned to the Lin Family estate, something immediately felt wrong.

The usually bustling entrance was almost deserted.

Most of the gate guards were gone while elders and disciples raced through the estate in every direction, shouting names with anxious expressions.

The entire clan was in chaos.

Lin Xuan’s heart skipped a beat and he descended into the courtyard.

"What happened?"

He stopped one of the passing elders.

The elder turned around, his face pale.

Upon seeing Lin Xuan, his composure instantly crumbled.

"Patriarch!"

His voice trembled.

"My... my daughter is missing!"

Tears streamed uncontrollably down his face.

"She... she disappeared together with a group of other children!"

Before Lin Xuan could ask another question, several elders hurried over.

"Patriarch! Twenty-three children have vanished!"

Lin Xuan’s expression gradually stiffened.

"...Twenty-three?"

One elder swallowed hard before answering.

"Y-Yes... and the Young Miss is among them."

For a brief moment, Lin Xuan’s mind went completely blank.

Was the Xu family being a trap true but not in the way he had expected?

Was their goal simply to delay him long enough and get to their real target, Yue’er and the other kids?

His pupils contracted.

Only one person immediately came to mind.

Qin Xishu.

She possessed both the strength and influence necessary to force an entire Rank Seven clan into becoming disposable bait.

And during the Rank Eight promotion banquet...

She had shown unusual interest in nearly every talented child of the Lin Family.

Especially Yue’er.

Lin Xuan slowly clenched his fists.

Just as Lin Xuan was about to spread his divine sense and issue orders to every Shadow Guard stationed throughout the city—

"Patriarch! Patriarch!"

An anxious voice rang out from behind.

Nanny Liu came running into the courtyard, and besides her, Lin Zhaoxi struggled to keep up, her tiny legs moving as fast as they could.

Nanny Liu finally caught her breath and quickly spoke.

"Patriarch, my granddaughter knows where the Young Miss and the others are!"

Lin Xuan’s eyes immediately fell upon Zhaoxi.

"You know where they are?"

The little girl nodded vigorously.

"Mhm! They’re going to Violet Log City!"

The surrounding elders immediately erupted into commotion.

"Violet Log City?"

"They actually left the city?"

"Those children have gone mad!"