Chapter 134. Supreme Elder Shuli
Lin Xuan slowly exhaledd before glancing towards the twenty pill furnaces lined neatly across the courtyard before rolling up his sleeves.
"Alright, let’s begin refining."
Just as he took a step forward, his movement suddenly came to a halt.
His gaze shifted toward the entrance of the courtyard.
"...A guest?"
His divine sense had already detected someone approaching.
He set the jade bottles aside before calmly walking toward the courtyard gate.
Lin Zhaoyue blinked in confusion before hurriedly following behind him.
By the time Lin Xuan opened the gate, a young woman had just arrived outside.
She appeared to be in her early twenties.
Dressed in a simple pale-green robe, she possessed delicate features and a graceful figure. Her long black hair was tied behind her with a jade hairpin, giving her an elegant yet unassuming appearance.
However, the badge hanging from her waist identified her status.
Supreme Elder.
She had only recently assumed the position.
Following Lin Zhenghai’s death, the seat of Supreme Elder had remained vacant for some time.
Within the Lin Family, the position of Supreme Elder carried tremendous authority.
Even the Patriarch had no say in who assumed the role.
Traditionally, the position belonged to the strongest member of the family after the Patriarch, unless that person was directly affiliated with the Patriarch himself.
In the current Lin Family, that person was naturally Lin Zhaoyue, Lin Xuan’s own daughter.
For that reason, after several discussions among the elders of the Lin Family, every one of them unanimously ended up recommending the same person.
With the complete support of the older generation, her appointment had proceeded without the slightest opposition.
The moment their eyes met, the young woman’s body visibly stiffened.
"...P-Patriarch."
She hurriedly cupped her fists, though her movements were noticeably awkward.
Lin Xuan nodded politely.
"Supreme Elder."
The young woman lowered her head slightly, seemingly unsure where to place her gaze.
An awkward silence immediately descended between them.
Lin Xuan quietly looked at the newly appointed Supreme Elder.
She kept opening and closing her mouth as though she wanted to say something, yet no words came out.
After a long moment, she finally managed to force out a greeting.
"...Good morning."
Lin Xuan blinked.
"...Good morning."
Another silence followed.
Even Lin Zhaoyue, who was watching from behind her father, tilted her head curiously.
She’s... surprisingly shy.
The newly appointed Supreme Elder’s ears had already turned slightly red.
She had clearly rehearsed what she intended to say before coming here.
Yet now that she was actually standing before the Patriarch, every prepared word seemed to have vanished from her mind.
The young woman stood stiffly outside the courtyard gate.
She took a deep breath as though gathering every ounce of courage she possessed.
"Patriarch..."
"Yes?"
Her cheeks gradually turned red.
"I... I like you very much patriach!"
The words escaped her mouth in one breath.
The moment she finished speaking, she froze in place.
"..."
"..."
Even the surrounding air seemed to fall silent.
Lin Xuan blinked and Lin Zhaoyue, standing behind him, slowly peeked her head out and looked back and forth between the two of them.
The young woman’s face became increasingly crimson.
"I-I mean..."
She frantically waved both hands.
"Not that kind of like! I’ve admired you for a long time!"
The more she explained, the more flustered she became.
By the end, she wished she could dig a hole and hide inside it forever.
Lin Xuan couldn’t help but chuckle.
"Relax. No one misunderstood."
The young woman let out a small sigh of relief, though her face remained bright red.
Lin Xuan smiled politely.
"This isn’t the best place for us to talk. Let’s head to the Family Hall instead."
The young woman hurriedly nodded.
"O-Of course."
Lin Xuan nodded before turning and leading the way down.
The young Supreme Elder quickly followed a step behind him.
For a short while, neither of them spoke.
As they walked along the stone path, Lin Xuan finally broke the silence.
"I suppose this is the first time we’ve met."
The young woman looked at him in surprise.
"You... don’t remember me, Patriarch?"
She pointed at herself.
"I’m Lin Shuli."
Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
"We’re from the same generation!"
Lin Xuan paused for a brief moment, carefully searching his memories.
Unfortunately... He slowly shook his head.
"I’m afraid I have no recollection."
"...Oh."
Lin Shuli’s shoulders visibly drooped.
For a brief moment, she looked genuinely disappointed, however, her dejected expression lasted for only a heartbeat before she suddenly brightened again.
"It’s okay!"
She smiled so brightly that it was almost dazzling.
"Now that I’ve become the Supreme Elder, we can simply get to know each other all over again!"
Lin Xuan couldn’t help but smile at her optimism.
"...I suppose we can."
As he continued walking, an amused thought crossed his mind.
I think I now understand why those old folks unanimously recommended her. She’s way too innocent for her age, it won’t take much to manipulate her.
To someone as straightforward as Lin Shuli, it would be all too easy for the senior generation to influence her decisions from behind the scenes.
Before long, the two arrived at the Patriarch’s office.
Lin Xuan gestured toward one of the seats.
"Please, have a seat."
Lin Shuli nodded obediently before sitting down across from him.
A servant soon entered and placed two cups of steaming tea on the table before quietly withdrawing.
Lin Shuli nervously held her teacup with both hands.
She looked as though she had come prepared to say something, yet she hesitated for several moments before finally gathering her courage.
"Patriarch... The elders asked me to speak with you."
Lin Xuan calmly took a sip of tea.
"What is it?"
Lin Shuli spoke honestly without the slightest attempt to soften the message.
"The elders are asking for a pay raise."
She hurriedly added an explanation.
"Now that the Lin Family has become a Rank Eight family, they believe an increase in their monthly allowances would be natural."
Lin Xuan nodded.
Wow... I’ve always wondered why you old folks recommended someone from my generation instead of one of your own. Looks like you’ve been playing the long game.
"Well, I don’t see why not."
Lin Shuli’s eyes immediately lit up and she couldn’t help but feel delighted.
My first proposal wasn’t rejected!