Decaying World

Chapter 49 049 Perilous Situation 1 (Thank you, Alliance Leader, for having a bowl of porridge tonight)
Because of his improved speed and agility, Lin Hui now goes home to rest almost every day.

Anyway, it only takes half an hour to get back from Qingfeng Sword Sect, and you can also practice your movement techniques.

After finishing sword practice, it was almost evening.

He returned to the outskirts of Xinyu Town as quickly as before. As soon as he arrived at his doorstep, he found the gate wide open and the house empty except for a few burly men who seemed to have just finished moving things and were sitting on the ground wiping their sweat with towels.

Upon seeing him enter, the group quickly stood up and bowed.

"Oh, Young Master Hui is back? The master and madam have already gone to the new house. This courtyard and house have been sold to others. They asked me to show you the way."

One of the bald men said with a broad smile.

"You moved again?" Lin Hui was taken aback. They hadn't been here long, had they? Had it been two years?
It seems my dad has really made it big.

"Take me there, thank you." His mind was racing, but his expression remained calm.

"Alright, this is Lei Song, the foreman hired by the master. Young Master Hui, please feel free to give me any orders. I'm good at odd jobs, repairs, and running errands!" The bald man said with a fawning smile.

"Okay. Lead the way." Lin Hui nodded.

He took one last look at the courtyard he had only lived in for a short time, and felt a strange sense of reluctance in his heart.

He glanced at the sky; there was still about an hour until dark. He finally turned around and followed the bald-headed Lei Song, quickly leaving the courtyard together.

He hadn't packed his things; nine-tenths of them were in the separate courtyard at the sword sect. This place was actually just a spare set he occasionally stayed in, and his parents had probably moved it there long ago.

Lei Song and the two men quickly locked the door and led Lin Hui toward the center of town.

Before long, after crossing the suburbs, the four arrived at a large white-walled courtyard that was at least five times larger than the one they had been before.

This can no longer be called a courtyard; it should be called a mansion.

Lin Hui stood in front of the gate, looking up at the three-meter-high vermilion gate, above which hung a black plaque with red characters that read "Lin Mansion" in large characters.

"Dad's really struck it rich!" He realized he might have greatly underestimated the speed at which his father's fortunes had grown.
"Young Master Hui, please come in, this way." Lei Song led the way through the side door and waved to him.

Lin Hui followed and entered the mansion. Inside was a courtyard more than twice the size of the Lin family's main residence. It was square and contained artificial hills, pavilions, bridges, and flowing water, all exquisitely decorated. In some corners, there were still piles of unused decoration materials.

A dozen or so workers were moving furniture into the room.

The old man was giving instructions with his hands behind his back when he saw Lin Hui come in. His face immediately lit up with a smile, a smile that carried an undisguised pride.

Approaching, Lin Shunhe patted his son on the shoulder.

"Great, you've grown taller and stronger!"

"Dad, you've struck it rich again?" Lin Hui looked around the entire courtyard. Looking from this position, beyond the eaves, there was a continuous stretch of wooden houses that seemed to have no end in sight. One of the houses in front had three stories and at least thirty rooms at a glance.

Even he, after briefly estimating the price of the house, couldn't help but be taken aback.

"What do you mean 'again'? I've never lacked money." Lin Shunhe raised an eyebrow. He waved for Lei Song and the others to get back to work.

"Actually, I just happened to find a way to make a fortune. You know, the black fog is both dangerous and a business opportunity. Plus, your dad has a sharp eye and picked up a great bargain. Not only did I make money, but I also found a new way to make money, hehe." As he said this, Lin Shunhe couldn't help but feel proud, and his smile almost squeezed out new crow's feet.

"I won't ask what the leak is, but please be extremely careful with your safety," Lin Hui said, frowning.

"Don't worry, when have I ever been careless? Do you need to tell me this? Oh, by the way," Lin Shunhe paused, as if he had thought of something, "My newly hired Steel Fist brother invited his master over this morning. I've successfully hired him as our resident martial arts instructor. The contract is signed, and he'll be moving in soon. Be nice to him then. This master is nicknamed Hundred-Step Divine Fist. He's seventy-six years old this year, has extremely strong hard skills, and is also an internal strength master from Xingdao."

Lin Hui was speechless. He hadn't even reached the Inner Force Realm yet, but his father had already hired an Inner Force Realm martial artist.
Is this reasonable? ?
He was quite pleased with himself, having hunted hundreds of thousands of materials a day, and was even considering moving his family into the inner city. But then...
"Seventy-six years old. That's older than my master. Can he really do it?" he asked softly, pondering this thought.

"You don't know this. When I met him, I thought this Hundred-Step Divine Fist was only forty years old. He looks too young," Lin Shunhe sighed, quite moved.

"Alright, I got it." Lin Hui sighed.

"Don't just focus on practicing your swordsmanship all the time. You need to spend time with me getting familiar with business channels and connections. I'm really too busy. You're our only son. We can hire experts anytime if we have money. Your swordsmanship is just for fitness." Dad started nagging again.

Recently, since his business has been booming, his attitude towards Qingfeng Sword has made a complete 180-degree turn.

"Alright, I know. Let's not talk about this anymore. Where's Mom?" Lin Hui walked towards the entrance of the lobby.

“She went to rest. She’s been busy all day, arranging, organizing, and checking all sorts of things. Someone has to watch over her. Otherwise, she might get scammed, tricked, or even have things stolen,” Lin Shunhe replied.

"Also, you like practicing martial arts to temper your body. I heard from Steel Fist and the others that body tempering can be accelerated with some nourishing medicines. I wonder if that would be useful for you?"

“It’s useful, but I don’t need it anymore,” Lin Hui nodded.

"Is that so?" Lin Shunhe pondered for a moment. "What about those that increase energy and strengthen blood and qi?"

"Increase energy?" Lin Hui was taken aback. These kinds of medicinal materials are hard currency and extremely rare. Those that are useful to someone of his level are almost always snapped up as soon as they appear on the market.

"What about the year?" he asked in a deep voice. If he could really get his hands on it, his energy would be enhanced, which would completely reduce the evolution time of his blood seal.

"The prescriptions are mostly made from herbs that are over ten years old. I've acquired a complete formula for a pure herbal powder, costing 40,000 coins. Try it first, and if it works, you can continue using it," Lin Shunhe replied in a deep voice. "Father is amazing!" Lin Hui was truly shocked this time. He had asked his master, Mingde, before and knew that these kinds of herbs were almost monopolized by the three sects and six gangs in the inner city. The outer city only had herbs that weren't very old, and those were basically useless.

It turns out that my dad actually managed to get his hands on it.
"Good to know, otherwise how could I be your father!?" Lin Shunhe laughed, stroking his freshly trimmed goatee, his eyes gleaming with smugness.

The two entered the main hall, where there were no paintings or calligraphy yet, leaving the space blank. On each side, there were two small doors leading to the central courtyard.

"Go left this way, and then go right to the left again. That's your bedroom, the training ground, and a small hall for reading, resting, and receiving guests. There's also an attic that you can arrange as you like, for storing things or other purposes," the old man explained. "Go through the door on the right, and there are two buildings, which are the living quarters for martial arts masters, guards, and hired servants, respectively. You can get to know them gradually."

"Do we really need something this big?" Lin Hui was speechless.

"Of course we need it, why wouldn't we?" the old man laughed, and didn't continue.

"Wait a minute, Dad, are you getting cocky?" Lin Hui narrowed his eyes, sensing something was off.

"Sigh, you found out. But you'd find out sooner or later anyway. Your mother has agreed." Lin Shunhe stopped, his expression complex yet gentle.

"Who is it?" Lin Hui asked in a low voice.

“Once when I was on a business trip, I got into some trouble and was unexpectedly rescued. The person who saved me was her. She is generous and comes from an extraordinary background, but she just likes me. I couldn’t resist and got pregnant.” The old man looked helpless.

Lin Hui understood instantly.

No wonder Dad suddenly became so successful. He always said that even with his ideas, the speed of development was too fast; he never expected it.
The truth has finally come out.

"Then what about my mother?" he asked quickly.

"It's the same as always, your mother is the head, and she's willing to be the concubine. They're equals," the father said earnestly.

"Dad, you really are..." Lin Hui didn't know how to say it.

Although it's common for capable people to have multiple partners in this world, it felt a bit strange when it happened to him.

“Sigh, she and her two children will move in too. They’re about your age, so be polite when you run into them,” Lin Shunhe sighed.

"I'll try my best, but it depends on their attitude," Lin Hui said silently.

His father patted him on the shoulder and said no more.

He took his son on a tour of the entire mansion, and the family of three dined in a 200-square-meter dining room in the central courtyard.

Because of the fog, all the courtyards and halls are connected by fully enclosed corridors with windows.

Same here.

New dishes kept being brought in from the kitchen; the three of them had fifteen dishes just for their meal.
This level is far superior to what it used to be.

Even though there were many dishes, including some that were complicated to prepare, Lin Hui still felt that the atmosphere of the meal was awkward.

However, the mother of the person involved, Yao Shan, remained the same as before, seemingly without any resentment towards the second wife who was about to enter the family.

Not only that, she also comforted Lin Hui, saying that the woman from the second branch of the family named Liu Shenglan was gentle, generous, and very well-mannered. The two children were also well-educated and reasonable, and since they were born in the inner city and rarely came to stay, there was no need to worry about them not getting used to each other over a long period, reassuring Lin Hui.

The thought of living in the inner city for an extended period only made Lin Hui more worried.

The difference in their backgrounds is too great. If this isn't handled well, my own mother might have to support an ancestor.

Since his mother had already accepted it, he had no choice but to accept it as well.

After the meal, the maid came to tidy up, and Lin Hui went to his new room to rest for the first time.

After washing up, he lay on the bed and looked out at the hazy moonlight, which cast strange, chaotic shadows that kept flashing across the windowpane.

The night fog was confusing the surroundings again.

The jade talisman hanging in front of the window swayed, releasing a layer of power that Lin Hui could not perceive, keeping the mist out.

'That's good too. At least Dad might be able to have a few more children, so I won't be the only one living in fear all the time.'

Lin Hui was well aware of his parents' thoughts.

Although he is considered quite successful compared to his peers, he is not as accomplished as those who inspire others, but he is in the top tier below them.

In the eyes of the neighbors, he was the perfect child. He had no worries about food and drink and could even help support his family, but learning martial arts was ultimately too dangerous.

Unexpected events always occur when you have to do things yourself.

When faced with danger, wouldn't it be better to simply pay someone to help? Why insist on fighting others yourself when there are clearly safer methods available?
If you continue training and staying in the martial arts circle, you'll often have no choice but to take action.

(End of this chapter)