With three supreme masters, they were invincible upon descending the mountain.

Early in the morning, Ye Yaocheng, who had just finished his cultivation and was about to return to his room, bumped into Ji Zheng, who was coming out of the living room.

The two stopped at the same time.

Ji Zheng was still a little dazed from just waking up. When he saw Ye Yaocheng, he was stunned for a moment, then his eyes darted around, he took a step back, and an awkward smile appeared on his face.

"Xiao Ye, up so early? Haha..."

Ye Yaocheng remained silent.

He just stared at Ji Zheng quietly, his eyes calm, but the resentment in them was almost tangible.

Last night, it was so close!

Their lips were almost touching, and the atmosphere was just right!

Just as they were about to have an in-depth conversation, the father-in-law suddenly kicked the door open with a "bang".

Ji Zheng felt a chill run down his spine from Ye Yaocheng's gaze.

He coughed lightly, looked up at the sky, and said, "Ah, the weather's nice today... I'll go buy breakfast!"

After saying that, he slipped away as fast as he could.

Ye Yaocheng stared at his retreating figure and sighed.

Forget it.

After all, he's his father-in-law.

We can't really beat him up.

He shook his head and was about to go back to his room to change his clothes when his phone rang.

The caller ID reads: Wang Shiyu.

Ye Yaocheng answered the call.

"Sis, why are you looking for me so early?"

"Little brother~" Wang Shiyu said with a smile, mysteriously, "Are you free today? Third Master Lin asked me to take you somewhere."

"Place? Where?"

You'll see when you get there~

"Sis, can you give me a heads-up?" Ye Yaocheng said with a smile, "With our relationship, why would you hide it from me?"

"Stop being so glib!" Wang Shiyu snorted. "Didn't Third Master Lin say he'd give you a big gift at the last auction? Today's the day to make it happen. Hurry up, I'm coming to pick you up."

After saying that, he hung up the phone.

Ye Yaocheng looked at his phone and shook his head.

It's quite interesting that someone as important as Master Lin from Linjiang would send him a gift.

Half an hour later, Ye Yaocheng stood by the roadside.

A black Bentley slowly came to a stop.

The car window rolled down, and Wang Shiyu, wearing sunglasses, waved to him: "Get in."

Ye Yaocheng opened the car door and got in.

There was a faint scent of perfume in the car, just as pleasant as the scent on Wang Shiyu.

"Sis, where are we going?" Ye Yaocheng asked after fastening his seatbelt.

Wang Shiyu started the car, a smile playing on her lips: "By the Guangling Lake."

"Lakeside? What are we going there for?"

You'll know when you get there.

Ye Yaocheng simply stopped asking the same question, leaned back in his seat, and watched the street scene rushing past the window.

The car drove through the city and into the old town of Linjiang.

The buildings here are obviously old, but the streets are clean and shaded by green trees. After driving for another ten minutes or so, a huge lake suddenly comes into view.

Guangling Lake.

Linjiang is a famous scenic area with a wide, sparkling water surface, surrounded by green mountains in the distance and willows drooping along the banks. The scenery is indeed beautiful.

"Hold on tight!" Wang Shiyu chuckled, turned the steering wheel, and drove the car onto a quiet, tree-lined road.

A sign stands by the roadside: Private area, no entry without permission.

The car drove along the lake for five minutes and stopped in front of a quaint pavilion.

Inside the pavilion, Third Master Lin was already waiting.

He wasn't wearing formal attire today, but rather a loose white training uniform. He was looking at the lake view with his hands behind his back when he heard the car. He turned around and smiled.

"Young friend Ye has arrived."

Ye Yaocheng got out of the car, walked over, and greeted him with a smile: "Third Master Lin."

"Uncle Lin!"

Wang Shiyu also got out of the car, skipped over, and grabbed Lin Sanye's arm: "Why are you only greeting my younger brother and ignoring me?"

Master Lin shook his head helplessly: "You little brat, how old are you and you're still acting like a child."

He patted Wang Shiyu's hand, then looked at Ye Yaocheng: "Young friend, what do you think of this place?"

Ye Yaocheng looked around.

The lake water is clear, and egrets skim across the surface in the distance. The banks are shaded by green trees, just like a landscape painting.

He spoke frankly, "The scenery here is beautiful, the air is fresh, and it's a great place to cultivate one's mind and spirit."

"Haha, good eye!"

Master Lin laughed and gestured, "This outer area is open to tourists, but it's different if you go further in."

He turned and walked deeper into the tree-lined path.

Ye Yaocheng and Wang Shiyu followed behind.

The further you go in, the quieter the environment becomes. The trees on both sides of the road are no longer ordinary trees, but carefully trimmed landscape plants. Occasionally you can see a few buildings hidden among the trees, with a simple and rustic style, which are obviously private residences.

After walking for about ten minutes, the view suddenly opened up before us.

A vast estate appeared on the shore of the lake.

The manor is indeed large, with blue bricks and gray tiles, and an impressive layout, but many parts are dilapidated.

The walls were peeling, the tiles were broken, and the yard was overgrown with weeds, clearly indicating that it had been abandoned for a long time.

Master Lin walked to the manor gate and pushed open the rusty iron gate.

"Squeak—"

The door hinges made a screeching sound.

"I bought this land by chance when I was working hard in Linjiang in my early years."

As Master Lin walked in, stepping on the bluestone slabs, his voice was filled with reminiscence: "Back then, I thought that when I got old, I would come here to retire, but later I had more and more things to do and never had time to take care of it."

He turned to Ye Yaocheng and said, "But I send people to do some simple maintenance every now and then, so you see, although it's dilapidated, the main structure hasn't collapsed, and although the vegetation is lush, it's not completely out of control."

Ye Yaocheng nodded.

Indeed, this place is a bit desolate, but it has a good foundation.

With its superb location, nestled against the mountains and facing the lake, and its well-proportioned layout, it could easily be transformed into a top-tier private estate with just a little renovation.

"Young friend," Third Master Lin suddenly spoke, his tone earnest, "I'll give you this lakeside manor, what do you say?"

Ye Yaocheng was taken aback.

Give it to me?

Such a large piece of land, and it's a private area in a scenic spot like Guangling Lake, is worth at least hundreds of millions!

"Third Master Lin, this gift is too much." Ye Yaocheng shook his head. "I cannot accept it."

"Young friend, don't be in such a hurry to refuse."

Master Lin said solemnly, "At the last auction, the Foundation Establishment Pills you provided made my auction famous. It wasn't just the auction revenue, but more importantly, those pills gave me two more Foundation Establishment experts under my command."

He paused, then said in a deep, powerful voice, "This is priceless in Linjiang."

"So you can afford this manor."

Ye Yaocheng still hesitated.

"Oh, little brother!"

Wang Shiyu chimed in, feigning jealousy: "Just accept it! Uncle Lin treats you much better than he treats me. I've come all this way from the provincial capital, and he's never given me such an expensive gift before!"

Master Lin was both amused and exasperated: "You silly girl..."

He looked at Ye Yaocheng and said sincerely, "Young friend, this manor is just an idle asset to me right now, but it's useful to you. I've heard that you've been quite active in Linjiang lately. Having your own base will make things easier."

"And..." he smiled, "If you accept this gift, it will be easier for me to ask you for a favor later."

Ye Yaocheng raised an eyebrow: "Get things done?"

"Please accept the gift first."

Master Lin insisted.

Ye Yaocheng looked at him, then at the abandoned yet infinitely potential manor in front of him.

A few seconds later, he nodded. "Then thank you very much, Third Master Lin."

"Haha! Great!"

Master Lin laughed heartily, clearly pleased.

After finishing their business, the three of them walked to a stone table by the lake and sat down.

The smile on Third Master Lin's face gradually faded.

He remained silent for a few seconds before slowly speaking: "Young friend, actually, I have another request to ask of you today."

"Please speak."

"It's about that girl Qingxue."

Lin Qingxue?

Ye Yaocheng recalled the easily blushing eldest daughter of the Lin family at the auction.

"Miss Qingxue, isn't she the apple of the Lin family's eye?" he asked, somewhat puzzled. "What does she need me to take care of?"

Master Lin sighed.

That breath was long and deep, filled with helplessness and repression.

"The Lin family has dominated Linjiang for three hundred years, with deep roots, but also with many accumulated problems."

His voice was low and somber: "There are some old fogies in the family with rigid thinking, who only care about interests and not family ties. The old man, Qingxue's grandfather, is getting weaker day by day. Once he passes away..."

Master Lin clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white.

"Qingxue is just average in talent and has a soft personality. Without the old man's protection, her life in the family will not be easy."

He looked at Ye Yaocheng, his eyes filled with complex emotions:

"Those old guys might very well use her as a tool for political marriage for the sake of their family interests, marrying her off to a family in the provincial capital or even further away."

Ye Yaocheng frowned: "You're also a direct descendant of the Lin family, can't you protect her?"

"I?"

Master Lin gave a bitter smile, a smile tinged with self-mockery and pain.

"Back then, I couldn't stand the way those old fogies acted, so I left the family in a fit of anger and came to Linjiang to make a living on my own. Although I have some foundation now, in the eyes of those old guys in the Lin family, I am still an unfilial descendant who has 'betrayed the family'."

He closed his eyes, his voice hoarse: "They won't listen to me."

"So, young friend..." Master Lin opened his eyes, looked at Ye Yaocheng, and pleaded in his eyes.

"If Qingxue ever encounters difficulties in the future, please help her out for my sake."

"At the very least, don't let her become a victim of self-interest."

As the lake breeze blew by, this man, who had dominated the scene in Linjiang for most of his life, now had only a deep sense of powerlessness in his eyes.

And the heaviest entrustment to a younger generation.