CHAPTER 288: CHAPTER 288: INDIRECT PROBING

Game over!

The name, sealed away for years, was suddenly mentioned, causing Lin Shuo’s heart to jolt as his face turned slightly pale.

As a member of a noble family, especially as the legitimate eldest son competing for the position of Patriarch, there was no freedom in marriage. The reason he chose to actively pursue Ouyang Ying back then and form a union with her was because of her father’s power in the Celestial Sword Sect.

After marriage, indeed, with the mediation of his father-in-law, a cooperative relationship with the Celestial Sword Sect was established, thereby stabilizing the position of Young Patriarch.

Unexpectedly, only a year into marriage, his father-in-law failed in promotion, was severely injured, and retired. Fortunately, his wife was gentle, pleasing, generous, and dignified, and she was pregnant, so it did not affect their marital relationship.

However, less than a year after his son’s birth, they encountered an ambush while traveling, and since then, his wife and son were nowhere to be found.

His father-in-law had retired and lost his power, but the Lin Family’s cooperation with the Celestial Sword Sect was not affected, so the existence of Ouyang Ying was naturally not as important to the power-seeking Lin Shuo.

After the fruitless search, he treated them as deceased and erected a cenotaph, then swiftly sought more suitable candidates for remarriage to consolidate his position, eventually succeeding the position of Patriarch. Now, his children from his subsequent marriage, two sons and a daughter, were nearly grown up.

A Demon Cultivator senior suddenly approached and mentioned Ouyang Ying. Could it be that they were still alive?

What should I do?!

"Exactly, may I ask, senior..." Lin Shuo’s face was stiff, and he asked without much confidence: "Many years ago, in an accident, my wife Ouyang Ying and my son Lin Xiaotian disappeared without a trace. Senior... where have you seen them?"

What he was most worried about now was that the mother and son were still alive.

Having remarried and fathered three children, the interests between the two families were deeply intertwined and hard to separate. If Ouyang Ying returned, how should they be settled for harmonious coexistence?

Moreover, tomorrow he was to announce his eldest son Tianzuo as the Young Master of the Lin Family, to receive more support from his father-in-law. If the legitimate eldest son appeared now, must his beloved son yield his place to an outsider with whom he had no emotional connection, and whose character and cultivation were unknown?

Bai Yunqi coldly glanced at him, thinking his cultivation wasn’t impressive, and he seemed to lack cultural sophistication. Even the name he chose was far less pleasant than Old Man Wan’s choice.

"What? You don’t seem too happy hearing news about your wife." Bai Yunqi sneered at him, snorting: "Back then, when the mother and son were ambushed, you seem to have been living quite comfortably, without even a scratch left on you.

It’s often heard that human noble families and clans feud intensely, so was it your people who were sent to eliminate the mother and son and silence them? Let me guess, did you remarry, have offspring, and enjoy family happiness even allowing a mistress to take a high position?"

To Lin Shuo, this was a life-threatening question.

He indeed did not welcome the return of the mother and son to disrupt a promising future, but the incident back then was truly not arranged by him!

The most important point is that he doesn’t know what kind of relationship this Demon Cultivator senior has with the mother and son. If they were to back the mother and son, would he have to abandon his current wife and children and take Ouyang Ying back as his spouse?

If the Demon Cultivator senior were to support Ouyang Ying, it might not be impossible;

What he feared was making a mess that this demon cultivator would leave behind, while he still needed his father-in-law’s support to form a Human Cultivator Alliance...

"I am wronged, senior! How could I bear to harm my wife and son? Back then, our family of three was living in harmony, not expecting to encounter enemies while traveling, and my wife, in protecting our young son, was transported to god knows where. We employed the entire clan’s power to search far and wide without success, leaving me heartbroken and devastated!"

He intended to squeeze out a few tears to add credibility, but his emotions failed to gather, leaving him only to sigh, expressing his complaint: "Senior, since you’re well-versed in human noble families, you should know that as descendants like us, protected by family, we bear responsibilities and don’t have much freedom.

For the sake of expanding the family and its great endeavors, and unable to find the mother and son despite all efforts, I was arranged by elders to remarry and have children. My current wife and I are innocent and have no impropriety, I hope senior can discern clearly.

Please, tell me their whereabouts, so I can resolve the years of anguish in my heart by welcoming them back and settling them properly!"

With a little probing, Bai Yunqi was very displeased with the man in front who pretended to be sincere yet had shifty eyes, really, Lin Family had long excluded Xiaochuan.

Old Master Wan’s worries were not without reason, with a biased father, a stepmother backed by her natal family, along with siblings from different mothers fighting overtly and covertly. If Xiaochuan truly wished to recognize kin and find a foothold in this family, he would indeed need the help from the folks of the small courtyard.

"Show proof." Bai Yunqi lazily jested: "Show that you are Lin Shuo, the biological father of our Xiaochuan and that you didn’t order assassins to harm the mother and son. Then, open the mansion’s gates, commanding everyone to welcome Xiaochuan’s master, my Venerable Family—Mr. Jiang."

With imposing command and his powerful presence instantly released, all the people up and down in the Lin Mansion, constructed between two mountains, heard the last words clearly.

Guests curiously looked on, wondering when the Lin Family formed an alliance with such a formidable ally;

People in the mansion were terrified, hastily stepping out, glancing at the sky, confused as to who this mighty figure demanding the entire Lin clan to welcome them might be.

"Senior, I..." Lin Shuo twitched his mouth, softening his tone to explain: "I truly am Ouyang Ying’s husband, indeed I haven’t harmed a hair on their heads. How should I prove that? How about inviting senior into the mansion to rest; today we have honored guests who can attest that I am indeed Lin Shuo!"

He thought to himself, who knows where this difficult big shot hailed from, the so-called "Xiaochuan" is probably his long-lost son, and what about Ouyang Ying? Dead?

Dead, it would be perfect!

Just a half-grown child returning for recognition, not to be placed on the family tree and not hindering his beloved son’s position as Young Patriarch.

Thus, he’d have a good explanation to his father-in-law; the returned eldest son would have a strong and formidable backer, as long as he handled it adeptly and properly, both forces could be for his use!

"Why aren’t you moving?" Bai Yunqi folded his arms, gazing arrogantly across the mountains occupied by the Lin clan, impatiently saying: "Command your entire clan to welcome the esteemed guest without missing a single one!"

Unable to provoke, Lin Shuo immediately complied politely, hurriedly dispatching someone to pass the order, even the highest-ranking, oldest great-grandparents had to be assisted out.

After all, who could afford to provoke a dignitary that such a formidable demon cultivator respectfully called Venerable Family, a guest of such stature leading the way?

The entire Lin clan hastily organized to greet the esteemed guest, so when they saw a demon cultivator clad in light purple palace attire, riding colorful flying silk, appearing with considerable imposing aura akin to a celestial maiden, Lin Shuo was dumbfounded.

Is this the esteemed guest?

"Where is the Patriarch of the Central Province Lin Family?" Hu Zhile, having traveled extensively outside, was just as knowledgeable about secular human nature as Bai Yunqi.

She knew very well that to highlight the status of Venerable Family, one must establish dominance while showing obedience and respect to the Venerable Family, thus showing them sufficient face in front of outsiders.

When Venerable Family is respected, as his disciple, Wan Mingchuan’s stature stood upright. Not recognizing kin meant they looked down on the Lin Family; recognizing would mean the child is sensible and considerate, and it’s the Lin Family’s great fortune.

A child, having grown up outside, wishing to integrate into such a complexly related noble family must indeed have some strategy?

"What instructions do you have, senior?" Lin Shuo hurried forward, momentarily unable to discern the other’s identity.

Hu Zhile glanced at him, speaking coldly: "The gates of your Lin Mansion are quite petty, our Venerable Family’s mount needs a larger place to land, quickly make room."

Oh? So the main figure hasn’t arrived yet, and this Great Demon Senior is actually an underling of that person?

Lin Shuo felt both anxious and thrilled, with so many guests present, even though the entire Lin clan, including the eldest great-grandparents, came out to welcome the esteemed guest, the more grandiose the setting, the more it indicated the guest’s noble status.

Did you hear? They even have a dedicated mount!

At this moment, Lin Shuo wished to shout for the whole world to know that the Lin Family welcomed a mysterious and honorable guest, forming ties with the Lin Family due to the connection with his lost son years ago!