The Lin's Patriarch is weird.

Su Qinglan stared at the spatial pouch for a moment before looking back at Lin Xuan.

"Are you certain you wish to donate such a large amount?"

Six hundred Body Tempering Pills.

Even for one of the three great families of Azure Willow City, that was hardly a small number.

Lin Xuan smiled.

"Senior Su, I am the Patriarch of the Lin Family."

He pushed the pouch toward her.

"Everything I possess comes from the collective strength of the clan and the faith the clan has placed in me."

"If these pills can help the younger generation grow stronger, then they’re worth far more in the treasury than in my storage pouch."

Su Qinglan nodded approvingly.

A trace of satisfaction appeared in her eyes.

Regardless of what others said, the young man before her had always possessed the bearing of a true leader.

"Your father would be proud to hear those words."

Lin Xuan merely smiled.

After a brief silence, Su Qinglan sighed.

"Alas, Little Xuan."

Her expression became serious.

"The Supreme Elder has been making quite a few moves recently."

"You should be careful."

Lin Xuan wasn’t particularly surprised.

The old man practically woke up every morning looking for new ways to cause trouble.

Still, he appreciated the warning.

"Thank you for the heads up, Senior Su."

He rose from his seat.

"I’ll leave the pills in your care. Distribute them however you see fit."

"Don’t worry."

Su Qinglan patted the spatial pouch.

"They’ll be put to good use."

Then she paused.

"Speaking of which, thank you."

Lin Xuan blinked.

"For what?"

"The clan was nearly out of Body Tempering Pills."

This time it was Lin Xuan’s turn to be surprised.

"Out?"

He frowned.

"I thought our alchemist was still producing them."

Su Qinglan looked at him strangely.

"You don’t know?"

Lin Xuan stopped.

A bad feeling suddenly appeared in his heart.

"Was I supposed to know?"

The old woman’s expression became increasingly complicated.

For several moments, she simply stared at him.

Then she slowly sighed.

"It seems the Supreme Elder has become bolder than I thought."

Lin Xuan narrowed his eyes.

"What happened?"

Su Qinglan leaned back in her chair.

"Two days ago, a document bearing the clan seal arrived at the treasury."

"It ordered that every newly refined Body Tempering Pill be reserved for Lin Zhaowen’s cultivation."

The room fell silent.

Lin Xuan’s smile disappeared.

"Every pill?"

Su Qinglan nodded.

"Every single one."

"None were distributed to the rest of the younger generation."

Lin Xuan’s expression darkened.

The clan seal represented the authority of the Patriarch.

Without it, such an order would never have been accepted.

For a moment, confusion appeared in his eyes.

"How did he get the clan sea—"

The words stopped halfway.

Realization dawned on him.

The previous owner.

The original Lin Xuan had clearly trusted the Supreme Elder far more than he should have.

Trusting him with access to the clan seal was one thing.

Allowing him to use it unsupervised was another entirely.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"Alright."

He stood up.

"I’ll deal with him properly."

Su Qinglan felt a chill run down her spine.

She had known Lin Xuan for many years.

Whenever he smiled like that, someone was about to have a very bad day.

Still, she felt no sympathy for the Supreme Elder.

The old fool had overstepped his boundaries long ago.

Su Qinglan rose and personally escorted Lin Xuan toward the exit.

"Thank you again for the pills, Little Xuan."

"The clan won’t forget this."

Lin Xuan waved his hand dismissively.

"We’re family. There’s no need for such formalities."

The old woman laughed.

"Perhaps."

"Still, it’s good to know the clan has a Patriarch who remembers that."

The two exchanged a few final words before parting ways.

As Lin Xuan stepped out of the treasury, his expression gradually became thoughtful.

The Supreme Elder had been undermining him behind the scenes for some time now.

Originally, he had planned to deal with the matter later.

Now, however, it seemed the old man was becoming far too comfortable.

Perhaps it was time to remind everyone exactly who the Patriarch of the Lin Family was.

As Lin Xuan made his way toward the clan hall, the familiar system interface suddenly appeared before him.

[ New Side Quest Unlocked ]

[ Teach the Supreme Elder and his supporters who’s truly in charge. ]

[ Reward: Body Tempering Pills ×1000 ]

Lin Xuan paused for a moment and then he laughed.

"Oh?"

The system was becoming more and more likable by the day.

"I can get rewarded for doing something I was already planning to do?"

A grin appeared on his face.

"How considerate."

With renewed enthusiasm, he continued toward the clan hall.

The imposing structure stood at the center of the estate and served as the heart of the Lin Family’s administration. Important decisions concerning the clan were discussed and finalized there.

As he approached, he noticed several elders entering the building.

A meeting?

Lin Xuan frowned slightly.

As the Patriarch, nobody had informed him.

Interesting~

The smile on his face widened.

He pushed open the doors and stepped inside.

The hall instantly fell silent and dozens of gazes turned toward him.

Lin Xuan calmly swept his eyes across the room and then his gaze moved toward the front of the hall and stopped.

Seated atop the raised platform was none other than Supreme Elder Lin Zhenghai.

More specifically, the old man was sitting in the Patriarch’s seat.

Lin Zhenghai’s expression stiffened slightly.

Clearly, he had not expected Lin Xuan to arrive at this exact moment.

Unfortunately for him, reality rarely cared about expectations.

Lin Xuan slowly looked at the chair and then he smiled.

"Supreme Elder."

His voice was calm, almost pleasant.

"Have I been demoted without being informed?"

Several elders immediately lowered their heads.

A few younger elders nearly choked trying to suppress their reactions.

Lin Zhenghai’s face darkened.

"I was merely presiding over a temporary meeting."

"I see."

Lin Xuan nodded thoughtfully.

Then he looked at the elders seated below.

"Was everyone else also under the impression that I no longer held the position of Patriarch?"

No one answered.

The silence itself was answer enough.

Lin Xuan chuckled.

Yet the sound echoed through the hall.

For some reason, it made several elders feel even more uneasy.

Meanwhile, Lin Zhenghai was beginning to feel increasingly uncomfortable.

Something about Lin Xuan’s behavior felt different.

There was no anger or outrage.

The younger man was smiling far too calmly.

And somehow, that calmness was more terrifying than any furious outburst.

Lin Xuan began taking small steps forward.

Each step echoed softly throughout the hall.

Eventually, he stopped directly in front of the raised platform.

His gaze settled on the Patriarch’s seat.

The seat that represented the highest authority within the Lin Family before his gaze rested on Lin Zhenghai.

The smile on his face remained unchanged.

"Supreme Elder."

His voice was still perfectly polite.

"Would you like to climb down yourself? Or should I help you?"