Chapter 236: Promotion [1]

Lin Xuan finally stepped forward, drawing the attention of everyone present.

“General Xiang, I have a question.”

Xiang Haoti turned toward him. “What is it, Patriarch Lin?”

“What are the royal family’s requirements regarding the number of cities a cultivation family is permitted to control?”

For a brief moment, Xiang Haoti said nothing. Then his eyes narrowed slightly as he understood what the young patriarch was getting at.

“A Rank Seven family may take control of one city, while a Rank Six family is permitted to control two,” he answered. “These are the kingdom’s established rules.”

Lin Xuan nodded before continuing, “And what are the requirements for a family to be promoted to Rank Six?”

“A family must have at least one Nascent Soul cultivator,” Xiang Haoti replied without hesitation.

Lin Xuan tilted his head slightly. “Then what about Rank Five?”

“One Nascent Soul cultivator and at least thirty Golden Core cultivators.”

“Is that so?”

Lin Xuan nodded and then turned his gaze toward Peng Tianqe, who had been watching the exchange with a faint crease between his brows.

“So, Supreme Elder Peng,” Lin Xuan began calmly, “according to the kingdom’s rules, what rank is the Lin Family currently?”

Peng Tianqe’s expression darkened when he realized Lin Xuan was trying to steer the conversation elsewhere.

“Patriarch Lin, do you think changing the subject will help you escape your crimes?” he demanded. “We are discussing the deaths of two patriarchs, not the rules governing city occupancy!”

Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow, showing no sign of being offended.

“Crimes? Supreme Elder Peng, you have accused me of murdering your patriarch, and now you are accusing me of killing the Hao Family’s patriarch as well. Yet, apart from the timing of Peng Tianyuan’s death, you have presented no evidence whatsoever.”

He glanced at Hao Zhenshan’s lifeless body before returning his gaze to Peng Tianqe.

“As for Hao Zhenshan, he died while standing beside you. It has nothing to do with me.”

“You!” Peng Tianqe’s face twisted with anger. “Do you dare deny that you had a motive? With the patriarchs of both families gone, your Lin Family stands to benefit greatly!”

“Then let us return to my question.” Lin Xuan’s tone remained unhurried. “What rank is the Lin Family?”

Peng Tianqe clenched his fists but refused to answer.

Lin Xuan smiled faintly and turned toward Xiang Haoti.

“General Xiang, since Supreme Elder Peng seems reluctant to answer, allow me to explain. The Lin Family is a Rank Eight family. Under the kingdom’s rules, we are not permitted to claim control over a city simply because its ruling family has suffered a loss.”

He paused, allowing the surrounding cultivators to consider his words.

“Even if the Peng and Hao families were to disappear tomorrow, would it grant us the right to take control of Southwatch City?”

His gaze returned to Peng Tianqe.

“Supreme Elder Peng, you claim that I murdered two patriarchs to seize a city. Yet, according to the very rules you are asking General Xiang to uphold, the Lin Family cannot legally claim Southwatch City in its current position.”

Lin Xuan spread his hands.

“So I would like to ask you something in return. If my goal is to seize Southwatch City, why would I go to such trouble to murder its ruling families when doing so would not grant me the authority to take control of it?”

The surrounding crowd grew quieter.

Several cultivators exchanged glances as they reconsidered Peng Tianqe’s accusation. The deaths remained suspicious, but the motive he had presented no longer seemed quite as convincing.

Peng Tianqe’s expression turned increasingly ugly. He had intended to use the deaths to corner Lin Xuan, yet the young patriarch had seized upon a detail that threatened to undermine his entire argument.

“But you’re a Nascent Soul cultivator!” Peng Tianqe snapped. “Do you think calling your family a Rank Eight family will make it one? With your strength, the Lin Family could easily qualify for a higher rank!”

Lin Xuan nodded as though he agreed completely.

“Indeed. My cultivation does exceed the requirements for my family’s current rank. But that only means the Lin Family can apply for promotion. It does not prove that I murdered anyone.”

He then turned toward Xiang Haoti, his expression becoming serious.

“General Xiang, I have no objection to an investigation into Peng Tianyuan’s death or Hao Zhenshan’s sudden demise. If there is evidence linking me to either incident, I will answer for my actions.”

Lin Xuan’s gaze swept across the assembled cultivators before settling on Peng Tianqe once more.

“But until such evidence is produced, I refuse to accept being condemned simply because someone believes my family might benefit from these tragedies.”

His voice never rose, yet every word carried clearly through the suddenly quiet gathering.

“Supreme Elder Peng, you have repeatedly accused me of murder. Now, can you provide any actual evidence, or are you planning to rely on the deaths of two men to convince everyone that your suspicions must be the truth?”

Xiang Haoti frowned as he listened to the exchange. His gaze moved between Lin Xuan and Peng Tianqe before he reached into his sleeve and retrieved a transmission talisman.

The talisman trembled in his palm, and a faint golden light spread across its surface. A moment later, a solemn voice entered his ears.

Xiang Haoti’s expression changed slightly as he listened to the message. When the light finally faded, he put the talisman away and looked toward Lin Xuan.

“Patriarch Lin, His Majesty has just issued a decree for your family’s promotion quest.”

The surrounding cultivators immediately quieted down.

Xiang Haoti straightened his back, his voice becoming formal as he delivered the royal decree.

“By the authority of His Majesty, the Lin Family is hereby granted a promotion quest. Eliminate the Peng Family and the Hao Family. Upon its completion, the royal family shall recognize the Lin Family as a rank 6 clan and the overlord of both Azure Willow City and Southwatch City.”

The moment those words fell, the entire gathering went silent.

Even Peng Tianqe stood frozen, his mouth slightly open as he struggled to process what he had just heard.

Xiang Haoti glanced at Lin Xuan and gave him a faint nod.

“That is what His Majesty has just relayed to me. Good luck, Patriarch Lin.”

With those words, he turned around and left without sparing the Peng and Hao families another glance.

For several breaths, nobody dared to move lest they caught the attention of the royal family.

The royal family had just ordered the elimination of two Rank Nine families!

Before anyone could gather their thoughts, a terrifying aura erupted from Lin Xuan’s body.

The sky seemed to darken beneath its pressure.

A vast wave of spiritual power swept across the gathering, descending upon the Peng and Hao families like an invisible mountain.

Their cultivators barely had time to react before their knees struck the ground. Even those who had been standing at the back collapsed under the overwhelming pressure, their faces turning pale as they struggled to breathe.

Lin Xuan stepped forward slowly, a faint smile appearing on his face.

“Well, Supreme Elder Peng, it seems your little schemes have become rather useless.”

Peng Tianqe stared at him in disbelief.

“Why?”

The question escaped his mouth before he could stop himself.

Why had things turned out this way?

He had carefully constructed his accusations. He had used Peng Tianyuan’s death to put Lin Xuan on the defensive, then seized upon Hao Zhenshan’s death to strengthen his case.

With two patriarchs dead and their families demanding justice, he had expected the royal envoy to investigate Lin Xuan and restrict the Lin Family’s influence.

Instead, the royal family had practically handed Lin Xuan the justification to destroy both families.

How had this happened?

Behind him, the cultivators of the Peng and Hao families lay scattered across the ground, unable to withstand Lin Xuan’s aura. Their earlier indignation had vanished, replaced by fear and disbelief.

Lin Xuan calmly surveyed the scene.

He understood the royal family’s decision perfectly well.

On one side stood a family with a Nascent Soul cultivator. On the other were two families whose strongest cultivators was only at the Golden Core realm.

If the royal family had to choose which side to support, the answer was obvious.

There was another benefit, too.

By granting Lin Xuan this promotion quest, the royal family could officially authorize his expansion while making him owe them a favor. After all, they had provided him with a legitimate path to claim two cities rather than forcing him to fight for recognition afterward.

It was a clever arrangement.

Lin Xuan could hardly complain about receiving such a generous opportunity.

Of course, none of this meant the royal family was acting out of pure goodwill, they had their own calculations.

His gaze eventually returned to Peng Tianqe.

The Supreme Elder had tried to use the royal family to suppress the Lin Family, only to have the royal family hand Lin Xuan a decree authorizing the destruction of his own clan.

Lin Xuan almost admired the sheer absurdity of it.

To think that he would sacrifice their family’s strongest supporter, provoke a confrontation with a Nascent Soul cultivator, and then attempt to use the royal family as a weapon against him.