Chapter 53. The Benevolent Patriach.
Chapter 53: 53. The Benevolent Patriach.
The flying sword descended from the sky with astonishing speed.
A streak of light flashed across the horizon before gently coming to a stop a short distance ahead of the caravan.
Lin Xuan stepped off the sword and quietly looked at the approaching convoy.
Only now did he notice the exhausted expressions on everyone’s faces.
Their robes were dusty, several of them carried visible bruises, and every wagon behind them was completely empty.
Not a single crate remained.
The caravan gradually came to a halt.
For a brief moment, complete silence fell over the road.
Every member of the Lin caravan stared blankly at the figure standing before them.
No one had expected to meet the Patriarch here.
Especially not under such circumstances.
The younger merchants instinctively lowered their heads, while the older clansmen exchanged uneasy glances.
They had left Blue River City with a fully loaded caravan.
Now they were returning with nothing.
How were they supposed to explain such a humiliating sight?
An invisible pressure settled over the group.
After a long moment, Lin Shuhao took a deep breath.
He knew someone had to step forward.
As the leader of the caravan, that responsibility naturally fell upon him.
Suppressing the bitterness in his heart, he walked to the front of the convoy and respectfully cupped his fists.
"This subordinate greets the Patriarch."
The others quickly came to their senses.
One after another, they bowed in unison.
"We greet the Patriarch."
Their voices were loud, yet none of them dared raise their heads.
The atmosphere was so heavy that even the horses seemed to sense something was wrong, quietly pawing at the ground without making a sound.
Lin Xuan’s gaze slowly swept across the empty wagons before settling on Lin Shuhao.
He remained silent for a brief moment before asking the question that surprised everyone present.
"Is everyone alright?"
Lin Shuhao blinked in surprise.
The other merchants also looked up instinctively.
None of them had expected the Patriarch’s first concern to be them rather than the missing cargo.
After a moment of hesitation, Lin Shuhao respectfully answered.
"Patriarch, everyone is safe. No one was seriously injured."
Lin Xuan gently nodded.
"Good."
Another faint nod followed.
"Good."
He looked over every familiar face standing before him.
"As long as everyone returned safely, nothing else is beyond remedy."
He smiled faintly.
"Misfortune is something no one can completely avoid. We do not control the will of the heavens."
Those simple words immediately eased the heavy atmosphere surrounding the caravan.
Lin Xuan spoke them because he knew exactly what kind of person Lin Shuhao was.
Although the other man probably believed the Patriarch knew little about him, Lin Xuan still remembered the boy from years ago.
Back then, when the Lin family was weak and often bullied by the Zhao family, Lin Shuhao had always been among the older children standing at the front, protecting the younger ones from being pushed around.
Unfortunately, talent was often more noticeable than character.
Lin Shuhao had awakened only a Second-Grade Mortal Rank Tool Martial Spirit.
His cultivation had never been outstanding, and as the years passed, he was gradually overlooked by the clan’s elders.
In the end, he had quietly become the leader of a single merchant caravan.
Even so, Lin Xuan remembered him as someone who never avoided responsibility.
A person like Lin Shuhao would never abandon an entire shipment without a compelling reason.
Something must have happened.
Lin Shuhao lowered his head even further.
"Patriarch, this subordinate failed to protect the cargo. The responsibility rests entirely with—"
Lin Xuan gently raised a hand, stopping him before he could continue.
"We can discuss responsibility after we return."
Lin Shuhao swallowed the rest of his words before respectfully bowing.
"This subordinate understands."
After a brief silence, he cautiously raised his head again.
"If this subordinate may ask, what brings the Patriarch all the way to Blue River City?"
Lin Xuan answered without the slightest hesitation.
"I simply came out for some fresh air."
The merchants exchanged subtle glances as not a single one of them believed that explanation.
Their Patriarch had remained in closed-door cultivation for months.
Now, of all places, he had come to Blue River City under the excuse of getting some fresh air.
That was simply too much of a coincidence.
Although none of them knew why he had truly come, they all reached the same conclusion.
The Patriarch must have learned about the Li family’s constant harassment over the past six months and unable to ignore the matter, he had personally come to see the situation for himself.
No one exposed the obvious excuse.
Instead, every member of the caravan quietly felt a warmth spread through their hearts.
Lin Xuan noticed the subtle changes in everyone’s expressions.
The tension weighing upon their faces had eased considerably, while several of the younger merchants looked at him with unconcealed gratitude.
He found their reaction rather puzzling.
What’s going on?
Was the pressure they have been under really that great?
His thoughts lingered for a moment before he silently reached a conclusion.
Perhaps I should arrange for everyone involved in the caravans to take a short break after this.
Depending on the situation, increasing their rewards may also be necessary.
The merchants were responsible for keeping the clan’s businesses running.
If they had been forced to endure such pressure for an extended period, then it was only reasonable for the clan to compensate them accordingly.
Just then, Lin Shuhao respectfully stepped forward once again.
"Patriarch, if this subordinate may ask again, do you intend to return to Azure Willow City with us?"
Lin Xuan fell silent for a brief moment.
His thoughts drifted back to what Lin Zhaoyue had told him when he saw Lin Zhenghai at the outside of Blue Sea Restaurant.
She had warned him that the caravan would be ambushed on its journey home.
The caravan was already empty and judging from the bruises on everyone’s bodies and the empty wagons behind them, it was obvious that they had been robbed and got into a pretty big fight.
Did the future change?
That possibility briefly crossed his mind.
Even so, there was no harm in escorting the caravan back. What if they also got ambushed along with being robbed?
He smiled faintly before answering.
"Yes. I had originally planned to return after getting some fresh air."
He glanced toward the road leading back to Azure Willow City.
"Now that I’ve had enough fresh air, a leisurely walk back sounds quite refreshing."
Several merchants lowered their heads, struggling to hide the smiles forming on their faces.