Decaying World-Chapter 49

With improvements in his movement techniques, Lin Hui began returning home to rest almost every day. Since the journey from the Clear Wind Sword Sect took less than half an hour, he treated the commute as agility training.
After finishing his sword practice, the evening was approaching.
He returned quickly to the suburbs of Xinyu Town as usual. However, upon arriving at his doorstep, he found the courtyard gates thrown wide open. The interior was completely empty, save for a few burly men sitting on the ground, wiping sweat with towels, seemingly having just finished moving heavy loads.
Seeing him enter, the men hurriedly stood up and bowed.
"Oh! Young Master Hui is back? The Master and Madam have already gone ahead to the new house. This courtyard and the rooms have been sold to someone else. They instructed this humble one to guide you there."
The bald man among them spoke with a beaming smile.
"Moved again?" Lin Hui was stunned. They hadn't lived here for very long, had they? Not even two years?
It seemed his father had truly prospered.
"Lead the way, then. Sorry for the trouble." His thoughts churned, but his face remained calm.
"Right away! I am Lei Song, the captain of the hired hands the Master just employed. If Young Master Hui has any orders in the future, just say the word. Chores, repairs, running errands—we can do it all!" The bald man wore a fawning grin.
"Alright. Lead the way first," Lin Hui nodded.
He took a final look at the courtyard he hadn't lived in for long, feeling an inexplicable reluctance to part. Looking up at the sky, he saw there was roughly one
shichen
[two hours] left before dark. He finally turned around and followed the bald man, Lei Song, quickly leaving the courtyard.
He didn't need to pack; ninety percent of his belongings were in his private quarters at the Sword Sect. This place was really just a spare home for occasional stays, and his parents had likely moved everything already.
Lei Song and the two other men quickly locked the gate and led Lin Hui toward the center of town.
Before long, having crossed the suburbs, the four of them arrived in front of a white-walled compound that was at least five times larger than their previous home.
This could no longer be called a courtyard; it deserved to be called a manor.
Lin Hui stood before the main entrance, looking up at the three-meter-high vermilion gates. Above them hung a plaque with a black background and red characters, displaying two large words: Lin Manor.
"Dad has really struck it rich..." He felt he might have severely underestimated his father's speed of development.
"Young Master Hui, please enter. This way." Lei Song led the way through a side door, waving him over.
Lin Hui followed him inside. The interior was a vast courtyard, more than double the size of the Lin clan's main branch compound. It was laid out squarely, featuring rockeries, pavilions, small bridges, and flowing water—exquisite and detailed. Piles of leftover construction materials were still stacked in some corners.
A dozen workers bustled back and forth, moving furniture into the rooms.
His father, hands clasped behind his back, was busy directing them. When he saw Lin Hui enter, a smile immediately broke out on his face—a smile containing a trace of unconcealable pride.
Walking over, Lin Shunhe patted his son on the shoulder.
"Not bad. Taller again, and sturdier too!"
"Dad, did you strike it rich again?" Lin Hui surveyed the entire courtyard. Looking inward from his position, past the eaves, he saw a sprawling complex of wooden buildings stretching endlessly. The one directly in front was a full three stories high; at a glance, there were at least thirty rooms.
Even he couldn't help but feel a jolt in his heart after roughly estimating the price of this property.
"What do you mean 'again'? Your father has never lacked money." Lin Shunhe raised an eyebrow, waving Lei Song and the others away to continue their work.
"Actually, I just happened to find a channel and made a huge profit. You know how it is—the Black Mist is dangerous, but it's also a business opportunity. Plus, your father has a keen eye; I snagged a massive bargain. Not only did I make money, but I also connected with a new network. Heh heh..." Speaking of this, Lin Shunhe couldn't stop his smugness, his smile nearly squeezing out new crow's feet around his eyes.
"I won't ask what specific bargain you snagged, but you must be careful about safety," Lin Hui frowned.
"Rest assured, when is your father ever careless? Do I need you to tell me that? By the way," Lin Shunhe paused, seemingly remembering something. "The Steel Fist Brothers I hired recently invited their master over this morning. I've successfully hired him as our resident martial arts master. The contract is signed, and he'll move in soon. Be polite when you meet him. This master is nicknamed the 'Hundred-Step God Fist.' He is seventy-six years old this year, possesses extremely powerful Hard-Body Discipline, and is also an Internal Force expert who came over from Xingdao."
"..." Lin Hui was speechless. He hadn't even trained to the Internal Force Realm yet, and his father had already hired an Internal Force master one step ahead...
Was this reasonable?
He had felt quite pleased with himself for hunting hundreds of thousands worth of materials in a day, contemplating whether to move his family into the Inner City. But the result...
"Seventy-six... that's older than my Master. Can he still fight?" Thinking of this, he voiced a quiet doubt.
"That's where you're wrong. When I met him, I thought this Hundred-Step God Fist was only forty. He looks far too young for his age," Lin Shunhe sighed, seemingly deeply impressed.
"Fine then... understood," Lin Hui sighed.
"When you have time, don't always stare at your sword practice. You need to spend time with me to familiarize yourself with the business channels and connections. I really can't handle it all, and you're our only son... As for experts, if you have money, you can hire them easily. Just treat your sword practice as body-strengthening exercise..." His father began his nagging again.
Ever since his business improved, his attitude toward the Clear Wind Sword had taken another one-eighty-degree turn.
"Alright, I know. Let's not talk about this. Where is Mom?" Lin Hui walked toward the entrance of the main hall.
"She went to rest. She's been busy all day since arriving this morning—placing items, managing, tidying, inspecting; everything needs someone to watch over it. Otherwise, if we're not careful, we could be cheated, fooled, or even have things stolen," Lin Shunhe replied.
"Also, you like cultivating Body Tempering. I heard from Steel Fist and the others that Body Tempering can be accelerated with some nourishing drugs. Would that be useful to you?"
"Useful, but I don't need them anymore," Lin Hui nodded.
"Is that so?" Lin Shunhe pondered for a moment. "What about drugs that increase energy and strengthen Qi and blood?"
"Increase energy?" Lin Hui froze. Such medicinal herbs were hard currency, extremely rare. Anything useful for his level was snatched up almost as soon as it appeared on the market.
"What is the vintage?" he asked in a deep voice. If his father could truly obtain them, increasing his energy would absolutely reduce the evolution time of his Blood Seal.
"Basically, they are formulas matched with herbs over ten years old. I acquired a prescription for 'All-Essence Powder.' The cost for one dose is forty thousand. Try using it first; if it works, you can use it consistently," Lin Shunhe answered solemnly.
"Dad, you're amazing!" Lin Hui was truly shocked. He had asked Master Mingde before and knew that such herbs were almost entirely monopolized by the Three Sects and Six Gangs of the Inner City. The Outer City only had herbs with no significant age, and their medicinal effects were basically useless.
Yet now, his father actually had a way to get his hands on them.
"As long as you know. Otherwise, how could I be your father!?" Lin Shunhe laughed, pinching his freshly trimmed goatee, his eyes revealing a triumphant look.
The two entered the main hall. The center wall hadn't been hung with calligraphy or paintings yet, remaining blank. There were two small doors on either side leading to the central courtyard.
"Go left here, enter, then turn left again. That's the bedroom, martial arts field, and a small lounge for reading and receiving guests reserved for you. There's also a loft you can arrange yourself, for storage or other uses," his father introduced. "Enter the right door, and there are two buildings. Those are the residences for the martial masters, guards, and hired servants. You can slowly familiarize yourself later."
"Do we really need a place this big?" Lin Hui was speechless.
"We need it. Why wouldn't we?" His father smiled, not continuing the topic.
"Wait, Dad, you haven't... let this success go to your head, have you?" Lin Hui narrowed his eyes, sensing something was wrong.
“Sigh, you found out... But it was only a matter of time. Your mother has agreed too.” Lin Shunhe stopped in his tracks, his expression complicated yet gentle.
“Who is it?” Lin Hui asked quietly.
“It happened during a business trip some time ago. I got into trouble, and by chance, she saved me. She’s a generous person from an outstanding family, and for some reason, she took a liking to me... At the time, I lost control, and she became pregnant.” His father looked helpless.
"..." Lin Hui immediately understood.
No wonder his father had prospered so suddenly. He had thought that even with his ideas, this speed of development was too fast. It turned out...
At last, the truth had come to light.
"Then what about my mother?" he asked quickly.
"Naturally, it stays the same. Your mother is the Primary Wife; she is willing to be the Second Wife. Their status is equal," his father said seriously.
"Dad, you really are..." Lin Hui didn't know what to say.
Although in this world, it was common for capable men to have multiple partners, when it happened to his own father, it felt a bit strange.
"Sigh... Later, she and her son and daughter will move in too. They are about your age. Be polite when you meet them," Lin Shunhe sighed.
"I'll try. It depends on their attitude," Lin Hui said wordlessly.
His father patted his shoulder and said no more.
Leading his son on a tour of the entire mansion, the family of three dined in a two-hundred-square-meter dining hall in the central courtyard.
Because of the mist, all courtyards and halls were connected by fully enclosed corridors with windows. This place was no exception.
New dishes were constantly sent up from the kitchen. Just for the three of them, fifteen dishes were served...
This level of luxury was far beyond what they had before.
However, despite the variety of dishes, many of which required complex preparation, Lin Hui still felt the meal was awkward.
On the contrary, the person involved, his mother Yao Shan, looked exactly the same as before. She seemed to hold no grudge against the incoming Second Wife.
Not only that, she even comforted Lin Hui in return, saying that the Second Wife, a woman named Liu Shenglan, was gentle, magnanimous, and extremely well-bred. Her two children were also knowledgeable and polite. Plus, since the children were born in the Inner City and rarely came to stay, he didn't need to worry about being unaccustomed to long-term cohabitation, so he should relax.
Mentioning long-term life in the Inner City made Lin Hui even more worried.
The gap in background was too large. If they didn't get along well, he feared his old mother might end up serving her like an ancestor.
But since his mother had accepted it, he had nothing to say and could only accept it as well.
After the meal, servants came forward to clear the table. Lin Hui went to rest in his new room for the first time.
After washing up, lying on the bed, he gazed at the hazy moonlight outside the window. The light cast chaotic, constantly flashing, grotesque shadows on the window paper.
That was the night mist confusing the environment again.
The jade talisman hanging before the window swayed, releasing a power Lin Hui couldn't perceive, isolating the mist outside.
This is good too. At least Dad might have a few more children, so I won't be the only one living in constant fear.
Lin Hui knew his parents' current mindset very well.
Although he was considered successful compared to his peers—inferior to Called Ones, but first-tier below them—in the mouths of the neighbors, he was the "perfect son." He didn't worry about food or drink and could help the family, but practicing martial arts was ultimately too dangerous.
Whenever one had to personally take the field, accidents would always happen.
If there was danger, wasn't it better to spend money to hire someone to handle it? Why, when there was a safer way, did he insist on going up to fight people himself?
As long as he continued to practice and mingled in the martial arts circle, there would be many times when he would have no choice but to fight.