Lin Qinghen kept emphasizing not to focus only on short-term profits—making a bit of money here and there was meaningless in the bigger picture. For the Yin family, the Alchemist Association, and even his own Die Meng Medicine Hall, the problem was never about lacking money.

In the Spirit World, as a power’s influence grows and attracts more followers, wealth naturally follows. Especially for the Yin family, ruling over Lei City, they needed to think even further ahead. Lei City was a place that was easy to defend and hard to attack. As long as they didn’t have internal issues, none of the surrounding forces, including the watchful Lang Clan mercenary group, had the ability to take Lei City by force.

With no fear of external threats, and now an opportunity like this at hand, who wouldn’t want to “get in on the benefits” of Lei City if word got out? Small families were interconnected like chains. Some might even uproot and move entirely if Lei City was the only place to find top-quality materials in bulk, drawing alchemists over. Where alchemists gather, markets thrive, and where bustling elixir markets exist, skilled Spirit Masters are bound to follow.

Driven by interest, everyone would be pulled in as if on an invisible string.

How long had it been since Lei City had seen new blood? And how long since the Alchemist Association had brought in a new alchemist? Lei City had been stagnant, like a pool of still water, for the past decade. Finally, a chance had arrived. If they couldn’t see this, Lin Qinghen felt he might have to shake some sense into them.

If he weren’t broke right now, needing to think about Die Meng’s future, even a six-layered split would seem high. Once he got things going, he’d likely lower it further. A truly prosperous city couldn’t flourish with just one successful business like Die Meng. With this opportunity, they could take advantage of the favorable winds ahead.

The system that Lin Qinghen had was already an advantage, and, more importantly, the core of all of this lay in his hands. The larger the scale, the better.

“I see that Patriarch Yin and President Mu have come around to this,” Lin Qinghen said, “Does anyone else have objections?”

And then he saw the two of them shake their heads in unison.

With the leading figures on board, even if a few slow-minded ones didn’t quite get it, they’d come to understand eventually.

Perfect. Lin Qinghen was quite pleased.

After reaching a basic consensus, Lin Qinghen spent the rest of the day discussing some finer details: the fixed amounts of each spirit plant to be submitted, the responsibilities each party would bear. The Yin family couldn’t just take money for nothing—order within the city needed to be maintained. Even with a formal alliance, loopholes could still be exploited.

The efficiency of the Alchemist Association also had to keep up, and contingency plans and error tolerance measures needed discussing. Overall, the talks went smoothly.

In the entire conversation, the one person who hadn’t spoken a word was Yin Jiuxiao. Lin Qinghen had brought him along, and he might as well have been invisible, as if no one cared about him at all.

But Lin Qinghen cared.

Even in the midst of everything, he would frequently turn to Yin Jiuxiao to check if he understood, and if he had any thoughts to add.

The Yin family found this a bit odd; wasn’t the current matter more pressing? Yin Hengxie couldn’t help but speak up, “Qinghen, let’s focus on this first. Jiuxiao can understand it all after you explain it to him later.”

Lin Qinghen shot him a glare.

“Jiuxiao is only blind, not stupid. He can understand. And he should be listening to all this; I’ve already said it, he’s the Young Master of the Yin family, and I’ll make sure he holds that position firmly.” Lin Qinghen declared. 

“Whatever the Yin family decides to do, he should be fully aware of it, not just aware but actively involved. He’s not here to watch; he’s here to lead. If you really care about him, let him stand at the front. Let’s see who dares to defy his command.”

Yin Hengxie fell silent, coughing awkwardly, then glanced at Yin Jiuxiao, “Well, Jiuxiao, any thoughts?”

Yin Jiuxiao shook his head, holding Lin Qinghen’s hand, looking entirely obedient.

“Whatever decision Qinghen makes, I fully support.”

He didn’t offer any substantial suggestions, but there was something both he and Lin Qinghen kept in mind. Once the discussions with the others wrapped up and they were alone, Lin Qinghen voiced the concern that had been lurking in his mind, almost as if talking to himself.

“The Lang Clan mercenaries are a lurking threat.”

To ensure successful farming, they needed a stable environment. Although the Alchemist Association had cut ties with Lang Clan, they were still a lurking risk. Lin Qinghen understood the history; the land the Lang Clan now occupied had once belonged to the Yin family.

Once, Lei City had been the largest city in the Spirit World, with a vast territory, but what lay within the current city walls was only a fraction of the old Lei City. Furthermore, even the current area of Lei City would eventually be insufficient for their farming needs. Taking back the land from the Lang Clan was a matter of reclaiming lost territory.

The Lang Clan wasn’t particularly powerful, with just a few thousand men under its command and two Heavenly Tier leaders, one at One Star and one at Two Star. The Yin family’s overall power outmatched them, but due to internal instability and the complex environment outside the city, a swift victory hadn’t been possible, allowing the threat to fester.

“Too bad it’s not the right time,” Lin Qinghen mused, stroking his chin. “For now, let’s put it aside. Asking the Yin family to handle it now would likely be beyond them.”

Taking on too much at once wouldn’t work.

Yin Jiuxiao heard him and smiled in a way that seemed almost reassuring, “Qinghen, don’t worry. The Lang Clan won’t be a problem.”

Lin Qinghen didn’t realize that this wasn’t merely reassurance but a promise. He replied, “What do I have to be afraid of?”

Then he sighed, turning to look at Yin Jiuxiao with a slightly complicated expression. Yin Jiuxiao watched as Lin Qinghen reached out to hold his face.

“You, with that overly gentle temper—don’t be afraid of them. Say what you want to say, alright?”

Lin Qinghen would protect him, but that didn’t mean he’d let Yin Jiuxiao remain passive. The Young Master should do what a Young Master does. Lin Qinghen had discussed with Yin Hengxie that Die Meng would provide the Yin family with elixirs long-term, particularly the Spirit Nurturing Pill that assisted with cultivation.

“The Yin family’s troubles aren’t entirely resolved just by taking out Xu Yaoyang. Many people are still harboring hidden agendas, though they’re too frightened to act for now,” Lin Qinghen explained. “Fortunately, with Yin Hengxie and Yin Miao’s cooperation, once the Simulation Training Ground is up and running, and elixirs are being provided, we can control plenty of them bit by bit.”

“But Jiuxiao, this is also an opportunity for you. I can’t meddle too deeply in the Yin family’s internal affairs because I represent Die Meng,” he continued. “But you’re the Young Master; you should take charge. I’ll tell Yin Hengxie that you need to be the one handling Die Meng’s elixir supply. Decide the distribution yourself; learn the ropes. Control this, and no one will dare belittle you.”

Lin Qinghen wanted him to gain the respect he deserved, and the entire Yin family ought to view him as their Young Master.

Though Yin Jiuxiao wasn’t a fighter, if he managed things well internally, he could still earn the people’s respect. Lin Qinghen always believed that Yin Jiuxiao was someone who understood him deeply. If he were to become the family head, his approach would be far sharper than that of Yin Hengxie or Yin Miao.

Lin Qinghen went on at length, with Yin Jiuxiao listening intently, nodding obediently as he murmured, “I understand.”

“Don’t just understand,” Lin Qinghen continued, fussing over him. “Tomorrow, you’re going to handle this yourself. The family’s warehouse manager is a bit slippery, so you…”

Before he could finish, Yin Jiuxiao couldn’t hold back and gave him a quick peck. Lin Qinghen was adorably frowning as he planned everything out, and he couldn’t resist.

“Quit messing around!” Lin Qinghen huffed.

“I wasn’t,” Yin Jiuxiao replied, now serious, gently stroking his hair. “I heard it all. I know exactly what the warehouse manager is like. Qinghen, don’t worry. Tomorrow, focus on your own tasks.”

Lin Qinghen had been incredibly busy lately. Tomorrow, he needed to check the farmlands in Lei City, teach the people how to prepare the soil, and ensure they could pass that knowledge along. Expecting him to keep handling the Yin family’s internal affairs was unfair. Yin Jiuxiao, while sometimes pretending to be weaker, knew exactly what needed to be done.

After all, he wasn’t helpless; it was time he stepped up. He couldn’t let Lin Qinghen shoulder everything.

Both of them considered each other’s needs. While Lin Qinghen worried for him, Yin Jiuxiao wanted to help him in return. Lin Qinghen hoped he would manage the Yin family well; if they cooperated, then the Lang Clan wouldn’t be a threat for much longer.

As Lin Qinghen was about to voice another concern, Yin Jiuxiao cut him off gently.

“Qinghen, I trust you, so you should trust me too. If I mess up, you can step in and fix it later,” Yin Jiuxiao comforted him, then reminded him of an important matter, “Master Yu just left to find Lin Yunsi. Let’s take care of that and then rest early.”

Oh, right—there was still Lin Yunsi.

Lin Qinghen had arranged to meet him in Die Meng’s Medicine Garden. Lin Yunsi had arrived first, only to be dragged off by Yu Yinyin. Though he’d shouted and struggled, it was useless; the moment he was tossed into the garden and saw all the spirit plants, he fell silent.

Beyond Red Round Wheat, Lin Qinghen had an astonishing collection!

His breath hitched as he went from one plant to the next, carefully touching their leaves and murmuring to himself, as if enchanted.

“How did he do it?”

“Wow…”

“If I could use these in alchemy…”

When he finally snapped out of his trance and turned around, he was greeted by the sight of that devilish couple standing behind him.

Startled, Lin Yunsi took a step back but held his ground. Lin Qinghen had been observing him for a while and, seeing his reaction, felt even more certain of his intentions.

With a very gentle smile, he called his name, “Yunsi.”

He knew he had almost won him over.