Surrounded by mountains, shrouded in mist, the sound of birds chirping echoed through the woods. Tall trees shaded the area, and a mountain spring flowed gently down from the peak, eventually trickling into a cold pool at the foot of the mountain.
Beside this cold pond stood an exceptionally humble village.
The beauty of the scenery around this place was in stark contrast to the village, which was crude and dilapidated. The only thing that could be compared to the beauty of the surroundings was the plaque hanging at the entrance of the village, where two strong characters were carved—Bai Fu (Bai Family).
Years ago, when the Haotian Sect faced the pressure from the Spirit Hall, it chose to avoid conflict and moved its entire sect to the mountain peak that Qiandao Liu had sworn allegiance to. Since then, it had remained in seclusion.
The four families allied with the Haotian Sect also scattered to escape the pursuit of the Spirit Hall.
The four families—aside from the Li Clan, which moved to Tiandou City—had all relocated to the Star Luo Empire, the region least influenced by the Spirit Hall.
The Li Clan excelled at forging, the Yu Clan at architecture, and the Po Clan at potion crafting. These three families quickly established themselves in their new locations, with their disciples living not in luxury, but comfortably above the average standard.
However, the Sensory Clan's situation was different.
The leader of the Sensory Clan, Bai He, shared a strong friendship with Yang Wudi, the leader of the Po Clan. Both men had similar personalities—Yang Wudi was arrogant and stubborn, while Bai He was aloof and proud.
But there was a difference between them.
Yang Wudi's arrogance was grounded in his real power. With the strength of a Soul Douluo, he could easily challenge even a Title Douluo. His alchemy and poison crafting skills were the best on the continent.
As for Bai He, his pride was genuine, and his self-righteousness came from a simple personality.
But such a person wasn't suited to lead a clan.
The disciples of the Sensory Clan lived in poverty, and while Bai He could not solve their problems, his pride prevented the clan's members from receiving support from the Spirit Hall's Soul Master Subsidy.
More than half of the clan's income came from the occasional help of Yang Wudi. Even with this assistance, they could only maintain a fragile balance, barely scraping by.
In front of the village gate, under an old tree, an elderly man was soaking up the sun while keeping watch.
As he was enjoying the warmth, two figures entered his line of sight.
Without a word, one of the men revealed eight Soul Rings, and a clear voice reached the old man's ears.
"My lord, the Duke has business with Clan Leader Bai. Please pass on the message."
Although the speaker appeared kind, the old man's attention was fixed on the eight Soul Rings beneath the person. Without responding, the old man immediately summoned his martial spirit and rushed into the village.
"One white, two yellow, rank 37, yet with the speed that rivals a typical Sensory attack-type Soul King. Is this a pure Sensory Soul Master?"
Lin Yong mused as he observed the old man.
"Indeed, the Sensory Clan's pride in their speed is not unfounded."
It didn't take long before the old man returned and greeted them with a formal aristocratic bow, saying:
"Two esteemed guests, the Clan Leader invites you."
As they entered the village, Lin Yong carefully surveyed his surroundings.
Most of the people here were elderly, sick, or women and children. Adult men were a rare sight.
Recalling the fields they had passed earlier, Lin Yong assumed that the men working there were the majority of the clan's labor force.
Despite having expected this, Lin Yong couldn't help but feel a sense of regret. He thought to himself, "I never imagined that even the proud Sensory Clan would have to resort to farming to make ends meet."
"But since Bai He chose to build the village in such a remote location, he must be trying to preserve his face, unwilling to let others see the Sensory Clan's current state of decline."
"Unfortunately, it took me quite some time and effort to track this place down."
The village was small, and after only a brief walk, the old man led Lin Yong and the butler to the largest building in the village.
In front of the building stood an old man with a lean and tall frame, his hair as white as a crane's, but his face youthful.
This man was Bai He, the Clan Leader of the Sensory Clan.
Bai He observed the uninvited guests with a sharp gaze. His eyes briefly swept over Lin Yong before stopping at the butler, Yuan.
Something about Yuan felt vaguely familiar to him, but he couldn't immediately recall where he had seen him.
However, the feeling was most likely linked to someone from Tiandou.
A duke, accompanied by a Soul Douluo. This resembled the Lin family of Tiandou.
Yes, he had seen this man from afar at a noble banquet years ago.
He had heard that the Lin family Duke died in a beast tide, leaving behind a young heir. Could this be the child standing before him?
Realizing their identities, Bai He asked, perplexed:
"I don't recall any interactions between our families. May I ask what business the young Duke has here?"
Surprised that Bai He had figured it out so quickly, Lin Yong suppressed his shock. He feigned looking around the room as he casually replied:
"Clan Leader Bai, are you planning to receive guests here?"
Something was amiss!
Bai He's heart skipped a beat. He wasn't sure why, but something about Lin Yong's presence made him uneasy. Nonetheless, seeing the Soul Douluo beside him, he gestured for them to enter.
"I almost forgot. This isn't the place for a conversation. Please, come inside."
Once inside, the Sensory Clan followed proper etiquette and served tea.
Lin Yong took a glance at the cup. Tea leaves were abundant, but it was unclear whether it was tea or just tree leaves.
Considering it was almost time for lunch, Lin Yong didn't want to waste time. He immediately got to the point:
"Clan Leader Bai, we've come uninvited for that item in your possession—the Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng!"
At the mention of the ginseng, Bai He felt a knot in his stomach. He was about to deny it when Lin Yong's voice interrupted.
"There's no need to deny it, Clan Leader. You know well whether or not you have it."
"It's a translucent, blood-red ginseng with a five-clawed dragon pattern on its surface."
"The ginseng is about five thousand years old and is kept in a box made of fine sheep fat jade."
"I assume there's no need to go into further details."
"For example, that Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng is currently stored in…"
"Enough!" Bai He slammed the armrest of his chair and stood up, questioning, "How do you know all this? Answer me truthfully!"
"Does it matter?" Lin Yong appeared calm, though he was ready to trigger his Green Leaf Mark at a moment's notice. If Bai He lost his temper and attacked, he could immediately teleport to a safe location.
"Clan Leader Bai, I'm offering this out of goodwill." Lin Yong took out a golden card and flicked it with his Soul Power, sending it to the center of the room for everyone to see.
"This is a universal money card. Inside it is one million Gold Soul Coins, which I'm offering as payment for the Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng."
"If you agree to this trade, the one million Gold Soul Coins are yours to keep."
"After all, while the ginseng is valuable, keeping it won't improve the lives of your clan members."
"If you try to sell it, I suspect Yang Clan Leader won't be able to afford such a price, and anyone who can afford it may not even recognize its true value."
"I suggest you think carefully before rejecting this offer. Do you want to help your clan live comfortably, or do you want them to continue struggling in poverty?"
"It's all up to you."