The dawn of the following morning brought a crisp, golden light that filtered through the windows of the Lin Manor, but the atmosphere inside was anything but peaceful. Lin Xuan sat at the dining table, the Moon-Glow Larva perched on his shoulder like a living jewel. He was feeding it small slivers of high-purity spirit crystals—a luxury the family could barely afford, but an investment he knew would pay off a thousandfold.
As he watched the larva glow with a rhythmic, violet pulse, the heavy oak front doors of the manor were suddenly struck by a series of arrogant, booming knocks.
"Lin Yue! Open up! We know you're in there!" a raspy, condescending voice shouted from outside.
Lin Feng, who had been sharpening her combat knife in the corner, bristled instantly. Her eyes flashed with a dangerous light. "That's Zhao Kun. The manager of the Iron-Claw Corporation's local branch. That snake has been hounding Yue-jie for months to sign over the shop."
Lin Yue emerged from the kitchen, her face pale. She adjusted her silk robe, her hands trembling slightly. "They usually wait until the end of the month. Why are they here now?"
"Because they smelled blood," Lin Xuan said, standing up. He didn't look like the shy, bookish younger brother anymore. He looked like a hunter who had just spotted his prey. "Feng'er, open the door. Let's see what this corporate vulture wants."
Lin Feng smirked, kicked the door latch open, and stepped aside.
Zhao Kun strutted in, flanked by two burly bodyguards. He was a middle-aged man with a greasy mustache and a 3-star Iron-Hide Boar summoned behind him. The beast snorted, its hooves scratching the expensive marble floor of the foyer.
"Lin Yue, I'm done playing games," Zhao Kun barked, tossing a thick folder onto the table. "Your shop's debt has been bought by Iron-Claw. You have twenty-four hours to vacate the premises or sign this merger—which, let's be honest, is a charitable donation at this point."
His eyes then drifted to Lin Xuan, and a sneer curled his lip. "Oh, and I heard the 'genius' of the Lin family graduated yesterday. What did you get, kid? I heard a rumor you signed a contract with a... caterpillar? Hah! Even my boar wouldn't use that for a snack."
Lin Feng's hand moved toward her blade, but Lin Xuan stepped forward, placing a calming hand on her shoulder. He looked Zhao Kun dead in the eye, his gaze cold and clinical.
"Manager Zhao," Lin Xuan began, his voice smooth and terrifyingly calm. "You seem to be under the impression that we are at a disadvantage. But your 'Iron-Hide Boar'... it has an old injury, doesn't it? The left hind leg. A hairline fracture from a battle with a Rock-Crusher Ape six months ago. It never healed properly because your corporation's serums are... substandard."
Zhao Kun's sneer vanished. His eyes widened. "How did you—"
"I don't just see the beast. I see its flaws," Lin Xuan said. He reached up and tapped the Moon-Glow Larva on his shoulder. "Xiao Yue, show him."
The larva's violet spots flared. A wave of shimmering, silver silk shot out from its mouth, weaving through the air with the grace of a dancer. The silk didn't attack; it wrapped around the Boar's left hind leg in a glowing, ethereal cast.
The Boar, which had been grunting in discomfort, suddenly let out a long, contented sigh. The visible swelling on its leg vanished instantly, and the beast nudged Lin Xuan with its snout, its hostility completely replaced by gratitude.
"What did you do to my beast?!" Zhao Kun screamed, though he could see the Boar was moving with a fluidity it hadn't shown in months.
"I healed it," Lin Xuan said. "Consider it a free sample. But as for your contract..."
Lin Xuan picked up the folder and, with a slow, deliberate motion, ripped it in half.
"The Lin family shop isn't for sale. In fact, within a month, we will be the ones buying you out. Now, get your beast and your lackeys out of my house before I have my sister show you why she's the captain of the Valkyries."
Lin Feng stepped forward, her 4-star Wind-Blade Panther manifesting in a swirl of shadows, its claws inches from Zhao Kun's throat.
Zhao Kun stumbled back, his face turning a humiliated shade of purple. "You... you're insane! A healing insect? It's a fluke! You'll regret this, Lin Xuan! Iron-Claw doesn't lose!"
He scrambled out of the manor, his bodyguards tripping over themselves to follow.
As the doors slammed shut, Lin Yue collapsed into a chair, her breath coming in hitches. "Xuan'er... you just declared war on the biggest corporation in the district."
"No, Sister," Lin Xuan said, walking over to her and placing the Moon-Glow Larva in her hands. "I just announced our grand reopening. Look at the silk it left on the boar."
Lin Chen ran over, peering at the leftover silk. "It's... it's still glowing. Even detached from the host, the silk is maintaining a high-frequency healing field. Brother, if we weave this into bandages or serum filters..."
"We don't just weave it," Lin Xuan said, his eyes flashing with the brilliance of a 500-path master. "We use it to create the 'Lunar-Silk Elixir'. Yue-jie, prepare the shop. Tomorrow, we announce that the Lin family can heal any beast injury below 5-stars for half the price of a corporate serum."
Lin Yue looked at the jade-like larva in her hands, then at her brother. The fear in her heart was being replaced by a soaring, intoxicating pride.
"I'll get the storefront ready," she whispered.
"And I'll handle 'security'," Lin Feng added, her eyes locked on Lin Xuan with a newfound, burning intensity. "If any more Iron-Claw trash shows up, they won't leave on two legs."
Lin Xuan smiled. The first 200 paths were powerful, but he was already looking toward the Forbidden Path 201. He needed more resources, more power, and more insects.
"The world thinks we're a humble breeder family," Lin Xuan thought, looking out the window at the city skyline. "Let them keep thinking that. It'll make the fall of the giants so much more spectacular."