190: Chapter 190 Madam Zeng's Request

"I cannot fathom this object either, so I will gift it to Young Hero Lin," Old Madam Zeng said, shaking her head.

"I am also quite interested in these strange and curious things," Lin Ming said with a smile.

"That is a bit of a pity." Tang Jingming's movements stiffened slightly, but he still maintained an indifferent air.

Lin Ming, however, noticed this.

Following that, Tang Jingming did not discuss any other important matters, merely engaging in casual conversation.

"Then I shall not keep the two of you any longer," Tang Jingming said as he escorted them to the main gate.

"Many thanks for your hospitality," Lin Ming said.

"It is nothing."

Lin Ming and Old Madam Zeng boarded the carriage and headed in the direction of the Zeng Family residence.

Tang Jingming then came to a room, where he saw a middle-aged man with an unkind expression sitting in a chair.

"My lord, that animal skin should be on this Disciple from Yuanxu Mountain," Tang Jingming said.

"I know."

The conversation between Tang Jingming and the other two had already reached his ears, and it included the contents regarding the animal skin.

"Keep a constant watch on this Yuanxu Mountain Disciple's movements," the middle-aged man said coldly.

Although he very much wanted to make a move against Lin Ming just now, doing so would have made it too easy to expose himself.

Furthermore, he had discovered that Lin Ming's strength was not at the Spirit Treasury Realm, but rather the Spirit Platform Realm.

The Tang Jingming before him likely dared not probe Lin Ming, merely imagining things.

But Lin Ming had killed a practitioner at the first level of the Spirit Treasury Realm while in the Spirit Platform Realm.

This indicated that Lin Ming possessed a treasure capable of dealing with Spirit Treasury Realm practitioners, which was the reason the middle-aged man was somewhat wary.

There was no guarantee the other party didn't have something to deal with the Bitter Sea Realm; given the nature of Yuanxu Mountain, it was perhaps truly possible.

This was also one of the reasons the middle-aged man had not made a move.

He would certainly not let that animal skin go, so he needed to make preparations—preparations to kill Lin Ming.

He wanted the animal skin.

And he also wanted Lin Ming's life.

"He really can hold his breath," Lin Ming said with a smile after returning to the Zeng Family estate.

"Is Young Hero Lin referring to City Lord Tang?" Old Madam Zeng asked.

To this, Lin Ming said nothing.

The next day.

The members of the four great families were all dead, not a single one left; they had all died in the prison.

Of course, those who died were all practitioners.

As for the Mortals, under normal circumstances, unless they had committed a major offense, they were not allowed to be killed indiscriminately.

These Mortals from the four great families would be sent by the Dongchuan City authorities to live in villages outside of Dongchuan City.

"The speed is quite fast," Lin Ming said, having learned this news, and he could not help but admire the methods of this City Lord.

To kill his own supporters just like that was quite decisive.

"Young Hero Lin, the assets of the four families will require a few days to be cleared and totaled, after which they will be exchanged into the corresponding Yuan Stones for you," Old Madam Zeng said.

As for a share for the Zeng Family, of course, there was none.

Old Madam Zeng understood that without Lin Ming, their Zeng Family would have long since ceased to exist, so these gains could only belong to Lin Ming.

"No rush," Lin Ming said.

Since there was money to be had, he would wait.

Although Dongchuan City was not large, these four families were considered among the largest in Dongchuan City, so they should have had some wealth, at least to some extent.

Even a mosquito, no matter how small, is still meat.

"Young Hero Lin, I have a request," Old Madam Zeng said to Lin Ming after hesitating for a moment.

"You want to have Zeng Wanying join Yuanxu Mountain, right?" Lin Ming looked at Old Madam Zeng and said.

"Young Hero Lin, you knew?" Old Madam Zeng asked in surprise.

She had never mentioned this matter to Lin Ming, so how did he know?

"I guessed it," Lin Ming said with a smile.

Based on Old Madam Zeng's actions over these past days, Lin Ming had guessed that she most likely wanted Zeng Wanying to join Yuanxu Mountain.

"I do indeed want Ying'er to join Yuanxu Mountain," Old Madam Zeng nodded and said.

She was advanced in years and feared she would not be able to protect Ying'er for much longer, and she could not trust the others in the Family.

Thus, she could only hope for Ying'er to become stronger herself and protect herself.

Yuanxu Mountain was definitely the right choice.

"Wanting to join Yuanxu Mountain is not a simple matter," Lin Ming said to Old Madam Zeng.

"I know, but I would like to try. With Ying'er's Aptitude of five and a half sections, I do not want her talent to be wasted," Old Madam Zeng said in a deep voice.

Zeng Wanying, with an Aptitude of five and a half sections, was considered the person with the best Aptitude in the Zeng Family in the last three hundred years, second only to that Family Senior who had joined Yuanxu Mountain.

It was precisely because of this Aptitude that Old Madam Zeng wanted Zeng Wanying to join Yuanxu Mountain.

Once Zeng Wanying could successfully join Yuanxu Mountain, it would be a good thing for both her and the Zeng Family.

Even if she failed, there were many other options to fall back on.

"It is possible, I suppose," Lin Ming nodded.

Although the Mountain Entrance Ceremony of Yuanxu Mountain occurred every two years, there were other methods to join Yuanxu Mountain besides that. Being accepted as a Disciple by someone at the Elder level or higher in the Sect allowed one to join Yuanxu Mountain directly, just like Yan Nian had been previously, having been directly accepted as a Disciple by Peak Master Yunhua.

There was also the matter of descendants of Yuanxu Mountain Disciples; for them, Yuanxu Mountain would grant an opportunity to enter the mountain at an additional time—a chance for a trial.

And the Zeng Family happened to have this opportunity.

"I will trouble you then, Young Hero Lin." Old Madam Zeng's intention was clear; she hoped Lin Ming could take Zeng Wanying to Yuanxu Mountain to undergo the Yuanxu Mountain assessment.

"It is on the way," Lin Ming said.

It was a smooth matter, and Lin Ming was willing to help the descendants of Yuanxu Mountain Disciples.

Moreover, Old Madam Zeng and Zeng Wanying had left a decent impression on him.

...

Four days passed.

After four days of day-and-night calculations, the City Lord's Mansion had finished estimating all the wealth of the four families, and had converted the portion belonging to Lin Ming into Yuan Stones, totaling two hundred Medium Grade Yuan Stones and twenty thousand Low Grade Yuan Stones.

"They are poor enough," Lin Ming said, shaking his head as he looked at these Yuan Stones.

According to City Lord Tang, the Yuan Stones Lin Ming had received were already half of all the assets of these four families, yet there was only this little.

It was a bit too little.

But Lin Ming did not dwell on it too much for the time being.

Now that he had the Yuan Stones, he could leave Dongchuan City and return to Yuanxu Mountain.

Having stayed in this city for these past days, Lin Ming was somewhat tired of it.

The day after receiving the Yuan Stones, Lin Ming rode out on horseback alone, passed through the city gates, and left Dongchuan City.

——

"My lord, we have received word that the Disciple from Yuanxu Mountain has left Dongchuan City."

Upon learning this news, Tang Jingming immediately informed the middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man rose and left the place, disappearing from Tang Jingming's sight.