Li Fenglei was deeply disappointed by Qin Feng's actions. As he knew Qin Feng well, he expected the young man to employ every possible strategy to bring both Zhang Jie and Lin Caiwei with him. Otherwise, how could Qin Feng repeatedly make grand promises—claiming that as long as he wanted to leave, no one could stop him? Yet, in the end, he had used not a single plan, simply leading the two people away in a rather clumsy manner, and ultimately fleeing alone. Had he known it would turn out this way, there was no need to mobilize the entire clan—Li Fenglei had certainly overestimated him. Of course, having such an unrefined opponent was a great relief; it was better than facing someone particularly astute. Another person who felt deeply disappointed was Lin Jiawei, who urgently wished to restore his dignity. His most direct means of doing so was clearly to capture Qin Feng and publicly beat him senseless in front of all the clan members. The main character had fled, but luckily, Zhang Jie and her daughter were still there. He couldn't help but glance back, thinking about how he could secure Zhang Jie, that young wife, and thoroughly overwhelm her. At that moment, however, the mother and daughter underwent a sudden transformation, their images trembling violently—like a monitor with unstable voltage. Lin Jiawei gasped, shouting, "No! These two are fake!" He remembered vividly the lion he had faced against Qin Feng during their previous battle—the very moment the tiger had knocked it into a scattered, fragmented form—exactly this kind of instability. "What?" Lin Fenglei was so stunned he nearly dropped his eyeballs. He had thought he was in full control, only to be outwitted at the end. He slapped his own forehead: "How could I have forgotten the most crucial point? Qin Feng has a magical artifact capable of creating illusions—this is a mistake! A serious one!" The mother and daughter vanished completely before everyone's eyes. Lin Jiawei was furious, his last hope now shattered. He shouted toward the direction of the head of the family, "How could you have arranged this so easily? Why didn't you ask us to pursue Qin Feng just now? The two women were fakes—yet he was genuine!" The elder continued, "Everyone else, listen closely. I urge those among you who harbor ill intentions—those who dream of sitting in my place—know that you're not yet qualified. All of you, listen and follow my orders: leave the third generation to guard the estate, and send out the rest to pursue the young man. He's merely at the stage of Perfected Enlightenment, and he's still burdened with two companions; he simply can't fly fast!" "Yes, Master," the group quickly mounted their flying swords and set off to chase. The elder was truly furious—being treated like a monkey by a mere young, inexperienced lad—something he hadn't experienced in all these years. As for the alchemy work, he still felt uncertain. Though Qin Feng had failed three times in front of everyone, who could guarantee that he hadn't done so on purpose? Could it be that, in the end, he'd end up with nothing but losses? In his mind, he realized the medicinal storehouse was now empty—he had to rush out and procure a fresh supply immediately, or else it would be impossible to determine whether the situation was genuine or not. He had originally planned to remain and defend the Lin family, but In fact, the elders' thoughts were quite similar to his—since they had already secured the alchemy method, why bother chasing after Qin Feng anymore? They should simply proceed to procure medicinal herbs and start the alchemy process right away. Thus, as soon as these people arrived, they used the excuse of splitting up to pursue different tasks and went about their own affairs. Moreover, since they came earlier, they all arrived ahead of Lin Feng. The old man, arriving on his flying sword at a long-time cooperating sect, greeted the abbot warmly at first, then said, "Brother, I've come to visit you today for two reasons: first, to wish you a happy New Year, and second, to purchase a batch of medicinal herbs—prices are open to negotiation!" The abbot raised an eyebrow, "How come you're personally handling the herb procurement? Didn't your Lin family send three separate groups before?" "What?" He stared in surprise at the lack of diligence among his clan members. "Didn't you know? It wasn't you who sent them." "The abbot looked puzzled, saying, "They all claim you sent them. I've been generous—offering the very best goods at the lowest possible prices!" The old man chuckled, "I did send them, but I didn't expect them to move so swiftly. Since your herbarium is now depleted, I won't disturb you anymore—goodbye!" He was eager to head to the next destination, lest he be outpaced by others. Yet, no matter how many places he visited, the results remained the same. Those indolent clan members consistently operated under his name, purchasing large quantities of medicinal herbs and persistently demanding the lowest prices. This created a clear imbalance: all the benefits went to them, while all the goodwill remained his—Li Fenglei's. As he cursed the clan members, he continued on to the next sect. Qin Feng arranged Lin Caiwei and her daughter in the valley, with a guesthouse that had fully equipped rooms, furniture, and daily necessities. The meat jerky, cured meats, and other supplies stored in the warehouse piled up like mountains, and behind it lay a dedicated plot of land for growing vegetables, lush with various green leafy crops. These provisions would be sufficient for Zhang Jie's consumption for several years. "Brother Feng, what are you thinking about?" asked Lin, who was resting her arms on his shoulders. He chuckled and said, "I suspect that the people of the Lin family must be searching all over for me—well, actually, for herbs and medicinal materials!" "So," Lin picked up on the unfinished thought. He smiled even wider and continued, "Therefore, the Lin family must now be weakened internally, perhaps even playing a 'Empty City Strategy.' If I don't take this opportunity to go and cause some disruption, won't I be falling short of my gratitude to the people's years of support?" Lin Meiren's eyebrows curved into a crescent moon shape as she smiled, saying, "You're always determined to punish the fallen dogs—yet you must realize, by doing so, you've truly become an enemy of the Lin family!" "I wouldn't be their enemy either," Qin Dashi replied, wrapping his arms around her slender waist. "My brother not only snatched away Lin Family's most outstanding third-generation master, but also brought away my future mother-in-law. Do you think they'll see me as a true family member?" Lin Meiren nodded. "That's true. Then go ahead and do whatever you like!" "Rest assured," he chuckled, "I'll only cause disruption and never show my face. Even if they believe it's me, they'll find no direct evidence. I'm going to launch a surprise attack—haha!"