?Mobile reading Family members of the Lin clan returned one after another, weary yet radiating unmistakable joy—clearly, each had procured a substantial amount of medicinal herbs, eager to establish themselves as master alchemists. When they first saw their home reduced to ruins, their expressions mirrored those of Lin Fenglei back then. Lin Fenglei firmly believed Qin Feng was responsible, though he lacked concrete evidence. The clan members questioned what had happened, and once again, Lin Fenglei’s position as head of the clan faced serious challenges. He snapped, "Can any of you swear you went after Qin Feng? If even one person had done so, our home might not have been destroyed. Don’t try to justify yourselves—what exactly did you do? I know precisely what you did. Do I really have to list the prices and quantities of medicinal herbs you purchased?" The crowd remained silent, yet none took it seriously, for the principle of "no one is to blame when many are involved"—since everyone had done the same thing, no one could be clearly held accountable. Moreover, how could Lin Fenglei possibly know what we were doing if he hadn't gone to buy medicinal herbs? Lin Jiahou asked, "Master, what shall we do now? Our homes are gone—shall we all be living on the go, eating on the move, wandering the streets?" This was another challenge he presented to the master. After all, you're the master—when such a major crisis strikes the family, it's surely your responsibility to resolve it. Even in the worst case, Lin Jiahou has nearly forty cultivators in his household, not to mention the other members—how could we really expect nearly two hundred people to sleep outdoors? Lin Fenglei glanced at him and said, "You're willing, and I'm not even willing! Relax— I'll take everyone to the valley of Fat Maitreya. After his passing, it has become a wilderness. Though our inn has limited rooms and can't offer much comfort, it at least provides shelter from wind and rain. As long as we all work together, we'll be able to build several houses within a short time!" Upon hearing this, everyone agreed without hesitation. The valley boasts beautiful scenery and a pleasant climate—far superior to where they currently are. Quickly, the group packed up their belongings. In fact, it was quite difficult to salvage useful items from the ruins—furniture and furnishings had long since been reduced to fragments. Even some valuable items were overlooked, as everyone was eager to move into a more comfortable living environment. Under Lin Fenglei's guidance, the entire clan set off, carrying their families and belongings, toward the valley. Two hours later, they reached the outer edge of the mist, rushing eagerly inward—those who arrived late would surely miss out on rooms. Lin the Elder was both furious and resentful, yet completely helpless. He truly wanted to shout: "You're cultivators! Can't you at least show some basic manners—can't you respect the elderly and care for the young?" His own pace was swift, and he too plunged into the mist. An hour later, everyone returned disheveled along the same path, all lost. After a brief rest, groups of them regrouped and re-entered, coordinating their efforts to improve efficiency. Yet by the time dusk fell, no one had managed to penetrate the mist. Everyone was utterly exhausted, even Lin Fenglei. "Master Lin, what's going on here?" Lin Jiahao asked, his face stern. "You ask me, who do I ask?" he exclaimed, his anger mounting. "The nature of this mist has changed dramatically from before—how can you possibly lead us through it?" Lin Jiahao responded firmly, "You brought everyone here. Now you can't even get in—shouldn't you give us an explanation?" Lin Fenglei remained silent, pondering why he couldn't enter. In the past, as long as someone was familiar with the path, they could easily get in. On good days, they could even enjoy the master Pan Mili's signature stir-fried dishes and a cup of Zui Xian wine. When he last came to collect Pan Mili's body, entry and exit had been just as smooth—indeed, that had been only a few days ago. Suddenly, a name came to mind—could it be that he himself had done something? Yet with Qin Feng's peak Zhi Zhen stage strength, how could he possibly alter the mist? That seemed utterly impossible. There was only one explanation: the mist changed through a series of mechanisms, and he had mastered those mechanisms. When he had left the valley last time, he had claimed to have forgotten something, entered, and stayed for exactly ten minutes—definitely enough time to have made adjustments. To make sense of all this, the old man stormed over and kicked a stone beside him, shattering the large stone into fragments. "Qin Feng," he shouted skyward, then raised his voice even higher, wailing, "Qin Feng, I will never reconcile with you—our rivalry is final, and I will eliminate you!" "The old man stiffened his neck: 'Why shouldn't he? The family head's very duty has always been to secure welfare for the clan members. And it's always been the case that capable people have held this position. Of course, for those who merely talk the talk and never do the work, this role simply isn't suited to them!' Lin Jiahou smiled, Lin Jiawei smiled too. They locked eyes, then burst out laughing even more proudly. ... 'Qin Feng, I'll have no peace with you—I'll eliminate you without hesitation!' Qin, the young lord, jolted awake from his sleep. The young lady beside him stared at him with wide eyes, asking, 'Did you hear that too?' 'Yes,' he nodded, rewrapped his arms around her slender form, and said, 'It must have been Lin Fenglei's voice. Looks like he really has brought his clan members here. Hah!' Both could easily picture the scene of a group of homeless people, unable to find their way, just staring helplessly outside—what a sight it must be. They couldn't help but burst into laughter. Lin Meiren said, "I have a feeling that the head of the household is going to be unable to stay in his post. He's always self-assured, believing that while the world grows old, he's the third among the three—only he himself can't achieve something, and others should also be unable to." Qin Daxiao shrugged, "If he steps down, I'll definitely have a grand celebration with a thousand and two detonations of firecrackers. Still, the Lin family has truly declined to the point where no matter who takes the helm, no real change can be made. They're still an incomprehensible bunch."