None of them actually disliked Lin Tian. In fact, his personality was very lively within the Lin family. His smooth-talking and adaptability were sometimes even rather charming.

They were all curious about what their own children had experienced in the secret realm—something had clearly caused this group of Lin family juniors to start behaving obediently.

Even Lin Zijian seemed to have changed his attitude and now showed a great deal of respect toward Lin Mo.

Gu Ninxin asked curiously, “So, my Mo’er is really that good at flirting with girls, huh?”

“Didn’t Jiang Yanran bring someone from the Ice Palace last time?”

“Do you three elders still remember that?”

At the mention of Jiang Yanran, both Lin Zhan and Gu Ninxin’s expressions turned a bit sour.

Lin Zhan said grumpily, “Kid, you really know how to bring up the worst topics. That wasn’t that long ago—I’m not old or senile enough to forget it yet!”

“Hey now, Great-Uncle, don’t get angry. Just listen to the rest of what I have to say first.”

Lin Tian continued, “At the time, I personally witnessed Cousin Lin Mo handle that senior sister of Jiang Yanran’s—he had her wrapped around his finger! Whatever direction he told her to go, she wouldn’t dare go the other way. That woman was head over heels for Brother Lin Mo, even calling him ‘Brother Lin Mo’ in such a sweet tone!”

For some reason, Lin Tian got really worked up as he talked about this.

He truly envied Lin Mo’s skills with women—he even wished he could formally become his disciple and learn a trick or two.

Gu Ninxin nodded in satisfaction. “He really is my son. What he’s done has made the family proud.”

“No way, is Mo’er really that good at flirting?” Lin Zhan said, a little skeptical.

Gu Ninxin rolled her eyes and gave his pig-like head a slap. “Are you doubting our son’s abilities? If you didn’t have some real skills, would I have followed you so wholeheartedly and given up on… you know what?”

Lin Zhan scratched his head and gave a sheepish laugh. “You’re right, as always, dear.”

“I’m not done yet, so don’t celebrate too soon, all you old fogies.”

“You all know about that little prodigy the Xia family brought back for revenge, right?”

“She was famous for being fiery, wasn’t she?”

“But in front of Cousin Lin Mo, she acted all meek and well-behaved. Even getting slapped didn’t make her angry.”

…

At the Lin household, Lin Tian was praising Lin Mo to the skies.

So when Lin Mo actually returned to the family estate—

He found that everyone in the Lin family, no matter who they were, looked at him with admiration and respect.

Even several of his uncles and elder cousins now seemed to regard him with newfound appreciation.

Lin Mo was a bit confused by all this.

As he walked into the main hall of the Lin residence, he saw Lin Tian enthusiastically bragging about all sorts of exaggerated tales involving Lin Mo.

When Lin Tian saw him enter, his legs moved like lightning—he quickly poured a cup of spirit tea and ran up to him.

“My dear cousin! You’ve had a hard journey—please, have some tea!”

Then spotting Gu Qingxue beside him, Lin Tian got even more excited and poured another cup for her.

“Auntie, you have a cup too!”

To be honest, Lin Mo’s first impression of Lin Tian back at the auction house hadn’t been great.

But after spending some time together, he’d come to realize Lin Tian was actually quite clever.

He casually took out a Nine-Turn Pill he had refined earlier and tossed it over from his storage ring. “Go cool off somewhere.”

“Got it!” Lin Tian caught the pill and very sensibly backed out of the hall, heading straight for the big tree outside—it really was nice and cool there.

Walking up to his parents, Lin Mo offered a respectful bow.

Gu Qingxue also bowed and greeted, “Hello, Uncle, Aunt.”

The moment she appeared, everyone in the Lin family was stunned.

They had honestly thought Lin Tian was just bragging.

After all, that kid loved to exaggerate more than anyone.

But now that Lin Mo had actually brought the person in question back with him, they were truly shocked. They hadn’t expected Lin Mo to be this bold—to have actually won over that senior sister of Jiang Yanran.

Everyone knew: if someone was accepted into the Ice Palace, it meant their talent was exceptional.

And from the way Gu Qingxue had conducted herself earlier, it was clear her status within the Ice Palace wasn’t low.

After the initial shock, Gu Ninxin reacted quickly. She took Gu Qingxue’s hands in hers, gave them a gentle pat, and smiled, “We’re all family from now on, no need to be so formal.”

Lin Mo then sent a sound transmission to his parents, explaining Gu Qingxue’s memory loss.

Lin Zhan slung an arm around Lin Mo’s shoulders and led him to the side. In a low voice, he said, “Mo’er, your move was brilliant—securing this girl during her weakened state, truly well played.”

“But what are you going to do once she gets her memory back?”

“What else can I do? I’ll deal with it when the time comes.”

“You think she won’t come back with a sword to cut us down?” Lin Zhan scratched his head.

At that moment, Gu Ninxin joined the conversation. “Women are emotional creatures. If Qingxue falls in love with you, you just have to tell me honestly—have you two been physically intimate?”

“Yes,” Lin Mo replied honestly.

“Did she bleed?” Gu Ninxin suddenly got excited.

“She did.”

“That’s perfect!” she exclaimed. “Listen to your mother—take advantage of her memory loss to nurture the relationship. By the time she remembers everything, even if she comes back angry, she’ll remember she gave herself to you. Just act a little pitiful, say something sweet like, ‘I was willing to die by your hand,’ and she’ll be completely disarmed.”

“I promise—once her heart softens, she’ll be yours, totally tamed.”

Lin Mo was dumbfounded by his mother’s strategy.

He really didn’t expect his own mother to be teaching him how to woo women.

But—her logic… actually made a little too much sense.

“Dear, how do you even know this stuff?” Lin Zhan asked, shocked.

“No one understands women better than women,” Gu Ninxin said confidently.

“But what if she doesn’t play by the rules and really tries to chop our son down?” Lin Zhan asked worriedly.

“Are you dumb?” Gu Ninxin rolled her eyes. “If she really comes at him with a sword, of course he should run!”

Lin Mo and Lin Zhan were both left speechless.

Meanwhile, Gu Qingxue stood politely to the side, quietly waiting while the family of three whispered among themselves.

She was curious, of course, but too well-mannered to eavesdrop.

When Lin Nantian came out and saw Gu Qingxue, he was also momentarily stunned.

Lin Zhan used a secret voice transmission to fill him in on what Lin Mo had just explained.

Lin Nantian, too, felt that his grandson truly deserved a thumbs-up for this one.

He was only puzzled—how could amnesia cause her to lose her cultivation as well?

Either way, it was about time Lin Mo shared what he’d gained from this trip to the secret realm.

Coincidentally, at that very moment, the Lin family was gathered in the discussion hall.

There were three elders in total within the Lin family.

They had already learned from Lin Zijian about Lin Mo’s actions within the secret realm—not only had he saved many Lin family juniors, but he also had Lin Zijian bring back a large number of high-quality spirit herbs and fruits.

Of course, what shocked them the most was that Lin Mo had managed to defeat Xia Qianqiu, the team leader from the Xia family.

Knowing all this, they no longer had any complaints about Lin Mo.

Someone who had done so much for the Lin family and possessed such talent was clearly a sign of the family’s rising fortune.

However, when they heard Lin Mo list the treasures he had ultimately obtained from the secret realm, they couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy.

Those resources were enough to cultivate many geniuses below the Golden Core stage in a short period of time.

Even more so, they could push a few cultivators who were just a step away from the Nascent Soul stage to make the final breakthrough.

Still, the elders knew full well—these were gains Lin Mo had earned through his own ability.

The spirit fruits and herbs he had already contributed were more than generous.

They had no right to demand more from him.

Besides, Lin Nantian was still the family head—there was no way he would allow that.

“Mo’er, to be able to inherit the legacy of that senior from the demon clan in the secret realm, that’s all thanks to your own skill,” Lin Nantian said with genuine satisfaction.

It was a clear warning to the three elders: don’t even think about trying anything.

And the three elders understood the message perfectly.

“I’ll only keep the cultivation resources that are useful to me,” Lin Mo said. “The rest, I’ll turn over to the Lin family for Grandfather and the elders to manage.”

“That includes the storage rings from the secret realm inheritance.”

Of course, what he needed had already been taken out in advance.

Lin Mo’s decision immediately filled the Lin family members with gratitude.

The way they looked at him grew even more fervent.

At that moment, Lin Tian went full bootlicker mode and took the lead in cheering Lin Mo’s name.

With him taking the lead, all the other juniors followed suit in unison.

Their voices echoed throughout every corner of the Lin family estate.

As Lin Mo looked out at the sea of supporters, his gaze sharpened.

Lin Tian noticed and thought—oh boy, looks like he wants to mess with me now.

He was sure Lin Mo was going to give him a few kicks later.

But Lin Tian misunderstood the situation entirely. As a professional bootlicker, he thought Lin Mo wanted him to go even harder.

So he slipped behind Lin Qingqing, crouched down, and cupped his hands to shout, “Cousin Lin Mo, I want to have your babies!”

Instantly, the mood in the hall went off the rails.

And the target of that shout, Lin Qingqing—

Her face flushed red as she glared at Lin Tian behind her. “What are you doing?!”

Lin Tian grinned. “Just helping you express your true feelings, Cousin Qingqing.”

Once the Lin family’s internal meeting came to an end,

Lin Mo privately sought out his grandfather to ask about the background of the three elders.

Lin Nantian didn’t think much of it and simply shared some basic details about them.

That night, based on what he had learned about the elders’ needs, Lin Mo sent a high-grade Earth-tier fire-type saber technique to the First Elder.

He also refined a few Grade Five Silver Vein Pills and delivered them to the Second Elder.

In the end, Lin Mo gifted the Third Elder a Grade Five Life Extension Pill.

Lin Mo understood well the art of winning people’s hearts—these were things the elders would naturally feel obligated to act on after receiving such gifts.

After receiving these, the elders were thoroughly pleased with Lin Mo, and their goodwill toward him increased greatly.

Of course, Lin Mo wasn’t doing all this for nothing—he wanted the entire Lin family to be united.

Strengthening the family was just a precaution. He wanted them to be capable of defending themselves in his absence.

With that, all family matters were fully resolved.

The next morning, Lin Mo planned to return to Qingling Sect and deal with some sect affairs.

The sooner he left, the sooner he could break away.

Of course, before leaving, Lin Mo didn’t forget to cook a rich, delicious dinner for Qu Ruyan himself.

That meal made Qu Ruyan utterly delighted. “Senior Brother, I really think your cooking is way better than anything out there. Being your spirit pet is honestly such a blessing.”

Lin Mo couldn’t help but laugh. “Just eat what you can. Being able to eat well truly is happiness.”

Gu Qingxue also praised Lin Mo’s culinary skills.

The next day, as Lin Mo was about to head out, Lin Tian clung to his thigh, bawling dramatically, “Dear Uncle, you have to come back and visit often! Without you around, I feel so lonely!”

Lin Mo kicked him aside. “If you’ve got time to act in front of me, go use it to cultivate instead.”

“I’ve already told Grandpa about a cultivation technique that suits you. Go pick it up from him later.”

That’s right—Lin Mo had specially left behind a cultivation method for Lin Tian as well.

Lin Tian wasn’t lacking in talent—he had dual spiritual roots. But what Lin Mo valued more wasn’t his aptitude, but his smooth, tactful personality and his ability to navigate social situations.

People like him could thrive anywhere, and they were often efficient when handling tasks.

Perhaps in the future, Lin Tian might prove to be quite useful—for the Lin family or for Lin Mo himself.

Lin Mo then glanced toward Lin Qingqing, who had been quietly watching him from nearby, and smiled. “Qingqing, I left a cultivation method for you with Grandpa as well. Make sure you train properly.”

Lin Tian, still rubbing his sore behind, internally grumbled about Lin Mo’s blatant gender discrimination.

So gentle with Sister Qingqing, but always kicking him without warning.

Sigh… if only he’d been born a girl!

After handling everything, Lin Mo had just stepped out of the Lin family estate when he felt an intense, hostile aura.

Looking up, he saw a middle-aged man standing in the air—his cultivation clearly at or above the Nascent Soul stage.

The man in the lead was none other than Chen Sheng, head of the Chen family.

He was the father of Chen Huai, the man Lin Mo had previously killed for harboring wicked intentions toward Xia He.

The life-stone in his hand was shaking violently, and the murderous intent in his eyes was practically tangible.

“You little bastard—return my son’s life!”

…