Chapter 256: CH. 256 | The Prince and Princess of Qin

Ya Fei excused herself, needing to enter closed-door cultivation right away to strengthen her cultivation base. Lin Tian gave his blessing for her to go, leaving him and An Yue alone with Lin Dong.

Beyond visiting his son, Lin Tian had come to the hall for another reason as well, to fill An Yue in on everything that had happened in the main hall.

He recounted the entire discussion, the plans made by the sects across the Northern Wasteland region in response to the Yuntian Reform.

An Yue listened intently, her expression turning to shock once she heard about the sect leaders’ plan to invade the Wei Kingdom.

She wasn’t quite sure how to respond, since she didn’t fully grasp the situation.

"Isn’t attacking another kingdom just to fulfill disciple quotas a cruel thing to do?"

"Honestly, I wasn’t eager to propose that plan myself, but it was the only solution I could come up with," Lin Tian admitted.

"You once told me that a sect’s true foundation isn’t about where they’re established or whom they answer to, but about their resolve and their legacy."

"If that’s the case, wouldn’t it make far more sense for the sects falling short of Yuntian’s disciple threshold to simply relocate?" An Yue asked.

"Relocate? You mean move to a different kingdom entirely?"

An Yue nodded, humming in agreement. She added that a kingdom wouldn’t have any reason to interfere with a sect over an unrelated matter.

In fact, the Wei Kingdom would actually benefit if those sects were willing to relocate there.

Not only would their kingdom grow stronger, their standing would rise as well.

Lin Tian fell silent for a moment, then rose to his feet and walked toward the window of Lin Dong’s room, watching the hall’s disciples train in the courtyard below.

"I really should include you in discussions like that more often, Yue’er."

"You’re able to see solutions that don’t require any violence at all," Lin Tian said.

An Yue felt genuinely touched hearing that. She stood up and joined him by the window, resting her head against his shoulder as they both looked out together.

"What about the Lingxian Sect? Will we be relocating too?" An Yue asked.

"The Lingxian Sect is far too important to the Qin Kingdom. They’d never allow us to leave."

"It seems we’ll be staying right here, maintaining the balance within the Qin Kingdom," Lin Tian added.

"Alright," An Yue said. "Relocating a sect isn’t a simple matter anyway, it would take careful, thorough preparation."

As the two of them shared this quiet, affectionate moment, Lin Tian sensed Wu Yue’s qi aura arriving in the courtyard outside the hall.

He turned his head toward the sound, which immediately piqued An Yue’s curiosity.

"What is it, husband?"

"Wu Yue... he’s here," Lin Tian answered.

Before long, the woman’s voice came clearly through the door of Lin Dong’s room. Without opening it, Wu Yue informed Lin Tian of an unexpected guest.

"Forgive the interruption, Sect Master Lin Tian."

"The Second Prince and Second Princess of the Qin Kingdom have come to visit. They’re hoping to meet with you to receive your guidance."

The Second Prince and Second Princess? What could they possibly want?

Lin Tian turned to An Yue and told her he needed to go receive them. An Yue didn’t mind at all, she’d stay right there with Lin Dong.

The bedroom door opened, and Lin Tian found Wu Yue waiting outside.

The two of them left the hall together and made their way to the Wind Dragon Summit, the central location of the Lingxian Sect.

Lin Tian turned his head to the side, spotting the Second Prince and Second Princess standing just beyond the sect’s barrier wall.

They’d arrived accompanied by their royal elders and guards. Lin Tian had no clear idea what had brought them here.

Not wanting to keep them waiting outside, Lin Tian vanished in a flash of white light from the sect’s front courtyard, appearing directly in front of them, with Wu Yue following close behind.

The moment Lin Tian arrived, both royals clasped their hands together and bowed their heads in respect.

Through his own senses, Lin Tian could tell their cultivation base sat at Core Formation, the same as their accompanying elder.

"Qin Ya greets the Senior," said the Second Prince, Qin Ya.

"Qin Yixiang greets the Senior," echoed the Second Princess, Qin Yixiang.

Lin Tian clasped his hands together, returning their warm greeting with a smile. "I, Lin Tian, welcome your visit to the Lingxian Sect."

Qin Ya explained the reason behind their visit. With the mortal world settling into a more stable state, they’d found themselves with a bit more free time.

They’d chosen to spend it seeking an audience with Lin Tian, hoping to gain some guidance from him.

Lin Tian had known of them well before this visit. The Third Prince, Qin Mu, had already explained that nearly every prince and princess of Qin supported the Yuntian Reform, along with the Yuntian Sect’s growing presence within the royal court.

That wasn’t without reason, their support stemmed from having studied and cultivated under the Yuntian Sect themselves.

Naturally, learning that the Yuntian Sect intended to aid the Qin Kingdom filled them with enthusiasm.

"Please," Lin Tian said, inviting them inside, elders included.

Qin Ya and Qin Yixiang followed behind Lin Tian as they made their way into the Lingxian Sect’s main hall.

The moment Lin Tian set foot inside, the room instantly arranged itself, neat and orderly, the teapot refilling with warm tea, and the cups arranged cleanly in a row.

"Please, take a seat, Prince Qin Ya and Princess Qin Yixiang."

They sat at a table near Lin Tian’s own, while the royal elders took their places at a separate table set aside for them.

Qin Ya opened their meeting by praising Lin Tian’s remarkable achievements and the Lingxian Sect’s role during the Yuanmo Sect disaster.

"Without the contributions of Sect Master Lin Tian and the Lingxian Sect, I fear the Qin Kingdom would have fallen entirely under the control of the Yuanmo Demonic Sect."

"For that, on behalf of the Qin Kingdom, I extend my gratitude for your service and contribution, Sect Master Lin Tian."

Lin Tian smiled, clasping his hands together in greeting. He accepted Qin Ya’s warm words graciously, though he remained cautious, aware there was likely a deeper purpose behind their visit.

"We’ve come here today carrying a few questions that have been weighing on our minds," Qin Ya said. "It concerns whether what we’re currently doing runs counter to the heavenly path. Is it true that the heavenly path assigns a different fate to every living being?"

"Would it be wise for us to rely on the Yuntian Reform to help the Qin Kingdom recover more quickly?"

"Please, Sect Master Lin Tian, share your answer with us."

It wasn’t just Qin Ya, Qin Yixiang and the accompanying elders also pressed Lin Tian for his honest opinion on the Yuntian Reform.

At his core, Lin Tian firmly opposed the idea, but he couldn’t afford to state that openly in front of them, doing so would reveal exactly where the Lingxian Sect truly stood.

Even so, he already knew precisely what kind of answer he needed to prepare for them.

"Of course," Lin Tian answered. "I’ll give you a clear answer."