Volume One: The Lonely Beta Test Chapter Seventeen: Never Forget Your Original Intention

“Are you feeling under the weather, Great Immortal?” Lin Zhen asked with concern.

Lin Feng rubbed his nose. “No, just felt the urge to sneeze! Second Uncle, please go on.”

“Great Immortal, I’ve finished tallying up everyone in town,” Lin Zhen said to Lin Feng, his eyes brimming with respect.

Hearing the term “Great Immortal” once more from Lin Zhen’s lips left Lin Feng uneasy. Ever since the ritual, though his standing among the people had soared to unparalleled heights, he also felt the distance between himself and everyone else had widened. In an instant, he had become the loneliest person—this was not the outcome he had wished for.

“Uncle, could you please call me as you used to?” Lin Feng said earnestly, his spirits low.

“You are now a true Immortal, far beyond the likes of us mere mortals,” Lin Zhen replied, bowing his hands before Lin Feng. “I fear it would not be proper to do otherwise!”

“Uncle, no matter what I was or what I become, I will always be your nephew. That is a fact that cannot be changed.

We strive for the sake of our loved ones, so they may live happier lives. If our achievements create hollow status that stands between kin, or worse, turns family into strangers, can we truly feel happiness? Wouldn’t that betray our original intentions? If so, I would rather give up everything I have now!”

Lin Feng’s words sprang from the depths of his heart, and his emotions were stirred. Through the long river of history, for power, fame, and profit, too many tragedies have played out—kin and friends turned against each other, fathers and sons, brothers locked in bitter conflict. They could share hardship, but not prosperity; in the end, the one who succeeded was left utterly alone.

“To never forget one’s original purpose! Good, you are indeed a fine son of the Lin family. Feng’er, your uncle has never misjudged you.” Lin Zhen was so moved by Lin Feng’s words that tears welled in his eyes.

Everything Lin Feng had done since awakening had indeed left Lin Zhen deeply touched. How could he not rejoice in having such talent in the family? Yet, seeing Lin Feng’s awe-inspiring ritual last night and everyone’s oath of loyalty, he had gradually felt that Lin Feng was no longer the nephew he once knew. He sensed Lin Feng had embarked on a path to greatness. As an elder, witnessing such achievements was a blessing, but it also marked a shift in their relationship—things could no longer be as casual and affectionate as before, leaving him feeling lost. Lin Feng’s words revealed how much he valued familial bonds, and though the future was uncertain, nothing could dampen Lin Zhen’s overwhelming gratitude.

“Uncle, after all I’ve done for the Lin family, you’re just going to reward me with a few words of praise? Isn’t that a bit stingy?” Lin Feng said, putting on a stern face.

“Well, what kind of reward would you like, dear nephew? I’ll prepare it for you right away,” Lin Zhen replied earnestly, still caught up in his emotions, not grasping Lin Feng’s true intentions.

“Of course, it’s my favorite thing. I suspect you have some on you right now!”

“Hahaha, of course I do!” Lin Zhen laughed happily. He took out a paper-wrapped item from his sleeve and handed it to Lin Feng, who unwrapped it and began eating a small piece with relish.

“You greedy little cat, don’t eat it all—save some for your younger cousins. I don’t want them pestering me to buy more later,” Lin Zhen said happily as he watched Lin Feng eat.

Lin Feng was a thoughtful person; he’d overheard his elders mention that “he” loved malt candy as a child, and remembered it. Whenever Lin Zhen went out, he’d buy some to bring back for the little ones of the Lin family.

After this small interlude, the distance between uncle and nephew vanished, and their bond deepened.

—

“But nephew, I’ll still have to address you as Great Immortal in front of outsiders,” Lin Zhen said, being a man of sense, always thinking ahead for Lin Feng.

“Alright then, but in private I’m still your forever-young nephew! And the candy must never be forgotten,” Lin Feng said playfully.

“Fine, fine! May I ask, Great Immortal—no, Feng’er—can we get down to business now?”

Lin Feng put aside his malt candy and poured a cup of tea for Lin Zhen. “Yes, Uncle, tell me about today’s statistics.”

Lin Zhen sipped his tea, gathered his thoughts, then set the cup down and said, “Feng’er, as per your instructions, I’ve categorized everyone. Maple Leaf Town has a population of 816. There are twelve carpenters, five blacksmiths, two tailors, one itinerant doctor, and nearly seventy percent are fishermen. The rest make their living as farmers.”

“Oh!” Lin Feng mused as he listened. “Uncle, how many able-bodied men do you think Uncle Meng and the others can select today?”

Lin Zhen stroked his beard thoughtfully. “There should be about a hundred, but we can’t take only sons or those who support families with elderly and young. That leaves roughly seventy.”

Lin Feng nodded. Lin Zhen’s thoroughness was something he always admired and sought to learn.

“Feng’er, even with the forty from our Lin family, that’s just over a hundred. Most of them lack any combat experience, while the bandits number at least three or four hundred. Can we really win against them?” Lin Zhen asked worriedly.

He trusted Lin Feng’s magical abilities, but in the chaos of battle, even the most skilled can make mistakes. If anyone were injured, he couldn’t face the townsfolk.

“Uncle, rest assured. I guarantee everyone will return safely.”

“Well… perhaps we should inform the authorities and ask for their help?” Though Lin Feng promised, Lin Zhen couldn’t shake his anxiety. The enemy had three or four hundred men; their own force wasn’t even half that.

“The authorities? Uncle, don’t you find the official notice this time very odd?” Lin Feng countered.

“I do. The authorities have never cared about matters like this, let alone issued a reward notice!”

“Then why was the notice posted only at the West Gate? And who owns that gate?” Lin Feng pressed, guiding Lin Zhen’s thoughts.

“The Wang family? Are you saying the notice wasn’t from the authorities, but from the Wang family? Could that be? If so, the Wang family is audacious indeed. Impersonating officials is a capital offense!” Lin Zhen’s face showed disbelief.

“Uncle, you…” Lin Feng poured more tea for Lin Zhen as he spoke. “You’ve been so worried about my parents that you’ve overlooked some simple facts. Tell me, in Liekou County, who supports the magistrate?”

“Haha, I forgot about that,” Lin Zhen said, sipping his tea. “But even so, what could the Wang family gain?

Fame?
The notice claims to be from the authorities, so they get nothing.
Profit?
Even if they get information, there’s no guarantee they’ll defeat the bandits!”

“Uncle, don’t you think Li Tong found us so quickly because the notice at the city gate guided him there?” Lin Feng continued.

“Yes, if not for that notice, Uncle Meng and the others wouldn’t have gone to see it, Li Tong wouldn’t have spotted them, and the ransom note wouldn’t have reached us so soon. So… the Wang family must…”

—

Lin Zhen dared not follow the thought further. If so, his brother’s kidnapping was no accident!

Lin Feng saw Lin Zhen had grasped the general cause, though his heart resisted believing it. “Just as you said, Uncle, the Wang family is likely the mastermind behind my parents’ abduction, with the bandits of Green Dragon Mountain as their hired hands. Besides the ransom we’re sending, I’m sure the Wang family paid the bandits separately—a sum not much less than the ransom itself.”

“So they want to use the bandits to strike at our Lin family!”

Lin Zhen slammed his hand on the table. “Of course! Our Maple Forest Town is Liekou County’s gateway to the sea, and no family rivals us here. This town could well be called the Lin family’s own. I recall the Wang family approached us at the start of the year, wanting to partner in maritime trade. Their offer was generous, but my brother declined, saying they treated the fishermen too harshly. The Wang family left disappointed and never brought it up again. If you hadn’t mentioned them, I’d have forgotten.”

Lin Feng, anger rising, said, “The Wang family’s scheme is clever. They waited for the right moment. Our Lin family just suffered at the hands of pirates, taking heavy losses; everyone’s spirits are low. Now, they strike at my father, using him as bait to try to wipe out our family’s strength once and for all! What a vicious plan, what cruel tactics! Worse than any barbarian outsider.”

Bang! Lin Zhen’s fist crashed onto the table, his eyes blazing like copper bells. The water in his cup trembled as if sharing his fury.

“Hmph… Our ancestors helped them in their darkest times. Not only do they forget our kindness, but they repay us with betrayal. These sanctimonious traitors—I, Lin Zhen, would die with some of their men as my burial companions if it comes to that.”

“Second Uncle, calm yourself. Rest assured, we’ll make them pay dearly.”

Lin Zhen was furious, but not so much as to lose reason. “Feng’er, the bandits alone are hard enough. Now, with the cunning Wang family involved, we have no chance. Shouldn’t we ask Master Teng for help?”

“No, unless absolutely necessary, we can’t trouble Master Teng!” Lin Feng had his reasons for not relying on Prefect Teng, though it was inconvenient to explain to Lin Zhen now.

“What else can we do?” Lin Zhen pressed.

Lin Feng refilled his uncle’s cup. “Uncle, have some tea and calm your nerves.”

Lin Zhen took a sip, feeling his agitation subside. The cool tea soothed him, allowing clearer thought. He realized then that Lin Feng’s composure and analytical ability far surpassed his own, and he was deeply moved.

Lin Feng, seeing Lin Zhen calm, continued, “Uncle, I am so confident because I have ‘civilianized’ Heavenly Thunder.”

“Civilianized?”

“Yes, meaning it no longer requires complicated rituals to unleash Heavenly Thunder. Any ordinary person can do it now,” Lin Feng explained.

He didn’t want to reveal that all could now make gunpowder—it would diminish his ‘divine’ status among the people. So he invented the term “civilianized.”