Chapter Fifty-Six: Lin Yue’er

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Out of goodwill, Lin Lei decided to postpone recalling the Qian Sect followers in Langfang, but he made a subjective error that would lead to a series of major losses. But that is a matter for later and not to be discussed for now.

At this moment, Lin Lei once again visited the Lin family and met with Lin Shiyin. Given his “seniority” within the Lin clan, even old Master Lin Shiyin had no choice but to follow his lead. With just a few words, Lin Lei set the future course for the family—mining.

As for mineral resources, whether they were government-owned mines or foreign private operations, as long as they were near Tianjin, all were to be catalogued and summarized. When the time came, Lin Lei would have his own means of securing the rights to mine them.

At the same time, Lin Lei instructed Lin Shiyin to buy up all sorts of ores in large quantities; as long as they could be shipped to Tanggu, the more, the better. Ever since he had made a handsome profit from the last batch of black iron ore, Lin Lei had been coveting all kinds of mineral resources.

According to the system’s recycling mechanism, semi-finished products processed from smelting were the most valuable, raw ore came next, while exquisitely crafted ornaments were the least profitable. Therefore, to Lin Lei, exchanging crafted goods for raw ore was the most lucrative business.

In the real world, he had no way to obtain mining rights, but in these turbulent times, if even a foreign merchant could get such rights, how could he, the illustrious “Master Qianyuan,” fail to command the same respect?

After giving instructions to Lin Shiyin, Lin Lei did not linger and headed straight back to the Zuoying Battery.

Not long after Lin Lei left the Lin family residence, a carriage arrived at the front gate.

“The third young lady has returned! The third young lady is back!” The voice of a servant echoed through the courtyard.

“Hmph! She still remembers how to come home? Had I known this girl would turn out so wild, I never should have sent her to study in the West! Now she’s barely home for a few days at a time—what sort of propriety is that?” Lin Shiyin’s expression betrayed a faint anger.

Before long, the steward came to report that after returning home, the third young lady had gone straight to the family accounts office, asking to withdraw some silver.

“Don’t give her a single coin! Go tell the accountant that the Lin family now needs a large amount of cash to fulfill the task entrusted to us by the Seventh Elder. Aside from basic household expenses, all unnecessary spending is forbidden!” Lin Shiyin instructed the steward.

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Purchasing raw ore was an enormous expense, especially since Lin Lei’s instructions were to buy as much as possible.

Yet even as Lin Lei left the Lin residence, he did not give Lin Shiyin a single copper coin. Naturally, Lin Shiyin took this task as a test for the Lin family—he would see it through even if he had to sell the family estate.

Shortly after the steward left, a young woman in white, dressed in practical attire, hurried into Lin Shiyin’s study and blurted out, “Grandfather, when did our family suddenly acquire a mysterious Seventh Great-Uncle? And now we have to pool all our money to help him with his affairs—could we have fallen for a con artist?”

Lin Yue’er, who had studied in Europe in her early years, considered herself an intellectual elite and looked down on the ignorance and backwardness of her fellow countrymen. Of course, like other overseas students, having suffered much bullying abroad, she was determined to help improve the situation at home.

Thus, since her return, she was rarely home, busy with her own business ventures. But to accomplish big things, funding was essential; as the third young lady of the Lin family, she naturally regarded the family fortune as her personal treasury.

Now that someone had broken into her little treasury, Lin Yue’er could hardly remain calm.

“Insolence! The Seventh Elder is the head of the Qian Sect of the Boxers, a celestial immortal descended to earth—how dare you slander him?” Lin Shiyin rebuked angrily. He blamed himself for having spoiled his granddaughter, making her increasingly unruly.

“Isn’t the head of the Qian Sect the nineteenth brother?” Lin Yue’er muttered under her breath.

“What was that?” Lin Shiyin didn’t catch her words.

“Nothing... I’m just curious. I heard in Tianjin that the head of the Qian Sect is only nineteen years old. How did he suddenly become our great-uncle?” Lin Yue’er probed indirectly.

“Who is that Liu Chengxiang anyway? Just because he learned a few tricks, he thinks he can open a sect on his own? He even dares to compete with the Celestial Master Qianyuan for followers. In the end, he provoked the immortal’s descent. If Master Qianyuan hadn’t been merciful and only reclaimed his title without punishing Liu Chengxiang, the nineteenth brother would have been struck by lightning long ago.” Although retired from office, Lin Shiyin still had connections in the capital and knew a thing or two about the Boxers.

Now, Lin Shiyin had become the very image of a superstitious zealot; aside from Lin Lei, the “Celestial Master Qianyuan,” he considered all other immortals mere charlatans.

“So Seventh Great-Uncle is that impressive! Where is he now? I’d like to meet him and ask him to teach me some magic.” Lin Yue’er’s eyes sparkled as she hit upon an idea.

“Earlier, the foreign devils led a great army to attack the Dagu Forts. The Seventh Elder fought alone against a hundred thousand of them. But having just descended from the heavens and lost much of his power, he could only slay fifty thousand with one strike. By the time he prepared a second attack, the rest had already fled. Worried they might return, he stayed on with the army as a safeguard,” Lin Shiyin explained.

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Previously, to establish his authority, Lin Lei had boasted to Lin Shiyin that he fought alone against ten thousand enemies and killed five thousand. In reality, even counting the eleven warships destroyed later by drone attacks, the total number of enemy casualties was just over two thousand three hundred.

But Lin Shiyin proved an even greater braggart, multiplying Lin Lei’s exaggerations tenfold.

Lin Yue’er scoffed inwardly; how could she not know that the entire Eight-Nation Alliance invading force totaled less than thirty thousand, so where did a hundred thousand come from?

She became all the more convinced that this so-called Seventh Great-Uncle was a fraud. Fortunately, she had already learned his whereabouts from her grandfather; now all she needed was to expose his lies face to face.

Lin Yue’er’s plans were unknown to Lin Lei, who, upon returning to the Zuoying Battery, immediately shut himself away to restore his divine power.

Even the cheapest Rejuvenation Pill cost twenty contribution points; unless it was an emergency, Lin Lei was loath to waste them.

After the great victory at the Dagu Forts, Luo Rongguang wanted to telegraph the Forbidden City at once, but found himself at a loss as he drafted the message.

In previous wars, even repelling a minor enemy charge could be called a major victory—killing ten, wounding a hundred, and it was hailed as a triumph.

But in this battle, an entire thousand-strong landing party of the Alliance had been annihilated, eleven warships seized, and vast amounts of weapons and ammunition captured. To report this truthfully would be earth-shattering!

Recently, Luo Rongguang had learned through contacts in the capital that the Empress Dowager was wavering about launching a full-scale war. The foreigners in the Tianjin concessions had joined forces, and Russian troops in the north were massing at Shanhaiguan.

With so many armies converging, even if the Dagu entrance was held, the coastline was long; couldn’t the Allies simply land somewhere else?

There was only one Celestial Master Qianyuan—ruthless and unpredictable—and he had claimed all the spoils of war for himself. No one knew how to deal with him.

If he was unwilling or unable to cover all fronts at once, and the court rashly declared war, would that not make enemies of all the foreigners?