"But... but Auntie Xin has a gun, and the people she brought with her, everyone has a gun..."
Xiaoxuan didn't finish her sentence.
As a cultivator, she was well aware of the power of these modern weapons. Even at the Foundation Establishment stage, one was helpless against a handgun, unless they reached the Core Formation stage.
But the difficulty of reaching Core Formation was immense. Although Lin Xiao Tian seemed omnipotent in her eyes, she still had to respect reality.
Hearing her daughter's words, Li Xue didn't know how to respond.
A long silence ensued between the two.
Just then, a voice sounded next to them.
"I'm fine..."
"Who!"
Upon hearing the voice, Xiaoxuan instinctively became alert.
She quickly pulled Li Xue to a corner, positioning herself in front and warily scanning their surroundings.
As a cultivator, her perception was keen, yet she hadn't detected the voice that was so close to her.
After they retreated to the corner, they finally saw who it was.
Li Xue was stunned.
"Xiao Tian, is that you?"
Lin Xiao Tian nodded.
Xiaoxuan was also surprised.
"Dad? You're not dead?"
Lin Xiao Tian spread his hands helplessly. Just moments ago, this little girl had been praying for his well-being!
"Shh! Keep your voice down!" Xiaoxuan's voice was a bit too loud, and Li Xue quickly reminded her.
But Lin Xiao Tian calmly waved his hand, indicating it was fine.
"Don't worry, this area is within my domain. No matter how loud the sound inside, it won't be heard outside."
Hearing the word "domain," Xiaoxuan's eyes lit up.
"Domain?"
"Dad, you've reached Core Formation?"
Lin Xiao Tian shook his head.
"The path is narrow, young lady. It's Nascent Soul stage."
Facing his daughter, he saw no need for modesty.
"Otherwise, how could I have come back to see you?"
"Really? Dad! You're amazing."
Xiaoxuan immediately moved closer to Lin Xiao Tian, scrutinizing him as if he were a giant panda.
"Lin Xiaoxuan!" Seeing her daughter's lack of decorum again, Li Xue couldn't help but cough.
"Haha, it's fine. I haven't seen you two for a long time either."
"Xiao Tian, I missed you so much."
After speaking, Li Xue nestled into Lin Xiao Tian's embrace.
"Ahem, ahem, ahem, it's not appropriate for a young lady. Mind your influence," Xiaoxuan mimicked Li Xue's tone.
Li Xue's face instantly turned red, but she didn't pull away from Lin Xiao Tian. "You little brat!"
After their long separation, the three chatted merrily for a while.
Lin Xiao Tian inquired about their recent situation.
Having seen them being monitored earlier, Lin Xiao Tian was very concerned.
"Why don't you move out?"
Lin Xiao Tian's words carried a hidden meaning, his intention being for Li Xue to separate from the Yang family.
"Xiao Tian, Yang Xin won't harm me. Besides, if I leave the Yang family, other places might not accept me," Li Xue said, looking into Lin Xiao Tian's eyes.
In fact, Li Xue was considered one of the core members of the Yang family's branch. Over the years, as Yang Xin's status rose, she had also gained some influence within the Yang family.
Because of this connection, the Lin family would not easily accept them.
Lin Xiao Tian felt guilty.
Facing Li Xue's predicament, he suddenly realized he had no solution.
The Lin family was now managed by Lin Jiong, and he couldn't interfere with the family's internal affairs casually. Moreover, even if he forcibly protected Li Xue and Xiaoxuan, he couldn't guarantee what might happen in the future.
The children had grown up; they were no longer naive youngsters with their own agendas. If Xiaoxuan went to the Lin family, it would mean competing for resources with them.
Xiaoxuan was not cunning, and Lin Xiao Tian truly feared for her safety.
Lin Xiao Tian sighed, stroking Li Xue's head, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
Xiaoxuan, standing nearby, giggled mischievously.
She had never seen her mother display such a vulnerable side before.
"Don't worry, as long as I'm here, you will be fine."
This was the only guarantee Lin Xiao Tian could offer.
Li Xue nestled in Lin Xiao Tian's embrace and nodded gently.
Before leaving, Lin Xiao Tian gave Xiaoxuan some dragon blood.
With this dragon blood, Xiaoxuan's physique would be further strengthened.
Lin Xiao Tian wanted to compensate Xiaoxuan, as her situation was more awkward compared to his other children.
On one hand, Li Xue insisted that Xiaoxuan take the Lin surname, which meant Xiaoxuan could never be truly valued by the Yang family.
On the other hand, Yang Xin, in order to secure Xiaoxuan's loyalty, had been actively projecting an image that Xiaoxuan was on her side, which made the Lin family abandon any thoughts of bringing Xiaoxuan back.
After completing these tasks, Lin Xiao Tian returned to the Lin family.
The next day, it was as if nothing had happened.
Lin Xiao Tian left early, took a stroll around Jiang City, and visited some old friends.
Wei Long was now the deputy general manager of the Jiang Corporation. As an old friend of Lin Xiao Tian, Lin Jiong had specifically given him the position that Lin Xiao Tian had stepped down from.
Wei Long's second role was to secretly restrain the Jiang Corporation.
Lin Jiong had granted Wei Long sufficient authority, enabling him to successfully cultivate a force within the Jiang Corporation that could rival the original Jiang family. Coupled with Jiang Li's lack of ability, the Jiang Corporation was now entirely under the Lin family's control.
All shares of the Fang family had also been recovered. Currently, the management of the Fang family was Lin Liwen's son, Fang Lin. Of course, the actual controller of the Fang Group remained the Lin family.
Jinsha Village had also transformed completely, becoming a tourist sanctuary. To protect its pristine environment, regulations were even implemented to limit the number of tourists. It was said that one had to queue to visit, with the earliest available appointment being ten years later.
The prices in Jinsha Village had multiplied several times over. Despite being a remote mountain village, its prices were more than ten times higher than those in Jiang City.
This couldn't be blamed on tourists being foolish and having too much money; it was primarily because Jinsha Village was backed by Black Mountain, where the fish and meat were naturally of excellent quality, and the local security was also comprehensive, attracting many visitors.
When Lin Xiao Tian arrived at Jinsha Village, he almost couldn't get in, but he encountered an acquaintance.
"Ermao, after so many years, you've grown this tall?"
Lin Xiao Tian couldn't help but lament the passage of time and the changes it brought.
Ermao was just a child back then, and in the blink of an eye, he was now a six-foot-three-inch tall man.
Ermao now ran a guesthouse in the village. Thanks to the development of Jinsha Village, he was living quite comfortably and had even gotten married.
"Brother Xiao Tian, after all these years, you haven't changed a bit," Ermao looked at Lin Xiao Tian intently.
He recognized Lin Xiao Tian because Lin Xiao Tian hadn't aged a day in decades, appearing even younger than himself.
"Good maintenance," Lin Xiao Tian smiled faintly.
"Brother Xiao Tian, shall I take you to see the village chief? She'll definitely be thrilled to see you."
"Who is the village chief now?" Lin Xiao Tian thought for a moment. "Could it be Erguai?"
Li Erguai was the caretaker of the fish pond, and he was also young. Since he had followed Lin Xiao Tian back then, Lin Xiao Tian naturally thought Li Erguai had a high chance.
"Brother Erguai..." Ermao paused. "Brother Erguai moved away a few years ago."
"Moved away? Why? Weren't they developing here?" Lin Xiao Tian was somewhat surprised.
Li Erguai wasn't very bright, but Zhang Xuefen was very shrewd. How could she miss out on such a good opportunity?
"I heard he offended someone." Ermao glanced meaningfully at Lin Xiao Tian. "Brother Xiao Tian, Brother Xiaoming came looking for him back then, and the next day Brother Erguai moved away with his family."
Lin Xiao Tian was taken aback.
Xiaoming was from the Lin family, meaning the Lin family had instructed Li Erguai to leave.
"Don't you know, Brother Xiao Tian?"
Lin Xiao Tian shook his head.
"Brother Xiao Tian, Brother Erguai is actually a good person. I think there might be some misunderstanding," Ermao said, hesitating.
Lin Xiao Tian did not answer him.
If the Lin family had acted this way, it was likely due to Li Erguai's past actions. Lin Xiao Tian was willing to overlook those matters, but the later generations of the Lin family might not think so.
However, Lin Xiao Tian still felt a pang of reluctance.
After all, Li Erguai had helped him a lot back then, and Lin Xiao Tian hoped he could live a normal life.