C26 The Compensation from the Family

Although Wei Luchong was seething with anger, he managed to keep his wits about him.

He was acutely aware that, despite being regarded as the leader of the Wei family's younger generation, there were still formidable youths within the clan.

If the Silent Elegance Pavilion had been claimed by these young experts, then Wei Luchong would have no choice but to accept it.

Wei Luchong was known for his domineering ways, but he was far from foolish. The young experts in the Wei family were significantly older than him, and their abilities far surpassed his own. Some of them were exceptionally gifted and had already attained the Body Refining Stage.

Competing with such masters for the Silent Elegance Pavilion would only bring him unnecessary hardship.

With this in mind, he patiently inquired about who had taken over the Silent Elegance Pavilion. His rage ignited when he learned that it was occupied by someone who had been exiled to Lindorin Town as a worthless outcast just a year prior.

At that moment, he was itching to storm the Silent Elegance Pavilion, drag Wei Lulin out, and pummel him into disability—to make him understand his place.

Yet, he refrained, bottling up his fury, which twisted his handsome features into a menacing scowl.

Firstly, the Silent Elegance Pavilion was under the protection of experts, with the leading figure already in the Body Refining Stage, making it impossible for Wei Luchong to force his way in.

Secondly, he needed to uncover why the family had decided to award the Silent Elegance Pavilion to Wei Lulin, a man deemed incapable of cultivation.

"Do you have any idea why the family would bestow the Silent Elegance Pavilion upon Wei Lulin, that waste?" he demanded.

The young servant hastily shook his head, his voice tinged with bewilderment, "Young Master Kuang, I'm just as clueless."

"All I know is that Wei Lulin was escorted here this morning by the Eighth Elder himself. They even brought out a Middle Rank Grade Nine Magical Beast for his transport. Subsequently, the patriarch and several elders welcomed him in the Conference Hall, and right after, he settled into the Silent Elegance Pavilion."

Realizing his subordinate was in the dark about the situation, Wei Luchong was filled with frustration. Nevertheless, he sensed that the issue was far from straightforward.

The family had initially agreed to grant him the Silent Elegance Pavilion, but had abruptly transferred it to someone else. There had to be an extraordinary reason behind this sudden change, and he was determined to uncover it before making his next move.

Upon this realization, he commanded, "Mobilize all available resources and uncover the cause with utmost haste."

"Yes, Young Master Kuang," the youth replied with deference, promptly turning to depart.

Watching the servant leave, Wei Luchong rose and ascended the stairs, his gaze darkening as he peered out at the Silent Elegance Pavilion in the near distance. A chilling sneer curled the corner of his mouth.

"Wei Lulin, regardless of why the family holds you in such high regard, if you dare to claim what rightfully belongs to me, you will face my wrath."

Inside the Silent Elegance Pavilion's Cultivation Room, Wei Lulin's heart swelled with joy as he sensed the rich spiritual energy. It was no mystery why the Silent Elegance Pavilion ranked among the top ten structures of the Wei family; not only was it set in a picturesque environment, but it also brimmed with an abundance of spiritual energy.

Young and inexperienced, Wei Lulin was unaware that the Wei family, renowned for their Pills, had situated their headquarters far from the heart of the capital city for reasons beyond the specific environmental needs for growing herbs. A significant factor was the presence of a Middle Rank Grade Ten Spirit Vein at this location.

Although it was the most basic type of Spirit Vein, the spiritual Qi it inadvertently released was sufficient to sustain the cultivation needs of thousands. Naturally, utilizing the Spirit Vein in such a direct manner would be the least efficient approach. Hence, the Wei family's masters employed specialized techniques to collect and concentrate the Spirit Qi from the Spirit Vein, distributing it across several strategic points.

The Silent Elegance Pavilion was merely one such location!

Oblivious to the true value of the Spirit Vein, Wei Lulin didn't dwell on the spiritual Qi within the Cultivation Room. Instead, his attention was captivated by several items arrayed before him.

Before him lay a modest collection of Spirit Stones.

Thirty Spirit Stones the size of thumbs were present—twenty of Grade Ten Low Rank and ten of Grade Nine Low Rank.

Additionally, there were three jade bottles.

The first bottle held five Qi Increasing Pills, each the size of a cherry, while the second contained a slightly gray, cherry-sized pill.

This grayish pill was the Wei family's trademark Vein Enhancing Pill.

The Vein Enhancing Pill is a medicinal pill designed to fortify the meridians. The ingredients in the Vein Enhancing Pill are all herbs known for their meridian-strengthening properties. You might wonder why, if the Wei family had access to such herbs, they didn't provide one to Wei Lulin earlier.

This is a common misunderstanding. Strengthening meridians and repairing them are two distinct processes. Strengthening involves reinforcing the meridians after they have been nourished by spirit Qi, using the power of the pill to make them more resilient and to widen them.

The herbs capable of affecting the meridians in such a way are exceedingly rare. Within the Wei family, Vein Enhancing Pills are scarce, with only two or three produced each year.

The scarcity isn't due to the Wei family's Pill Masters' inability to craft them. The Vein Enhancing Pill is, after all, a High Level Grade Ten pill, which the Pill Masters can refine without much difficulty. The limited production is due to the rarity of the necessary herbs, making mass production unfeasible. Only Wei family members with a Cultivation Talent of Grade Eight or higher are granted a Vein Enhancing Pill every three years.

Receiving a Low Rank Grade Ten Vein Enhancing Pill every three years offers limited benefits for meridian strengthening. However, this isn't an issue for Wei Lulin. On the contrary, he can make better use of the Vein Enhancing Pill to fortify his meridians, broaden their width, and enhance his foundation.

The final pill in the collection is the Heart Cleansing Pill, a Middle Rank Grade Ten pill. It's designed to purify the spirit and eliminate impurities, making it ideal for his current use. The only drawback is its scarcity; there's just one pill available.

In addition to the Spirit Stone and pills, there's also a steel knife refined ten times. Wei Lulin grasped the knife and swung it around a few times, noting that its quality was significantly lower than the steel knife he had used previously. Despite not being as high-quality as the last one, it felt comfortable in his hand, and he had no intention of replacing it. His former steel knife, he left behind in Lindorin Town.

The steel blade in question belonged to the Jiaang family, identifiable by the unique symbol etched upon it. While its use in the Endless Forest posed no issue, wielding it in Looh City or in the presence of the Jiaang family could potentially lead to unnecessary complications. Wei Lulin was not one to shy away from trouble, yet he saw no reason to court it when it could be easily avoided.

In addition to the steel blade, he possessed a leather armor crafted from the hide of a magical beast. Upon testing the armor, he found that even with his Qi Refining Stage Level Two abilities and the Ten-refinement Steel Blade, he was unable to penetrate its defenses, a testament to the armor's exceptional quality.

These four items were the Wei family's way of compensating him upon his return. Indeed, they were merely a part of his recompense, for he was also entitled to the privileges befitting a direct disciple of the Wei family.