Chapter Twenty: The Clan Comparison Begins

  When the morning sun broke through the shackles of the clouds and cast its rays on this land, the Lin family was also suddenly bustling with activity, a lively atmosphere enveloping the entire estate.

  When Lin Xiao brought Lin Dong and Qing Tan to the Clan Trial Pavilion, it was already quite lively here. At a glance, there were not many people.

  The Lin family is in Qingyang Town, although it can't be considered a top-notch force, but it's also considered to have some weight, so there are many distinguished guests coming to observe this family comparison. On the one hand, they want to build relationships, and on the other hand, they also want to take the opportunity to see the ability of the younger generation of the Lin family. After all, for such a family, excellent new blood is extremely important.

  If all these younger generations are mediocre, then this family will decline sooner or later.

  Although it was not the first time he had seen such a scene, Lin Dong's heart still tightened slightly, after all, this time, he also had to take action and show his face.

  Lin Xiao patted Lin Dong's shoulder to signal him not to be nervous, then led the two of them straight towards the VIP seats in front of the trial hall.

  At this moment, there were already many people sitting and standing in the VIP seats of the trial hall, chatting and laughing with each other.

  In the middle of the VIP seat, a slightly thin middle-aged man with a smile on his face was chatting with several guests who seemed to have some status in Qingyang Town. Suddenly, his eyes caught sight of Lin Xiao and others, and he was taken aback for a moment before frowning imperceptibly.

  In previous years' gatherings, Lin Xiao would not show up at all, and occasionally when he did attend, he would stand in an inconspicuous corner, drawing no attention to himself. This time, however, was the first time in all these years that he had made a beeline for the VIP seat.

  On the left side of the thin middle-aged man, two young men stood, who were none other than Lin Hong and Lin Shan, the two brothers with a distant relationship with Lin Dong. Judging from their appearance, the former should be the father of the two, that guy Lin Pan, who had an extremely bad relationship with Lin Xiao.

  As for Lin Meng's gaze, Lin Xiao seemed to be unaware of it, his pace unbroken. However, just as he was about to walk past him, the former suddenly smiled and held a teacup in his hand, seemingly casual: "Third brother, how come you're willing to leave your place this time?"

  Lin Xiao's footsteps paused, and he glanced at his half-brother, with whom he had a very bad relationship since childhood. A smile also appeared on his face as he asked, "Is there a problem?"

  Seeing the smile on Lin Xiao's face, Lin Meng was taken aback. This smile had already lost its original decadence, and this discovery made him feel a little uncomfortable. He said lightly: "Nothing's wrong, it's just that today is a big day for my Lin family. Since you're out, I hope you won't lose face for the Lin family."

  Lin Xiao smiled slightly, but didn't seem to notice the sarcasm in Lin Meng's words. He simply brushed past him and sat down at a nearby seat.

  "Hmm."

  Lin Xiao's actions made Lin Meng's face slightly awkward, and he let out a cold snort.

  "Haha, Lin Meng brother, is this the Lin Xiao who was once said to have the best chance of entering the Yuan Dan realm among the Lin family?" A man beside him asked with a smile.

  "It's just a rumor, don't take it seriously." Lin Meng said with a light smile.

  "Haha, indeed. Lin Meng is now the most likely person in the Lin family to enter the Yuan Dan realm. It seems that we will have opportunities to cooperate more in the future." The man said with a smile, his words having a slightly flattering tone. Two years ago, Lin Meng had successfully entered the Tianyuan realm and became the third Tianyuan expert in the Lin family. In these two years, he was entrusted with important tasks and controlled the financial power of the Lin family. Compared to him, Lin Xiao, who had been in decline for many years, seemed to have been forgotten by people.

  Although he knew it was a flattering remark, Lin Meng couldn't help but curve up the corners of his mouth into a smile as he listened.

  "Dad, don't worry, when the time comes and Lin Dong suffers a crushing defeat, his face won't look good." Behind Lin Feng's back, Lin Hong also seemed to know that Lin Feng was unhappy, and he opened his mouth with a light smile.

  "Alright."

  Upon hearing this, Lin Pan smiled again and nodded slowly.

  …

  "I hate that guy."

  Qingtan sat down beside Lin Xiao, muttering discontentedly, "I also saw how difficult Lin Meng was being earlier."

  "It's just a temporary advantage."

  Lin Xiao shook his head indifferently, just about to speak, when his gaze suddenly turned towards the direction of the gate. There, a large crowd surged in, and at the forefront of the crowd was an old man with a full head of white hair. The old man wore a brocade robe, giving off a rather rugged impression, and his eyes swept across the room with a hint of majesty.

  This man is the current master of the Lin family, and also Lin Xiao's father, as well as Lin Dong's grandfather, Lin Zhen Tian.

  Behind Lin Zhen Tian, there was a middle-aged man following closely behind him. Beside him, Lin Xia, dressed in a cheongsam, stood elegantly, her slender figure attracting the attention of many young men who had passed by.

  As soon as Lin Zhentian appeared, the trial hall was in an uproar. Everyone quickly stood up, and he was considered a number one figure in Qingyang Town. He had come here alone back then and had fought his way to establish the current Lin family. When it came to his methods and abilities, many people couldn't help but admire him.

  Lin Zhen Tian smiled and greeted the dignitaries, then stopped at the central position of his seat. As he stopped in his tracks, his gaze happened to see Lin Xiao standing up not far away. He was taken aback for a moment, then quickly walked over.

  "Father."

  Watching Lin Zhentian walk over, Lin Xiao's fists clenched involuntarily as he stood up and bowed.

  "So you've finally decided to come see me?"

  Looking at Lin Xiao in front of him, Lin Zhen Tian's eyes were also somewhat complicated, and he said lightly.

  At that time, Lin Xiao was the son he had invested the most in. Although his later defeat made him disappointed, what made him even more disappointed was Lin Xiao's decadence.

  The old man was equally stubborn. After Lin Xiao's decline, he too had lost all enthusiasm and never took the initiative to meet again, no matter what thoughts were in his mind.

  "Dad, I'm sorry." Lin Xiao said in a low voice, he knew how much disappointment his decadence over the years had brought to Lin Zhen Tian.

  "Grandpa..."

  On the side, Lin Dong and Qing Tan also opened their mouths and shouted.

  "Hehe, it's Dong'er and Qingtan, you've both grown a lot taller..." Upon hearing the two calling out to him, Lin Shentian finally had a smile appear on his face, and he affectionately patted their heads.

  "It's good that you're here, at least you didn't wait until I was in my coffin before coming." Lin Zhen Tian's gaze turned to Lin Xiao again, and he spoke, his voice trembling slightly as he did so. It seemed that beneath the surface, he wasn't as calm as he appeared.

  "Heh heh, Father Lin, as long as the Third Young Master is willing to come out, that's all that matters. No need to worry about it anymore. Besides, there are still many guests today." The middle-aged man who had been following behind Lin Shentian also spoke up with a smile.

  Lin Zhen Tian let out a sigh and looked at Lin Xiao again before turning back to his seat.

  "Big brother." Lin Xiao looked at the middle-aged man with gratitude and said.

  A middle-aged man smiled and nodded, then patted Lin Dong's shoulder, saying: "Dong'er, this time the clan comparison, don't lose your father's face."

  "Yes, great uncle."

  Lin nodded slightly, this person was his elder uncle, named Lincoln, and he was also Lin Xia's father.

  Lin Xia was remembered, Lin Dong's eyes shifted, and then he saw the young girl behind the middle-aged man, waving her small fist at him, urging him to add oil.

  Lincoln chatted with Lin Xiao for a bit before leading Lin Xia back to her seat, and as the crowd took their seats, the trial hall gradually quieted down.

  One by one, the gazes were fixed on Lin Zhen Tian who was in first place.

  The Lin family is here, let's officially begin!