Shang Lin naturally had no idea what Xing Tian was thinking, but replied with a normal expression: "After all, this is the first New Year since the founding of our Yuntai Sect. We should celebrate it happily and in a lively manner. Some fruits and vegetables can be crossed out. After all, money should be spent where it is needed and saved where it is needed. If it is lost, it can be earned back."

Xing Tian, ​​"..."

Looking at Shang Lin with a very complicated expression, she said, "Even so, doesn't the Sect Master feel the pinch from spending all that money?"

Shang Lin said in a particularly cooperative tone, "It hurts to spend the money, but it's precisely because of this pain that we are motivated to work harder to earn more money, isn't it? Speaking of which, do you want to go home for the New Year?"

The finance manager, still feeling the pinch of the money, immediately stopped, and after a long pause, asked uncertainly, "I... I can go home?!"

Shang Lin said earnestly, "Originally, it wasn't possible, but the New Year is a time for family reunion, and you haven't been gone for long. Let Hu Tangdi take you back to visit, and it won't have any impact on your parents."

Xing Tian's eyes immediately reddened. "Thank you, Sect Master."

Shang Lin said casually, "Why are you thanking me? It was Hu Tangdi who brought you home, not me."

"But if I hadn't met the sect leader, I would have become Ji Xiaoyao's food long ago. How would I have had the chance to go home and see my parents?" Xing Tian said this, but immediately went to "lick" Hu Tangdi's boots, "Thank you for your trouble, junior sister."

Shang Lin laughed and said, "If you hadn't insisted on following me, you wouldn't have met Ji Xiaoyao. Alright, see when it's a good day and go back to visit him."

Xing Tian was beaming with joy. "I'll do it as soon as possible so as not to delay everyone's preparations for the New Year."

Hu Tangdi was somewhat dissatisfied with the sect leader's arrangement and ignored Xing Tian, ​​directly asking Shang Lin, "Why didn't the sect leader let the little snake take him home?"

Shang Lin smiled warmly at Hu Tangdi and said, "Didn't you say that yin and yang are the most suitable match?"

Hu Tangdi glanced at "Old Man Chai" subconsciously, and immediately lost all interest, only saying sullenly, "The sect leader is right."

"Old Man Chai" showed no reaction whatsoever, as if he hadn't noticed Hu Tangdi's gaze at all.

Upon hearing the sect leader tell Xing Tian to go home, Huang Li hurriedly asked, "Sect leader, can I go back to the mountains for a couple of days? I haven't been back since I met you."

Before Shang Lin could even speak, Huang Ying said first, "You've already taken human form, and you're still thinking about playing all day? You should use your time to cultivate diligently instead of playing. Do you want to stay a little boy forever?"

Huang Li looked at Huang Ying with a very aggrieved expression, "Fine, if I don't want to play, I won't."

Shang Lin reached out and patted Huang Li's head. "Play if you want. You can't keep cultivating all the time. It's important to balance work and rest, but safety can't be ignored."

Huang Li's eyes immediately lit up. "Yes, Sect Master, I will protect myself."

Shang Lin naturally wouldn't let Huang Li act alone, so he had Huang Ying accompany her. She was just a child, she should play when she wanted to play, what was the point of focusing on cultivation?

Then Shang Lin began his New Year's shopping spree. Fruits and vegetables available in the Dragon Spirit Tower were crossed out, as were chicken and rabbit meat, but pork, beef, mutton, and fish were unavailable and had to be purchased.

Shang Lin, bundled up tightly, accompanied She Jinxing, looking like they were shopping at the cafeteria. One day, when he went to buy pork and She Jinxing went to buy beef and mutton, they encountered Meng Zhe and his father.

When Meng Fanyu saw Shang Lin, his expression was very complicated, and he seemed to want to say something but hesitated. Meng Zhe, on the other hand, asked him, just like before, why he was out buying New Year's goods alone.

Shang Lin told the truth, "My godfather has poor eyesight, so I came alone."

Meng Fanyu finally couldn't help but say, "When you came to visit during the Spring Festival, Meng Zhe said that your grades were among the best, so please help him out too."

Shang Lin was taken aback. What did this blatant invitation mean? However, since the karmic ties between him and Meng Fanyu had been severed, and he didn't want to have any further contact with him, he immediately refused, saying, "My godfather has poor eyesight, and I won't go out unless absolutely necessary. Besides, Meng Zhe's academic performance is not bad, and he doesn't need my help."

Meng Fanyu didn't insist, but just smiled apologetically, "Then you should go buy things quickly, so you don't get home late."

"Okay, goodbye Uncle, goodbye Meng Zhe."

When Shang Lin returned home, She Jinxing, who had been following him invisibly, immediately revealed himself and asked, puzzled, "Why didn't the sect leader agree to his request? Let's see what he's up to?"

“Shopping is really physically demanding, even more tiring than cultivation.” Shang Lin slumped onto the sofa. “It’s the New Year, why should I care what he’s up to? If it’s good news, great, but if it’s bad news, it’ll just be more upsetting. It’s our sect’s first New Year in the mortal realm, and I especially want to have a happy time. But he’s probably contacting me because of Meng Zhe. I told him before that I would help if I could.”

She Jinxing put all the things he was carrying into the kitchen, and Qiu Niang and Huang Ying would take care of tidying them up. "As for Meng Zhe's matter, does the sect leader want to help?"

Huang Li thoughtfully poured Shang Lin a cup of hot water, saying, "Sect Leader, you've worked hard. Have some water first." This was absolutely sincere, because meat was his favorite food, and the fact that the Sect Leader bought meat was equivalent to buying it for him.

Shang Lin took the water glass and smiled, suddenly feeling a sense of pride, like watching a child grow up. "Thank you."

Then he looked at She Jinxing and replied, "Of course I will help. Besides, Meng Zhe has the destiny of a nobleman. I must bring him into my family. However, this matter cannot be rushed. After all, the Meng family is not an ordinary family. It is not easy to win them over."

Initially, Ji Xiaoyao insisted on his own sect and refused to switch to the Divine Lord's sect. Shang Lin thought he was old-fashioned, but his persistence was not an isolated case.

But Ji Xiaoyao is an individual, no longer belonging to any sect or school. As for his master, no one knows how many years ago he passed away. That's why Shang Lin thinks he's old-fashioned. But Meng Zhe is different.

Not only does the Meng family exist, but Meng Zhe's father is also alive and well, and in his prime. Bringing such a person into the family is no different from outright robbery.

But She Jinxing didn't think that way. He said, "If Meng Zhe joining our sect can help him prolong his life, what reason do they have to refuse? Meng Fanyu would do anything for his son. This isn't taking his life. He would be eager to send him here."

Shang Lin sighed, "That's true, but some people don't put their lives first. Take Ji Xiaoyao, for example. If he had put his own life first, why did he die so tragically? It was because he had his own convictions, even his beliefs, that made him willing to give his life. Meng Fanyu was willing to give up his own life to save his son, but if he were to let the Meng family's genius switch allegiance to someone else, that would be forgetting his roots, and he would never agree to that."

She Jinxing was completely confused by Shang Lin's words. Wasn't this a contradiction? After a long while, she asked, "So, does Meng Fanyu want to save his son, or not?"