Now it was Shang Lin's turn to pause. He was practically clueless about matters of love and romance; in fact, he had seen plenty but never experienced it himself, so he couldn't offer any suitable advice.

Seeing Ji Xiaoyao's conflicted expression, Shang Lin felt it would be inappropriate not to say something, so in the end he could only say, "You've waited so many years, what's a few more? I believe time will tell."

Ji Xiaoyao smiled sadly, "I hope so."

Shang Lin, "..."

Not knowing what to say, Shang Lin could only tell Ji Xiaoyao to rest well, and then he went back to his bedroom. However, after returning, he started receiving New Year's greetings on the phone, from his roommates and Li Hongjin.

Everyone seemed to be in a good mood, which made Shang Lin feel particularly at ease. So, regardless of everyone's mood, the first New Year after the establishment of the Yuntai Sect passed by just like that.

On the evening of the second day of the Lunar New Year, Huang Li and Huang Ying returned, bringing with them a litter of rabbits. Huang Li said, "There are fewer and fewer rabbits in the mountains, so we didn't catch many."

Shang Lin laughed and said, "Why are you catching rabbits? Aren't there some in the Dragon Spirit Tower? If all else fails, we can just buy a few pairs. Rabbits reproduce quickly anyway."

Huang Li said, "It's rare to go back now, and I'm afraid I won't have the chance to go back again. Bringing back a litter of rabbits will be a way to remember this place."

Hearing the young boy speak in such an old-fashioned way for a moment, Shang Lin was a little taken aback and puzzled. "Why is there no chance to go back? You can go back anytime you want."

Huang Li immediately expressed his thoughts, "I am the weakest in the sect. From now on, I will cultivate diligently and resolutely refuse to be the last one."

Shang Lin found it somewhat amusing, "You're still so young, what's the rush?"

Huang Li argued vehemently, "That won't do. Before, I was all alone in the mountains, and it felt great to be the king of the mountain. But now I'm a disciple of the Yuntai Sect, serving the sect leader, yet I'm utterly useless. How can that be acceptable?"

Not wanting to dampen the child's enthusiasm, Shang Lin said, "Whatever makes you happy, but remember that too much of a good thing can be bad."

"Um."

Xing Tian and Hu Tangdi didn't return until the seventh day of the first lunar month, when the Spring Festival holiday ended. He looked completely listless, which perfectly suited the temperament of a ghost.

In fact, if Hu Tangdi hadn't called Shang Lin these past few days to reassure him that they didn't need to worry about their safety, Shang Lin would have been starting to suspect that something had happened to them.

But Hu Tangdi didn't go into details on the phone. Shang Lin just thought that Xing Tian rarely came home and was reluctant to leave. But given the current situation, there was obviously something going on!

However, Shang Lin did not directly ask Xing Tian, ​​but instead asked Hu Tangdi what was going on.

Hu Tangdi spoke frankly, “After Xing Tian passed away, his relatives wanted to adopt a child for his family, citing that his parents had no children. But the adoption was a pretense; their real intention was to covet his family’s property. His mother became pregnant at an advanced age in a fit of anger. In the early stages of her pregnancy, when she was experiencing severe morning sickness, he was heartbroken but there was nothing he could do.”

Shang Lin fell silent instantly. Anyone would be saddened in this situation, but, "His mother is pregnant, so it's even less appropriate for him to stay with his parents. Why has he stayed for so long?"

"He didn't stay with his parents; I was secretly with them while he went to teach those awful relatives a lesson." Hu Tangdi remarked with rare emotion, "Sect Leader, humans are truly complex. Xing Tian said his parents have helped their relatives quite a bit over the years, but since he fell ill, they've been so focused on his treatment that they stopped caring about them. They never expected..."

"I never imagined that not long after his death, his relatives would start scheming to inherit his parents' fortune." Shang Lin couldn't help but sigh, "How cold-hearted people are!"

Hu Tangdi suddenly explained, "Sect Leader, I wasn't talking about you."

Shang Lin smiled, "I know, I'm not stupid."

Seeing the smile on the sect leader's face, Hu Tangdi secretly warned himself that the sect leader was human. No matter how different he was, he was still human. He must never make such a mistake again.

Their sect leader is easy to talk to, but that doesn't mean he's easy to bully. Besides, if this is said too often, what if the sect leader starts to believe it after a while? Public opinion can be very powerful; it's not that the more people say it, the better the effect will be, right?

Shang Lin didn't think as much as Hu Tangdi. What about humans and demon cultivators? What kind of life doesn't have good and bad? How can you generalize? But Xing Tian's situation can't be ignored.

Shang Lin suddenly realized that the things he, as the sect leader, dealt with were completely different from those dealt with in sects in the cultivation world, especially the emotional issues involved—why were there so many?

In the sects of the cultivation world, everyone is single-mindedly focused on cultivation, and everything they do is related to cultivation. Even if there is love and affection, the ultimate goal is still cultivation—dual cultivation.

Unlike in the mortal realm, where there are only a handful of people in sects now? Ji Xiaoyao is troubled by love, and Xing Tian is troubled by family ties. Sigh, it's a headache.

Regardless of whether he had a headache or not, Shang Lin, as the sect leader, still had to "charge into battle," otherwise how could everyone concentrate on their work if they were in a bad mood? How could the sect develop if they couldn't concentrate on their work?

So after Xing Tian rested for a day, on the evening of the ninth day of the first lunar month, Shang Lin had to ask him what he thought and what he wanted to do.

Xing Tian rested in the Dragon Spirit Tower for a day and his mood had improved. He felt even more embarrassed, especially seeing that the underage sect leader had to worry about him, an adult.

However, Xing Tian still spoke the truth, "I just hope my family can be safe, but my mother is an elderly mother, which is already dangerous. My relatives may not give up on her, so I'm a little worried. But I can't do anything right now, I can't even stay by their side."

Shang Lin paused for a moment before saying, "I can have Huang Ying protect your mother, but have you considered becoming their child again?"

Xing Tian was taken aback, and after a long while, he asked, "What do you mean by that, Sect Master?"

Shang Lin explained, "Simply put, I can let you be reborn into your family and become your parents' son again. I will still arrange for Huang Ying to protect you until you can take control of your family's business."

Xing Tian looked at Shang Lin in disbelief. "How is this possible? Besides, my mother doesn't even know if she's carrying a boy or a girl. Does this mean I've taken over the life of my own brother or sister?"

Shang Lin shook his head slightly, "No, it's still a piece of meat. However, your mother was an elderly pregnant woman, so the child she gave birth to might not be very healthy. You also died of illness before you died. Would you be willing to go through that again?"