One morning, he awoke as the son of a Mafia Godfather. Since being an ordinary person was clearly impossible, he resolved to live the next life to the fullest! Long Live The Godfather: Building an Underworld Empire! Author: Bei Hu ※※※※※※※※※※ Lin Tao-li froze for a long moment before finally managing a wry chuckle. "Elder He, Tao-li has indeed been rude."

He Yiming, standing nearby, was inwardly astonished. He had no idea what a nominal disciple of Hengshan represented, but judging by Lin Tao-li’s reaction, he knew it must be a force not to be underestimated, or Lin Tao-li wouldn't be so visibly moved.

"No matter. I am merely a nominal disciple as well," He Wude shook his head. "Since I am not an official disciple, it is natural that I wouldn't catch Young Master Lin's eye."

Lin Tao-li offered a few polite retractions, hesitated briefly, and then said, "Elder, I understand your meaning. You wish for Brother Yiming to go to Hengshan, correct?"

"Precisely," He Wude stated without hesitation, his tone allowing for no compromise.

He Yiming felt a slight pang of resentment. Grandfather had always said he would ignore Yiming’s cultivation path, but listening to Lin Tao-li, it seemed the old man had secured a fallback plan for him—though Yiming had no idea what that plan truly entailed.

Lin Tao-li nodded slightly, still pressing his point. "Elder, given Brother Yiming's talent, joining Hengshan would be effortless. However, even if he becomes an official disciple there, there will eventually come a day when he finishes his studies and leaves the mountain. And the rules of Hengshan don't seem to prohibit disciples from serving as elders or protectors for other prominent families. Therefore, my invitation for Brother Yiming to join the Lin family does not contradict your wishes."

He Wude paused, surprised, and looked at Lin Tao-li, hesitation flickering in his eyes.

Returning to Hengshan was the greatest desire of his life, yet having Yiming enter the Lin family of Linlang was also an exceptionally good alternative. The Lin family had a thousand-year legacy; while the collection in their martial arts library surely couldn't match Hengshan’s, it far surpassed the He family’s. For He Yiming at this stage, it was undoubtedly the better option.

Seeing his grandfather’s indecision, He Yiming’s heart softened. "Brother Lin, since Grandfather has already made his decision, it would be improper for me to go. However..." He thought for a moment, then stated solemnly, "If, in the future, this junior truly manages to enter that… that Hengshan, and eventually returns, I will certainly not forget today’s kindness. Should I visit the Lin family then, I hope Brother Lin won't turn me away."

Lin Tao-li’s expression eased, and he laughed heartily. "If Brother He is willing to come, I, Lin, would be overjoyed. How could I possibly shut the door on you?"

In truth, he felt a measure of disappointment, but since He Yiming had made up his mind, he couldn't force the matter; creating enmity instead of gaining an ally was a scenario often seen.

Still, the fact that the He family hailed from Hengshan was utterly unexpected. He Wude, this old man, had concealed his background so deeply that even the Cheng family had received no intelligence—a truly masterful display of patience.

After a few more pleasantries, Lin Tao-li was about to take his leave when He Yiming firmly detained him.

"Brother He, I am merely returning to my main household. If there is a chance, I will certainly visit you again." Lin Tao-li sounded reluctant to part, but then added, "If you miss me, feel free to come to Linlang. It is a major city, after all; even just seeing the world would be beneficial."

He Yiming shook his head like a rattle drum. "Brother Lin, you can go, but before you leave, fight me one more time. I still need to test your Grounding Seal and Cloud-Rain Seal."

Lin Tao-li: "........."

He Wude: "........."

※※※※

Under He Yiming’s "warm" insistence, Lin Tao-li ended up staying for three days. After those three days, no matter how sincerely He Yiming begged him to remain, Lin Tao-li refused to stay another moment, departing as if fleeing for his life.

During these three days, whenever He Yiming had a free moment, he sought Lin Tao-li’s guidance on martial arts.

The Grounding Seal and the Cloud-Rain Seal were secret techniques of the Lin family. Without the consent of the Family Head and the Elder Council, even the eldest young master of the Lin family dared not casually teach these profound skills to an outsider.

But this didn't stump He Yiming. He wasn't seeking the complete combat manuals; he merely wanted to map out the internal energy pathways of these two hand seals through practical combat.

Knowing the opportunity was rare, He Yiming begrudged wasting any time. For three days, he stuck to Lin Tao-li like glue, seemingly tireless.

This sheer intensity of his dedication exhausted Lin Tao-li, who eventually cried out in defeat.

Thus, although He Yiming was still eager for more, Lin Tao-li made a hasty departure.

Three days was neither long nor short.

Through He Yiming’s meticulous planning, he had spent virtually every waking moment with Lin Tao-li over these three days. Through repeated discussions, verbal probing, and actual sparring sessions, he finally began to grasp some understanding of the previously ethereal and unpredictable Cloud-Rain Seal.

However, the Cloud-Rain Seal, with its greater power, was truly inscrutable and complex to cultivate. Without obtaining the complete secret manual, even He Yiming found himself at a loss. The individual who created such a technique was truly extraordinary, far beyond what a mere dilettante like himself could replicate or modify.

Nevertheless, though he failed to master the Cloud-Rain Seal entirely, he now possessed a rough framework in his mind, which he could slowly perfect as his cultivation and experience grew. This was vastly preferable to his previous complete lack of direction.

Furthermore, his understanding of the Grounding Seal deepened. While he still couldn't perfectly replicate it, he managed to improve the Hidden Needle Seal, boosting its power by another three measures.

After three days, with Lin Tao-li’s departure, the He Family Estate settled back into quiet routine. All matters began to proceed in an orderly fashion.

Even with one extra person present, the situation made no real difference to He Yiming.

What baffled He Yiming, however, was that ever since Lin Tao-li left, Elder He Wude, his uncle He Quanxin, and the old servant He Laibao had all mysteriously entered secluded cultivation.

He Quanxin and He Laibao even abandoned their posts guarding the Pavilion of Books, retreating into the main He Family courtyard to stay with the Elder, engaged in some secret activity.

Once the three of them were in seclusion, the entire He Family Estate fell under the absolute command of He Quanyi. The Third Uncle immediately ordered He Yihai and He Yixuan to halt their cultivation and head to the county town to relieve He Quanming.

Once the two brothers of the second generation were reunited, the He Family Estate adopted a facade of laxity externally, but tightened security internally, doubling the number of daily patrols.

The Pavilion of Books was temporarily closed, and He Quanming took up residence in the outer hall of the main courtyard, clearly positioned to stand guard for Elder He and the others. Even He Yitian was brought into the management structure, assisting his second and third uncles in handling family affairs.

He Yiming himself was instructed by his father not to practice overly long cultivation sessions during this period, and he was required to step up for defense duties if needed.

The entire He Family Estate was permeated with a sense of impending storm, a nervous tension that, while not quite panic, was certainly enough to raise the hairs on one’s neck.

Faced with this bizarre situation, He Yiming did not pry into what his grandfather and the others were plotting. Instead, he slowed his cultivation speed and, like his father, resided in one of the side halls of the main compound. Of course, even while staying there, he couldn't forget the two seal techniques, constantly refining and revising them, though progress was agonizingly slow.

He Quanming was delighted to see He Yiming being so sensible. But when Yiming inquired about the situation, his father remained utterly silent.

The strange upheaval in the He family did not truly alarm outsiders, as one month later, He Wude and the other two successfully emerged from their seclusion.

Their faces were utterly fatigued, but their eyes burned with extreme excitement, making them look vibrant and radiant. Anyone seeing them could sense the substantial gains they had made from this period of retreat.

What utterly confused He Yiming, however, was that based on his observation, while his grandfather and the others were clearly elated, their internal energy levels showed no discernible advancement—they seemed to have plateaued, perhaps even suffered a slight regression. Clearly, their seclusion was not aimed at breaking through to the legendary Innate Realm, but for some other purpose entirely.

With He Wude and the others safely out of retreat, all affairs in the He Family Estate gradually returned to normal. He Quanming returned to the county town, swapping places with Yihai and Yixuan. It was difficult to maintain control in the county without someone at the Eighth Layer of Internal Energy holding the fort. However, the month of experience in the outside world had made He Yihai and He Yixuan much calmer; such real-world tempering often brought unexpected positive effects.

The impact of the He family’s sudden shift faded over the next few days, even the estate laborers stopped discussing it. The Cheng and Xu families, upon coincidentally hearing the news later, were equally baffled and eventually dropped the matter, as they could find no trace of what He Wude and the others had actually accomplished during that month.

He Yiming returned to his quarters, continuing to refine the two seal techniques alongside his regular internal energy practice. This was a monumental undertaking that could not be completed overnight.

However, a few days later, the Elder surprisingly came himself to ring the bell in his room. Under the Elder’s guidance, He Yiming was led into the main He Family compound. Upon entering his grandfather's room, he saw He Quanxin and He Laibao present.

At that moment, He Yiming understood: his grandfather intended to finally reveal the secrets of the recent seclusion. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, besides the three principals, he was the only one present; even his father, He Quanming, his uncle He Quanyi, and He Yitian were absent.

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