latelenovela What is the motive in Chapter 78?
What is the motive in Chapter 78?
Lin Yue and Gong Yong always felt something was amiss, as if a hand was secretly manipulating everything. The target was clearly Lin Yue's spatial cultivation technique. After all, only their family of five knew of this technique, and only they had practiced it. So, who would the other party target?
Lin Yue is currently the one who has mastered this technique the best, while Gong Yong and the three children, lacking comprehension in this area, feel that this spatial technique seems to have been created specifically for Lin Yue. The other four only know how to operate it, but cannot make progress in their cultivation, and cannot even create a basic space. This is what Lin Yue finds strange.
If this method were passed on, how many people could actually master it? It's certain that it requires talent and isn't something an ordinary person can learn. While Lin Yue was pondering this, she asked the Fire Cloud Immortal Cauldron Elder, "Elder, is this spatial technique something that ordinary people can't learn?" The elder replied, "You've merged with the Remnant Soul Snow Sun; his memories should contain information and knowledge about this. Go through his memories." Lin Yue then remembered that she and the Remnant Soul Snow Sun had merged, and his memories seemed to be sealed away in some corner. Without searching, it would indeed be difficult to find them. However, when Lin Yue went to search through the Remnant Soul Snow Sun's memories, the sheer volume of data caused her considerable distress.
This predicament stemmed from the fact that Lin Yue's soul power and sea of consciousness were far inferior to those of the remnant soul Xue Yang. Although the remnant soul Xue Yang had been fused with, Lin Yue had not fully accepted its memories, but rather sealed them in a corner of her sea of consciousness. This was because Lin Yue's cultivation level was still shallow at the time, her sea of consciousness was not wide enough, and her soul power was not strong enough, so she was unable to fully absorb the memories of the remnant soul Xue Yang.
Within this sea of consciousness, Lin Yue diligently searched and finally found relevant information. The remnant memories of the remnant soul Xue Yang stated: The laws of space cannot be cultivated by ordinary people; it requires both opportunity and comprehension. Lin Yue deeply understood the importance of comprehension. All five members of her family had tried to cultivate, yet only she had achieved any success. Her three children and husband had all failed. Moreover, this spatial technique could not be casually taught to others. This was a serious problem; there was a major issue at play.
Lin Yue made a direct call to her superiors and explained bluntly: "You guys, some of you big shots, don't try to show off your skills in front of me. To put it bluntly, even if I passed this technique on to you, you wouldn't be able to master it. Look at my family of five, we've all practiced it, but only I can do it, the others can't, they can't improve at all. From the time I received this inheritance, all I can tell you is fate. You know what fate is, cultivators rely on fate, and we also rely on fate when we accept disciples."
Lin Yue then said to her superiors, "If any of you are willing to learn this spatial spell, and are trustworthy and of high moral character, I am willing to take three disciples. However, these three disciples must sign a soul contract with me. If these three learn the technique and then harm the local area, I will personally clean up their mess and eliminate them." This was the promise Lin Yue made to her superiors.
Lin Yue also said, "Release all the soldiers who have been detained immediately. If this happens again, I can't guarantee I won't take direct action. I know exactly who did it."
The superiors on the other end of the phone fell silent. They knew Lin Yue's personality well and understood that this matter had to be handled properly, otherwise the consequences would be unimaginable.
For those who cultivate themselves, the concept of time is completely different from that of ordinary people. Year after year, for ordinary people, a lifetime is short and finite. But for those who cultivate themselves, perhaps a hundred years will pass in the blink of an eye while they are asleep or meditating. Therefore, time may not be precious to them, but for ordinary people, it is the length of a lifetime.
Lin Yue could only guarantee that the hundred-odd spaces she provided were given to those soldiers. Most of them were in their twenties or approaching thirty back then, and now, almost twenty years later, they have all entered their fifties, yet they are still performing missions on the front lines—something Lin Yue could hardly imagine.
Lin Yue herself was nearing sixty. Her eldest daughter was already married, her second daughter was almost twenty-two and about to graduate from university, and her youngest son was also about to enter university. All these changes left Lin Yue deeply bewildered. Sending veterans, leaders, and commanders in their fifties to the border for missions must have been incredibly difficult. In this incident, three were detained, and about fifty others remained at the border. Lin Yue couldn't imagine how her actions had affected these men's careers, futures, and even their entire lives. She didn't want their lives to be threatened in their middle age because of this incident, and Lin Yue felt deeply ashamed.
However, since the incident had already occurred, Lin Yue knew that only by resolving the current crisis as soon as possible could she make up for the debt she owed to these soldiers and give them justice.
This matter was destined to be far from resolved quickly. Leaders from above approached Lin Yue time and again for negotiations; some represented the nation, some individuals, some families, some clans, and even some Taoist sects. The content of these negotiations was nothing more than a desire for Lin Yue to impart the laws and methods of spatial manipulation.
Lin Yue agreed to accept only three disciples, which caused quite a stir. Cultivators, various factions, and powerful families fought fiercely for these three spots. Some hoped that those with prior cultivation experience would come to Lin Yue's school, while others thought it best to select those without any cultivation background from the military. In short, everyone was fighting tooth and nail for these three places.
Lin Yue, however, was quite nonchalant, leaving the matter to the government, saying, "You send three people over yourselves. As for who to choose, that's up to you. But whether they learn the skills and become experts capable of unlocking the next creation space is entirely up to you. If these three don't learn, it's not my fault. If they do learn, it's their good fortune; if they don't, it's because they weren't destined for it."
Some people even asked Lin Yue, "What if none of these three people learn it?" Lin Yue replied, "My life should be very long, and in this long period of time, I should be able to find someone to pass on the knowledge." This is Lin Yue's perspective to the public.
Everyone knows that even using nuclear weapons or sniper rifles to deal with Lin Yue is impossible now. Why? Ever since Lin Yue's family cultivated their divine souls and created their own domains, each of them has possessed a field, just like the willow tree spirit. The method of using the divine soul to expand one's own domain was taught to Lin Yue by the willow tree spirit; plants do it this way, and Lin Yue succeeded after trying it.
Therefore, their family of five was unknowingly protected by an invisible divine barrier. When danger approached, this barrier could block all external threats, including sniper rifles. Many times, many people had tried to kill them, which Lin Yue considered perfectly normal. Bullets would automatically enter a swamp-like area within about twenty centimeters of them. Even the polluted air and viruses following an atomic bomb explosion could not affect the survival of Lin Yue's family of five.
While higher-ups were arguing and maneuvering over the three available spots, Lin Yue summoned everyone who possessed her spatial ability to Chengdu via her divine sense. When all the officers requested leave from relevant national leaders, they were puzzled. One person requested leave, then two, but unexpectedly, all 110 of them requested leave. The reason? They all said Lin Yue had invited them to Chengdu for a family reunion banquet. When this information was reported to higher-ups, they had no choice but to approve it one by one.
So, 110 soldiers arrived in Rongcheng, the location designated by Lin Yue. Lin Yue found a large clubhouse, a spacious area with lawns, a fishing area, a chess and card room, and a swimming pool—in short, all the recreational facilities were available. For accommodation, Lin Yue requested that tents be set up nearby, small tents just big enough for one person. Professional staff quickly erected 100 tents, one next to the other. Because of the issue of toilets, the park originally only had one or two public toilets, which were quite far apart, so Lin Yue found several portable toilets and placed them ten to twenty meters away from the tents. Then, she booked the entire area.
The soldiers returning from the military were dressed very simply. At first, we thought it was a rural guesthouse and that there would be accommodations, but instead, it was all tents pitched on the lawn, with inflatable beds inside, and blankets and bedding already provided. These men, all in their fifties, were camping outdoors for the first time for such a gathering, and everyone found it quite novel. Each tent was reasonably spacious, and people could easily move in and out.
Meanwhile, Lin Yue also notified Lao Xiao's friends, and they all came. Unexpectedly, they came as families, setting up several modular tents, similar to two-bedroom apartments, with the elderly and young people sharing one room and the children on the other. The gathering was a buffet, and Lin Yue prepared food made entirely of spiritual flowers, herbs, rice, noodles, and fruits, since most of the attendees were cultivators. Considering there were also ordinary children, Lin Yue advised them not to eat too much. She also prepared snacks, fruits, and other items besides the spiritual rice and noodles, as well as many other treats specifically for the children.
Lin Yue hired professionals and booked the entire area, after which all the spirits inside began patrolling. Although she didn't hire the military, the government, seeing Lin Yue's ambitious actions, actually volunteered to come and protect them.
After settling into their lodgings, placing their belongings, and marking them, they arrived at a large auditorium. The auditorium was quite large, capable of accommodating fifty tables for a banquet. However, they only set up about ten tables, close to twenty. With ten people per table, plus over a hundred people and Old Xiao's family, there were only about twelve or thirteen tables. Later, because several officers were sent to protect them, a few more tables were added, bringing the total to fifteen.
As they entered the auditorium and prepared for the banquet, another group of people arrived. Several high-ranking military officers and leaders from Chengdu came uninvited, eager to attend the event. In the end, the banquet hall, which could accommodate fifty tables, was completely full. Besides the military personnel, there were also representatives from local governments, various provinces and cities, and the central military government who had come voluntarily.
In short, Lin Yue's banquet was originally only supposed to have about ten tables, maybe twelve at most, but all fifty tables in the banquet hall were filled. Lin Yue couldn't help but secretly lament, "Oh my god, I've really lost out this time."
Before the banquet began, Lin Yue took the stage to speak. Her speech was simple: "Everyone here owes this opportunity to me, to me personally. But due to certain reasons and obstacles, I am very sorry that my personal actions have caused some problems in your various fields. Now I'm giving you a choice. After all, you are all approaching sixty years old. I can take back the spatial treasures you wear around your necks. If you feel your lives are threatened, you can take these treasures off your necks and return them to me." This was the main theme of Lin Yue's inspiring speech: the space could be returned to her for her to redistribute.
These 110 soldiers, having relied on this space for nearly twenty years, each of them had made certain achievements and were well aware of its importance to the country and various fields. Therefore, they were undecided for a moment. They felt that this was not something they could shoulder alone and that the country should bear the responsibility.
However, Lin Yue mentioned during the meeting that this matter might threaten everyone's lives, which is why she was considering it. This caused some hesitation and uncertainty among the attendees. Because of this, about ten or twenty high-ranking officials in their forties and fifties had recently been imprisoned underground, subjected to abuse and humiliation. Their captors used every method to try and force them to hand over this item. Those sitting at the front tables felt deeply sympathetic, their eyes filled with tears. They never imagined that after dedicating their lives to the country and the nation, they would be targeted and killed by a few corrupt officials within their own ranks. Even the fifty elderly men on border missions were seething with hatred. They couldn't believe that at over fifty years old, they were being forced to perform such dangerous tasks like young men in their twenties and thirties. Experiencing such a thing nearing retirement had shaken their resolve and their former goals. Therefore, when Lin Yue spoke of this, the 110 soldiers present were indeed shaken.
The short banquet quickly came to an end, and everyone's reactions varied. Some ate and drank merrily, the atmosphere cheerful. However, the first twelve tables of people at the first table, who possessed valuable treasures, were unusually silent; not a single one drank. Although they were all soldiers, usually good drinkers, not one of them raised a glass today. Ironically, some had initially considered taking a sip, but remembering their recent misfortunes and the possibility that someone at the next thirty tables might want their lives, these twelve tables simply ate in silence.
No matter what Lin Yue said, when the people at the next twenty or thirty tables came over to offer toasts, the people at the first twelve tables just looked at them coldly. One table consisted of about ten elderly men in their forties and fifties, all veterans who had seen blood and escaped death on the battlefield. The murderous intent that flashed in their eyes instantly deterred anyone who came to offer a toast. The people at the next twenty or thirty tables immediately lost their cheerfulness, returning to their own tables to eat and drink as usual, no longer offering toasts.
Lin Yue and Gong Yong sat comfortably at the first 12 tables, focusing on their meal and not engaging in any toasts or drinking. The people at the next 20 or 30 tables didn't want to leave after finishing their meal, especially some high-ranking officials who considered themselves important and felt Lin Yue hadn't given them face. When it was time to move to another table, they weren't allowed to move to the main table at the front. Even when some people at the first few tables tried to offer them their seats, Lin Yue said that once seated, no one was allowed to leave, and no one was allowed to offer their seats.
So, after dinner at the club, a very peculiar scene unfolded: everyone remained seated at the tables, and no one left. Lin Yue and Gong Yong stated directly, "The following time is for those of us with personal spaces to enjoy ourselves. Leaders of departments not invited by me, I apologize, but you may leave now." Lin Yue used blunt and direct language to clearly ask them to leave, indicating that the remaining time belonged to her side.