The next day.

As night fell, the vast sky was dotted with countless stars against the deep blue backdrop.

At seven o'clock, at the Zidong Villa located in the southeast of Jiang City, a stream of colorful luxury cars emanating a noble aura slowly entered the basement, orderly directed by uniformed soldiers.

"Brothers, there are a lot of people today, so be extra careful."

"Understood, Captain."

They had been informed in advance that as security, they knew everyone was heading to the Lin Family to attend Old General Lin's seventieth birthday celebration.

Although Old General Lin was over seventy, for a powerful and vigorous Martial Artist, this age was still considered middle-aged.

The old general had spent his life on the battlefield, joining the army at twenty and after a fifty-year military career, he remained active in military circles as one of the 37 Major Generals of Jiang City, serving as the Deputy Commander of the Jiang City Guard Army.

As soldiers, they had great respect for Old General Lin.

Although not serving under him, it was well known that Old General Lin was not only fearless and patriotic but also famously strict in family discipline.

To his family, he was not only authoritative and unyielding, but even somewhat unapproachable.

Old General Lin once said that none of his children or descendants could use his name for personal gain.

If anyone violated fundamental principles, regardless of their beloved status, they would face severe punishment and, in serious cases, be expelled from the family.

Just last year, Old General Lin broke his seventh son's leg and expelled him from the family, publicly severing their father-son relationship.

Perhaps it was this type of family upbringing that led Lin General's children to both respect and fear their father, yet each achieved considerable success, with many in prominent positions in military and political circles.

Some went into business and have also achieved impressive results.

In Jiang City, the Lin Family, while not on par with the top-tier families, was unparalleled by ordinary families.

Now, hearing about Old General Lin's birthday, those informed came with gifts to celebrate.

Guests attending the celebration were either wealthy or noble, with various aims.

Some came to expand their network, knowing that many important figures from Jiang City would attend, while others had personal ties, or admired Old General Lin's character, coming simply to celebrate.

"Elder Zhang, you're here, please come in. My dad's been mentioning you lately."

"For your dad's big birthday, I'd come no matter how far. You've gained weight again, even if you don't practice Martial Arts, be careful of high blood pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol."

The towering entrance hall, with its square shape and clear-cut lines built from gray stones, exuded a formidable, majestic presence.

"Elder Zhang is right, I'm currently trying to lose weight, but it's not going very well."

At the entrance, Lin Anbang constantly welcomed guests coming to celebrate.

As Old General Lin's eldest son, Lin Anbang, at forty-eight, showed obvious middle-age spread, his belly indicating seven to eight months pregnant.

Despite occasional jabs about his physique, Lin Anbang took it in stride, smiling and making self-deprecating remarks.

"Is Fifth Sister not coming today?"

Though Lin Anbang was greeting guests, his eyes kept scanning the crowd.

"Big brother, you're being bold today, making unilateral decisions without fear of the old man turning on you?"

Lin Xinyuan, the third among the nine siblings, expressed concern over his brother's decision to act first and get permission later.

Knowing their father's temper, if he got angry, he wouldn't care about your age or how many kids you had, you'd be in for a beating.

And it wouldn't just be a lesson, it could mean being laid up in bed for ten days to half a month.

"Yeah, Old Lin, it's Old General's birthday today, don't mess things up," a graceful, middle-aged woman in an elegant gown advised.

Ignoring the admonitions of his wife and younger brother, Lin Anbang shrugged them off, "I've finally found Fifth Sister, why speak discouraging words?"

"Besides, it's the old man's birthday today, with so many guests, how could he lose his temper in front of his comrades and old superiors?"

With that, Lin Anbang adjusted his collar confidently, "The old man ordinarily doesn't celebrate birthdays, at most we have a family dinner. This grand celebration only happens once every ten years, missing it would be a lost opportunity."

"I see now why you're so eager for the old man's birthday this year and invited all his old comrades and superiors," Lin Xinyuan said, suddenly enlightened.

Regarding Fifth Sister, he hadn't seen her in over twenty years and naturally missed her.

"Dad, weren't you going to surprise me today? Is it about Fifth Aunt?"

Beside Lin Anbang stood a sixteen-year-old boy with a crew cut.

The boy wore a black tracksuit, with a well-proportioned figure, bright eyes, and a mischievous, boyish look, occasionally breaking into a sly smile, considered a handsome young lad overall.

"Not exactly, I found you a Boss. With him backing you, you'll have a blast at Red Cloud University." Lin Anbang patted his son's crew cut, which indeed felt nice.

Lin Xiaofei was puzzled, thinking that getting into Red Cloud University meant getting a car from his dad, but instead he got a Boss?

"Boss? Dad, you'd be better off finding me a girlfriend. Don't you know your son's strength? Who's qualified to protect me anyway!"

Lin Xiaofei wagged his index finger in front of Lin Anbang and said with some pride.

With his Ninth Rank Body Cultivator prowess and the refinement of a high-level Eighth Grade Demon Spirit, even at Red Cloud University, he would be considered a top player.

"Haha, although your strength isn't bad, when faced with real geniuses, you're still somewhat lacking. Don't be so arrogant. I hope you still have the courage to say that then!" Lin Anbang said with some amusement.

At this moment, he eagerly anticipated his son's expression when he saw Lin Feng!

In fact, Lin Anbang wasn't unaware of his father's temper. The reason he dared to act first and report later, apart from having guests present, was primarily because of Lin Feng.

No matter how upset his father was with his fifth sister, facing such an exceptional grandson, he probably wouldn't drive him away directly.

Besides missing his fifth sister, he undeniably had some personal motives as well.

Just as he said to his son, Lin Anbang indeed wanted to find a boss for his son.

As a father, Lin Anbang knew his son Lin Xiaofei very well.

Lin Xiaofei was talented enough to get into Red Cloud University on his own, but in the face of the true elites there, his talent and skills really didn't stand out.

Moreover, Lin Xiaofei's personality was a bit juvenile and immature, which was a cause of concern for his father.

If it weren't for being from a military family, Lin Anbang would have preferred his son to aim for Demon Star instead of Red Cloud.

Among the Three Heroic Academies, although Red Cloud University ranks last in fame and overall prowess, it doesn't mean the students of Red Cloud are weaker.

Compared to Great Wall and Demon Star, Red Cloud University's sole advantage is having two Otherworld Spatial Gates on campus, allowing students to enter the otherworld anytime to hunt Demon Beasts.

It is for this reason that Red Cloud's students excel in actual combat, which results in a consistently high casualty rate, the highest among the Three Heroic Academies.

Even though Lin Anbang doesn't practice martial arts, he is well-informed as a businessman.

Upon accidentally discovering Lin Feng was the child of his fifth sister, he investigated Lin Feng thoroughly.

Lin Feng's relationship with Yun Kai and Dong Yunan at school wasn't a secret, and their joint admission to Red Cloud University was clearly no coincidence.

Without a doubt, with Lin Feng's care, Lin Xiaofei could easily navigate Red Cloud University.

Entering the otherworld with Lin Feng on the same team would ensure safety and rapid skill enhancement.

In Jiang City, the Lin Family held some status, but at Red Cloud University, they couldn't support Lin Xiaofei.

"Really?"

Lin Xiaofei was a bit unconvinced, but seeing that his father didn't seem to be joking, he didn't argue, only muttered a comment.

"Big brother, never mind Xiaofei's surprise, how did you find the fifth sister? How is she doing in Shangjing? How many children does she have? Can you tell me early, big brother!"

Lin Xinyuan pressed against Lin Anbang's stomach, playfully waving like a wave as he asked with a smile.

"Smack!"

Lin Anbang shook Lin Xinyuan's hand away, looked around, and said grumpily, "In front of so many people, watch your image. If the fifth sister comes today, you'll naturally know. If not, we'll talk later."

After speaking, Lin Anbang still did not catch sight of the fifth sister's figure and sighed inwardly.

If not for an accident, he wouldn't have known the fifth sister wasn't in Shangjing but in Jiang City, living in the same city, perhaps even running into each other at a corner.

"All these years and still deliberately avoiding us?"

A thought flashed in Lin Anbang's mind.

For he had tried to find the fifth sister on multiple occasions but consistently failed.

The fifth sister's identity card information was never registered, her bank and social insurance records ceased updating a long time ago, and there were no entry or exit records.

Clearly, unless there was an accident, the fifth sister intentionally kept her whereabouts hidden from them.

They didn't know if the man, for whom she gave up everything, was a complete mystery; they only met him once and knew he belonged to a powerful family in Shangjing, but they were unsure of his exact identity.

Only a month ago, through Lin Feng, did he discover the fifth sister and was surprised to find she even changed her name to avoid them.

She was no longer Lin Zhifeng but Lin Fang.

The man she had once risked everything for had, evidently, abandoned both her and the child.

Only then did Lin Anbang understand why all these years the fifth sister was avoiding them, fearing to return home.

"Big brother, let's go."

Seeing that all the guests had arrived and the birthday banquet was about to begin, Lin Xinyuan urged.

"Sigh, you go in first, I'll wait a little longer!"

Lin Anbang still held onto some hope, waiting alone for a little longer, until he heard his father's vibrant voice calling from afar. Only then did he reluctantly enter the villa.

Unbeknownst to him, not too far away, two figures were slowly approaching.

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