The Lin's Patriarch is weird.

"Uh... about that, Father. We won’t need to engage in a war with the Shangguan family. Instead could you perhaps refine more of those pills? The Shangguan family offered an incredible deal just to purchase the Pure Quality pills."

"For the Shangguan family?"

Lin Xuan frowned.

"I thought they intended to start a war after sending such an arrogant messenger."

Lin Zhaoyue quietly looked at him.

Instead of answering, she asked a question of her own.

"Father... Can you tell me what happened during the massacre on the road to Violet Log City?"

Lin Xuan blinked.

"...Violet Log City?"

A confused expression appeared on his face.

"What city is that?"

Lin Zhaoyue’s pupils instantly contracted.

He doesn’t remember...?

An uneasy feeling rose within her heart and she quickly asked another question.

"Then... do you remember what Mother looks like?"

"Your mother?"

Lin Xuan looked at her in confusion.

"Why are you suddenly asking about—"

His voice abruptly stopped and the smile on his face slowly disappeared.

He remembered clearly that Lin Zhaoyue had a mother yet no matter how hard he searched through his memories, he could not remember her face or even her name.

Lin Xuan’s expression slowly darkened and a chill crept up his spine.

Were... my memories tampered with?

He slowly raised his head and looked toward Lin Zhaoyue.

She had lowered her gaze.

After a long silence, she softly muttered,

"...I see."

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

Lin Xuan quietly stared at his daughter and an icy chill slowly spread through his heart.

Calm down, calm down, this isn’t the time to be panicking.

He slowly took a deep breath, forcing himself to remain composed.

If his memories truly had been tampered with, panicking would accomplish nothing.

Instead, he carefully organized his thoughts.

I’m certain nobody altered my memories after I transmigrated.

From the moment he had awakened in this body until now, nothing unusual had ever happened to his mind.

That left only one possibility.

A portion of Lin Xuan’s memories had already been sealed away before the transmigration.

His expression gradually turned grave.

Whoever did this... was a professional.

The alteration was flawless, there had been no obvious gaps or strange inconsistencies.

Nothing that would have naturally aroused suspicion.

He had lived in this body for months without realizing anything was missing.

And when he thought he...

He meant himself.

Not the original Lin Xuan.

The original Lin Xuan had lived those memories.

If someone had torn away such an important part of his past, he would have noticed the inconsistency almost immediately.

But as a transmigrator...

He had accepted every memory he inherited as complete.

That was precisely why he had never questioned them.

Lin Xuan slowly closed his eyes.

The initial shock gradually subsided, replaced by an unusual calmness.

If someone truly possessed the ability to tamper with memories this flawlessly...

Then there were only a handful of possibilities.

Silently, he called out within his mind.

System.

How can I recover the memories I’ve lost?

The familiar translucent panel slowly appeared before him.

[Do you wish to unseal the memories you previously sealed away?]

Lin Xuan’s eyes suddenly snapped open.

His breathing unconsciously became heavier.

That single sentence confirmed two things.

First, the original Lin Xuan had already possessed the System before he transmigrated into this body.

Second, those memories had not been erased by someone else, the original Lin Xuan had personally sealed them away.

Why? Was it for the better? He didn’t know.

Still, he had read enough novels in his previous life to know that powerful cultivators occasionally sealed away memories.

Sometimes it was to prevent enemies from obtaining information.

Other times, it was because what they had witnessed exceeded what their current cultivation could bear.

Could it be something like that?

His brows knitted together even tighter.

But was it really so serious that he would even sealed away every memory of his own wife?

No matter how he thought about it, that decision felt excessive.

Unless there was a reason far greater than he could currently comprehend.

As that thought surfaced, he recalled the very first System notification he had received on the day he transmigrated.

[Congratulations, Host, for successfully surviving.]

At the time, he had simply assumed it referred to the transmigration itself.

But now, he no longer believed that.

The original Lin Xuan had died during the Martial Spirit Awakening Ceremony.

Someone had successfully assassinated a person who possessed the System.

But the System had likely interpreted his transmigration into this body as the continuation of the Host’s existence.

In other words, he had "successfully survived."

His eyes gradually narrowed.

No wonder the reward had been so outrageous.

It had elevated his Martial Spirit from the Seventh grade of mortal rank all the way to a Seventh Grade Legend Rank.

It was the reward for surviving an assassination that should have been impossible.

Just then, Lin Zhaoyue’s gentle voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

"It’s going to be alright, Father."

Lin Xuan slowly looked toward her.

She met his gaze with a reassuring smile.

"I think... I have an idea why your memories are fragmented."

Lin Xuan looked at the reassuring smile on his daughter’s face and couldn’t help but smile back.

I’m afraid you don’t...

Still, there was no reason to destroy the confidence in her so he gently rubbed her head once more.

"I’ll trust you, my daughter."

His voice was warm and gentle.

"But let’s not rush it, alright?"

Lin Zhaoyue nodded obediently.

"...Alright."

Outwardly, she agreed yet inwardly she genuinely wanted to help her father recover his memories as quickly as possible.

But a trace of hesitation appeared in her eyes.

Do I really want Father to remember Mother?

The thought alone made her heart feel conflicted.

As she remained lost in thought, Lin Xuan tilted his head.

"Why are you thinking so deeply?"

A teasing smile appeared on his face.

"You said you’re a regressor, didn’t you?"

He folded his arms with an expectant expression.

"Then teach your father how to use Nascent Soul Fire."

His eyes lit up.

"I’ll refine enough pills for you to bring the Shangguan family under our control later."

The moment those words left his mouth, Lin Zhaoyue’s expression changed drastically.

"N-No!"

She hurriedly waved both hands in panic.

"Father, we absolutely can’t do that!"

Lin Xuan blinked in surprise.

"Hm?"

Lin Zhaoyue immediately shook her head vigorously.

"We can’t strengthen our enemies just for the sake of profit."

Her expression became unusually serious.

"I’m only selling them small quantities, just enough to maintain our relationship but nowhere near enough to satisfy their desire."

She took a deep breath before continuing.

"If we flood the Shangguan family with Pure Quality pills, they’ll only grow stronger."

Her tone became increasingly firm.

"Keeping them wanting more is far better than giving them everything they want."

She looked directly into Lin Xuan’s eyes.

"They need us but they must never become capable of replacing us."

Lin Xuan couldn’t help but felt both surprise and pride in his heart.

He had only suggested refining more pills to steer the conversation away from the topic of his lost memories.

Yet his daughter had immediately considered the long-term consequences.

Rather than focusing on the enormous profits they could earn, she had instinctively thought about the balance of power between the Lin and Shangguan families.

She understood that wealth could always be earned later.

But once an enemy grew stronger because of your own actions, there would be no taking it back.

The thought filled Lin Xuan with quiet satisfaction.

Perhaps leaving the clan in her hands during his seclusion hadn’t been such a reckless decision after all.