The Wei family estate was exactly what I expected from a wealthy merchant clan - grand without being ostentatious, practical luxury balanced with good taste. The main courtyard featured a modest fountain surrounded by carefully maintained spirit herbs, likely samples from various business ventures.

Wei Lin led us through corridors decorated with landscape paintings and cultivation artifacts displayed in subtle alcoves. The message was clear: "We're rich enough to own these things, but tasteful enough not to flaunt them."

We found the family gathered in a private dining room, where servants were laying out the final dishes on a massive round table.

Wei Lin's father, Wei Ye, rose to greet us. He was tall and dignified, with sharp features that reminded me of Wei Lin. Though mortal, he moved with the grace of someone who regularly consumed cultivation resources - likely age-delaying pills and energy-enhancing elixirs.

"Welcome!" Wei Ye smiled. "So, these are your sect siblings we've heard so much about."

Beside him stood Wei Lin's mother, Wei Ting. She was strikingly beautiful, with long black hair and kind eyes that crinkled at the corners when she smiled. "Lin'er has told us so much about you in his letters!"

A young man who could only be Wei Lin's older brother, Wei Guang, gave us an appraising look. He shared his father's height and his mother's gentle features, though there was a shrewd intelligence in his eyes that matched Wei Lin's.

"Everyone, this is my family,” Wei Lin gestured towards them. “Father, Mother, Brother, these are my friends from Azure Peak Sect." He gestured to each of us in turn. "This is Brother Ke Yin, Sister Lin Mei, and..." he hesitated just slightly, "our newest recruit, Liu Chen."

Wei Ye's eyebrows rose slightly at Liu Chen's worn appearance, but Wei Ting immediately swooped in. "You must be hungry after your journey! Come, sit, sit! And no business talk at dinner - I insist!"

We arranged ourselves around the table, with Wei Lin carefully positioning himself between Lin Mei and his father. I ended up between Liu Chen and Wei Guang, while Wei Ting sat on Liu Chen's other side, already fussing over whether his bowl was full enough.

The spread was impressive - dishes I recognized from cultivation novels as expensive delicacies mixed with homely comfort foods.

Spirit beast meat braised in herb-infused sauces sat alongside simple vegetable dishes. A spiritual energy-infused soup steamed in decorated bowls, while plain rice was served in jade-lined vessels that helped preserve its perfect temperature.

"Try the Phoenix Tail Fish," Wei Ting urged, using her chopsticks to place a fat piece in Liu Chen's bowl. "It's Lin'er's favorite. The chef uses spirit herbs in the marinade - good for your cultivation!"

I noticed Wei Ye looking at Liu Chen with a critical eye. "So, Liu Chen," he said casually, "I understand you have quite an interesting companion? A Stone Guardian, was it?"

Liu Chen tensed slightly but nodded. "Yes, sir. His name is Rocky."

"Rocky?" Wei Guang coughed, clearly hiding a laugh. "That's... descriptive."

"It suits him," Liu Chen said defensively.

"I'm sure it does," Wei Ye smiled. "You know, Stone Guardians are quite valuable. The right buyer might pay handsomely for one. Say... a thousand spirit stones?"

Liu Chen's eyes went wide at the amount, but his jaw set stubbornly. "Rocky's not for sale. He's my friend."

"Two thousand?" Wei Ye pressed, watching the boy's reaction. "That's quite a lot for a young man like yourself. You could start your own business, buy cultivation resources..."

"Father," Wei Lin cut in. "Liu Chen and Rocky will be joining Azure Peak Sect. They're not looking for business opportunities."

"Ah, my apologies," Wei Ye raised his hands in mock surrender. "Just a merchant's instinct, always looking for good investments. Though speaking of the sect..." he turned to me, "how are you finding it, young master Ke Yin? I understand you've shown quite some talent."

I swallowed my bite of Phoenix Tail Fish before responding. "It's been…interesting. Senior Sister Liu runs a tight training program." I smiled slightly. "But their library access alone makes it worth joining."

Wei Ye nodded. "And your family? Are they involved in any particular... industries?"

"My father's a tailor in Floating Reed Village," I replied simply.

"Ah, cultivation robes perhaps? Special materials?" Wei Ye asked.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

"No," I said. "Just regular clothes for the villagers."

Wei Ye's smile faltered for just a moment before he smoothed it over. He turned quickly to Lin Mei. "And you, young miss? I understand you work in the herb gardens?"

"Yes, sir," Lin Mei replied politely. "I look after the daily operations and cultivation of several rare spirit herbs."

"Fascinating! And your family's background in herbalism must be extensive, to have earned such responsibility so young?"

Lin Mei's smile didn't waver. "Actually, I learned everything at the sect. My parents are farmers in the outer provinces."

Wei Ye's expression went completely still. His eyes darted briefly to his son before he set down his teacup. The slight clink of porcelain against wood seemed unusually loud in the silence.

"I see," he said. "How... interesting."

I saw Wei Lin's fingers tighten slightly around his chopsticks, though his face remained blank.

"Dear," Wei Ting interrupted firmly, "what did I say about business talk at dinner? Lin'er's friends are here to enjoy a meal, not undergo an interrogation."

Wei Ye chuckled smoothly. "Of course, my apologies. Old habits die hard. More soup, anyone?"

The conversation shifted to lighter topics after that, though I could practically feel Wei Ye categorizing and dismissing us based on our lack of valuable connections. Wei Lin maintained his composed expression, but there was a tension in his shoulders that hadn't been there before.

Wei Guang, interestingly, seemed more amused than anything. "So, Brother Ke Yin," he said quietly while the others were distracted by Wei Ting telling an embarrassing story about young Wei Lin, "how did my little brother really end up with such an... eclectic group of friends?"

"Pure chance," I replied honestly. "We just happened to work well together."

He nodded thoughtfully. "You know, when Lin'er first left for the sect, Father was convinced he'd immediately start building connections with all the prestigious families. Instead, his letters were full of stories about herb gardens and you two." Wei Guang's lips twitched. "It was probably the first time in his life he just... made friends."

"Your father seems concerned about that," I observed quietly.

Wei Guang snorted softly. "Father's concerned about everything. It's what makes him a good merchant. But..." he glanced at Wei Lin and Lin Mei, who were sharing a private smile over some inside joke, "sometimes I think he forgets that not everything needs to be a business transaction."

The meal continued with Wei Ting doing her best to keep the atmosphere warm and friendly. She kept Liu Chen's bowl constantly full, praised Lin Mei's knowledge of herbs, and asked me genuinely interested questions about sect life that had nothing to do with status or connections.

"More fish?" she offered Liu Chen, who was clearly trying to maintain proper manners despite his obvious hunger. "You're a growing boy, you need to eat well! And take some of these vegetables - they're excellent for your cultivation."

"Thank you," Liu Chen mumbled around a mouthful of food, then quickly swallowed and blushed. "I mean, thank you, honored madam."

"Just call me Auntie Wei," she smiled warmly. "Now, tell me more about Rocky. He sounds like such a gentle soul!"

As Liu Chen eagerly launched into a story about Rocky helping a lost spirit beast cub (while carefully leaving out the part about them robbing travelers), I noticed Wei Ye and Wei Lin exchanging a look that clearly meant "we'll discuss this later."

Wei Guang caught my eye and leaned closer. "Don't worry too much," he murmured. "Father's bark is worse than his bite. And Lin'er's more stubborn than he looks - gets it from Mother."

I glanced at Wei Ting, who was now scolding her husband for trying to sneak in another business question, and had to agree. There was steel beneath her gentle exterior.

"Besides," Wei Guang continued with a slight smirk, "I think Father's actually impressed, even if he won't admit it. Lin'er's shown more backbone in choosing his own path than either of us expected."

"You don't seem bothered by your brother's... unconventional choices," I observed.

Wei Guang shrugged. "I'm the heir. I'll handle the family business, make the proper connections, marry strategically - all that boring stuff. Lin'er deserves a chance to find his own way." He paused, then added more seriously, "Just... watch out for him, would you? He acts tough, but he takes everything to heart."

I nodded, understanding the request beneath the casual tone. "We will. He's family."

Wei Guang's eyes widened slightly at my choice of words, then he smiled. "Good answer."

As the meal wound down, Wei Ye made one last attempt. "Liu Chen, you're absolutely sure about that Stone Guardian of yours? Five thousand spirit stones is my final offer. Think of what you could do with that much..."

"Father!" Wei Lin's voice carried a rare edge of genuine anger.

But Liu Chen just shook his head firmly. "Rocky is my friend," he said simply. "Friends aren't for sale."

Wei Ye opened his mouth again, but Wei Ting cut him off. "Husband! The boy has given his answer. Now, who would like dessert? The kitchen prepared something special with spirit fruits!"

I caught Wei Lin's eye across the table and gave him a subtle nod. He relaxed slightly, some of the tension leaving his shoulders.

The dessert turned out to be a delicate confection that literally glowed with spiritual energy - spirit fruits transformed into crystalline shapes that dissolved on the tongue with bursts of pure essence.

Liu Chen's eyes went wide at his first taste.

"This is amazing!" he exclaimed, then quickly remembered his manners. "I mean, thank you for the wonderful meal, honored... um, Auntie Wei."

Wei Ting beamed. "Such a polite boy! You must come visit again. And bring Rocky next time - I'm sure we could find some nice stones for him in the garden."

"Mother," Wei Lin groaned, "please don't encourage him to bring a fifteen-foot stone giant to dinner."

"Why not? The dining room could use some excitement," Wei Guang grinned. "Besides, he can't be any worse than that time you tried to negotiate with that spirit beast merchant and ended up with three cursed artifacts and a very angry goose."

"That was one time!" Wei Lin protested as Liu Chen perked up with obvious interest. "And we agreed never to speak of the goose incident!"

The rest of the evening passed more pleasantly, with Wei Guang sharing embarrassing stories about Wei Lin's childhood business ventures ("He tried to corner the market on candy when he was eight!") while Wei Ting fussed over everyone having enough dessert.

Wei Ye remained quiet but even he seemed to soften slightly by the end of the meal. Though I had no doubt he'd be having a serious discussion with Wei Lin later about his choice of associations.

After the dinner plates were cleared and Wei Ting had finished pressing the last of the leftovers into our hands, I caught Wei Lin's eye once more. He gave me the slightest of nods.

It was time to talk business.