Jiufeng Ridge, within Zhou Mingde's cave abode.
At this moment, within the cave abode, the three most important figures of the Zhou Family all wore anxious frowns, at their wits' end.
About whether to assist Lin Hongyu with her Core Formation, the three had already gone through a round of discussion.
During the discussion, none of them had directly expressed their stances, but had listed what it would cost to help or not to help, and what could be gained from either decision.
It could be said that, in this round of discussion, they had laid out all the potential pros and cons.
Now, the next step should be to share their personal views on these pros and cons and to make their stances clear.
Yet, this step proved to be a difficult one for the three of them.
Because they all knew, the decision they were about to make would have a significant impact on their family.
In the face of such a significant matter, they could only proceed with the utmost caution and deliberate further before reaching any decision.
"The younger generation believes that if we completely refuse to help, it would be too disheartening, and moreover, the previous efforts and sacrifices the family made to win over Senior Lin would be entirely in vain!"
"But our help should have a limit; after all, Senior Lin is not one of our Zhou Family. There is no way the family could afford to destabilize its foundations to offer her full support!"
"Therefore, the younger generation leans toward offering her limited assistance. In this way, if she succeeds in forming her Golden Core, it would be cause for great joy for everyone, and if she fails, it could only be attributed to fate, and no one could be blamed."
In the end, it was Zhou Chun, as a junior, who first opened his mouth to express his opinion and take a stance.
After hearing his remarks, Zhou Mingde and Zhou Daoyi couldn't help but exchange a glance, then Zhou Mingde asked in a low voice, "Then, how should this limit be defined?"
Upon hearing the question, Zhou Chun pondered for a moment before immediately responding, "In the younger generation's opinion, this limit should be the maximum extent of help the family can offer without destabilizing its foundations, which is to say, the amount of liquid funds the family can normally provide!"
"However, if we do as you suggest, it would be difficult for the family to muster enough funds to assist you in opening your Purple Mansion!" Zhou Mingde said with a heavy tone, seemingly reluctant.
Yet Zhou Chun simply smiled and shook his head, replying, "There's no significant problem with that. After all, I am still young, and waiting another decade or so is perfectly manageable for me. Moreover, if Senior Lin truly succeeds in forming her Golden Core, the help she could offer the family would far surpass that of ten Purple Mansion Cultivators!"
Hearing his response, Zhou Mingde couldn't help but sigh, "You are indeed open-minded, and it really is tough on you!"
He then turned his gaze to Zhou Daoyi, who had remained silent throughout, and asked, "Daoyi, what about you? What is your opinion?"
"As a junior, it is not my place to express any opinions on this matter. Whatever decision the family makes, I will support it," Zhou Daoyi stated in a low tone, choosing to avoid taking sides.
After all, Lin Hongyu was his Dao Companion, and although their union was largely due to mutual benefits,
Dao Companions were still Dao Companions. At such times, it was neither appropriate for him to oppose nor to express overt support; his only option was to remain silent.
Zhou Mingde understood this and quickly nodded, saying, "All right then. Since you prefer not to express your opinion on this matter, Daoyi, I won't push you. I shall make the final decision on this matter!"
Having said this, he instructed Zhou Chun to invite Lin Hongyu over.
Although Lin Hongyu had professed to be resting, in reality, how could she calm her mind enough to rest?
As soon as Zhou Chun came to notify her, she promptly gathered her spirits and followed him to Zhou Mingde's cave abode.
Then, with eyes full of anticipation, she looked at Zhou Mingde and asked, "How is it? Taoist Friend Zhou, have you come to a decision?"
Upon her question, Zhou Mingde gave a slight nod and said, "Indeed, we have reached some common ground, but before announcing it, I would like to ask Taoist Friend Lin a few questions!"
"No problem, Taoist Friend Zhou, feel free to ask whatever you wish, I will withhold nothing!"
Lin Hongyu readily agreed without any hesitation.
"The first question, I would like to ask Taoist Friend Lin, approximately how many Spirit Coins do you anticipate needing to acquire the Spiritual Objects that assist with Core Formation?"
"The second question, I would like to know how many Spirit Coins you can personally provide right now!"
"The third question, if the Zhou Family were to give its utmost support to Taoist Friend Lin's Core Formation, how can you assure us that you will continue to stay with the Zhou Family after successfully forming your Golden Core?"
Raising three fingers, Zhou Mingde looked solemnly at Lin Hongyu, his voice grave as he posed his three questions, one by one.
After hearing these three questions, Lin Hongyu, who had always been very direct and resolute, finally furrowed her brows, losing her prior candor.
She frowned in thought with her head bowed for quite a while before finally looking up at Zhou Mingde and saying, "As to exactly how many Spirit Coins will be needed to purchase the Spiritual Objects for Core Formation, I can't be certain, but I believe it will certainly be no less than six to seven hundred thousand Spirit Coins!"
"As for how much I can provide, I'll be frank; even if I sell all my other possessions, I could at most muster up around a hundred and fifty thousand Spirit Coins," she said, with a slight pause, glancing at Zhou Daoyi beside her.
Then, she said in a low voice, "As for Taoist Friend Zhou's third question, other than giving my oath, I truly don't know how else to assure you of my integrity and reputation!"