96: A combination of kindness and severity

Lin Jingxia's small face was pale as paper, her hands tightly covering her mouth, and her large eyes were filled with terror, but even more so, with deep worry as she looked towards Lin Jingyu.

This scene was too bloody. She hated Lin Lingming, but looking at his mangled, bloody state, her stomach still churned.

But when her gaze fell upon her brother's tall, straight back, that worry instantly transformed into overwhelming pride and near-blind adoration. Her heart trembled.

Lin Jingyu's gaze was like an ice blade, slowly sweeping over the clan members who were silent with fear, wishing they could shrink into the ground. His voice wasn't loud, but it seemed laced with shards of ice, suffocating them:

“Did you all see clearly?”

No one dared to make a sound. Even their breathing softened, and all that could be heard was the chattering of teeth.

He walked forward and poked the unconscious Lin Lingming with his toe, his voice growing colder: “The Family Head is severely injured, recuperating and cultivating in the inner chamber; his life hangs in the balance. This fellow tried to force his way in.”

He paused, his sharp gaze sweeping over every frightened face like a searchlight. “His intentions were malicious! He wanted to take advantage of the Family Head's weakness and assassinate him!”

“Did you,” his voice suddenly rose, “all witness this with your own eyes?!”

How could anyone dare to say they hadn't seen it? Everyone nodded their heads like little chicks pecking rice, terrified that a moment's hesitation would draw the attention of that Fiend.

“That's good.” Lin Jingyu's lips curled into a cold arc. “Take this criminal who attempted to murder the Family Head, and carry him to the Ancestral Hall!”

His voice was decisive: “Tell the Elders that this person committed a heinous crime and was apprehended by us on the spot! I request that the Elder Council deliver a severe punishment!”

Hiss—

A chorus of gasps sounded in the crowd, their hearts nearly leaping out of their throats.

Crazy! This was completely tearing up relations with Grand Elder Lin Chenghai! Who didn't know that Lin Lingming was the Grand Elder's favored one?

The Grand Elder is a master of the Qi Refining Sixth Layer! Yesterday, he “Fought Four Devils Valiantly,” shaking the entire Family. His reputation as invincible among peers of the same stage is well-known!

Lin Jingyu only managed to defeat a Qi Refining Fourth Layer through a sneak attack. Did he really dare to confront the Grand Elder so directly? Was he tired of living?

Several quick-witted clan members felt as if they had received a great pardon and rushed over, scrambling and crawling.

Their hands and feet trembled, their eyes darted away, and they didn't dare look at Lin Jingyu as they awkwardly tried to pull the collapsed Lin Lingming.

“Ah—! Be gentle! Idiots! My leg! My stomach! Damn you...” The intense pain instantly shocked the unconscious Lin Lingming awake, and he burst into curses.

But when he met Lin Jingyu's emotionless, bottomless eyes, his cursing ceased abruptly, like a chicken whose neck had been wrung.

Fear instantly extinguished his arrogance, leaving him shaking like chaff in the wind.

This lunatic truly dared to kill him! The venomous hatred in his eyes was thick enough to drip blood, yet he dared not utter another sound.

Lin Jingyu watched with cold eyes, his heart completely unmoved.

Lin Lingming wouldn't be able to get out of bed for at least a month from these injuries, unless the Grand Elder was willing to spend a fortune feeding him Spirit Pills and Miraculous Medicine. Besides, what was a mere Qi Refining Fourth Layer compared to the Late Stage Qi Refining masters of the Black Wind Stockade who were about to arrive?

He beckoned, and the water-dividing sword stuck in the ground flew back into his hand with a “swoosh,” blood still dripping from its tip.

Those few people quickly tore off strips of cloth from their clothes, haphazardly tying up Lin Lingming's wounds to stop the bleeding, then frantically hauled him up as if carrying a pig ready for slaughter.

They kept their heads down, stumbling, wishing they had two more legs, and rushed outside with the injured man, desperate to escape this Asura Field.

“Wait...”

Lin Jingyu's calm voice sounded again, but it pierced everyone's ears like the Demonic Sound of death.

Thump! Thump!

The few who were carrying the man were so scared their legs gave way, and they collapsed directly onto the ground.

Lin Lingming, who had been dropped onto the ground, let out a pig-slaughtering shriek: “Ahhh! Beasts! Are you trying to kill me with pain! Damn you...”

“Snow Leopard, shut up!”

Just four words, not loud, but carrying an undeniable Mental Energy pressure.

Lin Lingming's shriek was instantly cut off. He bit his lip so hard blood streamed out, tears mixing with the blood smeared across his face. He dared not utter another sound, only suppressed, beast-like whimpers remained.

Only then did Lin Jingyu slowly stroll forward, his gaze sweeping over all the clan members blocking the door, both those sprawled on the ground and those standing.

“You,” his voice carried the weight of judgment, “were swayed by others, rushing the vital place where the Family Head is healing. This is akin to treason! According to the Family Rules...”

He deliberately paused, watching with satisfaction as everyone's faces instantly turned deathly pale.

“...Your cultivation should be crippled, and you should be expelled from the Lin Family, left to fend for yourselves!

Don't blame the Family Rules for being harsh; blame yourselves for being exploited by others.”

“Boom!” These words were like a bolt from the blue, causing everyone's Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering.

Expelled from the Family? And crippled cultivation? How was that different from a direct death sentence?

They wouldn't even have the chance to cling to life as the lowest level Loose Cultivator!

Despair and fury instantly ignited in their eyes. Their gazes, like poisoned knives, shot straight towards Lin Lingming on the ground and the two people who had led the instigation.

Hatred! They were itching with hate, wishing they could eat his flesh raw!

“Beat these sons of bitches to death! They're the ones who ruined us!” Someone roared, his voice thick with tears, setting off the powder keg.

“Yes! Beat them to death!”

“Fight them to the end!”

The “allies” who had just been blocking the door together instantly turned into red-eyed enemies.

The crowd surged forward like madmen, punching, kicking, cursing, and biting.

Even the half-dead Lin Lingming, sprawled on the ground, was not spared, instantly submerged by angry feet.

“Not the face! Not the face! Ah! My fingers!”

“That's for slandering the Family Head! That's for harming people! Beat you to death!”

“Beat you bastard to death!”

“Even if you die, the Family Head will live well.”

This sudden melee completely stunned Lin Jingxia.

Her small mouth was slightly open, her large eyes wide and round. She watched in disbelief as the group of people who had just been ferocious suddenly turned on each other like dogs fighting.

Even the severely injured Lin Lingkuang struggled to climb up, a look of almost savage satisfaction on his face.

He staggered toward Lin Lingming and used all his strength to deliver a vicious kick to his stomach!

“Pfft!” Lin Lingming arched his body like a shrimp and spat out a large mouthful of blood, splashing Lin Lingkuang.

Lin Lingkuang's own wounds burst open from the force, and blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, yet he grinned, laughing in pain and satisfaction.

Seeing that the scene was about to spiral completely out of control, the timing was right.

Only then did Lin Jingyu turn around, cup his hands respectfully towards the room where Lin Lingshan was temporarily staying, and announce in a voice carrying just the right amount of reverence:

“...However, the Family Head just sent me a Sound Transmission...”

The noisy fighting instantly quieted down significantly, and countless pairs of eyes looked at him with surprise and uncertainty.

Lin Jingyu sighed, seemingly with a trace of helplessness: “The Family Head said that considering this is your first offense, and you were misled by others, your actions are somewhat excusable...”

These words made the hearts of the desperate crowd leap, and a faint thread of hope arose.

“...The death penalty can be waived!”

Those four words were like the Music of Heaven!

But immediately after: “But you cannot escape punishment!”

“Each person is fined five Spirit Stones and forty catties of Spirit Rice as compensation for disturbing the Family Head's recuperation! Pay immediately!” Lin Jingyu's voice was firm and resolute.

This was a calculation he had specifically made in his mind.

The low-level Cultivators of the Lin Family were all Poor Devils; they barely had any resources.

Five Spirit Stones and forty catties of Spirit Rice were enough to cause significant financial hardship.

Any more, and they would likely be ruined.

“Furthermore,” Lin Jingyu's gaze swept over them:

“Starting today, you will voluntarily form Patrol Teams, divided into three shifts, and guard outside this small courtyard day and night. Don't let even a single fly enter! Do you understand?”

“Understood! Understood!”

“Thank you, Family Head, for your mercy! Thank you, Young Brother Jingyu, for your mercy!”

“We'll go gather the fine now! We'll start patrolling immediately!”

The ecstatic joy of surviving the ordeal instantly overwhelmed them. How could they worry about the Spirit Stones and Spirit Rice? Compared to having their cultivation crippled and being expelled from the Family, this was truly the mercy of a Bodhisattva!

Voices expressing profound gratitude rose and fell, and the looks directed at Lin Jingyu were filled with awe and lingering fear.

In the blink of an eye, the small courtyard, which had just been packed shoulder-to-shoulder with people shouting and fighting, became empty again.

Only the dense, heavy smell of blood lingered in the air, along with a few patches of glaring dark red on the ground.

Lin Jingyu walked over to Lin Lingkuang, who was leaning against the wall breathing heavily, and placed his hand on his wrist.

A trace of pure Mental Energy entered through his fingertip and quickly circulated through Lin Lingkuang's body.

Fortunately, Lin Lingming's strike mainly caused internal injuries to the viscera, and his spiritual power was somewhat chaotic, but his bones and Meridians were fine.

“I'm... I'm fine! I won't die yet!”

Lin Lingkuang endured the churning pain in his internal organs and tried to force a smile, but his face crumpled like a bitter gourd.

But the look he gave Lin Jingyu was astonishingly bright, filled with incredible surprise and intense curiosity:

“Jingyu... this... this Method of yours...”

“Just a small trick for self-preservation,” Lin Jingyu said dismissively, not wanting to elaborate.

He felt around in his Storage Pouch; it was empty. All the Healing Medicinal Pills he had saved up before had been given to the Family Head to keep him alive.

“Uncle Lingkuang, first regulate your breathing and stabilize your injuries.”

“Later, when those people return with the collected items, I'll need to trouble you to divide them into several teams and lead them on patrol. Keep a close watch; don't let the Grand Elder's lackeys get near this courtyard.”

“Mhm! Don't worry! Leave it to me!” Lin Lingkuang nodded heavily, his eyes resolute, and patted his chest in assurance, then winced in pain.

Only then did he carefully pull out the worn Storage Pouch from his bosom, holding it as if it were a Rare Treasure:

“Jingyu,” he lowered his voice, speaking with the solemnity of having completed a mission, “The things you wanted are all inside. Not a single thing is missing!”

He paused, a trace of gratitude and confusion appearing on his face: “It's just that the Xilan Grass Root and Winter Grass Green Fruit weren't available at the market.

It was the female shopkeeper at Miaoling Pavilion... when she found out, she gave me two portions for free without a word. I tried to give her Spirit Stones, but she absolutely refused to take them.”

A flicker of surprise crossed Lin Jingyu's eyes.

This favor was quite interesting.

Perhaps it was an opportunity to deepen their connection.

“Brother...” Lin Jingxia finally dared to approach, her small hands nervously clutching the corner of her clothes. Residual fear lingered on her face, and her voice trembled with worry. “Lin Lingming... and the Grand Elder...”

“It's nothing.”

Lin Jingyu raised his hand and, with rare gentleness, rubbed the soft crown of his sister's hair, his gaze profound as he looked toward the depths of the main estate.

A cold, sharp arc curved on his lips: “The Grand Elder right now is completely preoccupied with his Alliance plan; in four days, he'll be clinging to the Liu Family's thigh.

He's too busy restoring the Lin Family Ancestral Hall to its original state.

He won't make a big show of retaliation just for one crippled Disciple.”

Lin Jingxia nodded, half understanding, half confused. Looking at her brother's calm and confident profile, the unease in her heart miraculously dissipated by more than half.