140: The "Brother-Supporting Demon"

"Debt?!"

Lin Chengzong was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

His fake smile instantly froze, then was replaced by an exaggerated astonishment and grievance.

He dramatically spread his hands, as if he had suffered an immense insult, and his voice rose several pitches:

"Esteemed Nephew! What are you talking about?

That girl Qingyao and you are deeply in love; you love her so much that you help her good-for-nothing younger brother. That is your deep affection and loyalty!

Everyone in my Lin family is grateful and remembers it deeply! How... how can you speak of 'debt' here?"

He puffed out his somewhat plump belly, trying to assume a righteous posture,

but his eyes flickered, revealing a strong sense of guilt:

"Esteemed Nephew, you are the dignified Young Master of the Marquis's Estate! Is there a principle where things given away should be asked back?

If this were to spread, wouldn't it make everyone in the world laugh at the Marquis's Estate for being petty? It would be a great joke!"

He paused, a deeper 'sorrow' squeezed onto his face, and he sighed:

"As for those resources... Esteemed Nephew, you also know, this child Minghao,

alas, his Spiritual Power Affinity is only a pitiful five points; he's a bottomless pit!

It took an immense amount of Spirit Medicine to barely achieve Foundation Establishment, a huge expenditure!

Furthermore, I also need resources to Cultivate, right? Qingyao Cultivates in Moyang Sect, and her expenses are like flowing water... Which one isn't a gold-swallowing beast?

They were all consumed long ago, not a drop left!

Now the mansion is also stretched thin, completely empty, it's really... impossible to produce anything!"

"Consumed? Stretched thin? Completely empty?"

Ling Xiao laughed in extreme anger, his laughter filled with endless grief and mockery.

He suddenly raised his hand, pointing towards the moon gate leading from the inner courtyard to the garden, and roared:

"What is that?!"

Everyone in the hall subconsciously looked in the direction he was pointing.

They saw a young man, dressed in a dazzlingly luxurious brocade Magic Robe,

with a pale, puffy face from excessive indulgence, peeking out from behind the moon gate.

He seemed completely oblivious to the murderous atmosphere in the hall, and was still playfully toying with an ancient and peculiar round shield in his hand,

emitting a thick, earthy yellow spiritual light. The spiritual light of the round shield was contained within, and runes flowed, indicating it was clearly no ordinary item!

Ling Xiao's pupils suddenly constricted to pinpricks! A monstrous rage instantly overwhelmed his last shred of reason!

"black tortoise shield! The top-grade earth artifact black tortoise shield!"

Ling Xiao's voice suddenly rose, like the roar of a wounded lion, filled with unbelievable anger and bitter hatred,

"This should be a protective treasure that even Golden Core Cultivators find hard to obtain!

How can it be played with like a toy by this good-for-nothing second-generation ancestor of your Lin family?!"

He stared fixedly at Lin Minghao's bewildered and slightly frightened face, his eyes bloodshot, as if they would spit fire:

"Good! Good! What a 'consumed'! What a 'stretched thin'! What a 'completely empty'!"

"Your Lin family! Sucking the blood of my Marquis's Estate! Raising this good-for-nothing!

My father is fighting bloody battles against demonic Cultivators on the northern border, defending our territory, and protecting your peace!

And you! You are using the resources of my Marquis's Estate here to raise this parasite, enjoying your boundless wealth!"

"You parasites! Vampires! Utterly shameless!"

Ling Xiao's roar echoed through the hall, making it hum,

"Today, I merely came to reclaim a portion of the resources that rightfully belong to my Marquis's Estate, used to save my father's life!

How dare you deceive me! Insult me! Play me for a fool!"

Lin Minghao was so startled by Ling Xiao's roar that he almost dropped the black tortoise shield in his hand.

He let out a 'waah' and, like an unweaned child, scrambled into his mother Xia Ling's arms, crying, "Mother! Mother! I'm scared! Who is this person? So fierce!

Didn't Second Sister promise to bring me a Heaven-Grade Weapon Magic Treasure next time she came back?

Why didn't she bring it back this time? Was it snatched by this person?"

Xia Ling hugged her son, her face filled with embarrassment and panic, her lips trembling, but she couldn't utter a single word.

"Heaven-Grade Weapon Magic Treasure? Hahaha!"

Ling Xiao laughed in extreme anger, his laughter filled with sorrow and killing intent.

He glared at Lin Chengzong and his wife, whose faces were pale.

"Listen! Listen to the good son you've raised! What an appetite! What thick skin!"

Just then, Lin Qingyao, who had been standing behind Lin Chengzong with an equally unpleasant expression, couldn't help but jump out again. Her face showed grievance and accusation as she shrieked at Ling Xiao:

"Ling Xiao! That's enough! You yourself said it back then, that for me, Lin Qingyao, you were willing to give everything!

What? Today, for a few resources, you're going to turn your back on me?"

Where are your promises? Where is your deep affection and loyalty? Were they all fake?"

She tried to use their past 'affection' to emotionally blackmail Ling Xiao, her voice tearful, as if she were the biggest victim.

In the corner of the reception hall, a woman dressed in elegant cyan robes, with a cool and aloof temperament like a snow lotus, was quietly watching this farce.

She was Lin Qingyao's Elder sister, Lin Qingxue.

She had originally planned to return to the Sect after a month, but due to the Old Ancestor's summons, she was delayed for a while.

Now, preparing to return to the Yin Yang Sect, she had already packed her bags, but coincidentally encountered this misfortune just before her departure.

If not for her reaching the Golden Core Perfection realm at a young age, her strength surpassing all of the Lin family's younger generation,

and even alarming the Old Ancestor, who had been in seclusion for years, to grant her privileges equivalent to an Elder upon her return,

Lin Qingxue stood quietly to the side of the hall, her cyan robes elegant, her temperament like an ice peak snow lotus,

completely out of place with the tense, greedy, and ugly atmosphere in the hall.

She wasn't aware of the full story of this misfortune from the beginning.

It was only when Ling Xiao led his troops to surround the mansion and smash the gate that she learned the shocking 'blood-sucking' truth from her mother, who had rushed over.

It turned out that after she joined the Yin Yang Sect, her younger sister Lin Qingyao, also due to her decent talent,

was taken as a Personal Disciple by an Inner Sect Elder of the Moyang Sect.

Within the Moyang Sect, Lin Qingyao met her Senior Brother, Ling Xiao, the Young Master of the Marquis of Zhenbei.

They spent a long time together, feelings gradually developed, and a few years ago, they officially became Dao Companions.

Since then, Lin Qingyao frequently sent a large amount of resources back home.

"Xue'er, you also know that your younger brother Minghao... his talent is truly lacking; his Spiritual Power Affinity is only a pitiful five points."

Her mother's voice carried helplessness and a hint of shame,

"To help him achieve Foundation Establishment, your father has been busy traveling around these past few years, seeking various obscure secret Medicinal Pills, which cost a huge amount.

At first, I also asked Qingyao where these continuous resources came from.

Qingyao just said they were all given by Ling Xiao, a gesture from the Marquis's Estate.

We thought, the Marquis's Estate is wealthy and powerful, and they are in-laws, so we... we didn't think much of it."

Her mother's voice softened, filled with regret:

"But the things Qingyao sent back became more and more, and more and more valuable!

I also advised her once to Cultivate well with Ling Xiao and not always worry about home.

But your father... alas, after he got these resources, he became completely carried away!

Not only did he buy countless flashy Magic Treasures and Medicinal Pills for Minghao, but he also... he also bought many cultivation items for himself.

Xue'er, you know, your father's talent isn't much better than Minghao's.

Both father and son are like two bottomless pits!

What's more infuriating is that they don't understand the market at all; many things were bought at several times their actual price after being tricked by others!

Eight or nine tenths of the resources sent over these years have been poured into their father and son's cultivation black hole.

The rest are those randomly purchased Magic Treasures piled up in the storeroom."