18: Chapter 18 The Lin Family Changes Hands, Hidden Forces and Power

At the entrance to the Lin Family Spiritual Vein, the scent of blood had not yet dissipated.

The two still-warm corpses of Wang Hu and Li Bao silently declared the stance of the Jiang Family.

Young Master Jiang Chen stood with his hands behind his back.

The Spiritual Pressure of his eighth-level Qi Refining stage poured down like quicksilver, forcing the remaining disciples of the Wang and Li Families to tremble, their legs weak, and even their breathing became cautious.

He did not even glance at those surrendered soldiers; he turned around, took the Jiang Family elites, and walked straight toward the main residence of the Lin Family.

His pace was steady, but his Killing Intent did not decrease, instead growing stronger and more concentrated.

The accompanying Jiang Family disciples understood clearly.

Jiang Feng had issued an iron order: anyone in the Lin Family who dared to embezzle even a fraction of the betrothal gift for Third Master Lin Changqing would be executed without mercy.

And the fact that the Lin Family Clan Head, Clan Head Lin Cang, had embezzled the betrothal gift was already known to everyone.

Today was the day of reckoning.

Inside the Lin Family main residence, Clan Head Lin Cang was restless.

When he saw Young Master Jiang Chen leading people in, filled with Evil Qi, he barely managed to maintain the posture of a Clan Head and shouted fiercely, though he was inwardly terrified.

"Young Master Jiang Chen! Your Jiang Family has reclaimed the Spiritual Vein and is an honored guest of our Lin Family; why are you trespassing in my manor! How audacious!"

Young Master Jiang Chen lifted his eyelids, his gaze as cold as ice.

"Clan Head Lin Cang, I will only ask you one thing."

"How much of the betrothal gift the Jiang Family gave to Third Master Lin Changqing did you embezzle?"

Clan Head Lin Cang's face instantly turned deathly pale, but he immediately forced himself to be stubborn, slamming his hand on the table to argue: "Nonsense! I am the Lin Family Clan Head; the betrothal gift naturally belongs to the Lin Family's public treasury, so how could there be embezzlement! Do not dare to make false accusations!"

Young Master Jiang Chen smiled, but there was not a shred of warmth in his smile.

"Is that so!"

He suddenly took a step forward. Boom!

An invisible Spiritual Pressure exploded from beneath his feet, instantly causing all the tables, chairs, and objects in the Lin Family hall to hum, teacups to overturn, and shatter all over the floor.

"Jiang Feng has ordered: those who covet the betrothal gift, kill!"

As the final word "kill" left his lips, the figure of Young Master Jiang Chen had already vanished from where he stood.

The Spiritual Qi at his fingertips condensed into a blade of Qi as thin as a cicada's wing, tearing through the air and striking directly at Clan Head Lin Cang's throat.

Clan Head Lin Cang's pupils shrank to the size of pinpoints; in his terror, he desperately circulated all the Spiritual Qi of his seventh-level Qi Refining stage to protect himself.

But that fragile shield of Spiritual Qi was no match for Young Master Jiang Chen.

Puchi! The Qi blade cut through the shield without any resistance, and also cut through his throat.

Warm blood sprayed out.

Clan Head Lin Cang's eyes widened, his throat emitting a "hissing" sound of leaking air; he clutched his neck tightly, his eyes filled with an indelible terror and regret, as he fell straight backward.

The dull thud of the corpse hitting the ground shattered the courage of everyone in the Lin Family.

The entire hall was deathly silent, followed by the sound of people kneeling one after another; everyone prostrated themselves on the ground, their bodies trembling like fallen leaves in the wind, not even daring to lift their heads.

In the chaos, Lin Qingxue took advantage of the lack of attention and, with a deathly pale face, escaped through the side door of the backyard.

Her father had been killed, and the Family's backing had collapsed; her hatred for Jiang Feng twisted and grew wildly in her heart, and her only thought was to escape Jiangyuan City, find an opportunity, and repay today's humiliation a hundredfold.

Young Master Jiang Chen's peripheral vision caught her fleeing figure, but he couldn't even be bothered to lift his eyelids.

She was merely a stray dog and could not stir up any waves.

His gaze swept over the Lin Family members kneeling on the ground, his voice cold and resonant.

"Clan Head Lin Cang was greedy and unscrupulous, and has been executed."

"From this day forward, Third Master Lin Changqing will be the new Lin Family Clan Head."

"Whoever refuses, their fate will be the same as this corpse on the ground!"

Third Master Lin Changqing was inherently honest and kind, and now with this Evil Qi-wielding god from the Jiang Family backing him, who would dare to say a word of dissent? Everyone kowtowed and agreed, fearing they might be a beat too slow.

From then on, the Lin Family changed hands and completely became a vassal of the Jiang Family.

...

The news spread back to the Wang and Li Families at an astonishing speed.

Inside the council hall, the Wang Family Old Ancestor, Ancestor Wang Gang, was leisurely playing with a jade thumb ring; after hearing the report, he let out a cold snort.

"This brat, Young Master Jiang Chen, does have some brute strength. It's a pity that the person in charge of the Jiang Family is an idiot; their own Spiritual Vein is occupied by us, yet instead of taking it back, he runs off to the Lin Family to kill someone and establish his authority!"

The Li Family Old Ancestor, Clan Head Li Ziwen, narrowed his eyes, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said slowly: "Brother Wang, you can't say it like that. In my opinion, this precisely proves that the Jiang Family is at their wit's end and is outwardly strong but inwardly weak. They dare not confront us head-on, so they can only squeeze a soft persimmon like the Lin Family, pretending to maintain their last bit of dignity."

"Hahaha, Brother Li, excellent insight!"

Ancestor Wang Gang was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized, and laughed out loud, the disdain and Killing Intent in his eyes no longer able to be concealed.

"I heard that the sixty-year-old useless old man, Jiang Feng, is taking a concubine tonight? He's marrying some ugly woman picked up from who knows where. He's on the verge of death, yet his mind is still filled with nothing but what's in his pants; it's simply a joke unseen in Jiangyuan City for a hundred years!"

"Since he is rushing to reincarnate himself, if we don't fulfill his wish, wouldn't that be unfeeling?"

Ancestor Wang Gang slammed the table, filled with Killing Intent.

"Pass down the order! Tomorrow morning, seize all the remaining properties of the Jiang Family for me! I want to see what Jiang Feng will use to support that house full of beauties tomorrow!"

The two looked at each other, both seeing undisguised greed in the other's eyes.

The Jiang Family, in their eyes, was already a meal on the plate.

...

At the same time, the City Lord's Mansion.

In the backyard garden, City Lord Fang Ming was holding silver shears, pruning a pot of precious orchids.

After listening to the secret report from his subordinate, his action of clipping off an excess flower branch paused for a moment.

"The Spiritual Vein was stolen, yet instead of thinking about how to protect himself, he meddles in the internal affairs of a vassal Family... And Jiang Feng himself is still decorating and taking a concubine at this moment..."

City Lord Fang Ming's brows furrowed imperceptibly, a trace of confusion flashing in his eyes.

"Has he completely given up? Or is it that... there is another scheme behind this?"

He pondered for a long time, then gave a deep order to the shadows behind him.

"Increase the manpower, and watch the Jiang Family closely for me."

A black shadow bowed silently in salute, then merged into the darkness.

City Lord Fang Ming looked up, gazing towards the direction of the Jiang Family, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

"Ancestor Jiang Xuan... You have disappeared for over eighty years; now that your Jiang Family is in this state, if you are still alive, can you really watch it be destroyed?"

His gaze returned to the courtyard, looking at two weeds growing wildly, encroaching on the living space of other flowers.

His gaze suddenly turned cold.

He spoke to another shadow, his tone flat but filled with chill.

"These two weeds have grown too fast."

"Go, prune them."

"Do not let them... disturb the rules of Jiangyuan City."

Another shadow accepted the order and vanished without a sound.

Under the night, the Jiang Family compound had red lanterns hanging high, appearing festive.

But the undercurrents of the entire Jiangyuan City were already boiling.