12: Strength is paramount

The newcomer was named Lin Yueru, captain of the Family Law Enforcement Team. Her cultivation had already reached the second level of the Foundation Establishment Realm, and she held a prestigious status with immense power within the Family.

She had always been known for being impartial and incorruptible, placing the utmost importance on Family rules.

More importantly, in this matriarchal world, like most other women, she looked down from the bottom of her heart on those male clansmen who could not bring glory to the Family and only knew how to cause trouble.

Especially men like Lin Chen, who had carried the name of "trash" for over a decade, and recently caused a series of incidents like "divorcing his wife" and "favoring a maid," which she considered to be "shameless" behavior.

Therefore, when she saw the tragic scene, she almost subconsciously attributed all the blame to Lin Chen.

In her view, although Lin Feng was unbearable, he was ultimately of the Lin Family Bloodline. As for Wu Jun, he was the Young Lord of the Wolf Tribe, representing the face of a vassal tribe.

For Lin Chen to cripple these two, regardless of the cause, was a heinous crime that shook the stability of the Family and harmed its interests!

"Take him down!"

Following Lin Yueru's order, the several female Law Enforcement Team members behind her immediately drew their weapons and menacingly approached Lin Chen.

"Let's see who dares!"

Before Lin Chen could speak, Lin Xiaoya, whom he was protecting behind him, gathered the greatest courage of her life, suddenly stepped out, and spread her arms to block the path in front of Lin Chen!

Her petite figure appeared so fragile before the overbearing Law Enforcement Team, yet her eyes were exceptionally firm!

"It was them! They wanted to harm the Young Lord! And they even... even wanted to bully me!" The little maid mustered her courage and defended loudly, "The Young Lord was forced to fight back to protect me!"

Lin Yueru looked at the little maid who had stood up for herself, her brows furrowing deeper, a trace of disdain flashing in her eyes.

"A lowly maid, do you have any right to speak here?" She scolded coldly, "To stir up jealousy, you seduced a man to harm his own kin and ruin the Family's reputation! For a troublemaker like you, according to Family rules, you should be beaten to death!"

This was the cruelty of a matriarchal world.

Although women held high status, the competition was also exceptionally fierce. Maids like Lin Xiaoya, who came from humble backgrounds but managed to gain the favor of a man, would often become targets of jealousy and suppression by other high-status women.

In Lin Yueru's view, Lin Xiaoya was just a "vixen" who only knew how to use her looks to charm men.

"You!" Lin Xiaoya was so angry at her words that her little face turned red and she trembled all over, not knowing how to refute.

"Slap!"

A crisp sound of a slap echoed through the woods.

But the one who was hit was not Lin Xiaoya.

It was the Law Enforcement Team captain who had been high and mighty just a second ago — Lin Yueru!

It turned out that Lin Chen had arrived in front of her at some unknown moment, his expression as cold as ice.

"You dare to lay a hand on my person?"

This slap directly stunned Lin Yueru!

It also completely dumbfounded all the Law Enforcement Team members behind her!

What had they just seen?

A man, a man who was like trash in their eyes, actually... slapped the Law Enforcement Team captain in public?!

This was no longer just provoking the Family rules; this was subverting the order of this world!

"You... you dare to hit me?!" Lin Yueru covered her rapidly swelling cheek, her beautiful eyes filled with unbelievable rage and humiliation.

Since she was young, she had always been a favored daughter of heaven; when had she ever suffered such humiliation? Especially being hit by a man she looked down upon the most!

"Hit you? Hitting you is light." Lin Chen's gaze was like looking at a dead person, "If you dare to say another disrespectful word to my person, I guarantee your end will be a hundred times more miserable than those two dogs on the ground."

An icy, bone-chilling murderous intent instantly enveloped Lin Yueru!

At that moment, she felt as if she had been targeted by a Vicious Beast from the primordial era, and the blood in her body was almost solidifying!

That was... the threat of death!

This man really dared to kill her!

The rage in Lin Yueru's heart was instantly extinguished by an uncontrollable fear. She opened her mouth, but found her throat felt as if it were being gripped by an invisible hand, unable to utter a single word.

"And you all." Lin Chen's gaze slowly swept across the few Law Enforcement Team members who were already terrified out of their wits.

"Thump! Thump!"

Everyone his gaze swept over felt their legs go weak, unable to hold their weapons, which fell to the ground one after another.

This was the crushing force brought by absolute strength!

Under the augmentation of one hundred Dragon Elephant Power and the might of a Dao Artifact, the invisible Aura on Lin Chen was enough to make these ordinary Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivators terrified to the point of shattering their courage!

"Now, take these two useless dogs and disappear from my sight." Lin Chen withdrew his gaze, his tone flat, yet it was like an order issued by a Heavenly God.

"Get lost."

Lin Yueru's body trembled violently; humiliation, anger, fear... various emotions intertwined in her heart, causing her pretty face to turn alternately blue and white.

As the Law Enforcement Team captain, she had never imagined she would have such a miserable day.

However, she dared not resist.

Intuition told her that if she dared to say the word "no," she would absolutely not be able to leave here alive today.

She gritted her teeth tightly and squeezed two words out from between them: "...Take them away!"

The few Law Enforcement Team members, as if granted amnesty, hurriedly and clumsily lifted the mud-like Lin Feng and Wu Jun from the ground, and scrambled away, disappearing at the end of the path.

Lin Yueru gave Lin Chen one last resentful glare, then covered her face and turned to leave in humiliation.

A storm was once again completely crushed by Lin Chen with the most domineering and forceful attitude!

Watching their miserable retreating figures, Lin Xiaoya, behind Lin Chen, already had eyes filled with brilliance, brimming with endless admiration and affection.

Her own Young Lord, to defend her, dared to even hit the Law Enforcement Team captain!

This feeling of being protected by a man with his life made her feel incomparably happy and at ease.

However, Lin Chen knew that it was not over yet.

Crippling Lin Feng and hitting Lin Yueru was equivalent to offending the two major factions headed by the Grand Elder and the Law Enforcement Hall simultaneously.

What was even more troublesome was the Wolf Tribe Young Lord, Wu Jun.

This matter would likely soon reach the upper echelons of the Family, and perhaps even... alarm the Bai Family.

However, so what?

He would face whatever came his way.

He would take this opportunity to let everyone in the entire Qingyang City see that no one could touch his, Lin Chen's, woman!