23: Jun Lingxiao's awareness of not showing mercy to the enemy

The Jun Family would certainly not use the Heart-Devouring Gu on its own people. For someone from the Jun Family to have a Heart-Devouring Gu inside them, there was only one possibility.

An undercover agent sent by another Family.

"Old Ancestor, have you made a mistake? This steward of mine watched me grow up from a young age; he couldn't possibly be an undercover agent."

Everyone present knew what having a Heart-Devouring Gu inside meant, and Jun Hongxuan's expression changed as he explained.

However, this steward was not as he thought.

Perhaps knowing that hiding under the Heavenly Emperor's nose was impossible, Jun Lingxiao's Dao Heart was so clear that he could distinctly see the steward's hand, hidden behind his back, secretly accumulating power. Sure enough, the next second he looked, the steward suddenly erupted, striking at him with a palm.

"Die!!!"

Besides the palm's might, he also keenly detected a poisonous needle hidden in the steward's attacking palm.

He suddenly attacked without a word, and with double insurance—this was clearly an attempt to kill him!

Jun Lingxiao's expression hardened at this, but he made no move.

This was because the strongest person in the Jun Family, the Heavenly Emperor Old Ancestor, stood beside him.

Even a single blink of his eyes in panic would be disrespectful to this Heavenly Emperor!

It seemed the Old Ancestor didn't even need to act.

"Old Ancestor."

Jun Lingxiao's grandfather rushed over, his expression grim. As a Great Emperor, a single glance suppressed the steward, pinning him firmly to the ground, unable to lift his head.

Although his grandfather was usually kind, one should not forget that he was also a Great Emperor.

However, if the Old Ancestor had acted, this person would probably have been crushed into a bloody mist.

Everything happened very fast, too fast.

One second, Jun Hongxuan was saying his steward wouldn't be a problem; the next second, the steward suddenly erupted, attempting to attack Jun Lingxiao. And judging by the speed and strength of his steward's movements, he was probably even stronger than him.

All signs indicated that his steward was not ordinary, and he had never truly seen through his steward.

Assassinating a Divine Son was a capital crime... Although he didn't do it himself, the steward was his person... Thinking of this, Jun Hongxuan's face instantly turned grim, and he consciously knelt on the ground, awaiting his punishment.

"You handle it."

The Old Ancestor frowned slightly, looking at Jun Wenhao, then added, "Investigate it thoroughly for me, find out who is behind this, and drag them all out and chop them up!"

Jun Wenhao nodded, his face also displeased. His precious grandson was such a Prodigy, a beacon to lead the Jun Family in the future. How dare a bunch of petty scoundrels lay hands on him?

After speaking, the Old Ancestor took Jun Lingxiao's small hand and walked into the Divine Son Hall, where An Luoxin was respectfully waiting at the entrance.

"Someone planted a dead soldier in the Jun Family, ambushing for so many years, and I accidentally exposed it?"

Jun Lingxiao thought this, but Heaven knew, he was truly just curious about the Cultivation Technique for cultivating Gu insects, which was why he asked casually.

He was very curious about everything in this world.

Jun Hongxuan... as long as he was truly loyal to the Jun Family, he should be fine.

"Divine Son! Jun Lingxiao! You must die!"

"You can't not die...! You must die..."

Jun Lingxiao took a step away and heard the person behind him yelling. Thinking it was just the ravings of a dying man, he looked back, but this glance left him stunned.

He saw the steward sprawled on the ground, his fists clenched tightly. Although he was there to assassinate him, he couldn't stop crying, as if he was the one who had suffered a great injustice.

Why was that so strange?

"Old Ancestor...?"

Just as Jun Lingxiao was about to ask, the Old Ancestor pressed his other hand down.

"Don't ask."

The Old Ancestor's expression was serious. It was the first time Jun Lingxiao had seen such a stern expression on the Old Ancestor's benevolent face.

It was clear that this matter truly angered him.

——————

"Lingxiao, you must understand, you were born noble, and naturally, some people will be wary of you and try to scheme against you."

"These people may not be willing, or it may not be what they want. There are so many methods in this world; even if someone doesn't want to do that, there are certainly ways to force them."

"There are many ways to force a person: their lover, their children, their parents, their friends—these can all be reasons."

"But Jun Lingxiao, there's one thing you mustn't misunderstand."

"Although they may not be willing, they are absolutely not innocent. Anyone who acts against you, regardless of whether they are willing or coerced, is an enemy!"

"They all deserve to die. You cannot show an ounce of mercy to enemies. Even if they kneel at your feet, crying hysterically, even if there are underlying reasons, anyone who dares to strike at you is an enemy and deserves to die!"

"Of course, that's not enough. To condone this is not the Jun Family's style. The person who attacked you, the people behind him, and the people behind those people—all must be rooted out and eliminated! Cutting the grass and eradicating the roots, that is our Jun Family's style! Even if we kill by mistake, not a single one can be let go! A Cultivator can feel guilty for a lifetime, but they must never live in fear for a lifetime."

Inside the Divine Son Hall, Jun Lingxiao listened to the Old Ancestor's earnest teachings, somewhat understanding what that earlier scene meant.

Someone used the steward's Family to force him to infiltrate the Jun Family and try to attack him, which is why he said Jun Lingxiao must die.

Because if Jun Lingxiao didn't die, not only would he die, but his Family or children behind him would also die.

Jun Lingxiao sighed slightly at this, this scene making him re-realize the cruelty of this world.

Those without strength were like this, manipulated by others, unable to control their own fate.

Actually, when he first learned he was a villain, he also thought about whether he should find a place to live in seclusion. After all, this was a villain, destined to be a stepping stone for the protagonist. Wouldn't it be fine if he just didn't Cultivate and hid?

But you see, this world is never as peaceful as it appears on the surface. Without strength, one can only be manipulated. Never mind oneself, even the lives of Family and friends cannot be protected.

"Old Ancestor, I understand."

Jun Lingxiao listened, nodding heavily.

"Only strength is everything. If that steward had strength, he wouldn't be threatened; this is his own reason. Being threatened by others with his Family, willingly swallowing a Heart-Devouring Gu, and being planted as an undercover agent in another Family—I sympathize with the steward's plight, but at the same time, I will not be soft-hearted. He wanted to kill me, so no matter the reason behind it, the moment he attacked me, he could only die."

Jun Lingxiao's words left the Old Ancestor utterly stunned; he, an Old Ancestor, was actually taken aback.

His original intention was just to tell Jun Lingxiao not to be soft-hearted towards others; he was even afraid Jun Lingxiao would plead for that person.

But it seemed that wasn't the case?

Jun Lingxiao's understanding was very high, even requiring no teaching from others.

He knew what to do.

Thinking of this, the Old Ancestor's eyes were filled with immense satisfaction. However, thinking again, he became serious, asking Jun Lingxiao with a stern face:

"Alright, let's not talk about that anymore. Someone will handle this matter. Daring to attack you, this will not be condoned. Just wait for the results."

"Lingxiao, tell me honestly, how did you unleash the Heavenly Sword?"

"Also, how did you discern that he had Gu insects inside him? Even I, without specifically investigating, wouldn't have discovered it."

"And also, what was that Aura you erupted with on the God Tablet Platform? And the Innate Dao Embryo's full value is 150; how did you manage nearly a thousand?"

"Lingxiao, this is a serious matter, don't lie to this old man."