Chapter Nineteen: The Three Great Clans Arrive for the Kill

Moments later, the exquisite flavors once again swept across his entire palate! The combination of fragrance, spiciness, and tingling heat brought a layer of sweat to his skin. The taste was so perfect, so utterly flawless, that it felt as if he were submerged in a vast ocean of deliciousness, unable to resist closing his eyes and savoring every moment… At last, he truly understood the saying that good food brings joy to both body and soul.

Half an hour later, in the Lin family’s council hall.

Having satisfied his hunger, Lin Fan took the Body-Tempering Fruits from his storage ring and placed them on the table, then addressed Lin Xiong with sincerity: “Father, this morning while I was washing up, I looked down and found another twenty of these fruits. Let’s use them to further strengthen the family!”

His eyes were bright and clear; if not for prior events—and this excuse so childish that even a five-year-old wouldn’t believe it—Lin Xiong might almost have been convinced. Almost!

“Very well, just leave them here,” Lin Xiong replied with a silent nod.

“Father, I suggest we give these twenty Body-Tempering Fruits to the new recruits. That way, our Lin family will instantly have twenty more at the Qi-Gathering level. Don’t let those who’ve already reached Qi-Gathering take them, or the effect will be minimal!” Lin Fan continued, “Besides, who knows? Maybe I’ll find more of these fruits in the future. We can always use them to further strengthen the Qi-Gathering cultivators later.”

“How do you know these mysterious fruits are called Body-Tempering Fruits?” Lin Xiong countered.

Lin Fan paused for two seconds. “Uh… I dreamed about it.”

Lin Xiong: “……”

“Negative emotion from Lin Xiong, +666!”

Lin Xiong stared resentfully at his son. Couldn’t he at least try to cover his lies, or come up with a better excuse?

At that moment, a guard rushed into the hall, shattering the frozen atmosphere. Bowing to Lin Xiong, he reported, “Master, something terrible has happened! All our guards below the Qi-Gathering level are suddenly weak and unable to stand!”

“Come, let’s see what’s going on,” Lin Xiong said, exchanging a glance with Lin Fan. The two of them had a good idea of what had happened. Even with the odds so low, trouble had still found the Lin family. Yet neither showed a hint of panic—they had plenty of cards up their sleeves.

Lin Xiong strode from the council hall to the training grounds, passing guard after guard collapsed on the ground. In the training ground itself, more lay in heaps, their eyes open but lifeless.

“They’ve been poisoned. Steward Fang has served as our chef for twenty years, through thick and thin; he’d never drug our people. But who else could have slipped something into the guards’ food?” Lin Xiong recognized the signs at once: the guards had been dosed with Nerve-Numbing Powder, leaving their limbs limp and useless.

With a wave of his hand, Lin Xiong commanded, “Find out for me—who entered the kitchen during breakfast?”

“Master, it was the madam. I happened to be on duty today, helping Steward Fang in the kitchen with a few others. After we finished cooking, as always, we brought food to the guards in the old rear courtyard. But when we returned, we saw the madam in the kitchen. Others—Abao, Awolf, and so on—can vouch for this!”

The first to report was Lin Hu, Lin Xiong’s personal guard and the very first to ascend to Qi-Gathering thanks to Lin Fan’s Body-Tempering Fruit. When Lin Xiong asked him to investigate, he didn’t move; he simply gave his honest report. There was really no need to look further—many could confirm that only the madam had entered during that time.

Lin Xiong nodded, his face darkening. The Lin family had its rules: even his personal guards took their turns on duty—sometimes patrolling, sometimes other tasks; it rotated. Only when he left home would his personal guards remain by his side constantly.

“Very good, very good. She’s determined to betray us now,” Lin Xiong seethed inside, though his expression stayed calm. “Go, bring the madam to the hall. If she refuses, bring her by force!”

“Yes, Master!” Lin Hu replied, dashing off.

When Lin Hu was gone, Lin Xiong turned to Lin Fan. “Fan’er, the three great families will likely arrive soon. Go to the council hall. I’ll give the Body-Tempering Fruits to the rear courtyard guards first and join you in a moment.”

“All right,” Lin Fan agreed, recognizing that his father was truly furious. He, too, couldn’t fathom how Liang Yuyan could be so bold as to drug the Lin family’s guards. No matter what, the Lin family was her husband’s household; her actions were pushing them into the abyss.

Lin Fan arrived at the council hall. After about half a cup of tea’s time, Lin Xiong entered with Lin Hu, his face so dark it seemed about to drip water. Lin Fan shot an inquiring look at Lin Hu.

“The madam is gone. The young master is missing too,” Lin Hu whispered, stepping forward.

He glanced at Lin Xiong’s face, already on the verge of eruption; after following the master for so many years, he knew this was a genuine fury, the anger of a volcano on the brink of eruption.

Lin Xiong snorted coldly, his voice trembling with rage: “Wretched traitors! From this day forth, I have no such son!”

“Master! Liang Yutao of the Liang family, Bai Xuefeng of the Bai family, and Hong Jiu of the Hong family are approaching with large forces!” Another personal guard, Lin Lang, burst into the hall with his report.

He hesitated, as if there was more to say.

“Speak,” Lin Xiong ordered, already guessing what was coming.

Lin Lang lowered his voice. “The madam and young master are among the Liang family’s entourage…”

Crack!

The armrest of Lin Xiong’s chair shattered under his palm as he shot to his feet, eyes ablaze with fury. He said nothing further, but strode out of the council hall toward the main gate.

Lin Fan rose as well, following his father. He could feel the storm of anger within his father’s heart—there was no pain like betrayal by family.

Lin Hu exchanged a glance with Lin Lang, who nodded and ran toward the rear courtyard. Lin Hu followed after Lin Xiong.

“Hahaha! Master Lin, you’re truly hospitable. You knew we were coming and have been waiting for us at the gate!” Bai Xuefeng, Liang Yutao, and Hong Jiu entered with more than thirty men, laughing loudly at the sight of Lin Xiong.

But despite the laughter, the tone was icy cold.

Lin Xiong ignored Bai Xuefeng’s words, as if he hadn’t heard, fixing his gaze on Liang Yuyan behind Liang Yutao and demanding, “You drugged the Lin family’s guards. Do you realize that’s a betrayal of the Lin family?!”

“I do. So what? When my brother told me the three families had joined forces and were prepared to destroy the Lin family at any cost, I knew the Lin family was finished.”

“It wasn’t the old master who killed Bai Xuezheng—it was you. I heard it from the guards. You only tried to create confusion, to make the three families believe the old master did it, so they wouldn’t dare attack for now!”

“That alone told me the old master was no longer able to act. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have resorted to such tactics.”

“And now, the three great families have allied and no longer care about the consequences if the old master could act. Once they resolved to wipe out the Lin family, I knew it was over…”

“So whether I drugged the guards or not makes little difference. They’re only at the Body-Tempering stage, after all!”

“Now, you face more than thirty Qi-Gathering cultivators and eight at the Meridian-Channeling stage. The Lin family has only four or five at Qi-Gathering, and only you at Meridian-Channeling. How can you resist? The Lin family’s destruction is inevitable!”

Liang Yuyan’s face was cold as she spoke, ignoring Lin Xiong’s darkening expression. “Since the Lin family’s fate is sealed, I must protect my Yu’er. That’s why I drugged the guards, though, unfortunately, the Nerve-Numbing Powder only works on those at the Body-Tempering stage.”

Lin Xiong listened to her cruel words, each one stabbing into his heart, leaving his tiger eyes bloodshot. He roared, “Do you realize you’re pushing the Lin family into the abyss? After all these years, do you feel nothing for me?”

“How could I feel nothing?”

“It’s precisely because of my feelings that I drugged only the ordinary guards, to avoid unnecessary deaths. The three families have promised me that as long as you swear a soul oath of loyalty to the Liang family, your life will be spared. I’m saving your life!”