Tong Tiexin’s men had no idea how Lin Dong had spent the last four years, and they were completely ignorant of his abilities. In their eyes, Lin Dong had been critically wounded and at death's door back then; even if he had managed to escape by some stroke of luck, he must have been hanging on by a thread. How could he possibly have the strength to fight back?
Tong Tiexin placed a hand on Lin Qiu’s shoulder and laughed brazenly. "Don't worry, you’re very useful to us, so I won't kill you. But your sister has already lived four years longer than she should have. Today is the day to send her to reunite with your parents!"
Hearing that grating laughter and the sharp, cruel taunts, and seeing the panic and terror in his sister's eyes, Lin Dong was pulled back to four years ago. The image of his parents' gruesome death played out before his eyes, unable to be suppressed.
"You deserve to die!"
Lin Dong took a deep breath, then flashed in front of Tong Tiexin with lightning speed and clamped his hand tightly around Tong’s wrist.
"Do you really think your filthy hand is worthy of touching my sister?"
Lin Dong’s right hand exerted sudden force. A crisp crack echoed as Lin Dong crushed Tong Tiexin’s wrist, and a scream reverberated across the rooftop.
"Argh!"
The voice of a Grandmaster was piercingly loud, reaching even Yu Shuang downstairs.
"That’s not Lin Dong’s voice!"
Tong Tiexin’s wrist had been completely shattered by Lin Dong, bone and flesh pulped together. The excruciating pain caused even a Grandmaster like him to scream incessantly, his entire body trembling uncontrollably.
"Argh!"
However, a Grandmaster’s willpower was far stronger than that of an ordinary person. Despite the agony, his mind made a quick judgment.
"Argh!"
With another scream, Tong Tiexin actually tore off his own hand, then retreated rapidly, soon reaching the edge of the rooftop. He had severed his own arm to survive.
"How is this possible!"
"It’s only been four short years!"
The last time Tong Tiexin saw Lin Dong, the boy had been only slightly stronger than an average person. He never expected that in four years, Lin Dong would have surpassed him!
Tong Tiexin was a Grandmaster, someone who had already transcended the level of an ordinary Martial Artist and had one foot across the threshold of becoming a cultivator. Even standard firearms could not penetrate his defenses. Yet, his wrist had been crushed by Lin Dong as if it were nothing. This could only mean one thing: Lin Dong’s realm was far beyond that of a Grandmaster.
He must be a cultivator!
Tong Tiexin looked up at Lin Dong, but before he could speak, Lin Dong interrupted him.
"You guessed right."
"In my eyes, the Grandmaster status you are so proud of is nothing more than that of an ant."
Lin Dong’s tone was so calm, his attitude so contemptuous, that the Grandmaster—whom the world looked up to as unattainable—seemed like a nobody to him. Everything Tong Tiexin had prided himself on was being crushed by Lin Dong in agony, yet he had no way to refute or fight back.
Lin Dong looked down at Tong Tiexin and said calmly, "You have one last chance to speak."
As he said this, Lin Dong took out his phone and started the stopwatch.
"Thirty seconds left."
Lin Dong’s posture and expression were relaxed, but when Tong Tiexin met his gaze, he clearly felt the surging killing intent hidden behind that calm look. Tong Tiexin suddenly felt that he was no longer a human, but a lamb waiting to be slaughtered at any moment.
"I..."
Just then, Lin Dong’s phone rang. The thirty seconds were up.
Lin Dong put his phone away and pressed one hand against Tong Tiexin’s chest. The immense psychological pressure and fear instantly shattered Tong Tiexin’s defenses, and he stammered out, "It... it’s the Xunshan Hidden Cultivators Association!"
Lin Dong fell silent for a moment. He had heard of the Xunshan Hidden Cultivators Association, but they were a reclusive organization that rarely involved themselves in worldly conflicts. Why would they randomly come to wipe out his entire family? Was it because of the Azure Dragon Saint Blood in his body? But apart from his parents, very few people knew about his physical condition. How could they have known?
Lin Dong had too many questions; he needed answers.
"Go on."
Tong Tiexin nodded painfully. "Lin Dong, I don’t know much. I’m only responsible for receiving orders and executing them! I can only tell you how I receive my instructions; I really don’t know anything else."
Tong Tiexin was merely a Grandmaster; it made sense that he wouldn’t be privy to core secrets. He told Lin Dong how to contact the organization. With that, he was no longer of any use, and Lin Dong saw no reason to waste more time on him.
"Be a good person in your next life."
As soon as Lin Dong finished speaking, highly compressed air pierced through Tong Tiexin’s chest.
"Argh!"
With a final scream, Tong Tiexin’s head slumped, and he drew his last breath.
The sudden reversal left Lin Qiu dazed, unable to process what had happened for a long time. Seeing this, Lin Dong soothed her with an apologetic look: "Sister, I actually knew they were coming for you a long time ago. I did this to draw them out. But you don’t need to worry about your safety; back home, I quietly drew a talisman on your chest. Ordinary people cannot kill you."
Although Lin Dong had used his sister as bait, he hadn't been heartless enough to disregard her safety. He tapped her chest lightly. Lin Qiu felt a sudden jolt, and a vast surge of vitality flooded her body. Looking at her younger brother, she felt a complex mix of emotions. She was relieved to see that in a few years, her brother had gained incredible abilities and had become so meticulous that she no longer needed to worry about him, and the revenge for their parents finally had hope. Yet, her heart ached for how much suffering he must have endured to reach this point.
"Xiao Dong, you’ve suffered so much!"
Lin Dong helped his sister downstairs. Before they could leave, they saw Yu Shuang pacing at the entrance, his face filled with anxiety. Seeing the siblings come out, Yu Shuang rushed over and asked anxiously, "Lin Dong, what happened?"
Lin Dong answered calmly, "He’s dead. You can go make the arrests."
Yu Shuang gasped, "You killed the Grandmaster?"
Lin Dong did not answer, choosing to change the subject instead. "Someone will come to handle the Sanlian Gang’s business disputes later. I’d appreciate it if you could facilitate that."
Lin Dong had not forgotten about the Chu Family.
Yu Shuang couldn't believe what Lin Dong was saying, but seeing the two siblings walk out unharmed, combined with the screams he had heard from the rooftop earlier, he wondered if the arrogant Grandmaster was truly dead. Without another word to Lin Dong, Yu Shuang rushed into the building and headed straight for the roof.
Pushing the door open, Yu Shuang saw the henchmen of the Sanlian Gang huddled together on the ground, hands behind their heads, not daring to move. And the Grandmaster, Tong Tiexin, who had caused them so much trouble just moments ago, had now become a cold corpse.