Ling Chen is not the kind of person to act rashly on a whim without considering the consequences.
When he suddenly struck down He Qinglan earlier, it was by no means out of a simple desire to vent his anger at the expense of the bigger picture. Rather, an elder of the Ling Family had sent him a voice transmission containing just four words:
"Go ahead and do it!"
From this, he could surmise that the Ling Family's foundation is far deeper than he had imagined, seemingly holding no fear whatsoever of the Qin Family, one of the three major clans in Qingzhou.
The reason he is not killing Qin Yan right now is not out of sudden mercy or any lingering reservations. Killing him just like that would not appease the hatred in his heart, and it would let this scoundrel off far too easily.
The agony of having his bones dug out, the humiliation of betrayal—
Naturally, he must repay it a thousand, ten thousand times over!
"What will the Qin Family use to redeem him?"
Qin Yan was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly shouted:
"You—anything you want! My—my Qin Family possesses countless elixirs and heavenly treasures, and we will absolutely, absolutely satisfy you."
"Ha, Young Master Qin sure talks tough."
Ling Chen patted Qin Yan on the face and let out a cold snort.
"Third Uncle, please trouble yourself to seal his cultivation and throw him into Zuifeng Pavilion first."
"Zuifeng Pavilion?"
Ling Zhongheng cast a strange, sidelong glance at Ling Chen.
That was the pleasure quarter of Luoyan City. But on second thought, a playful grin immediately appeared on Ling Zhongheng's face. He hoisted Qin Yan up by the collar and clicked his tongue, saying:
"Look at this delicate skin and tender flesh; it'll definitely fetch a fine price."
"You—what are you planning to do?"
Qin Yan panicked, but Ling Zhongheng showed him no quarter, bringing a hand down sharply across his face.
"Shut your mouth!"
"If not for the Young Master's mercy, I'd skin you alive right now. Who knows, once you get to Zuifeng Pavilion, you brat might even get so hooked you won't want to leave."
Having dealt with Qin Yan, Ling Chen turned his gaze toward the trembling He Yuan and the others.
With just a single glance, He Yuan collapsed to his knees with a thud, tears streaming down his weathered face as he begged bitterly:
"Young Master Ling, Young Master Ling, spare my life!"
"This old man—this old man was also deceived by that bitch He Qinglan!"
At this very moment, he cursed himself for ever giving birth to such a wretch as He Qinglan. Had he known today would come, he would have shoved her right back where she came from.
"Patriarch He, why are you paying me such a grand bow?"
Watching He Yuan's terrified appearance, Ling Chen let out a cold snort.
"Didn't Patriarch He want to teach this young master a lesson just a moment ago? Why have your knees suddenly gone soft? Do you dislike standing, or do you simply prefer kneeling when you talk?"
"I..."
Regret gnawed fiercely at He Yuan's heart.
Had he known the Ling Family was this formidable, and that Ling Chen's talent was so extraordinary, how could he have ever been willing to break off this engagement?
"Young Master Ling, for the sake of our past ties, I beg you to show mercy. This old man is willing to offer compensation; whatever Young Master Ling has his eyes on, I can give it all to you."
"Brother-in-law, Brother-in-law, spare me! I—I deserve to die, I was wrong, I'll kowtow to Brother-in-law!"
He Zhao suddenly rushed forward and dropped to his knees. Before he could even wrap his arms around Ling Chen's legs, he was sent flying with a kick.
In the past, out of regard for He Qinglan, Ling Chen had always tolerated He Zhao. In truth, though He Zhao was young, his nature was thoroughly rotten. Relying on the He Family's protection, he idled away his days bullying men and oppressing women.
"He Zhao, your brother-in-law is over there, you mustn't address people blindly."
He Yuan panicked. Though he had many children, He Zhao was the one he doted on the most.
"Spare my life, Young Master Ling! Spare my life! Zhao'er is still young and didn't know any better before. I—I am willing to hand over all our family property, I beg Young Master Ling to spare him!"
"Spare him?"
Ling Chen's tone abruptly turned icy.
"Over all these years, has he ever spared those he bullied? Has he ever let off the innocent common folk? Scum and trash like him do not deserve to live!"
A towering chill swept over them.
He Yuan felt as though his heart were being torn apart, and suddenly, like a madman, he lunged to his feet.
"Ling Chen, do not push people too far!"
"We were willing to call off the engagement, and we are returning your betrothal gifts in full. What right do you have to lay a hand on my Zhao'er?"
"Just on this!"
With a single "bang," a heavy blow landed.
He Yuan was sent flying, crashing to the ground like a dead dog.
Ling Chen stepped down hard on his chest.
"Your He Family is ungrateful, devoid of conscience, and colluded with outsiders in an attempt to murder me. You father and son have committed every evil imaginable, utterly bereft of human nature—your crimes warrant execution!"
"Be a good person in your next life."
As the words fell, Ling Chen took a heavy saber handed to him and brought it down in a single sweep. Father and son of the He Family perished on the spot.
A murderous aura swept through the area, leaving the rest of the He Family members too terrified to move.
Ling Zhongshu walked up to Ling Chen, patted him on the shoulder, and said in a low voice:
"Chen'er, how shall we deal with the rest?"
"We'll return it, we'll return everything!"
"Patriarch Ling, spare us! We'll return it, we'll smash our pots and sell our iron to pay it all back!"
The remaining members of the He Family cried out one after another. They could clearly see now that Ling Chen was a hardened killer who showed not an ounce of mercy when he struck.
Ling Chen cast a cold glance at them. Having no wish to rack up any more bloodshed, he cupped his fists and said:
"I leave the rest entirely to Father to dispose of."
"Good."
Ling Zhongshu nodded, fearing that Ling Chen's killing intent was too heavy and might lead him astray.
"Third Uncle, take some men to inventory everything. We won't take a single coin more than is owed, but if even a single cash is missing, the He Family needn't think they can muddle their way through."
"Understood, Eldest Brother."
After giving his instructions, Ling Zhongshu called Ling Chen to his side.
"Chen'er, walk with your father for a bit."
"All right."
Father and son took the lead, heading out toward the city gates as Ling Zhongshu spoke in a quiet tone:
"Chen'er, you seem somewhat different now."
In the past, Ling Chen was the undisputed top genius of Luoyan City, yet he never possessed an ounce of arrogance; he treated others with sincerity and was gentle and refined.
But now, Ling Chen is decisive in his killings and is beginning to show his edge. Ling Zhongshu does not know whether he should feel comforted or worried.
"Father, your son has simply come to understand a truth."
Ling Chen looked directly into his father's eyes without the slightest trace of avoidance or evasion.
To outsiders, the time since he suffered betrayal, was ambushed by design, lost all his cultivation, and endured the agony of having his bones excavated was merely a little over half a month.
Yet within the Immortal Suppressing Coffin, Ling Chen had lived through far more than a century.
Had he not met that woman, he might have died long ago in that dried-up well, silently, with no one ever knowing.
In the past, he had been utterly subservient and deeply attentive to He Qinglan, but looking back now, it was nothing more than childish, laughable, and one-sided foolishness.
In this world, the only thing that will never deceive you is strength!
When you climb to greater heights, naturally everyone around you becomes a good person.
Yet the moment you lose power, you finally see those ugly faces for what they are.
"Good, my Chen'er has finally grown up."
Ling Zhongshu smiled with relief, then shifted the topic.
"Grand Uncle sent me a voice transmission telling you to visit the ancestral grounds. Remember, Chen'er, this is your fortuitous opportunity and you must not miss it. If you can satisfy Grand Uncle, it will be of immense benefit to your cultivation."
The ancestral grounds!
This is a forbidden place for the Ling Family.
Even with Ling Chen as the young master of the Ling Family, he cannot step foot inside casually.
Apart from Ling Zhongshu as the current patriarch, the rest of the clan members likely know nothing at all of the secrets it holds.
Having witnessed the might of that single sword today, Ling Chen had long yearned to be a Natal Sword Cultivator. Joy welled up in his heart, and he spoke impatiently:
"Rest assured, Father, your son will go pay his respects to Grand Uncle right now."