I'm Not Willing to Accept This

Forty-two years ago, on a summer night filled with the chirping of cicadas, the lady of the Star Engraving Lin Family gave birth to two sons.

At the time, the Lin Family patriarch, Lin Wanrong, was an officer in the Riverside Army of the Morning Wind District. His family had fallen into decline when he was young, scattering all his relatives and friends. Fortunately, he met his wife while studying and received help from her family. Coupled with his own talent, he rose rapidly through the ranks and steadily climbed higher. At the height of his success, he named his two sons "Jinyao" and "Xue'en," meaning the glory that added flowers to brocade and the gratitude of providing charcoal in the snow. The names expressed his love for his children and his remembrance of his wife's kindness, while also representing his blessings for them: that they would live happy lives, growing ever better and helping others while repaying every kindness.

As the two boys grew up, their talents in different fields gradually emerged. Lin Jinyao excelled in Sword-Wielding Combat Arts, while Lin Xue'en was skilled in principles and theory. However, the Lin Family was a martial clan that had passed down Sword-Wielding Combat Arts for generations. Lin Wanrong spent several years personally teaching them, watching his eldest son advance by leaps and bounds while his younger son remained hopelessly inept. In the end, he could only abandon his dream of having three martial artists in one family, sending Lin Jinyao to the Military Academy and Lin Xue'en to the Cultural Academy.

From then on, the brothers' lives diverged. Lin Jinyao joined the Riverside Army as an outstanding graduate of the Military Academy and returned several years later to serve as an instructor there. After graduating, Lin Xue'en used the capital and connections given to him by his father to enter business. Although their father died in his sixties, his elder brother, Lin Jinyao, took his place as the pillar of the Lin Family and sheltered Lin Xue'en's enterprises from wind and rain.

In Radiance, although slogans such as "putting people first" and "all living beings are equal" were shouted loudly, social productivity was only so advanced. Competition for resources was inevitable, and fairness and justice were merely beautiful aspirations. It was just like ancient times in his previous life: every benefit had to be maintained through power. Otherwise, one was merely a fattened pig waiting to be slaughtered.

Aside from power, however, force—especially individual martial strength—was also an accepted guarantee. Unless one possessed absolute certainty, using underhanded methods against an enterprise backed by a famous martial artist would only invite the other side's unrestrained retaliation.

Everyone tacitly agreed that factions possessing martial artists could only compete fairly. This was not a rule, but a moral compromise forced by helplessness. Everyone was only seeking wealth, not trying to fight to the death.

In the Lin Family, Lin Jinyao was the flourishing crown of the tree, while Lin Xue'en was the deeply hidden root. Everyone respectfully called Lin Jinyao "Mr. Lin," and Lin Xue'en "Second Sir."

Everyone believed that Lin Jinyao was the face of the Lin Family, while Lin Xue'en was merely his brother's logistical support, a loyal and honest steward.

Even Lin Xue'en himself believed this.

From childhood to adulthood, he had never surpassed his elder brother in any respect. He was inferior in Sword-Wielding Combat Arts, inferior in his studies, and even inferior in business. He knew very well that his brother possessed greater business talent than he did. Whenever he encountered a difficult situation and sought his brother's advice, he would invariably see the light.

The so-called "Lin Xue'en is skilled in business" was merely a form of consolation.

His brother was the family's glory that added flowers to brocade, while he was only a piece of charcoal. But the Lin Family did not lack this one piece of charcoal in the snow. Even if the Lin Family truly fell into crisis, the one who would save it would be Lin Jinyao, not Lin Xue'en.

Lin Xue'en had never felt dissatisfied about this.

Or rather, all his dissatisfaction had been ground smooth by time.

He simply could not compare to his elder brother, Lin Jinyao.

He was simply a dispensable steward.

He was merely a dim, unremarkable piece of charcoal living beneath Lin Jinyao's radiance.

Inferiority had been born in his bones; he was inferior to others in every way.

Everything was fate, and not the slightest bit was up to him.

Until one day, Lin Xue'en met someone.

Someone from the Statistics Department.

"Are you really willing to live like this?"

Lin Xue'en had said nothing at the time. He had simply swept away his sleeve and left. Yet in the quiet depths of every night that followed, he found that those words echoed mercilessly in his mind like a thorn.

But those words did not hurt him. Just as a fish could not be hurt by a fishbone, Lin Xue'en discovered that recognizing his resentment toward his elder brother did not make him suffer. His resentment toward his brother had long since become a part of him as he grew up, becoming a fishbone that would exist within him forever.

Many times, emotions could not withstand trials. Yet they could also withstand them. Hatred was merely one of the seven emotions and six desires. No matter how intense, hatred could not occupy the entirety of one's heart. It was only a spark, one that could easily raise a stormy tide.

If Lin Xue'en had never met that person, he would still have been the Second Sir of the Lin Family. Decades later, he would have been surrounded by children and grandchildren, enjoying the pleasures of family life. Although his life would have been ordinary, it would still have been happy, and he and his elder brother would have respected one another like honored guests, without the slightest estrangement.

But when the hatred in Lin Xue'en's heart was ignited, the deepest and most rotten soil within him began to burn. A single spark was enough to ignite the marsh gas and destroy every barrier of emotion.

All the kindness, familial affection, and happiness of the past vanished completely, leaving behind only Lin Xue'en's unwilling heart!

Lin Xue'en did not believe that colluding with the Statistics Department was revenge against his brother. He believed he was saving the Lin Family.

Lin Jinyao had joined the Anti-Light Rebels. That was disloyalty!

He had rallied his friends to oppose the imperial court and walk down a dead-end road. That was unrighteousness!

He had allowed the Lin Family's name to be stained by the rebels' disgrace. That was unfilial!

He had made enemies of the imperial court and the Statistics Department. That was foolishness!

Everything I have done is only to restore order, correct Lin Jinyao's disloyal, unrighteous, unfilial, and foolish actions, turn back the tide, save Great Xia from collapse, and preserve the Lin Family's spark of life from the disaster of extermination!

This is a virtuous act of providing charcoal in the snow!

I never wished to kill my own brother, but since my brother has already been slain by the rebels through a twist of fate, this has also preserved his reputation and the Lin Family's prestige. It can be considered a blessing in disguise!

And I, Lin Xue'en, will certainly revitalize the Lin Family in my brother's place!

First, I will join the White Night branch and exterminate these Anti-Light Rebels together with the Statistics Department. I will stand firmly on the side of the imperial court, lead the Lin Family in serving the court until death, and do everything I can to pacify this chaotic age!

I will make the Star Engraving Lin Family famous throughout the world, so that my father and brother in Nine Springs may rest in peace!

Father, Brother, watch me. Even without you, I can make the great tree of the Lin Family flourish with luxuriant branches and leaves!

And next was to join forces with the sniper arranged by the Statistics Department, heavily injure Qian Yuliu, pass the qualification assessment for "White Night," the Anti-Light Rebels' organization, and obtain the qualification to establish a White Night branch!

The assessment suddenly proposed by the White Night Walkers caught the Lin Family completely off guard. Only those who defeated Qian Yuliu in a grudge match could participate in the White Night branch, and Lin Xue'en had to seize this opportunity.

He could not let anyone else defeat Qian Yuliu.

But he had no qualification to fight Qian Yuliu in a grudge match. Not only could he not defeat him, but no one was willing to let Second Sir fight someone as vicious and ruthless as Qian Yuliu.

Lin Xue'en knew every combatant and the order in which they would fight. He determined that Qian Yuliu could defeat Gao Jin and Xia Lingo at the very least, but after a prolonged battle, the outcome against Lin Xue would be difficult to predict.

For the sake of the Lin Family, he had no choice but to wrong Lin Xue a little. He had found a way to touch Lin Xue's scabbard and placed a high-energy Radiance stone that had been drained of energy inside it.

Under normal circumstances, this high-energy Radiance stone would have no effect, unless Lin Xue poured Radiance into the scabbard. Once the scabbard was filled with sword light and ready to strike, the light would not follow Lin Xue's will and stab outward. Instead, it would first charge the Radiance stone.

In other words, the scabbard light on which the Lin Family Sword Arts relied most heavily would fail completely.

There was no chance Lin Xue could defeat Qian Yuliu.

Of course, Lin Xue'en would not let his niece die. Once Lin Xue's scabbard light failed, Qian Yuliu would certainly seize the opportunity to pursue and kill her. That would be the moment Lin Xue'en made his entrance.

No one would doubt Lin Xue'en's fury when he attacked to protect his niece.

As for whether Qian Yuliu truly intended to pursue her or planned to stop, no one would care.

They would see only one outcome: Qian Yuliu was heavily injured, and Lin Xue'en had taken revenge!

By then, Gao Jin, Xia Lingo, and Lin Xue would all have been defeated. Only Lin Xue'en, Lin Jinyao's younger brother, would have successfully avenged him. In both emotion and reason, White Night would inevitably pass Lin Jinyao's authority on to Lin Xue'en!

So, I am about to take the most crucial step.

From now on, I will step from behind the scenes onto the stage.

My name, Lin Xue'en, will resound throughout Morning Wind. The world will no longer remember Lin Jinyao. They will remember only me, Lin Xue'en!

Qian Yuliu, become the stepping stone for my Lin Family and atone for murdering your teacher!

And Lin Xue'en's confidence came from the Statistics Department's assistance.

The sniper from the Statistics Department had already aimed at Qian Yuliu's vital points.

Faced with both a slash and a gunshot, Qian Yuliu had no choice. As an Awakened, he would certainly prioritize avoiding the more threatening and lethal gunshot. But doing so meant he could only dodge to the left, exposing his mortal flesh to Lin Xue'en's blade.

Even if this strike from Lin Xue'en could not kill Qian Yuliu, it would at least heavily injure him. Moreover, after landing one blow, Lin Xue'en would immediately retreat, securing his victory and gaining the qualification to participate in White Night!

All the resentment, all the unease, all the suppression—Lin Xue'en poured every one of his emotions into this sword strike, as if he could sever his past completely.

He gnashed his teeth as he stared at Qian Yuliu's face. The resentment and satisfaction in his eyes were utterly genuine.

He truly seemed to have become a younger brother avenging his elder brother.

Die, Qian Yuliu—

Crack!

A thunderous explosion rang out, and a burst of light bloomed.

Lin Xue'en's sword light was slapped apart.

At the same time, Qian Yuliu's blood sprayed through the air.

An invisible bullet pierced through him, blasting four holes through Qian Yuliu's right arm and left chest. Blood sprayed along its trajectory, forming a cruel beauty amid the distorted light.

Lin Xue'en's eyes widened as he watched. He had not even noticed that Qian Yuliu had used the momentum to slap his longsword away.

Why hadn't he dodged the bullet? Didn't he know he would die?

He could definitely have avoided the bullet. Why had he insisted on risking his life to scatter my sword light first?

Couldn't he tell that I was only an ordinary swordsman? My sword could at most heavily injure him, and was nowhere near as threatening as the bullet?

Why didn't he retreat after being shot? Why was he coming at me instead?

Why... did he have to ruin my plan?

"I'm going to kill you!" Le Yu coughed up a mouthful of filthy blood. His right hand, using Flood Exhalation, slapped apart Lin Xue'en's sword light, while his left hand, using Wild Bite, reached for Lin Xue'en's neck!

Lin Xue'en was the mole!

The sniper was Lin Xue'en's trump card!

Lin Xue'en's pupils contracted sharply. He retreated rapidly, reversing his grip on his sword and slashing at Le Yu's left hand as it reached for his neck!

Le Yu hurried after him, intending to end this traitor's life with his next move. But he discovered that he could not raise his right hand at all. The gunshot seemed to have injured the bone in his arm, leaving it completely powerless.

His left hand could still move, but Le Yu had already expended too much strength. With only the power of his five fingers, he could not crush Lin Xue'en's throat bone.

In the blink of an eye, Le Yu suddenly kicked Lin Xue'en's calf with his right leg, instantly throwing him off balance.

Then Le Yu spun around violently. Borrowing the twisting force of his waist and abdomen, he dragged Lin Xue'en down and slammed him into the ground with his left hand!

As Lin Xue'en fell headfirst toward the ground, he saw Le Yu's expression clearly. There was no anger and no hatred, only the delighted realization of sudden enlightenment, as if he were saying, I've caught you.

In that instant, Lin Xue'en understood everything. He also understood why Le Yu had been willing to risk his life to kill him.

I'm not willing to accept this!

Smack! Lin Xue'en's head slammed heavily into the blue-brick ground. Red and white burst out together.

Gao Jin froze.

Xia Lingo narrowed her eyes.

Lin Xue, who had finally managed to prop herself up, nearly fell over again when she saw this scene.

The surrounding spectators immediately fell silent. The Patrol Guards hurried over to check Lin Xue'en's condition, their faces troubled.

Le Yu slowly straightened his back and looked down at Lin Xue'en's corpse. A satisfied smile curled across his blood-spattered face.

In the eyes of the onlookers, however, that smile appeared exceptionally cruel and brazen.

"Qian Yuliu, you—you—"

"What about me?" Le Yu looked at Gao Jin, who was pointing at him, and laughed arrogantly. "If you've got the guts, kill me! Hahaha—"

The laughter suddenly cut off. Le Yu felt as if he could not draw breath. A moment later, his vision went black, and he knew nothing more.

In the final second before losing consciousness, Le Yu had only one thought:

"Does this count as Gao Jin angering me to death?"