Arriving at Green Mountain Sect

Lord Qin kicked Lin Chen over, turning him onto his back and exposing his palm.

Holding the contract in his hand, he seized Lin Chen's palm and brought them together.

Just then, a powerful aura suddenly erupted from Lin Chen's body.

It was completely different from the Body Tempering Realm.

As that aura burst forth, the Spirit Binding Lock actually loosened and attacked in reverse.

In an instant, it bound Lord Qin.

Even now, Lord Qin had yet to react.

Only when he felt himself suffocating did he cry out, "Impossible! This is impossible!"

Lin Chen had already risen to his feet. He dusted himself off and reached out to grab the contract.

Riiip!

He casually tore it apart, scattering the scraps into the air.

"Lord Qin, if your nephew learned that you were strangled to death by the Magic Artifact he left behind, would he regret it?"

"Lin Chen, I was wrong. Please spare me, and I'll tell you everything that happened back then..."

"Wrong?"

Lin Chen crouched down. "You don't know you were wrong. You just know you're about to die. Enjoy death slowly!"

He would investigate what had happened back then himself.

Knowing now would only add to his troubles.

He stood and headed toward the Post Station, while Lord Qin's screams rang out behind him.

The onlookers' faces were filled with terror as they automatically moved aside.

Lin Chen reached the stairs and called, "Uncle Liang, it's time to go."

After waiting for a moment, there was strangely no reply from upstairs.

Lin Chen called again, "Uncle Liang?"

Still no response.

Lin Chen immediately sensed something was wrong. Just as he was about to go upstairs, someone came down.

The Station Master of the Post Station came down with a sharp blade pressed against Uncle Liang's neck, the two descending one after the other.

"You can't leave!"

The Station Master spoke with a heavy nasal tone. "Release the Lord of Clearwind City at once, or else..."

He did not continue, but his blade pressed down a little harder. A thin stream of blood ran down Uncle Liang's neck.

Lin Chen took a deep breath. The feeling of having his weak spot seized made him extremely unhappy.

"Yes, hurry up and capture him! He even dared to kill the city lord."

"That's right. There are twenty or thirty corpses lying on the ground, and he killed every one of them."

"Station Master, you absolutely can't let them leave. They don't look like good people at all."

The surrounding crowd began to chatter.

They had completely forgotten that Lord Qin had previously ordered everyone here killed, leaving no one alive.

Lin Chen gritted his teeth in anger. "When Lord Qin ordered all of you killed before, why didn't any of you say a word?"

He pointed at their noses. "I saved you, and this is how you repay kindness with enmity?"

"Bullshit! Who asked you to save us?"

"Exactly! You're a fugitive. Lord Qin came to arrest you. What does that have to do with us?"

"You heinous villain, release Lord Qin at once!"

Lin Chen took a deep breath and turned to look at Uncle Liang.

There was not the slightest fear on the old man's face. Instead, he wore a smile.

"Young Master, don't worry about me. Go!"

Hearing Uncle Liang's words, Lin Chen smiled as well.

He strode out of the building and walked over to Lord Qin.

The Spirit Binding Lock had already bitten deeply into his flesh. In a few more minutes, it would strangle him into several pieces.

Lin Chen crouched down and brushed a hand over the Spirit Binding Lock.

It immediately loosened, transformed into a rope, and fell into his hand.

Having escaped death, Lord Qin gasped wildly, blood foam spraying from his mouth.

By then, the people inside the Post Station had already come out.

The Station Master held Uncle Liang hostage and looked at Lord Qin with a fawning expression. "My lord, how should this brat be dealt with?"

Lord Qin struggled to his feet and glared viciously at Lin Chen.

"Cough, cough... He tore up my contract, so he'll repay it with his life. Kill him! Cough, cough, cough..."

Lord Qin roared furiously, then broke into a violent coughing fit.

The Station Master's eyes lit up with delight.

Being a Station Master in this miserable place was worse than guarding the city gates.

If he handled this matter well for the city lord, wouldn't that be his chance for promotion?

With that thought, killing intent flashed in his eyes, and the sharp blade in his hand suddenly slashed toward Lin Chen's neck.

He had been upstairs earlier and knew nothing of Lin Chen's monstrous body.

Seeing the blade leave Uncle Liang's neck, Lin Chen did not even dodge. He kicked out.

The next moment, the blade struck his neck and chipped instantly, while Lin Chen's kick landed squarely on the Station Master.

Lin Chen was attacking in fury, his strength pushed to its limit.

The Station Master flew backward like a cannonball.

He slammed into the wall of the Post Station and was embedded in it on the spot, never making another sound.

At this moment, Lin Chen was truly enraged.

Shielding Uncle Liang behind him, he turned toward Lord Qin.

Thud!

Lord Qin was so frightened that he collapsed onto the ground.

He had clearly had a chance to flee, yet he had chosen to take revenge on the spot.

He had never imagined that the Station Master would be so stupid.

Not only had he failed to kill Lin Chen, he had been killed in return.

In the end, he had dragged Lord Qin down with him.

Seeing the killing intent in Lin Chen's eyes, he completely broke down.

He shouted at the people in the distance, "I am the Lord of Clearwind City! I now order you to kill this man!"

No one moved.

Lord Qin still refused to give up. "Whoever kills him will be rewarded one million!"

They said that under a heavy reward, brave men would surely emerge.

But facing a monster like Lin Chen, impervious to blades and spears, no one moved.

Lord Qin panicked. "Idiots! If you watch him kill me, he'll definitely silence you all afterward."

It would have been better if he had said nothing. The moment his words fell, the crowd scattered with a boom.

They all fled for their lives.

Heh heh!

Lin Chen looked at Lord Qin and kicked the blade at his feet.

It flew straight and true, plunging directly into Lord Qin's head and piercing through it.

His eyes bulged wide, unwilling to close even in death.

Lin Chen dragged all the corpses into the Post Station, then set the place ablaze.

Only then did he drive the carriage away with Uncle Liang.

As for retaliation from Lord Qin's nephew...

If he did not kill him, would retaliation not come anyway?

Lin Chen saw it clearly: when soldiers came, he would block them with generals; when water came, he would dam it with earth.

After this incident, Lin Chen deeply understood that he absolutely could not allow himself to have a weak spot.

Two days later, he settled Uncle Liang in a small city.

The scenery there was beautiful, and life was peaceful.

Most importantly, there were no cultivators.

Everyone living there was an ordinary commoner.

Lin Chen fulfilled his promise.

He bought a large house, ten servants, and ten strong men for Uncle Liang to command.

Lin Chen even displayed his strength in public.

He shocked everyone immediately.

Afterward, he promised to pay them wages.

At once, they were deeply grateful and swore loyalty.

A slap followed by a sweet date—through kindness and authority alike, he won them all over.

Before leaving, Lin Chen left Uncle Liang a large chest of gold, silver, and jewels before departing.

Lin Chen bought another horse and rode at full speed. By that very night, he arrived at the foot of Green Mountain Sect.

What he had not expected was that many people were already lined up there.

The entire mountainside was brightly lit.

Green Mountain Sect required those taking the test to have a bone age of sixteen.

At that age, they could only be considered youths.

Therefore, the vast majority of people in the queue were parents.

They had accompanied their children to take the assessment.

"Little brother, are you here alone?"

Seeing Lin Chen arrive alone on horseback, a Little Fatty draped in gold and silver stepped forward to greet him.

As he walked, he deliberately raised both hands, the gemstone rings on all ten fingers glittering brightly.

No matter how one looked at him, he resembled a nouveau riche.

"Who are you calling little brother? Call me Brother Chen!" Lin Chen knew very well that when dealing with someone so overly familiar, he had to strike first.

Little Fatty's expression stiffened slightly, but he immediately piled on a smile. "Brother Chen, I have all the precautions for every test stage. Want them?"

Lin Chen gave Little Fatty another look. Anyone who could get hold of something like that surely had some means.

Provided, of course, that the information was genuine.

"How much?" he immediately asked.

Seeing this, Little Fatty hurried closer and spoke mysteriously. "Talking about money hurts feelings. I feel an affinity with you, Brother Chen, so I'll give you a copy. But... you have to let me follow you."