Hidden Hate

"What do you mean by 'experiences different from ordinary people'???"

Lin Dong had a vague answer, but he was uncertain and wanted to hear it from the mouth of Lin Ge.

The change in Lin Dong's eyes was very subtle, yet Lin Ge still caught it.

He burst into wild laughter, laughing quite maniacally as he said, "I can see it. Deep in your heart, there is an enemy—an enemy you dream of defeating! Isn't that right?"

Lin Dong's body shuddered abruptly, and he stared at the youth before him in disbelief, his heart filled with immense shock.

How did he know?

Has he been investigating me?

Countless thoughts flooded his mind, yet Lin Dong could not fathom how Lin Ge had discovered the secret buried in the depths of his heart.

He wanted to know; he had hidden this secret so well that even his parents did not know of it!

The Lin Clan to which Lin Dong belonged was merely a small family, not even considered top-tier within Green Sun Town. However, this seemingly unremarkable Lin Clan possessed a staggering background: the Lin Family.

The Lin Family was one of the four great clans of the Great Yan Dynasty!

The Lin Clan in Green Sun Town could only be considered a branch of the greater Lin Family. But to Lin Dong, who had never left Green Sun Town, the Lin Family—with its terrifying influence across the Great Yan Dynasty—felt far too strange and distant.

Lin Zhentian had originally been part of the inner family, but after a mission failed and caused the Lin Family heavy losses, he was expelled from the inner circle and exiled to Green Sun Town.

Here, he established this small Lin Clan, and for decades, he had exhausted every effort to return to the inner family. This desire was the ultimate goal of his decades of struggle.

Regrettably, his efforts were far too insignificant to the vast Lin Family, so he had to pin his hopes elsewhere: the Lin Family's decennial Clan Gathering!

This was a grand event of great importance to the Lin Family, and it was quite famous throughout the Great Yan Dynasty.

The Clan Gathering was held every ten years, and all the genius disciples of the clan would participate to make a name for themselves!

The rewards for the gathering were equally generous, but what truly moved Lin Zhentian was a different prize.

That was, anyone who could break into the top ten of the gathering, regardless of whether they had committed a crime or were from a branch family, could enter the inner family directly—a glory beyond measure!

However, Lin Zhentian was far too old and had exceeded the age limit for the gathering, so he could only seek hope among his descendants.

It was at this time that Lin Dong's father displayed unparalleled talent, becoming Lin Zhentian's hope.

Facing this heavy burden, Lin Dong's father did not fail Lin Zhentian's high expectations. In just four short years, he broke through repeatedly, leaping to become the second Heaven Origin Stage expert in the Lin Clan, aside from Lin Zhentian himself.

That speed made the usually stern Lin Zhentian beam with kind smiles every single day.

It was said that those were the times Lin Zhentian smiled the most in his entire life.

The decennial Clan Gathering arrived as scheduled, but the final result left the Lin Clan in utter shock.

One move!

With just a single move, the man Lin Zhentian regarded as his hope—Lin Dong's father—was miserably defeated!

And that was only the very first match of the Clan Gathering!

Years of hard work and sacrifice turned into bubbles in that single moment.

If it had only been that, Lin Dong would not have harbored such deep resentment.

After all, the opponent had won fair and square, without any schemes or tricks.

But that person should never, ever have destroyed the meridians within Lin Dong's father's body. Not only did his cultivation drop to the Earth Origin Stage, but without a miracle, he would never be able to advance another step in this life!

Such an act was no different from ruining a person's entire life. From that day on, the looks of awe from the clan members gradually turned into sighs and mockery.

Whenever Lin Dong saw his father drinking alone in the courtyard, frantically pounding his own chest, his heart felt as if it were being sliced by knives, and his hatred for that man deepened.

He had destroyed his father, and he had destroyed his home!

As for that man's name and legend, Lin Dong had heard the clan elders mention it by chance later on.

He began training at ten, entered the Earth Origin Stage at twelve, and advanced to the Heaven Origin Stage at fifteen. By twenty, the Yin and Yang within his body had harmonized, and he successfully formed a Dan, becoming one of the few in the Great Yan Dynasty to reach the Dan Formation Stage before the age of thirty!

His life was nothing short of a legend.

His name was Lin Langtian!

"The hatred is enough, but it's a pity your strength is still far from sufficient," Lin Ge sneered, his tone mocking.

"One day, I will definitely avenge my father!" Lin Dong looked at Lin Ge and said in a hoarse voice.

Seeing the determination in Lin Dong's eyes, the words Lin Ge had originally intended to say were swallowed back down.

In that moment, a sense of confidence and radiance seemed to emanate from Lin Dong.

Watching Lin Dong like this, Lin Ge forcibly suppressed the words he had been about to speak.

"Not bad. This version of you is the real you."

After a few breaths, Lin Ge digested his shock, and a smile returned to his face as he spoke.

"It's getting late, and I should be heading back. May we meet again by fate."

Glancing at the darkening sky, Lin Ge exhaled lightly. Without waiting for Lin Dong's response, he walked past him toward the Lin Clan.

Is he a member of the Lin Clan?

Watching the direction Lin Ge was heading, Lin Dong finally realized that he was a disciple of the Lin Clan.

"Thank you, I hope we can become friends in the future."

Watching the youth's receding figure, Lin Dong couldn't help but shout out to him.

This sentence caused Lin Ge's figure to come to an abrupt halt, a strange feeling welling up in his heart, though he quickly suppressed it.

In this world, Lin Ge did not need friends; he only needed rivals and enemies. Thus, he responded to Lin Dong's words with equal gravity, though his tone remained slightly cold.

"We will not become friends; we will only become rivals, or perhaps even enemies."

"The only reason I saved you was because I saw your potential and felt that in the days to come, you would be qualified to be my rival. Nothing more."

Lin Ge's words left Lin Dong at a loss. He could sense Lin Ge's determination and indifference, yet he could not understand what kind of experiences could have turned this mysterious youth into someone so frightening.

In this moment, Lin Dong was somewhat moved, especially by this youth of extraordinary presence, whose image had been deeply etched into Lin Dong's mind, impossible to forget.