Two squads of Security Officers arrived in front of the Lin family's old residence.
In an instant, they surrounded the place front and back with practiced precision, leaving no way in or out.
Five or six sharpshooters were stationed all around as well.
The muzzles glinted coldly in the twilight.
Like eyes poised to devour their prey.
They commanded a clear view of every corner of the residence.
Such a massive commotion.
Naturally, it alarmed Lin Shouxin and Li Jinglin.
Lin Shouxin peered through a crack in the window and saw the forces outside.
His face turned deathly pale in a flash.
He stumbled into the inner room in a panic to ask Li Jinglin what to do.
Li Jinglin was standing by the window too.
His brows were knitted into a deep frown, his fingers unconsciously worrying the edge of his long robe.
Based on his observations and calculations over the past few days.
The Lu family had suffered such a crushing loss.
Even if they refused to let it go, they wouldn't dare make too much of a scene.
After all, Young Master Li would be arriving soon. The Lu family would have to think twice.
But the situation outside now.
It was clearly the sort of force you sent to raid a home and wipe out a family.
Something was wrong. Very wrong.
"M-Mr. Li!"
Lin Shouxin's voice trembled, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
"What on earth is the Lu family up to?
You have to come up with a plan!"
Lin Shouxin was at a complete loss.
He could only rely on Li Jinglin to make the decisions.
Li Jinglin himself couldn't quite read the Lu family's intentions either.
He suppressed his doubts.
When he turned around, his usual composure had returned.
He even brushed at some nonexistent dust on his sleeve and spoke evenly:
"Don't worry, Master Lin.
My young master is already on his way. The Lu family wouldn't dare do anything drastic.
Please go out and buy us a little time. I'll follow shortly."
After hearing this.
Lin Shouxin calmed down a little.
"Good, good. I'll go out and ask what's going on."
As soon as Lin Shouxin left, Li Jinglin's expression darkened.
Li Jinglin went over to the antique display shelf in the side room and spoke toward an empty corner at once:
"Go find Lawrence immediately."
"If things go wrong on our end."
"Tell Lawrence to force his way out of Yinshan County at once."
Of course, Li Jinglin wasn't actually speaking to thin air.
Li Jinglin was a cautious man.
Even when he was a hundred percent certain.
He still made sure to keep a fallback plan.
That Listening Cultivator was the fallback he had prepared.
Li Jinglin had stationed the Listening Cultivator outside the Lin residence well in advance.
His task was to listen for Li Jinglin's instructions at all times.
Just like now.
After giving the order to the Listening Cultivator.
Li Jinglin straightened his dark blue robe and left the side room.
In a narrow lane, inside a courtyard home one wall away.
The Listening Cultivator, dressed in a gray cotton jacket, heard the order.
He immediately slipped soundlessly out through the back courtyard.
His feet had barely left the ground when his body abruptly froze.
Beneath the old locust tree in the yard, a man stood with his arms folded.
No one knew how long he had been waiting.
The man wasn't particularly burly; if anything, he was lean.
Yet a mountain-like stillness hung about him. It was Chen Xuan.
The Listening Cultivator's pupils shrank. He knew he was trapped in a dead end.
He tapped his toe, about to spring back up over the wall.
But the instant he moved.
Chen Xuan's figure was already upon him, as elusive as a ghost.
His hand flashed out, fingers closing around the man's neck.
Crack!
A quiet snap. The Listening Cultivator's neck broke.
The light vanished from his eyes, and he crumpled to the ground.
"Young Master, it's done."
Chen Xuan pushed open the courtyard gate.
He spoke to Lu Jing'an, who was standing outside.
Lu Jing'an entered the courtyard.
His well-tailored charcoal suit made his figure look tall and straight.
He lowered his eyes to glance at the corpse, staring at it for about ten seconds.
[Detected a soul suitable for extraction/repair. Collect?]
Lu Jing'an decisively selected [Collect].
Wasn't that exactly why he had come?
But this wasn't the time to extract it.
Lu Jing'an still had a scene to play out.
After collecting the soul, Lu Jing'an turned to Chen Xuan and said:
"Master, let's go."
There was no Affix to be found.
Lu Jing'an saw no reason to waste any more time.
Chen Xuan nodded.
The master and disciple turned and left the courtyard.
After the two of them had gone.
Someone immediately entered the courtyard.
They began cleaning up and dealing with the scene.
The Lin family's front gate was not far from here.
The car turned a corner and arrived at the Lin family's main entrance.
When Lu Jing'an stepped out of the car in his well-fitted suit.
He saw Lin Shouxin, drenched in sweat, arguing with the chief of the Operations Division at the Security Station.
Lin Shouxin saw Lu Jing'an get out of the car.
Though he was somewhat afraid.
He still forced himself to greet him. "Nephew Lu."
Hearing the greeting, Lu Jing'an walked over to Lin Shouxin and asked, "Uncle Lin, what's going on?"
Seeing Lu Jing'an pretend not to know, Lin Shouxin didn't dare call him out. He merely said, "This chief claims that the notorious thief Nine-Fingered Yama came to our Lin family home."
"He wants to search our property."
"Isn't that an outright lie?"
"Nine-Fingered Yama was riddled with bullets."
"He died right outside our family's gate."
"How could he possibly have come to our home?"
Lu Jing'an's gaze passed over Lin Shouxin's ashen face.
Then he looked at the stern-faced chief and asked gently, "Section Chief Liu, what's going on?"
Section Chief Liu snapped to attention.
His voice rang out. "Reporting to Young Master Lu!
Our men tracked the thief Nine-Fingered Yama all the way here.
We saw him with our own eyes as he climbed over the Lin family's courtyard wall!
To prevent him from harming anyone, we've come to search for him!"
At this, Lu Jing'an turned to Lin Shouxin, his face wearing just the right amount of concern:
"Uncle Lin, since there's a witness, it would be best to let Section Chief Liu and his men investigate.
Nine-Fingered Yama is a desperado. If he really is hiding on your property.
It would be unfortunate if he frightened the women of the household."
Lin Shouxin was struck as if by lightning.
He pointed at the bluestone paving in front of the gate, his finger trembling.
"Nephew Lu!
H-How can you lie through your teeth?
That day... that day Nine-Fingered Yama died right there!
You saw it with your own eyes!"
"That's right."
Lu Jing'an nodded, his tone utterly calm.
"He did fall there that day.
But who's to say he didn't fake his death to escape and fool us all?"
"You! You!" Lin Shouxin's anger surged, and his vision swam.
"Lu Jing'an!"
A scolding in a foreign accent rang out from inside the gate.
Lin Qingyi came hurrying out, dressed in a snow-white Western wedding gown, her veil trailing on the ground.
She raised her chin, her blue eyes filled with disdain and pride. In French, she cried out:
"You cowardly, despicable little man!
You can only use such vile tricks to ruin my wedding!
Do you think this will stop me?
My husband will never let you get away with this!"
Lu Jing'an's gaze settled on her. The faintest curve touched the corner of his lips as he replied in fluent, elegant French:
"You mean Peter?
Unfortunately, he probably won't arrive in time for the auspicious hour.
By the time he gets here, he might be able to gather your remains and bury you.
I checked the almanac before leaving home today. It's an auspicious day for breaking ground and laying the dead to rest."
Lin Qingyi went rigid, her pupils widening.
It was as though she were seeing the man before her for the first time.
His accent was flawless, and his choice of words even carried an archaic elegance unfamiliar to her.
How was this possible?
"You... you speak French?"
The words slipped out in her mother tongue, trembling with disbelief.
"Is it that difficult?"
Lu Jing'an chuckled.
Then he switched to low, precise German.
He repeated what he had just said, every syllable clear and exact.
Lin Qingyi didn't understand German.
But she had heard German exchange students talking.
That tone, that presence—there was no bluster in them.
The blood drained from her face, along with the superiority and pride she had built up over years abroad.
In that moment, they shattered completely.
She had always seen him as an ignorant, backward playboy.
But now...
"What—what did he say?" Lin Shouxin hurriedly tugged at his daughter's sleeve.
Lin Qingyi turned woodenly and murmured a translation in hoarse Chinese:
"He said Peter won't make it in time for the auspicious hour.
"When he arrives, he'll be just in time to bury us.
"He said today is an auspicious day for burials."
"B-burials...?!"
Lin Shouxin repeated faintly, his legs giving way.
He stumbled back two steps, his spine slamming hard against the cold stone gatepost.
He looked up at Lu Jing'an's calm, expressionless face.
A chill shot from the soles of his feet straight to the crown of his head.
Lu Jing'an had come today... to kill!
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