What the-You Should've Said So Sooner

That afternoon, Lin Yi got dressed again and brought Yu Qinglian some lunch from a nearby eatery.

Then he prepared to head home for a visit.

After all, ever since he'd started practicing martial arts,

Lin Yi had barely been home for over a month.

[Today's Fortune: Minor Misfortune]

Minor Misfortune: During the hour of the Ox today, the Black Wind Gang will attack Lin Hua's family.

[After averting the misfortune, reward: 1,000 Destiny Talisman Coins]

[Current Destiny Talisman Coins: 19,500]

Lin Yi's pupils contracted.

How could this be?!

Wasn't Hu Ma already dead?!

Why would the Black Wind Gang still target the Lin Clan?

That night, at the Lin residence.

Lin Hua lay on the bed, holding a stick in one hand and gently pressing it against his lower back.

Business at the tavern had been booming lately, keeping him terribly busy.

Lin Hua couldn't help developing a sore lower back.

"Ah, life sure is hard to bear..." Lin Hua chuckled to himself.

Knock, knock, knock—

A faint, light knock sounded at the door.

Lin Hua frowned, instinctively assuming it was his wife, Chen.

But the next moment, the door to the main room swung open. A man in his thirties walked in. He was tall and lean, with a long face, phoenix eyes, a straight nose, and a slight limp.

Seeing who it was, Lin Hua froze for a moment, then burst out cursing.

"You've got some nerve coming back!"

The visitor was Lin Hua's second younger brother, Lin Changgong.

"Big brother, it's been a long time." Lin Changgong chuckled and plopped down in the seat across from Lin Hua, looking as shameless as ever.

"I've been a little short on money lately. I'd be grateful if you could spare your younger brother a little."

Lin Changgong cupped his hands toward Lin Hua.

"Ah..." Lin Hua sighed, then earnestly advised him, "Second brother, so many years have passed. It's time to face reality and make a life for yourself."

The smile gradually faded from Lin Changgong's face. Deep in his eyes lay a profound, lifeless stillness.

"All right, big brother. I understand." Lin Changgong looked up, his tone still light and airy.

Lin Hua had no choice. Knowing his words had gone in one ear and out the other, he said no more.

Lin Hua knew what his brother had been through.

Back when the Lin Clan Escort Agency was still around, Lin Hua had been mediocre, with only a Grade-D bone structure.

Lin Changgong, however, had possessed a bone structure one in ten thousand—the rarest Grade-A—and the whole clan had pinned its hopes on him.

But on their final escort mission, disaster struck the Lin Clan. The entire family was wiped out, and Lin Changgong's bone structure was crippled. He'd fallen from grace overnight, reduced to an ordinary man. The blow had hit him even harder than it had Lin Hua.

"Forget it, forget it." Lin Hua said helplessly, "What brings you here today? And let me make this clear in advance: there's no silver left in the house."

"Big brother, that's not fair. I'm hardly the sort of brother who'd covet the few taels of silver you have."

Lin Hua looked surprised. "Then what are you here for?"

Lin Changgong smiled and took a sip of the tea that had gone cold on the table. "It's just been a long time since I've seen you. I happened to be passing by, so I thought I'd come over and ask for a cup of tea."

Night fell.

Lin Yi wore black night clothes, a saber at his waist, and a piece of black cloth loosely covering his face.

The Hidden Origin Technique Lin Yi practiced could conceal his presence and figure.

Thus, as he crossed the rooftops, ordinary people could barely detect him; only a shadow moved across the tiles.

Rustle, rustle.

Soft, measured footsteps came from around the corner of the alley.

Lin Yi's gaze sharpened, and he moved even more carefully.

"Those people up top are crazy. It's just a family of three. Do they really need to send so many of us?"

"Yeah, they even sent five martial artists who've awakened their qi."

"You'd think the Lin family just ran an eatery. Why are the people up top taking this so seriously?"

"They've sent out so many people tonight, and they insist on taking Lin Hua away today."

"Shh... I'll tell you this, but don't let anyone else hear..."

The other man drew closer.

"I heard the younger brother of the Lin family, some guy called Lin Changgong, stole a treasure from one of the people up top."

"The people up top?"

"You know, the people above our gang leader."

"Hiss! What on earth did the Lin family do to deserve this?"

"Enough, enough..."

"As for why they're kidnapping the Lin family tonight, it's simple. I heard Lin Hua's young nephew is about to break through and become a martial artist at the martial arts school. That'll make things troublesome for them..."

"..."

Lin Yi's expression darkened.

The main reason the Black Wind Gang had been able to hold its ground in Jiaqing County for years was the protection behind it.

That was, the county's powerful officials, who turned a blind eye and let the Black Wind Gang handle the dirty work.

Lin Yi had never imagined that the real people targeting the Lin family were the county's own officials.

"Second uncle, what exactly did you take..."

Lin Yi wondered.

When the two men below changed the subject, stopped discussing anything important, and even started trading dirty jokes,

Lin Yi quietly drew back and moved elsewhere, keeping a close eye on every alley entrance.

As expected, every alley entrance was surrounded by Black Wind Gang members. There was no way out.

And each entrance was guarded by martial artists.

Lin Yi raised an eyebrow.

Fortunately, he'd summoned the Corpse Puppet on his way back. Otherwise, this would've been hard to deal with.

There was also one figure whose presence made Lin Yi's heart tighten.

At the alley entrance closest to the Lin residence,

stood a tall, imposing middle-aged man with a thick beard and a bone-chilling aura.

He was a Ninth-grade martial artist.

Judging by his realm, he wasn't far from breaking through to the eighth grade.

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Lin Yi considered the situation in silence.

If the Black Wind Gang attacked all at once,

the Corpse Puppet would have to hold off the many men at the alley entrance.

After that, he'd have to face the martial artist alone.

Even though he wasn't far from becoming a martial artist himself,

there was a world of difference between a martial artist and an ordinary person. Lin Yi didn't know if he could beat the man.

Not to mention the twenty-odd Black Wind Gang thugs surrounding them.

His thoughts churned.

Lin Yi's gaze suddenly hardened.

"Going head-to-head is out of the question! I'll have to muddy the waters and fish for a chance to survive!"

"Master Wang, most of the brothers are here, and we've secured the alley entrances."

"Mm. Wait another incense stick's worth of time. The people inside are still awake. If we barge in now and they start shouting, we'll alert the neighbors and cause unnecessary trouble." Martial Master Wang spoke.

Time slipped by.

Before long, the incense stick had burned down.

As a martial artist, Martial Master Wang had sharp eyes and ears. He could faintly hear voices coming from the rooms in the courtyard.

"Why are they still awake so late?" Martial Master Wang frowned, then seemed to make up his mind. "Forget it. We're not waiting!"

A breeze blew past, carrying the choking smell of smoke.

Martial Master Wang's heart jumped. He hurriedly turned to look.

Thick black smoke suddenly billowed from two or three houses around the Lin residence.

"Fire!"

"Fire!"

In an instant, the still, silent night erupted into chaos.

The quiet alley suddenly blazed with light.

Almost at once, lights came on in every house, and rustling noises rose all around them.

"This is bad!"

Martial Master Wang's heart tightened.

Everyone was awake now. With all those eyes watching, how could they abduct even one member of the Lin family?

"Move!" Martial Master Wang hurriedly ordered the three closest men.

All three had practiced martial arts and broken through the Martial Pass. Though they hadn't become martial artists, they were still formidable fighters.

They swiftly vaulted over the wall and entered the courtyard.

They'd already learned the layout of the Lin residence in advance,

and they'd divided up their targets well ahead of time. Their job was to kidnap Lin Hua's son, Lin Xiuwen.

Lin Hua and his wife were Martial Master Wang's responsibility.

Without hesitation, all three rushed toward Lin Xiuwen's room.

They reached the door and listened.

The room was utterly silent.

The three men relaxed. It seemed the Lin boy was a heavy sleeper and hadn't been woken by the commotion outside. That would make him even easier to capture.

There was no hesitation. Delay meant trouble.

The three men charged into the room.

It was pitch-black inside, so dark they couldn't see their hands before their faces. Moonlight filtered in, but it could not dispel the darkness.

Yet in the gloom, the moonlight seemed to catch a striking flash of white.

Thin, keen, and vicious!

That was the last image left in the three men's minds.

The smooth, slick sound of flesh being sliced apart.

In the blink of an eye, the three men who had entered whole

became six neatly severed chunks of meat.

Lin Yi flicked his blade, scattering the blood droplets from its edge.

Then he glanced sideways at Lin Xiuwen, who was still sleeping soundly.

Lin Yi had used the Corpse Eye Blinder, a technique of the Corpse Puppet Path, on Lin Xiuwen. He was trapped in an illusion.

That was why he hadn't woken, even amid such a commotion.

Lin Yi ignored him. After cleanly killing the three men, he immediately left the room and even shut the door behind him.

The moment he stepped outside,

the hairs on Lin Yi's body stood on end. He drew his saber and blocked!

The clang of blade against blade rang through the empty courtyard, but was soon swallowed by the raging fire and clamoring voices outside.

His qi and blood churned. Lin Yi staggered back dozens of steps before coming to a steady stop, his gaze icy.

"Who are you?!" Martial Master Wang demanded angrily.

He wasn't a fool.

In an instant, he understood how the fires around them had started.

It seemed tonight's mission was doomed to fail.

Lin Yi didn't answer or make the first move. He simply stood his ground, holding his saber.

His thoughts raced.

The fire was already blazing.

Outside was the entire neighborhood. There was no way to take anyone away under everyone's watchful eyes.

And the county officials would be arriving soon. If he didn't leave now, it'd be too late.

The martial artist before him was probably just a hired hand for the Black Wind Gang, drawing a monthly stipend. There was no reason for him to risk his life.

Now that the mission had failed, the sensible thing would be to leave as soon as possible.

Lin Yi didn't want to fight a martial artist, either.

Most likely, they wouldn't have to fight tonight.

Lin Yi felt his heart ease.

"Not talking? That's fine. You'll be dead soon enough anyway." Martial Master Wang's eyes reddened. "You haven't even broken through the Martial Pass, you little bastard, and you dare kill my nephew!"

Lin Yi's heart, which had just begun to relax, shot straight up into his throat.

Wait, what?!

One of those three just now was your nephew!

Damn, you could've warned me first!

He didn't give Lin Yi time to react.

The next second, Martial Master Wang suddenly charged at Lin Yi.

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