Two figures walked out side by side through the main gate.
The one on the left was a young married woman in a deep-purple dress, her hair swept into a high bun adorned with a pure-gold dangling hairpin, her figure voluptuous.
She was none other than the mistress of the Lin household, Zhao Yan.
On the right was a tall, thin middle-aged man dressed in a scholar's robe, a longsword on his back.
His right arm rested naturally around Zhao Yan's waist, his hand gently stroking it.
The moment Lin Shan saw Zhao Yan, he trembled all over with excitement and cried at the top of his lungs.
"Mother! Save me!"
Zhao Yan's gaze passed over the corpses strewn across the ground and fixed directly on Lin Yuan.
When a servant had come to report earlier and described Lin Yuan's appearance, she had immediately guessed his identity.
After all, she kept an eye on Lin Yuan at all times and even had several portraits of him close at hand.
As for why she harbored such intense hostility toward Lin Yuan, aside from certain reasons unknown to others, it also had much to do with his mother, who had died young.
In short, Lin Yuan had to die.
Since Lin Dafu's death, she had made two successive attempts against Lin Yuan, never expecting both to come to nothing.
Later, with the Zhao Clan's uprising imminent, and having already obtained all the Lin Clan's property, she had devoted herself entirely to the rebellion.
Who could have foreseen that this little bastard would come slaughtering his way to her door today-and, crucially, bring someone from the Dragon Guard?
She secretly studied Shen Qing, suspicion stirring within her. Had something gone wrong?
But her eldest brother was holding the fort at the county office, and no word had arrived so far. She was probably overthinking things.
Her gaze fell on Lin Yuan again.
Zhao Yan hated Lin Yuan to death, but forced her face into the picture of a loving mother.
"Yuan'er, why are you attacking your own elder brother the moment you return?"
She pressed a hand to her chest and heaved a deep sigh.
"We're all family. Whatever the misunderstanding, we can sit down and talk it out. Please don't damage our harmony."
At those words, Lin Shan shuddered.
He whipped his head around and stared blankly at Lin Yuan.
What the hell?
This harbinger of calamity was actually Lin Yuan?
The younger brother Mother had driven out like a dog eight years ago?
His expression was extraordinarily complicated: fear, disbelief, resentment, and a trace of gratification he could neither explain nor describe.
Smack!
Lin Yuan swung his hand back and planted a solid slap across Lin Shan's face.
The slap carried tremendous force, and half of Lin Shan's face instantly swelled up.
Lin Yuan frowned slightly.
"Don't look at me like that. You're not worthy!"
Only after teaching Lin Shan a lesson did Lin Yuan raise his head to meet Zhao Yan's gaze. Suddenly, he smiled.
"Madam, are you sure he really is my elder brother by blood?"
Zhao Yan's heart lurched, her hand clenched, and the blood instantly drained from her face.
What did this little bastard mean?
Did he know something?
Zhao Yan suppressed her panic, forced herself to remain composed, and continued her earnest persuasion.
"Yuan'er, what are you saying!"
"You two are brothers-even if your bones break, your sinews remain connected. You mustn't do anything foolish!"
She clutched her chest in anguish, her eyes reddening.
"Your father's bones have barely grown cold, yet you've killed the household guards as soon as you arrived, and now you mean to murder your brother! If your father knew in the world below, how would he feel?"
It had to be said that Zhao Yan's skill at turning black into white had truly reached perfection.
As those words spread, the atmosphere instantly grew subtle.
The maids and servants peeking out from hiding began pointing and whispering.
Lin Yuan suddenly felt his body sink, as though he had fallen into a moral abyss.
Yet he could not speak of it. Lin Dafu had guarded that secret to his death.
The dead deserved respect. He could not make that matter known to everyone; he ought to leave Lin Dafu some dignity.
And leave his past-life self some dignity, too. This was his final bit of stubbornness.
Not far away, Shen Qing was also somewhat moved. A reputation for killing one's brother really did sound terrible.
She hesitated, then took two steps closer.
"Little Brother Lin, how about sparing his life?"
Lin Shan took everything in and immediately felt he had his footing again.
Holding his face, swollen like a pig's head, he advised Lin Yuan in an elder brother's tone.
"Little brother, listen to Mother. Put away your saber."
"I was wrong before, but setting the facts aside, aren't you at fault too?"
"Let's each take a step back and stop blaming one another."
Lin Yuan stared at him blankly, then suddenly laughed in anger.
As he laughed, his expression abruptly turned cold and sinister.
Smack.
He swung another backhanded slap across his face.
"You've fucking set the facts aside already. What are you still yammering about?"
Lin Shan clutched his cheek and glared viciously at him.
"Lin Yuan, don't fucking throw my kindness back in my face. Kill me if you've got the guts. Do you dare?"
Lin Shan thrust out his chest and stiffened his neck, glaring furiously. He did not believe Lin Yuan would truly dare strike.
Seeing him like that, Lin Yuan suddenly smiled.
"What are you smiling about?"
"I just remembered something someone said."
"???"
Lin Shan froze slightly.
Lin Yuan leaned close to his ear and slowly uttered a sentence.
"As long as I have no morals, morals can't hold me hostage."
Lin Shan's pupils abruptly contracted.
Clang!
A flash of saber light flickered past.
Squelch!
Lin Shan's arm was severed with one stroke.
The scene fell silent for an instant.
The next second.
Aah!
Only then did Lin Shan register what had happened and let out a piercing scream.
"Shan'er!"
Zhao Yan cried out in alarm, and then her entire face instantly twisted.
"You little beast! You dared cut off my son's arm! You truly deserve to die!"
She whipped her head around, seized the middle-aged man's sleeve in a death grip, and shrieked hysterically.
"Mr. Song! Kill him! Kill him now! I want him hacked into ten thousand pieces!"
The middle-aged man patted Zhao Yan's back, signaling her to calm down.
Then he released Zhao Yan, took two steps forward, and spoke with a faint smile.
"Boy, stop. This man is under my protection-Song Mo's."
Lin Yuan rolled his eyes.
His answer to Song Mo was an even swifter flash of saber light!
Squelch!
The long saber swept downward, cleanly severing Lin Shan's left arm!
Aah!
Lin Shan writhed on the ground like a maggot, his entire body convulsing uncontrollably.
Atop the steps.
The smile on Song Mo's face instantly froze.
His face turned ashen, his chest heaving violently as he pointed at Lin Yuan and roared.
"Little bastard, can't you understand human speech?"
"I told you to stop! If you dare touch him again, bear the consequences!"
Just then.
Shen Qing, who had been frowning in thought all this time, suddenly blanched and exclaimed.
"Song Mo, you're Wind-Chasing Sword Song Mo! One of the Ten Swordsmen serving the Yun Prefecture rebels!"
She hurriedly leaned toward Lin Yuan's ear and warned him urgently.
"Be careful. This man has been famous for years. His cultivation reached second rank late stage long ago!"
Her hand unconsciously pressed against her saber's hilt, her face solemn.
She was only at second rank early stage and was far from a match for Song Mo.
Song Mo glanced at Shen Qing with some surprise.
"Correct. As expected of the Dragon Guard, which watches over all under heaven-you've actually heard of my humble reputation."
Then his tone shifted.
"Unlike certain people, who are like frogs at the bottom of a well."
He glared angrily at Lin Yuan and barked in a low voice.
"Little bastard, release him already!"
Lin Yuan blinked, and a frightened expression suddenly appeared on his face.
The next instant.
He swung his saber.
The blade severed the neck, sending a pillar of blood shooting skyward.
Lin Shan's head flew away, struck the steps, bounced twice, and finally landed right at Song Mo's feet.
Lin Yuan flicked the beads of blood off his blade, raised his head, and looked at Song Mo with a mocking expression.
"Oh dear, sorry. You were so loud you gave me a bit of a fright."
On the long street, one could have heard a pin drop.