"Etc."
Just then, a hoarse female voice came from outside the bamboo forest, accompanied by a series of light footsteps.
Xiao Yan turned his head away.
Outside the bamboo grove, Lin Wan'er, carrying an oil lamp, had arrived at the Qingzhu Pavilion at some unknown time.
Her face was pale, and her hand holding the oil lamp was trembling slightly, but she did not stop walking.
The explosion at the Qingzhu Pavilion could be heard throughout the entire Lin residence.
But now, Lin Wan'er is the one who arrived the fastest.
"Miss Wan'er hasn't left yet?"
Xiao Yan frowned slightly and withdrew his finger, which was about to touch Yin Li's brow.
Lin Wan'er neither answered nor stepped back.
She stood by the devastated courtyard, first glancing at Yin Li, who was bound to the ground by the Netherworld Lock, and then at Lin Zhenshan, who was slumped on the ground foaming at the mouth.
Her gaze didn't linger on her second uncle for long, and then she did something that even Xiao Yan was slightly taken aback.
She picked up a small pebble, about half the size of her palm, from the ground and gripped it tightly in her hand, her knuckles turning white from the force.
"Young Master Tang."
Her voice trembled, but her tone remained unusually calm. "May I ask them a couple of questions?"
Xiao Yan looked at the pebbles in her hand, then at her pale knuckles, and stepped back, gesturing for her to proceed.
Lin Wan'er walked up to Lin Zhenshan.
Lin Zhenshan saw Lin Wan'er's face through his blurred vision, his lips moved slightly, and he uttered a weak, hoarse " Wan'er ".
Lin Wan'er didn't respond. She stared into her second uncle's eyes, her voice very soft:
"Second Uncle, did you betray us when that masked Dou Emperor ambushed us yesterday?"
Lin Zhenshan's pupils suddenly contracted.
His lips trembled, as if he wanted to say something, but he didn't utter a sound.
Lin Wan'er didn't need his answer. Lin Zhenshan's reaction had already said it all.
She squatted down and asked again in a low voice, "Second Uncle, is my father your biological brother?"
Lin Zhenshan opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything.
Lin Wan'er waited a few moments.
Then she stood up, raised her right hand high, her fingers trembling slightly from the force.
The light from the oil lamp flickered on her face, reflecting her expression—not anger, nor sadness, but a very complex calm.
" Wan'er will never have a second uncle in this lifetime."
She brought her right hand down sharply, slamming the rock heavily onto Lin Zhenshan's forehead.
She used all her strength to smash it.
The sharp edges of the stone pierced Lin Zhenshan's forehead, and blood flowed down his brow bone, blurring his vision.
Lin Zhenshan let out a muffled groan, his whole body leaning backward, the back of his head hitting the bluestone ground with a dull thud.
Lin Wan'er then pulled the token out of his hand.
That's the Yellow Springs Token from the Yellow Springs Pavilion.
She held the token in her hand, her fingertips tracing the blood-red "Huang" character on its surface, the veins on the back of her hand bulging.
She held it for a while, then threw the token on the ground. It didn't break—the token was made of black iron, and even with her strength, she couldn't break it.
Then she stood up, turned around, and walked towards Yin Li.
Yin Li was trapped on the ground, watching the girl carrying the oil lamp walk towards him step by step.
Lin Wan'er placed the oil lamp on the ground, then gripped the token with both hands and smashed it into Yin Li's face with all her might.
Xiao Yan reached out and pressed down on her wrist.
"Miss Lin, that's enough."
His tone was calm. "Leave the rest to me."
Lin Wan'er looked up at him. Her eyes were red, but she didn't cry.
The moonlight shone on her face, revealing a stubbornness beyond her years.
She was silent for a moment, then released her grip, and the token fell to the ground again with a crisp sound.
She walked out of the Qingzhu Pavilion courtyard gate and into the depths of the bamboo forest, not looking back until her footsteps disappeared into the night.
Xiao Yan watched her leave, then turned his gaze back to Yin Li on the ground.
A pale, Cold Fire reignited on his fingers, burning brighter than before.
He crouched down and placed his finger between Yin Li's eyebrows.
The flames landed on Yin Li, spreading from his chest to his limbs and finally to his head.
The flames, a mixture of blue and white, burned in the night for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, until everything was completely consumed.
When the flames died down, only a pile of ashes remained on the ground, which was scattered by the night wind.
Xiao Yan glanced down at the unconscious corpses of the Dou Wang and Dou Emperor lying on the ground, and the flames in his palm ignited once more.
After an incense stick had burned, all seven people from the Yellow Springs Pavilion had turned into fertilizer for the bamboo forest.
Xiao Yan leaned against the remaining half of the courtyard wall and exhaled a long breath.
After this battle, he had consumed nearly 70% of his Soul Power. The wound left by the Blood Hand Seal on his back was still throbbing, and the white palm print on his chest would take two days to completely fade.
Immediately, Xiao Yan turned his gaze to the back of the Lin residence, where he sensed an extremely powerful aura.
He was in no way weaker than Yin Li, whom he had killed.
However, the other party did not exude any malice.
Xiao Yan had guessed it; the other party must be the so-called previous patriarch of the Lin Clan who had gone into seclusion.
However, since the other party showed no intention of making a move, Xiao Yan pretended not to know that the other party had appeared.
A moment later, Lin Zhentian arrived at the Qingzhu Pavilion with more than ten guards.
Lin Zhentian stood at the gate of the courtyard, his gaze sweeping over the mess, a complex expression on his face that was hard to describe.
Where is Lin Zhenshan?
Xiao Yan leaned against the half-collapsed courtyard wall, raised his chin at him, and pointed in a direction.
Lin Zhentian looked in that direction and saw Lin Zhenshan, whose forehead was still bleeding, leaning against the broken bamboo, motionless.
"Second brother."
Lin Zhentian spoke, his voice low and deep, "Did you betray my whereabouts to the Yellow Springs Pavilion last night?"
Lin Zhenshan trembled all over, his lips opened and closed a few times, but he couldn't say anything.
Lin Zhentian took another step closer and looked down at him:
"It's been half a year. A full six months. Every time I was ambushed or killed, you said it was the Han Clan's doing. I've always believed you."
Lin Zhenshan's body began to tremble violently. The wound on his forehead reopened due to the shaking, and blood flowed down his nose, dripping onto the bluestone ground.
If you don't say anything, I'll take that as a yes.
Lin Zhentian slowly squatted down, their eyes meeting.
The moonlight was obscured by clouds, with only a few faint rays filtering through.
There was no anger on Lin Zhentian's face, only a weariness that had been worn down for too long.
He stood up, turned around, and faced away from Lin Zhenshan.
"Put him in the dungeon, strip him of his cultivation, and imprison him for life."
No one may visit without my order.
The guards looked at each other, but finally stepped forward, dragged the bound Lin Zhenshan off the ground, and pulled him out of the Qingzhu Pavilion.
After Lin Zhentian and the other guards had gone some distance, he turned to Xiao Yan:
" Brother Tang saved my entire Lin Clan this time. I, Lin, will remember this kindness."
"You're welcome."
Xiao Yan stood up and dusted off the dust behind him.
"However, there's something I need to make clear beforehand—I killed the people from the Yellow Springs Pavilion Yellow Springs Pavilion, and they won't let this go easily. This is just the beginning."
Lin Zhentian was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded. "I know."
Aren't you afraid?
"Afraid."
Lin Zhentian said frankly.
"But the Lin Clan is not a lamb to be slaughtered."
Furthermore, although City Lord Chen Yuanzhou is not here today, I will personally go to invite him tomorrow. With his strength as Nine-Star Dou Emperor, the Yellow Springs Pavilion will have to give him some face.
Xiao Yan nodded without saying anything more.