The night wind swept past Qingfeng Town, carrying the smell of blood.
It blew from the western end of the town, where the Zhao family's ancestral mansion was located. The wind seemed mixed with the wails of the dead, but the townspeople had long grown used to the terror brought by the Zhao clan, and no one dared to look. After all, just last month, Old Man Feng had both his legs broken and was thrown into a pigsty for three days and three nights—all for glancing at a Zhao guard.
Lin Che held Lin Ying in the side chamber of the dilapidated temple. The little girl leaned on his shoulder, sleeping soundly, her small hand clutching the corner of his robe tightly, even in her dreams. Moonlight streamed through the hole in the roof, illuminating a fleeting golden light between her brows—gone so quickly it seemed an illusion.
[Detected host emotional fluctuation. Warning: Overflowing Killing Intent may affect sister's sleep quality. Friendly Reminder: Your current Killing Intent is 1580 points, 580 points above the limit. Recommend immediate release, otherwise Lin Ying may have nightmares about you turning into a monster.]
"Shut up." Lin Che whispered, his gaze softening. He carefully set Lin Ying down, placing a thin spiritual energy barrier around her to shield her from the night wind.
"Brother…" The little girl muttered in her sleep. "Sugar hawthorns…"
"I'll buy them when I get back." Lin Che tucked the quilt around her. When he turned around, his eyes had turned into sharp ice blades.
The Zhao family must be eradicated.
Not for wealth, but to eliminate future troubles forever. In the original owner's memories, Zhao Wanshan had broken his legs three times, Liu Shi had splashed him with feces five times, every guard in the mansion had kicked Lin Ying's straw mat, and even the watchdog at the gate had barked at them fiercely.
Three years ago, Lin Ying was only six months old, crying from hunger. The original owner held her and went to the back door of the Zhao Mansion, begging for a bowl of rice soup. When Liu Shi saw them, she directly splashed a basin of swill, shouting: "How dare a bastard like you want rice soup? Drink urine instead!"
Tonight, blood would pay for blood.
Lin Che's figure darted toward the Zhao Mansion at the west end of the town like a ghost. Night wind howled in his ears; blood oozed from his wounds with every step, but he felt nothing. His eyes were fixed solely on the brightly lit vermilion gate.
[Target locked: 2 Body Tempering Realm. Estimated cleanup time: 3.2 seconds. System Recommendation: Finish the fight in 3 seconds, leave 0.2 seconds for a cool pose.]
Two guards leaned against the doorframe, dozing with saliva dripping down their chins. Before they could even open their eyes, their heads had rolled to the ground. The blade was so fast that blood didn't even have time to splash.
[3.2 seconds. All targets eliminated. Nice pose, host—but no one's here to admire it in the middle of the night.]
Lin Che pushed the door open and walked in as if entering an unguarded land. The Zhao Mansion had deep courtyards, rockery and flowing water, pavilions and terraces—everywhere showing the wealth of a newly rich family. He marched forward like a god of death. The flowers, plants, rockery and strange stones along the way were all like dead things in his eyes.
Obscene laughter came from the "Moon-Drinking Pavilion"—it was Zhao Wanshan and Liu Shi drinking and carousing.
"Master, why hasn't Kun'er come back?" Liu Shi asked in a cloyingly sweet voice. "Could it be that the loser Lin Che dared to resist?"
Zhao Wanshan chugged his wine, indifferent: "With Zhang Xuan there, nothing will go wrong. Once we get the Blood Spirit Herb and give it to Zhang Xuan to help him break through to Foundation Establishment, the Zhao family will dominate Qingfeng Town! By then, all the farmland and shops in the town will have to pay protection fees!"
"By then, Master will be the town mayor!" Liu Shi laughed so hard that her powder fell off. "Those disobedient commoners—lock them all up to mine!"
"Whoever dares to defy will be killed, along with their families!" Zhao Wanshan roared. "Including that loser Lin Che and his sickly sister!"
Outside the window, Lin Che's Killing Intent condensed into a tangible force, even dyeing the moonlight red. He remembered a year ago, Zhao Kun, Zhao Wanshan's son, had robbed him of the firewood he'd worked so hard to cut, and broken three of his ribs. The original owner dragged his injured body back, and Lin Ying cried in his arms all night.
[Killing Intent: 1580/1000. Warning: 580 points overflow. Recommend immediate release. System Taunt: Your Killing Intent is so thick it can be sold as perfume—name it "Kiss of Death".]
"That's exactly what I intend to do." Lin Che pushed the door open.
Four Early Qi Gathering Realm guards sprang into action, their blades and swords clashing, spiritual energy surging. They coordinated tacitly, clearly well-trained—forming a formation that balanced offense and defense.
[Detected 4 Early Qi Gathering Realm targets. Activating auto-mode. System Reminder: Your spiritual energy is exhausted. Finish quickly—don't show off.]
Lin Che's figure turned into a black whirlwind. Wherever the woodcutter's knife passed—throats, hearts, joints—it struck with surgical precision. Every move avoided unnecessary actions, aiming only to kill.
[4 seconds. All targets eliminated. Current efficiency: 1 person per second. Your skills are improving, host—you'd make a good part-time butcher.]