The door was kicked in, Lin Feng turned around and frowned in displeasure as he saw his door broken. Then three people walked into his courtyard.
They were the steward of the Lin family, a middle-aged man with wrinkles all over his face and a bent posture from years of lowering himself to please others and engaging in shameless flattery; the Grand Elder's youngest son, Lin Fang, a young man of fifteen years old—the same age as Lin Feng—wearing a grey robe, with an ordinary face and ordinary features, and a posture of decadence typical of a useless second-generation young master who doesn't cultivate, only drinks, indulges in women, eats, sleeps, and waits to die, which would explain why he only had a cultivation of the 2nd layer of Martial Warrior even after secretly receiving many resources from the Grand Elder, his father; and finally, the Grand Elder's eldest son, Lin Tian, a young man of seventeen years with a slightly attractive face, a large body, and bulging muscles typical of a body cultivator, with a cultivation of the 6th layer of Martial Warrior—the highest among the Lin family's younger generation—wearing an orange robe.
Behind them, both his younger brother and the steward behaved like lackeys for the eldest son.
The steward walked in arrogantly and shouted, "Ye Feifei, bitch! Where are you? Do you think that if you hide in the courtyard of that disabled fool we won't be able to do anything to you? The young master and second master gave you three days to consider the offer. They are here to take you away. Where are you?"
He looked around, then spotted Lin Feng looking at him with rage. He became stunned, then his face turned pale in fear.
Lin Feng immediately pointed at him in anger and scolded, "Fu Chi, you are so brave! You, as a steward, dare to kick your young master's door and demand to take away this young master's person?"
Fu Chi lowered his head, not knowing what to say.
At that point, Lin Fang walked out and pointed at Lin Feng arrogantly, saying, "How dare trash call himself the young master? Let me inform you that my eldest brother is now the young master of the clan."
He gestured to Lin Tian.
Lin Tian himself looked at Lin Feng arrogantly and condescendingly, like he was an ant he could squash at any time.
Lin Feng became even angrier and pointed at Lin Fang. "How dare you appoint anyone young master without the Elder Council's permission? The Lin family rules say that only the winner of the yearly family meeting can be the young master of the clan, and the yearly meeting hasn't begun. It's still seven days away. So according to the rules, I am still young master. So, Fu Chi…"
Lin Feng called out to the steward coldly. Fu Chi flinched, then looked up.
"What offer did you give Feifei?"
Before he could answer, Lin Fang arrogantly replied, "She is being engaged to the young master of the Zhao clan—Young Master Zhao Yun."
Hearing this, Lin Feng's face turned pale and he shouted angrily, "You bastards! You dare to try that? Don't you know that Zhao Yun is a playboy trash? He has ruined the lives of so many women in Qinghe Town! There are even rumors that he is a pervert who likes to torture and kill women and little girls! You dare to throw Feifei to that animal?"
Lin Tian shrugged nonchalantly and said, "Those are all rumors. The young master of the Zhao family is an outstanding young man. Let alone Ye Feifei, a mere maid—even if it were a Lin family descendant, it would be their honor to marry him."
Lin Feng trembled in rage and yelled, "If it's such an honor, why don't you let him marry your sister?"
Lin Tian and Lin Fang's faces visibly paled at the thought of letting their eldest sister marry that sick pervert.
Lin Tian quickly regained his senses. His face turned red in embarrassment, and he shouted in anger, "Lin Feng, don't be silly! Ye Feifei is just a lowly slave. How can she compare to a direct descendant?"
Lin Feng huffed. "To me, she is more important than any of you."
Lin Tian calmed down and returned to his previous indifference. "Anyway, there is nothing you can do to change that fact. It has already been decided by the elders."
"What stupid elders? Isn't any marriage proposal decided by the clan leader? And the last time I checked, my father is still leader and is not around. So how dare anyone else decide for him?"
Lin Fang laughed mockingly. "Your father has been missing for over three months, and the Lin family has come to a standstill. So just like we need a new young master who isn't a waste, we need a new clan leader who isn't dead."
Lin Fang had just finished speaking when Lin Feng's angry shout resounded.
"Don't you dare say my father is dead!"
Lin Feng burst out with an overwhelming murderous aura left behind after the dissipation of old Lin Feng's lingering soul. The aura washed over all three of them, making them turn deathly pale and involuntarily stumble back.
Lin Fang and Lin Tian quickly regained their senses, finding it incredulous that they had been scared by a crippled person. They flew into a rage out of embarrassment.
"Damn it! How dare a waste threaten this young master!" Lin Fang shouted.
Lin Tian said nothing, but his eyes agreed with Lin Fang.
"Fu Chi, beat up that trash! Let him know that the weak have no right to speak arrogantly!" Lin Fang commanded, pointing at Lin Feng.
But Fu Chi hesitated. No matter what, Lin Feng was still the young master, and the punishment for injuring the young master was considered rebellion. Both brothers might get away with only a warning or a few strokes of the cane because of their identities, but he, as a steward and a family member with another surname, would pay a hefty price. If he was lucky, he would be killed quickly. If not, his skin would be peeled off piece by piece while being roasted over a fire for his rebellion. He gulped and shuddered at the thought.
Lin Tian noticed Fu Chi's hesitation.
"Fu Chi, remember your deal with my father. He is going to become clan leader, so as a follower, you and your lineage will rise. What is there to be afraid of? My father will take care of everything," Lin Tian said.
Fu Chi took a deep breath, then looked up with determination in his eyes. He bowed to Lin Tian and Lin Fang.
"Yes, young masters."
He turned to Lin Feng. "Sorry, Young Master Lin Feng. I have offended you."
He burst out with his cultivation of the 9th layer peak of Martial Apprentice and rushed toward Lin Feng.
Lin Feng stood unmoving as he charged toward him.
Lin Fang, standing beside Lin Tian, laughed condescendingly. "Look, Lin Tian da-ge, that trash isn't even moving. Do you think he was scared silly by Fu Chi?"
Lin Tian scoffed disdainfully. "Of course he is. Although Fu Chi is only a Martial Apprentice, it is something a crippled mortal cannot withstand. Watch him beg for mercy in one move."
"Yes, yes, of course he will lose. He is trash. He can never compare to da-ge. He is a failure. Lin Tian da-ge is a future Martial Emperor, so if you say so, of course it will happen," Lin Fang said flatteringly.
Lin Tian glanced at him in disdain, but still smiled. Although he looked down on his useless brother in his heart, he still liked hearing his flattery.
But something no one could have predicted happened. As Fu Chi's right fist was about to connect with his face, Lin Feng calmly stretched out his hand and caught his fist.
This action stunned everyone.
"How is this possible?!" Lin Fang blurted out.
Fu Chi recovered from his shock and tried to retrieve his hand, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't. It was like his hand was caught in a vice.
"You… let go of my hand this moment!"
Fu Chi's face turned red from exertion.
Lin Tian recovered from his shock, his face red in embarrassment, as if he had been slapped by an invisible hand.
"Fu Chi! What are you doing? Finish him already! He is just a cripple!"
Lin Tian and his younger brother shouted angrily.
"Young masters, I am sorry! I will do that now! I don't believe I cannot defeat a cripple!"
He tried to punch with his left hand, but Lin Feng exerted force on his right hand while twisting it.
"CRACK!"
"AHHH!"
The sound of bones breaking, along with Fu Chi's scream, filled the courtyard. He bent forward with his deformed hand, but Lin Feng wasn't willing to let him go just yet. He kneed him in the stomach with immense force as he leaned forward, making him spit out blood as he flew in an arc and landed several meters away, lodged into the wall, unconscious.
The brothers were stunned, but Lin Tian reacted first. A cunning glint flashed in his eyes as he pointed and shouted for the whole Lin family to hear.
"Lin Feng! How dare you kill a member of the Lin family in the Lin family! Are there no more rules?"
As his shout attracted more and more people, Lin Feng's heart secretly thumped.
"Not good."
Many people walked into the courtyard and saw Fu Chi lying against the wall like a dead dog. They collectively gasped.
"Eh? Lin Feng, this trash is awake, and the first thing he does is kill the steward? Do you think he has gone mad from being crippled?"
People muttered.
"Hiss… Lin Feng is so brave. He dares to kill someone in the family."
"Does he still think he is the untouchable young master?" someone sneered.
"Lin Tian, don't slander me. I didn't kill him," Lin Feng retorted.
"Yes, that should be true. I was also wondering how it's possible that Lin Feng did this. He is just a cripple, and Fu Chi is a peak Martial Apprentice."
"Yes, that's true."
More and more people began to agree with Lin Feng.
"Hehe, what do you people know? Maybe Lin Feng sneak-attacked him, or maybe he used a killing talisman," one of Lin Tian's lackeys in the crowd said.
"Yes, that's right. I asked Fu Chi to check if you were okay, and suddenly you attacked him using a talisman," Lin Tian added, glancing at the lackey with appreciation.
"Lin Tian, don't pour dirty water on me. He is still alive—just check!" Lin Feng replied, realizing that Lin Tian intended to accuse him of murder.
"I don't know what you're talking about. I saw you kill Fu Chi, and my little brother saw it too. He can vouch for me. Lin Feng, what about you? Can anyone vouch for you?" Lin Tian smiled coldly.
"Ah, so it's true. Lin Feng truly went crazy and killed someone."
"Damn, what a beast. People were worried about you, but you turn around and kill them."
Lin Feng clenched his fists upon hearing the surrounding Lin family members.
"Where is the Law Enforcement Team?!" Lin Tian called out.
"We are here, Young Master."
A team of seven people walked out of the crowd, six being led by a man in his thirties. All of them had strong auras, suffocating the crowd. The man in charge bowed slightly to Lin Tian.
"Sorry, Young Master, we are late," the man said.
"It's okay, Uncle Kai. Please arrest this murderer."
"Yes, Young Lord. Men, arrest Lin Feng and take him to the dungeon to await sentencing."
Everybody present shivered at the mention of the Lin family dungeon. It was an extremely forbidden place where criminals were taken and subjected to all kinds of torture. Most died on the first day before they even heard their sentences.
"Lin Kai, as the Law Enforcement Elder, you don't conduct an investigation but arrest without proof? Are you fit to be Law Enforcement Elder?" Lin Feng said, fuming with rage.
"What is there to investigate? The young master's credibility is beyond doubt. As for proof, his brother is there as a witness. What other proof is needed?"
Lin Kai said shamelessly while signaling his men to encircle Lin Feng.
"You… damn it!"
"Young master, surrender obediently to avoid us accidentally harming you."
Lin Kai burst out with an oppressive aura and pressed it onto Lin Feng.
Despite the aura, Lin Feng steeled his resolve and got into a battle stance.
[DING!]
[IT IS DETECTED THAT THE HOST IS PREPARING TO GO INTO BATTLE. THE SYSTEM ADVISES THE HOST TO SURRENDER. THE OPPONENT IS ONE MAJOR REALM AHEAD OF THE HOST AT THE MARTIAL MASTER REALM. FIGHTING WOULD RESULT IN HOST'S PERMANENT DEATH.]
"Damn it, shut up, System! I can feel his aura!"
Lin Feng roared in his mind.
The six men, along with Lin Kai, were about to attack when—
"STOP!"