Five years ago, shortly after Lin Chen entered prison, he had been transferred to Kunlong Prison. There, after five years of training, he had finally mastered his craft. Now, having served his full sentence and been released, he expected a family reunion. Instead, what he found was row upon row of spirit tablets.
Each name inscribed was that of his blood kin—either elders who had watched him grow or siblings who had played alongside him since childhood.
"From this day forth, as long as I stand with the Lin family, it will never fall!"
The crowd's eyes turned to Lin Chen, and soon, some recognized him.
"It's... Young Master Lin!"
"He went to prison five years ago. Can he really salvage the Lin family now?"
"Salvage? Ha! As an ex-con, his return just means one more dead body!"
"Exactly. If he'd stayed hiding in prison, the Lin bloodline might have had a chance to survive. Now? Complete extermination for sure!"
Lin Chen's arrival shocked those present, but it wasn't long before they snapped back to reality, shaking their heads and sighing in resignation. If even the formidable Old Master Lin couldn't protect the Lin family, what could a newly released prisoner possibly achieve? So many of the Lin family's brilliant talents had already become names on spirit tablets, leaving behind nothing but fading black-and-white photos. Soon enough, Lin Chen's name would likely join them.
Lin Chen's icy gaze settled firmly on Liu Ruyan.
"Back then, your Liu family faced bankruptcy. You knelt before my parents, begging and pleading for this marriage arrangement."
"Now that your Liu family has gained a foothold by riding on our coattails, not only do you show no gratitude, but you also kick us while we're down!"
Hearing this, Liu Ruyan felt a twinge of guilt. But recalling the Lin family's dire state, she hardened her resolve. The Lin family wasdoomed. Lin Chen was already a dead man walking.
Her own gaze turned cold and ruthless as she stared down the Lin family. There was no trace of sentimentality in her voice.
"You say the Liu family rode the Lin family's coattails? Ha! What a colossal joke! The Liu family is now renowned and respected throughout Yan City. What does your miserable Lin family have left?"
Her eyes flashed with contempt. "If anything, it was your family trying to leech off us!"
"This marriage? Canceled! I, Liu Ruyan, will never marry a criminal!"
The memory of her family's former desperation versus the Lin family's current abject state filled her with a twisted sense of pleasure. The mighty Lin family, Yan City's foremost family, was now broken, scattered, and utterly humiliated. And she was the one delivering the final blow to their dignity.
"You Lins only have an old man and a young fool left now. Must be hard just getting by. I'm not heartless." She pulled out a bank card and flung it contemptuously onto the ground like alms to the destitute. "Five million yuan. Enough to coast through your twilight years."
Lin Chen's eyes narrowed dangerously, cold glints flashing within them. He didn't care about Liu Ruyan; the broken engagement meant nothing. But her utter cruelty, her complete lack of mercy, demanded retribution. If she chose enmity, so be it!
A wave of murderous intent rolled off Lin Chen, washing over Liu Ruyan. An icy dread seeped into her bones, making her shiver uncontrollably as if plunged into a frozen cellar.
VROOOM! VROOOM! VROOOM!
The roar of powerful engines cut through the tense silence. Everyone instinctively looked toward the source of the sound.
A sleek sports car raced toward them. It screeched to a stop inches from Liu Ruyan in a perfect, showy drift. The gull-wing door swung upwards.
A stunningly beautiful woman, tall and imposing, unfolded herself from the driver's seat. She possessed an aura of breathtaking grace and absolute authority, radiating dominance that made ordinary people hesitant to meet her eyes.
"You won't marry him? Then I, Murong Qingcheng, will!"
VROOOM! VROOOM!
Almost simultaneously, two more luxury cars pulled up beside Murong Qingcheng's vehicle. Their doors opened, and two more women emerged, each as extraordinarily beautiful as the first: one radiating fierce martial prowess, the other an air of cool, aloof elegance.
They spoke in perfect unison:
"I, Gu Ruohan, will marry him!"
"I, Ye Zining, will marry him!"
The two unparalleled beauties stepped forward to flank Lin Chen. The sheer impact of the scene stunned everyone into absolute silence. Then chaos erupted.
"That's... Murong Qingcheng?! Heavens, it really is!"
"The business prodigy of Yan City! The female CEO of Qingcheng Pharmaceuticals! Murong Qingcheng!"
"Good God! That's Gu Ruohan! The highly decorated War God of the North Realm! The undisputed top military talent of her generation!"
"And that's Ye Zining! The widely recognized top genius of the medical world! The Young Mistress of Heavenly Medical Valley! She's practically guaranteed to become a Medical Sage!"
"What did they just say? They want to marryLin Chen?"
"With the Lin family like this... they want to marry Lin Chen... Am I hallucinating? Here, slap me! See if I'm dreaming!"
SLAP!
"OW! That hurt!"
"It's real! Heavens above! They're crazy! They've all gone mad!"
The crowd was utterly dumbfounded. Three of Yan City's most coveted top beauties were volunteering to marry Lin Chen! Such a thing was unimaginable. Any one of these three was beyond most men's dreams; only the most truly exceptional heroes could even aspire to catch the eye of one. Not even at the peak of the Lin family's power could Young Master Lin have hoped for such fortune.
Liu Ruyan stared at the three goddesses, her shock paralyzing her. Her mouth hung open, wide enough to fit an egg.
"You... all of you... want to marry him?" Liu Ruyan stammered, her gaze turning icy as it swept over them. "Each of you is heaven's favored daughter! How could you possibly marry a criminal?!"
Murong Qingcheng leveled a glacial stare at her. The sheer weight of her aura instantly crushed Liu Ruyan's haughty posture, forcing her gaze downward.
"And what exactly are you?" Murong Qingcheng's voice dripped with disdain. "Who are youto dictate what I do?"
Liu Ruyan stumbled back several steps under the verbal blow, unable to look Murong Qingcheng in the eye.
"Exactly! Our marriage is none of your business!" Gu Ruohan and Ye Zining chimed in coldly, their eyes like shards of ice piercing Liu Ruyan.
Murong Qingcheng offered a frosty smile. She pulled out a bank card and flung it at Liu Ruyan's feet.
"This has ten million yuan inside. Since you've renounced the engagement, consider every connection severed. You are no longer anything to Lin Chen, nor the Lin family. All ties are severed!"
Liu Ruyan's face paled drastically. She looked at the card lying on the ground before her, her lips moving soundlessly. She knew she couldn't afford to react against Murong Qingcheng. This was a woman far beyond her ability to challenge.
"Get lost!" Murong Qingcheng commanded once more, her voice sharp as ice. With a swift kick, she sent the bank card skittering towards Liu Ruyan's feet. "Take it! And get out of here!"
Liu Ruyan trembled, shrinking back several steps as if unable to withstand Murong Qingcheng's aura. "Hmph! Allying yourselves with the Lin family—you'll see what comes of it! You will regret this choice for the rest of your lives!" She bent to snatch up the bank card, then stumbled away, her steps unsteady.
"Esteemed guests," Old Master Lin addressed the remaining crowd with a cupped-hand salute. "With family matters pressing today, we cannot offer proper hospitality. We ask for your understanding." Though burning with curiosity about why these three women would choose Lin Chen—a newly released convict—the crowd took the hint as Lin family attendants stepped forward to usher them out. They had no choice but to depart.
News of Lin Chen's return and the astonishing events at Xingyao Manor spread through Yan City like wildfire. That the city's three legendary beauties would choose to marry the newly released Lin Chen left countless admirers grinding their teeth in hatred.
...
Lin Chen supported Old Master Lin as they entered the main house. The three great beauties followed closely behind. Their demeanor left no doubt—this was no jest. They truly intended to marry him.
When Lin Chen reached the mourning hall and saw the rows upon rows of spirit tablets, a bitter taste filled his mouth. He knelt heavily and kowtowed three times. The sorrow in his eyes vanished, replaced by a bone-chilling coldness.
Blood debts must be repaid in blood!