Lin Yi closed the system interface and rose slowly, a soft smirk ghosting his lips.
"Let's go—time to ransack the place," he murmured.
The county lord's mansion stood the closest to the Lin estate—less than twenty li away. It would be his first stop.
Before the county mansion, two bored guards idled at the gate, trading petty gossip in low voices.
"Who'd have thought the Lin family's eldest young master would dare strike our county lord's second miss. He's looking for death." One guard sneered.
"The fool'll be regretting it by now." The other snorted. "Regret won't save him—go stew with the King of Hell."
They laughed together, cruel and careless.
A cool voice drifted to them then, barely above a whisper.
"You two are enjoying the chat, aren't you?"
Their laughter froze. Turning toward the sound, the guards found a dark-robed youth standing not far off—half-smile, eyes unreadable.
"Who the hell are you?" one barked, straightening. "Stop skulking about—what are you doing at the county manor?"
Lin Yi's smile widened. "I am the very Lin family eldest young master you were just talking about."
The guards' faces went white as thunder. Weren't the county lord and his men out to exterminate the Lin family? How was this young master alive—and standing before the county hall?
Before they could make sense of it, Lin Yi was upon them. His hands closed around both their throats, and he squeezed.
Crack.
Two sharp snaps rang out as necks broke cleanly.
[You have killed two Body Tempering cultivators. Violence Points +400]
Lin Yi flicked blood from his palms with a casual motion, didn't spare the corpses a second glance, and walked through the county manor gates.
The county mansion's interior was vast—far larger than the Lin residence—but Lin Yi moved with no haste, simply strolling toward the depths of the estate.
Not long after, a hulking man in iron armor barred his path, spear in hand, with dozens of guards arrayed behind him. The man was Chen Long, captain of the county guards—strong as a bear and the county's second mightiest cultivator at the fifth rank of Bone Forging. Tonight, he had been assigned to hold the manor while the county lord went on the operation against the Lin family.
"Lin Yi?" Chen Long sized him up, brow knitting. "You weren't at the Lin estate tonight—otherwise you wouldn't be standing here alive."
Lin Yi shrugged. "I killed Jiang Yunzhou and the near a hundred who followed him, then came here to the county mansion."
Chen Long's expression flickered with surprise—then he laughed outright. "Ha! Do you think I'd believe that?"
He glanced back at his guards, calling for their agreement.
He shouted:
"He claims he killed the county lord—do you believe him?"
"Believe him? Not a chance!""No way!""…"
The dozens of guards laughed uproariously, their eyes full of disdain for Lin Yi.
Chen Long's laughter faded into a grim expression. "Look at yourself—don't you feel like a clown right now?"
Lin Yi replied calmly, "Whether you believe me or not has nothing to do with me. I came to the county mansion to kill."
"Anyone who stands in my way—dies!"
Chen Long's smile vanished, replaced by a sharp scowl. He bellowed, "How arrogant! I am a fifth-rank Bone Forging cultivator. This second-tier Crushing Mountain Overlord Spear in my hand, combined with my perfected Storm Rain Spear Technique, leaves few in my realm who can match me!"
"Even if you killed a fourth-rank Bone Forging like Shen Yuheng, how could you possibly be my opponent?"
Before his words finished, Chen Long's aura erupted violently. "I will show you the gap between us! Die!"
With a roar, he sprang forward like a ferocious tiger. His silver spear tore through the air, multiplying into countless spear shadows, striking at Lin Yi like a storm.
Yet, Lin Yi didn't so much as flinch. Only his white robe fluttered in the night wind, giving off an ethereal, effortless composure.
When the spear tip came within less than a foot of him, Lin Yi extended his hand.
His motion seemed slow—but it was precise.
He caught the tip of the Crushing Mountain Overlord Spear.
With a gentle squeeze:
Crack!
The spear tip, forged from hardened black iron, shattered like fragile glass.
Even more terrifying, a massive force rolled back along the spear shaft.
Boom!
The entire spear exploded into fragments, scattering in all directions. Chen Long's hand gripping the shaft was instantly crushed by the reverberating power.
"Ah!"
He screamed in agony, staggering back several steps. His pupils shrank in shock—he couldn't believe it.
Not only had the boy shattered his Overlord Spear, but the residual force had destroyed his own hand!
Impossible… how could this youth be so terrifying? What kind of monster was he?
The dozens of guards behind Chen Long were frozen in shock, chills running down their spines. They knew Chen Long's strength well enough to rival the sixth-rank Bone Forging deputy county lord, Yuan Mo—but he had been defeated by this boy. And so effortlessly!
Absurd… utterly absurd.
Amid the chaos, Lin Yi appeared before Chen Long, grabbing him by the collar. Expressionless, he said:
"Now do you understand the gap between us?"
Chen Long's fighting spirit had already vanished. The disparity between him and Lin Yi was just too great.
His voice trembled as he whispered, "The county lord… really… died at your hands…"
Before he could finish, Lin Yi's fist smashed into his face.