C3 Killing!!

Chapter Three: Murder!

Click!

Lin Xuan stared at the knife in his hand, speechless. It had only been a matter of days, and yet another blade had broken. The daily experience he could earn in the Servant Courtyard was dwindling, but at least he had finally accumulated enough. He had reached the Fourth Level of Spirit Cultivation.

It was time to seize an opportunity to venture out.

"Qing Tan, fetch me another knife," Lin Xuan called out. Qing Tan responded with enthusiasm and dashed off.

As Qing Tan returned, cradling the knife and pondering what delicious dish to prepare for the young master, Lee Fugui suddenly blocked his path.

"Manager Lee, is there... something wrong?" Qing Tan faltered, stepping back.

Lee Fugui approached Qing Tan with a grin, his eyes betraying intense lust. "Qing Tan, such a delicate beauty shouldn't be handling such things. Hand it over; let me help you with that." He snatched the knife from Qing Tan's grip and tossed it aside.

"Don't... don't come any closer! Young master! Young master!" Qing Tan struggled to escape Lee Fugui's vile grasp.

"Lin Xuan, that good-for-nothing, has incurred Young Master Lin Tong's wrath. He's as good as dead. What good will calling him do? I'll deal with you right in front of him, and what can he possibly say to that? Hahahaha." Lee Fugui attempted to lift Qing Tan, but she bit his hand fiercely, forcing him to release her.

"You wench, how dare you bite me!" Lee Fugui lashed out with a kick at Qing Tan.

"Lee Fugui!"

A thunderous voice erupted as Lin Xuan burst onto the scene, sending Lee Fugui flying with a kick. He rushed to Qing Tan, his face etched with concern, and helped her to her feet.

Then, with a menacing glare, Lin Xuan growled at Lee Fugui, "You're asking for death!"

"Lin Xuan! You dare to kick me!" Lee Fugui glared back venomously, rising to his feet in rage. "You worthless piece of trash, I'll break your limbs and make you watch as I toy with your maid!"

Lee Fugui's presence swelled, his Fourth Level Spirit Cultivator power surging forth!

"You're asking for it!"

Lin Xuan's eyes blazed with ferocity. Now on his own, Qing Tan was as precious to him as a dragon's reverse scale. He shielded her behind him as she expressed her concern, "Young Master..."

"Don't worry, I've got this." Lin Xuan reassured Qing Tan and pushed her to safety before turning to Lee Fugui with a sneer. "A Fourth Level Spirit Cultivator? Perfect timing to gauge my own power!"

Earlier that day, after slaying the first wave of Demon Beasts, Lin Xuan had ascended to the Fourth Level of Spirit Cultivation and had been awarded the system's Spirit Skill, Wind and Cloud Wave!

Lee Fugui launched himself at Lin Xuan with full force, causing the slightly unsteady Lin Xuan to retreat two steps.

"I'll grind your bones to dust and leave you utterly broken!"

"Lin, prepare to die!"

With a vicious snarl, Lee Fugui transformed his hand into a claw and lunged at Lin Xuan. But Lin Xuan nimbly dodged and landed a powerful punch on Lee Fugui, sending him hurtling through the air.

Lee Fugui tumbled to the ground, struggling to halt his momentum. Staring at Lin Xuan in utter disbelief, he gasped, "How can this be!"

Lin Xuan smirked with contempt, his hands weaving through the air as a gust of wind seemed to encircle him. In a flash, he charged at Lee Fugui like a swift arrow.

"Spirit Skill: Wind and Cloud Wave!"

A fierce gale erupted, lifting Lee Fugui off his feet. Lin Xuan leaped up, transforming into a whirlwind that tore through Lee Fugui.

"Young Master!" Qing Tan rushed to Lin Xuan's side as soon as he landed, anxiously checking him for injuries.

"I'm alright, don't worry. Lee Fugui won't trouble us anymore; he's dead," Lin Xuan consoled Qing Tan, feeling a surge of triumph. He hadn't realized his own strength until now and knew he needed to focus on his cultivation.

Yet, Lin Xuan couldn't shake his concern for Qing Tan's safety. Without him by her side, he feared the worst.

"Murder! Chief Lee is dead!"

All of a sudden, a passing servant caught sight of Lee Fugui's lifeless body and screamed in horror.

In the Lin Family Law Enforcement Hall, a voice thundered with authority, "Lin Xuan, do you realize the gravity of your offenses?"

The hall's chief stood imposingly, his presence domineering. Lin Tong, seated casually to the side, watched the scene unfold with detached amusement. To him, a nobody like Lin Xuan daring to cross him was signing his own death warrant.

Unruffled, Lin Xuan held his ground at the center and retorted with a cold laugh, "My crime? Enlighten me, for I am unaware."

"Lin Shan, there's no use reasoning with such a scoundrel. Must I really instruct you on how to handle this?" Lin Tong, sipping his tea, taunted with a sneer.

"Not at all, Young Master Lin Tong. Your intervention isn't needed. I'll ensure this miscreant gets his just deserts!" Consul Lin Shan replied obsequiously, then turned and bellowed, "You murdered Lee Fugui and harmed innocents, breaching the Lin family's code. I hereby sentence you to immediate execution!"

"Nonsense!" Lin Xuan erupted in rage. Without seeking any justification or offering any rationale, they were ready to condemn him. The world truly was a brutal place where only the strong survived.

"That Lee Fugui was a contemptible wretch. His death was well-deserved!"

"Twisting words to serve your purpose!" The Consul leaped to his feet, his aura exploding with intensity as he launched a palm strike at Lin Xuan.

Lin Xuan braced himself, his internal spirit energy dwindling rapidly. Yet, the power of a Fourth Level Spirit Cultivator surged forth, repelling the Consul with sheer force.

Impossible!

The crowd rose, staring at Lin Xuan in disbelief. The Consul was a Fifth Level Spirit Cultivator, and Lin Xuan, whose cultivation was supposedly ruined, should have had the strength of merely a First Level Spirit Cultivator. But now, he was displaying the formidable power of a Fourth Level, his aura even subtly overpowering the Consul's.

"Lin Xuan, you dare to assault an officer of the Law Enforcement Hall and brazenly defy the Lin Family's laws. Today, you will be eliminated!"

"Master Chen, take him down!"

A man in black at Lin Tong's side advanced towards Lin Xuan without hesitation, the energy radiating from him revealing the prowess of a Ninth Level Spirit Cultivator!

Lin Tong let out a cold sneer. The fact that Lin Xuan could cultivate unsettled him deeply, but he knew that killing Lin Xuan would render his abilities moot—a dead man can't cultivate.

Lin Xuan, eyes narrowed, kept a wary gaze on the man in black, poised to strike at a moment's notice.

"Stop!"

A thunderous command echoed through the Law Enforcement Hall as an imposing aura descended. An elder clad in black emerged within the hall.

Consul Lin Shan and the others quickly bowed, offering their respects, "Greetings, Elder!"

Unruffled, Lin Tong remained seated and addressed the elder, "Elder, Lin Xuan has flouted our clan's laws and injured the Consul of the Law Enforcement Hall. He deserves an immediate execution to demonstrate our resolve. Surely you don't intend to shield such a criminal?"

Lin Xuan felt a surge of defiance. Lin Tong was clearly out to get him, but it wasn't a foregone conclusion who would meet their end.

"I will handle this," the Law Enforcement Elder rebuked sharply. "Lin Shan, you are hereby stripped of your title as Consul of the Law Enforcement Hall. Resign and accept your punishment."

"Yes," Lin Shan replied, his complexion ghostly, as he clenched his teeth in acceptance.

"Kid, you got lucky today," Lin Tong hissed menacingly.

Locking eyes with Lin Tong, Lin Xuan boldly challenged, "Lin Tong, one month from now, at the clan competition, will you dare to face me in battle?"

The room fell into stunned silence, the Law Enforcement Elder included. Was Lin Xuan courting death?

"Hahaha!" Lin Tong laughed as if he'd heard the funniest joke in the world. "Lin Xuan, if you're so eager to meet your end, I'll be more than happy to oblige!"

Once Lin Xuan departed the Law Enforcement Hall, word spread like wildfire. Every member of the Lin family was abuzz with the news that Lin Xuan, once deemed worthless, had thrown down the gauntlet to Lin Tong for the upcoming Family Competition.

"Has Lin Xuan lost his mind?"

"Hey, I've heard that Lin Xuan has started cultivating."

"What does that matter? Lin Tong is already a Seventh Level Spiritual Cultivator."

"This is going to be quite the spectacle."