C4 He Was Expelled from the Family.

Mu Rui's expression darkened instantly, Chu Lin's words stinging him as a profound insult.

"Let's see if a debater like you, who's all talk and no action, actually has the strength to beat me," Mu Rui huffed, striding forward and charging at Chu Lin. His fist, shimmering faintly, swung with brute force, intent on crushing Chu Lin with the most direct and savage blow.

"You were the one who caused my fall from the cliff. Today, it's time for payback!" Chu Lin's eyebrows lifted, his face alight with fierce confidence as he launched his own punch at Mu Rui.

Many in the crowd shook their heads, silently lamenting what they saw as the inevitable breaking of Chu Lin's hand by Mu Rui. They had never before witnessed a mere mortal daring to exchange blows with a Martial Cultivator. It seemed to them that Chu Lin must have lost his mind.

A gleam of cruelty flashed in Mu Rui's eyes as he sneered triumphantly, "Chu Lin, I will break your hand."

"Sorry, but you simply lack the power to harm me," Chu Lin replied, his demeanor serene, his voice detached.

No sooner had Chu Lin spoken than an even more ferocious energy surged from his fist, the Spiritual Energy swirling upward.

"You've reached Body Tempering Level Two!" Mu Rui's face contorted in shock, unable to fathom how Chu Lin, whom he considered worthless, possessed such strength. But before he could process it, Chu Lin's fist collided with his own.

The sharp crack of bones breaking and Mu Rui's anguished scream sent a wave of tension through the hall.

The crowd's gaze shifted from curiosity to astonishment and shock. Their faces betrayed complex emotions as Mu Rui's defeat brought to mind Chu Lin's earlier calm proclamation.

"Today, you all take pleasure in humiliating and slandering me. But if there comes a day when I am stronger than all of you, will you then feel shame?"

Those who had previously mocked Chu Lin now found their laughter stuck in their throats, as the so-called 'trash' of the hall had just delivered a stunning blow, silencing them with the irony of his victory.

"This can't be. Chu Lin is nothing but trash!" Mu Rui knelt on the ground, staring at his deformed fist in disbelief. Moments before, he had been full of bravado, but now he was nothing more than a pitiful loser, bested by the very Chu Lin he had tormented with a single strike.

Mu Hee, too, was momentarily dazed, but as the family head, he quickly regained his composure, his face darkening, his eyes on Chu Lin turning hostile.

"Chu Lin, you've gone too far! To grievously injure your own brother... As the Patriarch, I must discipline you today, lest this become our family's disgrace," Mu Hee thundered, rising from his seat and pointing accusingly at Chu Lin.

Chu Lin chuckled, his laughter tinged with sarcasm. He cast a dismissive glance at Mu Hee and said coolly, "Indeed, you are the Patriarch. If you hadn't mentioned it, I might have thought you'd forgotten your role."

"You, as Patriarch, were utterly indifferent to my being pushed off a cliff by Mu Rui and left for dead for two months. A fine Patriarch you are. Was it your busy schedule, or was it your fear of Mu Rui facing punishment, prompting you to abuse your authority to cover up for your son?"

"You turn a blind eye to Mu Rui's domineering and violent ways, failing to rein him in, allowing him to grow ever more reckless. Here I am, rightfully attending the Meeting of Three Mansions, yet you treat me like an intruder and sic your servants on me. I'm at a loss as to why the Mu Mansion can't bear my presence. Is it because of my surname, Chu? Or is it because..."

Chu Lin's voice trailed off as he wore a mocking smile, his gaze upon Mu Hee turning icy, "Or is it because my father spared your life years ago, and you, feeling humiliated, have harbored resentment towards him ever since, seeking to exact your revenge on me?"

Hatred laced Chu Lin's words.

At this, everyone present inhaled sharply. They exchanged glances between Chu Lin and Mu Hee, none expecting Chu Lin to confront the Patriarch so boldly. Meanwhile, the elders in the room cast significant looks at Mu Hee.

Mu Hee's hand crushed the porcelain cup he held, his expression darker than storm clouds. He exuded an aura of intense irritability and dominance that left even the Patriarchs of the Su and Lee Mansions dumbfounded.

This was the presence of a Spirit Martial Level Seven master!

"Slandering the Patriarch is a capital crime. Since you are my nephew, I will spare your life. But from this day on, you are no longer part of the Mu Mansion," Mu Hee declared, his voice heavy with unspoken threats. He longed to end Chu Lin's life right then and there, but with so many witnesses, he resolved to wait until the meeting's conclusion.

"I need to retrieve my father's spirit tablet," Chu Lin stated icily. His resolve to depart from the Mu Mansion was firm. Yet, he was bound by tradition to pay homage with incense to his father annually. If he could reclaim the tablet, ensuring it no longer languished in an overlooked corner of the Mu Mansion's shrine, no longer subject to ridicule, then being cast out would mean little to him.

"You're expelled from the Mu Mansion. Your father was a criminal here; I cannot permit you to remove his spirit tablet," Mu Hee retorted with a cold smirk. His eyes then shifted to the two guards behind Chu Lin, issuing a veiled threat, "Chu Lin, leave now, or face my wrath. You're no longer one of us. What does it matter if you've reached Body Tempering Level Two? Our guards are all at Level Four."

Chu Lin's fists tightened silently. He had sorely miscalculated the pettiness of Mu Hee's spirit. Indeed, Mu Hee might just kill him.

"If only I were powerful enough," Chu Lin pondered, "no one in the Great Barbarian City would dare command or intimidate me. No one would dare label my father a criminal, nor would they dare to disrespect his spirit tablet in the ancestral hall."

Looking up at Mu Hee, Chu Lin whispered bitterly, "Today, your status as the head of the family emboldens you to act so brashly and twist the truth. But you can't fool everyone forever. A day will come when I'll expose the reality of it all."

Despite his deep frustration and rage, Chu Lin kept his composure.

With the crowd's eyes upon him, he turned and strode out of the hall.

In that instant, a faint green silhouette slipped quietly from the hall, following in Chu Lin's wake.