C13 Count to Three!

"That's outrageous!"

"Do the Lims really not see that they're bullying us?"

"Fine, the marriage is off, but why should we hand over the Ice Soul Crystal to you?"

The hall erupted into chaos as the Yu family elders rose to their feet, loudly denouncing the Lim family's second-in-command.

Lim Hanyu stood tall and unflinching, ignoring the Yu family's outburst, and declared firmly, "The Ice Soul Crystal is also a demand from the Cold Yin Sect!"

"The Cold Yin Sect..."

Upon hearing "Cold Yin Sect," many of the Yu family's affiliated elders deflated like balloons, reluctantly taking their seats once more.

The Cold Yin Sect's influence was evidently a notch above the Lim family's—a family that was already a formidable mountain. With the Sect's backing, the pressure was almost suffocating.

"This is intolerable!" Yu Lili exclaimed, rising to her feet in a burst of anger.

Yu Wei, Yu Lian, and Yu Lili, all siblings, were practitioners at the Yellow Court Stage. Yu Wei was in the Middle Period, Yu Lian in the Early Period, and Yu Lili had reached the Late Period, rumored to be on the cusp of advancing to the Profound Break Stage.

Her status in the family was significant because of her accomplishments.

Alas...

"You've done well to reach the Late Period of the Yellow Court Stage, but are you aware of how many in our Lim family are at that level? More than ten! And that's not counting my elder brother and me; we have three others at the Profound Break Stage, not to mention an ancestor at the Penetrating Stage who is still among the living!"

"That's just the Lim family, without even considering the Cold Yin Sect of the Heavenly Source Continent!"

Lim Hanyu gave her a cold, dismissive glance, "A small, crumbling family from Darkmoon City, with its strongest member merely at the Late Period of the Yellow Court Stage—how could you possibly be worthy of marrying my daughter? I suggest you think it over and save yourselves the embarrassment."

With those words, Yu Lili, who had stood up so defiantly, felt herself stiffen with the weight of reality.

In the face of harsh reality, she suddenly realized that her fiery passion was, in truth, of little significance.

Her heart ached for her grandfather, and for her nephew who had only just awakened and begun to demonstrate his aptitude for cultivation.

"Ah, my dear nephew, I truly wish to help you, but... I am utterly helpless," she lamented inwardly, her gaze on Yu Yuan filled with sorrow as she gently shook her head, signaling him with her eyes to bear the day's disgrace.

"Furthermore!"

It was then that Lim Hanyu turned sharply towards Yu Yuan, "Yinn Jue was my dog! You look to the owner before striking the dog. His mysterious death—I will get to the bottom of it! If it turns out you're involved, don't expect any mercy from me!"

"There's no need for an investigation," Yu Yuan replied with a smile. "I was lying before. That dog of yours? I poisoned him. Here, this is the pill. You may or may not have heard of it—it's called the Lizard Blood Pill. And it's not just effective on your dog; it works on you too."

As he spoke, Yu Yuan produced the porcelain bottle with the "Lizard Blood Pill" and casually tossed it in Lim Hanyu's direction.

Every member of the Yu family, along with the guest chamberlains, was visibly shaken!

In that instant, all eyes were riveted on Yu Yuan!

What was happening?

Had Yu Yuan lost his mind?

How could he brazenly confess to poisoning Yinn Jue, especially in front of Lim Hanyu himself?

At a time when everyone in the Yu family, from Yu Lili to the elders and guest chamberlains, had opted to yield before the formidable Cold Yin Sect and the Lim family, why would he choose such a confrontation?

By confessing to the poisoning of Yinn Jue, wasn't he just handing the Lim family a perfect pretext?

Now, it wasn't just a matter of calling off a marriage; Lim Hanyu would surely seek further retribution, bringing misfortune upon the entire Yu family.

The crowd felt a collective shiver down their spines, internally cursing the situation.

"You're the one who poisoned Yinn Jue?" Lim Hanyu paused, then let out a sinister laugh. "True or false, since you've had the audacity to confess, don't blame me for what comes next…"

"Lizard Blood Pill!"

Lim Zhuyun, who had remained silent until now, as if dozing, suddenly snapped her eyes open. Her exquisite face drained of color. "It can't be... the Lizard Blood Pill!"

In a rage, Lim Hanyu was about to lash out when she frantically stopped him. "No! Don't get worked up!"

"Is it truly the Lizard Blood Pill?!" Her gaze turned icy as she questioned him with grave seriousness, a stark contrast to her earlier composure.

Yu Yuan offered a smile. "What's your guess?"

"Guess? This boy has the audacity to spout nonsense at me over a pill whose authenticity is unknown!" Lim Hanyu's laughter rang out, sharp and piercing like a blade of ice, oblivious to the potency of the "Lizard Blood Pill." He flung Lim Zhuyun aside, ready to confront Yu Yuan. "I refuse to believe that the one who poisoned Yinn Jue is you—a fool who's been senseless for seventeen years!"

He had always despised Yu Yuan deep down.

His daughter was the Lim family's treasure, the pride of the entire Silvermoon Empire!

She had been adored and cherished since childhood, yet due to one poor decision by her mother, she bore the weight of disgrace and often wept in secret.

And wasn't this fool before him the cause of it all?

Even if this simpleton had stumbled upon some stroke of luck and had an epiphany, what of it?

To think he had the gall to claim that with an unheard-of pill, he could not only poison Yinn Jue but also ensnare him in the same fate!

"Dad! If it is indeed the Lizard Blood Pill, I fear even you won't be able to withstand it!" Lim Zhuyun exclaimed in alarm.

Within the hall, the Yu family members and numerous guests stood frozen, bewildered and at a loss.

The Lizard Blood Pill? Could it be that formidable?

"If you dare to make a move, I assure you, neither you nor your daughter will leave the Yu family alive." Yu Yuan's casual smile vanished as he faced the thoroughly infuriated Lim Hanyu, his demeanor shifting to one of chilling calm.

His calm was that of a true demon, one who had slaughtered countless lives.

Such indifference to life was, in reality, a deep-seated callousness emanating from his very core.

Lim Hanyu, his hands stained with much blood, listened to Yu Yuan's words and observed his demeanor. He felt an eerie sense of kinship with him.

"It's not just you and your daughter," Yu Yuan said, his voice growing colder. "Should something happen to me, my mentor would undoubtedly decimate the Lim family without hesitation."

At these words, Lim Hanyu, previously seething with rage, forcibly composed himself.

"What are you talking about?"

With a skeptical look, he scrutinized Yu Yuan, then turned to his daughter to inquire, "What is this Lizard Blood Pill? Did Yinn Jue truly die from it?"

"I've heard from my master at the Cold Yin Sect, who imparted the Spiritual Spell to me, about this poison pill. For someone at the Profound Break Stage, the Lizard Blood Pill's poison will spread from the dantian through the eight extraordinary meridians and into the internal organs." Lim Zhuyun quickly clarified, seeing her father's slight calm, "Father, if it is indeed the Lizard Blood Pill, I fear you too would struggle to withstand it."

"Lizard Blood Pill..." Lim Hanyu was still skeptical, but his gaze shifted from Yu Yuan's face to the porcelain bottle containing the pill. "Are you saying you poisoned Yinn Jue?"

"Yinn Jue attempted to kill me twice," Yu Yuan said, his voice steady as he relaxed and squinted his eyes. "The first time, I survived. The second time, it was his turn to die."

Lim Zhuyun began to speak, presumably to offer an explanation.

"I don't care who was behind him; he had it coming," Yu Yuan stated, and then unexpectedly flashed a chilling smile at the father and daughter.

That grin sent a shiver down their spines.

Without warning, Yu Yuan violently shook the porcelain bottle!

"Pop!"

The second Lizard Blood Pill transformed into a cloud of crimson mist inside the bottle!

Yu Yuan's fingers clamped down on the cotton plug of the bottle as if he were gripping the father and daughter's throats.

"When Yinn Jue first struck at me, you failed to punish him. Your inaction was tacit approval!" He fixed his gaze on Lim Zhuyun and demanded icily, "Shouldn't you be offering me an apology?"

"I..." Lim Zhuyun began to speak but found herself unable to continue.

Yinn Jue was her responsibility, acting under the orders of the Cold Yin Sect and her father. She questioned herself: was she truly oblivious?

Or was she just making excuses? Unable to rein in the Cold Yin Sect or her father, had she allowed things to spiral towards the worst possible outcome?

Deep down, did she secretly wish for the death of the person who had brought her shame?

"And you," Yu Yuan turned his gaze back to Lim Hanyu. "We'll put our issues aside for the moment. I expect an apology to my grandfather, now."

Lim Hanyu's expression was a mix of incredulity and amusement. "Kid, you think you can intimidate me?"

"I'm counting to three," Yu Yuan said, clearly uninterested in further discussion.

"You little punk! Heh, who do you think you are?"

"One!"

Before reaching three, Yu Yuan abruptly tore the cotton from the porcelain bottle!

He hurled the bottle toward Lim Hanyu and Lim Zhuyun, where it shattered mid-air with a resounding "bang"!

A crimson fog instantly dispersed!

The lingering blood mist, as if sentient, swarmed toward Lim Hanyu and Lim Zhuyun like slender, scarlet serpents.

"Ah!"

The hall erupted into chaos.

The Yu family elders and retainers scrambled to safety, desperate to avoid the fate of Yinn Jue, who had succumbed to the Lizard Blood Pill.

"Wait, wasn't it supposed to be a count to three? Why did it stop at one?" Yu Lian was utterly bewildered.

"Our nephew has lost his mind!" Yu Lili, her aura shimmering with spiritual energy, urged, "Quickly, take cover in the corners of the hall. I need to protect my uncle!"

In a flash, she was behind Yu Cann, swiftly maneuvering his wheelchair out of harm's way.

"Damn this reckless boy, planning to unleash the Lizard Blood Pill's deadly poison from the start! He's completely deranged, a law unto himself!" Yu Wei was terrified, yet it was clear to him that his nephew, now fully awake, had resolved to see his plan through.

The so-called "count to three," along with the numerous previous threats, likely served as a smokescreen to stall for time.

Perhaps it was to ensure that the blood poison from the "Lizard Blood Pill" infiltrated only the Lim family father and daughter...

Was all that rambling just to secure this outcome?

​