C35 Jiang Yuanhong Came out of Seclusion

"Humph!" Wang Yue withdrew his imposing aura, not swayed by Xiao Yu's words, but rather because it made no difference to him whether Xiao Yu knelt or not; Xiao Yu was as good as dead in his eyes.

Turning to Lin Wentian, he demanded, "Your Lin Family harbors an outsider who has gravely injured Fei'er. How do you intend to account for this to me?"

Seeing that his intimidation failed to bring Xiao Yu to his knees, Lin Wentian also withdrew his aura and declared, "Though this individual has taken refuge with my Lin Family, he is not one of our own. Having offended the Wang Family today, his fate is now in Brother Wang's hands!"

Xiao Yu watched Lin Wentian with a sneer. Lin Wentian had readily disowned him as not part of the Lin Family, which was hardly a surprise.

After all, when he had previously crossed Wang Fei, Lin Wentian had not hesitated to have him beaten within an inch of his life. Why would today be any different?

"Good!" Wang Yue got the response he was looking for from Lin Wentian. He immediately commanded a servant, "Bring him over to me!"

Without delay, someone advanced and began escorting Xiao Yu toward the Wang Family's entourage.

"Fei'er, how would you like him to be punished?" Wang Yue asked coldly, glancing at Xiao Yu before turning his gaze to Wang Fei, who lay on a stretcher, weak and pale.

Despite his frailty, Wang Fei's eyes burned with loathing. "You never thought I'd survive, did you? I warned you—if you dared to kill me, my Wang Family would never let you go. Haha, you must be full of regret now, but alas, it's too late. I will make you beg for life and plead for death!" Though Wang Fei's voice was feeble, the venom in his words was unmistakable to all present.

"If you hadn't tried to ambush me, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to kill you even if I wanted to. This is the result of your own doing, and you've only yourself to blame!" Xiao Yu retorted with a cold laugh, devoid of any sympathy or remorse.

Wang Fei appeared to have been dealt a devastating blow, his body quaking uncontrollably.

Xiao Yu was right. Had Wang Fei known about Xiao Yu's formidable abilities, he never would have attempted to ambush him the previous night. Had he realized that Xiao Yu was indifferent to his background and truly willing to take his life, he might never have crossed Xiao Yu in the first place.

Upon reflection, he had brought this upon himself!

But now, any regrets came too late. He was now crippled, his life ruined by Xiao Yu, who stood unscathed before him. Wang Fei couldn't admit any wrongdoing on his part; instead, he saw Xiao Yu as excessively cruel.

"Fei'er, there's no need for further words. Just tell me, how do you wish to handle him?" Wang Yue interjected, concerned that any further agitation might be fatal for his son.

"Father, I want him to kneel before me. I want to strip him of his cultivation, to reduce him to a cripple like me, to be my slave for eternity, living in perpetual despair. I won't kill him. I want him to kneel and beg me for the mercy of death!" Wang Fei's gaze was fierce, his words filled with bitterness that sent a chill through everyone present.

To cripple Xiao Yu's cultivation and enslave him for life would be a fate worse than death. He would be trapped in an endless cycle of despair, unable to find solace even in the thought of death.

"Very well," Wang Yue nodded, approaching Xiao Yu with a detached expression. "Let's see how resilient you are. You refuse to kneel? Someone, break his legs!"

At once, a member of the Wang Family stepped forward, their expression icy as they advanced towards Xiao Yu.

Lin Wentian looked on dispassionately. For him, as long as the wrath of the Wang Family could be appeased, any treatment of Xiao Yu was acceptable.

He even believed that Xiao Yu deserved such a fate for nearly causing a rift between the Lin Family and the Wang Family.

Xiao Yu, damn it!

Lin Xuehan quietly observed from the sidelines, her eyes betraying no emotion, even a hint of indifference.

Despite the unexpected turn of events, it didn't mean she would reconsider her opinion of Xiao Yu.

Perhaps this outcome was for the best, for both her and Xiao Yu.

"Hehe, this loser actually dared to provoke the Wang Family. He's done for this time!"

"Who would have thought this nobody had some skills? He actually managed to do that to Young Master Wang Fei!"

The Wang Family had mobilized to confront Xiao Yu, a development that had already stirred up quite a buzz among the Lin Family members. Currently, a crowd from the Lin Family had gathered outside the main hall, including numerous young men.

Among these youths, many had previously bullied Xiao Yu. Now, witnessing his downfall, they felt no sympathy or pity; instead, they reveled in his misfortune, as if enjoying a spectacle.

...

Meanwhile, at the Heaven Pavilion.

Qin Yuxuan was chasing a butterfly around a courtyard, clearly bored. Her movements were graceful and light, playfully interacting with the butterfly in a dance of sorts.

Eventually, Qin Yuxuan let the butterfly go and ceased her pursuit, her delicate eyebrows knitting together as she grumbled, "My master really is something, secluding himself for so long and leaving no one to teach me how to inscribe Talismans. I'm left with no choice but to play with butterflies."

The mention of Talismans brought Xiao Yu to mind.

She hadn't had the chance to ask Xiao Yu about his knowledge of inscribing Spirit-drawing Talismans during his last visit. Following their conversation, Jiang Yuanhong, fresh out of seclusion, chose to seclude himself once more.

Being exceptionally perceptive, she immediately sensed that something was amiss and was eager to find out what Xiao Yu and Jiang Yuanhong had discussed.

Moreover, she couldn't stop thinking about Jiang Yuanhong's warning before he secluded himself: "Under no circumstances should you offend Xiao Yu!"

As a major player in Giant Stone City, a Grade Two Talisman Master, and also a cultivator at the Qi-transforming Stage, Qin Yuxuan had never seen Jiang Yuanhong display such wariness towards anyone before.

She found herself increasingly intrigued by Xiao Yu. He seemed shrouded in mystery, and she felt a strong urge to uncover more about him.

"Wasn't the guy who got thrown out last time claiming to be from the Lin Family? Since I'm bored, maybe I should just go and get some answers from him," Qin Yuxuan pondered, feeling somewhat torn.

"Yuxuan, what are you mumbling to yourself about now?"

At that moment, a cheerful laugh rang out. Qin Yuxuan turned to see Jiang Yuanhong approaching from a distance.

Upon seeing Jiang Yuanhong, her eyes widened in surprise.

His face glowed with a rosy flush, and his elegant and profound demeanor seemed even more pronounced than before. Qin Yuxuan had always known him to possess such a temperament, but now there appeared to be an added layer to it.

Jiang Yuanhong exuded a powerful confidence with each step he took, his every gesture reflecting the poise of a true master.

"Master? Have you advanced to a Third Grade Talisman Master?" Qin Yuxuan blurted out, her eyes growing wider with the realization.

"Not yet. Becoming a Third Grade Talisman Master isn't that simple. But I'm getting close!" Jiang Yuanhong replied, beaming.

His recent period of seclusion had been incredibly fruitful, significantly enhancing his understanding and strength in the Talisman Dao, making him far more powerful than before.