Yet, Lin Runru thought it was rather interesting. He scrutinised Lin Xuanzhi’s face, then said, “Since there was no quarrel, to be infuriated to the point of murder based solely on a mere few words uttered by the other party — doesn’t that imply your Dao heart is a bit too unstable.”

　　“Indeed.” Lin Xuanzhi honestly admitted, then said, “Master1 has keen insight, Xuanzhi’s Dao heart is unstable and naturally wouldn’t be able to escape the eyes of Master. But that person obviously knew that Xuanzhi had been in low spirits ever since I was injured, so much so that my Dao heart was unstable and I was feeling dispirited, yet he still provoked me on purpose and even humiliated Jiadi. Wasn’t he just trying to bring trouble upon himself?”

　　“Nonsense!” w.a.n.g Wu’s wife immediately pointed her finger at Lin Xuanzhi, then shrieked, “My husband had just seen a carriage stop in front of the main entrance and asked the people on the carriage to enter from the side door, yet you killed him just because of that! He didn’t say anything to humiliate you!”

　　“Yes, my son had always been very respectful towards everyone in the Lin family. He had never badmouthed the Lins in front of his folks back home; whatever claims you make about him requires evidence!” w.a.n.g Wu’s mother immediately continued.

　　Evidence?

　　Lin Xuanzhi thought about the mirror that he had already handed over to Lin Zhantian. He raised his head and looked towards the main seat; he saw Madam Bai’s glamorous face reveal a confident smile, then looked at the Lin Zhantian who stood beside her who avoided his gaze. Lin Xuanzhi thus knew that the Recorder Mirror that had recorded what happened that day should have already been destroyed.

　　The evidence was gone, but, Lin Xuanzhi wasn’t the least bit fl.u.s.tered.

　　“If I can’t hand over any evidence, how do you think I should be punished?” Lin Xuanzhi’s lips curved up as he asked coldly.

　　Fifth elder looked at the people beside him and said, “How do you guys think he should be dealt with?”

　　Madam Bai stood up, then said to fifth elder, “Head, w.a.n.g Wu was handpicked by Nujia2 to be Lin family’s doorman, yet he lost his life just because Lin Xuanzhi had lost his temper. Nujia is thinking, why not hand Lin Xuanzhi over to Nujia so that I can discipline him properly; it would prevent others from saying that our Lin family’s people don’t know how to follow rules.”

　　Third elder squinted his long and narrow eyes, then said, “But I think that since Lin Xuanzhi had brought dishonour upon our family’s principles, according to our rules, he should be thrown into the Ice Prison and face its walls to reflect upon his actions for 8 to 10 years before releasing him.”

　　“That’s reasonable.” Lin Ruhai nodded as well, then said, “I’ve heard that Lin Xuanzhi nephew had been utterly defeated by many at the Tyrant Martial Hall recently, and that his escapades at the hall is well-known by many. He had even thrown away at least 10 000 gold into that martial hall — isn’t that a bit too much of him.”

　　The one who sat at the rightmost seat was the law enforcement hall’s hall master, Lin Zhantian’s father Lin Bubai. He also furrowed his brows and said, “I have indeed heard of Lin Xuanzhi’s infamy outside our doors, his discipline is really lacking.”

　　Madam Bai sighed, then lamented, “Ever since second brother’s horrible death, there had been no one around who would discipline Xuanzhi. Xuanzhi doesn’t have a mother either, and he’s so young, plus he had suffered a huge blow after he turned into a good-for-nothing, so naturally he would trod onto the wrong path. As his Aunt, I naturally have the responsibility to discipline and take care of him.”

　　Lin Xuanzhi felt nauseous upon hearing her words. In his past life, he had thought that Madam Bai treated him relatively well, but in actuality, Madam Bai is just a serpent clothed in human skin!

　　Discipline? Take care of him? He, more like in a few days, his injuries will probably grow even more serious and he’ll end up dying after his medical treatment fails ba!

　　“Everything you’ve all said are reasonable.” Lin Runru nodded, then looked at Lin Xuanzhi and said, “Behind closed doors, no matter how much trouble you guys cause isn’t a problem. But you had thrown away my Lin family’s face outside and completely ruined my Lin family’s reputation, that is unacceptable.”

　　Lin Xuanzhi drooped his eyelids and said, “Xuanzhi was momentarily muddleheaded, Xuanzhi knows that I was wrong. A place like the Tyrant Martial Hall — Xuanzhi won’t step foot in it anymore.”

　　He was sincerely admitting his fault; he must have been blinded by lard to actually go to that kind of place to search for a sense of purpose and allow himself to be ruthlessly humiliated by the people there!

　　Third elder sneered in his heart, then said coldly, “Since you’ve admitted your wrongdoings, then you should handover the items that Lin Zhan had left for you to the family to safekeep; after you’ve honestly repented for your sins, the items would be returned to you in its original condition.”

　　Returned to him in its original condition?

　　Hehe, he, Lin Xuanzhi, had never heard of a joke that was funnier than that. Items that were taken away, how could they still be returned?

　　He just wanted to hear how shameless these people could get, but he didn’t expect that they would actually covet the remaining a.s.sets of their orphaned nephew .

　　This was the family that he had carefully protected in his past life, these are the Lin family people whom he had racked his brains to try and protect!

　　Fifth elder didn’t make any evaluation of his own; instead he asked, “Lin Xuanzhi, do you have any objections about what they have said so far?”

　　“Naturally, I do.” Lin Xuanzhi said.

　　Madam Bai didn’t expect Lin Xuanzhi to actually dare to quibble with them, thus she sighed and said, “Xuanzhi, don’t forget that you don’t have any evidence to prove your innocence. If we were to follow the Lin family’s rules, then for arbitrarily killing our family’s guard, you need to be sent to the Ice Prison to reflect upon your actions.”

　　“Evidence? Hehe, what a joke!”

　　Lin Xuanzhi’s gaze suddenly turned cold and the expression on his face turned austere. With his hands behind his back and a voice as cold as ice, he articulated each of his words loud and clear, “Don’t tell me, as the Lin family’s successor of lineal descent3 who stands here uprightly with nothing to hide, the words I say still needs to be backed up by evidence? I, Lin Xuanzhi, am the evidence; whatever I say — is the truth!”

　　Suddenly, a strong draft blew through the hall and Lin Xuanzhi’s ink black hair that was draped over his shoulders fluttered in the wind.

　　His hair danced amongst the winds while Lin Xuanzhi’s white robe flapped lightly; specks of flickering firefly lights floated down from the sky and landed on the celestial being’s face that would rouse envy from both the heavens and mortals — they accentuated the aloofness of this immortal who looked like he had casted aside all worldly desires, yet at the same time made him look like a demon that had just climbed out of h.e.l.l. In any case, no one else dared to look straight at this immortal demon.

　　Lin Runru immediately raised an eyebrow.

　　Lin Zhantian raised his head and looked at Lin Xuanzhi, not because he wanted to look at him, but because the words that came out of Lin Xuanzhi’s mouth actually contained an impressive Qi quality that triggered the resonance of all the warning pillars in the hall!

　　The golden engravings carved onto the top of the warning pillars began to emit a buzzing sound and one by one, they began to flicker with a golden brilliance. The dormant engravings on the pillars appeared to have been awoken as they broke away from the pillars and began to float in the air, joining together to become one large piece of doc.u.ment.

　　Everyone in the crowd was amazed. They looked towards the Lin Xuanzhi who was standing in the middle of an open area — what kind of ability does this person actually have to have been able to trigger the pillars’ resonance?

　　Madam Bai stood up in an instant. She furrowed her brows and scrutinized the warning pillars, her heart was frenetic and filled with horror ——no, this definitely can’t be happening!

　　The Lin family’s law enforcement hall’s warning pillars: each word written on it had been carved on personally by the Lin family’s ancestor and they contained remnants of the ancestor’s soul desire. The Lin family once had a legend — whoever could trigger the warning pillars’ resonance and revive all 81 pillars in this hall at the same time would prove himself to be the successor selected by the Lin family’s ancestor who had ascended!

　　And for many years, even though there were quite a few people from the Lin family who had racked their brains to try and do it, none of them had been able to revive the warning pillars. How could this Lin Xuanzhi turn the warning pillars into this kind of state with just one sentence?!

　　Don’t tell her, this good-for-nothing Lin Xuanzhi, is actually the Lin family’s true successor?

　　Madam Bai wasn’t the only one who had this kind of thinking and conjecture. After all, the legend surrounding the warning pillars had long spread around to the members of the Lin family. In fact, everyone who was present had once tried to trigger the warning pillars’ resonance.

　　The crowd’s gazes that landed upon Lin Xuanzhi had evidently changed.

　　A flicker of panic and fear flashed through Lin Zezhi’s eyes. After he was momentarily stunned, he immediately thought of something and said in a loud voice, “The head’s Dao ways have no boundaries, a flood of good fortune fills the heavens4!”

　　His voice sounded like a sudden clap of thunder which snapped everyone out of their reverie.

　　Everyone in the hall kneeled down simultaneously as they faced the fifth elder Lin Runru who sat atop the main seat and spoke in chorus, “The head’s Dao ways have no boundaries, a flood of good fortune fills the heavens.”

　　Lin Runru suddenly burst out in laughter and said, “My Dao ways really do have no boundaries, and a flood of good fortune has filled the heavens, I don’t need your compliments. But as for these warning pillars ma——”

　　Lin Runru drawled, his gaze appeared to casually sweep across the crowd below the platform, but ultimately he beckoned Lin Xuanzhi over and said, “Kid, come forward.”

　　Lin Xuanzhi complied and moved forward.

　　Lin Runru tsked and curled his fingers to beckon him, “Come stand here in front of me, what are you standing so far away for?”

　　Lin Runru’s seat was at least three zhang5 away from the ground; the crowd waited with bated breath to see how Lin Xuanzhi would make a fool of himself.

　　But they didn’t expect Lin Xuanzhi to actually lightly tap his foot and fly straight up onto the high platform——you must know, it was practically impossible for a mere Refining Qi stage second layer cultivator with a destroyed dantian to reach somewhere three zhang high with one leap.

　　The crowd was stunned once again.

　　“Didn’t they say, that the highest realm he can ever reach in this lifetime is the Refining Qi stage’s second layer?”

　　“Don’t tell me he actually managed to obtain a sky-level medicinal pill?”

　　“No way, he must have used some other way!”

　　“Biaoge, what’s going on ah?” Bai Susu furrowed her brows and asked with a puzzled look.

　　Meanwhile, Lin Zezhi’s face had an obviously unsightly look. When he heard her words, he forced out an awkward smile and said, “It’s probably due to the a.s.sistance of Master who was feeling benevolent.”

　　Bai Susu heaved a sigh of relief, then said, “So that’s what happened, I thought that good-for-nothing had recovered ne.”

　　Yet Lin Zezhi’s heart sunk.

　　His words were only good enough to trick Bai Susu, but how could Master have helped him?

　　But, Lin Xuanzhi clearly hasn’t recovered, and his body’s Qi obviously belongs to that of a Refining Qi stage second layer realm. He hadn’t used any magic tool to a.s.sist him either, so how the h.e.l.l did he get up there?

　　Lin Zezhi found out soon enough.

　　Because the Lin Runru who sat atop the main seat clapped as he laughed, then said, “Looks like you utilised the stored spiritual Qi in a forged stone to aid you, and to actually be able to achieve this kind of stability. Looks like you’ve taken a liking to crafting.”

　　Lin Xuanzhi stretched out his left hand that had been hidden in his wide sleeve, then opened it up with his palm facing upwards; on it you could see the ashen remains of a forged stone that had lost its spiritual Qi.

　　Madam Bai’s eyes opened so wide they almost left its sockets; she cried out involuntarily with horror, “You actually cultivated the equipment path, you’re a craftsman!”

　　1. Master here = master of the house/head of the family; I thought using Master sounded better than ‘head’…↩

　　2. Nujia is a derogatory way to refer to oneself (when you’re a woman) by saying like you’re a servant to someone of a higher status↩

　　3. The phrase LXZ used here is “嫡脉”, and people of the ‘嫡’ bloodline are descendants of the main wife (instead of concubines)↩

　　4. This phrase refers to the resonance of the warning pillars’ as an auspicious sign↩

　　5. 3.3m↩