Nine Dragons Saint Ancestor

"Young Master, I have brought back the boy who dared to offend you!"

The newcomer was Luo Cheng, who, in the midst of the excited and unusual gazes of the two in the courtyard, pushed the coarsely dressed boy beside him forward. While speaking, he sneakily glanced at the boy, imparting a hint of indescribable meaning.

"Luo Cheng, didn't I say you could just kill him directly? Why did you bring him back?"

Lin Xuantian spoke as if reprimanding, but excitement was evident on his face. Perhaps, in his heart, ending Yun Xiao's life with his own hands would be more gratifying than if the latter died at Luo Cheng's hands?

"Luo Cheng, you sealed his Meridian Qi?"

Qiao Guinong, standing to the side, sensed Yun Xiao's aura immediately and nodded in satisfaction. Although having a powerhouse at the Peak of Qi Seeking Realm like him around meant little trouble was expected, he still preferred to avoid any unnecessary complications.

"Tsk tsk, Yun Xiao, weren't you acting tough that day in the Nanyu Mountain ranges? Now that you've ended up like this, what do you have to say?"

Lin Xuantian's face bore a pleased expression, as if toying with a mouse. For some reason, he felt very uncomfortable whenever he saw Yun Xiao's calm face, as if he desperately wanted to trample on it.

"Brother Xuantian, surely there isn't such deep-seated hatred between us, why are you so ruthless to me?"

Yun Xiao seemed to be somewhat short of breath, and after asking this question, he stared at Lin Xuantian's face and his ears twitched slightly, as if he was listening to a sound coming from somewhere outside.

"Ha ha, no deep-seated hatred? Yun Xiao, you sure make light of things. Do you know how much you have messed up for me?"

At this moment, Lin Xuantian seemed to have touched a nerve, his voice becoming louder and clearer, resounding distinctly in the quiet of the night.

However, it was in the dead of night, and Lin Xuantian's separate courtyard was vast; not even Qiao Guinong was concerned about being overheard, let alone considering that the ordinary guards and servants in the courtyard had already been sent away for this secret affair, and those left were close confidants whom Lin Xuantian trusted.

"Oh? Is that so? Brother Xuantian, since I am already a dead man, why not just tell me the reason so I don't die confused?"

Yun Xiao gasped for breath, sounding a bit breathless, and his words elicited a newfound admiration in Luo Cheng, who thought that the boy's eloquence was hardly less than his mental acuity and combat prowess.

"Fine, I'll let you die understanding!"

And for some reason, Lin Xuantian didn't refuse Yun Xiao's suggestion, although he and Qiao Guinong failed to notice that at this moment, several figures had suddenly appeared outside the courtyard.

"Yun Xiao, do you know that I, Lin Xuantian, am not a legitimate son of the Lin Family, but merely an adopted one?"

In Lin Xuantian's voice was a hint of bitterness, revealing that the preferential treatment Lin Xuanhao received from the Family Head over the years had engendered a deep sense of imbalance in him.

"So you wanted to use the marbled bamboo leopard and the people of the Tao Family to eliminate your biggest obstacle, the legitimate son Lin Xuanhao, so you could become the rightful next Family Head of the Lin Family, right?"

In just one sentence, Yun Xiao seemed to have sudden clarity, directly exposing the deepest secret hidden in the other's heart.

And as these words were spoken, the several people who had just approached the courtyard, ready to step inside, abruptly halted. The face of one of the youths among them showed an extreme look of disbelief.

When that youth turned his gaze to a certain person next to him, he saw that person's body was slightly trembling, and his eyes were sparkling with a fierce light as if he was struggling to restrain something.

Inside the separate courtyard.

Unaware of the arrival of two significant persons in the outside area, Lin Xuantian had a sudden outburst upon hearing Yun Xiao reveal his deepest secret.

"That's right, even if Lin Xuanhao is my father's legitimate son, I, Lin Xuantian, am the eldest son of the Lin Family. It is my right to inherit this business. Why should I hand it over to a greenhorn?"

Years of resentment, compounded by the fact that he was in his own secluded courtyard, left Lin Xuantian with no reservations. After all, the boy before him was as good as dead, so revealing secrets to a dead person should never be leaked, right?

"But after all, he is your brother; can you truly bear to lay your hands on him?"

Yun Xiao nodded his head, adding fuel to the fire, believing that with Lin Xuantian's current state, he would surely spill more unsavory words, leaving him with no chance of turning back.

"Haha, brother?"

Lin Xuantian couldn't help but laugh out loud into the sky, his voice filled with a thick bitterness. One had to wonder where such resentment came from?

"In Lin Zhenjiang's eyes, perhaps I, Lin Xuantian, will always be just an outsider. Everyone has seen the way he dotes on Lin Xuanhao over the years, and if I don't take action, I might not even be able to stay in the Lin Family anymore!"

Lin Xuantian's presumptive words, when they reached the ears of that father and son outside, brought a flash of anger to their eyes, as well as a hint of indescribable sorrow.

"Yun Xiao, if it weren't for you spoiling my plan, Lin Xuanhao would have died in the Nanyu Mountain Range long ago. If anyone is to blame, it's your bad luck, I suppose!"

After saying so much, Lin Xuantian seemed somewhat listless, and after a sigh, he waved his hand and ordered: "Luo Cheng, finish him, and then find a secluded place to bury him. Make sure it's done cleanly."

Indeed, it must be said that Lin Xuantian is a ruthlessly decisive person, especially after revealing so many secrets, he could no longer allow Yun Xiao to live. He also trusted Luo Cheng's capability.

"Ah Xuantian, your thoughts, had they not been spoken by you, would probably never be known by anyone else, right?"

Who would have known that just as Lin Xuantian finished speaking, the ruggedly dressed youth turned his head, looking towards the tightly shut doors of the courtyard, his words seemingly pointed.

"Luo Cheng, why aren't you acting? What are you waiting for!"

For some reason, seeing Yun Xiao's indifferent demeanor made Lin Xuantian feel an inexplicable unease; he shouted loudly, but then saw Luo Cheng remain completely motionless.

"You're facing death and you don't even realize it!"

However, as soon as Lin Xuantian's shout faded, the smile on the ruggedly dressed youth's face disappeared instantly, replaced by a deep cold sneer, which caught both the young master of the Lin Family and Qiao Guinong off guard.

Wasn't that line supposed to be said by Lin Xuantian? Why did it suddenly come from Yun Xiao's mouth? Wasn't this kid the one close to death?

Whoosh!

But in the next moment, there came a loud noise at Lin Xuantian's ears, and when he turned his head, he clearly saw that the two doors of his own courtyard were flying inwards.

"Who's there?"

This sudden change caused Lin Xuantian's face to shift dramatically, but this was the Lin Family's grounds, and it was his own private courtyard. Even if a strong member of the Tao Family were to barge in, they wouldn't be able to leave unscathed, so he immediately shouted loudly.

"Never would I, Lin Zhenjiang, a hero for a lifetime, have thought that I would raise such an ingrate. Lin Xuantian, tell me, why would you be so malevolent?"

However, just as an overpowering Meridian Qi erupted from Lin Xuantian, a familiar voice came from beyond the broken courtyard door, causing him to be struck with terror, for this voice belonged to his father, the Family Head of the Lin Family.

After the dust settled, two figures, one large and one small, finally appeared at the gate. The face of the burly figure was filled with rage.

As for the younger figure, he was full of sorrow. Was this really his respected elder brother, the one who would always let him have the best things since childhood?

"Big brother, you... why..."

Lin Xuanhao truly hoped that this was all just a dream and that he would soon wake up. Ever since they were children, his elder brother had always been caring towards him. He had never imagined that this very brother would ever wish to see him dead.

But Lin Xuanhao knew in his heart that those words had come straight from Lin Xuantian, revealing all the conspiracies hidden behind appearances. All of it was the truth.

"Why? Lin Xuanhao, do you still not understand why?"

Knowing his plot was exposed, Lin Xuantian finally stripped away his mask of hypocrisy, his voice turning somewhat ferocious as years of resentment seemed to erupt all at once.

"You, Lin Xuanhao, were born the son of the Family Head of the Lin Family, clothed in silk and fed on the finest fare, the heir to the Lin Family's legacy. And me, Lin Xuantian? From the beginning, I was an orphan, and even after becoming the adopted son of the Family Head, my status was constantly scrutinized and questioned!"

Lin Xuantian stared hard at his non-blood-related brother, his face eventually taking on a dejected look as he said in a heavy tone: "Lin Xuanhao, wouldn't it have been better had you never been born?"

Perhaps that was the root of Lin Xuantian's grievances - without Lin Xuanhao, the legitimate child of the Family Head, he would be the sole heir to the Lin Family.

Unfortunately, with Lin Zhenjiang having a son late in life, everything changed. As Lin Xuanhao grew up, Lin Xuantian could clearly feel that within the Lin Family, everyone was flattering the legitimate son and the respect they had for him, the adopted child, was utterly cursory.

Watching as Lin Xuanhao was bound to take his place in a few short years, Lin Xuantian was forced to take desperate measures and committed irretrievable acts.

"Ah, to have such a venomous heart and wild ambitions, yet to blame others for your faults, you truly have quite the thick skin!"

As Lin Xuantian was caught in his emotional outburst, a voice came suddenly from the side, causing everyone's gaze to turn towards the ruggedly dressed youth.

"It's you, Yun Xiao, you must have planned everything tonight. I, Lin Xuantian, swear it will be a fight to the death between you and me!"