“I’m…” Lin Yuan looked at Li Tan in fear, momentarily forgetting that the youth before him was merely an ordinary person without any cultivation, while he himself was a practitioner at the middle stage of the later heaven.
However, after stuttering for a few words, he regained his senses, his heart filled with shock and doubt, cold sweat pouring down his forehead. He thought to himself, “What just happened? Why did I fear this useless fellow? I must have gone mad, absolutely mad.” “Hmph, Li Tan, have you forgotten your current situation?”
Lin Yuan endured the intense pain of his severed hand while once again gathering the might of the Nine-turns Dragon Fist, his eyes locked onto Li Tan. “You’re impressive. There is indeed something peculiar about you, but it ends here!”
Whoosh! No sooner had he shouted than a sharp sound pierced the air. A small stone thrown by Li Tan suddenly shot toward Lin Yuan’s eyes.
Lin Yuan immediately turned pale with fright and raised his elbow to block.
However, the stone slightly dropped due to gravity just before impact, striking Lin Yuan lightly yet decisively on the left side of his chest.
“Ugh!” Lin Yuan groaned, his eyes filled with fury, his broken left hand numb, and his still-functional right hand aching severely, barely able to move.
There are many acupoints on the human body—some for laughter, some for death, and so on. Striking different acupoints has various effects, but each requires a slightly different amount of force to be effective. Even a slight difference in strength renders the strike useless. It’s already difficult to strike these points accurately when someone is standing still, let alone in the ever-changing environment of a battlefield. Thus, although attacking acupoints is more effective than many martial arts techniques, almost no one uses this method.
Coincidentally, Li Tan was precisely an expert in this technique.
This entire sequence of actions happened in an instant. Lin Cui, who had just regained her composure, was stunned again, staring blankly at Li Tan and stammering, “Just who exactly are you?”
The Li Tan before her now felt very unfamiliar.
Li Tan cast a cold glance at her, calmly stating his name. Then he stepped out from under the eaves, fully exposing his body to the rain, walking steadily toward Lin Yuan, whose hands were rendered useless. His steps were light, not splashing any water, yet each step carried immense power.
Thinking carefully, Lin Cui realized her question was foolish. But—yes, the person before her, despite having the same appearance, bore no resemblance to the previous Li Tan. Every movement exuded an extraordinary aura.
Thus, she was stunned again. For the first time since birth, she felt inferior, unsure of what to say.
Li Tan’s current focus was entirely on the Nine-turns Dragon Fist Lin Yuan nearly unleashed.
Though this martial art wasn’t particularly advanced, it could be practiced by ordinary people to strengthen their bodies and improve health. Most importantly, its original owner was Cui Hao.
Cui Hao had definitely left this martial art for Jiang Xin’s self-defense. So how had it become a secret martial technique of the Lin family?
Undoubtedly, it must have been forcibly taken from Jiang Xin. Could Jiang Xin’s suicide be related to this?
The probability was likely very high. If so, it meant the Lin family was very likely the culprit behind Jiang Xin’s suicide.
How could Li Tan not be furious upon learning that his late friend’s only beloved had met such a fate?
Lin Yuan, now having lost control of both hands, could only watch in fear as Li Tan, his expression icy, approached.
Run! He no longer had the slightest trace of his previous arrogance. Inwardly, he cursed the ancestors of those who had spread the rumors calling Li Tan a useless fellow for eighteen generations.
But now, regret was clearly too late.
Forced backward step by step by Li Tan, Lin Yuan retreated until he reached the edge of the pond, where he angrily and bitterly said, “Forget about the guards’ matter. Don’t come any closer!”
Li Tan asked coldly, “Tell me, where did you get that martial technique just now?”
To avoid further harm from Li Tan, Lin Yuan immediately answered without hesitation, “It was given to my great-grandfather by a master!”
Li Tan sneered, “Given?
I think it was stolen.”
“Don’t insult my grandfather!”
Lin Cui suddenly shouted angrily.
“Insult?
Tell me, what kind of master would casually give martial techniques to someone on a whim?”
Li Tan countered.
Lin Cui was momentarily speechless.
Indeed, the origin of the martial technique had always been ignored by them. Yet, upon slight reflection, it wasn’t hard to sense something was amiss.
Even so, Lin Cui still chose to believe in her grandfather. With a determined gaze, she said, “The past is now unknowable, but my grandfather is highly respected throughout Linjiang and even the Tianfeng Kingdom. He would never commit such a vile act as murdering someone to seize their treasures!”
Li Tan recalled what he knew about Lin Cui’s grandfather.
Indeed, Lin Cui’s grandfather enjoyed an excellent reputation, with numerous records of charitable donations and slaying demonic beasts. At least in the public eye, he was undoubtedly a great man.
But then Li Tan turned to Lin Cui and asked, “Now, if I told you to kill Lin Yuan, would you do it?”
“Definitely not!”
Lin Cui replied without hesitation, puzzled by Li Tan’s question.
Li Tan, expressionless, asked again, “What if killing Li Tan could immediately break through to the Xiantian stage?”
“Uh…” Lin Cui’s mind reeled, her lips parting in shock.
Li Tan coldly added, “When the benefits are substantial enough, people will do anything—even violate their own beliefs.”
“Die, hahaha! You dare to lose focus while fighting me!”
Lin Yuan shouted and kicked.
But Li Tan didn’t even look. He slightly sidestepped and dodged, then mercilessly kicked Lin Yuan in the crotch.
Another pig-like scream echoed.
Li Tan turned his gaze back to Lin Yuan, who was curled on the ground writhing in pain, his body completely drenched and disheveled by the rain, and said coldly, “Tell the truth.”
But Lin Yuan was in so much pain he couldn’t even speak.
At this moment, Lin Cui, her face somewhat pale, grabbed Li Tan’s sleeve from behind, saying, “I admit my grandfather might have done something dishonorable, but who in this world is truly clean? Besides, this matter has nothing to do with you. Why are you tormenting Lin Yuan?”
Li Tan chuckled humorlessly, “Firstly, this matter does concern me. Secondly, Lin Yuan has repeatedly harassed me. How can you say I’m tormenting him? Tell me, if I weren’t capable, how would Lin Yuan have treated me?”
Lin Cui had no reply.
However, Li Tan calmed down and abandoned his intent to kill Lin Yuan, thus the terrifying aura vanished instantly.
Indeed, with Lin Yuan’s status, he couldn’t possibly know such a secret.
Li Tan clasped his hands behind his back and slowly walked forward.
Lin Cui’s expression was complex as she muttered, “If only you could cultivate, what would Linjiang matter to you? What a pity…” For a long time, there was no one in the distance, only the hazy curtain of rain. Finally, Lin Cui lowered her head and noticed Lin Yuan, half-dead and barely alive.
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