Chapter Twenty-One: The Massacre of the Three Great Clans

At the same time, he kept a close eye on the battlefield. Whenever a Lin family guard found himself in danger, he would fire a Godbreaker Crossbow bolt, helping the Lin family kill their opponents. In just a few moments, he had already slain more than a dozen cultivators from the three great families at the Qi Drawing stage. Even the Qi Pulse stage expert pinned to the gate, struggling for life, had been finished off by him with a timely shot from the Godbreaker Crossbow.

Lin Batian witnessed all this and did nothing to intervene. Although Lin Yu was his grandson, he had seen Lin Yu's actions moments ago—trying to persuade his father Lin Xiong to defect to the Liang family, willing to sacrifice the lives of everyone in the Lin family. This included himself, his two older brothers, and his second sister. Every word Lin Yu spoke revealed his resentment toward the Lin family.

Such behavior left Lin Batian deeply disappointed. To have a grandson like this was worse than having none at all! Traitorous, ungrateful, ambitious like a wolf, and utterly ruthless—these were the only words Lin Batian could find to describe Lin Yu at that moment. So he ignored him and instead, in those brief moments, killed two more Qi Pulse stage experts.

Now, among the eight Qi Pulse stage experts from the three great families who had invaded the Lin family, six lay dead. Only Hong Jiu, the head of the Hong family, and Liang Yutao, the head of the Liang family, remained.

Without hesitation, Lin Batian charged at Liang Yutao. Seeing this, Liang Yutao was terrified, but he was pinned down by Lin Xiong and had no way to escape.

With a thunderous blow, Lin Batian crushed Liang Yutao's head in his palm, blood splattering everywhere, raining down from above like a burst watermelon.

Seeing his father dispatch Liang Yutao, Lin Xiong gave a savage grin and charged at the remaining Qi Drawing stage cultivators from the three families, like a tiger rampaging through a flock of sheep, unleashing a bloody feast.

Lin Batian ceased his attacks, instead turning to silently watch Hong Jiu, who held a sword and was threatening Liang Yuyan and Lin Yu.

Moments later, the fighting stopped. All Qi Drawing stage experts from the three families had been slaughtered. The Lin family estate flowed with rivers of blood, the ground littered with dismembered limbs—a scene of utter carnage.

Thanks to Lin Fan's deliberate protection, not a single Lin family Qi Drawing stage expert had died. Even the wounded suffered only minor injuries, recoverable in a few days, and nothing serious.

By now, Lin Xiong had joined his father, Lin Batian, silently watching Hong Jiu, who still held his sword. In truth, while Lin Xiong had been hunting down the Qi Drawing stage guards from the three families, he had noticed this situation, but had no time to deal with it.

“Lin Xiong, spare me and I will offer the entire Hong family’s wealth, leave Xiao North City, and never step foot here again. I’ll even swear it upon my soul!” Hong Jiu pressed his sword to Liang Yuyan’s neck and gripped Lin Yu’s throat with his other hand, pleading with Lin Xiong, desperation in his eyes.

He knew the three families were finished. After this battle, only the Lin family would remain in Xiao North City.

The Lin family’s Qi Drawing stage experts now formed a circle, trapping Hong Jiu.

“Lin Xiong, I’ve waited for you to come so I could tell you not to save me. Everything is my fault—it has nothing to do with Yu’er. Please be kind to him!” Before Lin Xiong could speak, Liang Yuyan shouted, causing a sense of dread to rise in Hong Jiu.

Before he could move his sword away, Liang Yuyan’s eyes flashed with resolve. She twisted her neck, brushing against the blade. Blood sprayed, and she died instantly.

With a dull thud, Liang Yuyan’s body fell lifeless to the ground.

Liang Yuyan knew that if she didn’t do this, Lin Xiong would never save Lin Yu. Even if he felt pain, he wouldn’t spare a son who had betrayed his family. So she took all the blame upon herself—only thus might Lin Yu have a slim chance to survive.

Lin Xiong’s fists clenched tightly, making a crisp cracking sound, but he said nothing.

“Mother—!” Lin Yu saw Liang Yuyan take her own life, cried out, and tried to rush to her side, tears streaming down his face. But Hong Jiu’s grip held him fast; he could not move.

“If you save me, then when I grow strong, I will kill everyone in the Lin family. All will die with my mother, all because of you—especially that bastard Lin Fan!” Lin Yu suddenly raised his head, glaring at Lin Xiong and Lin Fan.

His eyes burned with a hatred so deep it was unforgettable. The resentment and malice he had shown before paled in comparison to this moment—it was a thousand times stronger now.

No one doubted he meant what he said. Although only eleven years old, in this world of cultivation, he already stood at nearly one meter fifty-six. In three years, according to custom, he would be old enough to marry and start a family.

So no one questioned his words.

Suddenly, Lin Yu’s head drooped. At the same moment, a streak of black light pierced through Hong Jiu’s skull, and Hong Jiu collapsed, his face full of disbelief.

Lin Xiong withdrew his palm, which had shattered Lin Yu’s heart meridian, and said calmly, “Go with your mother. It is my failure that I did not teach you properly…”

With that, Lin Xiong walked toward the gate and out into the distance. Somehow, though he was still in his prime, he seemed to carry the bleakness of a man at the end of his days.

Just as Lin Yu finished speaking, Lin Xiong struck, instantly crossing to Lin Yu and shattering his heart meridian with a single blow, killing him on the spot.

Hong Jiu never expected Lin Xiong to attack so suddenly—not against him, but against his own son. He was caught completely off guard, allowing Lin Xiong to succeed.

In that instant, his mind blurred with confusion. Why would Lin Xiong kill his own son? Even a tiger doesn’t eat its cubs. Even if the child betrayed him, it could be forgiven; at most, after saving him, he would be expelled from the family.

But in that moment of distraction, his fate was sealed. Lin Fan pulled the trigger on the Godbreaker Crossbow.

The Godbreaker Crossbow was powerful, equivalent to a strike from a Qi Pulse stage expert. It could easily kill such a cultivator, even face to face. In Hong Jiu’s bewildered state, with no defense at all, he stood no chance.

Truth be told, he was not entirely defenseless, but Lin Xiong’s sudden act of killing his own son had shocked him so much that he lost focus, which led to his death.

Lin Xiong walked out the gate, followed by all the Lin family’s Qi Drawing stage experts. Lin Fan naturally walked at his side, while the elder Lin Batian had already vanished from sight.

Year 1356 of the Ice and Snow Calendar.

Early winter, the nineteenth day of the winter month. Three of the four great families in Xiao North City—the Bai, Hong, and Liang families—suddenly attacked the Lin family, intent on exterminating them.

Unexpectedly, Lin Batian, the Lin family patriarch, had fully recovered from his injuries, and the Lin family had gained over thirty new Qi Drawing stage experts, annihilating all the invading cultivators from the three families.

Afterward, Lin Batian went ahead to the three great families, killing the three Qi Pulse stage guardians and thirty Qi Drawing stage cultivators left behind.

Then, Lin Xiong, the Lin family head, arrived with forty Vital Energy stage experts, splitting into three groups and massacring over four hundred members of the three families. Not a single old, weak, woman, or child survived. Rivers of blood flowed, turning the city into a living hell.

Thus, the Lin family unified all forces in Xiao North City, becoming its dominant clan.

...................

Seven days later.

“Master Lin, though I know this all began with the other three families, and that disputes between clans are common, so many people died in the city—it’s left everyone terrified. It’s hard for me to explain this to the city lord!” In the Lin family’s council hall, a general in armor faced Lin Xiong with a wry smile.

“Annoying flies, always buzzing wherever there’s a gap!” Lin Xiong cursed inwardly. Seven days had passed since the Lin family had pacified the three families.

This man was Wei Da, Deputy Commander of the Xiao North City garrison, a late-stage Qi Pulse expert, usually responsible for city security.

But this security only applied to the common folk. For cultivators, it was meaningless; every martial artist had enemies. Encounters on the street often ended in death, and clan disputes were commonplace.

Moreover, the Ice and Snow Kingdom valued martial prowess, encouraging fierce conflict, as only through such struggle could strong warriors emerge, benefiting the kingdom. So city security was meant for ordinary citizens—not for clans, cultivators, or gangs.

Yet Wei Da had come because of the clan bloodshed. He was not here to accuse them, but rather acted like an old acquaintance, full of helplessness, implying that the Lin family had caused him trouble.

Trouble? Lin Xiong wanted to spit in his face. When the Lin family was in hardship, Wei Da had never come to help. Now, he showed up clearly seeking benefits.

At this moment, Lin Xiong could swear he barely knew Wei Da; this was only their second meeting.