Chapter 66: An Eye for an Eye, a Tooth for a Tooth

Just as Elder Jiang’s sword was about to pierce Lin Ziyu’s body, it was intercepted by another figure.

Shadow Shield swept Lin Ziyu into his arms and, with a few agile bounds, landed several yards away.

A deep and resonant voice echoed through the air: "Elder Jiang, you truly are as vigorous as ever!"

Though the speaker was nowhere in sight, his voice rang out with absolute clarity across a radius of several miles.

It was Third Master Qin's voice!

At the entrance of the Jiang family estate, a sleek black sedan slowly came to a halt.

Jiang Ruxue looked past the newcomer and saw a whole convoy of identical black sedans pulling up behind him.

Bodyguards opened the doors, and the figure of Third Master Qin emerged in striking fashion.

This was Jiang Ruxue's first direct realization of the chasm between martial artists and ordinary mortals; it felt as though she had stepped into an entirely different, mystical realm.

The moment Third Master Qin appeared, even Elder Jiang reined in his hostility, bowing slightly as he offered a respectful greeting: "Third Master."

Third Master Qin glanced at Lin Ziyu, who was coughing up blood from her injuries. "This young lady saved my life. I cannot simply stand by and do nothing. Surely Elder Jiang can understand?"

As he strode toward the Jiang residence, an overwhelming force of over a thousand spiritual cultivators abruptly materialized behind him.

With a massive influx of cultivators entering the domain, an oppressive spiritual aura washed over the surroundings in a crushing wave.

Not a single ordinary person remained on the street.

Under such circumstances, nobody possessed the courage even to linger and watch the spectacle.

"What brings Third Master to my Jiang family with such a grand and imposing display?"

"Elder Jiang need not be nervous. It is simply that I have been feeling rather unwell and wish to ask Mr. Lu to administer some acupuncture for me, which is why I came so abruptly."

"What unfortunate timing. When Lu Fan left the Jiang family yesterday, he was involved in a car accident. His remains have already been cremated, so I must ask Third Master to seek out someone else with superior skills," Elder Jiang replied steadily.

"Elder Jiang, I show you respect as an elder, which is why I am being so courteous, yet you treat me like a fool? I am a man who repays kindness deeply, and I have not yet had the chance to repay Mr. Lu. I must ask the Elder to drop this joke. Whether Lu Fan is dead or alive, you and I both know the truth."

"Third Master, Lu Fan is my Jiang family's son-in-law. How could you possibly know he isn't dead? Now that he has been reduced to dust, where am I supposed to find a person to hand over to you?"

Clutching her chest, Qin Ziyu sneered, "Lu Fan's life flame is still burning. You have simply hidden him in the basement. Take us down to the basement, and one look will make the truth clear."

The members of the Jiang family felt a sudden tightening in their chests, baffled as to how this woman could possibly know about Lu Fan being in the basement.

"Since when has my Jiang family become a place for the Lin family to run wild! Old man Lin must have truly lost his mind to hand his family over to a foul-tempered girl like you."

Third Master Qin's face remained dark, giving his opponent no room to buy time.

"Since Elder Jiang refuses to step aside, I will have to use my own methods. Let's go."

Third Master Qin stepped forward with steady paces, flanked closely by four ghost-like martial artists.

Each of them had attained a cultivation level above the Golden Core stage, and Elder Jiang knew all too well that he was no match for them.

"Third Master, this is the Jiang family!" Elder Jiang attempted to mount a final, desperate resistance.

Having already mounted the steps, Third Master Qin cast a piercing gaze toward him and spat out a single, freezing syllable: "Scram!"

The moment he was pinned under Third Master Qin's gaze, Elder Jiang felt the suffocating oppression unique to high-tier martial artists.

Third Master Qin did not even need to unleash his spiritual pressure; the sheer majesty of a powerhouse commanded absolute submission without anger.

In this world, the weak were perennial prey to the strong, and it was only natural for the weak to yield the path to their superiors.

Third Master Qin walked into the estate as if entering his own courtyard, and none dared to block his way.

The entire perimeter of the Jiang estate was sealed off so tightly that not even a sparrow could fly through.

While Elder Jiang and Third Master Qin were locked in a standoff, Jiang Nanping hurried down to the basement, desperate to conceal Lu Fan.

Yet, paralyzed by anxiety, his hands trembled so violently that he failed to insert the key into the lock on his first several attempts to free Lu Fan from the iron chains.

In stark contrast, Lu Fan looked entirely calm as he stared straight into his face and asked, "Do you need me to help you?"

Seeing Lu Fan's unbothered composure instantly ignited a fierce fury within Jiang Nanping!

"You knew all along they would come?"

Lu Fan replied indifferently, "Did you really think everyone was as foolish as your family?"

As long as his daughter remained safe, he had nothing to worry about. The Jiang family wouldn't dare kill him, and it was only a matter of time before Lin Ziyu tracked him down.

Now it was the Jiang family's turn to reap what they had sown; he only hoped his other senior martial sisters wouldn't find out about this just yet.

Jiang Nanping was already a bundle of nerves, and Lu Fan's remarks only made his torment worse.

"Shut your mouth!"

After finally managing to unlock all the iron chains, he grabbed Lu Fan by the arm, urging, "Get out of here with me right now."

At that precise moment, a chilling voice drifted down from the stairway above: "Where do you think you're going?"

"T-Third Master! It's over, it's truly over!" Jiang Nanping felt as though the heavens were collapsing upon him.

Dealing with the Lin family was one thing, but now even the Qin family had mobilized. Given the Qin family's immense influence, crushing the Jiang family was as effortless as turning over a hand.

As the group appeared at the doorway, Third Master Qin caught sight of Lu Fan sitting slumped against the wall.

His entire body was covered in dried patches of blood.

Disregarding her own injuries, Lin Ziyu rushed forward without a second thought.

"Junior Brother!"

"Eldest Senior Sister, I am fine."

Lin Ziyu tore open the collar of his shirt, revealing the branded scars burnt into his flesh and the countless crisscrossing lashes along his arms.

She knew instantly that Lu Fan's deepest secrets had been exposed.

This was the Junior Brother whom their master and all of them cherished above all else!

Since childhood, he had been as obedient and sweet-natured as a little ball of dough, and none of them could ever bear to lay a single finger on him in anger.

Gazing at those brutal wounds, her entire body trembled with incandescent rage.

"How dare they! How could you beasts dare to treat him like this!"

She grabbed Jiang Nanping by the collar, completely ignoring the fact that he was supposed to be an elder of the household, and demanded, "Who did this to him?"

Stripped of any lingering pretense of senior dignity, Jiang Nanping waved his hands frantically and stammered, "It wasn't me! Really, it wasn't me!"

Looking like a vengeful ghost crawled straight up from the depths of hell, Lin Ziyu reached out and pulled a branding iron directly from the glowing bed of hot coals.

"We'll see about it not being you!"

With a fierce swing, she brought the scorching iron down heavily upon Jiang Nanping's body.

"Ah!"