Outside Ling's Medical Clinic, men from the Qin Clan had surrounded the building.
"Young Master, our men have completely surrounded Ling's Medical Clinic," three men reported in unison just a moment later.
"Good," Qin Ming said gravely. "Remember, if anyone tries to escape, kill them without mercy."
Meanwhile, Qin Gang stared coldly at Ling's Medical clinic ahead.
He, of course, had no need to concern himself with such trivialities.
He was here only to deal with Elder Ling.
Meanwhile, a crowd of people from Longtan Town had gathered not far away.
Most of them had been treated at Ling's Medical Clinic before, and they had rushed over out of concern for the Ling father and son.
The Qin Clan laid siege, yet there was no sign of movement from within Ling's Medical Clinic.
"Could Elder Ling have already escaped?" Clan Leader Qin Yuan said, his expression dark.
"My lord, our men have been watching the town gates the whole time. We haven't seen anyone leave Ling's Medical Clinic," said Qin Zhong.
"Then why is there still no sign of them?" Qin Yuan demanded.
"Knock," Qin Ming ordered, a glint in his eyes.
"Yes, sir!" At once, a Qin Clan Martial Artist strode up to the clinic's entrance.
The Ling Mansion also had a tall main gate.
The clinic itself was in the outer courtyard, just beyond it.
THUD! THUD!
The knocking was heavy and brutish.
CREAK!
Just then, the gate swung open.
Five figures were revealed to all.
Elder Ling, leaning on his cane, was particularly conspicuous.
Flanking him were none other than Xue Xi and Ling Fei.
Beside them, Huang Xiaoman stood shoulder to shoulder with Ling Fei.
Huang Liang stood next to Xue Xi.
But as the gate opened, they were met with the glare of countless torches. Two hundred men from the Qin Clan circled them like a pack of hungry wolves, and a wave of killing intent washed over them.
The sheer pressure of it made Huang Liang tremble, his legs turning to jelly.
"Oh god, what are the people from the Qin Mansion trying to do?" Huang Liang was on the verge of tears. "Sis, let's just get out of the way."
"Look at you, a grown man with so little backbone." Huang Xiaoman rolled her eyes. "Why don't you take a look at little sister Xue Xi?"
She had already told her younger brother to leave long ago.
But since Huang Liang refused to go, she had no choice but to let him stay.
Huang Liang shrank back but gritted his teeth and remained standing.
"Ling Fei!" As the Ling father and son appeared, a deep voice immediately rang out from beyond the gate.
At the same time, a sharp, oppressive aura bore down upon them.
It was none other than Qin Ming, staring coldly at Ling Fei.
"You killed my brother. Today, I'll make you pay for that debt in blood," Qin Ming said coldly.
"So Ling Fei really did kill Qin Hong!"
"How is that possible?" Upon hearing this, the distant onlookers were astonished.
"Your brother brought all of this on himself," Ling Fei said gravely, his gaze hardening.
'If Qin Hong hadn't thrown his weight around, trying to use me to threaten Elder Ling, would any of this have happened?'
"So Ling Fei really did kill Qin Hong!"
"How could he be that strong?" The admission caused an uproar.
Countless people exchanged bewildered glances.
A boy who'd been sickly for years had managed to kill the great Second Young Master of the Qin Clan?
After all, Qin Hong was an expert at the Nine Layers of Body Tempering!
"Brought it on himself?" Qin Ming's expression was frosty. "Still talking tough, even now. It seems you truly have no respect for my Qin Clan."
"Ming'Er, why waste your breath on him? Hurry up and kill that little bastard to avenge your brother," Qin Yuan snorted from the side.
"Yes!" Qin Ming nodded.
But when he glanced at Elder Ling, he felt a flicker of apprehension.
So, his gaze shifted to his Fourth Uncle at his side.
"Elder Ling," Qin Gang began, his gaze locking onto the old man, "I respect you as a highly esteemed Physician of Longtan Town, so I will not bully you. Hand over your criminal son, Ling Fei, and I can forgive the rest of the people in Ling's Medical Clinic. Otherwise, the men of my Qin Mansion will raze this place to the ground and wipe it from the face of Longtan Town." As he spoke, a powerful aura began to gather around him.
"Haha! Asking this old man to hand over his own son? You must be dreaming," Elder Ling burst out laughing.
"You really intend to do this?" Qin Gang's gaze grew even sharper.
A palpable killing intent began to radiate from him.
"It looks like the Ling father and son are done for!" Feeling that killing intent, the distant onlookers couldn't help but shudder. "This is bad."
"Ling Fei killed Qin Hong. How could the Qin Mansion possibly let that go?"
"Sigh. Ever since Elder Ling came to Longtan Town, he's cured us whenever we've been sick or in pain. He's more effective than a Divine Spirit! If he dies at the hands of the Qin Mansion, it will be a true tragedy for our town!" The surrounding people all looked on with sorrow. It was no exaggeration to say that Elder Ling's arrival had saved many lives in Longtan Town.
"Oh, Nine Heavens Lady, please show your grace and protect the Ling father and son through this ordeal," a woman prayed silently in the distance, hoping Elder Ling would be safe.
"With two of the Qin Clan's finest here, can the Ling father and son possibly escape?" Many people shook their heads, feeling it was impossible.
"Brother Fei will be okay, right?" Wu Dapang was also in the distant crowd. His beady eyes were narrowed as he strained to see, his face etched with worry.
Two Innate Realm experts of the Qin Clan had arrived with eight hundred disciples in tow. A force like this was enough to crush any of the major powers in Longtan Town.
Let alone the humble Ling's Medical Clinic.
And so, everyone was worried for the Ling father and son.
The atmosphere grew heavy.
And yet, at the entrance to his home, Elder Ling appeared completely unfazed.
In fact, his eyes were no longer cloudy as they used to be; a sharp, fierce light now glinted within them.
His gaze swept over the entire scene.
The murmurs of the distant crowd reached his ears.
'So many people still have a conscience. It's touching they remember the good I've done,' Elder Ling thought with a faint smile upon hearing their worried voices.
These people had good hearts. His twelve years of service had not been in vain.
After a slight nod, his gaze abruptly turned cold and sharp.
His eyes flashed, and his gaze locked onto Qin Ming, Qin Gang, and Qin Zhong.
When Elder Ling's gaze swept over him, Qin Zhong's heart trembled with a sudden, inexplicable fear.
Qin Ming's brow furrowed tightly.
'He's the real deal,' Qin Gang thought to himself.
"The Qin Mansion is indeed powerful enough to dominate Longtan Town," Elder Ling began, his gaze sweeping over the men from the Qin Mansion as he spoke, each word deliberate. "But you should not have offended those you cannot afford to offend, nor should you have bullied those you have no right to bully. Qin Hong was nothing but a degenerate, spoiled brat who bullied men and preyed on women. How many young women did he ruin? And he even dared to have designs on my goddaughter? I originally had no desire to involve myself in such matters. But you should not have touched my son, Ling Fei. You should not have used him to threaten me. Qin Hong brought his death upon himself."
"My son is innocent. Who dares to harm him?"
Elder Ling's final words rang out with absolute conviction, his voice soaring with righteous fury.
At these words, Qin Gang's brow twitched.
"So that's what happened."
"I knew it! That Ling Fei has been so determined and self-reliant since he was a boy. He's a good kid who has even treated many people's illnesses. How could he possibly be the one to start trouble?"
This revelation caused another stir in the crowd.
The people of Longtan Town couldn't help but sympathize with Ling Fei.
"That Qin Hong was a degenerate. If the Qin Mansion weren't so powerful, someone would have beaten him to death long ago. This time, he got what he deserved."
Many people muttered to themselves.
They were furious with the Qin Mansion, but dared not speak out.
"Even so, the Qin Mansion will never let this go," someone sighed.
"A pity for the boy," sighed Martial Master Zhang Quan from the crowd.
Even though he was a Cultivator at the Ninth Layer Body Tempering Perfection Realm, he was powerless against the might of the Qin Mansion.
The uproar from the crowd made Clan Leader Qin Yuan's brow furrow.
"Fourth Brother," he said, his gaze hardening as he looked at Qin Gang beside him.
Qin Gang frowned slightly before speaking. "Elder Ling, say whatever you wish. The fact remains that my nephew, Qin Hong, was killed by Ling Fei. If you do not hand him over today, then I will have to take him myself." As he finished, his gaze turned frigid.
At the same time, a pale green Treasure Sword appeared in his hand.
'With Fourth Uncle making a move, even if Elder Ling can put up a fight, he won't be able to last long,' Qin Ming schemed. 'That will give me an opportunity to land the killing blow.'
"Heh... To think, in my youth, I was a man who commanded respect. I have hidden my strength for far too long, so long that now any stray cat or dog dares to try and bully me. Fine. Very well. Today, I, Ling, will show you what a true slaughter looks like! I will let the world know that my son, Ling Fei, is not to be trifled with! Do so, and this will be your fate!" Suddenly, the stooped Elder Ling straightened his back. A brilliant light flashed in his eyes as his imperious gaze swept over them all, and he let out a booming laugh.
Each word was punctuated by a terrifying surge of power.
The pressure washed over all two hundred Qin Clan warriors before him.
'This pressure... it doesn't feel like it belongs to the Innate Realm,' Qin Ming thought, his heart trembling.
'Could he be a Cultivator of the Celestial Spirit Realm?' Qin Gang's expression grew grim.
"Qin Ming, you are but a mere Innate Realm cultivator, yet you dare try to intimidate others in my presence? Today, I will teach you the meaning of regret."
Elder Ling's gaze narrowed. He released his grip on his cane and simply pointed his index finger into the air.
WHOOSH!
A bolt of Powerful Qi, like a flash of Sword Aura, shot out from his fingertip.
The Powerful Qi tore through the Void, aimed directly at Qin Ming's heart.
It was accompanied by a terrifying and overwhelming power.
"Externalized True Qi? A Celestial Spirit Realm expert?" Beside him, Qin Gang's pupils contracted violently.
Those in the Innate Realm can sense the Heaven and Earth Qi.
However, they are not yet capable of Qi Refining and Gang Transformation.
It is certainly impossible for them to wield True Qi like a sword and kill from a hundred meters away.
Only those in the Celestial Spirit Realm are capable of such a feat.
An Innate Realm Cultivator, even if they could release their True Qi externally, could not produce such a piercing attack—not unless they had comprehended Sword Intent and could transform their True Qi into fine threads.
But for someone like Elder Ling to kill from a hundred meters away with a Powerful Qi attack as sharp as a sword, just by twitching a finger... that was clearly beyond the abilities of an Innate Realm Cultivator.
"Impossible! How could you be a..." The sudden bolt of Powerful Qi filled Qin Ming's eyes with terror.
He could hardly imagine that an expert of the Celestial Spirit Realm would be hiding in a small place like Longtan Town.
A person of that caliber could hold a high-ranking position in the Divine Guard!
They would be a major figure in the entire Great Tang Empire! Why would they be hiding here?
For such an individual, wouldn't obtaining a single Celestial Essence Pill to cure his illness be a simple matter?
How could he have been so grievously ill for so long without ever recovering?
And if that were the case, Ling Fei wouldn't have been sickly his whole life!
FZZT!
But before Qin Ming could finish the thought, the bolt of True Qi pierced through his heart.
"No—" Qin Ming cried out, but the sound was cut short.
His life force was extinguished, and his body tumbled from his horse.
THUD!
Qin Ming hit the ground. A mighty Innate Realm Cultivator had been killed in a single instant.
"Is... is that really the same sickly old Elder Ling?" The entire crowd was stunned into silence by the scene.