“What exactly do you want?” Lin Qingzhi growled through clenched teeth.
“I’m here to collect a debt, of course,” Qin Yun replied.
“Collect a debt? What debt? Our Lin Family doesn’t owe you anything!”
“You owe me nothing?” Qin Yun sneered coldly and continued, “Lin Huaiyue stayed in my Heavenly Mystic Sect for two years. In that time, she took a huge amount of spiritual medicine from the sect.”
“Those spiritual medicines belonged to my sect. I’ve already investigated—their destination was your Lin Family.”
“Besides the spiritual medicine, everything your Lin Family has eaten, worn, and used over the past two years came from the Heavenly Mystic Sect.”
“Your Lin Family’s rise to where it is now is because my sect supported you. It was only because I, the Young Master of the Heavenly Mystic Sect, brought you that benefit.”
“You live off my resources and then claim you owe me nothing?”
Hearing this, Lin Qingzhi felt guilty and didn’t dare meet Qin Yun’s eyes.
It was true. The Lin Family had climbed into the ranks of Luo City’s prominent families purely by leeching off the Heavenly Mystic Sect these past two years—more precisely, by leeching off Qin Yun.
Without it, where would they have gotten the resources to strengthen their family?
“The spiritual medicine and money Huaiyue brought back were given willingly. It’s not like we forced you. Besides, my daughter accompanied you for two years. With her potential, you’ve already profited greatly,” Lin Qingzhi retorted.
Even though Qin Yun had hidden his strength and was actually at the 5th stage Qi Condensation Realm, Lin Qingzhi still looked down on him.
Such cultivation might be considered decent in the Heavenly Mystic Sect, but in the Myriad Beasts Sect, it was no more than that of an ordinary inner disciple. His daughter, on the other hand, was the Beastmaster’s personal disciple—an identity of incomparable prestige.
“I have no interest in arguing with you. Either you return everything you’ve taken over the past two years, or I’ll bring people and destroy the Lin Family on the spot,” Qin Yun said coldly.
“You dare! Our Lin Family is now a vassal of the Myriad Beasts Sect. If you lay a finger on us, the Myriad Beasts Sect will never let your sect go!” Lin Qingzhi shouted.
Qin Yun simply laughed, “If I claim your Lin Family tried to kill me, do you think the Myriad Beasts Sect would risk a war with the Heavenly Mystic Sect just to protect you?”
“Lin Qingzhi, do you really believe your daughter holds that high of a position in the Myriad Beasts Sect? She only has potential and is being watched for it—she hasn’t truly reached that height.”
“No matter how flawed the Heavenly Mystic Sect may be, we are still ranked third among the sects within 3,000 kilometers of Luo City.”
“You think the Myriad Beasts Sect would go to war over your Lin Family?”
Lin Qingzhi’s face turned grim.
Sects like the Myriad Beasts Sect and Heavenly Mystic Sect wouldn’t go to war unless absolutely necessary—especially not over a small family like his.
“How about this, hand over all your Lin Family’s spiritual medicines. For the sake of our past ties, I won’t press further. How about it?” Qin Yun said.
Lin Qingzhi clenched his jaw, hesitating.
“My patience is limited. Don’t force me to act,” Qin Yun said coldly.
“I’ll give it, I’ll give it…” Lin Qingzhi relented and immediately had the remaining spiritual medicines from the Lin Family brought over, including the most precious—a ninth-grade spiritual medicine.
When handing over the ninth-grade herb, Lin Qingzhi felt his heart bleed.
They had sacrificed many lives to obtain it, planning to deliver it personally to the Myriad Beasts Sect for Lin Huaiyue’s cultivation. But before they could even make use of it, Qin Yun had taken it away.
Qin Yun was surprised to see a ninth-grade spiritual medicine—he hadn’t expected Lin Qingzhi to have something so rare. This kind of item was practically priceless in Luo City.
After putting everything away, Qin Yun turned and left the Lin Family.
…
Heavenly Mystic Sect forbidden grounds.
No one aside from the Grand Elder and a few others was allowed near, for this was where the sect’s ancestor secluded himself.
Anyone who approached without permission would be severely punished.
The Grand Elder stepped into the forbidden zone.
Deep within the restricted area, a silver-bearded old man in a plain robe floated cross-legged in midair, surrounded by crimson lightning.
Though aged, the old man’s gaze was as sharp as a blade.
“Ancestor!” the Grand Elder bowed respectfully.
“It’s been a year, and your cultivation still hasn’t improved much,” the Heavenly Mystic Sect Ancestor glanced at him lightly.
“The mysterious power left behind by the Sect Master has been completely used up…” the Grand Elder said with a bitter smile.
“It’s been seventeen years. That the power lasted this long is already impressive. You were the slowest to burn through it among all of us,” the Ancestor sighed.
“Do you think the Sect Master will ever return?” the Grand Elder asked with anticipation in his eyes.
He knew nothing of the Sect Master’s origins—only that this mysterious man possessed heaven-defying strength.
Seventeen years ago, the Sect Master had appeared in Luo City carrying an infant. He gathered them—wandering cultivators at the time—and led them to Yun City, 3,000 kilometers away, where he single-handedly destroyed a sect far stronger than the Myriad Beasts Sect.
With just one strike.
A sect with 800 years of foundation was annihilated.
Only later did they learn it was an evil sect, guilty of countless atrocities. The Sect Master wiped it out entirely.
All of its resources were left to them.
The Sect Master also entrusted the infant to them—that infant was now Qin Yun—and left him in their care.
Before departing, he left behind a mysterious power in each of them, capable of enhancing their cultivation talent.
It was by relying on that power and the resources left behind that the Heavenly Mystic Sect had grown into the third-ranked sect in the Luo City region over the past seventeen years.
“The Young Master is nearly eighteen now. One more month, and he’ll come of age.”
“That will be the day of our eighteen-year promise with the Sect Master. I wonder… will he become extraordinary by then?” the Ancestor said softly.
At that moment, a sound came from the Grand Elder’s transmission crystal. He quickly infused it with true qi and brought it to his ear.
His expression changed immediately.
“What happened?” the Ancestor asked.
“The Second Elder just sent a secret message. One of the Young Master’s attendants reported that he left his residence this morning and hasn’t been seen since…”
“What did you say?” A terrifying aura surged from the Ancestor. The Grand Elder paled, his body trembling in fear.
“I told you all to protect the Young Master at all costs, and now he’s disappeared without you even noticing? If something happens, how will you answer to the Sect Master?” the Ancestor roared, crimson lightning bursting out in all directions.
“Ancestor, please calm your anger! Several elders were injured recently, and we haven’t had time to reassign new personnel…” the Grand Elder explained hurriedly.
“I don’t care about your excuses. The Young Master is missing. Mobilize everyone in the Heavenly Mystic Sect. Find him immediately.”
“If you don’t find him, don’t bother coming back!”
At that moment, the transmission crystal vibrated again.
The Grand Elder infused it with true qi. Upon hearing the news, his tensed body finally relaxed.
“Ancestor, the Second Elder reports that the Young Master has already returned to the sect.”
The Ancestor gave him a sharp glare and coldly snorted, “Good. But this is the last time. I will not tolerate it again.”
“It won’t happen again. You have my word, Ancestor. This will never happen again,” the Grand Elder quickly promised.
“Then what are you waiting for? Go check if the Young Master is injured,” the Ancestor snapped.
“Right away.”
The Grand Elder hurriedly withdrew. Only when he left did he realize that his robes were soaked with cold sweat.