Lin Dong ignored his gesture and immediately left Lin Shan unable to save face. Lin Shan said viciously, "Hmph, I'm Lin Shan, your cousin. Lin Dong, don't you play dumb with me."
Lin Shan and Lin Dong were both fourteen and the same age, but Lin Shan was two months older. Strictly speaking, this son of Second Uncle was Lin Dong's older cousin.
"Cousin? I don't remember having a cousin like you."
Lin Dong stood with his arms crossed and gave Lin Shan an indifferent glance.
"Bullshit, Lin Dong. Your father is a good-for-nothing, and so are you. Fourth Stage of Body Tempering? Pah! My father controls the clan's finances and supplies me with Spirit Medicine. I only reached the Fourth Stage of Body Tempering because of that. What qualifications does a good-for-nothing like you have to reach the Fourth Stage of Body Tempering?"
"I bet you cheated just now, trying to muddle your way through. Hmph, I'm definitely going to report your cheating to the clan."
Lin Shan's eyes shifted, and he dumped a basin of filthy water onto Lin Dong.
"The fact that you can't do it proves you're pathetic. You're trash."
Lin Dong gave Lin Shan an unreadable smile. How could he fail to see that Lin Shan was deliberately picking a fight? Today, he would give Lin Shan what he wanted.
"Lin Dong, you're asking to die!"
Lin Shan was still a hot-blooded youth who could not withstand verbal provocation. His face flushed, and he stepped forward, clenched his five fingers into a fist, and swung at Lin Dong's head.
"First-Rank Martial Art, Falling Stone Fist!"
As the shout fell, Lin Shan's right arm swung, and several fist shadows emerged, crashing down toward Lin Dong's head like a hail of falling rocks.
"That's not how you use Falling Stone Fist."
The First-Rank Martial Art was riddled with flaws. Lin Dong shook his head in regret, raised his right arm, and punched straight at the attack. His punch carried overwhelming Fierce force.
It was also Falling Stone Fist!
"Boom!"
Before Lin Shan could close the distance, his vision blurred and a massive force struck him. He flew backward as if riding on clouds and mist. Shame and fury overwhelmed him; his vision went black, and he passed out on the spot.
"Gulp~"
A wave of swallowed gasps passed through the crowd. The clan youths who had been supporting Lin Shan stared at him, dumbfounded. He lay limp as mud on the ground. Lin Shan, a Fourth Stage of Body Tempering cultivator, had lost consciousness from a single punch by Lin Dong? Then what was Lin Dong's strength...?
Wasn't Lin Xiao's son, Lin Dong, supposed to be a good-for-nothing like his father? Otherwise, why would they have dared to come together and provoke him?
"Tch, with strength like that, you still dare to come out here acting all high and mighty."
Lin Dong brushed nonexistent dust from his palms and swept his gaze over Lin Shan's few lackeys. They stepped back in unison. He curled his lips and said, "Relax. This young master is in a good mood today, so I won't hit you. Also, carry this idiot Lin Shan home. The ground is cold; it would be bad if he caught a chill."
With that, Lin Dong sauntered away under the fearful gazes of the watching clan disciples.
The youth named Lin Dong had made his first appearance on the clan's stage, and he shone brilliantly.
.....
Over the next few days, Lin Dong visited the Trade Market in Qingyang Town in search of the Moss-Covered Ancient Wood containing the Ancient Vortex Talisman Seal. He found nothing, but he was not in a hurry and returned whenever he had free time.
"Lin Dong, Lin Dong..."
One day, while Lin Dong sat in his room practicing calligraphy, a familiar pudgy figure came panting through the open door.
"Lin Changqiang, what's the matter?"
Lin Dong glanced at the person who had entered, his hand still moving at a steady, unhurried pace.
"Lin Dong, Qing Tan went out to the mountains to play, and on her way back she got intercepted by Lin Shan and his group. He said it was to get revenge for the humiliation you dealt him a few days ago. He said that if he can't beat you, can't he at least beat your younger sister?"
The pudgy Lin Changqiang braced both hands on his knees and spoke at a rapid pace.
"Huh? Qing Tan's been stopped by Lin Shan? Let's go, we need to hurry."
Lin Dong's right arm trembled, warping the half-finished character beneath his brush. Alarmed, he dropped the brush and stood up.
"Lin Dong, you're really so kind. Qing Tan is lucky to have an older brother like you. You must be worried about Qing Tan's safety, right?"
Having caught his breath, Lin Changqiang looked at Lin Dong with deep admiration. What a good older brother.
"Why would I worry about Qing Tan? I'm worried about Lin Shan's safety. What if Qing Tan accidentally beats him to death?"
Lin Dong let out a deep sigh, his voice full of helplessness.
Lin Changqiang: "..."
Although Qing Tan was a girl, her combat style was exceptionally Fierce. She also had a bad temper and was an Earthly Yuan Realm Expert. Lin Shan was nothing more than a Fourth Stage of Body Tempering nobody. Even ten Lin Shans together could not withstand a single punch from Qing Tan.
Qing Tan was still young and did not know how much force to use. If she accidentally beat Lin Shan to death, it would cause serious trouble. No matter how bad Lin Shan was, he was still Second Uncle's son. If he died at Qing Tan's hands, Lin Xiao would have difficulty explaining it to Lin Zhentian.
"Let's hurry. If we're too late, Lin Shan really might get beaten to death by Qing Tan."
Lin Changqiang opened his mouth to speak, but Lin Dong grabbed him and pulled him away.
The mountain behind the Lin Family connected to a vast forest that contained several high-Grade Spirit Medicines. Lin Clan members often entered the back mountain to try their luck.
The path to the forest entrance was packed with Lin Family disciples who had come to watch. They stood in layer upon layer, leaving no gap in the crowd.
At the center of the crowd stood a young girl in light-colored clothing, her arms crossed. Her features were as fine as a painting, and her skin was as white as snow. Though young, she had a stunning presence—the makings of a peerless beauty.
Five or six youths lay on the ground in front of the girl. They sprawled in humiliating positions, groaning and struggling to move, as if they had just endured a "brutal battle."
"Lin Shan. Was it you who said, 'If I can't beat Older Brother Lin Dong, can't I at least beat Older Brother Lin Dong's younger sister'? Sorry, but you still can't beat Older Brother Lin Dong's younger sister either."
The girl's eyes, brimming with Spiritual Energy, swept over one of the youths on the ground. Her tone was full of disdain.
"Hiss~"
Lin Shan lay limp on the ground and twitched in pain. Hearing those words, he buried his head even deeper in the dirt, consumed by shame and fury.
He never expected that, in front of so many onlookers, he, Lin Shan, would be defeated by a single palm strike from a girl who looked exceptionally delicate and frail. And afterward, this witch of a girl had swept aside the five thugs he'd brought along like an autumn wind scattering fallen leaves, knocking them all to the ground.
Did he, Lin Shan, have any face left at all? How was he supposed to hold his head up in the Lin Family after this? Huh?
"Move aside, move aside, hurry up and move aside..."
Lin Shan lay on the ground pretending to be dead and racked his brain for a way out. Then a scolding voice rang out. A lean figure darted through the crowd like a nimble fish, pushed the onlookers apart, and leaped into the clearing.
"Hiss, it's Lin Dong. Damn it, that devil Lin Dong is here too."
When that familiar figure appeared, Lin Shan shuddered violently in fear and buried his head deeper into the ground.
"Phew, thank goodness. Qing Tan hasn't beaten Lin Shan to death after all."
Lin Dong surveyed the scene and sighed in relief. He reached out and patted Qing Tan's head. "You little brat, you scared me half to death. Luckily, you held back and didn't beat this idiot Lin Shan to death."