“You’ve run out of chances, Lin Chusheng!”
An evil smile spread across Lin Pianran’s face as she fired another arrow, coldly retorting, “Not only will I scheme against a beast like you, I’m also prepared to take your miserable life!”
With a sickening thud, another arrow pierced through Lin Chusheng’s left thigh.
“Ah… Ah… You bitch! I’ll definitely kill you…”
Lin Chusheng crashed heavily to the ground, veins bulging on his forehead. Drenched in sweat from the pain, he let out heart-wrenching howls as he rolled agonizingly on the ground.
Watching him tumble about as pathetically as a dog, Lin Pianran let out a satisfied chuckle.
While writhing in pain, Lin Chusheng continued his stream of insults, “You little bastard, how dare you? I’m the legitimate eldest son of the main branch! How dare you shoot me? Aren’t you afraid of the Lin family’s retaliation?”
“You’re just a little beggar. If you anger the Lin family, killing you would be as easy as crushing an ant…”
Lin Pianran sneered, “Have you ever wondered where Lin Chuge has gone?”
Only upon Lin Pianran’s reminder did Lin Chusheng realize something was wrong.
A terrifying suspicion began to surface.
But he found it hard to believe.
At that moment, Lin Pianran’s voice rang out again, calm yet chilling like the judgment of death, “She has already gone ahead and is waiting for you on the road! If you hurry, you might catch up. You can accompany each other to the underworld and face King Yama’s judgment together…”
“You venomous woman! You poisonous wretch! The Lin family raised you for years, yet instead of being grateful, this is how you treat us siblings? You’re repaying kindness with enmity, utterly heartless, worse than beasts…”
Lin Chusheng was drenched crimson from head to toe, like a man made of blood. Even his eyes had turned bloodshot, filled with tears of resentment…
Lin Pianran’s voice was icy and merciless, “From now on, the Lin family should no longer hold the upbringing over my head, nor expect any mercy from me. Over all these years, I’ve long repaid any debt of gratitude.”
“During my years with the Lin family, I’ve always considered myself someone who repays kindness.”
“Normally, I’ve exhausted myself working for the Lin family, worrying myself sick, and sparing no effort to earn vast sums of silver for you all to eat, drink, and enjoy yourselves.”
“Everything you eat, use, wear on your bodies, adorn your heads with, and step on with your feet—all are the fruits of my labor. Even the precious sword in your hand was purchased with silver I worked hard to earn.”
“But how have you repaid me? Not only are you ungrateful, you actually use weapons bought with my silver to attack me. Tell me, who is the one who’s heartless and repays kindness with enmity?”
“You boast of being an official’s son, accomplished in both literary and martial arts, well-versed in poetry, books, and etiquette. But in my eyes, you’re worse than any beast—repaying kindness with enmity, acting recklessly, bullying the weak at will, pretending to be moral while being utterly despicable… completely revealing the ugly face of a villain!”
Enduring the excruciating pain throughout his body, Lin Chusheng argued deceitfully, “No matter what, it’s an indisputable fact that our Lin family took you in! Working like a slave for our Lin family is only right and proper!”
“As long as you live, you owe our Lin family, and you should dedicate everything to our Lin family…”
“If it weren’t for the Lin family adopting you, a five or six-year-old girl would have long starved or frozen to death outside, becoming a lonely wandering ghost! Where would you get the chance to rant here? Or secretly scheme against me?”
Lin Pianran gave a scornful smile, both charming and cunning. “If it weren’t for me, the Lin family would have declined years ago. Where would you get fine food and luxurious clothing?”It was the silver I earned that fed your ambitions, making you increasingly arrogant, and making my contributions seem so taken for granted in your eyes. How utterly shameless you are!”
“Consort De in the palace can thrive like a fish in water, your father and second uncle can flourish in official circles—all of this was achieved by using my silver to pave the way and grease palms. Otherwise, how could the Lin family still hold a place in the capital?”
“You might have long been driven out of the capital!”
“The Lin family is nothing but a pack of vicious, hypocritical good-for-nothings who only know how to bully their own. Without silver to bribe others, how many days could you last?”
“Besides, the one who truly raised me with kindness was my adoptive mother, Su Qingfeng. What does that have to do with you bloodsuckers?”
Lin Pianran couldn’t help but spit fiercely in Lin Chusheng’s face, finally feeling some relief.
“You… stop making excuses! The madam is also a member of the Lin family. What you owe her, you owe to our Lin family. You should serve the Lin family like a beast of burden for all eternity, giving everything…”
“You dare mention my adoptive mother? When have you ever respected her? You’ve worn her down to the point of exhaustion, yet you still use her name to make me slave for you. How despicable!”
“All these years, you’ve treated my adoptive mother like a mascot—giving her no power, no status, not even the respect she deserves, while secretly scheming to take her generous dowry.”
“Whether it’s the two branches of the Lin family or the married-off aunts, they all covet my adoptive mother’s dowry, stealing from her like leeches. It’s utterly disgusting!”
Over the years, the Lin family had nearly picked clean Su Qingfeng’s substantial dowry. Seeing that she no longer had any use, they wanted her dead quickly.
They bribed her personal maid to administer slow-acting poison, gradually draining her body and weakening her day by day.
In her previous life, just three months later, Su Qingfeng died silently in the villa, attracting no attention or suspicion.
Lin Pianran had long witnessed the Lin family’s shamelessness, coldness, and cruelty. Their hearts were already rotten to the core.
She would no longer harbor any illusions about their shallow familial bonds!
Nor would she show any mercy!
Her long-battered heart was now completely frozen over.
As Lin Chusheng spoke, buying time, he kept rolling toward Lin Pianran.
He hoped to get close enough to find an opportunity to counterattack.
Lin Pianran saw through all his petty movements, inwardly sneering.
Unfortunately, he was only dreaming.
There would be no chance.
She nocked another arrow and shot it directly into Lin Chusheng’s right eye socket.
A hoarse, agonized roar pierced the sky.
Lin Pianran remained utterly vigilant.
As long as the enemy lived, there was always a risk of a counterattack. She could not afford to leave any loose ends.
We cannot give the enemy any chance to rise from the ashes.
Better safe than sorry—just finish them off quickly.
Lin Pianran gazed at the person curled up in agony on the ground, yet there was no trace of warmth in her eyes, only boundless hatred.
In her previous life, Lin Pianran might have still considered the bonds of upbringing at this moment, but this only made the Lin family push their luck further. Not only did they fail to treat her well, they even wished to devour her flesh and drink her blood.
Since she had been reborn, who would still indulge these beasts?
Don’t even think about it!
She would show no mercy whatsoever.
From now on, she would stand in irreconcilable opposition to the Lin family—a fight to the death.
Lin Pianran raised her bow and arrow once more, her gaze cold and stern, and shot toward Lin Chusheng’s back.
Another arrow, aimed at the stomach.
Yet another arrow, piercing through the left thigh.
…
By the time Lin Chusheng was tormented to the brink of death, still twitching and cursing incessantly,
Lin Pianran raised her bow and arrow again, shouting coldly, “Go to hell!”
She shot him directly through the head.