Chapter 84: Once the Mountain Collapses

"Hear this order! Summon forth the mightiest cultivators of Wangjiang City who have reached the realm of Flowing Veins! Whosoever strikes down this fellow shall be rewarded by the Lin family with two Dao Yuan Stones!" From the milling crowd, a middle-aged man stepped forth, his voice raw with fury.

This was Lin Zhengren, father to the brothers Lin Zhengli. His standing within the Lin family was naturally high.

Yet, the position of next family head had bypassed him entirely, falling instead upon Lin Zhengli. This alone bespoke his limited capabilities.

Hence, when he declared the bounty of two Dao Yuan Stones and sought the aid of every Flowing Veins master in the city, all eyes first turned to Old Master Lin.

The reason was simple: such power was beyond his reach.

"Enough," Old Master Lin's voice was flat. "Go fetch Lin Zhenglun."

"Father, you are confused!" Lin Duanxing blurted out, his anxiety palpable. "While Lin Zhenglun may be insignificant, he represents the face of our Lin family! How can he be handed over to outsiders for disposal?"

Regardless of any other failing, these very words disqualified him. Openly challenging Old Master Lin and declaring him "confused" was, at best, a lack of propriety, and at worst, a direct challenge to the patriarch's authority. Moreover, was it appropriate to publicly deem Lin Zhenglun "insignificant"? This was indeed chilling to the hearts of those who heard.

Old Master Lin tapped his wooden staff, his voice rising slightly. "Must you turn this matter into a city-wide spectacle before the Lin family's face is lost?"

Lin Duanxing was taken aback and fell silent.

After all, he did not comprehend the ways of cultivation. Lin Zhengli's ability to represent the Wangjiang City Dao Institute in the Three Cities Debate indicated he was among the finest in the Flowing Veins realm within the city's Dao Institute. Perhaps one or two within the city guard were stronger, but the difference would be negligible.

Furthermore, to summon the city guard's cultivators for this matter – wouldn't that be the ultimate loss of face for the Lin family?

To settle this swiftly and decisively was the correct course of action.

Not long after, Lin Zhenglun was brought before the archway.

Gazing upon the man, his hair disheveled, his face haggard, appearing little more than a walking corpse, Jiang Wang truly could not fathom what Aunt Song could have seen in him.

"Lin Zhenglun has been brought," Old Master Lin's slightly clouded ancient eyes met Jiang Wang's. His voice was faint. "What manner of explanation do you seek?"

"Now, I ask, you answer." Jiang Wang drew near Lin Zhenglun, his gaze fixed on his vacant eyes. "My sister's birth mother, Song Ruyi, how did she meet her end?"

Lin Zhengli interjected from the side, "She threw herself into the well and committed suicide. Was that not clear enough?"

Old Master Lin's light glance silenced him instantly.

Lin Zhenglun had been in a daze, but upon hearing the name Song Ruyi, a flicker of light slowly returned to his eyes.

He lifted his gaze, looked at Jiang Wang, then around at the assembled crowd, and finally turned back to stare at Jiang Wang. "What did you just say?"

His voice trembled. "You...are Ruyi's stepson who cultivates at the Dao Institute? Jiang Anan's elder brother?"

"Good! Good!" He became agitated, even a little frantic. "To dare blockade the Lin family's gates, a man of promise!"

Jiang Wang repeated coldly, "I ask you, Song Ruyi, how did she die?"

But Lin Zhenglun seemed utterly oblivious to his impatience and disgust. Or perhaps, the current Lin Zhenglun was incapable of sensing the opinions of others. Only his own emotions remained.

He spread his hands and suddenly burst into tears. "What use was all my accumulated wealth!"

Lin Zhenglun sank to his knees, covering his face, and wailed. "I regret not entering the path of cultivation! Once the mountains crumble, it becomes a dead end!"

Jiang Wang possessed no surplus of patience for this man.

His sword slowly shifted, pointing at Lin Zhenglun. "I ask you one last time, Song Ruyi, how did she die!"

"Ruyi..." Lin Zhenglun's wailing ceased. He raised his head, his face streaked with tears. "It was me, it was I who killed her. It was I who drove her to suicide!"

"No!" He suddenly rose to his feet, pointing at the Lin family members gathered behind the archway. "It was them! Every single one of them in the Lin family bears responsibility! Especially Lin Zhengli!"

Lin Zhengli shouted, "Lin Zhenglun, are you mad?"

"Zhenglun," Old Master Lin said. "Your wife is gone, and your heart is heavy. I understand. But you cannot speak nonsense."

"Old Master?" Lin Zhenglun cried out. "In the beginning, you agreed to take me back into the main branch, and you even told me to call you grandfather. How is it that when Lin Zhengli, this little beast, took over my affairs and drove me out, you turned a blind eye?"

Old Master Lin frowned and remained silent. He was naturally aware of the matters between Lin Zhengli and Lin Zhenglun. But on one hand, Lin Zhenglun had indeed shown some arrogance in the beginning, and on the other, Lin Zhengli was his own grandson. Even if he had erred, as his grandfather, he had to make amends for him.

"I did not truly inquire about the business matters. Perhaps you were genuinely wronged, and I will investigate this later, and there will be another explanation," Old Master Lin said. "But your wife's death was indeed a suicide, which can be verified. There would be no issue even with opening the coffin for inspection. How can you lay blame on others?"

Lin Zhenglun wiped away a tear, his teeth clenched. "Ruyi and I, we were originally in love. The business I painstakingly built, it had almost integrated the medicinal herb market of two city domains! If it weren't for Lin Zhengli's envy, relying on his status as the family head's successor, seizing my power and occupying my business, how could I have fallen to this state!"

"If it wasn't for Lin Zhengli!" He spun around, pointing at Lin Zhengli with a hateful, crazed gaze!

*Boom!*

A hand appeared with startling suddenness, pressing down upon Lin Zhenglun's crown! Dao Yuan surged forth, instantly transforming him into minced meat!

His unfinished words and his boundless resentment were also crushed into dust.

Lin Zhengren, who had descended from the heavens, withdrew his hand and looked at Jiang Wang. "Song Ruyi committed suicide, you have heard it clearly. I shall compensate you with a Lin Zhenglun! Is this sufficient?"

Lin Zhengren's sudden appearance and killing of a man were met with immediate action from Linghe Zhao Rucheng, who stepped forward without hesitation to stand beside Jiang Wang. Dao Yuan surged subtly, poised for battle at any moment.

A living person blasted into minced meat before one's eyes, especially one who was moments before fiercely denouncing others.

This display of deterrence likely silenced many.

But Jiang Wang's expression remained unaltered.

He truly had no further demands to make, and Song Ruyi's suicide was a fact. At most, Lin Zhenglun had not treated her well after their marriage, which in the laws of the Zhuang, was not a major crime. There might be other entanglements, but Lin Zhenglun was now dead. Given Jiang Wang's identity as a Dao Institute disciple, this was likely the furthest this matter could go.

The Lin family killing Lin Zhenglun as an explanation was already a reasonable conclusion, wherever one might place it. Had another come, there would have been no explanation at all.

Jiang Wang spoke, "Bring forth Song Ruyi's dowry, the medicinal herb business in Fengxi Town, and return them to me. Those were the properties of my Jiang family, given to Song Ruyi in the beginning. Now that she is dead, they should be returned to their rightful owners."

Song Ruyi's dowry had been quite substantial. But the medicinal herb business in Fengxi Town, in particular, was the fulcrum to pry open the medicinal herb market in the Fenglin city domain, and also a crucial component in integrating the medicinal herb businesses of two major city domains.

Such a large piece of meat being dug away was naturally unbearable for Lin Zhengli.

He was about to speak, but Lin Zhengren had already made the decision directly. "Agreed."

"Then Jiang shall take his leave," Jiang Wang resheathed his sword and nodded to the Lin family members. "I have caused a disturbance."

"Junior Brother Jiang, I have a word of advice for you," Lin Zhengren said from behind him. "The path of cultivation is vast and long. You must tread slowly, lest it become ever narrower."

"No matter how strong Zhu Weimo is, can he protect you for a lifetime?"

Jiang Wang took out the Xin Jin spear, carefully wrapped it, placed it in a box, and carried it on his back.

Only then did he turn his head and say to Lin Zhengren, "I have been taught."

The three brothers, then, departed.

...

...

P.S. "Regret not entering the path of cultivation, once the mountains collapse, it becomes a dead end." Regarding Lin Zhenglun, what I wish to express is the struggle and effort of an ordinary person who did not choose to cultivate, within this extraordinary world. Just like the woodcutter who received ten thousand gold due to the Xin Jin spear, they may have the opportunity to obtain wealth through their abilities or luck, but can they retain it? And the subsequent reflection on the society and system of this extraordinary world. I do not know how this character is shaped, and I will leave it to the readers to evaluate.