C17 Return the Favor

Hearing the remarks from Jiaang Zhengshan and several other senior members of the Jiaang family, Jiaang Zhengzu's brow furrowed with displeasure. Yet, he held back from objecting to avoid giving them an excuse to challenge his authority as the Patriarch.

Jiaang Zhengzu was also genuinely curious to see if his son truly possessed the skills to take down Jiaang Feng. "Well then, Lan, show everyone whether you're capable of defeating Jiaang Feng," he said to his son in a resonant voice. While speaking, he covertly winked at Jiaang Lin, signaling him not to take things too far, lest he be unable to clean up the mess.

Jiaang Lin, however, ignored his father's subtle cues. Not take it seriously? That was out of the question. Today, if he didn't show his mettle, Jiaang Gao and his cronies would continue to underestimate him. "Come on, let's not keep everyone in suspense!" Jiaang Lin said to Jiaang Gao, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.

"Hmph, I've been ready for this!" Jiaang Gao sneered, seeing that Jiaang Zhengzu and the others were staying out of it. His Genuine Qi surged as his presence became formidable. With a swift motion, he lunged at Jiaang Lin, aiming a fierce punch at his face.

A dull thud and a scream echoed through the room. To everyone's surprise, the scream came from Jiaang Gao. His punch missed its mark, and instead, Jiaang Lin's fist connected squarely with his face, breaking his nose and sending blood spurting.

Jiaang Gao's body flew backward like a shell, crashing into a massive stone column in the banquet hall. Following up with the Movement Martial Skill, Flashing Shadow Step, Jiaang Lin left a trail of afterimages as he moved with incredible speed, too fast for the Jiaang family disciples to track. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of Jiaang Gao again, his foot coming down hard on his chest, breaking several ribs and instantly rendering Jiaang Gao incapable of continuing the fight.

Silence enveloped the room.

At that moment, the banquet hall was as quiet as a tomb. Everyone was wide-eyed and speechless, struggling to believe the spectacle before them.

In a single move, Jiaang Gao had been defeated!

Jiaang Gao, ranked among the top ten of the Jiaang family's younger generation and a practitioner of Body Refining Level Seven, had been bested by Jiaang Lin, the so-called weakling, in just one strike!

The entire Jiaang family present was deeply shaken by the outcome.

"One... One move? Jiaang Lin has seriously injured Jiaang Gao with a single move!"

Jiaang Lang and Jiaang Ren, brothers and disciples of the Jiaang family, leapt to their feet in astonishment. They stared at the unfolding scene, their eyes wide with horror and disbelief.

They had assumed that Jiaang Lin's cultivation level was, at best, only at Body Refining Level Four and that he would be utterly crushed by Jiaang Gao.

Yet, the harsh truth was that it was Jiaang Gao who had been mercilessly defeated, not Jiaang Lin!

Clearly, Jiaang Lin's strength was far beyond Body Refining Level Four.

The brothers had looked forward to seeing Jiaang Gao give Jiaang Lin a thorough thrashing.

Now, their expectations had been completely overturned.

"My God! Jiaang Gao's strength is at Body Refining Level Seven. For Jiaang Lin to heavily injure him in one move... could it be that his cultivation has exceeded Body Refining Level Seven?"

After a while, another Jiaang family disciple came to his senses, his voice tinged with profound astonishment.

The rest of the Jiaang family disciples were also swept up in a tumult of shock, struggling to regain their composure for quite some time.

The scene before them had delivered such a powerful blow that they found it utterly inconceivable.

How could Jiaang Lin, once known as a silent and timid outcast, possess such formidable strength?

"It looks like all the rumors swirling around Clear Water Town today were true!"

Exclaimed another disciple, his face etched with shock.

At these words, many other Jiaang family disciples snapped to attention.

Earlier that day, the news of Jiaang Lin knocking out Tang Bei with a single punch at the Dao Artifact Hall had spread like wildfire throughout Clear Water Town, stirring up a frenzy.

Despite widespread skepticism, even among the Jiaang family disciples, many found it hard to believe in Jiaang Lin. To them, he was nothing more than a failure, incapable of cultivating martial skills. However, the evidence before their eyes made disbelief impossible.

How could someone who could severely injure a Body Refining Level Seven master in a single strike not easily defeat Tang Bei, who was merely at Body Refining Level Four?

"Mr. Jiaang Lin, you're incredible!" Jiaang Xue exclaimed from a corner of the banquet hall, her face alight with astonishment as she witnessed Jiaang Lin's powerful move against Jiaang Gao.

Reflecting on her initial concern for Jiaang Lin, Jiaang Xue shook her head, chuckling at the unnecessary worry she had felt.

"This... This..." Jiaang Zhengzu was utterly flabbergasted, the shock in his heart immeasurable. He rubbed his eyes, questioning whether he was still half-asleep.

But no, the scene before him was undeniably real, not an ounce of illusion to it. It took a while for Jiaang Zhengzu to come to his senses, his heart pounding with both shock and an overwhelming sense of elation.

One move had been all it took for his son to seriously wound Jiaang Gao, a Body Refining Level Seven practitioner. Who would dare call his son worthless now?

Yet, after the initial thrill, Jiaang Zhengzu's mood soured. His son's public display of strength against Jiaang Gao indirectly confirmed his ability to harm Jiaang Feng. This meant that Jiaang Gao's earlier accusations might not have been slander but the truth.

"That bad boy... always showing off. Why did he have to take things so seriously? How am I supposed to clean up this mess?" Jiaang Zhengzu's brow furrowed in worry as he muttered to himself, searching for a strategy to spare Jiaang Lin from the family's punishment.

"One move?" Jiaang Zhengshan observed quietly, his eyes narrowing with a glint of coldness, and a complex expression of shock that was hard to articulate.

Seeing is believing, as the saying goes.

Initially, Jiaang Zhengshan couldn't fathom that Jiaang Lin, whom he considered worthless, had the prowess to take down Jiaang Feng. But now, he was forced to acknowledge the truth.

His nephew had shed his former image of incompetence!

With his own advanced Cultivation Level, Jiaang Zhengshan could discern that when Jiaang Lin channeled his Genuine Qi, the aura he emitted was beyond that of a practitioner at the Body Refining Level Seven Peak Stage!

It was this very power that allowed Jiaang Lin to effortlessly inflict serious harm on Jiaang Gao, a cultivator of Body Refining Level Seven.

This revelation left Jiaang Zhengshan utterly astounded.

Body Refining Level Seven Peak Stage!

When had Jiaang Lin, once deemed worthless, achieved such formidable Cultivation Level strength?

Jiaang Zhengshan's mind raced with endless thoughts, his heart brimming with questions.

Around him, the Jiaang family high level men were equally stunned to witness Jiaang Lin, previously dismissed as trash, grievously wound Jiaang Gao with a single move. They were profoundly shaken and speechless for a long moment.

"Cough, cough..."

On the ground, Jiaang Gao was ashen-faced, continuously coughing up blood. He looked up at Jiaang Lin with eyes full of astonishment.

Was Jiaang Lin really trash?

If so, what did that make him now? Less than trash? The lowest of the low?

Body Refining Level Two?

Could someone at Body Refining Level Two really knock down someone of Body Refining Level Seven with just one punch?

Did he need Jiaang Xue's protection?

The truth hit Jiaang Gao hard; even without Jiaang Xue's protection, Jiaang Lin was not someone he could easily deal with.

Recalling his earlier brash statements and various speculations, Jiaang Gao's cheeks burned with embarrassment and his heart was filled with frustration.

Likewise, he now fully believed the rumors that had been swirling around Clear Water Town.

If Jiaang Lin could so easily injure him with one move, then defeating Tang Bei, who was merely at Body Refining Level Four, would be a piece of cake.

"Why? Don't you have any thoughts to share?"

Jiaang Lin stood over Jiaang Gao, gazing down at him with a bright, sunny smile playing at the corner of his mouth.

At the sound of Jiaang Lin's voice, Jiaang Gao was so enraged that he vomited blood once more.

Share my thoughts?

What thoughts could I possibly share?

Today, I was publicly humiliated and severely injured by someone considered worthless. My reputation is in ruins. What thoughts could I possibly have to share?

"Oh, that's right, you wanted me to become a cripple, didn't you?" Jiaang Lin suddenly remarked.

At these words, a sense of unease surged in Jiaang Gao's heart.

"You... what are you planning to do?"

"I don't really plan to do much. I'm someone who believes in fairness. As the saying goes, one good turn deserves another.

Since you wished for me to become a cripple, it's only right that I return the favor, isn't it?

Otherwise, I'd be worried about people saying I'm not generous!"

Jiaang Lin said with a smile.

He then stomped down hard.

*Crack!*

A scream of agony filled the air as Jiaang Gao's 'egg' was instantly crushed under Jiaang Lin's foot.

The excruciating pain contorted Jiaang Gao's face, his body curling up like a shrimp, drenched in cold sweat, unable to stop convulsing.

The agony was so intense it made life seem unbearable.

The Jiaang family disciples around them shuddered, feeling a cold chill at the sight.

They all silently agreed that Jiaang Lin's methods were ruthlessly vicious, resorting to such extreme measures over a disagreement!

He was unrelentingly brutal!

Elsewhere, Jiaang Zhengzu held his forehead, thinking to himself that it was all over. Even as the patriarch of the Jiaang family, he couldn't clean up the mess his son had made.

Meanwhile, Jiaang Zhengshan and the rest of the Jiaang family high level men looked on with dark expressions.

Jiaang Lin's brazen actions, daring to inflict such severe injuries on Jiaang Gao right in front of the family's elite, and even going as far as to crush his very manhood, were utterly audacious!

He simply didn't regard them at all!