C3 The First Counterattack

After the rain cleared, the crisp morning light graced Rosehaven.

The Lin family estate was shrouded in a light morning mist.

Not far from the Lin family's martial arts training ground, at the mouth of the alley, a shadowy figure emerged stealthily.

This figure was Lin Fan, one of Lin Huan's lackeys.

Lin Huan's four uncles—Lin Fan, Lin Rong, Lin Chang, and Lin Sheng—were his childhood friends and most loyal flunkies.

Last night's thunderstorm had taken its toll on Lin Chang and the other three henchmen as they attempted to ambush and beat Lin Xi. They were struck by lightning, leaving their bodies scorched and nearly dead from the pain.

Luckily, Lin Huan felt somewhat guilty. To disassociate themselves from Lin Xi's death, they used the top-grade yellow level "Life Pill," a medicinal treasure brought as part of his mother Lin Huang's dowry. Each of the five men took one pill, and by the end of the night, they were mostly healed.

Still uneasy, Lin Huan sent Lin Fan out of the training ground under the pretense of needing to urinate, to check if Lin Xi's body was still at the alley entrance.

Claiming he needed to relieve himself, Lin Fan left the training ground and headed to the alley. To his surprise, Lin Xi's body, which should have been there, was gone.

The night before, Lin Huan and the others were convinced that Lin Xi would not survive the lightning strike, even if he had a hundred lives to spare.

But Lin Huan, plagued by a guilty conscience, needed to verify this for himself, so he dispatched Lin Fan to investigate.

Lin Fan was immediately alarmed.

Hisss!

"How could Lin Xi's body just disappear?"

"Was it swept away by the rain?"

"That can't be right... The rain was heavy, but it's impossible for it to have washed away a body weighing over a hundred pounds..."

"Could someone have taken it? But... that would have surely caused a commotion."

"Whoever found it would be asking around by now, trying to find out whose family member was struck by lightning."

The more Lin Fan pondered, the more uneasy he became. He hurried back to the training ground, only to find the Lin family Patriarch, Lin Batian, already there, seated and observing the family's young disciples as they trained vigorously.

Upon learning that Lin Xi's body had disappeared, Lin Huan's expression turned grim.

"Check on Chef Lin's place and find out what's happening..."

With that, Lin Fan feigned an emergency, clutching his stomach as he dashed to Lin Xi's courtyard, peering through a crack in the door.

Lin Xi hadn't slept all night. As he stretched, his gaze fell on Ke'er, who had spent the entire night guarding him and was now fast asleep at the edge of his bed.

A smile warmed Lin Xi's face.

He tenderly lifted Ke'er and placed her on the bed, draping a light cotton blanket over her.

Lin Xi then opened the door and promptly shut it behind him.

At that moment, the courtyard door banged loudly as if something had bumped into it by mistake.

Lin Xi, with narrowed eyes and fists clenched, strode quickly to the door and flung it open.

He was met by the sight of a figure stumbling back in a panic.

Lin Xi flashed a toothy grin.

"Well, well, if it isn't Lin Fan, the big lackey. What brings you here so early? To empty my chamber pot?"

Humiliated and seething with rage, yet inwardly anxious, Lin Fan massaged the bruise on his forehead and barked with a mix of bluster and trepidation,

"You worthless piece of trash, you... you're still alive?"

Lin Fan's mind was in chaos, as if he had seen a ghost.

"How is this possible? Even if this waste of space wasn't killed by lightning, he was charred as black as coal. How could it be that overnight, not only is his skin and flesh intact, but it's also become so soft and supple?"

Lin Fan couldn't shake the feeling that something inexplicable had happened to Lin Xi.

Just look at this trash's eyes!

In the past, Lin Xi would avoid them with eyes full of hatred and darkness, retreating as far as he could. When cornered, he'd endure with his frail frame.

But now, Lin Xi still had that nonchalant air, swaggering with a step that seemed to dismiss everyone around him.

Yet, the vibe was utterly transformed from the night before.

Gone was the fear and evasion, replaced by an effortless confidence, the kind of poise seen only in the truly strong, sending involuntary shivers of dread and unease through Lin Fan.

Lin Xi threw his head back in silent laughter, his black hair, glossy and tinged with blue, fluttering in the breeze.

"Sorry to disappoint you, little lackey, but I'm too tough for even the King of Hell to handle. He kicked me right back here. Haha, how does that sit with you? Can't quite accept it, can you?"

Lin Fan made a great effort to stand tall, adopting a swaggering demeanor:

"Not dead, huh? Good, I'm still here! The third young master even said, if you were really gone, we'd miss out on the fun of tormenting a piece of trash that won't fight back. Just you wait, he's going to make your life a living hell!"

Lin Xi couldn't help but laugh silently.

"Oh really? Lin Fan, you little lackey, do you dare to take me on? I've been through hell and back, and I've learned a few tricks. How about we head to the martial arts field and have it out?"

Lin Fan's face twisted with rage, feeling deeply insulted.

"You? You're nothing but trash, unable to cultivate because your meridians are blocked. You think you can take me on? Do you even know what 'death' means?"

Lin Fan's face turned a shade of purple-red, his neck veins bulging and throbbing.

On any other day, Lin Fan would have already dealt with this 'trash' with a flurry of punches and kicks.

But today, for some reason, Lin Xi unnerved him, and he didn't feel as confident about overpowering him as he usually did.

As a result, he resorted to bluster and threats to bolster his own courage.

"I, Lin Fan, may not be a prodigy, but I'm still top-tier in our generation. I'm at the pinnacle of the early Warrior stage, on the verge of breaking through to the middle Warrior stage."

"Know what that means? With the strength of four pythons, I could pulverize even a second-level demonic beast, let alone a piece of trash like you."

"So, are you on par with a second-level demonic beast yet? Hahaha!"

He was eager to see Lin Xi revert to his former cowardice and fear, to see rage and hatred in his eyes. That would restore his confidence.

But Lin Fan was met with disappointment.

Lin Xi simply smiled calmly and gave Lin Fan a look of utter disdain.

"You're quite impressive! I had no idea you were so skilled with words. Alright, let's head to the martial arts field. Since you had a hand in beating me up yesterday, today you'll get a taste of what it's like to face a real bull!"

With those words, Lin Xi locked the courtyard gate behind him and strutted off toward the martial arts field.

Lin Fan was dumbfounded.

"This good-for-nothing... he seems to have changed! What on earth happened last night?"

A few steps later, Lin Xi turned back to look at the somewhat dazed Lin Fan with a taunting gaze.

"Hey, big lackey, why aren't you moving? Scared of me, are you? Hahaha!"

Anger surged within Lin Fan.

"Scared of you? If you're brave enough to challenge me, I'll show you just how vast the gap is between a Warrior and a piece of trash!"

Despite his unease, Lin Fan refused to believe that this good-for-nothing could have gained the strength to contend with him overnight.

...

Thus, all the Lin family disciples gathered at the martial arts field, including Lin Huan and his cronies, the Lin family's genius eldest son Lin Dong, and all the cousins who had once bullied Lin Xi, as well as some of the overseeing servants, involuntarily ceased their activities and turned their gaze toward the entrance of the alley, curious about the two figures approaching.

"Isn't that the good-for-nothing Lin Xi? Why is he following Lin Fan? What's happening?"

"I have no idea! Lin Xi hasn't set foot in the martial arts field since he was eight and found unable to cultivate. What's brought him here today, hot on the heels of Lin Fan?"

*Crack! Crack! Crack!*

Lin Chang looked at Lin Huan, his eyes wide with disbelief.

Lin Huan's fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles popped, his eyes squinting with barely concealed murderous intent.

"This good-for-nothing really didn't die... he's actually alive..."

A cold shiver ran down Lin Chang's spine as he swallowed hard and called out in a hoarse voice:

"Third Young Master..."

Lin Huan seemed not to hear him, his whitened knuckles hidden behind his back, silent.

At that moment, Lin Batian's eldest son, Lin Dong, stood with his hands behind his back, his expression unchanging.

His tall, athletic frame stood erect, his long hair cascading over his shoulders, his teeth gleaming white, his lips a vibrant red. He exuded the air of a young sovereign.

He couldn't recall when he had begun to overlook, even forget, the existence of the good-for-nothing Lin Xi.

He even wanted to forget the last time he and Lin Huan ganged up on Lin Xi, trying to recall at what age it had happened.

Lin Xi's presence had once been like a dark stain, a source of shame and rejection for him.

Time and again, he had concocted excuses to confront Lin Xi, only to beat him senseless, which brought him a twisted sense of relief.

However, after advancing to the mid-stage of the Warrior class and being hailed as Rosehaven's top young prodigy, Lin Xi became less significant to him than a stray dog. With his immense potential and noble status, continuing to torment Lin Xi would only turn him into a laughingstock.

So, he chose to disregard Lin Xi, striving to erase him from his memory and even forbidding his cronies from joining Lin Huan in the harassment.

"It's beneath me, a source of ridicule. Who am I, Lin Dong? And who is Lin Xi? A destined legend versus a nobody who might not see past sixty. To beat him... it's beneath my dignity..."

Yet now, the very person he had endeavored to forget and ignore was unbelievably staggering into his view, entering the martial arts arena with an ungraceful gait and passing right by him, even offering a profound smile.

"This wretch, this good-for-nothing..."

Despite Lin Dong's serene facade, a firestorm raged within him.

Lin Xi, with a calm and eerie smile, not only entered the martial arts arena but also faced the astonished stares of the Lin family's young disciples without flinching.

He boldly approached the patriarch, Lin Batian, who was feigning ignorance of his presence.

What was this good-for-nothing up to?

Lin Batian, casually sipping his tea, blew on the floating leaves, acting as if Lin Xi was invisible.

But now, Lin Xi stood before his biological father, his emotions churning as he silently exhaled a deep breath.

Phew!

"Patriarch, I, Lin Xi, have a matter to report!"

Lin Batian slowly set down his teacup, his inner turmoil palpable.

As his gaze fell on Lin Xi, memories of the deceased servant, Lin Xi's mother, stirred a complex mix of emotions.

He had nearly forgotten he had such a son.

Originally, the matriarch of the Lin family, Mrs. Lin Qiu, had caused quite a scene, subjecting Lin Xi's mother to all sorts of humiliations and even threatening her life.

However, given the formidable influence of Mrs. Lin Qiu's own family, Lin Batian was forced to stand by helplessly as Lin Xi's mother endured her trials. He dared not voice his own objections.

Thankfully, the family chef stepped in as a savior, providing Lin Xi with a lifeline, sparing Lin Batian the torment of his guilt and anxiety turning into a haunting specter.

The only thing he could do for Lin Xi was to insist on giving the child the name Lin Xi.

Beyond that, he was powerless to do anything more.

Observing the nonchalant Lin Xi, whose eyes held an enigmatic depth, Lin Batian spoke in a detached tone,

"What is it that you wish to report?"