C4 He Was Expelled from the Family

Mu Rui's expression darkened instantly, deeply insulted by Chu Lin's words.

"I want to see if a good-for-nothing debater like you actually has the strength to defeat me." Mu Rui snorted coldly, striding forward and charging at Chu Lin. He raised his slightly glowing fist and swung it with brute force, intent on using the most straightforward and savage attack to swiftly take down Chu Lin.

"You caused my fall from the cliff back then. Today, I'm here for revenge!" Chu Lin's eyebrows lifted, his face alight with intense confidence as he launched a punch toward Mu Rui.

Many onlookers shook their heads in disbelief, silently lamenting that Chu Lin was about to have his hand shattered by Mu Rui. They had never seen a mere mortal dare to exchange blows with a martial cultivator. Chu Lin must have lost his mind.

A sadistic grin spread across Mu Rui's face as he taunted, "Chu Lin, I will break your hand."

"Sorry, but you don't have the strength to harm me," Chu Lin replied, his demeanor calm and his voice detached.

No sooner had Chu Lin spoken than a more ferocious aura surged from his fist, spiritual energy swirling powerfully.

"You've reached the second level of Body Tempering!" Mu Rui's face twisted in shock. He couldn't fathom how Chu Lin, whom he considered worthless, could possess the strength of the second level of Body Tempering. But before he could process it, Chu Lin's fist collided with his own.

The sharp crack of breaking bones and Mu Rui's anguished scream echoed through the hall, sending a wave of tension through the crowd.

The onlookers' expressions shifted from interest to shock and awe. They were left with complex feelings as Mu Rui's defeat brought to mind the words Chu Lin had spoken with such composure.

"Today, you all humiliate me, finding joy in bullying and slandering me. But if one day I become stronger than all of you, will you feel ashamed?"

Now, as they remembered Chu Lin's statement, those who had ridiculed him could no longer find their laughter. The so-called 'trash' Chu Lin had stunned them all with his actions, a twist of irony that was hard to ignore.

"That's impossible. Chu Lin is nothing but trash!" Mu Rui collapsed to the ground, staring at his deformed fist in disbelief. Just moments before, Mu Rui had been full of bravado, but now he was the picture of a pathetic loser. Chu Lin, the very person he had relentlessly tormented, had managed to defeat him with a single move!

Mu He was similarly shell-shocked, but as the head of the family, he quickly snapped out of his stupor. His face darkened, and his eyes turned hostile as he fixed his gaze on Chu Lin.

"Chu Lin, you've gone too far! To seriously injure your own brother... As the Patriarch, it's my duty to discipline you today, or else it will bring shame upon us all," Mu He declared, slamming his hand on the table as he rose to his feet, pointing an accusing finger at Chu Lin.

Chu Lin couldn't suppress a mocking laugh. He gave Mu He a dismissive glance and said coolly, "Indeed, you are the Patriarch. Had you not acknowledged it yourself, I might have thought you'd forgotten your role!"

"As Patriarch, you showed no concern when I was pushed off a cliff by Mu Rui and left for dead for two whole months. You're quite the derelict leader. Was it because, as Patriarch, you're too busy with daily affairs to look for me? Or perhaps, as Mu Rui's father, you were afraid he'd face punishment, so you chose to abuse your power to cover up the truth?"

"You turn a blind eye to Mu Rui's despotic and violent ways, never bothering to correct him, which has only emboldened him further. Here I am at the Three Houses Convocation, an event I have every right to attend, yet I'm treated as an intruder and attacked by your servants. I'm at a loss as to why House Mu can't seem to abide me. Is it because I bear the Chu surname? Or perhaps..."

Chu Lin's voice dripped with sarcasm as he continued, his eyes hardening as he stared at Mu He, "Or is it because my father once spared your life, and you, feeling humiliated, have harbored resentment towards him ever since, seeking vengeance against me?"

Hatred resonated in every word that Chu Lin spoke.

Upon hearing those words, everyone in the room inhaled sharply. Their eyes flickered between Chu Lin and Mu He. No one had anticipated Chu Lin's audacity in addressing Mu He in such a manner. Meanwhile, many elders cast significant looks toward Mu He.

In an instant, Mu He crushed the porcelain cup in his grasp, his expression darkening considerably. He radiated an aura of extreme irritability and dominance, leaving the patriarchs of House Lee and House Su utterly astonished.

This was the unmistakable presence of a Seventh Level Spiritual Martial master!

"Slandering the Patriarch is a crime punishable by death. Since you are my nephew, I will spare your life. However, as of this moment, you are no longer part of House Mu!" Mu He declared, his voice as cold as his demeanor. He was itching to kill Chu Lin right then and there, but the room was too crowded. He resolved to deal with Chu Lin after the Three Houses Convocation concluded.

"I am here to retrieve my father's memorial tablet," Chu Lin stated icily, his resolve to depart from House Mu firm. He intended to continue honoring his father annually with incense. If he could reclaim the memorial tablet and ensure it was no longer relegated to an overlooked corner of House Mu's ancestral hall, no longer subject to ridicule, being cast out from House Mu would mean little to him.

"You will be expelled from House Mu. Your father was a criminal of our house, and I cannot allow you to remove his memorial tablet," Mu He retorted with a sneer. He then shot a threatening glance at the two guards behind Chu Lin, "Chu Lin, leave now, or I will be forced to attack. You are no longer under House Mu's protection. What does it matter if you're a second level Body Tempering martial cultivator? All of House Mu's guards are at the fourth level of Body Tempering."

Chu Lin's fists tightened imperceptibly. He had miscalculated the extent of Mu He's pettiness. There was a real possibility that Mu He would attempt to kill him.

"If I were powerful enough, no one in Ironhold would dare to command, threaten, or intimidate me. No one would dare to label my father a criminal, nor would they dare to place his memorial tablet in an unnoticed spot in the ancestral hall," Chu Lin contemplated.

Looking up at Mu He, Chu Lin murmured coldly to himself, "Today, your position as Patriarch emboldens you to act with such arrogance and twist the truth. But you can't deceive everyone forever. One day, I will reveal the truth for all to see."

Despite his deep frustration and anger, Chu Lin managed to keep his composure.

As the crowd looked on, he turned and calmly exited the hall.

Just then, a figure clad in light green slipped out of the hall and stealthily followed Chu Lin.