Chapter 55 Uproar in the Prefecture Capital (1/2)
The large back courtyard of the Lin family mansion was silent except for the sound of Lin Hua slapping himself and begging for his life,
“Slander?”
“What has Lin Hua done? I don’t understand!”
Many of the Lin family juniors wore a confused expression and had no idea what had happened.
Of course, although they had no idea what had happened, they knew one thing for certain: Lin Hua had offended Lin Lan’s adopted son, Zhou Donghuang, who was incredibly fearsome.
Otherwise, why would Zhou Donghuang single him out when so many Lin family juniors were present?
“Lin Hua, you’re really digging yourself into a hole.”
The side relative who had been guarding the main entrance of the mansion that day was also present, and he shook his head and sighed.
“Lin Nan, you know how Lin Hua offended this Zhou Donghuang?” A Lin family junior standing beside him asked in curiosity.
As Lin Nan related the details of the matter, realization dawned on the crowd of Lin family juniors as they finally understood why Zhou Donghuang had singled Lin Hua out.
“Lin Hua is really malicious… I never heard of him bearing a grudge against Lin Lan?”
“I remember, Lin Hua was Lin Lan’s suitor, and the kind who would not be put off… Finally, he only stopped pursuing Lin Lan after she publicly rejected him.”
“He could not possibly be bearing a grudge after all this time, could he?”
“He could.”
“If it really was because of this, isn’t this Lin Hua too petty?”
…
The crowd of Lin family juniors looked once more at Lin Hua with spite.
“I wonder how this Zhou Donghuang is going to deal with Lin Hua.”
The gaze of many of the Lin family juniors fell on Zhou Donghuang.
“If you knew how it would turn out, you wouldn’t have acted in that way.” Under the gaze of the crowd, Zhou Donghuang gazed indifferently at Lin Hua before raising his leg and bringing it down to kill Lin Hua with a single stomp. The sound of Lin Hua begging and slapping himself stopped immediately.
Zhou Donghuang killed Lin Hua with a single stomp as casually as one might kill an ant.
All the Lin family juniors watching felt their scalp tingle.
After Zhou Donghuang took his leg off Lin Hua, he swept his gaze over the patriarch of the Lin family, Lin Zhuoyue. That look frightened him so much that his expression changed as though doom was descending upon him.
Only when Zhou Donghuang took his gaze off Lin Zhuoyue did he then release his breath.
Seeing Zhou Donghuang’s gaze fell on him, the second elder of the Lin family, Lin Chonghuan, gave a bitter look without being fearful like Lin Zhuoyue, as though he did not care whether he lived or died.
“We’re wrong, all wrong… Head Elder was wrong, Patriarch was wrong, and I was wrong too.”
Lin Chonghuan knew that that day, every single one of them had been wrong. Otherwise, if Lin Lan had been welcomed into the Lin family, her adopted son Zhou Donghuang would also have been a part of the family.
With such ability at sixteen or seventeen years of age, who knew what he would become in thirty years’ time?
The Lin family had missed a golden opportunity.
“Donghuang, let’s go.”
Just then, Lin Lan called out to Zhou Donghuang. She had watched impassively at everything Zhou Donghuang had done from beginning to end.
The belief she had in the Lin family had crumbled completely from the moment she had announced that she was renouncing the Lin family.
Now, the Lin family was no longer important to her, and she did not consider herself to be a member of the Lin family.
“Okay.”
Zhou Donghuang acknowledged her and returned to her side, helping her along as he led Fu and Granny Lian towards the main entrance of the Lin family mansion.
“Lin Lan!”
Lin Chonghuan gritted his teeth and finally looked at Lin Lan and called out to her, “Would you still consider staying in the Lin family? The Lin family can give you justice.”
Lin Chonghuan put his dignity aside for the sake of the Lin family.
“Justice?” Lin Lan turned around at this, gazing at Lin Chonghuan indifferently. “Second Elder, do I, Lin Lan, still need the Lin family to dispense justice? My justice has already been delivered by my son. As for the Lin family… from this day on, I, Lin Lan, will have nothing to do with you!”
With that, Lin Lan left with Zhou Donghuang, and the gathered crowd of Lin family juniors parted to let them through, staring at them as they left.
They had the same bitter smile on their faces. Just like Lin Chonghuan, they knew that the Lin family had just missed a golden opportunity.
Lin Lan and her adopted son, Zhou Donghuang, would have been the greatest assets of the Lin family. But now, they had been thrown out the door by the Lin family!
“Second Elder, if she wants to leave, we’ll let her… the Lin family will not miss an insignificant side relative!” Lin Zhuoyue said in a heavy voice. Although he sounded unperturbed, everyone in the Lin family knew that he was trying to salvage the last shred of dignity.
Today, the greatest loss of the Lin family had not been the deaths of the head elder and fourth elder of the Lin family, but Lin Lan’s departure.
Lin Lan had left, bringing with her a sixteen or seventeen-year old youth that was most likely already a level-five adept.
“Farewell, Patriarch Lin.”
Seeing Zhou Donghuang leave, Lu Qinghu did not intend to linger, and he bade Lin Zhuoyue farewell before leaving with Lu Bao.
“Patriarch Lu, wait!”