He understood perfectly well. For Lin Mingchuan to have dared report this to the Law Enforcement Hall, having them come to Eagle’s Beak Gorge to catch them red-handed, meant it couldn’t have been a false accusation. He must have been confident. The Zhao Family had to have secretly let someone into the mountain.
Whether Mingyuan knew or not didn’t really matter.
What the Fourth Branch wanted was to use the clan rules to force the Third Branch to relinquish their right to guard the Boshan County section of the Yantian Mountain Range.
But the crucial point was, no one was caught!
Without catching them in the act, it was useless—even if the Zhao Family turned coat now and came forward to testify against Lin Mingyuan.
Uncle Qi’s spear could silence anyone.
If they didn’t let Lin Mingyuan vent his anger now, Uncle Qi would be the one to do it for him.
The Law Enforcement Hall could not withstand those consequences.
Lin Mingchuan’s face was ashen, but he ultimately didn’t try to intervene again. His gaze merely swept coldly over Zhao Tieshan and Lin Yan, who were standing off to the side.
Zhao Tieshan appeared to be lost in grief, his head still bowed. Lin Yan, however, was staring at the battlefield in shock, seemingly oblivious to Lin Mingchuan’s gaze upon him.
Lin Mingye stopped looking at Lin Mingchuan and turned his attention to the fight between Lin Mingyuan and Lin Mingguan.
To call it a battle was a stretch; it was a completely one-sided rout. Lin Mingguan’s Realm was inferior to Lin Mingyuan’s, and his Blood Gang was as fragile as thin ice before the spear. Moreover, Lin Mingguan had only just formed his Sword Intent, whereas Lin Mingyuan had mastered Spear Intent years ago.
Completely outmatched, Lin Mingguan managed to block only two strikes before he was powerless to stop Lin Mingyuan’s third.
The spear pierced his left shoulder. Simultaneously, its shaft swept across his waist, knocking him clean off his feet and sending him flying.
The crimson light on the tip of Lin Mingyuan’s spear flared. The entire weapon seemed to ignite as a chilling killing intent radiated from him.
The spear thrust forward!
In that instant, a terrifying burst of crimson light shot toward Lin Mingguan like a roaring red dragon.
"Mingyuan, no!"
Lin Mingye’s expression changed in a flash. Injuring Lin Mingguan was one thing, but killing him would be a far more serious matter.
As a member of the Law Enforcement Hall, he could not stand by and watch this happen.
At that moment, Lin Mingguan’s pupils shrank, his face a mask of terror. Lin Mingyuan’s strike was too fast—so fast he had no time to react. He could only watch as the crimson dragon swelled before his eyes. The stench of death washed over him. His mind went blank, leaving only a single thought: ’I... I’m going to die.’
SWISH!
When the crimson dragon was just three feet from Lin Mingguan, a waterfall of silver light crashed into it, knocking it aside by half an inch.
Diverted by that half-inch, the spear tip grazed Lin Mingguan’s ear and slammed into the ancient tree behind him.
BOOM!
A hole the width of a water bucket was instantly blasted through the ancient tree. An instant later, the trunk exploded section by section like a string of firecrackers. The entire trunk, save for its branches, was reduced to dust as splinters flew everywhere.
Lin Mingguan knelt on the ground, his left ear a mangled, bloody mess. He looked as though his very soul had been drained from him, his lips trembling, unable to utter a single word.
’So close. I was so close to death.’
Lin Mingyuan retracted his spear without a single glance at the man on the ground. He once again pointed its tip at Lin Mingchuan.
"Enough! If anyone else makes a move, don’t blame the Law Enforcement Hall for getting rough. As for a ruling on this matter, the Law Enforcement Hall will report it to the clan."
Lin Mingye appeared between Lin Mingyuan and Lin Mingchuan, his eyes sharp and his hand gripping a long saber. It was he who had just intervened to save Lin Mingguan.
The other members of the Law Enforcement Hall now moved to surround the two men.
With an icy gaze, Lin Mingchuan finally ground out a single word through gritted teeth.
"Leave!"
Hearing this, the men from the Fourth Branch quickly helped Lin Mingguan to his feet and departed.
"Mingyuan, the clan rules are absolute. I hope you understand."
Watching Lin Mingchuan lead the men from the Fourth Branch down the mountain, Lin Mingye gave a wry smile. After offering that brief explanation to Lin Mingyuan, he too departed with the men from the Law Enforcement Hall.
With all the outsiders gone, the entrance to Eagle’s Beak Gorge fell silent. All that remained was the mournful sound of the mountain wind whistling past the rock faces.
First, Lin Mingyuan nodded at Lin Yan.
Then, he turned.
The tip of his spear, still stained with Lin Mingguan’s blood, glinted coldly in the sunlight.
He did not sheathe his weapon. Spear in hand, he walked step by step toward Zhao Tieshan.
Zhao Tieshan still wore the same grief-stricken expression as before. But as Lin Mingyuan’s footsteps drew near, he could no longer maintain the facade. He lifted his head, his lips moving as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he remained silent.
’Letting someone into the mountain without authorization was a grave offense.’
’Just because my nephew and Qian Wanli weren’t found doesn’t mean I can hide this from Master Yuan.’
Lin Mingyuan didn’t ask any questions. He passed no judgment. He didn’t even say a word.
A single spear thrust pierced his chest.
There was no resentment on Zhao Tieshan’s face. "Th... Thank you, Master Yuan, for your mercy."
’For Master Yuan to act against me now means the matter ends here. He won’t hold the entire Zhao Family responsible. The Zhao Family is saved.’
One spear thrust, and then another.
Zhou Yuanqing, Sun Desheng...
Lin Yan watched from the side as one figure after another fell. He didn’t think Brother Yuan was being too bloodthirsty. The clan rules were clear. Furthermore, these Martial Artists, who were qualified to guard the mountain entrance, knew full well the consequences of letting someone in secretly when they accepted the post.
’They’re all adults. They have to take responsibility for their actions.’
’In a way, Brother Yuan was actually being lenient. If he had decided to pursue the matter further, none of their families would have been spared.’
"Lin Yan, did you run into Zhao Zixuan and his group in the mountains?"
"Brother Yuan, I just went into the mountains to look for medicinal herbs. I didn’t see anyone. But the Yantian Mountain Range is vast; it’s perfectly normal for a few people to go missing. Perhaps Zhao Zixuan’s group of five ran into some sort of fierce beast."

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