Chapter Fourteen: Retribution Has Come

After hearing Lin Chen’s words, the men beside the furious man instinctively took a few steps back. After all, whether Lin Chen’s claim was true or not, no one dared to take chances when life was at stake.

“Blind man! You’re talking nonsense! Which eye of yours told you I’m a woman?” the man shouted angrily, his face a mixture of fury and panic, evidently provoked by Lin Chen’s words.

“You’re not just a woman, you’re the mastermind behind this formation, aren’t you? You want to sap all our energy here—such a malicious scheme!” Lin Chen retorted boldly, his words sharp as a blade, trying to sow doubt among the others about the man.

At the mention of the formation, the man hesitated briefly; a barely perceptible flash of murderous intent flickered in his eyes, but he quickly masked it.

He laughed bitterly, shouting, “Hahaha… you’re twisting words! Kill him now! Don’t let these demon disciples of the Joyful Sect escape!”

Yet, the men behind him exchanged uneasy glances, hesitant to act rashly given the unclear circumstances.

“Do you all realize why he’s so desperate? Because we’ve found the core of the formation. He fears the plan will fail, so he slanders us, hoping we’ll turn on each other,” Lin Chen raised his voice, trying to rally the crowd.

“That corpse is right here. What more lies can you spin? Do you think we’re fools?” the man sneered, attempting to use the dead body as proof that Lin Chen and his group were demon disciples of the Joyful Sect.

“No, no… you’re the one treating us like fools. You saw this girl leave with the corpse and are now trying to confuse everyone and turn the tables,” Lin Chen said, pointing at Xie Mengmeng beside him, offering a defense.

“Damn you! I’ll kill you first, you ignorant brat spouting nonsense!” the man’s face boiled with wrath, his fury like a stampede of wild horses.

Before finishing his sentence, he lunged at Lin Chen with incredible speed, the wind whistling sharply around him.

Mei Xiulan reacted swiftly, drawing her sword from her waist. Like an arrow released from a bow, she leapt into the air and met the attacker head-on.

The clash of swords rang out with an ear-piercing hum, powerful sword energy rippling in all directions.

A fierce killing intent surged like a tempest, shaking the ground beneath them.

Seeing the man’s frantic state, the crowd unanimously suspected he was indeed the demon of the Joyful Sect. Their anger ignited, and without hesitation, they charged forward.

“Kill!” they shouted in unison, drawing their weapons to attack the man.

The air filled with the clang of metal and the cries of battle, chaos erupting everywhere.

Xie Mengmeng cast Lin Chen a grateful glance before leaping into the fray.

Lin Chen remained still, believing the overwhelming numbers were sufficient to handle the foe.

One after another, over a dozen people swarmed the man, unleashing relentless, deadly strikes, each infused with the intent to kill.

Blades flashed and shadows intertwined, dazzling to the eye. Under their fierce assault, the man’s resistance waned until he finally perished unwillingly.

With his death, the crowd’s gaze toward Lin Chen shifted noticeably, now laced with admiration and respect.

However, suspicion and wariness lingered around Xie Mengmeng, given the strange events earlier. But to Lin Chen, that no longer mattered.

As long as Xie Mengmeng was sensible and cautious, it was unlikely anyone would attack her again.

Even if someone did, Lin Chen no longer intended to intervene. He would not keep helping a demon disciple of the Joyful Sect, sparking conflicts and harming innocents.

His earlier aid to Xie Mengmeng was merely gratitude for her kindness in providing a treasured manual.

Moreover, given the circumstances, the man had to die; otherwise, they could never have escaped the formation.

After breaking through the formation together, they found themselves in a mountain valley surrounded on all sides.

Previously, they had been trapped in a small area, endlessly pacing as if caught in an illusion.

Emerging from the formation, the group dispersed.

Before leaving, Xie Mengmeng gave Lin Chen a slight bow and said gratefully, “Thank you, Daoist Lin, for your timely help.”

Lin Chen quietly warned, “Be careful. If they catch any odd behavior from you again, no one will hesitate to kill you.”

Xie Mengmeng smiled wryly. “Understood. You take care as well. Until we meet again.”

“Until we meet again,” Lin Chen echoed, turning to Mei Xiulan. “Senior sister, let’s go!”

Mei Xiulan hesitated briefly but followed Lin Chen into the heart of the secret realm.

“Senior sister, your cultivation is advancing so fast! You're already a minor master,” Lin Chen said sincerely.

“Thanks to you, junior brother, everything has been progressing smoothly,” Mei Xiulan smiled.

Since reclaiming the little wooden puppet from Jade Bamboo Peak, her progress had been remarkable.

“You’re too modest. You were already excellent, just that others entered the sect earlier. Otherwise, you’d have been the number one in Peach Blossom View long ago,” Lin Chen praised generously.

“Junior brother! You didn’t know?” Mei Xiulan asked in surprise.

“Know what?” Lin Chen scratched his head, puzzled.

“Both senior sister and junior brother have fallen in cultivation level. I’m now the one with the highest cultivation in Peach Blossom View,” Mei Xiulan explained patiently.

“Ha ha ha… so that’s it. They probably got their karma coming,” Lin Chen laughed heartily.

“Karma, huh? That’s good. Are you going back to the sect?” Mei Xiulan asked softly.

“Of course not. I finally got out of there. Why would I go back to suffer?” Lin Chen answered firmly.

Though he had many means to deal with those who had bullied him—his senior sister and Qin Hao—now that he was out, he saw no need for it.

As the saying goes, one’s actions are watched by heaven; karma is just on its way.

Now that Su Xiangling and Qin Hao had begun to face karma, it said everything.

Hearing this, Mei Xiulan’s face lit up with a brilliant smile. “That’s good. I thought you were just sulking like they said.”

“Senior sister, don’t worry! No matter what, you’ll always be my senior sister,” Lin Chen said earnestly.

As they spoke, they unknowingly left the valley and entered a dense forest.

Suddenly, a sword whistle sliced through the air from behind. Mei Xiulan snorted coldly, “Hmph! Seeking death!”

At the same time, she swung her sword with overwhelming force.

In a flash, she appeared before the attacker. The sword energy surged like raging waves, piercing straight toward his face.

The man’s eyes flickered coldly as he scrambled to dodge the fierce strike.

Mei Xiulan pressed the attack relentlessly, her sword flashing over his head, transforming into a storm of sword shadows raining down like raindrops.

The man conjured a light barrier to deflect some of the assault, but the countless sword shadows shattered it completely.

With a muffled sound, blood and broken teeth sprayed from his mouth. His body flew backward, crashing heavily to the ground.

His bones were nearly shattered. He tried to rise, but agony twisted his features, rendering him helpless.

He muttered threats through gritted teeth, “You’re finished. How dare a mere Peach Blossom View disrespect me? One day, I will slaughter everyone in Peach Blossom View!”

Mei Xiulan leapt down, approaching him with disdain. She sneered coldly, “One day? Survive today first, then talk.”

Without hesitation, she struck, ending him with a single throat-severing slash. She showed no mercy.

Retrieving the man’s storage pouch, she walked to Lin Chen, smiling warmly, “Junior brother, here, these are for you.”

In that moment, her gentle smile contrasted sharply with her earlier ruthless demeanor, revealing her multifaceted nature.

“No, no, this is all thanks to you, senior sister. I can’t accept it,” Lin Chen declined repeatedly, unwilling to take the spoils.