Chapter Forty-One: Annihilation Without Mercy

This scene terrified Wang Susu. Lin Zhen’s eyes were bloodshot with rage as he clutched his wife’s hand tightly.

Several bandits stepped forward and viciously kicked Lin Zhen again. One of them pressed his foot onto Lin Zhen’s back, pinning him to the ground.

The able-bodied men of the village rushed out, trying to stop the violence, but the bandits were all strong and ruthless, wielding large blades. Every villager who charged was swiftly beaten down, their cries of pain echoing through the air.

Just as Wang Susu was about to be dragged into the house, a furious shout thundered from above.

“Stop!”

Everyone looked up toward the distant sky, from which the voice resounded. A streak of light shot across the horizon, descending in an instant and transforming into Lin Cheng and another figure.

When Lin Cheng saw the bandits dragging Wang Susu, his face contorted in fury. “Who gave you the courage to lay a hand on my mother?”

The two bandits, startled by Lin Cheng’s sudden appearance, were caught off guard. Before they could release Wang Susu, Lin Cheng sprang forward like a ferocious wolf. Both fists struck out, black flames flickering around his knuckles.

Bang! Bang!

The two men were blasted away, their bodies dissipating into clouds of dust before they even hit the ground.

Nearby, Lin Hu smashed his iron staff onto the bandit standing on Lin Zhen’s back, leaving him a bloody mess.

This spectacle petrified the remaining bandits. Their weapons fell from trembling hands, and they stood frozen, unsure what to do.

Hearing the commotion outside, the bald leader strode out in annoyance. He opened his mouth to speak but caught sight of his mutilated subordinate by Lin Hu’s side, and his heart quivered with dread. An ominous feeling enveloped him.

“Who... who are you?” he stammered.

Lin Cheng said nothing, instead helping Wang Susu up and moving to Lin Zhen’s side. “Father, Mother, your unworthy son has let you suffer such humiliation!” he cried, falling heavily to his knees.

Tears sparkled in Wang Susu’s eyes.

She lifted Lin Cheng, saying, “Silly child, how can you blame yourself? The fault lies with these wicked wolves who left us powerless to resist.”

Lin Zhen came forward and embraced them both, choking back tears. “It’s all my fault for being weak. I nearly let your mother fall into their hands. If that had happened... I’d never be able to face the world again.”

“Zhen-ge...” Wang Susu murmured.

Seeing the family of three embrace and pour out their hearts, the old village chief and others could not hold back their tears. Though their village had endured countless disasters over the decades, this was the first time they’d felt so helpless and hopeless. If Lin Cheng and Lin Hu had arrived a moment later...

The village chief dared not imagine further.

“Damn it...” Lin Hu, unable to restrain himself, charged at the surrounding bandits with his iron staff.

“Spare us, Immortal!”

“Have mercy, Immortal!”

Bang, bang, bang, bang!

Consumed by rage, Lin Hu swung his staff without restraint, smashing anyone in his path. Blood splattered, the sound of bones cracking echoed in the air. In moments, he had felled all the bald leader’s men, leaving them sprawled on the ground, barely clinging to life.

Lin Hu had not dealt fatal blows—not out of mercy, but to let Lin Cheng personally deliver judgment.

Seeing Lin Hu’s overwhelming might, the bald leader was utterly terrified. His pant legs were soaked with fear.

With a thud, the bald leader dropped to his knees, knocking his head on the ground as he pleaded, trembling, “Spare us, Immortal! I’m sorry, I swear I’ll never set foot in Lin Family Village again. Please, don’t kill me!”

Releasing his parents, Lin Cheng wiped the tears from his eyes and turned to the bald leader. “If you’d known regret, why did you act in the first place? From the moment you entered Lin Family Village, your fate was sealed.”

He surveyed the fallen bandits, his gaze icy, the flames still consuming the familiar surroundings.

Lin Cheng’s eyes were cold as he shouted, “You have committed every evil, lost all conscience. Today, I act as Heaven’s agent—no mercy!”

Kill!

He raised his hand, pointing skyward. In a flash of lightning, the bald leader’s head flew off.

His figure flickered across the square, leaving dozens of corpses in his wake.

With a flick of his hand, he unleashed a spell of explosive fire, erasing every trace of the bandits.

Watching Lin Cheng annihilate the bandits in mere moments, the villagers of the Lin family had never witnessed such carnage.

One by one, they looked at Lin Cheng with awe, shock, and a hint of fear. The once innocent, carefree boy had become so decisive and ruthless.

Though they knew the bandits deserved death, seeing Lin Cheng slay them before their eyes was still hard to comprehend.

The old village chief stepped forward, grasping Lin Cheng’s hands. “Lin Cheng, had you not arrived in time today, our village would have—”

“Village Chief, truthfully, this all began because of Lin Hu and me. We’re the ones who owe everyone an apology...” Lin Cheng glanced at the villagers behind him, guilt written across his face.

“Don’t say that. Those bandits were evil to the core.”

“Yes, even without you, they would’ve roamed everywhere, killing and robbing.”

“Today, you’ve rid the people of a great scourge. We’re all overjoyed!”

“That’s right! Now that our Lin Family Village has two immortals, no one in the region will dare look down on us.”

“Lin Cheng, Lin Hu, you two are the guardians of our village now. We’re all so proud of you.”

...

Seeing that Lin Cheng and Lin Hu hadn’t grown arrogant after becoming immortals, the villagers happily gathered around for a chat.

With their help, the burned houses of Lin Family Village were soon rebuilt, and the entire village was filled with joy in the days that followed.

The old village chief and others held banquets in the village square, feasting and drinking. Everyone was elated.

Lin Cheng and Lin Hu also gave gifts to every household and left the village chief with longevity pills, even some Vitality Pills, instructing him to use them if someone was gravely injured—they might work wonders.

After spending peaceful days with their parents, Lin Cheng and Lin Hu taught Lin Yi and the young men of the village some basic fighting techniques and simple martial arts.

Though it couldn’t make them formidable, it at least gave them some means of self-defense.

With everything settled, the two felt relieved. For they knew that once they left, it might be a long time before they returned.

On the mountaintop behind Lin Family Village, on the same patch of lush grass, the two lay with their arms behind their heads, gazing at drifting clouds as the breeze carried the familiar scent.

Lin Hu asked, “Madman, where do you want to go next... back to Qingyang Sect?”

Lin Cheng replied, “I want to go out and experience the world, see more of it.”

He continued, “What about you, Fatty—are you so eager to return to the sect, not interested in adventuring with me?”

Lin Hu grinned, “Of course I want to explore the world with you, but...”

“Last night, Xiaocui sent me a message. She asked me to travel to Changping with her. You know... Heh heh.”

Lin Cheng shot him a glance. “Putting romance before friendship...”

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