Chapter 172: Ripples of Aftershocks Draw Attention

"Send the order, gather everyone, immediately, now!"

The command was issued, and in less than half an hour, everyone in the Lin family who hadn't left the house shivered and gathered inside and outside the main hall.

Lin Feng returned to the main seat, his back standing perfectly straight.

"Today's matter should be clear to everyone," he said, his voice low yet clear to each ear, "The collateral branch colluded with outsiders and plotted treason; they have been dealt with. From now on, Lin Sihai, Lin Mao... these people are stripped of clan registration, expelled from the Lin family, and never to be employed again!"

A buzz rose from below; some turned pale, while others secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"The family reestablishes its rules!" Lin Feng's voice rose sharply, laced with ferocity, "Anyone who colludes with outsiders or betrays the family shall be killed without mercy! Our Lin family has stood for a hundred years; we'd rather die standing than live on our knees!"

As soon as the words fell, a violent cough forced him to bend over, clutching his chest, his complexion turning even paler.

"Family Head!" several loyal clan members hurriedly surrounded him.

Lin Feng exhaled slowly, waved his hand to indicate he was fine, but his eyes revealed deep fatigue: "The Lin family's affairs are numerous; I... fear I can no longer hold on. Effective immediately, I will close my cultivation and recuperate. All matters at home will temporarily be overseen by Elder Lin Jun."

He lifted his gaze, scanning the room: "When Lin Xue returns, she will assume leadership of the Lin family. Anyone with objections, speak now!"

The whole hall fell into deathly silence. The miserable fate of Lin Sihai and his men was right before everyone's eyes; who would still dare to step forward and cause trouble?

The Lin family, in a single night, was turned upside down.

Those who had previously clung to Lin Sihai's rear, waving flags and shouting, now huddled like quails, and the first thing they did upon returning home was burn every item linked to "Shadow" cleanly, fearing they would be caught and held accountable.

Dawn was just beginning to break.

The drama of the Lin family last night spread through the capital's circles like a creature that had sprouted wings, soaring rapidly.

"Did you hear? The Lin family bled rivers last night!"

"Exactly! That old man Lin Feng showed up, and Lin Sihai's bunch were all rendered useless, tossed out like dead dogs!"

"They say that girl Lin Xue and that kid Zhang Jun did it! My goodness, decisive and ruthless, truly fierce!"

"People from "Shadow" were all broken! Those two youngsters, their strength must be unfathomable!"

The rumors grew more fantastical, but the core meaning stayed: Zhang Jun and Lin Xue have returned, and they are absurdly strong, with methods terrifyingly ruthless.

…

The temporary base of the "Shadow" organization was gloomy and oppressive.

A liaison member knelt on the ground, trembling all over like a winnowing sieve.

"M-Master... over at the Lin family... all our people... all were broken. Those Lin Sihai waste... also... also were eliminated..."

The Black Judge, shrouded in a black robe, was terrifyingly silent.

The air in the room was nearly solidifying into a block of ice.

Suddenly!

Boom!

A thick, ink‑black aura explosively burst from the Black Judge, and a violent pressure instantly filled the entire room!

"Useless! A bunch of useless!"

The unlucky reporter didn't even have time to scream; his whole body was crushed as if by an invisible giant hand, instantly turning into a puff of blood mist, leaving no trace.

The Black Judge slowly rose, and the voice emanating from beneath his hood sounded like ice shards scraping bones on a bitterly cold winter day.

"Zhang Jun... Lin Xue... what audacity! To run wild right under my nose! Seeking death!"

He swung his robe violently!

Whoosh!

All the tables and chairs in the room instantly turned into the finest powder, drifting down in a rustle.

"Send the order down! Deploy more troops! Turn the entire capital over! Dig three feet into the earth if needed to find them!"

"Find them, and kill them on sight!"

"That Yin Yang Jade Pendant must be mine!"

…

Qin family's ancestral residence, study.

Qin Yueyao lightly tapped the tabletop with her fingertips, watching the confidential report just delivered by her subordinate.

"Miss, the Lin family matter..."

There was little expression on Qin Yueyao's face, but deep within her clear eyes lay a few extra weight.

"To uproot the Lin family's collateral branch so swiftly, and also neatly eliminate the "Shadow" people... It seems the Medicine Sect inheritance they obtained is more formidable than we guessed."

"Miss, what should we do now..." the confidant beside her asked tentatively.

"No rush." Qin Yueyao set the report down, a faint curve forming at the corner of her mouth, "The Black Judge has taken such a huge loss; he's bound to go mad. The capital is now a powder keg; if we rashly intervene, we risk igniting ourselves."

She walked to the window, gazing at the heavy night outside: "The Qin family has guarded the Shennong Tripod for centuries; perhaps this is the moment they've been waiting for. The Medicine Sect's revival is hopeful, and must not be ruined by impatience."

"Then what do you mean?"

"Observe quietly and strike later." Qin Yueyao's voice carried a calm that commanded the whole situation, "Send our most trusted people to discreetly plant hidden stakes at various points throughout the capital. Do not initiate contact, but keep a close watch. Once they truly become dangerous, intervene immediately to support them."

…

The capital, in an inconspicuous corner, a small tavern's second‑floor private room still lit.

"Brother, have you heard? That Lin family affair..." a middle‑aged man in silk lowered his voice.

"Who hasn't heard!" the man opposite gulped a drink, smacking his lips, "Those two youngsters are real characters! When they return they'll overturn the Lin family!"

"They even dare to deny the "Shadow" its face; such audacity, such strength..."

"Shh!" the silk‑clad middle‑aged man quickly made a silencing gesture, glancing warily at the door, "Keep it down! The "Shadow" has ears listening! If this gets out, heads will roll!"

He leaned closer, his voice even lower: "But you know, I heard a rumor that those two youngsters seem linked to the Medicine Sect from centuries ago..."

"Medicine Sect? It vanished long ago, didn't it?"

"Hey, that's hard to say. A starved camel is bigger than a horse; who knows what hidden cards they hold?"

The silk‑clad middle‑aged man raised his cup, said no more, but his gaze was laden with meaning.

……

The night grew deeper.

Zhang Jun and Lin Xue, like two wisps of shadow blending into the darkness, moved soundlessly through the intersecting alleys of the capital city.

Their breath fully restrained, their steps light as a cat's.

"The Lin family side should be stable for now," Zhang Jun said softly, his tone carrying a hint of fatigue, but more a sense of relief after resolving the trouble. "However, that old dog Black Judge is surely furious; we must make haste."

Lin Xue nodded; the half piece of jade pendant in her hand was emitting a faint but clear fluctuation.

"The jade pendant is sensing something; nearby, there are shadow rats."

Following the jade pendant's vague guidance, winding through many turns, they arrived at a deserted factory area.

The red brick walls were mottled and peeling; the huge factory resembled a crouching iron beast, weeds grew as tall as a person, and the air reeked of rust and dust.