Early in the morning, Ma Zhaoyuan came rushing to Lin Lin's dwelling, all excited.

  "Senior Brother Lin! Trouble! Big trouble!"

  Lin Lin walked out, still half asleep, and saw Ma Zhaoyuan leading a dozen or so inner disciples gathered outside.

  Among them, an inner disciple with a bruised and swollen face knelt on the ground, two disciples behind him holding swords to his neck.

  "What is this? You want me, the acting sect leader, to step down? Fine, you can be the acting sect leader." Lin Lin stretched, took a sip of tea.

  Ma Zhaoyuan was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, shouting from outside.

  "Senior Brother Lin, stop joking! This is really serious!"

  "Li Wangxuan and Zhang Shan sneaked off a few days ago without a word. I just found out today they got money from their families and went to find help from the Canglong Gang."

  "Pfft, isn't that the gang that specializes in hiring cultivator thugs?"

  Lin Lin was so angry he spat his tea on the ground.

  "Yes, exactly that gang. They are coming for us."

  This situation was exactly what Lin Lin had feared most.

  If it were just these three small fries like Ma Zhaoyuan, Lin Lin could destroy them easily.

  This was why he tolerated Ma Zhaoyuan jumping around in Qingfeng Sect.

  These cultivation families had very complicated connections.

  If he really killed these three acting elders, their families would probably spend all their resources seeking help everywhere.

  If they actually brought in a bunch of Foundation Establishment experts, even Lin Lin could not handle it.

  Lin Lin quickly asked, "How did you find out about this?"

  Ma Zhaoyuan dragged the beaten inner disciple and shoved him in front of Lin Lin.

  "A couple of days ago, I noticed Zhang Shan and Li Wangxuan were gone and wondered where those two brats had run off to. So we called over their lackeys."

  "Who would have thought this kid would run as soon as he saw me? I figured he had a guilty conscience, so I pinned him down and gave him a beating."

  "In the end, he spilled everything. Said Li Wangxuan and Zhang Shan went to the Canglong Gang to get reinforcements. Before leaving, they specially told him to help cover their tracks."

  Lin Lin looked at the inner disciple kneeling on the ground. He looked at most thirteen or fourteen.

  Knowing he had made a mistake, the inner disciple's face was full of fear.

  Finding the acting sect leader looking at him, he repeatedly kowtowed, begging for forgiveness.

  Lin Lin was completely speechless at the stupid move by Li Wangxuan and Zhang Shan.

  They were naive enough to tell a kid their own age about something involving their lives and families.

  And they expected this kid to help them cover it up.

  Now the whole thing was exposed.

  Lin Lin thought it over and found it suspicious. "The Canglong Gang is a gathering place for villains. Those two kids would not have the guts."

  "Senior Brother Lin means someone guided them?"

  "Yes. Li Wangxuan and Zhang Shan both live at the elders' residences. Have you searched Elder Li's and Elder Zhang's houses?"

  "No, not yet."

  "Let's try our luck. Let's go have a look."

  Lin Lin led the group of more than a dozen towards Elder Li's house.

  Along the way, disciples who did not know what was happening saw this and whispered among themselves.

  "Someone lost something. We are investigating. Everyone disperse."

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  Lin Lin quickly used the excuse of a theft to shoo the other disciples away.

  Public security in the cultivation world was terrible.

  Murder, robbery, theft were all commonplace.

  Every cultivator's dwelling had basic anti-theft measures.

  For example, Sect Leader Liu Fenghai was obviously a master at hiding private wealth.

  If not for Liu Yueyan's cooperation and Lin Lin's sharp eyes, they would never have found so many treasures.

  Elder Li's chosen anti-theft method was keeping a pet.

  His pet was a second-tier demon beast, a Purple Jade Spider, a mutated species of the Blue Jade Spider.

  This spider actually had intelligence far above the average for arthropods, equivalent to a three-year-old child.

  After being raised for a while, it could recognize family members.

  Of course, this spider was extremely violent towards strangers.

  Many outer disciples had fallen victim to it.

  As the group approached Elder Li's house, they saw the Purple Jade Spider drop down from a huge web beside the building.

  Its eight red eyes gleamed strangely as it sized up the visitors.

  "Senior Brother Lin, if we all attack together, we should be able to beat the Purple Jade Spider, right?"

  "No need."

  Lin Lin focused his mind on the sword art. Spiritual energy surged around him, turning the wind into blades.

  The Purple Jade Spider sensed the threat and also activated its power to fight.

  But in the next moment, Lin Lin's heart moved, and the sword aura shot out. It was like a snowflake falling in a winter bamboo grove—quiet, silent.

  When the snow melted, the sword aura drew blood, tearing a large chunk of flesh from the Purple Jade Spider.

  The spider fell to the ground, powerless. Its demon core was also cut out by Lin Lin's sword aura.

  "Killed the Purple Jade Spider in one move. Excellent skill, Senior Brother Lin."

  Ma Zhaoyuan was both happy and afraid. Happy that Lin Lin's skill was strong and now he was probably on his side.

  Even if Li Wangxuan and the others brought help, they might not be a match for Lin Lin.

  Afraid because although Lin Lin's cultivation was only at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining, he could kill a second-tier beast in seconds. His strength was at least early Foundation Establishment.

  Having such strength but hiding it showed how deep his cunning was.

  But just as everyone was stunned by Lin Lin's power, the Purple Jade Spider, even with its core cut out, climbed up from the ground again.

  "Break!"

  Lin Lin activated the sword art again. In an instant, it transformed into countless forms.

  Sword aura surged like an army, striking the spider's broken body, tearing it to pieces.

  Seeing this astonishing sight, Ma Zhaoyuan could not control his mouth again.

  "Senior Brother Lin, what kind of demon technique did Elder Li use? Once a demon core leaves the body, shouldn't the beast die immediately?"

  "Who knows? It is minced meat now. The beast Elder Li raised was probably special."

  Lin Lin brushed it off casually, stepped forward, and retrieved the demon core.

  Ma Zhaoyuan and the other dozen or so inner disciples followed behind, trembling.

  The elder's courtyard was not much different from a mortal's dwelling, even slightly rundown from years of neglect.

  Even more nauseating were the thick spider webs the Purple Jade Spider had wrapped around the courtyard.

  But this did not affect cultivators like Elder Li.

  These cultivation fanatics were either cultivating or on the way to cultivate.

  They did not care about the quality of daily life.

  The spider webs had wrapped the courtyard layer upon layer, and no one saw Elder Li ever clean them up.

  The outer disciples responsible for chores dared not touch the webs.

  Who knew if they would become the spider's next meal?

  "Damn, it is a complete spider cave."

  Lin Lin frowned and called to the group. "Too many people might cause things to go missing. Everyone except Elder Ma, wait outside."

  "Yes!" The disciples, including the one holding the beaten inner disciple, retreated.

  "Alright, Elder Ma, let's search quickly."

  Ma Zhaoyuan still did not understand. "Search for what? Spirit stones, medicine, or technique manuals?"

  "Letters, of course. We have not seen any outsiders in the sect. Li Wangxuan and Zhang Shan must have contacted outsiders through letters, which led to them going to the Canglong Gang for help."

  "Oh."

  "Of course, keep an eye out for spirit stones, medicine, and manuals too."

  The two searched the house inside and out. They did not find many spirit stones, medicine, or manuals.

  It seemed that little brat Li Wangxuan was really petty, taking all his belongings with him when he left.

  This proved he had a guilty conscience and had indeed gone with Zhang Shan to find thugs from the Canglong Gang.

  After a while, Lin Lin found what he was looking for in a wastepaper basket. "These are Li Wangxuan's reply letters to his family. After the sect leader and three elders were forced into seclusion, Li Wangxuan actively wrote to his family."

  Ma Zhaoyuan understood now. "Li Wangxuan's mother is still in the Li family. Did she teach him to do this?"

  "A woman's view would not be so far-sighted. I suspect the Li family told him to do it."

  Cultivators had a clan-based exchange relationship with their birth families.

  Once a family produced a cultivation talent, they would eagerly use that talent for gain.

  And that cultivation talent would also obtain more resources through their birth family.

  Of course, many cultivators did not agree with this relationship.

  For example, Sect Leader Liu Fenghai and Zhang Shan's uncle, Elder Zhang, had little contact with their original families.

  They considered their birth families just lowly mortals, poor relatives holding them back.

  Lin Lin handed the letters to Ma Zhaoyuan.

  "Take a look. After the sect leader and elders went into seclusion, the Li family has been restless, wanting to seize power with outside help. Li Wangxuan is so stupid. He should have burned such important letters."

  Ma Zhaoyuan took the letters, read them, and his face brightened.

  "Good. With these letters, we can prove to Sect Leader Liu that Li Wangxuan is plotting rebellion. If the sect leader gives the order, Qingfeng Sect can unite against the enemy."

  Lin Lin smiled bitterly. "Heh, Elder Ma, how much combat power does Qingfeng Sect have now, besides you and me? You do not really think we two can stop the Canglong Gang's thugs, do you?"

  "To tell you the truth, my Ma family has a distant uncle who is also at Foundation Establishment. The helpers we can find are also late Qi Refining."

  Ma Zhaoyuan was full of confidence, not thinking that the helpers Li Wangxuan brought might be formidable.

  But Lin Lin was different. He already had a plan to use one force to drive out another.

  "This matter is significant. I need to report to the sect leader and also stabilize the two elders in seclusion. I will give you an answer this afternoon."