Lin Qinghen’s questions were all filled with pointed accusations, his voice strong and assertive.

Today, Yin Hengxie was already a bit wary of him. Lin Qinghen’s birthmark on his face moved as he spoke, giving him an intimidating air. Especially with today’s blood-soaked scene, his unblinking gaze was enough to cut Yin Hengxie’s momentum by half. How could Lin Qinghen, who was merely at the Yellow Tier, have such an imposing aura?

“I…”

But Yin Hengxie was left speechless.

Lin Qinghen hadn’t expected him to say anything substantial. The more Yin Hengxie’s heart was disturbed, the easier it would be to manipulate him.

The Spirit World was always a jungle, and Lin Qinghen had adapted quickly. He’d already survived countless close calls, his mentality had long changed. His hidden ruthlessness was released only at the perfect moments.

The problem with the Yin family wasn’t just about Yin Rongyu and the younger generation. The whole family was riddled with internal strife and twisted schemes; it had become a mess, yet they still couldn’t stop fighting each other.

The entire Discipline Hall was silent, like a dead lake, as Lin Qinghen remained silent.

Of course, not everyone accepted this quietly.

Yin Rongyu, for instance, was far from compliant.

Everything that happened today had been far too sudden. As someone who was always proud, how could he possibly accept it all at once?

The Yin family may have fallen, but Yin Rongyu’s talents were renowned, not just in Lei City but across the entire Spirit World. The family had pinned their hopes on him, so whatever he did, Yin Hengxie wouldn’t dare to challenge him too much; the whole family pampered him.

As for Yin Jiuxiao, what was he? With his sickly body, his life or death hardly mattered. Yin Rongyu knew Yin Hengxie’s bottom line and always held back, rarely taking action directly himself.

He had Yin Ye acting as his pawn, who was often the one to step up. Thus, Yin Rongyu had managed to keep his hands clean time and time again. No one blamed him; he was rarely punished. Just the other day, being questioned by Lin Qinghen and confined by Yin Hengxie was an unprecedented humiliation.

He’d been planning how to torment Yin Jiuxiao after his confinement ended, certain that Lin Qinghen’s protective spiritual device would eventually wear out. Yet, he hadn’t expected Lin Qinghen to pull off something like this.

Before overwhelming power, all schemes and tricks were useless. He barely got a few words out before Yin Ye, unable to bear the pain, spilled everything, revealing not only past events but also his sabotage at the training grounds that had led to the protective barrier’s failure.

Lin Qinghen didn’t blame him unjustly; every grudge and grievance was accounted for. But Yin Rongyu still felt indignant.

Despite his severe injuries, his talent allowed him to retain a sliver of clarity.

“Lin… Lin Qinghen,” Yin Rongyu, once elegant and composed, was now a blood-soaked wreck, his voice trembling as he spoke. “You won without honor! Just you wait! I’ll make sure you suffer the same, sooner or later! Don’t get too cocky; I’ll make you wish for death!”

Yin Jiuxiao had remained silent throughout, allowing Lin Qinghen to handle everything today, knowing that some would remain unconvinced. His gaze chilled, but he then heard Lin Qinghen chuckle.

Lin Qinghen had worn a faint smile for most of today; that expression itself was terrifying enough. But this was the first time he had actually laughed aloud.

“Not pretending anymore? That’s better.”

He looked at Yin Rongyu, wounded all over and with red-rimmed eyes spouting threats, finding him much more pleasing to the eye than his previously pretentious appearance.

The Yin family had indeed fallen. Everyone present had been intimidated by the Heavenly Tier experts Lin Qinghen brought along. Xu Yaoyang tried to resist a bit but immediately backed down when he realized the futility.

Elder Ye, another Yin family member, was sneakier, blending into the crowd so well he was hard to notice at a glance.

In this moment of crisis, each person felt uneasy, mirroring the current state of the Yin family: fractured and barely held together by remnants of their heritage. Without this, the family would have scattered long ago.

Yin Rongyu was the only one still brimming with spirit despite his severe beating. Just for that, Lin Qinghen felt inclined to say a few more words.

He wasn’t here today to humiliate the Yin family.

“Before I came to the Yin family, I’d heard of you, Yin Rongyu,” Lin Qinghen said. “I remember the name.”

“It’s because of your mother, Yin Yanyan. Back then, she had an honored title: the Feathered Sword Immortal. She was an Eight-Star Heavenly Tier, always in white, gentle and kind, revered across the Spirit World. You’re her only son, and you carry a part of her name. Great expectations were placed upon you. She died when you were only eight, didn’t she?”

The mention of his mother’s name clearly agitated Yin Rongyu further.

Lin Qinghen saw him staggering, even attempting to stand under the pressure of the Heavenly Tier, despite his injuries.

“You’re not allowed to mention her! Don’t insult her!” His voice turned sharp and inhuman. “Lin Qinghen, say one word against her, and I’ll self-detonate my Spirit Core to take you down with me!”

Lin Qinghen had no intention of letting him die; with Heavenly Tier experts keeping him restrained, self-detonating was impossible for Yin Rongyu.

But Lin Qinghen hadn’t intended to insult his mother.

“The Feathered Sword Immortal was a good person,” he said softly. “I’ve heard stories about her. When the Demonic Qi Rift struck Bei Zhou, she received an order from the Patriarch and held the line at Lin City. It was one of the worst-hit places. To protect more people, she became the Yin family’s sacrificial Heavenly Tier. With her strength, she could’ve fled.”

Feathered Sword Immortal had perished, but Lin City, which she protected, still held a spark of life. Otherwise, it would’ve faced complete annihilation.

Lin Qinghen had been in the Spirit World for only a year back then. He’d heard stories of the Yin family while struggling to survive in the Lin family’s cutthroat world. In that place where he was constantly trampled, he’d heard stories about the Yin family’s past glories and admired that spirit of sacrifice and integrity.

The Yin family had once ruled Bei Zhou, not merely by title, but by earning genuine respect.

When Lin Qinghen chose to marry Yin Jiuxiao, such stories played a part. He’d believed that anyone from the Yin family couldn’t be of poor character, that this noble family didn’t deserve such injustices.

If the Yin family could rise again, it would be wonderful; if the Yin family of the past could return, it would be even better.

He’d thought as much before coming here.

In marrying Yin Jiuxiao, if he had the ability, he’d be willing to join hands with the Yin family to bring it back to its former glory.

The initial success of Die Meng Medicine Hall supported Lin Qinghen’s ideas. He’d thought Yin Hengxie still had some good in him, a shred of conscience.

But many subsequent events had left Lin Qinghen somewhat disappointed.

“How did you all end up like this?” Lin Qinghen asked. “I traveled all this way to the Yin family, only to get dragged into your petty infighting? Yin Rongyu, you’re the sole heir of the Feathered Sword Immortal—do you find this entertaining?”

Yin Rongyu couldn’t reply immediately, panting heavily, perhaps not expecting to hear such respect and praise for his mother from Lin Qinghen.

But he still refused to submit, stubbornly replying, “What about me? Is it wrong to want the position of Young Master? Is my talent and hard work any less than that of useless Yin Jiuxiao? Is the state of the Yin family my fault? If I became the Young Master, the Yin family would rise again someday! Who do you think you are, Lin Qinghen, to criticize the Yin family?”

“If you truly wanted the Young Master position, why didn’t you kill Yin Jiuxiao outright? Then I’d respect you as a man. But no, you fear the Patriarch’s wrath, so you’ve never dared, only playing petty tricks, behaving like a lowlife, bullying relatives, fixating on internal strife. Is this what your mother taught you? Is it the Yin family’s tradition?” Lin Qinghen pressed him. “You’re wrong, Yin Rongyu. Keep fighting like this, and even if you become Young Master, there will be no Yin family left.”

“What nonsense are you spouting? Who do you think you are to…!”

“Because I have the right to say this,” Lin Qinghen shot back, his voice stronger. “If not for the elixirs supplied by my Die Meng, the mouse plague would’ve destroyed the city. The internal chaos would’ve surfaced, and Yin Hengxie would’ve been unable to keep Xu Yaoyang under control. He’d have been killed eventually. As a Yin family member, you’d think you’d be safe then?

“I lashed you not out of anger, Yin Rongyu. Remember, all of you in the Yin family better remember—I’ve done you a life-saving favor. You repay kindness with hostility, and yet I haven’t taken your lives or destroyed your talents. You ought to be thanking me for my generosity in not holding grudges. Do you hear me?”

Xu Yaoyang, who was among the crowd, heard this clearly.

Honestly, it was exactly what he’d been thinking. Die Meng had thwarted his plans; otherwise, the Yin family wouldn’t be in this state. The Alchemist Association’s sudden shift in allegiance today had also caught him off guard. But now that his thoughts were laid bare, and his leverage gone, he felt a growing unease.

Today… perhaps he shouldn’t have come here.

Lin Qinghen’s words revealed other things to everyone as well.

So Die Meng was Lin Qinghen’s medicine hall?

And Yu Yinyin was standing beside him, hardly needing further proof.

Lin Qinghen’s words stirred something in the crowd. Other than initial silence, they were visibly uneasy.

People began whispering in the audience.

“Is it him?”

“But Lin Qinghen’s talent was supposed to be poor, right?”

“It’s simply the world’s unfairness to the Yin family, he’s just a…” This person seemed to be about to say that he was an outsider but quickly corrected himself, mumbling, “What does he know!”

“But he has helped the Patriarch.”

“What exactly is Lin Qinghen trying to do?”

Yet no one dared to step forward, restrained by the sheer force. All eyes on Lin Qinghen grew visibly more intense.

Yin Hengxie was once again stunned by Lin Qinghen’s words. He looked up at him, only to find Lin Qinghen staring right back.

“Jiuxiao’s account is settled. Yin Hengxie, Patriarch Yin, I have one last thing to say,” Lin Qinghen declared. “Die Meng chose to cooperate with you out of respect and admiration for the former Yin family, believing you still had a conscience, that a shred of that legacy remained. But you have disappointed me in many things.”

“The downfall of the Yin family is partly due to natural disasters, partly due to the Patriarch’s incompetence. Isn’t that so?”

After a pause, Yin Hengxie replied hoarsely, “Yes.”

“Since you acknowledge it, then there’s hope. My long efforts won’t be in vain, just for your final chance,” Lin Qinghen continued, looking at him. “Yin Hengxie, remember, this is your last chance. Kill Xu Yaoyang. Immediately.”

“Qinghen, what are you saying?”

“The Alchemist Association has sworn an oath of alliance with me. You, Yin Miao, and my master Yu Yinyin can do it in less than fifteen minutes,” Lin Qinghen said firmly, without blinking. “The first step for the Yin family to rise again starts here. From now on, everyone in this place had better be obedient and listen to one person alone.”