Previously, he’d said that even if Yin Jiuxiao didn’t have the strength, under the current circumstances, he could still firmly secure his position as the Young Master.

Lin Qinghen already trusted him before; now, after Yin Jiuxiao’s straightforward words, he had nothing to worry about.

When Yin Jiuxiao spoke, not only was Steward Wang stunned, but Yin Hengxie was as well.

“Jiuxiao?” Yin Hengxie looked at him in disbelief. “What did you say?”

Yin Jiuxiao didn’t mind repeating himself.

“I said, if he dares defy me, I’ll slice him up.”

He didn’t care how long Steward Wang had been working for the Yin family. It wasn’t like he hadn’t given him a chance. For a defiant old hand, a lesson was in order.

Aside from pretending to be blind and weak, Yin Jiuxiao wasn’t hiding his imposing aura anymore. With just a step forward, his presence was overwhelming. He slowly beckoned behind him.

“Wei Lin, step up,” he called out, “Take him down.”

Wei Lin, of course, listened immediately. He pulled off his mask and approached. With Yin Jiuxiao calling his name openly, there was no need to hide anymore.

Wei Lin, being in Yin Jiuxiao’s service, didn’t hesitate. He lunged forward in an instant.

No one expected this. Steward Wang’s spiritual power wasn’t high—he was only at the Mysterious Level—and without anyone intervening, he was caught by Wei Lin right away.

“Patriarch, save me!” Steward Wang began to struggle, but his body wouldn’t move. “Who are you? Yin Jiuxiao, what are you doing, being unreasonable!”

He never expected anyone would dare to lay hands on him.

Most of his confidence before was based on this.

Lin Qinghen wasn’t one to meddle excessively. Moreover, Die Meng had already struck a partnership with the Yin family. No matter how powerful Yu Yinyin was, she couldn’t just cause a scene in the Yin family for no reason. What he hadn’t anticipated was that Yin Jiuxiao suddenly had a Heavenly Tier expert by his side.

Yin Jiuxiao raised his head slightly, and his gray eyes looked into the distance. Then, he curled his lips into a smirk.

“Have you ever seen a Young Master reason with his subordinates?” Yin Jiuxiao shook his head. “Steward Wang, you really haven’t regarded me as your master. This punishment isn’t unjust.”

At this moment, Yin Hengxie was even more shocked than he’d been when he saw Lin Qinghen take control of the Discipline Hall.

Steward Wang was, after all, the manager of the inner court. He was about to step forward to intervene, but Yin Hengxie held him back.

Because the one giving the order was none other than Yin Jiuxiao.

Until now, Yin Jiuxiao had never shown his true self to anyone. Everyone thought that since he’d lost his strength, he’d become gloomy and timid, unsuitable for any significant role.

What he revealed in front of Steward Wang earlier was just a glimpse of his true self, but Wang hadn’t believed it. He thought Yin Jiuxiao was merely a paper tiger, relying on Lin Qinghen’s favor—just a fragile shell that would shatter with a little push. But he hadn’t expected it to be an impenetrable wall.

So Yin Hengxie, too, was astonished.

Yin Jiuxiao now exuded a calm and commanding air, a look of absolute control over all, reminiscent of something from the past.

Moreover, while others might not recognize Wei Lin, Yin Hengxie certainly did.

When did he appear? Why was he here, and listening to Yin Jiuxiao?

Yin Hengxie stood there, stunned, unable to process it all. After a long pause, he managed to say, “You…”

“What about me?” Yin Jiuxiao replied. “I’ve always been like this; you all just didn’t know.”

Wei Lin held Steward Wang in place, and neither Yin Hengxie nor anyone from the Yin family moved.

With their opponent’s level of skill, he only needed a fraction of his focus on them, leaving him free to exchange greetings with Yin Hengxie.

“Patriarch Yin, long time no see.”

Yin Hengxie never expected to be talking to the second leader of the Lang Clan in this way.

He wasn’t sure if he should be looking at Wei Lin or Yin Jiuxiao. After a long pause, he seemed slightly on guard, ready to draw his sword at any moment. “What are you doing here? And where is the Lang Clan’s chief?”

“He’s dead, thanks to… Young Master Lin,” Wei Lin replied. “So now, I am the chief of the Lang Clan. Also, Patriarch Yin, there’s no need to worry. Technically, we’re family now. The Lang Clan has surrendered to Die Meng as agreed.”

“And as per Young Master Lin’s wishes, I’m following Young Master Jiuxiao’s lead. I take orders from him.”

Yin Hengxie’s head buzzed as he took it all in. His eyes darted over to Lin Qinghen, and he instinctively attributed all the surprises to him, hoping he would offer an explanation.

Moreover, if the Lang Clan’s chief was dead, it couldn’t have been done by Wei Lin alone. Yin Hengxie suspected Yu Yinyin must have helped. After all, who else was there in the area around Lei City?

Though Yu Yinyin knew she wasn’t directly involved, she remained silent, simply watching the scene unfold, giving an implicit endorsement.

Lin Qinghen, for his part, stayed silent, even turning his gaze away, refraining from looking at him.

This was Yin Jiuxiao’s moment; he could handle it without interference. Lin Qinghen wasn’t about to steal his thunder.

After all, didn’t Yin Jiuxiao let him have his moment last time? Between husband and wife, these things were just common courtesy.

“Uncle, don’t ask Qinghen. Ask me instead,” Yin Jiuxiao continued. “Though Qinghen did help, I had a hand in the Lang Clan business too—or rather, I handled most of it.”

Wei Lin thought to himself that “had a hand” was an understatement. Yin Jiuxiao had single-handedly taken down the Lang Clan. Such modesty!

But since the master had spoken, he responded promptly.

“Indeed,” Wei Lin nodded in agreement. “Young Master Yin has kept his talents well hidden, earning my utmost respect. With the Lang Clan joining Die Meng, and me at Young Master Yin’s side, it was set from the start. From now on, I’m the blade of Young Master Yin, and I’ll carry out his orders without hesitation.”

These words weren’t just for everyone else; they were Wei Lin’s pledge of loyalty to Yin Jiuxiao.

As a Heavenly Tier expert, once Wei Lin said it, there was no taking it back.

Yin Hengxie processed this revelation slowly, staring back at him in a daze, needing a long moment to let it sink in.

Jiuxiao… had he been hiding all this?

But if he was so capable, why hadn’t he said anything before?

The Lang Clan had always been a major worry, and he’d been planning to deal with them eventually. However, with the Lang Clan’s numbers, it would take a long time to make a dent without affecting the Yin family’s strength.

Who would’ve thought that in just a few days, the Lang Clan had already surrendered, and its leadership was now held by his most unexpected nephew.

He’d been blind to so much all these years.

Yin Hengxie had indeed held onto the Young Master’s position, as instructed by his elders, presuming Yin Jiuxiao couldn’t handle it.

Despite Lin Qinghen’s repeated insistence that Yin Jiuxiao needed to be a dignified Young Master, Yin Hengxie had never truly believed it.

But he never anticipated such a turn of events.

“What’s the matter? My body may be weak, but my mind isn’t. Raised by my grandfather and the elders, I have some skills,” Yin Jiuxiao declared. “Anyone dissatisfied can step forward now. I’d like to know why, as the Young Master of the Yin family, I can’t discipline an unruly steward.”

Now, no one dared to voice opposition.

Naturally, Yin Hengxie and Yin Miao, who hoped he would perform well, felt relieved. In a moment of mixed emotions, they felt they could face their ancestors with pride.

After being reprimanded several times, Elder Ye had learned his lesson and stayed obediently out of the way, as did the others who wouldn’t dare challenge Wei Lin.

However, Yin Miao did have one concern after processing everything.

“So the Lang Clan has submitted to Die Meng?” Yin Miao frowned. “Jiuxiao, Die Meng Medicine Hall is still small. I doubt they can handle it all. Since you made it happen, a portion should go to the Yin family as your pers—”

Yin Miao wasn’t being malicious; he just instinctively thought about their interests, unwilling to let Lin Qinghen enjoy all the benefits now that Jiuxiao was finally stepping up. It was only fair to keep some within the family.

But before he could finish, Yin Jiuxiao interrupted, an obvious look of displeasure on his face.

“Elder Yin Miao, mind your own business and stop meddling with things between Qinghen and me,” he replied. “What’s mine is Qinghen’s, and what’s Qinghen’s is mine. The Lang Clan’s submission to Die Meng has nothing to do with the Yin family. Don’t think about things that don’t belong to you.”

Yin Miao swallowed back his words.

For some reason, when his gaze met Yin Jiuxiao’s gray eyes, he felt intimidated, unable to continue.

With no further objections, it was time for him to discipline the unruly ones.

Steward Wang, listening to all this, was terrified, his whole body trembling.

He knelt in an uncomfortable position, having been held down by Wei Lin for quite a while, with his bones aching. And this was only the beginning.

Yin Jiuxiao heard him tremblingly pleading for the Young Master’s mercy, but it was too late to realize it now.

“I clearly warned Steward Wang before; why didn’t you listen?” Yin Jiuxiao shook his head, sighing. “I told you before, for every disobedience, I’d slice you however many times it took. Wei Lin, where’s your knife?”

Wei Lin immediately pulled out a dagger.

His Essence manifested as a short dagger, not ideal as it was a short weapon, which often came with risks in direct combat. It was more suited for assassinations, where it shone less in head-on confrontations.

However, he didn’t use his Essence blade this time; instead, he chose an ordinary, somewhat dull spiritual device.

A blade like this would inflict the most pain.

Yin Jiuxiao hadn’t specified this, but Wei Lin, seasoned in the mercenary world, understood. He wouldn’t miss any chance to satisfy Yin Jiuxiao and prove his loyalty.

And then, Yin Jiuxiao began to list his grievances.

“First, I said that from now on, the distribution of elixirs in the Yin family wouldn’t follow the Twelve Courtyards. All children are to be treated equally, regardless of birth, and the hierarchy will be based on talent, effort, and actual performance. But you didn’t listen, did you?”

Steward Wang’s lips had turned pale from fear, unable to say a word.

Wei Lin, without waiting for Yin Jiuxiao’s cue, expertly drew his blade and made a swift, practiced cut.

In a moment, blood seeped through Steward Wang’s clothes.

This was nothing like the scene in the Discipline Hall last time. At least back then, Lin Qinghen’s targets were seasoned fighters, while Steward Wang, responsible for internal affairs, hadn’t moved a finger in years. One slice was already too much for him.

Even if they couldn’t see it, his screams made the agony clear to everyone.

But Yin Jiuxiao remained unmoved, calmly continuing.

“Now, the second matter…”

Yin Jiuxiao had a strong memory, and he remembered everything he had told Steward Wang. He meticulously went through it, point by point, but his purpose was clear.

—From now on, whatever he said, everyone in the Yin family had to listen. Anyone with objections would eventually be singled out and disciplined until they complied.