C13 Three to Five

"That's outrageous!"

"Does the Lin family not realize they're bullying people?"

"The marriage contract being dissolved is one thing, but why should we hand over the Celestial Ice Crystal to you?"

The hall erupted into chaos as the Yu family elders rose to their feet, vociferously condemning the second son of the Lin family.

Lin Hanyu stood tall and unflinching, ignoring the agitated Yu family members, and firmly stated, "The Celestial Ice Crystal is also a matter of Winter's Bite's interest!"

"Winter's Bite..."

Upon hearing 'Winter's Bite,' many Yu family counselors deflated like punctured balloons and slowly took their seats again.

The Lin family was formidable on its own, but the influence of Winter's Bite was clearly on another level entirely.

"This is too much!" Yu Lili exclaimed, rising to her feet in a burst of anger.

Yu Wei, Yu Lian, and Yu Lili, the three siblings, were all practitioners within the Golden Sanctum realm. Yu Wei was at the middle period, Yu Lian at the early period, and Yu Lili had already reached the late period, with prospects of advancing to Veil Breaking.

As such, Yu Lili held considerable prestige within the clan.

Unfortunately...

"You've done well to reach the late period of the Golden Sanctum, but do you know how many in our Lin family are at that level? More than ten! Not counting my elder brother and myself, we have three at the Veil Breaking level, and an ancestor who has reached the Subtlety Stage is still among us!"

"This is merely the Lin family, let alone Winter's Bite of Euwrea!"

Lin Hanyu gave her a cold, dismissive glance, "A minor family from Asvetaesi, with its strongest member only at the late period of the Golden Sanctum. How could such a family be worthy of marrying my daughter? I suggest you think it over and save yourselves from further embarrassment."

After his words, Yu Lili, who had stood up so defiantly, felt herself stiffen.

Confronted with the harsh reality, she suddenly realized that her passionate fervor was, in fact, quite insignificant.

Her heart ached for the old man, her nephew, who had not only awakened but was beginning to demonstrate his aptitude for cultivation.

"Ah, my dear nephew, I truly wish I could help you, but... I am utterly powerless," she lamented inwardly, looking at Yu Yuan with a bitter expression and gently shaking her head. With a meaningful glance, she urged Yu Yuan to swallow the day's disgrace.

"Furthermore!"

It was then that Lin Hanyu abruptly turned his attention to Yu Yuan, "Yin Jue was my dog! You must consider the owner before you strike a dog. His mysterious death will be investigated by me! If I discover any connection to you, don't expect me to be courteous!"

"There's no need for an investigation." Yu Yuan replied with a smile, "I wasn't truthful earlier. Your dog met its end at my hands. Here, this is the pill. You may or may not have heard of it; it's known as the Lizard Blood Pill. And it's just as effective on you as it was on your dog."

While speaking, he produced the porcelain bottle containing the Lizard Blood Pill and flaunted it in Lin Hanyu's direction.

Every member of the Yu family, the counselors, and the guests had their expressions shift dramatically!

In that instant, all eyes were riveted on Yu Yuan!

What was happening?

Had Yu Yuan lost his mind?

How could he brazenly confess to poisoning Yin Jue, especially in front of Lin Hanyu, the owner?

At a time when everyone in the Yu family, from Yu Cen to Yu Lili, to the elders and counselors, had opted to yield in the face of the formidable Winter's Bite and the Lin family, why did he choose to act out?

By admitting to poisoning Yin Jue, wasn't he just handing the Lin family the perfect pretext?

Now, it wouldn't just be a matter of calling off the engagement; Lin Hanyu would surely pursue the matter further, bringing misfortune upon the Yu family.

Panic set in as everyone mentally braced for the worst.

"You're the one who poisoned Yin Jue?" Lin Hanyu paused, then burst into a menacing laugh. "True or false, since you've had the audacity to confess, don't blame me for what comes next…"

"Lizard Blood Pill!"

Lin Zhuyun, who had remained silent until now, suddenly snapped her eyes open. Her exquisite face drained of color as she gasped, "It's actually the Lizard Blood Pill!"

Lin Hanyu, boiling with rage, was about to lash out when he was frantically stopped by her. "Don't! Keep your cool!"

"Is it truly the Lizard Blood Pill?" she demanded, her eyes icy, her tone grave and serious—a stark contrast to her earlier composure.

Yu Yuan offered a sly smile. "What's your guess?"

"Guess? This young upstart dares to spout such nonsense to me over a pill whose authenticity is in question!" Lin Hanyu burst into laughter, his laugh cutting through the air like a knife. Unaware of the Lizard Blood Pill's potency, he shrugged off Lin Zhuyun's restraint and advanced on Yu Yuan. "I refuse to believe that the one who poisoned Yin Jue is you—a fool who's been clueless for seventeen years!"

He had always despised Yu Yuan deep down.

His daughter was the jewel of the Lin family and the pride of the entire Silvermoon Empire!

She had been adored and cherished from a young age, yet due to one poor decision by her mother, she had endured shame and often wept in secret.

And wasn't this fool before him to blame?

What could this simpleton, even if he had stumbled into some good fortune and suddenly come to his senses, possibly do?

He had the audacity to claim that with an unheard-of pill, he could not only kill Yin Jue but also ensnare him in the process!

"Father! If it is indeed the Lizard Blood Pill, I fear even you won't be able to withstand it!" Lin Zhuyun exclaimed in alarm.

In the hall, the Yu family members and numerous guests stood petrified, unsure of how to react.

The Lizard Blood Pill? Could it be that formidable?

"If you dare to try, I assure you neither you nor your daughter will leave the Yu family alive," Yu Yuan declared, his casual smile vanishing as he faced the thoroughly enraged Lin Hanyu. His demeanor turned eerily calm.

His calm was that of a seasoned executioner, a chilling indifference to life that seemed to emanate from his very core.

Lin Hanyu, his hands stained with much bloodshed, listened to Yu Yuan's words and observed his demeanor, feeling an eerie sense of kinship with him.

"It's not just you and your daughter," Yu Yuan said with increasing detachment. "If something were to happen to me, my mentor would undoubtedly decimate the Lin family."

At these words, Lin Hanyu, previously seething with rage, forcibly composed himself.

"What are you talking about?"

With a skeptical look, he scrutinized Yu Yuan's eyes before turning to his daughter. "What is this Lizard Blood Pill? Did Yin Jue truly die from it?"

"I once heard from the Guru at Winter's Bite, who imparted the spell to me, that this poison pill, when ingested by someone at the Veil Breaking level, disperses its toxin through the eight extra-channels to the vital organs." Seeing her father's slight calm, Lin Zhuyun quickly clarified, "Father, if it is indeed the Lizard Blood Pill, I fear even you might not withstand it."

"The Lizard Blood Pill..." Lin Hanyu was still skeptical, but his gaze shifted from Yu Yuan's face to the porcelain bottle holding the Lizard Blood Pill. "Are you saying you poisoned Yin Jue?"

"Yin Jue attempted to kill me twice," Yu Yuan said, his voice even and eyes slightly narrowed as he began to relax. "The first time, I survived. The second time, he didn't."

Lin Zhuyun was about to interject.

"I don't care who was behind him; he had it coming," Yu Yuan declared, flashing a chilling smile at the father and daughter.

That smile sent shivers down their spines.

Then, without warning, Yu Yuan violently shook the porcelain bottle!

"Pop!"

The second Lizard Blood Pill inside transformed into a cloud of crimson mist!

Yu Yuan's fingers clamped down on the cotton plug of the bottle as if he were gripping the necks of both father and daughter.

"When Yin Jue first struck at me, you didn't punish him afterward. Your lack of action was tacit approval," he said quietly, his gaze fixed on Lin Zhuyun as he demanded coldly, "Shouldn't you offer me an apology?"

"I..." Lin Zhuyun began, but the rest of her words remained unspoken.

Yin Jue was brought here by her, and he was acting under orders from the Winter's Bite Sect, following her father's commands. She had to ask herself, did she truly know nothing about it?

Or was she just making excuses for herself? Unable to control the Winter's Bite or restrain her father, did she just let things spiral towards the worst possible outcome?

Perhaps, deep down, in her subconscious, she also wished for the death of the person who had brought her shame.

"And you," Yu Yuan turned his attention to Lin Hanyu. "We'll set aside our issues for the moment. Right now, I want you to apologize to my grandfather."

Lin Hanyu's expression was a mix of incredulity and amusement. "Kid, do you really think you can threaten me?"

"I'll count to three," Yu Yuan said, his face showing his lack of interest in further discussion.

"Brat! Hehe, who do you think you are?"

"One!"

Without reaching three, Yu Yuan abruptly yanked the cotton from the porcelain bottle!

He then hurled the bottle towards Lin Hanyu and Lin Zhuyun, where it shattered midair with a loud "bang"!

A crimson blood mist instantly dispersed!

As if possessing spiritual wisdom, the lingering blood mist surged towards Lin Hanyu and Lin Zhuyun like slender, scarlet evil dragons.

"Ah!"

Chaos erupted in the hall.

The Yu family's elders and counselors scrambled for cover, terrified of being affected by the Lizard Blood Pill and suffering a fate similar to Yin Jue's.

"But, wasn't it supposed to be a count to three? Why did it stop at one?" Yu Lian was utterly bewildered.

"Our nephew has lost his mind!" Yu Lili's body radiated with flowing spiritual light. "Everyone, take cover in the corners of the hall, I'll protect my uncle!"

She appeared behind Yu Cen like a flash of lightning, ready to push his wheelchair out of harm's way.

"Damn it! This reckless boy planned to unleash the deadly poison of the Lizard Blood Pill from the start! He's completely mad, utterly lawless!" Yu Wei was petrified, but he now understood that his nephew, fully awakened, must have been determined from the outset.

The supposed countdown and the previous threats were likely just a smokescreen, a ploy to stall for time.

For instance, to ensure that the blood poison from the "Lizard Blood Pill" infiltrated only the Lin family father and daughter...

Was all that long-winded explanation just to accomplish this outcome?

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