Chapter 239 - 39: Trash

Chapter 239: Chapter 39: Trash

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The next day!

The entire East River Waters was in an uproar!

Nearly five hundred Water Bandits from the Water Bandit Alliance had been annihilated by the Lin Family in a single day. Only a dozen or so managed to escape this calamity because they were away or noticed something was wrong on their way back.

Black Flood Dragon Bay, the Black Flood Dragon Society!

"That old bastard, Blind Huo!"

Zheng Ke, the Gang Leader of the Black Flood Dragon Society, was currently in Juyi Hall, cursing Huo Tong’s name.

If it weren’t for Huo Tong, Jiang Ji wouldn’t have died for nothing.

Given Jiang Ji’s age, he had a real chance of breaking through to the True Gang Realm. If that had happened, the Black Flood Dragon Society would have had two True Gang Realm powerhouses, enough to dominate the nearby waters.

But now... Jiang Ji was dead, and the matter wasn’t over. If the Lin Family could move against the Water Bandit Alliance, they could just as easily move against the Black Flood Dragon Society.

Although their location meant both the Lin Family and the Cui Family were wary of each other’s reactions, if the Lin Family was truly determined, would the Cui Family really go to war with them over a bunch of Water Bandits?

Jiang Ji leading his men to the rescue had given the Lin Family the perfect excuse to strike.

"Go to the treasury, select a generous gift, and send it to the Lin Family."

Zheng Ke’s face was a mask of pain; he knew he had to make a significant sacrifice this time.

Seeing his subordinate about to leave, Zheng Ke thought of something else. "Prepare two gifts. The second one should be tailored to the cultivation needs of a Blood Exchange Realm Martial Artist."

Why was the Water Bandit Alliance wiped out?

It was all because of that grandson of Blind Huo, who had stirred up trouble by provoking Lin Yan of the Lin Family’s Third Branch. His senseless courting of death had enraged the Third Branch. This apology gift wasn’t just for the Lin Family; they had to send one to Lin Yan as well.

"Tell the men to lie low for a while. They are not to enter the waters patrolled by Lin Yan."

...

Swallow Cliff.

A similar scene was playing out here.

The difference was, compared to Zheng Ke’s anxiety, the Gang Leader of Swallow Cliff seemed slightly more at ease.

Blind Huo of the Water Bandit Alliance had also sent him a message asking for reinforcements, but he had ignored it.

Knowing Blind Huo’s character, the request for aid was clearly vague and concealed many details.

If it had only been Lin Shouzhi leading the attack, they wouldn’t have been able to crush the Water Bandit Alliance. After all, Blind Huo’s strength surpassed Lin Shouzhi’s.

If even Blind Huo couldn’t hold out, it must have meant other True Gang Realm powerhouses from the Lin Family had taken action. That would mean the Lin Family was serious, and going to the rescue would only drag him down with them.

And just as he had predicted, the Lin Family had indeed made a major move. Several True Gang Realm powerhouses from the Third Branch had been deployed. There were even rumors that Lin Shouchen, who had vanished for years, had reappeared and killed Jiang Ji, the second-in-command of the Black Flood Dragon Society.

’Looks like this Lin Yan from the branch family is highly valued by the Third Branch.’

Duan Chengzong toyed with the two iron balls in his hand, his old eyes narrowing. The root of this whole affair was Blind Huo’s grandson provoking Lin Yan, which brought on the Third Branch’s retaliation.

Even if a core member of the Third Branch had suffered the humiliation of being sent dead fish and rotten shrimp by that Huo Shen, it wouldn’t necessarily have prompted more than half of the Third Branch to mobilize and wipe out the Water Bandit Alliance in one fell swoop.

"Pass the order to the men below: stay off the river for a while, especially the waters Lin Yan is in charge of. Anyone who violates this will be punished according to the gang’s rules."

...

East River Waters, Cui Family outpost.

"For this Lin Yan to be so highly regarded by the Lin Family’s Third Branch, could it be that his Martial Arts talent is exceptionally high? If that’s truly the case, then we need to pay more attention to him."

"Uncle Jiu, you’re overthinking it." The young man sitting in the grand armchair to the left leaned back, sinking into the soft cushions as he spoke nonchalantly, "We in the Cui Family know the situation with the Lin Family’s Third Branch very well. They’ve been on the decline for years. Not only is their population dwindling, but they barely have a voice in the Lin Family. This time, they’re just using this business with Lin Yan to make a show of force and intimidate other powers, to let people know the Third Branch hasn’t fallen yet."

"As for that Lin Yan..." The young man shrugged. "He’s from a branch family. How talented can he be? The Third Branch is only making such a fuss over a branch family member because they have no one else."

Listening to his nephew’s words, Cui Hui mulled it over. It seemed to make sense.

"As long as the Lin Family doesn’t produce another Lin Shouchen or Lin Shouyuan, everything else is manageable."

"Uncle Jiu, I heard that back then, the family wanted to take care of Lin Shouchen as well..."

"Chenyu, watch your words."

Cui Hui immediately cut his nephew off. What happened back then must never be revealed. Not a single whisper could get out, especially not to the Lin Family.

...

Meanwhile, the man at the center of all this attention, Lin Yan, was in his own courtyard, counting his Martial Arts Fruits one by one and preparing for a new infusion.