A quiet night.

  Lin Lin slept straight until nearly noon. He got up and went to the cave entrance. He confirmed with the disciples guarding the cave that they would each receive three spirit stones per month from the sect as a reward.

  From now on, the cave would be guarded in three shifts. Once personnel were assigned, they would never be changed unless something unexpected happened.

  Any guard who abandoned their post or approached the cave would face sect punishment.

  The disciples guarding the cave looked at the spirit stones in their hands and gladly accepted the orders.

  In the world of cultivation, no cultivator would ever turn down spirit stones.

  After setting this up, Lin Lin convened the three temporary elders for their first official.

  With a solemn face, Lin Lin announced, "The Sect Leader has spoken. Now that all four masters are in secluded cultivation, the sect is vulnerable—a major."

  "Fortunately, the Young Miss is engaged to the Qi family of Spirit Sword Sect. The Sect Leader's idea is to have the Young Miss seek help from the Qi family."

  The other two kids had no objections. But Ma Zhaoyuan jumped out to oppose again.

  "Even if we inner disciples aren't trusted, can we really trust Spirit Sword Sect? What if their Foundation Establishment cultivators charge in? Who among us could stop them?"

  Lin Lin's dislike for Ma Zhaoyuan grew. He resolved to find a chance to get rid of him.

  But for now, he remained all smiles and sweet talk.

  "Elder Ma makes a good point. That's why the Sect Leader doesn't actually want Spirit Sword Sect's people—he wants their influence. If news spreads through the cultivation world that the Young Miss is connected to Spirit Sword Sect, no one will dare move against Qingfeng Sect."

  Ma Zhaoyuan scratched the back of his head and reluctantly accepted Lin Lin's reasoning.

  "The Young Miss took the lotus leaf boat, a flying artifact. She should be in Jiangrong City by now. Elder Ma, the fastest flying artifact in the sect right now is your Flying Sword. I'll trouble you to make the trip."

  Ma Zhaoyuan was extremely reluctant, but had no choice but to comply. "What do I say when I find Senior Sister Liu Yueyan?"

  "Tell her the Sect Leader has urgent matters and orders her immediate return. If she doesn't listen, show her this Sect Leader's ring." Lin Lin casually handed the ring to Ma Zhaoyuan.

  "Fine. I'll go then."

  After Ma Zhaoyuan left, Lin Lin immediately began preparing the cave.

  First, he disposed of the unwanted flesh scraps from the Sect Leader and three elders.

  Second, he set up a trap for Liu Yueyan.

  There was still some nitroglycerin left, but it was too unstable. He had to replace it with trinitrotoluene.

  And the activation method needed to change.

  He'd need mercury fulminate as a primer.

  Another issue: the cave's soundproofing was terrible. If things got noisy, it would be inconvenient.

  Since he couldn't soundproof it, he'd just have to create some noise.

  Fortunately, it was midsummer. Annoying summer insects were everywhere.

  Lin Lin had people catch a bunch of chirping insects and stuff them into cloth bags.

  That should do it.

  Jiangrong City wasn't far. By flying artifact, it was only half a day's journey.

  Ma Zhaoyuan arrived in Jiangrong City and found Liu Yueyan, still out enjoying herself.

  After much effort persuading her, it was already dark by the time he brought her back.

  Liu Yueyan hadn't even eaten dinner on the way. She was fuming.

  When she saw Lin Lin in front of the cave, she immediately started cursing. "What kind of dog servant dares to call me back!"

  Lin Lin dropped his usual obsequious manner and said seriously, "Young Miss, this is the Sect Leader's order. He wants you to go in immediately. He has important matters to discuss with you."

  But a girl's temper, once flared, was stubborn.

  Liu Yueyan only cared that she'd spent the whole afternoon flying back on her artifact, exhausted.

  Hearing Lin Lin talk back to her like that, her anger flared up again.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  "You dog! You really think you're the master now? Believe me, I'll have you gelded and make you a gelded dog!"

  "Young Miss, you can punish this dog however you like afterwards. But this concerns the Sect Leader's cultivation plans. Please go see him immediately."

  When Liu Yueyan heard it involved her father's cultivation, her anger subsided by sixty or seventy percent.

  Liu Fenghai had always doted on his only daughter, Liu Yueyan.

  Since she was little, whether she killed people for treasure or massacred villages,

  Liu Fenghai would always smooth things over, making big problems small and small problems disappear.

  But there was one thing she could never cross: Liu Fenghai's cultivation plans.

  Once, when playing, Liu Yueyan accidentally damaged an expensive pill Liu Fenghai had bought. He flew into a rage.

  She got such a severe beating that she couldn't get out of bed for a week.

  That was Liu Fenghai. Nothing was more important than his own path to immortality.

  If selling his daughter could get him cultivation resources, he'd seriously consider it.

  In fact, you could say he'd already "sold" her to the Qi family of Spirit Sword Sect.

  "Fine. After I see my father, I'll come back and geld you." With that, Liu Yueyan started to enter with her two maids.

  Everything was going smoothly—until Ma Zhaoyuan ruined it again. "Hold on! This is the Sect Leader's cultivation ground. Liu Yueyan can enter, but the maids cannot."

  Liu Yueyan was now furious at Ma Zhaoyuan too.

  "What, Ma Zhaoyuan, you want to be gelded too?!"

  "You! I'm now an acting elder of the sect!"

  Lin Lin quickly pulled Ma Zhaoyuan aside and whispered persuasively, "It's fine. Even if these two maids had evil intentions, the Young Miss is at Foundation Establishment, and I'm at late Qi Refining—we can completely handle them. After they see the Sect Leader, I'll have them leave through the cave's secret passage."

  "No way! None of us acting elders can enter. If these two maids go in..."

  Lin Lin was burning with anger inside. He thought, Ma Zhaoyuan really knows how to pick his moments to cause trouble. I'll definitely kill him for this.

  But for now, he had to coax him with sweet words.

  Messing with people's heads was Lin Lin's specialty.

  Which inventor in modern history wasn't a master at raising funds and conning investors?

  And Lin Lin, being a genius, was naturally skilled at this game. "Elder Ma, please just let it slide this once. Think about it: once the Young Miss leaves, she won't be receiving her monthly sect allowance anymore. I wouldn't dare take that money myself, but I could give it to you as a token of respect."

  "This... is that appropriate?"

  "The Young Miss is practically part of Spirit Sword Sect now. Even if her future husband's family is stingy, they wouldn't let her go without, right? Her allowance can't just be withheld—it has to go to you. Don't worry, if anything happens, I'll take the blame."

  It was hard to stay mad at someone who was smiling and offering such a generous gift. Ma Zhaoyuan felt a bit embarrassed.

  "Well... alright. But this is a one-time exception."

  "Naturally, a one-time exception."

  Lin Lin then gave each of the disciples guarding the cave another spirit stone and told them this was a special case.

  Even if someone was to be allowed into the cave, it required Lin Lin's approval. And for each approval, he'd give each disciple present one spirit stone.

  Lin Lin also warned them: if he caught them accepting spirit stones from anyone else, they'd face sect punishment!

  "Dog servant, can we go in now?" Liu Yueyan had long run out of patience.

  "Young Miss, please."

  Lin Lin led the way into the cave, hobbling with his cane. Liu Yueyan followed behind.

  The cave passage was narrow—only wide enough for two people.

  But Lin Lin, with his cane, swayed back and forth, walking slowly and blocking Liu Yueyan's way.

  The insects in the cloth bags chirped urgently, grating on the nerves.

  Liu Yueyan grew agitated. She wanted to draw her sword and use "Misty Willow Bridge" to slice Lin Lin's wretched figure to pieces.

  Finally, they reached the secluded chamber. Lin Lin stepped aside and pointed at the door. "Young Miss, please go in. The Sect Leader is waiting inside."

  He pointed at the two maids. "You two wait here."

  Liu Yueyan hurried to the chamber door. She tried to push it open—but found it locked.

  "Father? It's me. I'm back."

  Perfect timing!

  A opportunity not seized is an opportunity lost.

  Lin Lin reached for the pull cord hidden in a niche in the cave wall and yanked it hard.

  The ground beneath Liu Yueyan exploded with a roar, shattering both her lower legs.

  "AHHH!!!"

  The sudden, immense pain blurred Liu Yueyan's consciousness. She collapsed to the ground, wailing.

  "Miss!"

  A tripwire mine. The principle: don't arm it until you see the enemy.

  Lin Lin's earlier dawdling was deliberate—to make Liu Yueyan impatient and careless.

  When he stepped aside and let her go to see the Sect Leader alone,

  she rushed forward without thinking, never suspecting a trap.

  Lin Lin had blocked the door with hidden bolts, so when she found it locked, she just stood there.

  Then, pulling the cord to trigger the explosives beneath the floorboards, he perfectly blew off her legs.

  The two maids rushed to help. Lin Lin struck one with a punch, breaking her shoulder bone, then followed up with several more blows, beating her to death.

  These maids had been at early Qi Refining, but after entering the sect and serving the Young Miss, they'd had no time to cultivate.

  Against Lin Lin, who was at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining, they couldn't last a single round.

  "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please, don't—don't come near me!"

  The other maid realized what was happening and knelt, begging for mercy.

  But when Liu Yueyan bullied Lin Lin, these two maids had always fanned the flames.

  Lin Lin had no time to waste on them. He beat the second maid to death with a few punches, then rushed to stem Liu Yueyan's bleeding.

  "You... you dog! When my father finds out, he'll have you gelded for sure!" Liu Yueyan screamed through the agony.

  "Shut up. If you want to live, behave."

  On modern battlefields, soldiers carry tourniquets.

  When a limb is severed, they can block the arteries and veins to quickly stop the bleeding.

  Lin Lin used rawhide strips to bind Liu Yueyan's legs, temporarily halting the blood flow.

  "You... you ungrateful beast, worse than a pig or a dog! Die!" Liu Yueyan swung a desperate slap at Lin Lin.

  The slap missed, but it jolted Lin Lin awake.

  Right. How could Lin Lin be ungrateful?

  Of course he would repay the great kindness shown to him by Master Liu Fenghai and his daughter.

  Lin Lin used more rawhide strips to tightly bind Liu Yueyan's arms, then dragged her into the secluded chamber.

  He found the great axe Elder Zhang usually used and walked towards Liu Yueyan.

  Once inside the chamber, Liu Yueyan didn't see her father or the other elders. Fear crept into her heart.

  Seeing Lin Lin approaching with the axe, she finally knew terror. She quickly begged, "Senior Brother Lin, let's talk this over calmly."

  "Don't worry. I'm helping you heal. I need you. You're not going to die just yet. Now be good. Spread your arms flat on the floor and don't move."

  Liu Yueyan nodded and obediently stretched out her arms.

  Lin Lin stepped on one of her arms and brought the axe down, severing it.

  "AHH! AHH! You... you dog! You filthy cur!"

  Lin Lin immediately stepped on her other arm and chopped it off with another swing.

  Liu Yueyan was, after all, a Foundation Establishment cultivator. He had to be careful.

  She'd only lost her lower legs. With her arms, she could still fight back.

  Only by cutting off both her forearms could Lin Lin be sure of controlling her.