Lin Yun cultivated peacefully in his room while Little Ape snored away at his side. Neither of them paid any mind to where Li Tian had gone or what he was doing.

Lin Yun was still cultivating when Li Tian returned a short time later. Seeing him, Lin Yun didn’t even ask what he had been up to.

While all was calm on Lin Yun’s end, the He Family residence was in complete chaos. Just moments ago, a carriage had pulled up to their gate. Without a word, two corpses were thrown from it.

The two bodies were brazenly dumped right at the He Family’s entrance. Before the family guards could even ask a question, the carriage had already sped away.

In his study, Patriarch He stared at the two corpses before him, his expression incredibly grim. These were the very men he had sent to assassinate Lin Yun.

"Could it be... they’re all dead?" Patriarch He asked.

"Patriarch, I’m afraid things are even worse," an old steward beside him said upon hearing his words.

"Oh? Go on." Patriarch He valued the old steward’s opinion. The man was his strategist, having not only served him for most of his life but also possessing remarkable wisdom.

"Patriarch, if they were all dead, that would be for the best. The dead can’t testify. But since the other party only left two bodies, the fate of the others is unknown. If any were taken alive, this will become very difficult," the old steward explained.

"Impossible! They were trained by my He Family since childhood. Their loyalty is absolute!" Patriarch He said nervously. Indeed, it would be fine if they were all dead. But if they had been captured alive, that would be a disaster.

"Patriarch, this Lin Yun is no ordinary person. If he has a live captive, it’s a huge threat to us. And if the captive isn’t in Lin Yun’s hands, but the Bai Family’s, that would be even more disadvantageous for us," the old steward said.

Patriarch He paced back and forth in the room. His frantic steps betrayed the turmoil in his heart.

"They all have poison hidden in their mouths. Even if they failed, they would never have been taken alive," Patriarch He said, stopping after a few laps to face the old steward.

"We must prepare for the worst-case scenario. If they were all truly dead, Lin Yun and the Bai Family would have no reason to make such a superfluous move. Wouldn’t they just come straight to our door demanding an explanation? After all, the only use for dead men is to extort some compensation," the old steward replied.

The old steward’s words made Patriarch He even more anxious. ’He’s right. If Lin Yun and the Bai Family didn’t have a live captive, why go through all this trouble? They could have just brought the bodies here and demanded payment. After all, what good are dead men who can’t talk?’

’The more he thought about it, the more terrified Patriarch He became. They had left just two bodies without a single word. Was this their way of telling him, *We’ve captured your He Family’s Deadpools alive...?*’

If they really had been captured alive, there would be both witnesses and physical evidence. It wouldn’t matter how loyal the Deadpools were; once the matter reached Flawless Palace, they wouldn’t last long under their interrogation methods.

The thought that this might be exposed and that the He Family would have to face the wrath of Flawless Palace had Patriarch He on pins and needles. Lin Yun wasn’t just any Flawless Palace Disciple; he was favored by Luo Feng, the Master of Flawless Palace himself.

His heart in a panic, Patriarch He looked to the old steward. "What should we do now?"

"Since they sent these two bodies, they must want to negotiate. As things stand, your only option is to personally make a trip to the Bai Family, Patriarch. See if the captives are with the Bai Family or with Lin Yun," the old steward advised.

After a pause, the steward added, "If the captives are with Lin Yun, it will be easier to handle. It will likely just be a matter of some compensation. But if they’re with the Bai Family, things will be difficult. Knowing the Bai Family’s usual style, they would never let such a golden opportunity slip by."

While Patriarch He was in a full-blown panic, Lin Yun was back at the Bai residence, casually chatting with Li Tian.

"Li Tian, where did Qin Feng go?" Lin Yun asked, the question just now occurring to him.

"He went to a place that suits him very well. You don’t need to worry, Young Master Lin..." Li Tian said mysteriously, not revealing Qin Feng’s whereabouts. He only promised that the next time they met, Lin Yun would be in for a surprise.

Since Li Tian didn’t want to elaborate, Lin Yun didn’t press the matter. They chatted for a while longer before Li Tian glanced at the sky outside and said flatly, "He should be arriving around now."

Just as Li Tian’s voice fell, a Maid from the Bai Family came to announce that Patriarch He had come specifically to visit Young Master Lin and was asking if he would see him.

Hearing this, Lin Yun looked at Li Tian. They exchanged a smile, and Li Tian said to the Maid, "Let him in."

In truth, Patriarch He had arrived some time ago and had already been speaking with Bai Ling in the Bai Family Main Hall for a while. Bai Ling was indeed clever; in response to Patriarch He’s probing questions about the previous night, she simply feigned complete ignorance.

Overjoyed to confirm the captives weren’t in the Bai Family’s hands, Patriarch He had immediately rushed over to visit Lin Yun.

However, he had no idea that Lin Yun would be far more difficult to deal with than Bai Ling. What Lin Yun wanted was more than just compensation. ’Of course,’ Lin Yun thought, ’the compensation can’t be small, either. I happen to be very short on money right now.’

The Maid withdrew. Soon after, Patriarch He and his old steward arrived at Lin Yun’s small courtyard. While still five or six meters away, Patriarch He called out enthusiastically, "Young Master Lin, you’ve graced Wind City with your presence! This old man failed to come sooner. I hope you won’t take offense."

Li Tian had already briefed Lin Yun on his plan, so Lin Yun naturally knew exactly what to say.

"You’re too kind, Patriarch He. As long as you show a little more mercy in the future, I will be content."

At Lin Yun’s words, Patriarch He and the old steward exchanged a look. They were now certain: the He Family’s Deadpools were in Lin Yun’s hands. They just didn’t know if there were any survivors, which was Patriarch He’s greatest fear.

"Haha, Young Master Lin, you must have some misunderstanding about this old man. You are the prized Disciple of Lord Luo of Flawless Palace. Even if you lent this old man ten times the courage, I would never dare to have any designs on you," Patriarch He said without batting an eye. At his age, telling such blatant lies was second nature.

"Oh, is that so? Then it seems this junior was being petty. Please, have a seat, Patriarch He." Lin Yun smiled faintly and gestured for him to sit.

The two of them sat on the stone benches in the courtyard, while Li Tian and the old steward stood behind their respective masters.

Li Tian had already removed the bodies and had someone clean the courtyard so thoroughly that not even a trace of the scent of blood remained. No one could tell that just this morning, more than ten corpses had been lying here.

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