“Three… three hundred thousand?” The middle-aged man’s eyes widened in shock.
For people like them, even ten thousand spirit crystals was an astronomical figure!
Lin Yun took a step back. “If a son is not taught, it is the father’s fault. I, Lin Yun, apologise to you and your son.”
After speaking, Lin Yun bowed to the middle-aged man.
“Lord Lin, this… this humble one cannot accept such a gesture!” The man was flustered, at a loss for what to do.
Joking aside, Lin Yun was a revered Immortal, his status unimaginably exalted. Normally, they wouldn’t even dare to look up to such a formidable figure, and now he was bowing to him?
Though he had blocked Lin Yun’s path to voice his grievance, he never imagined Lin Yun would bow and apologise.
This scene left the onlookers in an uproar. For someone of Lin Yun’s stature to act this way? It was simply unimaginable!
In their eyes, as an Immortal, Lin Yun had every right to indulge his son. Even if Lin Yun had slain this middle-aged man with a single sword stroke, no one would dare utter a word of protest.
After bowing, Lin Yun spoke.
“This is all I can do. As for my son, Lin Yi, I will discipline him.” His gaze carried a chilling edge.
“Lord Lin, you… you are truly a just and noble lord!” The middle-aged man, overcome with emotion, wept profusely.
“I have matters to attend to and cannot linger.”
With that, Lin Yun took to the air, flying low and heading straight for his residence!
At that moment, Lin Yun’s heart ached deeply.
His own son had become the kind of person he once despised most!
This filled Lin Yun with both anger and a cold sense of betrayal.
Flight was forbidden within the Divine Capital, but as an Immortal, Lin Yun held such privileges.
At the Lin residence, Lin Yun strode purposefully into the courtyard.
“Daddy.” Lin Kexin, who was studying formations in the yard, greeted him with a smile upon seeing him.
“Kexin, summon Lin Yi!” Lin Yun’s face was grim.
Sensing something amiss, Lin Kexin quickly nodded and went to fetch Lin Yi.
Moments later, Lin Yi was brought to the courtyard.
“Father, you called for me?” Lin Yi said with a smile.
“Kneel!” Lin Yun roared, his face ashen.
The thunderous reprimand startled Lin Yi, who quickly wiped the smile from his face.
“Dad, what’s this about? Why must I kneel?” Lin Yi looked puzzled.
“Kneel!” Lin Yun bellowed again, his face clouded with fury, showing no hint of jest.
Terrified, Lin Yi dropped to his knees.
Even Lin Kexin, standing nearby, was shaken. Lin Yun rarely raised his voice at them, let alone ordered them to kneel. This was unprecedented!
The commotion drew Lin Yun’s grandfather-in-law, Liu Zhizhong, as well as Yu Ying, Yun Shang, Su Yan, Qin Shi, and other close friends and loved ones to the courtyard.
“Father, what has Yi done to make you so furious?” Lin Yi, still kneeling, showed a mix of grievance and confusion.
Lin Yun’s dark eyes blazed with anger. “What? You feel wronged? Did you or did you not cripple a worker from Tianxiang Pavilion?”
“So that’s what this is about, Father? You’re making a mountain out of a molehill. That worker is nothing but an ant. Does their life or death even matter? I only crippled him, but even if I’d killed him, who would dare interfere? My father is Lin Yun.” Lin Yi grinned as he spoke.
Standing up, he continued, “Father, isn’t that how this world works? The weak are ants, trampled at will, while we, the strong, can dictate their life and death as we please.”
*Slap!*
Lin Yun, nearly exploding with rage, swung his hand, delivering a resounding slap across Lin Yi’s face.
With a crisp sound, Lin Yi was sent flying in an arc, crashing heavily dozens of metres away.
Blood spurted from Lin Yi’s mouth as he hit the ground.
Clutching his face, Lin Yi stared in disbelief, unable to fathom that Lin Yun had struck him, and so harshly!
The gathered friends and family gasped in shock. Lin Yun had never laid a hand on Lin Kexin or Lin Yi before.
“Dad, you hit me over a lowly commoner? What does the life of such an ant matter? I didn’t even kill him!” Lin Yi, blood in his mouth, roared in defiance.
“You little bastard, you still dare to speak like that?”
Lin Yun charged towards him in a fury.
“Yun’er, calm down.” Grandfather-in-law Liu Zhizhong quickly stepped forward to restrain him.
“Lin Yun, he’s still your son. Let’s talk this through calmly,” Qin Shi, Yu Ying, and the others also moved to intervene.
“You’ve heard what he’s done. Anyone who stops me today will face my wrath!” Lin Yun’s entire being radiated fury.
Even Liu Zhizhong could only step back.
Lin Yun stormed up to Lin Yi, yanking him up. “Lin Yi, today I’ll teach you a lesson!”
Lin Yi, equally enraged, retorted, “Go ahead, hit me! Why don’t you just kill me!”
Clearly, Lin Yi had reached the height of rebellion. As a child, he wouldn’t have dared talk back to Lin Yun, let alone act this way.
“You… you…” Lin Yun, trembling with rage, felt his heart seize with pain, his face paling.
“Brother, don’t do this. Just apologise to Father,” Lin Kexin pleaded.
Yun Shang added urgently, “Lin Yi, apologise to your father now! What you did was truly excessive!”
“Apologise? Why should I? Do you all think I’m wrong?” Lin Yi shouted, tears streaming down his face.
Turning to Lin Yun, he roared, “Lin Yun, you say I’m wrong? Where were you all these years to teach me? You only cared about your cultivation. Have you fulfilled your duty as a father? What right do you have to judge me now? For something so trivial, you hit me? I don’t need a father like you!”
Each word stabbed at Lin Yun’s heart.
“Fine… fine!”
“Then get out! Leave the Divine Capital!” Lin Yun flung Lin Yi to the ground, his hoarse roar trembling with emotion.
“I’ll leave! I have plenty of friends out there. Being with them is far better than staying with you!”
With that, Lin Yi stormed out.
“Yi’er!”
Liu Zhizhong, Yun Shang, and the others moved to chase after him.
“No one follows him!” Lin Yun bellowed.
Liu Zhizhong and the others froze. Lin Yun rarely raised his voice at them.
As for Lin Yi, he vanished from the residence in the blink of an eye.
The courtyard fell silent, everyone rooted in place, the atmosphere heavy and oppressive.
