The four elders gathered here, each with their own agenda, to discuss major matters related to the Ling family.
The great elder sat in the main seat, knocked on the table, and said seriously:
"Everyone, Ling Xiong's lineage has been expelled from the family. According to family law, the elixir and monster blood that were previously rewarded should be returned to the original owner."
The Grand Elder is affiliated with the Hall of Merit and has always been responsible for the allocation of family resources.
After Ling Tian awakened to the Burning Heaven Holy Body, the Ling family used all its top resources to train him, and he lived up to expectations and improved rapidly.
Later, Ling Tian relied on his cultivation that surpassed that of his peers and participated in hunting monsters. The abundant resources he gained could be regarded as repaying the family.
However, no one in the entire Ling family knows better than the eldest elder how many good things Ling Xiong's lineage has distributed.
Some of these supplies are necessities for Lingtian's cultivation, while others are rewards for meritorious service.
After all, it is definitely an astonishing amount of cultivation wealth.
These cultivation resources may not be of much use to Ling Tian who was once in the Alchemy Realm, but there are still many Qi Refining Stage practitioners in the Ling family.
That is a priceless treasure.
Recycling and winning over people's hearts are all methods used by those in power.
They elders all know the true value of those resources.
At this time, when the third elder saw that someone also wanted to distribute Ling Xiong's inheritance, he naturally did not want to let it go and immediately agreed:
"It makes sense. Ling Xiong deserves to die. The Ling family's belongings cannot be left to outsiders! However, Ling Xiong's young daughter..."
The third elder is in charge of the management of the Ling family's ancestral property. He himself has a high level of cultivation and is already at the fourth level of the Alchemy Realm, but he cannot stand up to the mediocrity of his descendants.
In my heart, I wanted to plan something for cultivation for my own lineage, and immediately agreed with the great elder's opinion.
The other two elders are both experienced veterans in high positions, and everyone is well aware of the calculations in their hearts.
The legacy of Ling Xiong's lineage has been decided.
The only thing that makes people feel troublesome is that Ling Xiong also has a young daughter, only five years old.
Her father and brother were both killed, so she was not considered a member of the Ling family, but no matter how she calculated, if she really eradicated the children of her own blood, her reputation would be ruined.
These old guys are all old foxes who are serious and upright, and they don't want to make a fuss.
The butler Ling Zhong, who was well versed in the essence of flattery, immediately realized the elders' doubts and patted his chest to confirm.
"Elders, I will take care of the child's affairs! My distant relative in the country happens to be unable to have children, so I can give her to her for adoption."
When the elders heard this, they immediately looked relieved.
The second elder said solemnly from the side: "It's so good, so I won't treat her badly. Ling Zhong, you have to do this job for me."
Ling Zhong felt happy when he saw the relaxed expressions of the elders, and naturally understood that this matter had come to an end.
He will handle the matter well, and afterward, a few old foxes will reward him with a generous hush money for the sake of face.
He immediately agreed: "My subordinates will naturally arrange the little baby properly."
After receiving the decree, Ling Zhong went to the back mountain courtyard to eliminate the serious worries of the elders.
...
The mountain behind Ling Mansion.
A window was opened in the dilapidated thatched house.
I saw a pretty and cute little face lying in front of the window, constantly looking out of the yard.
The young Ling Ruohan didn't know what was happening outside. She only knew that her brother asked her to stay at home before leaving.
But it’s already dark, why hasn’t my brother come back yet?
Just when I missed my brother and father so much, there was a loud noise outside the yard.
Ling Ruohan happily opened the door, ready to welcome her long-awaited relatives home.
But what she didn't expect was that a group of strange uncles entered the yard.
They looked fierce, and as soon as they entered the house, they began to rudely search for the things on display.
Ling Ruohan was a little scared. She only knew one person, and that was Ling Mansion's housekeeper, Ling Zhong.
But Ling Zhong did not have the smiling face of the past. He ordered the servants with a cold face to remove everything from the house.
Although Ling Ruohan is young, he also knows that they are doing bad things.
Her thin body stood in front of everyone, her delicate voice was still trembling, but she still stood up bravely.
"What are you doing? This is our stuff, don't take it away!"
When Ling Zhong saw that the little girl actually stood up and scolded the servants, he felt a little ridiculous and couldn't help but said condescendingly:
"Your things? Even you have to get out of Ling Mansion and go to the countryside immediately. These things belong to our Ling family, not yours."
Ling Ruohan was young and didn't understand the meaning of Ling Zhong's words, but she also knew that he was bullying others.
And now that her father and brother are away, she still has to bravely protect everything in her family.
Ling Ruohan ran into the house and snatched the carved box that a servant had just found.
It was left by her parents to her brother. Even her father would open it carefully and never let outsiders take it away.
Seeing that Ling Ruohan still dared to resist, the servant jumped up and kicked her against the wall.
"You little bastard, you dare to steal something, please hand it over right now."
Ling Ruohan hugged the box tightly and didn't say a word even though it hurt to tears.
She stared at the people in the room, her voice weak but firm: "This is my brother's thing!"
Ling Zhong rolled his eyes and immediately realized that this might be Ling Tianzang's treasure.
He approached Ling Ruohan, lifted her up, and snatched the box away from her.
"I want to see what you're hiding."
If it is really a good thing and Ling Zhong presents it to the elders, it will definitely be another great achievement.
Just as Ling Zhong was thinking about how to open the box, Ling Ruoxue jumped up and bit his arm unprepared.
In a panic, Ling Zhong was bitten off a piece of flesh, which shows the depth of Ling Ruohan's hatred.
At this time, Ling Zhong was furious. He was unexpectedly attacked by a child in front of his servants. It was really a shame and humiliation.
The murderous intention suddenly arose in my heart.
The purpose of sending Ling Ruohan to the countryside was to gain a good reputation for the elders.
No one would really ask about Ling Ruohan's whereabouts, so if he really killed her, he wouldn't have to hide it.
Ling Zhong raised his right hand, the wind gradually rising from his palm, and said with a fierce expression, "If you don't drink a toast, you'll have to drink a fine wine, so just accompany your family on the road!"
Ling Ruohan was a child after all. Tears welled up in fear, and she screamed and struggled.
As soon as Ling Zhong's palm came close to Ling Ruohan's head, his wrist felt cold and he could no longer move.
The next second, he saw his raised right hand falling straight to the ground.
A stream of blood spurted out from the severed wrist, staining a large area of the ground red.
"ah--"
He looked down at his right hand, and after reacting, he screamed.
Ling Zhong struggled for the last breath and turned around, even unable to believe that he was injured.
And the flying sword that cut off Ling Zhong's right hand and shone with cold light has returned to its owner's hand.
I saw a young man standing outside the door, looking at him coldly as if Shura had descended.
"Ling Zhong, how dare you touch my sister with your dirty hands?!"
Ling Zhong recognized who it was at a glance, "Ling Tian! Why is it you?"
The words just fell.
He couldn't hold it on anymore, a mouthful of blood spurted out, and his legs were trembling.
Ling Zhong's eyes widened as he watched Ling Tian step into the house.
Ling Tian gently picked up Ling Ruohan, his voice trembling:
"Brother is late. Don't be afraid, Xiaohan. Brother is here."
Ling Ruohan finally couldn't help it and cried bitterly in Ling Tian's arms.
She was crying and twitching, pointing to the box that fell from Ling Zhong's hand, "Brother, I didn't let... I didn't let them take your things away. Xiaohan is very good, isn't he?"
Ling Tian only felt that he had failed to protect his sister well.
His eyes were moist, and he gently stroked his sister's back: "Xiaohan is the most well-behaved."
Then, his face turned cold and he said ferociously:
"Did the Ling family send you here to seek death? They bullied everyone in my lineage, even the little ones!"
"Today, I will definitely let you bastards know what it means to come and go without coming back!"
Ling Zhong had one of his hands cut off and was too frightened to speak.
Seeing Ling Tian return, even more advanced in cultivation, he recalled in his mind the glory and ferocity he had when he went out to fight.
"Dong dong dong——"
Ling Zhong knelt in front of the two brothers and sister, kowtowing repeatedly to atone for his sins, "Master Tian, the younger one is just doing things according to the elder's instructions. He has no intention of offending the young master and the young lady. Please forgive me..."
He was seen holding his intact left hand and kowtowing hard, and his forehead was already bloody.
When the guards who followed Ling Zhong saw this scene, they were even more frightened.
A group of people actually knelt down, kowtowed to Ling Tian and begged for mercy.
The usually quiet back hill was now extremely noisy.
But Ling Tian just looked at them coldly, unmoved.
Ling Zhong is willing to be the loyal dog of the elders, so don't blame others for being cruel to him.
"How could you ever let me go?"
After several sword rays, Ling Zhong's group of people had their throats cut instantly and died.
Looking at the messy house, Ling Tian felt something in his heart.
All of this is the Ling family's effort to eradicate the root cause.
If he hadn't arrived in time, he didn't know what the Ling family would have done to his sister.
Those old dogs in the Elder's Pavilion are so vicious that they don't even spare children.
What a shame for a child!
Ling Tian sneered. Since these old guys were so cruel, he had made a decision in his heart.
At this moment, his eyes were immediately attracted by the carved box that Ling Zhong pulled out.
That was something that Ling Xiong once regarded as a treasure.
I often take it out and rub it carefully when no one is around.
Ling Tian asked curiously, but Ling Xiong just told him that it was his mother's relic, and Ling Tian would naturally know it when he turns eighteen.
But now, Ling Tian did not wait for his father to hand it over to him.
Curious, he opened the carved wooden box.
It was just one of the things that shocked him.
What was placed in the box turned out to be a marriage letter that sealed his marriage early!