Chapter 108: The Method of Resolution

Xue Pengju’s life was now entirely in Lin Yang’s hands; with the slightest exertion of force, he could crush Xue Pengju’s neck.

"I asked for your last words just now, but unfortunately, you failed to seize the opportunity."

Lin Yang tightened his grip bit by bit, allowing Xue Pengju to feel the suffocation, the creeping terror of death descending upon him. Xue Pengju’s pupils began to dilate, his eyes bloodshot, and his consciousness faded into a blur. Even at this moment, he could not bring himself to believe that Lin Yang would dare to kill him. How could he possibly dare!

"Stop!"
"Don't!"

Two voices rang out simultaneously. The first belonged to Xu Feihong; seeing that Xue Pengju was about to be killed, he felt compelled to protest, even though he lacked the strength to intervene. The plea to stop came from Murong Yun and Qin Yiling, who lay on the hospital bed. Qin Yiling’s voice was weak and breathless, barely audible.

Murong Yun shook her head at Lin Yang. "Mr. Lin, please reconsider. You cannot kill him."

Murong Yun wanted Xue Pengju’s neck broken more than anyone else to avenge Jiang Lin, but she was acutely aware of the cruel realities of the world; some debts of blood simply could not be repaid.

Xu Feihong hurriedly added, "Lin Yang, are you truly not afraid of the retaliation from the Fengyang Qin clan? Do not let a moment of impulse lead to a catastrophe you cannot bear."

A faint smile curled at the corners of Lin Yang’s mouth, and then, channeling his strength into his fingers, he snapped.

*Crack!*

Xue Pengju’s neck was broken. His eyes bulged, and his breath ceased instantly as his head slumped forward. To his dying moment, he could not believe he had perished in Luocheng at the hands of a nobody like Lin Yang.

"You! You are truly lawless!" Xu Feihong pointed an angry finger at Lin Yang. His rage stemmed not from Xue Pengju’s death, but from the realization that if Lin Yang dared to kill Xue Pengju, his own life was likely forfeit as well.

"A life for a life is the natural order of things. Since he committed murder here, it is only reasonable and justified that I kill him." Lin Yang tossed Xue Pengju’s corpse to the ground and began walking toward Xu Feihong.

"Cousin..." Qin Yiling struggled to sit up, weeping as she gazed at Xue Pengju’s body on the floor.

"Miss, he’s gone mad. He actually dared to kill someone. Are we going to die here too?" The secretary, Li Yan, who had always thrived on the arrogance of her superiors, was now paralyzed with terror, no longer daring to make a sound.

Qin Yiling had never expected things to turn out this way, and faced with this situation, she felt an unprecedented sense of helplessness and despair. Seeing that Lin Yang’s murderous intent remained unabated, Xu Feihong gritted his teeth and prepared for a desperate final stand. However, already severely wounded by Lin Yang, his struggle was futile. Lin Yang easily captured him, using a small grappling technique to dislocate the joints in his hands.

"Don't kill me! We are both martial arts masters—I beg you, spare my life." Xu Feihong was finally gripped by true fear, pleading with Lin Yang.

"Did you think to spare my life just now?" Lin Yang asked.

"I didn't intend to kill you at the beginning! Wasn't I honestly trying to recruit you? Master Lin, please, give me a way out. Let’s leave a path open for the future," Xu Feihong pleaded frantically.

"Who the hell wants a future with you? Get lost." Lin Yang kicked Xu Feihong away, sending him slamming into the wall. He coughed up blood, his injuries worsening until he was left with only a breath of life.

As Xu Feihong crawled on the ground, still begging for mercy, Lin Yang said, "You tried to destroy me because you couldn't recruit me. You aren't much better yourself; your death is well-deserved."

Lin Yang flashed forward and brought his palm down on Xu Feihong’s forehead. The fourth-rank master was dead.

Witnessing the deaths of Xue Pengju and Xu Feihong, Qin Yiling could only close her eyes in despair. She knew that everyone in their party would die in Luocheng. Since Lin Yang had killed members of the Qin clan, he would surely eliminate all witnesses to leave no evidence behind.

"Mr. Lin... how are we to handle this? These are people from the Fengyang Qin clan—you just killed them?" Han Liqun asked, his face pale with panic. He knew the situation had spiraled out of control, and since the deaths occurred in his hospital, he could not escape involvement.

"Just drag the bodies away. I killed them; it has nothing to do with you," Lin Yang said.

"Yes, yes, exactly! He killed them, it has nothing to do with us! I’ll take my leave now," Tang Daomin said, terrified. Eager to distance himself, he turned to slip away.

"Master Tang, you cannot leave yet." With things having reached this point, Murong Yun knew that fear was useless; she had to find a way to contain the situation. She could not let the witnesses leave easily, so she blocked Tang Daomin’s path.

"Miss Murong, what is the meaning of this?" Tang Daomin asked angrily.

"Master Tang, you are a witness and, in a sense, a participant. The matter is not yet resolved; how could I let you leave so easily?" Murong Yun said coldly.

Tang Daomin, a smart man, immediately understood. "Rest assured, I will never breathe a word about what happened here. There is no benefit for me in doing so. Just pretend I was never in Luocheng. I swear I will not say anything."

Desperate to escape, Tang Daomin could only offer vows of loyalty.

"I don't trust any oaths. If you dare step one foot out of this room, I will ensure you die on the streets of Luocheng," Murong Yun threatened, her beautiful eyes flashing with cold, murderous intent.

Tang Daomin and his apprentice dared not move and retreated to the corner of the room.

"You should go. Let me handle this. I am the one who killed them, and I will bear the consequences. It has nothing to do with the Murong family," Lin Yang said to Murong Yun.

"Mr. Lin, you came here for my sake. If I leave now, would I not be a heartless person? You know me—that is not my character." Murong Yun appeared calm and composed, showing no sign of panic. "You are right; they deserved to die. You did well. If I had your ability, I would have killed Xue Pengju to avenge Jiang Lin myself. Mr. Lin, I thank you on behalf of Jiang Lin."

"If you don't leave, you will implicate the Murong family. Even if I kill these witnesses, the Qin clan will not let this go; they will certainly pursue it," Lin Yang said. "Are you sure you want to wager the entire Murong family on sharing the burden of the Qin clan’s retaliation?"

A glint of wisdom flashed in Murong Yun's eyes. "It is not your first day knowing me. Furthermore, this is not necessarily a dead end. There is still a way to resolve it."

"Oh? Apart from silencing everyone, you have another way? I would like to hear it."

When Lin Yang took action, he had already decided to eliminate the witnesses. In any case, Qin Yiling and her subordinates were infected with the blood-carbuncle rash; if he did not treat them, they would surely die. Han Liqun would naturally keep quiet, and Lin Yang had his own ways to ensure Tang Daomin and his apprentice stayed silent. But since Murong Yun spoke with such confident wisdom about a solution, Lin Yang was curious to see how this clever woman intended to resolve such a desperate situation.