Chapter Thirty-Two: I Will Take Over

Ling Yao wore a look of utter bewilderment. He searched every corner of his memory, yet he had no idea who Lin Yang was.

He could not fathom why the Yipintang would suddenly strike him down with a fatal blow, especially after he had clearly declared his identity as a member of the Ling Clan. How could they dare to kill someone from the Ling Clan?

"It’s normal that you don’t know me. Let me make it clear: my name is Lin Yang, from the Lin family of Tianbao City. The 'discarded son of the noble house' you speak of is my brother."

Lin Yang smiled brilliantly. "Is that clear enough? I must say, for the Ling Clan, who pride yourselves on being the premier martial family of the Great Xia, your methods are rather low. My brother is but a minor cultivator who hasn't even reached the Qi Sea realm, yet your clan's prodigies are too cowardly to step out and compete. Instead, you hire assassins. Are you really that terrified of my brother’s growth?"

"Alas, your luck is poor. To die at the hands of a top-tier veteran assassin from the Yipintang—consider it your honor."

Lin Yang spat out the cold, mocking words.

*Pfft!*

Ling Yao vomited a mouthful of blood. His face flushed a deep crimson, clearly stung by Lin Yang’s words.

"The true controllers of the most mysterious assassin organization in Great Xia... are actually just a small family from Tianbao City?"

Even on the verge of death, Ling Yao refused to believe it. This was a secret that likely remained unknown to the entire world. Thinking of the Yipintang’s ruthless methods, a chill crawled up his spine. They were an organization that even the three great martial families, and perhaps even the Great Xia Imperial Court, were reluctant to provoke.

"The Ling Clan is nothing special. One day, the 'discarded son' you so despise will trample your ancestral grounds and raze your clan gates to the ground."

Lin Yang spoke coldly, turned, and walked away.

The old man pulled his sword from the body, puffed on his dry pipe, and returned to his seat on the boulder. Ling Yao’s corpse lay alone at the village entrance, his eyes wide open, staring in eternal, unyielding resentment.

***

Danqing City, Lingyun Pavilion.

In just a few days, the nine-pattern pills from Lingyun Pavilion had become legendary. Ling Wu and Ling Zhen were all smiles, and Lin Hao was equally delighted—it was a total win-win.

Lin Hao, in particular, had siphoned off an uncountable amount of resources from the pavilion over the past few days. With a fifty-percent success rate in pill refining, he effectively claimed half of all the nine-pattern pills produced, on top of demanding nearly one hundred thousand low-grade origin stones as his fee.

"There’s nothing left to squeeze from Lingyun Pavilion. I need to find a way to infiltrate the Ling Clan itself," Lin Hao thought to himself, a more sinister plan beginning to churn in his mind.

At that moment, Ling Wu and Ling Zhen approached him again. Seeing Lin Hao, they greeted him as if he were the God of Wealth, calling out "Master, Master!" from a distance with fawning familiarity.

"Master Tianbao, your alchemy is truly peerless! But to be honest, your cultivation level is a bit weak. Many specialized or higher-grade pills have certain requirements for the alchemist's own cultivation," Ling Wu remarked.

"The steward is right. My low cultivation is indeed a disadvantage. But without good cultivation resources, it is not easy to improve quickly," Lin Hao replied, revealing his thirst for resources.

Ling Wu and Ling Zhen exchanged glances, secretly pleased. If he craved resources, things would be much easier.

"Master Tianbao, have you ever considered joining our Ling Clan? If not, you might want to give it some serious thought now." Ling Wu dangled the bait.

"Join the Ling Clan?" Lin Hao frowned. "Steward Wu, are you joking? I am an outsider; how could I join your clan?"

"Master Tianbao, you might not fully understand our Ling Clan. As the foremost martial family of Great Xia, our scale is beyond your imagination. Beyond our direct bloodline, we recruit talents from across the world. There are many outstanding disciples with different surnames. Furthermore, if you are willing, we can grant you the name 'Ling,' making you a true member of the clan," Ling Wu said.

"You should know that for the Ling Clan's disciples of other surnames, their lifelong dream and greatest wish is to be officially bestowed the surname 'Ling,'" Ling Zhen added, his voice filled with pride.

*Ugh!*

Internally, Lin Hao felt a wave of nausea at the thought of taking the name Ling. It was unbearable.

"Forget the surname. I can join the Ling Clan, but you must understand: my contribution will be immense. As the Chief of the Alchemy Pavilion, I don't lack resources, and I am already a member of the Taixuan Sect. Joining you would risk the stigma of betraying my sect," Tianbao said. "Unless, of course, the Ling Clan can offer terms I cannot refuse."

Lin Hao was desperate to infiltrate the Ling Clan, but he couldn't appear too eager. He had to make them take the initiative so he could hold the leverage. He wouldn't miss a single chance to sabotage them.

"That trash sect, the Taixuan Sect—what is there to miss? Besides, they are about to be erased from existence," Ling Zhen said with a sneer.

"Not necessarily. Our sect's Holy Son is a prodigy who leaped the ten-zhang Dragon Gate. With his talent, the Taixuan Sect has qualified for the Hundred Sects Grand Competition. As long as he shines there, the sect will be saved," Lin Hao countered.

"You mean that little mongrel?" Ling Wu chuckled mockingly. "He should worry about surviving until the competition first."

Lin Hao’s eyes narrowed slightly. He memorized Ling Wu’s face; he would make sure to settle this later. Ling Wu, unaware, had just signed his own death warrant with that single slur.

"Let’s not talk about that bastard; it ruins the mood," Ling Zhen quickly added.

"Master Tianbao, if you join, I guarantee you the best resources. We can open our Thunder Pool for you once. Also, in three days, a secret realm will open for disciples to train in; you may participate as well," Ling Wu promised.

"What is the Thunder Pool?" Lin Hao asked, feigning curiosity.

"It is our clan’s blessed ground—a natural pool that absorbs the essence of the sun and moon. It is filled with the purest essence of thunder, condensed from heavenly lightning. Those who enter can cleanse their marrow, absorb the power of thunder, temper their physical bodies, and change their constitution. Since there is only one, even our own bloodline disciples struggle to gain entry," Ling Wu explained.

Lin Hao’s eyes lit up instantly. This was a top-tier resource. And he was very interested in the secret realm training; it would be the perfect chance to see what kind of "talent" the Ling Clan really possessed.

"I also want one million low-grade origin stones, and access to the Ling Clan’s Scripture Vault to choose a combat manual for my own cultivation," Lin Hao demanded.

"Fine. No problem," Ling Wu agreed immediately.

*Damn it,* Lin Hao thought. *I asked for too little. I thought this was a lion’s share, but they didn't even blink.*

As expected of the number one martial family—they were incredibly wealthy. To Ling Wu and Ling Zhen, the value of a nine-pattern alchemist was immeasurable. The benefits he would bring to the clan as he grew were beyond calculation.

"I will personally take you to the outer clan’s Scripture Vault to pick your manual," Ling Wu said.

"Outer clan?" Lin Hao paused.

"Yes. Our Ling Clan is divided into the inner and outer factions. The outer faction consists of disciples with other surnames," Ling Zhen explained.

"I want to go to the inner clan’s Scripture Vault," Lin Hao insisted.

"That... that might be difficult," Ling Wu frowned.

"Indeed. According to clan rules, disciples of the outer faction can only enter the inner vault if they perform exceptionally and are granted the surname 'Ling,'" Ling Zhen added.

"If it’s difficult, then forget it. I want the treatment of a bloodline disciple despite my status. It’s not that I look down on the outer vault, but I don't want to lower my own value. As the Chief of the Alchemy Pavilion, if I join your clan without any privileges, what does that make me?" Lin Hao countered.

"Fine. I will handle it," Ling Wu said after a moment of hesitation, gritting his teeth. He was determined to cultivate a good relationship with Master Tianbao, staking his own future and career on this high-potential asset.