Suddenly, Shangguan WanWan's expression changed.
The calm composure she had maintained until now shattered like thin ice struck by a stone. Her eyes turned cold, and a sharp pressure rippled outward from her body before she could even stop herself.
"How dare you," she said, her voice ringing clear and furious, "be disrespectful to this Goddess!"
The words escaped her mouth with instinctive force, carrying a weight that did not belong to a mere young woman of the Lin Family.
For a heartbeat, the entire courtyard froze.
Liu Mei Mei's eyes widened, her breath catching in her throat. Cai Cai Yun stiffened beside her, fingers curling into her sleeves. Even Lin Ao's smug expression faltered for just a moment.
Lin Youming, however, was the most shocked of all.
Isn't that a little too early to reveal your background?
The thought flashed through his mind like a warning bell. His heart skipped as he looked at Shangguan WanWan, half-expecting the sky to crack open or divine pressure to descend.
Shangguan WanWan noticed his stare.
Her anger faltered. Reality rushed back in all at once.
She coughed lightly, turning her head away as if clearing her throat. "I was just… feeling offended," she said quickly, her tone noticeably softer. "Any woman would be angry hearing something like that."
She did not say anything else.
She did not deny what she had said, but she did not confirm it either.
A faint blush crept up her cheeks, subtle but unmistakable.
To Liu Mei Mei and Cai Cai Yun, that blush meant something entirely different.
They exchanged a quick glance, their expressions shifting with realization. In their eyes, Shangguan WanWan looked less like an offended cultivator and more like a woman deeply touched by the words spoken earlier, someone whose heart had been stirred despite herself.
Cai Cai Yun's lips parted slightly, her gaze softening.
Liu Mei Mei lowered her eyes, suddenly feeling a strange tightness in her chest.
Lin Youming felt his scalp prickle.
This is getting dangerous in a completely different way.
Before he could say anything, he sensed it.
A subtle fluctuation in the air, like a deep breath being drawn by the world itself.
Spiritual energy.
It was gathering around Shangguan WanWan.
Not violently, but steadily, like a vast ocean slowly rising beneath the surface. The faint tremor in the air made Lin Youming's instincts scream.
If she releases that, everything explodes.
He did not hesitate.
He stepped forward, placing himself directly in front of her.
"Wife," Lin Youming said firmly, his voice cutting through the tension, "let me take care of this."
The word slipped out naturally.
Shangguan WanWan froze.
She stared at his back, at the broadness of his shoulders, at the way he stood between her and the world without hesitation.
"But you're a crip—" she started, panic flickering across her face.
She didn't get to finish.
Laughter exploded.
Lin Ao bent over slightly, slapping his thigh as if he'd just heard the joke of the century. His servants burst out laughing as well, some clutching their stomachs, others pointing openly.
"Did you hear that?" one servant said between laughs. "He's crippled and he wants to fight!"
"A man without a middle dantian stepping forward like some hero," another sneered. "Is he trying to get himself killed faster?"
The former subordinate laughed so hard tears streamed down his face. "Young Master Lin Youming," he wheezed, "you really never fail to surprise me. First, you cripple yourself. Now, you want to play the protector?"
Lin Youming turned slowly.
His expression was calm.
"You don't understand," he said, his voice steady and clear. "In the power of love, there are no limits."
The laughter wavered slightly, confused by his tone.
"When a man has something worth protecting," Lin Youming continued, "he can do anything. Even if the heavens stand in his way."
He lifted his chin, eyes burning with conviction.
"So what if I'm crippled? So what if my middle dantian is gone? If the path doesn't exist anymore, then I'll carve out a new one."
His voice grew louder, each word striking the air with weight.
"If I'm a cripple," he declared, "then I'll become the first cripple immortal cultivator. I'll walk the path of cripple cultivation and step higher than all of you."
Silence lasted for exactly half a breath.
Then the courtyard erupted.
"Hahahahaha!"
"Cripple immortal cultivator!"
"Did you hear that? He invented a new cultivation path just for himself!"
Lin Ao laughed openly now, his earlier irritation replaced by mocking delight. "Amazing. Truly amazing. I've seen shameless people, but never one this delusional."
The servants wiped their eyes, repeating his words in exaggerated tones.
"Cripple cultivation!"
"First of his kind!"
Even the former subordinate doubled over, gasping for air from laughing too hard.
Finally, he straightened, wiping his face, eyes glinting with cruel amusement.
"You know what, Young Master Lin Youming," he said, stepping forward boldly, "let's make this interesting."
He walked closer, stopping right in front of Lin Youming.
"If you can hurt me," he said loudly, "even a little, I'll acknowledge you again."
He grinned viciously. "I'll lick the entire Lin Family clean for you. Floors, walls, even the toilets."
The servants burst out laughing again, nodding eagerly.
The former subordinate leaned closer, bringing his face inches from Lin Youming's.
"Go on," he whispered mockingly. "Hit me."
He was confident.
A cripple had no spiritual qi. No matter how hard he swung, it would be useless.
Lin Youming looked at him.
Then he smiled.
"Okay," he said simply.
Bang.
The sound was deafening.
No one saw the strike clearly.
All they saw was the former subordinate's body lifting off the ground as if struck by an invisible hammer. His laughter cut off abruptly, replaced by a strangled cry that didn't even have time to fully form.
His body flew backward, limbs flailing uselessly.
The impact came a heartbeat later.
His head hit the wall first.
Not bounced.
Not slid.
He was embedded.
Cracks spiderwebbed outward from the point of impact, dust and fragments raining down as his body hung there, his neck bent at an unnatural angle, arms dangling limply.
The courtyard went silent.
Completely silent.
Lin Ao's mouth hung open.
The servants froze mid-laugh, their faces twisted into masks of disbelief, eyes bulging, breaths caught in their throats.
Cai Cai Yun covered her mouth, her whole body trembling.
Liu Mei Mei stared, unable to blink.
Shangguan WanWan's pupils shrank.
Lin Youming lowered his fist slowly.
The sound of rubble settling was the only thing anyone could hear.