"Xiaoyu, who hit you?"
Lin Chen took the bruise ointment from the maid Xiaoyu, his body trembling slightly as he gently caressed Xiaoyu's swollen cheek with his hand.
"For the Young Master, such a wound is nothing. Xiaoyu is fine."
Xiaoyu's eyes moved slightly, becoming a bit moist. She shook her head and looked at Lin Chen.
Compared to her own swollen face, she was more concerned about the injuries on Lin Chen's body.
She softly touched Lin Chen's arm, only to find that the wounds that covered Lin Chen's arm just yesterday had now healed.
"Young Master, your injuries are healed!"
Xiaoyu exclaimed with joy.
"I'm fine. Take care of yourself and don't go outside anymore to work on my behalf," Lin Chen said, reaching out to touch Xiaoyu's head.
Since childhood, Xiaoyu had served by Lin Chen's side. After his cultivation regressed and he lost his status, those who once sought to please Lin Chen turned to flatter other direct members of the Lin Family instead; only maid Xiaoyu remained steadfastly by his side to care for him.
Over the years, Lin Chen had come to regard Xiaoyu as a sister.
The Elixir Pavilion was the only place that had bruise ointment, even though it wasn't even considered a first-grade elixir.
He still held the position of the Princely Heir, yet the maid endured such humiliation just to retrieve a simple bruise ointment.
This was an affront that Lin Chen was determined to address on Xiaoyu's behalf.
He already had a suspect in mind for who had hit Xiaoyu.
"Just rest well in the courtyard."
Lin Chen said softly as he rubbed Xiaoyu's cheek, then left towards the outside of the courtyard.
Soon after, Lin Chen arrived at the Elixir Pavilion.
Along the way, the Lin Family's juniors who saw Lin Chen were talking about him in hushed tones.
Their words were nothing more than callous remarks about his severed meridians, him being a cripple, and his position as Princely Heir possibly being revoked.
Lin Chen paid them no mind.
A fall from grace made one worse than a stray dog.
However, a single rise to profit earned the admiration of thousands.
Lin Chen simply couldn't be bothered with these opportunistic scoundrels.
As long as he had elixirs, his cultivation would rise again, and those who didn't consider him worthy today would look up to him tomorrow.
"Yo, isn't this our Princely Heir, Young Master Lin Chen? What brings you to the Elixir Pavilion?"
As soon as Lin Chen stepped into the Elixir Pavilion, a sharp female voice rang out from behind him.
Turning to look, he saw a woman dressed in a yellow gown standing in the distance, watching him with a mocking look in her eyes.
This woman was named Xiao Yunyun, granddaughter of the Lin Family's Second Elder.
Three years ago, at the height of Lin Chen's brilliance and talent, she would follow him around daily, calling him "Brother Chen" ever so sweetly.
She even wished to become Lin Chen's Dao Companion but was rejected by him.
After Lin Chen's fall within the clan, Xiao Yunyun changed her face of flattery, resorting to mockery and ridicule instead.
This malicious woman was on duty in the Elixir Pavilion; likely, it was she who had hit Xiaoyu on the face.
"I've come to collect the elixirs that are allotted to me each month," Lin Chen said calmly, looking at Xiao Yunyun.
"Hmph, elixirs?"
"What's the use of you, a wasted cripple whose cultivation has not advanced in three years and now with severed meridians, taking all those elixirs? It's nothing but a waste of the clan's resources," Xiao Yunyun said with an arrogant sneer.
"The family assigned you to work here, not to look down on others with contempt," Lin Chen said coldly, his gaze turning frosty as he looked at Xiao Yunyun.
Xiao Yunyun, being the granddaughter of the Lin Family's Second Elder, had a cultivation talent that was not high; she had merely reached the fifth layer of the Body Tempering Realm so far.
She was here only because the Second Elder had sent her to learn the ways of alchemy, essentially a backdoor favor for her.
In her mind, she felt as if she had grasped some form of great authority.
After all, she was still a servant of the Lin Family, yet facing Lin Chen, the Princely Heir, she dared to show negligence!
"I'm looking down on you? Lin Chen, don't tell me you still think you're the talented Princely Heir of the past?"
"Now you're nothing but a cripple with severed meridians! Let me tell you in advance, my grandfather and the other elders in the family have already decided to strip you of your Princely Heir status. If you want elixirs, you'd better beg me for them."
"Earlier, your maid came here with a tear-streaked face asking for medicine for healing injuries. I assume it was for you. I thought you were a dying man and I scolded you a little. Just a mere maid, and she dared to talk back to me, truly seeking death."
When Xiao Yunyun thought of the scene where she argued with Xiaoyu, her brow immediately furrowed, feeling dismayed.
"The slap on Xiaoyu's face, was that your doing?"
Upon hearing Xiao Yunyun's words, Lin Chen's expression immediately turned even colder; his guess was correct, it was this vile woman who had made things difficult for Xiaoyu.
"What if it was me? You're a cripple, you think you can stand up for her?"
Xiao Yunyun started berating Lin Chen, not taking him seriously at all.
"Vile woman, you're courting death!"
Lin Chen's eyes brimmed with anger as he cursed outright.
"You, you dare to curse me, today I want to see who's courting death!"
Hearing Lin Chen call her a vile woman, Xiao Yunyun immediately was consumed by rage and lashed out at him.
And as she attacked, Lin Chen's figure also moved.
The ten newly opened meridians in Lin Chen's legs were now functioning; with spiritual power coursing through his body, his speed surged, and in the blink of an eye, he was behind Xiao Yunyun.
Everyone around was shocked by the sight!
Wasn't Lin Chen supposed to be a cripple? How could he burst out with such speed?
Xiao Yunyun was thinking the same thing.
She was at the fifth layer of Body Tempering Realm in her cultivation, and though Lin Chen's meridians were severed, even if he still had any martial force left, it would be no more than the third layer of Body Tempering Realm. Yet, she could not keep up with Lin Chen's speed, resulting in her attack missing entirely!
And at this moment, Lin Chen made his move. Xiao Yunyun could only watch helplessly as Lin Chen's palm headed towards her face.
"Slap!"
A crisp sound echoed throughout the Elixir Pavilion.
In Lin Chen's eyes, there was no question of not hitting a woman.
Anyone who dared to bully the people around him was an enemy of Lin Chen.
This pent-up fury, he had to release it for Xiaoyu.
His maid, no one was allowed to hurt her in the slightest.
"You... you cripple, how dare you hit me, I'll kill you!"
Xiao Yunyun, clutching her cheek that had swollen up like an apple, was suddenly overwhelmed with anger. She had no time to wonder why Lin Chen had such fast speed and great strength.
Transforming her hand into a palm, Xiao Yunyun attacked Lin Chen once more.
"As a servant, you dare to attack the Princely Heir; that's insubordination, a total lack of respect for the rules!"
Lin Chen's gaze turned icy as he swung his arm again, sending another slap flying towards Xiao Yunyun's cheek.
"Thud!"
This time, Xiao Yunyun was completely stunned, spinning around in the air and flying out.
Landing on the ground dazed, with pain emanating from her swollen cheeks, she finally calmed down.
Wasn't Lin Chen's meridians supposed to be severed? How did he possess such great strength?
And at this moment, Lin Chen walked over to Xiao Yunyun, looking down at her from a height as she lay on the ground.
"Stop! Fighting is forbidden within the Elixir Pavilion!"
Suddenly, an old voice sounded from behind.