Ling Yun sat beside his father and sister the entire time, sipping his tea calmly with his usual demeanor. He did not pay any heed to the magnificent display of power by the Feng family, rather conversing peacefully with his sister.
"Xiao Hua, this was your first time outside of the family's grounds, wasn't it?"
Ling Hua nodded.
Ling Yun took a sip of tea first before speaking, "Hua, it had to be tough for you." He brushed aside a strand of hair from the face of his sister.
The audience present witnessed the brothers and sisters with demure admiration. It was a surprise to see someone like Ling Yun—a celebrity for being such a great soldier and leader of the Ling clan army—demonstrate so much love and care towards his sister.
"Xiao Hua, you were heading to the Northern Plains, weren't you?"
Ling Hua nodded again. "Mm-hmm. Our family mainly focuses on techniques that harness the flow of wind, but because of my innate Ice Qi, I can't use them as effectively as the others."
Ling Yun smiled gently at her.
"That is right. It's just as important to develop talent as to seek out talent. If you try to hold wind in your hands, your hands will be hollow. Never forget how much your family cares about you."
At that moment, his gaze briefly met Feng Lan's.
"Xiao Hua, did Ling Zhen come with you?"
Ling Hua looked at her brother, puzzled. The question caught her off guard. Why would someone who was accused of murdering the young master have been with them?
"Brother, he told us he had murdered you, but I do not understand. Why would he lie so ridiculously?"
Ling Yun gazed into his sister's accusatory eyes.
"Because he actually murdered me."
Ling Hua scowled at him, clearly not finding what he considered to be a joke amusing.
Ling Yun smiled. "Well, let's just say he tried. But heaven wasn't ready to let me die so easily."
His voice was so calm and normal-sounding as if he was reading a children's bedtime story. And then, without hesitation, he waved at one of the attendants.
"Bring Ling Zhen to me."
Refilling his cup with tea, he waited patiently.
A few minutes later, Ling Zhen arrived, his eyes swollen and his fists bruised. He knelt behind the young master, bowing deeply.
Without a word, Ling Yun signaled both Ling Hua and Ling Zhen to follow him. Without people noticing, they backed out of the party. Most of the other guests were so enthralled with the singing of the beautiful singers that they paid little attention to their departure.
Stealing away from the main courtyard, they entered a small garden.
Ling Yun sat down in a chair and pulled his sister into a gentle hug. Ling Zhen, however, kept his head down low in embarrassment, looking at Ling Hua's face. It was the first time he had ever seen her smile since they began their journey.
Ling Yun kissed his sister's forehead gently. "Xiao Hua, I want you to leave for the Northern Plains immediately."
Ling Hua looked at him in shock. Why so suddenly? Why now?
Before she could ask, Ling Yun turned to Ling Zhen and gave a firm command.
"Listen carefully, Ling Zhen. From this moment on, you are Xiao Hua's personal guardian. The moment you leave this city… the entire world will be your enemy."
Ling Yun locked eyes with Ling Zhen, his voice firm and unwavering.
"Under no circumstances are you to stop."
"You must get her safely to the Northern Plains. Trust no one. Whether it's the Ling family, the Feng family or any other clans that crosses your path. No one will show you mercy."
Ling Hua wanted to protest, but the cold, resolute look in her brother's eyes silenced her.
"Go there and wait, I'll come for you."
His final words offered her a small measure of comfort, though confusion still clouded her mind. What she didn't realize was that Ling Zhen was just as bewildered.
After a moment of hesitation, Ling Zhen finally spoke. "Young Master… what do you mean? We may have suffered a heavy defeat, but the clan still stands."
Ling Yun smiled—an expression devoid of fear or worry.
"No. The Ling family was wiped from existence long ago."
Ling Hua pulled away from him, her eyes blazing with anger.
But Ling Yun paid her reaction no mind.
"Soon, they will try to disgrace us. But what they don't realize… is that they will be the ones disgraced."
Then, in a calm yet unshakable tone, he continued.
"Their patriarch is a Golden Core cultivator. That makes him the strongest person in this place."
"When the time comes, they will resort to force to protect their pride… and they will massacre us."
"After that, they will march east and erase the Ling family completely."
"We lack superior cultivation techniques. That means we have no allies."
"In other words… we are completely alone."
Ling Hua listened, horror creeping into her expression. Ling Zhen, though still hesitant, could no longer deny the truth in Ling Yun's words.
And yet, the way Ling Yun spoke—it was as if he were recounting the fall of a dynasty from a thousand years ago. He was calm, collected. Not a trace of panic flickered in his eyes.
A moment later, he rose from his seat and walked past them, stopping beneath a weeping willow. His voice was quiet but carried undeniable strength.
"But the Ling family will not be destroyed. Because the youngest daughter of our clan will reach the Northern Plains and join a great sect, continuing her cultivation."
He turned to Ling Zhen, meeting his gaze once more.
"Listen carefully, Ling Zhen. Whatever that is, don't let the seed of revenge take root in your heart—or Ling Hua's."
He paused, and continued, his voice vibrating with sheer determination.
"Because today, I will erase the Feng family from existence."
At that moment, the palace bell tolled, its deep chime reverberating through the air.
Ling Yun's eyes burned with an unbreakable will.
Ling Hua and Ling Zhen were shaken to their core. To them, Ling Yun was the savior of their clan—a man willing to sacrifice everything to protect his family. As long as even one member of the Ling family remained, there was hope of rising again.
But reality… was something else entirely.
Ling Yun had no choice but to annihilate the Feng family. After that, there would be nowhere left for him to go. If he wanted to rebuild everything, he needed a new home. That was why he was sending his sister north—to keep her safe and allow her to cultivate in the Northern Plains after the fall of Feng Palace.
If Ling Hua stayed with the Ling family and his plan failed, he might survive, but her death… her death was something Ling Yun's heart simply could not bear.
But now, with the Heavenly Demon shielding her and his path set on destroying the Feng family—even if it meant sacrificing the entire Ling caravan, including his own father—his body didn't react.
Just before leaving the garden, Ling Yun turned to them and said, "When I step forward to fight and all eyes are on me, slip away quietly. Tell no one—not even Father."
His gaze locked onto his sister's, and with unwavering resolve, he went on, "This is the only way our family can survive."
Ling Hua clenched her fists, cursing fate itself. This time, she was not just losing her brother—she was losing her father, her people, all those she had ever known.
As she struggled with her emotions, hidden in the shadows of the garden, the Feng family steward had been eavesdropping on their conversation.
Once they had all left, a smirk spread across his lips.
This was the perfect opportunity to dismantle the Ling family's plans and crush them completely.
With a soft whistle, he summoned a messenger bird.
From the darkness, a pigeon fluttered onto his outstretched hand. He retrieved a jade slip from his ring, infusing it with his spiritual consciousness as he etched a message into its surface.
But just as he was about to release the bird—
Blood erupted from his chest.
He looked down, confused, before a bitter, metallic taste flooded his mouth.
A hand had pierced straight through his ribcage.
His eyes widened in sheer horror.
His heart… it was still beating within that hand.
With mounting dread, he turned his head—only to meet the lifeless gaze of Ling Yun.
The young master of the Ling family regarded him with utter indifference. In one hand, he held the steward's heart, still pulsating weakly. In the other, he gripped the motionless messenger bird.
"T-Th… yo…"
The words barely formed before Ling Yun silenced him with a cold stare, his voice as calm as ever.
"I was going to let you live, but…"
He pulled his hand from the man's chest.
The steward's eyes froze in shock.
"…it seems you had no desire to live."
His body crumpled to the ground like a discarded puppet.
For a brief moment, Ling Yun stared at the trembling heart in his grasp. Then, without hesitation, he absorbed the latent Qi within it.
His eyes flashed—a deep, eerie shade of violet.
Under his breath, he murmured,
"So this is the only way forward…"