Chapter 269: A Three-Day Ultimatum!

But Lin Xiao’s foot remained firmly planted, as heavy as a mountain. No matter how hard Duan Changhan struggled, he couldn’t budge an inch.

“You and your sect owe the Chen Martial Arts Hall a debt, and I’ll personally make sure the Golden Claw Sect pays up. As for now, you can start by settling what you owe Uncle Chen.”

With that, Lin Xiao’s hand shot out like lightning. He grabbed Duan Changhan’s right arm and twisted without hesitation.

A crisp cracking sound echoed as the bone snapped. Duan Changhan’s arm was bent into an unnatural shape, twisted like a pretzel. His face contorted in pain, beads of cold sweat dripping from his forehead as he let out a low grunt.

To his credit, Duan Changhan gritted his teeth and refused to scream, even as the agony wracked his body.

“Hiss!”

The Golden Claw disciples collectively sucked in a sharp breath. Watching Duan Changhan’s arm get broken so effortlessly made their scalps tingle and their hearts pound.

Lin Xiao’s decisiveness and ruthless efficiency terrified them to their core.

They had always prided themselves on being ruthless, but now the tables had turned. For once, they were on the receiving end, and it was clear they weren’t nearly as tough as they’d thought.

Duan Fei clamped his mouth shut. Even as he watched his father’s arm get twisted out of shape, he didn’t dare utter a single word. The last thing he wanted was to draw Lin Xiao’s attention and suffer the same fate—or worse.

After breaking Duan Changhan’s arm, Lin Xiao stepped back, his expression icy.

“You can leave now,” he said.

Clutching his mangled arm, Duan Changhan staggered to his feet, his face pale and twisted with fury. He hobbled toward the door, but halfway there, he stopped.

Turning back to glare at Lin Xiao, his voice came out like venom dripping through clenched teeth. “This humiliation, I, Duan Changhan, will never forget. One day, I’ll return the favor tenfold.”

The hatred in his tone was chilling, making everyone who heard it shiver.

Chen Lingxin’s heart skipped a beat. She glanced worriedly at Lin Xiao.

Lin Xiao’s face remained calm, though his brow arched slightly. “I know you want revenge. That’s fine. I’ll give you the chance. Three days from now, I’ll head to Jiangbei Province and challenge the entire Golden Claw Sect. Whatever tricks you have, use them then.”

“Good. Good. Good.” Duan Changhan spat out the word three times, a bloodthirsty smile twisting his lips. “I’ll be waiting for you in Jiangbei. Let’s settle this grudge once and for all.”

With that, he turned and left without another word. In an instant, he was gone, vanishing past the gates of Chen’s Martial Arts Hall. He didn’t even bother waiting for his disciples or his son.

The Golden Claw disciples struggled to their feet, their heads hung low. Not one of them dared to meet Lin Xiao’s gaze as they stumbled out, looking like a pack of beaten dogs.

One of them, in his haste to leave, tripped and fell flat on his face. But no one laughed. They were all too focused on escaping this nightmare as quickly as possible.

Even Duan Fei, who had been playing dead, stopped pretending. Realizing Lin Xiao wasn’t planning to kill them, his courage returned just a little. He threw a venomous glance at Lin Xiao, his heart already plotting revenge.

In just a few minutes, the Golden Claw Sect members had fled completely, taking even Jiang Linfeng’s body with them.

“Master, are you sure about this?” Chen Lingxin walked up to Lin Xiao, hesitation clear in her voice.

“What do you mean?” Lin Xiao asked calmly.

“You killed Jiang Linfeng. Won’t that cause trouble?”

“What kind of trouble?” Lin Xiao’s response was light, almost dismissive. “Jiang Linfeng got what he deserved. He brought this on himself. Don’t worry. Matters of the martial world are settled within the martial world. Warriors live and die by their fists, and no one regrets it. Golden Claw is an ancient sect. They’ll follow the rules of the martial world and handle this privately. If they don’t, they’ll lose all credibility.”

Chen Lingxin let out a breath of relief. “Then I’m not worried anymore.”

A flicker of something unreadable flashed through Lin Xiao’s eyes. The truth was, he hadn’t told her everything.

The reason Lin Xiao dared to kill Jiang Linfeng on the spot wasn’t because he thought the Golden Claw Sect wouldn’t retaliate. It was because, as the leader of the Dragon Sword Squad, he had a license to kill.

While Lin Xiao and Chen Lingxin were talking, the Chen Martial Arts Hall’s disciples all stared at him with looks of pure admiration and reverence.

At this moment, even if Lin Xiao asked them to commit a crime, they wouldn’t hesitate.

Lin Xiao swept his gaze over the disciples and spoke. “You’re all injured. There’s no need to stay here. Go to the hospital and get treated. The school will cover your medical bills.”

“Yes, Master!”

To the disciples, Lin Xiao’s words were absolute. Everyone who could still move gave a loud, unified response. Then they helped each other up and limped out of the dojo.

Lin Xiao gave a small nod of approval, then turned his attention to Chen Tianli, who was crouched beside Chen Tianxing in silent despair. With a gentle pat on the shoulder, he said, “Chen, my brother.”

Chen Tianli slowly looked up. His face was streaked with tears, and he managed a strained smile.

“Brother Lin.”

Lin Xiao hadn’t expected Chen Tianli to be this fragile, but it wasn’t entirely surprising. It explained why the old master had been so disappointed in him and pinned the dojo’s hopes on Chen Lingxin instead.

Compared to Chen Tianli, Chen Lingxin was leagues ahead in strength and composure. Even with her father gravely injured, she hadn’t shown any signs of panic. But there wasn’t time to dwell on that.

Lin Xiao got straight to the point. “Brother Chen, call the hospital and ask them to send someone to pick up your father. Go with him and stay by his side.”

Chen Tianli snapped out of his daze. Wiping his tears on his sleeve, he fumbled for his phone. “Right, I’ll call them right now.”

As Chen Tianli made the call, Lin Xiao turned to Chen Lingxin.

“By the way, where’s the old master?”

“Grandpa?”

Chen Lingxin’s face changed the moment she heard Lin Xiao’s words. She hurried into the main hall, only to see her grandfather half-reclining in a chair, unconscious.

“Grandpa… Grandpa, are you okay?”

She rushed over and gently shook him, her face full of worry.

“Don’t worry. The old master is fine, he just passed out,” Lin Xiao said reassuringly as he followed her into the hall.

Chen Lingxin breathed a sigh of relief. She was about to carry her grandfather to his room when his brows twitched slightly, and he slowly opened his eyes.

“Lingxin… are you okay?”

“Grandpa, you’re awake!” Chen Lingxin exclaimed in delight. “I’m fine. Master came and drove all the Gold Claw Sect people away.”

At that moment, the old master noticed Lin Xiao standing behind her. He quickly pushed himself up from the chair, cupping his hands in a respectful bow. His movements were careful, but his demeanor was composed and steady.

Though it had only been a few days since their last meeting, the old master looked noticeably more haggard. Even so, his calm, unshaken demeanor remained intact. A man who had weathered countless storms wouldn’t lose his composure so easily.

“Lin Xiao,” the old master said gratefully, his voice steady despite his exhaustion, “if it weren’t for you, the Chen Martial Arts Hall wouldn’t exist today. You saved my life and the school twice now. I owe you a great debt.”

“You’re too kind, Old Master Chen,” Lin Xiao replied, quickly returning the gesture with a respectful bow of his own. “As the honorary head of the school, it’s my duty to help.”

Not only did Lin Xiao feel somewhat responsible for what had happened, but as the honorary head and a beneficiary of the old master’s guidance, he couldn’t just stand idly by. The Chen family’s martial arts had greatly enhanced his strength, and he firmly believed in repaying kindness with gratitude.

A drop of kindness deserves a flood of gratitude. That was the principle Lin Xiao lived by.