For a martial artist with inner strength, having the dantian crushed means becoming a complete cripple. Triangular Eyes lay on the ground, feeling the tearing pain in his dantian. His face was already pale, and apart from the pain, there was fear.
In terror, he watched Lin Fan walk over and cripple both his junior brother and sister in the same way.
In an instant, the three martial artists were reduced to struggling cripples on the ground; this was going to be the darkest day of their lives.
They regretted it to their core; if only they hadnât provoked Lin Fan. Initially, Lin Fan had let them go, but Triangular Eyes couldnât resist and fell into Lin Fanâs trapâsuch a simple test, yet he couldnât withstand it.
Lin Fan had baited them because he didnât trust them, so he simply tested them, and Triangular Eyes really took the bait when he saw the opportunity.
If Lin Fan kept them around, heâd just be leaving a ticking time bomb for himself.
In fact, often the safest people in the world are the deadâdead people wonât give you trouble, they wonât come for you, and theyâre the best at keeping secrets.
After extracting the location of the treasure map, Xiao Fei decisively killed the two from the Divine Blade Sect, getting to Yun Sect before the sect. His plan was to obliterate Yun Sect after seizing the treasure, destroying Li Xiangshuiâs faction that handled Yun Sectâs business as well.
If it werenât for the unforeseen involvement of Lin Fan, Xiao Fei would have taken the treasure and fled afar, and without evidence, it would be difficult for anyone to trace him.
Of course, Xiao Fei may be too out of touch with modern society; he thought killing witnesses was enough, but his massacre of Li Xiangshuiâs faction was recorded by surveillance.
No matter what, wiping out completely and rooting out problems is often the easiest solution, even a common consensus among Jianghu people.
In the past, when Jianghu flourished, battles between factions often ended with wiping out one side to prevent future troubles.
Observing, youâll find an interesting thing: many protagonists in martial arts novels are often those who escaped such disasters, living with the hatred of their ruined sect or family, honing their martial arts to avenge, making revenge the main storyline.
This in turn proves the importance of rooting out problems; those novel villains failed to do so, resulting in their downfall by the protagonistâs hand.
However, Lin Fan understood the rationale, but unlike Xiao Fei, Lin Fan wasnât a Jianghu person. He was a modern young man, educated in the 21st century, and in his understanding, random killing wasnât acceptable.
He got involved in the matter mainly because he saw Triangular Eyes bullying a girl and stepped in to rescue her.
With his personality, seeing that situation, he found it difficult not to act unless he lacked strength. When capable, ignoring it would certainly make him uncomfortable.
So now, he needed to solve this trouble.
He didnât kill the three, merely crippled their cultivation.
But this evidently wasnât enough to completely resolve the issue, as the saying goes: only the dead are truly safe.
"Alright, werenât you going to Yun Sect? Get up, Iâll fulfill my previous promise and take you to Yun Sect." Lin Fan said with a smile.
The three listened, terribly frightened. Previously, if Lin Fan offered to lead the way, theyâd be happy, but now as cripples, going to Yun Sect is like seeking death!
This guy Lin Fan intended to use Yun Sect to kill them!
"Whatâs wrong? Didnât you really want to go to Yun Sect? Why not hurry up?" Lin Fan urged.
Triangular Eyes forced a laugh: "Weâve changed our minds, weâre not going. Mr. Lin, please spare us!"
Lin Fan asked, "You were so eager to make me lead you there before, but now Iâm willing and you donât want to go? Why?"
Lin Fan was feigning ignorance.
Triangular Eyes felt like crying: "Weâre no longer interested in the treasure. We originally just wanted to revive the Divine Blade Sect, but now that weâre crippled, itâs pointless."
His words were true; they were already cripples, talking about reviving Divine Blade Sect was irrelevant. The Divine Blade Sect could now be declared completely extinct.
Lin Fan nodded: "Alright, then get up and go back to Cyan Ox Stronghold with me; Iâll take you away together."
Not going to Yun Sect?
Triangular Eyes felt relieved; if they went to Yun Sect, it would surely be a dead end. Knowing they were after the treasure, the Jiangmen faction couldnât possibly spare them!
Now Lin Fan agreeing not to take them to Yun Sect had saved their lives!
Though they were cripples, as long as they were alive, there would still be future opportunities; if dead, there really would be no chance.
At this moment, Triangular Eyes dared not say more, bearing the sharp pain in his dantian, struggling to get up.
On the other side, the thin man and stout woman also stood up, supporting each other, and the three stumbled after Lin Fan, returning to Cyan Ox Stronghold. Each step was torment to them.
At this time, the villagers of Cyan Ox Stronghold hadnât dispersed; they were gathered at the village entrance, discussing the earlier events.
Their biggest concern was that the three would return to Cyan Ox Stronghold and harm them.
"Wonder if that young man truly knows Yun Sect; if he doesnât, those three will surely come back for us!"
"The Yun Sect theyâre searching for, could it be that mysterious entity deep in the mountains?"
"We all know thereâs people in the mountains, but nobody knows where; could the young man really be from Yun Sect?"
"If heâs from Yun Sect, he surely wouldnât lead three evil guys there; itâs obvious the three have bad intentions!"
"Might the young man end up fighting them? Can he possibly hold his ground against them alone?"
"Oh no, if the young man is killed, theyâll return to torment us!"
Everyone was discussing, a cloud of panic enveloping their hearts.
"No, the young man wonât be killed!" one person said, the young girl Lin Fan had rescued earlier; she refused to believe that the angel-like young man would fall victim.
As everyone was uncertain...
"Ah, theyâre coming back!"
Suddenly someone screamed, pointing.
The crowd looked, and sure enough, they saw Lin Fan and the three villains returning along the path!
Immediately, everyone was panic-stricken; the more timid ones immediately turned and fled. If you canât fight, then run; hide and regroup!
"Wait!"
In the midst of panic, the young girl called out, "Donât run, somethingâs off; whatâs wrong with the three villains?"
Upon hearing the girlâs words, everyone examined closely and indeed, the three villains looked ridiculous, limping and supporting each other, unusually humiliated. Yet Lin Fan, following behind them, walked leisurely, unbothered.