HISS...

The hand, already mangled into pulp, was crushed by a tremendous force a second time, turning it into little more than sludge.

Intense physical agony wracked his body.

Beads of sweat dotted Lin Zongwen’s pale face. He almost shattered his own teeth, barely suppressing the pathetic urge to scream in pain.

But as he recalled the brief battle, a chill ran down his spine, a wave of lingering fear washing over him.

’Wu Dao is terrifying!’

’He’s not a man, he’s a Fierce Beast of steel!’

Lin Zongwen had practiced martial arts for many years. With his Harmonious Cultivation, his Fierce Tiger Palm technique was perfected to the point he could be called a Grandmaster. A single palm strike from him could shatter a man of iron.

But when he struck Wu Dao with his full strength...

...it felt like hitting a towering mountain forged from refined steel.

Not only did he fail to harm Wu Dao in the slightest, but the rebound force from Wu Dao’s pectoral muscles shattered the bones and tendons in his hand, a truly gruesome sight.

’We’re not even in the same league.’

Lin Zongwen hadn’t even seen how Wu Dao had raised his hand to attack; he only felt a hurricane-like pressure on his face.

The next instant, a hand of steel sent half his face and a mouthful of old teeth flying. The impact turned his brain to mush, nearly knocking him out on the spot. For a long while, his ears rang and his vision blurred; he couldn’t see or hear clearly.

"What is the Stone God, and where is it?"

It wasn’t until Wu Dao’s cold, thunderous voice rang out that the searing pain in his hand shocked Lin Zongwen back to his senses.

’The Stone God?’

’He’s not here for revenge?’

’Another ignorant fool coveting the Stone God?’

"Heh... heh... I can guarantee you..."

Half of Lin Zongwen’s face was a bloody mess, blood pouring from his mouth and nose. His voice was weak, yet filled with a defiant, unyielding resolve, and even a hint of a threat.

"You won’t get anything... Instead, you will pay for your foolishness... with your lives."

"Oh, is that so."

Upon hearing this, Wu Dao’s expression remained as indifferent as iron. He showed no annoyance, as if he had expected this, and snapped his fingers with a sharp sound.

"Hehehe..."

At his side, Lv Tiezhu immediately understood.

He dragged a clan elder, whose leg he had previously broken, out from the crowd. Grabbing the man’s hair with one hand, he raised his Copper Hammer high.

Wu Dao’s voice was like ice. "I’ll count to three. If you haven’t talked by then, this old man will pay the price for your stubbornness.

One!"

"Haha, pah! Don’t waste your energy! To die for the clan, for the Stone God—it is a worthy death for me!"

Who would have thought that on the very first count, the clan elder would laugh at the sky, spit in Wu Dao’s direction from afar, and put on a fierce display of choosing death over submission.

"Hah!"

Wu Dao grinned back at the elder, revealing a mouthful of inhuman, shark-like teeth. He couldn’t be bothered with pleasantries. "Tiezhu, give him what he wants."

BAM!!

Like a watermelon bursting, flesh splattered everywhere!

THUD~

The headless corpse fell to the ground, a trickling stream of blood staining a large patch of earth red.

"You monster!"

"If you have the guts, come at me!"

"You son of a bitch, you’ll die a dog’s death!"

The people of Lin Village never expected Wu Dao to be so ruthless and decisive. He did exactly as he said; he wasn’t joking around with them at all.

A respected elder of high moral standing.

Was just brutally killed on the spot.

The sight instantly shattered their composure. Their eyes widened with rage, and they roared without end.

But this was only the beginning!

After executing the elder with his hammer.

Lv Tiezhu cracked his neck, his slightly reddened eyes scanning the crowd like King Yama searching for his next soul, picking out the next tough nut to crack.

"To kill a snake, strike its vital point. That one."

Wu Dao’s perception covered the threshing ground, imprinting every change in expression into his mind. He quickly found a promising candidate.

It was a timid, cowering young man.

When Lv Tiezhu’s gaze swept over the youth.

Wu Dao clearly ’felt’ the head of Lin Village’s third branch, Lin Zongwu, begin to breathe rapidly, his face turning deathly pale.

Speaking of which, this head of the third branch had a conflicted expression when Lv Tiezhu dragged out the elder. He seemed to be hesitating, wondering whether to speak up, making him an excellent point of entry.

Sure enough.

When Wu Dao pointed out the timid young man, the youth’s courage shattered. He howled and begged Lin Zongwu, "Father, save me! Waaah, I don’t want to die!"

"Zongwu, do not forget the ancestral teachings!"

Seeing Lin Zongwu’s eyes turn red and his resolve begin to waver, Lin Zongwen, still on the ground, issued a low-voiced warning.

But who would have thought...

"ENOUGH!!"

What greeted Lin Zongwen was Lin Zongwu’s furious roar. "Whether it’s the ancestral teachings or a tool for your own power, Second Brother, you know better than anyone!

Second Brother, I’m begging you!"

Lin Zongwu’s eyes were red, his voice trembling as if years of suppressed anger were erupting all at once. "Let Lin Village go, let our descendants go! Do you really want to watch Lin Village be destroyed in our generation?

When that time comes.

What face will you have to meet our ancestors?"

"Zongwu, you!"

Lin Zongwen was stunned by this sudden outburst from the usually docile and humble Lin Zongwu. When he recovered, he became uncontrollably furious.

"Just as I thought! You’re just like Big Brother—selfish, disregarding the will of the people! You are the real Sinners!

People of Lin Village, listen! If anyone speaks, they will be expelled from the clan, driven out of Lin Village, and for the rest of their lives shall not..."

CRUNCH!

A large foot stomped down, and the skull burst.

The annoying voice stopped abruptly.

Everyone in Lin Village, including Lin Zongwu, froze with stunned, rigid expressions. It felt as if something that had been hanging high above their heads had suddenly shattered.

"One life is worth two thousand? The audacity is astounding!"

Wu Dao scraped the filth off his shoe, sneered, and waved for a disciple to drag away Lin Zongwen’s remains.

Afterwards.

Wu Dao then said to Lin Zongwu, "Alright, you’re the Clan Leader now. A wise man knows to adapt to circumstances. I trust you will give me a satisfactory answer."

THUMP~

Hearing this, the dazed Lin Zongwu seemed to deflate like a popped balloon. His Essence, Qi, and Spirit instantly withered.

The courage he had just mustered vanished completely the moment his second brother died. He collapsed limply to the ground, muttering to himself with a self-deprecating laugh:

"Heh heh, I knew it. From the first time I prayed to that stone, I knew this day would come sooner or later."

HUFF~

After his bitter laugh.

Lin Zongwu knew that the fate of Lin Village now rested solely on his shoulders. He let out a long breath, collected his thoughts, and said sorrowfully:

"The truth is, there is no so-called Stone God. It’s just a..."

「Ten-odd minutes later.」

"That is all the information I have about the Stone God."

Lin Zongwu exhaled another turbid breath, as if a great weight had been lifted from his heart.

In the threshing ground, everyone fell silent.

Most of the people from the White Whale Martial Arts Hall had strange expressions, while a few looked somewhat moved.

As for the ordinary people of Lin Village.

They had basically all lowered their heads in shame.

’Public Opinion Stone...’

Wu Dao narrowed his eyes, mulling over those three words, a hint of surprise in his heart.

Because.

The so-called Stone God behind Lin Village, as it turned out, had a certain karmic connection to the former Giant Whale Sect.

Fifty years ago.

The Giant Whale Sect’s influence was widespread throughout Guangqing, and it was at the height of its power. It had practically unified the Jianghu of Guangqing Prefecture, making it the undisputed underground Overlord.

But twenty years later.

The hidden dangers caused by the Giant Whale Sect’s focus on quantity over quality finally erupted. It became the number one cancer in Guangqing Prefecture, attacked by both the Jianghu and the imperial court.

At that time.

An Innate Elder from the Giant Whale Sect was being hunted by the righteous factions and fled all the way to the Nine-Linked Mountain region.

But when it rains, it pours.

The elder had just barely managed to escape his pursuers when he ran into a Daoist who was wandering the mortal world in the Nine-Linked Mountain.

After his identity was exposed.

The two engaged in a life-or-death battle.

The final result was one dead and one severely injured.

Although the Daoist won, he paid a heavy price. Mortally wounded, he collapsed unconscious in the Nine-Linked Mountain.

He was later saved by the Clan Leader of Lin Village at the time, Lin Zongyao—the older brother of Lin Zongwen and Lin Zongwu.

Lin Zongyao had studied profound medical arts in his youth. After half a month of care, he managed to pull the Daoist back from the brink of death.

At that time, remnants of the Giant Whale Sect were running rampant.

Somehow, a group of these remnants fled to Lin Village, where they lorded over the villagers and oppressed the clan members.

Although Lin Village had a strong sense of Martial Virtue, it was simply too poor at the time. Even putting food on the table was a problem, so how could their martial arts training amount to anything?

They could only swallow their broken teeth and endure the humiliation.

After the Daoist woke up.

When he learned that his savior’s clan was being bullied, he was instantly struck by a Thunderbolt of rage and slaughtered the group of villains.

Afterwards.

To repay Lin Zongyao’s kindness, the Daoist offered to do one thing for Lin Village that was within his power and did not go against his conscience.

At that time, Lin Village was still reeling in terror from the aftermath of the villains’ rampage.

Lin Zongyao discussed the matter with the respected elders of the clan, and after consulting the public, a decision was made.

The people of Lin Village felt that the Daoist would eventually leave. What if the remnants of the Giant Whale Sect returned for revenge after he was gone?

Therefore.

They hoped the Daoist could leave them with some means to protect their home.

And so.

The so-called Stone God was born.

The Daoist refined the soul of the villains’ leader into a spirit, infused it into a giant rock, and named it the Public Opinion Stone.

He then informed Lin Zongyao.

From then on, if any villains came to oppress Lin Village, its people only needed to convey their will to the Stone Spirit, and the Stone Spirit would act on its own to eliminate the disaster for them.

It is worth noting.

To prevent anyone from abusing the Stone Spirit’s power for personal gain, the Daoist only told the kind-hearted Lin Zongyao where the Stone Spirit was located.

After all this was done.

The Daoist stated that his karma with Lin Village was settled. Without leaving behind any name or trace of his origin, he quietly departed.

Since then.

Lin Village truly enjoyed peace and stability from that day forward.

Whenever vicious bandits ran rampant or powerful bullies tried to oppress Lin Village, none of them ever came to a good end.

Through this, Lin Zongyao gained a certain prestige. He began to lead the clan to pool funds and engage in business. With his quick mind, sincere attitude, and the Stone Spirit dealing with the darkness they encountered along the way...

...in just five or six years, he achieved considerable success, allowing everyone in Lin Village to eat their fill and escape poverty.

If it had stopped there.

If none of the later events had occurred.

Then this incredible encounter in Lin Village might have been passed down for centuries as a beautiful tale of good deeds being rewarded.