Bab 2: Breakthrough, Grandmaster Realm
At this moment, in the main hall of the Ye family, the upper ranks of the family were filled with fury, their killing intent directed squarely at Lin Cheng.
The most hot-tempered among them, Ye Zhantian, slammed the table and stood up. "Lin Cheng! The family head trusted you so deeply, yet you dared to betray him and covet his position? Do you not fear being cursed by thousands? If it weren't for him, you'd have died long ago—how else would you have reached the Innate Realm?"
Lin Cheng, around forty years old, had once carried an aura of righteousness, but now he only sneered coldly.
"Ye Zhantian, spare me your theatrics. I've slaved away for your Ye family for nearly twenty years. The debt of saving my life has long been repaid. People strive upwards, like water flows downwards. I respected Ye Daocang as the head of the family, but as for the rest of you, do you think you're worthy?"
"Let's not kid ourselves. The reason Ye Daocang trusted me so much is because of my superior abilities. It's not hard to see—it's because you all are too incompetent! If not for your own shortcomings, would an outsider like me have so much power?"
Lin Cheng's once polite demeanor was long gone. His response to Ye Zhantian was filled with coldness.
"You bastard! You—!" Ye Zhantian's anger was beyond control, his hand trembling as he pointed at Lin Cheng, seemingly ready to attack at any moment.
However, Ye Changfeng, standing nearby, grabbed hold of Ye Zhantian, knowing that starting a fight now would not be in the Ye family's best interest.
Ye Changfeng ignored Lin Cheng and instead turned to the leaders of the Wang and Yang families, as well as the county magistrate.
"Wang Lin, Yang Huai, Lord Magistrate, this is an internal matter of the Ye family. Please, I kindly ask that you take your leave for now. The Ye family will naturally pay a formal visit at a later date."
Hearing Ye Changfeng's words, the three exchanged glances and smiled faintly.
Finally, the county magistrate, Liu Nong, chuckled lightly. "Elder Ye, we are here today at the invitation of Steward Lin Cheng, to offer our assistance."
Ye Changfeng's expression shifted slightly. He had expected trouble but hadn't anticipated the other side would be this aggressive.
"Lin Cheng is merely an outsider. How could he possibly dictate the affairs of our Ye family? I would advise the three of you not to make things difficult for us!"
The magistrate continued to smile. "Haha, it's well known that Lin Cheng is the most trusted man of the Ye family head. If even he cannot make decisions, who else could?"
"Indeed, over the years, Lin Cheng has represented the Ye family on many occasions!"
"When Steward Lin Cheng extends such a gracious invitation, how could we refuse?"
The three of them chatted casually, entirely disregarding Ye Changfeng.
Ye Changfeng's expression grew colder. "Are you three truly going to interfere in this matter? Are you not afraid that when the family head emerges from seclusion, there will be a reckoning?"
At the mention of Ye Daocang's name, the smiling faces of the three men immediately grew serious, and a flicker of fear flashed in their eyes.
Ye Daocang's name was one they dreaded deeply. Not just them, even their respective lords—the county magistrate and the heads of the Wang and Yang families—were extremely wary of him.
The Ye family had stood tall in Fengling County for over twenty years, and it was Ye Daocang alone who had carved out that fearsome reputation with his sword.
Who in Fengling County didn't fear him?
Seeing their reaction, Lin Cheng suddenly let out a cold snort.
"Ye Changfeng, stop trying to intimidate us with borrowed authority! Ye Daocang has been in seclusion for a long time now. He must have run into trouble with his cultivation and probably died from inner demons long ago!"
Upon hearing this, the Ye family elders immediately flew into a rage.
"How dare you, Lin Cheng! You curse our family head—do you have a death wish?"
"If you insult the family head again, I swear I'll kill you on the spot!"
"When the family head emerges from seclusion, he'll tear you limb from limb!"
Various voices erupted, all directed at Lin Cheng. It was clear just how deeply revered Ye Daocang was within the Ye family.
Ye Daocang had never married or had children, and throughout his tenure as head of the family, he had always been fair and just, never showing favoritism. This was one of the key reasons he commanded such respect.
Faced with the elders' fury, Lin Cheng wasn't angered. Instead, he burst into loud laughter.
"Hahaha! You still think Ye Daocang will survive? Do you really think I'd dare to seize the position of family head without being certain of his fate?"
Lin Cheng's question brought a sudden hush over the Ye family.
In the next moment, Ye Changfeng's expression shifted dramatically as he pointed at Lin Cheng, shouting, "Was it you? What did you do to the family head?"
"What did I do? I simply gave him a dose of Silver Serpent Gall. Colorless, tasteless, and impossible to detect with true energy. You tell me, with such a lethal poison in his body, do you think he could still break through to the Grandmaster Realm? Hahaha!"
Lin Cheng's words echoed throughout the hall, leaving everyone in shock as they stared at him in disbelief.
Silver Serpent Gall—colorless and tasteless, known to kill anyone below the Grandmaster Realm upon contact!
At that moment, the Ye family finally understood why Lin Cheng had chosen to act now. And they finally realized why the three great families had dared to challenge Ye Daocang's authority and offend the Ye family.
"You monster! The family head treated you so well all these years, and yet you dare to plot his murder? I'll kill you!"
Ye Zhantian roared in fury, and without another word, he drew his sword and slashed towards Lin Cheng.
With a cold snort, Lin Cheng drew his own weapon to block.
Clang!
Lin Cheng effortlessly repelled Ye Zhantian's attack.
"Hmph, with your mere seventh level of the Innate Realm, you think you can challenge me at the eighth level? Overestimating yourself!"
Lin Cheng glanced disdainfully at Ye Zhantian before turning his gaze to the leaders of the Wang and Yang families and the magistrate. "The conditions I offered earlier still stand. Help me take them down, and you may claim the Ye family's treasures and assets as you please!"
The three exchanged excited glances before waving their hands, and the gates of the Ye family estate were instantly breached.
In an instant, the magistrate's men, along with those from the Wang and Yang families, swarmed in, surrounding the entire Ye family estate.
It was clear the three forces had been ready to strike for some time.
The magistrate smiled faintly and said, "We have just received word that a demonic cultivator has infiltrated the Ye family and is killing innocent people at will. We are here under orders to eliminate the demon!"
With a cold smile, the three of them shouted in unison, "Kill!"
At that moment, the faces of the Ye family elders changed, and killing intent filled the air. A fierce battle was about to break out.
But just as the tension reached its peak, a calm voice cut through the air, silencing all other sounds.
"If a demonic cultivator had entered my Ye family, would I, Ye Daocang, not know about it?"
As soon as the voice rang out, the entire place fell silent. Every person in the Ye family estate stopped in their tracks.
At that moment, the county magistrate and the heads of the Wang and Yang families turned pale, a flicker of fear once again appearing in their eyes.
Meanwhile, on the Ye family's side, the elders were overjoyed upon hearing this voice.
Lin Cheng's body trembled, and panic flashed in his eyes. He raised his head to the sky, glaring around angrily as he shouted, "Who dares to play tricks here? Show yourself!"
His voice was hoarse, reflecting his inner turmoil.
"A dog that bites its master is truly ungrateful. How quickly you forget your master's voice after just a month, and now you dare to turn on him?"
As the voice fell, a white-robed, sword-wielding man suddenly appeared on the beam above the Ye family gates, his gaze piercing straight through Lin Cheng.
The moment this white-robed man appeared, the entire Ye family erupted into cheers.
Fellow Daoists, if you're enjoying my story, I would truly appreciate your support! Please consider leaving a comment and gifting me some Power Stones. Your encouragement means a lot to me. 🙏✨
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
EverGreen
EverGreen Fellow Daoists, if you're enjoying my story, I would truly appreciate your support! Please consider leaving a comment and gifting me some Power Stones. Your encouragement means a lot to me.