Chapter 226: Paying the Price
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Lin Hong, this small proud peacock, was one creature whom one cannot afford to offend within the Lin family. No matter her temperament, or her ability…
At this moment, Lin Hong glared at Su Yu. "You finally came out?" she called. "Dog!"
Su Yu creased his brows. Lin Hong may have been beautiful, but she was exceedingly immature, and he found it difficult to accept foul-mouthed girls.
Su Yu had deflected the two flying daggers intended for him, looking on the assemblage of Lin family disciples with a cold expression. He had not expected the Lin family to treat him like an esteemed guest just because he had a letter of recommendation from Lin Yunhe, and now that he had finished his cultivation at Nine Cloud Tower, it was naturally time to leave. He walked away.
"Stop!" commanded Lin Hong, chasing after Su Yu. "Did I give you permission to leave?" She would do anything to curry the favor of Lin Aojue!
Su Yu disregarded her, speaking without turning around. "Who do you think you are? Must I stay, just because you do not give me permission to leave?"
Lin Hong had an icy gaze. "Humph! This is the Lin family! Do you think you can just leave whenever you want?"
Eh? thought Su Yu, creasing his brows.
"Why?" asked Su Yu, his voice dropping dangerously. "Does the Lin family want to keep me?"
Other than Lin Yunhe, Su Yu did not have a good impression of any other members of the Lin family.
"Keep you? For the Lin family to use you?" Lin Hong was disgusted. "You used the Lin family's resources, injured members of our family, and chased Brother Aojue away from his cultivation. Do you think you can leave without leaving something behind?"
Su Yu understood. He turned around and said, "What do you want me to leave behind?"
"A blood debt must be returned by blood!" Lin Hong spat. "You injured Lin Long and Lin Hai, causing them to spit blood. For the price of their blood, you should also leave behind a mouthful of blood. That way, you would have paid your debt to the Lin family!"
Su Yu's heart turned cold. He had been recommended here by Lin Yunhe. The only thing he owed was the favor Lin Yunhe had done for him! He had never considered that the Lin family would use this against him.
Shifting his crystalline pupils in the direction of the family master, Su Yu asked coldly, "Do the two of you also think that I owe you people a favor?"
But his words confused the gathered disciples. They looked around, baffled.
"Your visual prowess is not bad, to be able to see me and the Great Elder from ten miles away," the family master's words of admiration floated down from the sky.
The disciples were shocked. Just how strong were Su Yu's visual abilities?
Su Yu calmly replied, "Answer the question."
His tone was filled with an unexplainable disappointment. The Lin family disciples frowned, enraged that he would talk like this to the master of their family!
After a moment's silence, the Lin family master said, "You do not owe us for utilizing Nine Cloud Tower; that reconciles the favor of Lin Yunhe. What you owe us for is your interruption of Lin Aojue's cultivation!"
The green-robed Great Elder's voice also sounded in the sky. "Humph! Aojue's latent talents are astonishing. Who are you, that you think yourself worthy of interrupting his cultivation? 100 of you could not repay for a day of Aojue's cultivation!"
So, that was it.
Su Yu's gaze was dark. "It is not within my power to interrupt your genius while he is cultivating. In fact, he left on his own accord. When did I force him?"
The green-robed Great Elder grunted. "Unreasonable! Even after you knew that Aojue preferred to have the place to his own, you continued to stay there. If that doesn't count as forcing him away, what does?"
Su Yu let out a cold laugh in his heart. "You are the unreasonable one!" he said. "According to your logic, if he wanted the whole world to himself, would I then be required to kill myself to satisfy his needs? Would I not be forcing him, then?" Su Yu continued his words forcefully, fighting back against the ridiculous words of the elder. "You have ruled that Nine Cloud Tower is a public cultivation area for Lin family members. What right does he, Lin Aojue, have to claim the area as his own?"
Judging by the looks on their faces, Su Yu's words were well-received. Several disciples of the Lin family also seemed to feel that the words of the Great Elder were a bit unreasonable. But ultimately, the Lin family held Lin Aojue in such high regard that even if it was his own fault for delaying his cultivation, they would find a way to place the blame on Su Yu.
"Do not try to twist our words!" shouted the Great Elder. "Would the Lin family frame you? Anyway, you have to pay the price in blood for interrupting Aojue's cultivation!"
Su Yu's gaze turned completely icy. He did not wish to argue further. "Fine," he said. "I understand your wishes! If that is what you desire, attack!"
No matter who was to injure him, Su Yu was going to let that person pay double the price!
The Lin family master sighed. "The Lin family would never use our might to bully the weak," he said. "Since the incident happened between you juniors, it should naturally be resolved between the juniors. Lin Hong shall battle you. If you can hold up against ten moves, you are free to go, no matter the outcome!"
Many of the Lin family disciples were filled with anticipation. Lin Hong was a Dragon Realm Level Four Peak. Su Yu, just half a month ago, at full power, had only barely managed to defeat Lin Hai, who was Dragon Realm Level Four Upper Tier. Against Lin Hong, his chances were slim. Escaping without several mouthfuls of blood would be incredibly difficult.
Is that so? thought Su Yu.
"Are there any restrictions?" asked Su Yu. "Anything I can't do?"
If Su Yu was permitted only to stand and take the beating without fighting back, the outcome would be clear.
"As you like," the Lin family master simply replied.
Su Yu nodded. "Then the outcome is clear."
As his words entered the ears of Lin Hong, a large smile crept across her face. "I see that you are an intelligent person. The outcome of our battle is clear! I do not need ten moves. Three moves will be enough! Prepare to spit blood and faint before the Lin family throws you out on the streets like the dog you are. I'm afraid you won't like the feeling!" Lin Hong was arrogant, looking down on the likes of Su Yu.
"You talk a lot," Su Yu calmly replied.
Lin Hong clenched her teeth. "It gives you more time to catch your breath…"
Creak—
At this moment, a white light flickered around Su Yu.
The ice-white wings behind him were a hundred zhang long, exaggerated and beautiful, as if they were the wings of a spirit. With hardly a move, Su Yu disappeared from where he stood.
When he appeared again, he was half a meter away from Lin Hong—the two of them practically face to face!
"Ah…!" Lin Hong cried in surprise.
She could not react in time, and her cry of surprise was ceased abruptly, replaced by a pathetic wail, when Su Yu's fist connected with her stomach.
The force pierced through her stomach, knocking her to ten meters back. A streak of fresh blood flowed from the corner of her lips.
The crowd of Lin family disciples gasped in shock.
"What a terrifying movement technique!"
"Lin Hong did not even have the chance to react before she was punched!"
Su Yu stood his ground. The pure white wings behind his back shimmered with a gentle glow.
"You still have nine moves," Su Yu said calmly. Anyone could have detected the hint of mockery in his voice.
Lin Hong, who had been confident that she could make Su Yu vomit blood in three moves, had been sent flying back and spitting blood from just one of Su Yu's fists! And that was because Su Yu had held back. Otherwise, she might have even been killed by his strike.
To Lin Hong, Su Yu's words felt like a higher being taking pity on her. How could the proud Lin Hong take this?
"It's not over!" Lin Hong said, clenching her teeth and striking in fury. "Azure Wave Fist!"
The top class of a legacy-level technique, coupled with the spirit energy of the Dragon Realm Level Four Peak, created a power mightier than that of Lin Hai's immortal level technique. Her hands were like waves, striking forward with many combinations.
Su Yu stood his ground, merely extending his palm. "Glazed Ice Flame!"
They were both legacy-level techniques, but the Glazed Ice Flame was considered more powerful—just below half-immortal level techniques.
Rumble—
Ah—
The two palms collided. Lin Hong felt as if she had been hit by a mountain. She violently spat blood as she retreated several steps back.
"You still have eight moves!" said Su Yu. He still stood at his original position, not moving an inch!
Lin Hong's stomach quivered. Her face grew red. She was more irate than ever. "I will never forgive you! White Moon Breeze Palm!"
It was a half-immortal level technique, its power halfway between immortal level and legacy level, and much more powerful than the Glazed Ice Flame. Furthermore, Lin Hong's level of perception was above average, allowing her to cultivate the technique to Stage One Lower Class.
Her palm reached out with hungrily, seeking to destroy everything, harboring an intense energy as it struck towards Su Yu!
"Die!" Lin Hong screamed in fury.
Su Yu's figure, which had remained in the same spot until now, finally moved.
"Wind Shadow Step!"
Rumble—
It was the same Wind Shadow Step move, yet its power must have doubled from the time he had defeated Lin Hai with it! Su Yu's cultivation level was revealed at this point!
"Dragon Realm Level Four!" several onlookers gasped.
The three Dragon Realm Level Five disciples were shocked. Before Su Yu had entered Nine Cloud Tower, he had only been Dragon Realm Level Three Upper Tier. But now, he was Dragon Realm Level Four!
The improved power of the Wind Shadow Step collided with Lin Hong's half immortal level technique!
Rumble—
Ah—
With another pathetic howl, Lin Hong's injured body suffered further trauma. She spat blood on the spot and fainted as her body went crashing limply into the flower bushes.
"It's over," said Su Yu. "It looks like you were unable to get any blood from me."
He gently shook his head, keeping his white wings as he quietly left!
The Lin family disciples were chattering. What a merciless person! He had not held back against the beautiful Lin Hong! But no one dared to seek revenge for her. He had knocked her out in just three moves. Other than the three Dragon Realm Level Five disciples, no one was confident that they could defeat Su Yu. Furthermore, this was a battle that had been arranged by the master and the Great Elder. If Su Yu won, he was free to go. Who would dare to stop Su Yu at this point?
In the house of the master, the expression of the green-robed Great Elder was ugly. "Aojue, what do you think?"
Behind him stood Lin Aojue. He wore a cool look, his eyes devoid of emotion. "Average," Lin Aojue said. "I can kill him in one second, with one move."
Hearing this, the green-robed elder relaxed. He threw a sidelong glance at the family master, an old man over 80 years of age. "Master, do you think we should absorb him as an affiliate of the Lin family? Let him work for the Lin family?"
The confrontation they had arranged between Lin Hong and Su Yu had simply been to estimate his abilities. They were trying to judge whether Su Yu would be useful for the Lin family.
The old man was silent for a moment before throwing the question back at him. "What do you think?"
"His potential is adequate," said the elder. "Based on past experiences, he makes the cut to be absorbed into the Lin family. I believe he is a lad from outside the city. There would have no reason to object." The elder paused a moment, then grunted. "His character is lacking, though. It would be problematic to make use of him."
The old man replied, "Isn't that obvious?"
In his heart, the old master sighed. This man known as Yin Yu had defeated a Dragon Realm Level Four Peak despite being Dragon Realm Level Four Lower Tier, which was quite impressive. Based on past experiences, the Lin family would, indeed, have tried to absorb him into the family and get him to work for them.
But this feeling of consideration quickly faded. Yin Yu had offended the Great Elder as well as Lin Aojue. Such a person was unable to stay in the family. Besides which, the master had seen many geniuses. Su Yu was but an ordinary genius.
As Su Yu walked out of the Lin family compound, a fiery red robe and an intoxicating fragrance approached him. A pretty face smiled, her lips bright red and her teeth shining white. Her nose was sharp, her figure slender. She was incredibly beautiful. It was Ouyang Yuxin.
"Sir Yin Yu," said Ouyang Yuxin, her voice lowered to a purr. She pouted slightly, looking mischievous. "I have waited for a long time."
Su Yu appraised her thoughtfully. This woman was gentle and friendly—very different from her arrogant personality back at the snowfield.