The Lin manor was located on the east side of the southern city gate. Similar to the Bai manor, this place was full of ordinary houses arranged neatly. It was difficult to believe this was the residence of the top clan.
At the center, a large majestic building stood tall, giving off an ancient aura. This building was the most important place of the Lin clan, Lin Ancestral Hall. Normally, the Lin clansmen would never come to this place unless there was a special event, and today, everyone was summoned by their patriarch to gather here.
"Third Brother, do you know why grandpa summoned us here?" A seventeen-year-old-looking girl with two braids asked a young man beside her while walking toward the Ancestral Hall. Her face was brimming with youthfulness,
The young man who had been called Third Brother by the young girl shook his head. "I don't know. Maybe it's related to the death of Cousin Wuwei."
"Rui'er, don't spout nonsense!" A middle-aged man, who was walking in the front of the young man, reprimanded with a severe expression. If one looked closely, one would find the three of them had similar facial features.
The young man, Lin Rui, immediately shut his mouth while looking at the young girl helplessly.
The young girl increased her pace to catch up with the middle-aged man and asked in a low voice. "Father, do you know anything?"
The middle-aged man, Lin Zihan, glanced at his daughter and whispered. "It's about your Second Uncle. Ling'er, remember to stay quiet when we arrive there. Do not play around, understand?"
The young girl, whose name was Lin Ling'er, nodded her head firmly. In truth, she could feel a solemn atmosphere slowly brewing. She could guess what was going to happen next should be something that could affect the entire Lin clan.
The three of them gradually entered the Ancestral Hall and looked straight at the innermost area. Currently, more than two hundred people were seated on both sides of the hall, and Lin Canghai could be seen sitting on a glorious throne at the center. His eyes were closed, unbothered to care about the discussions among the crowd.
Lin Zihan glanced around briefly and brought Lin Rui and Lin Ling'er toward a second-row seat on the right-hand side.
"You're here, Third Brother." An imposing middle-aged man with a pair of sharp eyes greeted Lin Zihan with a smile. His name was Lin Zihuang, the eldest son of Lin Canghai and the current young patriarch of the Lin clan.
"Big Brother." Lin Zihan greeted back with a smile. Their relationship was extremely good. When they had free time, they would occasionally drink together.
Lin Zihuang looked at Lin Rui and Lin Ling'er. With a gentle smile, he said. "Rui'er, Ling'er, both of your progress are truly impressive. At this rate, both of you should reach the tenth level Origin Profound Realm before the academy's recruitment date."
"Thank you for your praise, Big Uncle." Lin Rui and Lin Ling'er responded in unison.
Sitting down, Lin Zihan secretly sent a sound transmission to Lin Zihuang. "Big Brother, what do you think about this matter?"
Lin Zihuang leaned back slightly and replied calmly. "Second Brother should be abolished. He has completely broken the taboo that our Old Man set this time. With the Old Man's personality, he definitely won't spare Second Brother."
Lin Zihan's expression grew heavy. It wasn't because he cared about his Second Brother, but instead, he thought of his younger sister's incident in the past.
"Are you thinking of Zixuan?" Lin Zihuang's voice rang out in Lin Zihan's mind.
Lin Zihan said nothing and merely gave a slight nod in reply. Among the Lin sibling, Lin Zixuan was the closest person to him. He always felt guilty for failing to protect her in the past.
Lin Zihuang sighed softly and went silent. He naturally understood Lin Zihan's feelings, as he had also felt the same way. Even though he was strongest among his sibling, he could not go against Lin Canghai. The only thing he could do for Lin Zixuan was to let her live in the academy peacefully.
All of a sudden, the hall became so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Everyone turned their head around to look at the entrance. More precisely, they were looking at the newcomer.
A middle-aged man whose face resembled Lin Canghai walked into the hall with a heavy step. His face was pale slightly, and a trace of fear could be seen in his eyes. His name was Lin Zichen, Lin Canghai's second son and the protagonist of today's event.
The moment he walked into the hall, Lin Canhai's eyes snapped open, along a majestic aura burst out from his body. Everyone in the hall immediately suffocated, having a hard time breathing.
Lin Zihuang had to release his aura to protect the younger generations while looking at Lin Canghai. "Patriarch, please calm down."
Lin Canghai turned deaf ears to Lin Zihuang and kept staring at Lin Zichen. There wasn't any emotion on his face, but everyone could feel a boundless fury hiding behind it.
Under pressure, the movement of Lin Zichen became stagnated, and his knees started to bend down. With a thud, he completely knelt on the ground and banged his head on the floor. "Spare me, Father! I don't dare to do anymore!" His voice was shaking, filling with endless fear.
Lin Canghai watched his second son for a moment before turning his head to Great Elder Lin beside him. The latter seemed to understand and quickly waved his hand. A moment later, two guards hurriedly dragged Lin Changkong into the hall and threw him on the ground beside Lin Zichen.
Lin Changkong's current appearance was even more miserable than a beggar on the street. His hair was disheveled, and his entire being had lost all the brilliance he once had. Not a single trace of profound energy could be found in his body. He was totally crippled.
When Lin Zichen saw Lin Changkong, his body shuddered involuntarily, and his face turned ugly beyond words. If there was no mistake, he would become like Lin Changkong soon.