Lin Rui turned around, his gaze slowly fixed upon another person-Lin Yuanhu.

  This guy was burly, with bulging muscles, cultivating the 《Golden Wood Overlord Body Incantation》 daily. Among the family's younger generation, he was considered to have one of the strongest physiques.

  But his reputation... wasn't exactly stellar.

  Relying on his innate brute strength, he specialized in bullying those weaker than himself, especially Lin Rui, who had practically become his living punching bag!

  Two years ago, he'd even publicly smashed the spirit Qi array that Lin Rui used for cultivation. His father had exchanged this array for many contribution points for him. As a result of the array's destruction, he'd been completely cut off from the path of cultivation, becoming the Lin Family's publicly acknowledged "waste"!

  At this moment, Lin Yuanhu had been standing ramrod straight, but when Lin Rui's gaze landed on him, he subconsciously frowned, his body tensing slightly.

  -Why did he feel a sense of unease?

  "The Ancestor dreamt of a rabid dog..."

  Lin Rui suddenly chuckled.

  The smile was indolent, the tone languid, yet the entire ancestral hall inexplicably felt a chill.

  "Lin Yuanhu, have you been sleeping soundly lately?"

  Lin Yuanhu frowned, his voice rough and throaty. "What do you mean?"

  "Nothing much, it's just that the Ancestor just told me something very strange."

  Lin Rui tilted his head slightly, his tone carrying a sardonic smile.

  "He said he recently dreamed of a rabid dog in the family, biting people indiscriminately every day, causing unrest within the household."

  "This dog is also surnamed Lin."

  Boom-!

  The entire ancestral hall instantly erupted!

  Many disciples couldn't help but lower their heads, suppressing laughter, their shoulders subtly shaking, yet daring not to burst out loud, fearing a beating from Lin Yuanhu!

  Rabid dog?!

  Lin Yuanhu... wasn't he the "rabid dog" universally acknowledged within the family as the most fond of bullying others?!

  Lin Yuanhu's face instantly turned gloomy and dark, veins bulging on his forehead, as he roared, "Lin Rui, don't you get too carried away!"

  "Carried away?"

  Lin Rui scoffed, slowly strolling closer to him, enunciating each word with deliberate emphasis.

  "Back then, when you smashed my spirit Qi array, ruining my path of cultivation, why didn't you think you were being 'carried away'?"

  "Relying on your cultivation of the 《Golden Wood Overlord Body Incantation》, acting tyrannical and domineering within the family, bullying lower-cultivation kin at every turn, why didn't you think you were being 'carried away'?"

  "Oh, or are you saying you're allowed to be carried away, but others aren't allowed to speak the truth?"

  The entire hall fell silent for two seconds, then-

  "Pfft-hahahaha!"

  Finally, someone couldn't contain their laughter and burst out!

  Lin Yuanhu's face instantly darkened to the color of the bottom of a wok, his fists cracking and popping as he bellowed, "Lin Rui! Say that again?!"

  Lin Rui smiled faintly, his voice languid, yet each word piercing and cutting to the bone.

  "Since your ears aren't working well, I'll speak slower."

  "-The Ancestor said there's a rabid dog in the family."

  "-And this dog, surnamed Lin."

  "-Lin... Yuan... Hu."

  A wave of stifled chuckles, barely contained laughter, erupted within the ancestral hall!

  Even the corners of several elders' mouths twitched almost imperceptibly. They hadn't expected Lin Rui to possess such a venomous tongue!

  Lin Yuanhu finally snapped!

  He stormed forward, rage blazing. The Golden Wood Overlord Body Incantation instantly activated, his aura explosively surging. His fists clenched as if poised to strike in the next breath!

  "Lin Rui, you motherfucker, you're courting death-!"

  But-

  Lin Rui suddenly shifted his stance, subtly evading his oppressive aura. His voice drifted down, light as a feather.

  "Lin Yuanhu, are you certain you want to throw down?"

  "Here, in the Ancestors' ancestral hall?"

  Boom-!

  Lin Yuanhu froze abruptly, his fist halting inches away, cold sweat instantly beading on his forehead!

  It finally dawned on him... if he actually threw a punch in the ancestral hall, it would be utterly rebellious and wicked!

  Even if the elders didn't punish him, word would spread, and his reputation would be ruined beyond redemption!

  "You-!" Lin Yuanhu trembled with fury, his face flushing crimson. He suffocated with resentment to the point of explosion!

  Never in his life had he been so publicly humiliated!

  Yet, infuriatingly, he indeed didn't dare to retaliate!

  Seeing this, Lin Rui scoffed softly, hands clasped behind his back, letting out a languid sigh.

  "Sigh, just as I said, a rabid dog barks fiercely, but that doesn't mean it actually dares to bite."

  "Turns out, still just a toothless mutt."

  "Such a waste of all that bulk."

  Lin Yuanhu: "......!!!"

  Boom! His rage ignited to its zenith!

  But he dared not move, could only clench his fists until his knuckles cracked, teeth grinding audibly, muscles spasming violently all over, suffocating with resentment until his face was scarlet!

  Just like a rabid dog on a leash, clearly consumed by incandescent fury, yet forced to watch helplessly as its prey openly mocked it!

  -Furious!

  -Truly about to explode with rage!!

  But... he really didn't dare to strike back!

  The air within the ancestral hall had solidified completely.

  Lin Jingshan had been verbally humiliated, and Lin Qingzhu was stripped of her position and utterly disgraced. Lin Yuanhu, even more, had become a laughingstock, branded as the "Lin Family's rabid dog," wishing he could dig a hole and bury himself on the spot.

  Everyone assumed Lin Rui's inquisition should finally be drawing to a close, yet Lin Rui's gaze hadn't halted.

  He slowly lifted his eyes, his gaze now settling upon-Lin Qiuming.

  Lin Qiuming, the Fourth Elder of the Lin Family, usually styled himself as just and impartial," constantly proclaiming himself to be in charge of the Lin Family laws, upholding ancestral precepts, and incorruptible.

  But Lin Rui knew that this old fox was utterly two-faced!

  -In public, he constantly preached about rules, yet in reality, he especially favored the Lin Family's genius disciples, secretly shielding their misdeeds.

  --Lin Jingshan, Lin Yuanhu, and others who bullied the weak blatantly acted with impunity right under his nose, yet he had never once intervened.

  --Conversely, "wastes" like Lin Rui, with low cultivation and no backing, were punished most severely for even minor infractions. Even during the half-year absence of his father, Lin Yuntian, he had never offered a helping hand.

  Yet, this very man habitually positioned himself on the moral high ground, lecturing others, assuming an air of lofty purity-utter hypocrisy!

  Lin Rui slowly retracted his gaze, a faint, almost imperceptible sneer playing on his lips, and spoke in a measured tone.

  "Fourth Elder, is the skin on your face... perhaps a bit thicker than others'?"

  Lin Qiuming's brows furrowed, his face darkening.

  "Lin Rui, what do you mean by that?"

  "What I mean is, your old face is remarkably thick-skinned."

  Lin Rui strolled leisurely, circling Lin Qiuming slowly. His tone was nonchalant yet laced with a bone-deep chill.

  "What is it you usually like to say?"

  "' Family rules are inviolable, Lin Family law unbreakable. If anyone bullies their kin, family law will surely deliver retribution'?"

  "Heh..."

  He chuckled softly, his tone dripping with heavy sarcasm.

  "How laughable. I've yet to see you punish Lin Jingshan? Or Lin Yuanhu?"

  Lin Qiuming's expression flickered, his tone sinking. "They have committed no egregious errors. Why should I punish them?"

  Lin Rui blinked slowly, speaking softly, "Is that so?"

  He suddenly turned his head, addressing the surrounding family disciples in a slow, deliberate manner. "Fellow clansmen, do you believe they have committed 'no egregious errors'?"

  The hall fell silent.

  Many disciples furtively glanced at Lin Qiuming, then at Lin Jingshan and Lin Yuanhu kneeling on the ground, drenched in cold sweat. Finally, someone couldn't help but mutter quietly,

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  "But... Lin Jingshan did seize pills..."

  "Lin Yuanhu smashed a fellow clansman's cultivation array... does that count as 'no egregious errors'?"

  "We always felt it was unfair, but... the Fourth Elder has never intervened..."

  Like a gentle breeze rippling across a lake's surface, these hushed murmurings spread outward in ever-widening circles.

  Among the surrounding family disciples, many complexions began to shift subtly.

  They had long been dissatisfied with Lin Qiuming's "double standards," but constrained by his Elder status, they had never dared to voice it aloud.

  But now, Lin Rui had directly ripped away this fig leaf in the Ancestors' ancestral hall. The discontent hidden in the shadows finally began to fester and erupt!

  Lin Qiuming's face grew increasingly gloomy. He took a deep breath and said in a deep voice: "Lin Rui, do not spout slander today!"

  "I am an Elder of the Lin Family, following ancestral precepts in all my affairs. When have I ever been biased?"

  "If you have no proof, then cease this reckless accusation!"

  "Proof?"

  Lin Rui chuckled lightly, slowly walking to the Ancestral Tablets, raising a hand to gently tap the wooden tablet inscribed with ancestral precepts.

  "Ancestors above, seniority respected, laws strictly enforced... Fourth Elder, tell me again, which of these precepts have you upheld?"

  He suddenly retracted his hand, slowly turning around, facing Lin Qiuming directly, his tone cold and:

  "Is it family rules you uphold or personal connections?"

  "Is it family justice you safeguard or those 'geniuses' you favor?"

  Lin Qiuming's face drastically contorted. He slammed a hand heavily on the table, roaring in rage, "Outrageous! You junior, are you questioning an elder?!"

  "Oh?"

  Lin Rui arched an eyebrow, his tone languid, yet his gaze terrifyingly cold.

  "Just now, you said it-family law is unbreakable."

  "Could it be that Lin Family law also contains a clause-'Elders can act lawlessly'?"

  Boom-!

  The entire ancestral hall instantly exploded!

  Everyone's hearts jolted violently!

  Lin Rui... he actually dared to directly challenge an Elder's authority right in front of everyone?!

  But, what was even more terrifying-Lin Qiuming was utterly unable to refute it!

  Lin Qiuming's face flushed crimson, incandescent with rage. "You-!"

  "I what?"

  Lin Rui tilted his head slightly, eyes sharp as razors, a smile of utmost mockery playing on his lips.

  "Are you going to say I'm a junior and shouldn't question an elder?"

  "Then tell me-how have you been turning a deaf ear and a blind eye all these years?"

  "Have you ever intervened on behalf of those bullied kinsmen?"

  "Have you ever punished those 'geniuses' who relied on their power to oppress others?"

  "Have you ever stood on the side of the truly weak instead of only favoring the strong?"

  A series of "Have you ever," each word piercing to the heart, thundered like rolling thunder within the ancestral hall!

  Lin Qiuming's breathing grew rapid, his face ghastly. He was utterly unable to retort!

  Even more terrifying was that the gazes of the surrounding family disciples, directed at Lin Qiuming, had completely changed!

  If, before, they held the Fourth Elder in awe, then now... it had already morphed into doubt!

  For one in the venerable position of Elder, what was most crucial?

  -Prestige!

  But today, Lin Qiuming's prestige had been torn to shreds by Lin Rui!

  "You..." Lin Qiuming trembled with rage, fingers clenching the armrests until they were white, seemingly wanting to explode in a fury, yet utterly incapable of erupting!

  Lin Rui, however, merely smiled faintly, his tone nonchalant.

  "Fourth Elder, I suggest you enter closed-door seclusion for three months, calm yourself down, and ponder the true meaning of family law."

  "What do you think?"

  Boom-!

  Lin Tianhong stated in a deep voice, "Lin Qiuming, from this day forth, enter closed-door seclusion for three months, strictly adhere to ancestral precepts, and reflect upon your transgressions!"

  Lin Qiuming's eyes widened, face ashen, lips quivering. Finally, he flung his sleeves back heavily, retreating in utter humiliation!

  Lin Rui merely watched him depart, leisurely curving his lips, murmuring faintly-

  "Wearing a pretense for too long will inevitably be exposed."

  An Elder stripped bare on the spot, utterly losing face, authority collapsing! Lin Rui had once again crushed the entire hall!

  -Was that wave of face-slapping satisfying enough?

  Within the ancestral hall, the atmosphere had plummeted to freezing point.

  Now, Lin Jingshan had been exposed for pill-snatching, Lin Qingzhu had been expelled from the Family Council Hall for embezzling cultivation resources, Lin Yuanhu had been branded a "rabid dog" yet dared not retaliate, and Lin Qiuming had been publicly exposed, losing Elder prestige, and sentenced to three months of closed-door seclusion.

  Everyone was deeply shaken, gazing at Lin Rui beside the coffin, inexplicably developing a sliver of awe! Some began to anticipate who Lin Rui would target next.

  But Lin Rui's gaze did not cease there. One more, the last one.

  He slowly lifted his eyes, finally looking towards-Lin Yuheng.

  "Who do you look down upon?"

  Lin Yuheng, the personal disciple of the Family's Third Elder, whose cultivation had reached Meridian Unimpeded (4th Level), could stand out among the younger generation.

  He usually conducted himself with propriety, never openly bullying kinsmen. But deep in his heart, he profoundly despised the weak, especially "wastes" like Lin Rui!

  -In the past, when Lin Rui was bullied, he wouldn't actively drop stones down a well on someone who had fallen into it, but he would never offer a helping hand.

  -In the past, when Lin Rui's pills were deducted, he would only watch with cold detachment, believing "resources should naturally be given to the stronger."

  -In the past, after Lin Rui's father, Lin Yuntian, went missing, he had even coldly advised, "Your father's mission may have failed. You should consider your path forward."

  On the surface, he was upright, fair, and impartial, but he had never stood on the side of true fairness!

  He was the most typical believer in "survival of the fittest" within the family.

  Lin Rui's lips curved slightly upwards, eyes like blades, his tone exceedingly slow as he spoke,

  "Lin Yuheng, have you always believed I deserved to be a waste?"

  Lin Yuheng frowned and said in a deep voice, "I have never said such a thing."

  "Oh?" Lin Rui smiled, "Although you haven't said it, in your heart, that's what you've always thought, hasn't it?"

  Lin Yuheng's gaze faltered imperceptibly.

  The surrounding disciples subconsciously held their breath, everyone clearly aware that Lin Rui's words had struck Lin Yuheng's most vulnerable point!

  He had always styled himself as just and impartial, holding in utter contempt those spoiled brats who bullied their kin. Yet, equally, he had never offered a hand to those bullied.

  In his value system, the weak were simply undeserving of salvation.

  But today, Lin Rui was no longer a "weakling"!

  Lin Rui narrowed his eyes slightly, slowly stepping forward, his gaze turning icy.

  "Since you believe 'wastes' aren't worthy of pity, tell me-what are you afraid of now?"

  Lin Yuheng's expression finally fractured!

  -He was, indeed, afraid!

  This Lin Rui, who'd crawled out of his coffin, possessed an aura that was too overpowering. Every word he spoke seemed capable of peeling back a person's pretenses, ruthlessly piercing the most hidden vulnerabilities deep within their heart!

  Lin Yuheng's fingers subtly curled. He took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Lin Rui, what exactly are you trying to say?"

  "What I'm trying to say is, the 'Ancestor' instructed me to tell you something-"

  Lin Rui's tone was soft and measured, yet his eyes glinted with chilling intent.

  "A true powerhouse isn't someone who looks down on the weak, but someone capable of sheltering the weak."

  "You claim to be fair, but have you ever spoken out for the weak?"

  "You claim to be upright, but knowing full well the injustices within the family, have you ever stepped forward?"

  "You claim to be just, but you only watched with cold detachment, waiting for the so-called 'geniuses' to reach the summit, while those clansmen struggling for survival, you never extended a hand."

  "Someone like you, how dare you speak of 'uprightness'?"

  Boom-!

  Lin Yuheng's face instantly turned ashen!

  The surrounding disciples' eyes widened. Even some who had always respected Lin Yuheng now revealed a hint of disappointment in their gazes.

  Because they realized Lin Rui's words-were true!

  -They had once admired Lin Yuheng, believing him to be the most impartial among the family's younger generation. But now, they finally saw...

  Lin Yuheng had never indeed been fair!

  He was merely maintaining the "fairness" he conceived of from the perspective of the strong!

  Lin Yuheng took a deep breath, his face pale, yet stubbornly maintaining his composure; he said in a low voice, "Lin Rui... I admit you are different from before, but my actions are guiltless."

  "Oh?" Lin Rui smiled. "Then you just keep standing there, playing your righteous gentleman."

  "But I'm telling you, from today onwards, your 'survival of the fittest' philosophy is useless before me."

  "You will no longer be the sole 'role model' in the family-because, starting today, the one chosen by the 'Ancestor' is me."

  Boom-!!!

  The entire hall was shaken to the core!

  Lin Rui-he was actually challenging Lin Yuheng's position as the family role model?!

  Lin Yuheng abruptly lifted his head, pupils constricting, his face drastically shifting!

  For the first time, he felt the oppressive force of Lin Rui's presence!

  And the gazes of the surrounding family disciples had already transformed.

  -Indeed, they used to only see Lin Yuheng as a role model, but now, Lin Rui standing there was even more dazzling!

  -He dared to fight for himself, seek justice for his kinsmen, and challenge all injustice!

  -Such a person was the one genuinely worth following!

  Lin Rui looked at Lin Yuheng, a faint smile playing on his lips, and said lightly:

  "Are you still that 'upright and impartial and just' role model?"

  Lin Yuheng's lips trembled imperceptibly, utterly speechless!

  The atmosphere within the hall had spiraled entirely out of control.

  Lin Rui overturned the once-solemn order of the ancestral hall from top to bottom.

  -Lin Jingshan had been stripped bare, and his evil deeds of bullying kinsmen were exposed.

  -Lin Qingzhu had been dismissed, and the dark curtain over family resources was ripped open.

  -Lin Yuanhu had been publicly ridiculed as a "rabid dog" lacking the courage to retaliate.

  -Lin Qiuming's "fair" persona had with a crash collapsed, his prestige utterly obliterated.

  Even Lin Yuheng was directly dragged down from his position as the family "role model" by Lin Rui, and all his halos and moral high ground were shattered one by one!

  The surrounding family disciples had already begun to waver.

  The resentment that had been pent up in their hearts for so long had finally been torn open layer by Lin Rui. At this moment, all the past instances of oppression and injustice were receiving the most thorough catharsis!

  However, if this trend continued, it wouldn't be as simple as "rectifying family discipline"; it would push the Lin Family's internal strife directly to its zenith!

  Lin Tianhong finally recognized the danger!

  -Even the higher-ups would likely face complete questioning and challenge if they didn't intervene!

  Lin Tiande's expression also turned grave. He exchanged a glance with Lin Tianhong. Finally, Lin Tianhong slammed his hand on the table, his voice sinking.

  "Enough!"

  Boom-!

  His voice reverberated like thunder, instantly silencing the entire hall.

  Lin Rui blinked, the corners of his lips curving upwards slightly, his gaze languidly sweeping towards Lin Tianhong.

  -Finally, they can't sit still any longer?

  "Lin Rui, you have wantonly censured family members in the ancestral hall today. Whether for punishment or rectifying family discipline, it's fine. But... on what basis do you claim that the Ancestors have truly manifested?"

  Lin Tianhong's tone was measured, his gaze piercingly fixed on Lin Rui, carrying deep skepticism.

  "You are but an ordinary disciple. On what grounds can you hear the Ancestors' voice while we, Elders of far greater seniority, cannot?"

  Lin Tiande also stepped forward and stated in a deep voice:

  "Lin Rui, we are not doubting you per se, but we require an explanation."

  "If the Ancestors have truly manifested, why not directly bestow a divine decree and convince everyone beyond question?"

  Their words sent a subtle tremor through the crowd. The family disciples, whose capacity for thought had been overwhelmed by Lin Rui'sshock and awe, instantly regained composure.

  Indeed... if the Ancestors had manifested, why would they only communicate with Lin Rui alone?

  Lin Rui narrowed his eyes slightly.

  -They had finally caught onto this loophole.

  Too late, unfortunately.

  "The Ancestors... they don't take kindly to being questioned."

  Lin Rui showed no panic or alarm. Instead, he slowly and deliberately raised his hand, extending it toward his forehead and gently tapping it.

  -He was, in his mind, conversing with another "self."

  "How's it feel? Satisfied yet?"

  That familiar voice echoed in his mind, tinged with a hint of a smile. "...Immensely."

  "Are you happy?" Lin Rui asked softly.

  After a moment of silence, the young man's slightly husky voice carried a faint tremor.

  "...This is the happiest moment I've had in a year."

  "...No."

  "This is the happiest I've been since that last time, years ago when I went to Drunken Immortal Tavern with Father."

  Lin Rui's throat hitched imperceptibly.

  He never felt so vividly that the young man before him and himself were already one entity.

  They were distinct souls yet the same "Lin Rui."

  "Lin Rui, I'll give you another push."

  The next second-!

  "Boom-!"

  The entire ancestral hall, the candlelight abruptly surged, a gale howling!

  The ancestral tablets swayed wildly like some invisible, colossal power was descending!

  "Th-this is..."

  Everyone's eyes widened in shock, watching in disbelief as the ancestral tablets began to glow!

  A mystical rune of light abruptly surfaced from within the ancestral tablet!

  Lin Tianhong's expression drastically changed!

  Lin Tiande staggered backward, a look of stark terror seizing his eyes!

  "The Ancestors... have manifested?!"

  "How could it be?! These are clearly just ordinary ancestral tablets!"

  Yet, inexplicably, the tablets behind them began to sway with unmistakable motion as if some presence had truly awakened!

  Even more, some of the elders felt as though they heard a low sigh in their ears, as if a Lin Family Ancestor were looking upon them with sorrowful pity!

  "The family's honor..."

  "Has fallen so low..."

  In an instant, the temperature of the entire ancestral hall seemed to plummet to freezing.

  Lin Tianhong and Lin Tiande's faces had turned utterly white!

  --It's over, they really have manifested?!

  All the family disciples in the hall had erupted entirely into chaos!

  "I just... heard the Ancestor's voice!"

  "The ancestral tablets are glowing! I saw it! It's real!"

  "The Ancestors really have manifested?! Everything Lin Rui said is true?!"

  The entire ancestral hall was instantly plunged into terror and awe!

  Lin Rui, however, slowly closed his eyes. In his mind, the voice of the young Lin Rui was gradually weakening.

  "...That way, they won't doubt you anymore."

  "Lin Rui, thank you."

  Lin Rui slightly opened his eyes and said softly, "...It is I who should thank you."

  "Then... live well."

  "Carry my name-no, our name-live even better."

  The voice gradually faded into the distance. Lin Rui suddenly felt a part of his mind beginning to feel empty.

  --That soul that had always been there had finally departed.

  He had let go of the past and gone to a better place.

  Lin Rui opened his eyes and slowly looked ahead-

  At this moment, the entire high echelon of the ancestral hall, including Lin Tianhong and Lin Tiande, everyone's faces were filled with shock and reverence.

  Their skepticism had vanished completely.

  Lin Rui lowered his eyelashes and said softly, "The Ancestors' admonishments, you all heard them, didn't you?"

  Boom-!

  No one dared to doubt any longer.

  No one dared to belittle him any longer.

  At this moment, Lin Rui truly stood at the heart of the family!