SWNOVELXO Chapter 144: The Cruel World
Chapter 144: The Cruel World
Xu Lian arrived at the Class C residential area on First Street, searching for the house jointly purchased by the Lin family, the Tong family, and himself. He found the place in complete chaos.
A grotesque creature with a huge head and a disproportionately small lower body was rampaging around, slaughtering at random. Blood and flesh splattered everywhere, turning the area into a scene of carnage.
The Lin family, the Tong family, and the rogue cultivators who had rented the property desperately fought back, but they were no match for the creature. The slaughter had left them terrified, with heavy casualties.
Xu Lian shot forward like an arrow and threw a punch.
“Boom!”…
A golden burst of energy hit the creature’s head, exploding on impact. The creature didn’t even have time to scream before it was killed on the spot.
Seeing Xu Lian arrive, Lin Wan burst into tears of joy. “Husband!”
The survivors, pale and covered in blood, were still trembling with fear.
The rogue cultivators looked at Xu Lian in awe and bowed deeply to express their gratitude.
“Golden energy – a Transformation Strength Rank expert!”
“To reach the Transformation Strength Rank at such a young age, he is a young king!”
“Thank you, Young King, for saving us!”
Xu Lian didn’t have time to respond to them. “You should leave quickly. More creatures might come.”
The rogue cultivators exchanged glances, their eyes saying, “Do you think we’re stupid?”
With a young king at the Transformation Strength level, there was no place safer than this place.
Xu Lian didn’t waste any more words. He took out some healing pills and distributed them to the Lin and Tong families. The losses were devastating – nearly half of them were dead or injured.
On the Lin family side, Lin Wan’s aunt and uncle had died, along with several of her younger cousins. The sound of weeping filled the air, a heartbreaking scene of mourning.
On the Tong family’s side, Tong Miao was bleeding from his nose and mouth, with a gaping hole in his chest. It was clear that he wouldn’t survive. Several of the younger members of the Tong family had also perished, and the family was crying in despair.
“Brother-in-law…”
Lin Wan’s younger cousin, who was severely injured and on the verge of death, held out a bloody hand to Xu Lian.
Xu Lian recognized her-she was the girl he and Pei Zhaoxi had met at the Spiritual Essence Tower. She had bickered with Pei Zhaoxi and eventually demanded that Xu Lian buy her cultivation resources.
“I’m here,” Xu Lian said, his throat tight with emotion. He quickly moved to her side and took her cold hand in his.
The girl pulled out a few Cultivation Resources from her pocket and handed them to Xu Lian. “Thank you, brother-in-law, for buying these for me. I’ve made progress in my cultivation while you were away. Here are the leftover resources – I’m returning them to you.”
Xu Lian’s eyes reddened. “You don’t need to return them. Keep them for yourself. You’ll need them later.”
The girl smiled at him, blood trickling from her mouth. “I won’t need them anymore. I didn’t tell big sister your secret.”
Xu Lian wanted to say something, but he felt her hand go limp. Her eyes closed heavily, and her life force gradually faded away.
The Lin family couldn’t hold back their tears. A life so young, gone just like that.
Xu Lian’s heart ached. The world was too cruel. Even the slightest change in the situation could bring disaster to low-level cultivators.
“How could you be such a terrible son-in-law of the Lin family? Don’t you have connections with the higher ranks? Why didn’t you warn us before the forces and demons attacked?”
The wife of the head of the Tong family, her eyes red with anger, glared at Xu Lian and berated him.
Xu Lian frowned. He had just returned from Taizhou Prefecture. How could he have known about the impending attack in advance? Even the Town Guard Commander had been ambushed, apparently unaware of the attack. How could Xu Lian know?
Lin Wan coldly replied, “Mother Tong, we understand your grief over the loss of your son, but the Lin family has suffered just as much. Why are you lashing out? My husband isn’t a fortune teller. How could he have known about the attack?”
The matriarch of the Tong family wanted to say more, but the head of the Tong family angrily slapped her. “Shut up!” If they upset Xu Lian, the consequences would be unimaginable.
The Tong family matriarch hugged Tong Miao’s lifeless body and wailed, “My son, how can I live without you? The illegitimate children in the family will be overjoyed. There’s no place for me in the Tong family anymore. I might as well join you.”
The Tong family patriarch’s face darkened as he trembled with rage.
The rest of the Tong family looked extremely embarrassed.
“I’ll take you away from here. We can’t stay any longer.”
Xu Lian picked up one of Lin Wan’s injured cousins and began to lead the way out.
The Lin family members carried their wounded and followed Xu Lian, while the Tong family quickly joined them. The rogue cultivators also stuck close to Xu Lian, knowing that staying close to a young king of the Transformation Strength Rank was their safest bet.
“Boom!”…
Whenever Xu Lian encountered any foolish demons or monsters, he would simply punch them. The golden energy from his strikes instantly shattered them, sending the other creatures fleeing in terror.
The Town Guard Commander, a squirrel who was currently besieged by an old woman with a stick, an old man with a compass, and another old man, noticed the bursts of golden energy. The squirrel shouted in the voice of a middle-aged woman, “Young master, can you help me? The Yi Sect will surely reward you generously!”
The old woman and the two men looked at Xu Lian suspiciously. They had already injured the Town Guard Commander and were determined to claim the spirit fruits from the tree. They didn’t want any unexpected interference.
“A young man who has cultivated to the Transformation Force level is indeed impressive. You have a bright future ahead of you. I advise you not to interfere in matters that don’t concern you.”
“Stay out of trouble if you want to live long…”
Xu Lian ignored them, pretending not to hear, leaving them to argue with thin air…
He continued to blast through the demons and monsters, leading the Lin family out of First Street.
Instead of returning to the Lin family residence, he escorted them all the way to the Mountain Shaking Martial Arts Academy, where they reunited with Jiang Yunyan, Xiao Xixi, and the Pei siblings. He gathered them all together.
“Sister, can you keep an eye on things here? I still have other friends to save,” Xu Lian entrusted Jiang Yunyan.
With her Dark Strength Rank 7 cultivation, Jiang Yunyan was more than a match for ordinary demons and rogue cultivators. Moreover, as a member of the Jiang family, she was undoubtedly equipped with numerous treasures. Even a Transformation Strength rank expert would struggle to deal with her.
Jiang Yunyan nodded generously. “Go ahead. I’ll take care of things here.”
Xu Lian thanked her and prepared to leave.
Lin Wan called out to him, “Husband, could you check on the Lin family residence? I’m worried about Xiao Yu and Old Fu.”
Hearing this, Pei Zhaoxi let out a small sigh, but didn’t make a scene under the circumstances.
Xu Lian replied, “I was just about to go there.”
Lin Wan was touched and said, “Be careful.”
Xu Lian left and hurried to the Lin family’s residence.
When he arrived, he found the gates wide open. The old butler was sitting in a big chair at the entrance, dozing off. Everything here was calm and peaceful, a stark contrast to the chaos in the rest of Pingyang County.
All the demons and rogue cultivators had avoided this place.
Xu Lian cast a curious glance at the old butler. This man was undoubtedly a hidden powerhouse.
Seeing that the Lin family residence was safe, he turned to leave.
Suddenly, the old butler opened his eyes and chuckled. “Young Xu, you’re back.”
Xu Lian had no choice but to stop and turn around. “I’ve just returned. I’ve brought Lin Wan and her parents out of First Street.”
The old butler nodded. “That’s good.”
Xu Lian frowned. “Aren’t you worried at all? If you have the ability, why didn’t you go to First Street to bring them home?”
The old butler sighed. “I wanted to, but these old bones can’t move anymore. All I can do is guard this house.”
Xu Lian didn’t believe for a second that a hidden powerhouse like him couldn’t move. “If you had gone to fetch them earlier, the Lin family wouldn’t have suffered so many casualties. Don’t you feel any guilt?”
The old butler looked at him with a somber expression. “I really can’t move. All I can do is protect this residence.”
Perhaps there was something he couldn’t say… Xu Lian decided not to push any further and left.