Chapter 20: Stunned Silence

His tone remained calm.

From beginning to end, not even a trace of anger appeared on Lin Jiangnian’s face. To him, it seemed he had merely performed some trivial and natural task. Yet, to Li Qianlin, his expression was as terrifying and insidious as a demon. Covered in blood and his eyes wide with horror, Li Qianlin looked at the scene before him in disbelief. Watching Lin Jiangnian’s unsettling composure, a deep, primal fear began to rise within him.

How could this be?!

A good-for-nothing playboy heir, a "dog of an heir" who only dared to act like a tyrant in the lawless wilderness—why did he dare to strike him? He was Li Qianlin! His father was the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice! Furthermore, he had a stellar reputation in the capital, and even the Third Prince treated him with great courtesy, giving him a seat of honor. He had never imagined that Lin Jiangnian would dare to lay a hand on him, even knowing that the Heir of Prince Lin was a scoundrel who did whatever he pleased.

The darlings of the capital naturally possessed a sense of disdain and superiority over the desolate, barbaric backwaters. So what if he was the Heir of Prince Lin? He was nothing more than a spineless, useless coward who bullied the local commoners within his own fiefdom! And he, Li Qianlin, was a rising star of the imperial court with a brilliant future ahead of him! How could a useless heir dare to touch him?

Yet, Lin Jiangnian had shattered his illusions with brutal force.

In the moment he was struck, Li Qianlin had even forgotten to resist. When he finally regained his senses, fury took hold. A useless heir, a weakling with no strength to truss a chicken, dared to hit him? Was he tired of living? A flash of murderous intent flickered in Li Qianlin’s eyes, and his fists clenched instinctively. But the next second, as if remembering something, he forced himself to hold back.

This did not escape Lin Jiangnian’s notice. He narrowed his eyes. "What? You still want to lay a hand on me?"

Li Qianlin said nothing, merely staring at him coldly. At this moment, all his composure and pretense vanished. The Heir of Prince Lin before him was not a gentleman; since he wanted to tear off the mask, there was no need for further pretense.

"Come, I’ll give you a chance!"

Lin Jiangnian held out the blood-stained stool to Li Qianlin and said, "Take it. Use it to hit me!" He gestured toward his own head. "Aim well, strike hard, put some force into it... go ahead!"

Silence. The surroundings were deathly quiet. The restaurant was hushed; no one dared to make a sound. The young lords and ladies nearby watched, holding their breath.

A madman! This Heir of Prince Lin was truly a madman! Their eyes were filled with shock. This heir was even more unhinged than they had imagined!

Li Qianlin stared fixedly at Lin Jiangnian, his chest heaving with mounting fury. He was roaring internally! He desperately wanted to grab the stool and smash it down, to beat this dog of an heir who had humiliated him to death! His eyes were cold and vicious, blood dripping from the wound on his forehead, looking particularly ghastly. The veins on his hands, clenched beneath his sleeves, bulged. He could barely suppress the urge to strike.

But the next moment, his energy seemed to drain away, and his fists finally loosened in frustration. He dared not! This was Lin Prefecture, the territory of Prince Lin. If anything were to happen to the Heir of Prince Lin, he would never leave this place alive. He was furious and hateful, yet he dared not act!

"What? You don’t dare?"

Lin Jiangnian looked down at him, observing the murderous glare in Li Qianlin’s eyes, which eventually faded into calm after much hesitation. "I gave you a chance, but you’re useless!"

Lin Jiangnian remained expressionless. The next second, the stool in his hand came crashing down again. Li Qianlin instinctively raised his hand to block it.

"Agh!" With a sharp scream, Li Qianlin clutched his hand and collapsed to the floor, struggling in agony.

Lin Jiangnian dropped the stool, crouched before him, and narrowed his eyes. "You’re right, I was never disciplined as a child, and I have no manners... so when I hit you, remember to endure it. Of course, if you can’t, that’s fine too—I just hope you’re as lucky next time as you were today!"

Lin Jiangnian slowly rose, straightened his clothes, and turned to leave. The silence persisted. Everyone stood frozen, watching the scene, none daring to intervene. Xu Lan, who had witnessed the entire process, stared at the scene in disbelief!

"Let’s go!" Lin Jiangnian said when he reached her, noticing she was still dazed.

Only then did Xu Lan snap out of her stupor. She cast one last glance at the screaming Li Qianlin and Song Jue, then looked at Lin Jiangnian’s retreating back with complex emotions, and hurried after him. Long after Lin Jiangnian had departed, the people in the teahouse finally regained their composure.

"Young Master Li?! Are you alright?!"

"Quick, take Young Master Li and Young Master Song to see a doctor!"

...

At the Prince Lin’s residence, Lin Jiangnian sat in the courtyard, shaking out his arm. It hurt a little. Force is reciprocal, after all. Perhaps he had been too heavy-handed; his arm throbbed, and his wrist felt sore and numb. This body of his was not exactly frail, but it was nothing to brag about either.

Opposite him, Xu Lan leaned over the table, staring at him intensely, as if seeing him for the first time. After surveying him from head to toe, she finally suppressed her shock and excitement. "You... you actually hit Li Qianlin and Song Jue?!"

Lin Jiangnian glanced at her indifferently. "Is there a problem?"

"There is." Xu Lan nodded repeatedly, unable to believe it. "How could you dare to hit them?"

"Why shouldn't I?"

"He..." Xu Lan couldn't help but say, "That Li Qianlin is the son of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice!"

"So what if he is?" Lin Jiangnian glanced at her. "Is his status higher than mine?"

"But he’s also a man of the Third Prince... I heard he’s very close to him. By hitting him, aren't you slapping the Third Prince in the face?"

Lin Jiangnian sneered at this. "And what if he is the Third Prince’s man? Even if the Third Prince were here today, I’d still hit him just the same!"

Xu Lan widened her eyes in shock. "Why?"

Lin Jiangnian narrowed his eyes. "Who do you think was the mastermind behind the assassination attempt on me?"

Xu Lan’s expression shifted slightly, and she suddenly realized something. "You mean... it was the Third Prince?"

Lin Jiangnian’s gaze remained calm. Li Qianlin had clearly come for him today, though the motive remained unknown. But for a man of the Third Prince to show up in Linjiang City so coincidentally, one couldn't help but be suspicious.

Xu Lan nodded thoughtfully, then another thought occurred to her. "But, what if it wasn't him?"

"And what if it wasn't?" Lin Jiangnian glanced at her. "Do I need a reason to hit someone?"

Xu Lan: "..."

It seemed that was true. This guy had always been this way. It was certainly surprising that he had hit Li Qianlin in public, but upon reflection, it somehow made sense! The only thing unexpected was that he had actually done it himself.

Xu Lan remembered something else and looked at him. "Why did you hit him today?"

Lin Jiangnian replied flatly, "I didn't like the look of him!"

"Just that?"

"What else?"

"..."

Xu Lan gazed at him quietly, perhaps realizing something. In the end, she didn't ask further.

"Enjoy it while you can; you were lucky today." Xu Lan huffed. "It’s a good thing Li Qianlin was wary of your father’s status and didn't fight back. If he had, you probably wouldn't even know how you died!"

Lin Jiangnian raised an eyebrow. "Is he very strong?"

"Of course!" Xu Lan nodded. "He’s a Ninth-Rank expert. His martial arts are far superior to yours, you weakling."

"Ninth-Rank?" Lin Jiangnian narrowed his eyes. "Is that very strong?" He recalled Xu Lan mentioning earlier that the Princess was a Second-Rank Heavenly Profound Realm expert. Was this... a hierarchy of martial arts?

"Of course!" Xu Lan glanced at him. "Reaching the Ninth-Rank makes one an outstanding expert in the martial world. Li Qianlin’s skills are not weak; he’s only slightly inferior to me."

"Inferior to you?" Lin Jiangnian was taken aback. He looked her up and down, surprised. "Then what is your rank?"

Xu Lan glanced at him, lifting her chin with a touch of pride. "I’ve already touched the threshold of the Eighth-Rank!"

Lin Jiangnian: "..."

"So, the First-Rank is the strongest?"

"Exactly!"

"Then you’re just a low-tier Ninth-Rank. What is there to be proud of?"

Lin Jiangnian gave her a sideways glance. The smile on Xu Lan’s face froze.

"If you don't know how to talk, then keep your mouth shut!!!"