Chapter1:The World’s Cold Indifference

Yangzhou, Canglan City.

The Lin Clan Council Hall.

Many esteemed elders and clan seniors of the Lin family were seated here, the atmosphere somewhat heavy.

At the head seat, an elderly man dressed in black robes held a sheet of paper in his hand, his fingertips turning blue and his face extremely grim.

This elder was Lin Xionghai, the head of the Lin family.

After an indeterminate amount of time, Lin Xionghai finished reading the contents of the paper, raised the thin sheet in his hand, and suddenly asked in a cold voice, breaking the silence.

"Lin Che, do you know what this is in my hand?"

In an instant, all the elders in the hall turned their gaze towards a young man standing below.

The young man slightly shook his head, "I don't know, please enlighten me, family head..."

"Heh, you don't know? Let me tell you, this is a letter of annulment from the Murong family..."

Letter of annulment!

Upon hearing these three words, the hall erupted.

"What! The Murong family wants to annul the engagement!"

"This is outrageous! Our Lin family has stood in Canglan City for a hundred years, and the Murong family's actions openly disgrace us!" someone exclaimed angrily.

But others said, "Outrageous? Not necessarily..."

"Don't forget, the Murong family is the leading family in Canglan City, while our Lin family is just a second-rate force. The Murong family initially agreed to the engagement because of Lin Che's talent. But now, Lin Che has become a cripple with a shattered dantian. It's no surprise they want to annul the engagement."

Cripple!

Upon hearing this word, the elders of the Lin family looked at the young man again, all shaking their heads in silence.

Yes, the young man was once hailed as the greatest genius of Canglan City, unparalleled in talent. Otherwise, the Murong family wouldn't have been interested in making him their son-in-law.

However, starting a year ago, the young man seemed to have contracted a strange illness, his cultivation regressing instead of advancing, and even his dantian, the most vital part of a martial artist, had shattered.

He went from being a peerless genius who amazed the world to a complete cripple.

Now, the Murong family had ruthlessly annulled the engagement, and it wouldn't be long before the young man became the biggest laughingstock in Canglan City.

This humiliation would inevitably bring shame to the Lin family as well!

With this in mind, Lin Xionghai stared hard at the young man, "Lin Che, I want to know what you're thinking now."

Hearing this, Lin Che's face remained calm, showing little emotion, and he said softly, "This engagement was never my wish. Now that the Murong family wants to annul it, it's fine..."

Fine?

"What kind of attitude is that!"

Lin Xionghai was furious, "Do you know that connecting with the Murong family could elevate our Lin family in Canglan City? Now, because of your failure, our family has missed a great opportunity. You are the disgrace of the Lin family!"

As soon as Lin Xionghai finished speaking, the great elder sitting beside him sneered and said, "Indeed, this boy was always useless. Such a waste even managed to become the young master of the Lin family, which is ridiculous..."

Lin Che frowned slightly, "Great elder, if I remember correctly, it was you elders who begged me to take the position of young master, wasn't it?"

Begged!

Upon hearing this, the great elder's expression froze. Although he wanted to retort, what Lin Che said was true.

The competition for mineral resources among the various families in Canglan City was fierce, but the elders rarely took action themselves. If they did, it would escalate into a full-blown family war, resulting in mutual destruction.

Each family had a rule: only send young members to compete for resources.

Under this premise, the more talented the young members, the greater the chance of securing resources in external battles.

Since three years ago, Lin Che had fought for the Lin family, winning countless resources and honors, gradually strengthening the Lin family's power with these martial resources.

These contributions were undeniable, even if the great elder despised Lin Che.

"In the Yandang Mountain battle, I fought for the Lin family, sustaining thirteen serious injuries; in the Fengbo Forest battle, I was pierced through the chest by an enemy arrow, narrowly escaping death... In the past three years, I have secured the mining rights to over ten resource sites for the Lin family."

"I think you know well what I've contributed, great elder. Are you suggesting that all my efforts should be disregarded because I can no longer contribute now?"

"You..."

The great elder's face twitched, "How dare you! Do you think you are still the same Lin Che as before? Don't forget, you were a foundling picked up by the Lin family. Without us, you'd have been long dead, devoured by beasts."

Foundling!

Hearing this, Lin Che's fists clenched tightly, and a flicker of emotion crossed his eyes.

The great elder snorted, looked at Lin Xionghai, and said, "Family head, Lin Che is now talentless, and after being rejected by the Murong family, he has made our Lin family a laughingstock in Canglan City. I urge you to consider the bigger picture and strip Lin Che of his position as young master, avoiding any further leniency."

Lin Xionghai nodded slightly, "The great elder makes a valid point."

He then announced loudly, "Lin Che, you have brought shame to our Lin family. As the family head, I hereby strip you of your position as young master. From today onwards, the great elder's son, Lin Yu, will take over as young master of the Lin family!"

The great elder's face lit up with joy, "Thank you, family head. I will ensure my son trains hard and brings glory to the Lin family."

At this moment, Lin Che's expression darkened slightly, "Family head, is this your decision?"

"What do you think?" Lin Xionghai responded coldly.

"I understand..."

Lin Che nodded silently, then tossed the token symbolizing the young master's position aside and turned to leave.

After Lin Che left, an elder shook his head, "Family head, Lin Che has made great contributions to our family. Isn't it too harsh to treat him like this?"

The great elder replied, "What's too harsh? Lin Che's talent is gone, and his cultivation has regressed. He's not suited for martial arts, and his true nature has been revealed..."

"Now that the Murong family has annulled the engagement, what use does Lin Che have? Keeping him as young master only invites ridicule from other families."

Lin Xionghai nodded, "The great elder is right. Our family does not keep useless people. My decision is final, and there is no need for further discussion."

Seeing the family head's resolute attitude, most of the elders remained silent, with only a few showing regret. The rest praised the family head's wisdom, agreeing that mercy towards Lin Che was unwarranted.

...

Leaving the council hall, Lin Che walked within the Lin family estate.

When he was the young master, everyone treated him with respect and flattery. Now, those same people avoided him, some even mocking him behind his back.

The world's cold indifference and fickle human nature were clear to Lin Che.

Especially today, did the Lin family truly care about the Murong family's annulment tarnishing their reputation?

Of course not!

They cared only that the annulment shattered their hope of climbing higher in Canglan City.

This meant Lin Che's last bit of value to the Lin family had vanished.

Once cherished by Lin Xionghai as a son, Lin Che was now discarded like trash.

"This is reality!"

Lin Che laughed bitterly but then his eyes grew determined.

Returning to his residence, Lin Che calmed his emotions and took out an ancient-looking jade pendant.

The pendant was a vibrant red, shaped like a flickering flame, covered in cracks, and engraved with the words "Dong Huang" on the front.

This jade was a keepsake from his biological mother, though Lin Che could not recall her appearance.

It was said that she left him at the Lin family as an infant and disappeared without a trace.

Later, Lin Che learned that this was a "heritage jade."

Such jades, used to pass down bloodlines or divine skills, existed only in the most powerful noble families.

They certainly didn't originate from Canglan City or even Yangzhou.

Thus, Lin Che's true origins might lie in a supreme family.

Lin Che often wondered if the characters "Dong Huang" were his real surname.

But if his family was so powerful, why would his parents abandon him in this remote place?

Pondering these questions, Lin Che looked at the jade, his thoughts in turmoil.

Of course, the Lin family never told him the significance of the jade. If Lin Xionghai knew its value, he would never have let Lin Che keep it.

Setting these thoughts aside, Lin Che solemnly sat cross-legged, clutching the jade, and closed his eyes.

Soon, a void appeared before him.

It felt like being in the Milky Way, a vast expanse of stars, their brilliance dazzling.

In that starry expanse floated a grand hall, majestic and imposing.

Lin Che was no longer awestruck by this scene, having seen it many times, and felt a sense of familiarity.

Pushing open the hall doors, Lin Che stepped inside.

"You're here?"

A melodious voice called out.

At the end of the hall stood an exceptionally beautiful woman, smiling faintly at Lin Che.

Her beauty was unparalleled, dressed in a pale purple