After I left the sect, the entire sect knelt down and begged for forgiveness.

The wood is infused with incense, giving it a fresh fragrance. It can be placed indoors or carried on your person for its aromatherapy effect.

She specially chose a scented wood carving to give to her master as an ornament and incense burner.

Lin Yan paid thirty mid-grade spirit stones directly, took the spirit stones paid by the "young master", and stuffed the wooden carving into his hand.

"The wood carving is yours."

The wood carving originally sold for twenty mid-grade spirit stones, but she gave it for thirty, allowing the shopkeeper to make an even better profit. The "young master" got the wood carving; and she herself benefited—a win-win-win situation!
Liu Mingyu and her guard were dumbfounded. Especially since he was holding a wooden carving, he kept looking at her and then at the carving, his mind unable to process what was happening.

It took him a long time to react.

Liu Mingyu gritted her teeth, her lips pressed into a straight line, and squeezed out the words from between her teeth: "How dare you play me!" Liu Mingyu's eyes widened in anger, and her originally delicate face was now somewhat distorted with rage.

He was the youngest son in the family and was pampered growing up. Even the slightest bump or bruise would cause a group of people to panic, so it's normal for him to develop a spoiled personality.

He was furious at being played like this and threatened to teach her a lesson, to skin her alive!

But the guards couldn't move. Their young master was being held in the female cultivator's hands, his arms locked behind his back, and his neck gripped in her hand. They were afraid that if they moved, their young master's neck would be twisted.

This young master has a poor constitution. His current cultivation level is built up by relying on various pills and spirit stones. In reality, he is strong on the outside but weak on the inside, much weaker than a cultivator who normally advances to the Foundation Establishment stage.

Lin Yan didn't want to fight in someone else's shop, lest she ruin their livelihood, so she took this "young master" out.

The guards were very nervous, so they naturally came out as well.

The shop was not far from another entrance to the town, and she led the person out of the town in no time.

His slender neck was gripped tightly; with enough force, his neck could be snapped! His life was in someone else's hands, and he dared not move an inch.

"Alright, now you can tell me how you're going to skin me alive," Lin Yan said with a smile, increasing the pressure on her hand until the other person could barely breathe.

"I... I was just talking nonsense. Let me go, and I don't want the wood carving anymore, okay?" Liu Mingyu's voice trembled, her eyes filled with terror, and her previous arrogant demeanor was nowhere to be seen.

Lin Yan glanced at him coldly, "Now you know you're scared? Where did your arrogance go?"

Liu Mingyu's face flushed red as she said with difficulty, "I was blind and offended you. Please be merciful and forgive me this time."

Lin Yan wasn't a murderer. She wouldn't kill someone just because they argued with her over a wood carving. Giving them a lesson would be enough, especially since she made a profit from it.

After a moment's thought, he kicked the person over.

Fearing he would fall to the ground, the guards rushed over to cushion his fall, each one saying, "We are loyal protectors of our master!"
Liu Mingyu regained her freedom, panting heavily, but a hint of resentment flashed in her eyes.

Lin Yan took in his expression and asked teasingly, "What? Do you really want to skin me alive right now?"

Liu Mingyu trembled under her gaze, "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare..."

"You better not dare, or I will..." kill you!

She mouthed the last three words, her eyes cold and menacing, showing no sign of joking.

She didn't take the wooden carving with her. She was a reasonable person; someone else had bought it with spirit stones, so why should she take it? Besides, the person had already touched it; it wouldn't be appropriate to give it as a gift to her master. After she left, Liu Mingyu straightened up, and the guard also got up from the ground.

The guards who didn't rush over to cushion the fall helped him up. "Young Master, are you alright?"

Liu Mingyu gritted her teeth and said, "It's alright. Go and call all the guards on the flying boat over!"

He took his own small flying boat home, stopping near the town along the way. He took a few guards to stroll around the town and bought some trinkets to take back with him.

The guard had heard that the town was famous for its wood carvings, a traditional craft. He thought that buying some as a gift for the old man might make him happy, so he went to the wood carving shop. Who knew he would lose face like this?

He was determined to get his revenge! He refused to believe that a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator like her could defeat so many guards! They had only refrained from attacking because they had no other choice; now that they were free, he'd see if she dared to be so arrogant!
The other guard, clearly not wanting trouble, advised, "Young Master, why don't we just let this go? It's better to avoid trouble. Let's go back sooner rather than later, so the old master won't worry."

Liu Mingyu kicked him directly, saying, "Are you the master or am I the master? Do I need you to teach me how to do things?"

He looked arrogant and domineering, a far cry from the trembling, begging-for-mercy he had just moments before.

Unfortunately, they were just guards, and the monthly stipend from the Liu family was quite high, so they had no choice but to endure it.

Earning a pittance is nothing to be ashamed of!

Lin Yan returned to the wood carving shop, selected a nine-tailed fox wood carving, had the shopkeeper put it in a box, paid with spirit stones, and then put it in her storage bag before leaving the wood carving shop.

As soon as she stepped out, she sensed that someone was following her. She pretended not to know and then turned out of the town, looking like she was about to get into trouble and was just strolling around.

Once they reached the outskirts of town, she dropped the pretense and coldly shouted, "Come out, all of you! I'm exhausted from following you all this way!"

A dozen or so people emerged from behind the tree, all Foundation Establishment cultivators, dressed in uniform clothing similar to that of the four "young masters" guards.

It's obvious who sent these people. Maybe the young master is hiding somewhere, watching, waiting for these guards to subdue him before jumping out to humiliate him!
It might not just be humiliation, but they might even skin her alive!

This kind of person needs to be taught a lesson! A few beatings will teach him a lesson.

She scrutinized the guards and said, "You call your master out here. So many of you are bullying me. What kind of skill is that? Only cowards would bully the few while not daring to show their faces! That's right, your master is a coward. He only sends the guards to gang up on me while he hides behind them."

The guards looked at each other, unable to make a decision.

"I'm out now, so what can you do about it?"

"Not good at all!" That's pretty stupid; he tricked the person out of their clutches with just a few words. It's truly remarkable that this person has survived this long; their family must have some influence.

Lin Yan flashed and, before anyone else could react, instantly appeared in front of Liu Mingyu, subduing him once again: "Looks like you never learn!"

She took a dagger from her storage bag, held it in one hand, and used the other hand to strangle the other person.

His hands were no longer restrained, but he dared not move them, fearing that the sharp dagger would slit his throat.

He was so frightened that his face turned pale and his body trembled uncontrollably… (End of Chapter)