When I stopped licking, the lady panicked.

The leader stared at Lin Xuan in shock, but Lin Xuan remained unfazed and retracted his bone claws.

puff!

Blood gushed from the leader's forehead and chest. He lost all control and lay limply on the ground.

His strong will to survive made him wriggle and try to live, but after struggling a few times, he completely stopped breathing.

Upon seeing their leader killed, the remaining assassins scattered like monkeys fleeing a fallen tree.

However, Lin Xuan knew the principle of eliminating the root of the problem. If they were allowed to escape, and were to rise again one day, or be used by someone with ulterior motives, it could bring Lin Xuan a lot of trouble.

Lin Xuan would never leave any hidden dangers, so as they ran away with their backs to him, Lin Xuan threw out Soul-Slaying Nails, pinning everyone to the spot.

Lin Xuan calmly left the cave with his hands in his pockets.

After he left, all the assassins began to kill each other. In just a moment, all the assassins were dead, and none survived.

Upon reaching the cave entrance, two assassins guarding the entrance suddenly jumped out.

Lin Xuan didn't move; he simply uttered the word "stop," and the two of them were frozen in place.

Lin Xuan silently looked at the assassins on his left and right, then snatched a weapon from one of them and beheaded him.

The remaining assassin looked at Lin Xuan with fear in his eyes and stammered, "M-Sir, I'm just trying to make a living..."

Lin Xuan ignored him, threw away his weapon, and turned to leave.

The assassin thought he had been saved, but then Lin Xuan's order came from the darkness: "Burn all the bodies, then commit suicide."

The assassin stared in shock, then, his body moved uncontrollably, dragging the corpse from the entrance into the cave and setting it ablaze, setting all the corpses ablaze.

Finally, amidst the raging fire, he slit his own throat.

The Shadow Gang was wiped out.

On the way back, Lin Xuan kept his head down and walked quickly.

"Yun Zhenting, you forced Yun Xiyue into a marriage of convenience with me, swindled my Lin family out of ten million taels of gold as a bride price, and now you want my life. Do you really think your status as the city lord can guarantee your safety for life?"

Lin Xuan's voice was deep as he quickly arrived at the Yun residence.

Looking at the towering walls and patrolling guards, Lin Xuan narrowed his eyes, found a suitable spot, and threw out the Soul-Slaying Nail, which pierced one of the patrolling guards.

Then, Lin Xuan hid himself and focused his consciousness on the guard.

In an instant, Lin Xuan's consciousness was transferred, and the scene inside the Yun Mansion was transmitted to Lin Xuan's mind through the eyes of the guards.

Lin Xuan tried moving his limbs, and they were all normal, without any stiffness.

With the poison from the Soul-Destroying Nail, the Mind Control Technique becomes much easier to use, unlike before when it was much more difficult.

Lin Xuan controlled the guard's body and led him into the Yun Mansion.

Using his soul power to probe, Lin Xuan found Yun Zhenting's room and made his way there.

"Hey, why are you running around like that?"

Just then, a guard called out to him, "Are you patrolling this area?"

Lin Xuan controlled the guards and replied, "The city lord needs to speak with me."

"The city lord is looking for you? Then go ahead." The guard didn't think much of it and left after saying that.

Lin Xuan continued walking forward until he arrived at the entrance of Yunzhen Court.

Inside the room, Yun Zhenting was sitting in a grand chair, plotting something with the butler opposite him.

"Lord, can those few kids from the Shadow Gang kill Lin Xuan?" the steward asked.

Yun Zhenting took a sip of tea, looking like he was in complete control, and said, "I sent the Shadow Gang to kill Lin Xuan not because I really wanted to kill him, but to teach him a lesson."

"Don't forget, even if Lin Jiangxian is dead, the Black Armor Army he left behind is full of experts."

"If Lin Xuan were assassinated, wouldn't his secret protectors intervene?"

Upon hearing this, the steward suddenly realized and said, "City Lord, you want to teach Lin Xuan a lesson, and incidentally, find out what's going on with him?"

"That's right." Yun Zhenting nodded. "My son will return to the manor in three days. As long as he can win first place in the martial arts competition, the connections I made in the court with money will come in handy. He will take advantage of the martial arts competition to be recommended to the army and become a general of Daqing."

The butler nodded and said, "The second young master is indeed a martial arts prodigy. Moreover, Lin Xuan is the heir of the Prince of Zhenbei. Stepping on him to rise to power will make the second young master's reputation even more renowned."

"That's right, that's exactly what I want. Lin Xuan's only value now is to serve as a stepping stone for my son," Yun Zhenting sneered.

The steward said, "The city lord is indeed wise. However, in my humble opinion, even without spending this money, the second young master's abilities would still allow him to rise rapidly in rank."

Yun Zhenting shook his head and said, "What good is your ability to reach the heavens if you can't pull strings to be an official in the court?"

Throughout history, there have been countless martial arts masters. Could they all have made a name for themselves in the officialdom?

"Those who believe in the supremacy of strength are just idle people in the underworld. To succeed in officialdom, you need connections."

The steward said, "It was this old servant's ignorance."

Yun Zhenting said, "No, your understanding is very much in line with that of ordinary people. Even Lin Jiangxian couldn't fathom the ways of officialdom; otherwise, how could he have died?"

The steward laughed and said, "That Lin Jiangxian is too arrogant. His achievements are so great that they threaten the master, yet he is still so domineering. His death is inevitable."

Yun Zhenting said, "Okay, go to the Shadow Gang and urge them to come up with what's going on."

"According to the rules of the Shadow Gang, if a mission fails, half of the deposit must be returned."

The butler nodded and immediately left the room.

Lin Xuan controlled the guards and secretly observed them, thinking: You old fox, by spending half of the deposit, you not only served as a deterrent, but also probed my background. Who can outsmart you?

After the steward left, Yun Zhenting fiddled with the teacup in his hand and said, "Lin Xuan, if you just stay put and be a good-for-nothing, I, the city lord, will not care about you anymore."

"But you insist on striving for excellence and want to stand out through the martial arts competition. Then don't blame me for using you as a stepping stone."

"I am the organizer of this martial arts competition, and I have also bribed the supervisors."

"Everyone here, inside and out, is under my control. No matter how capable you are, do you think you can escape my grasp?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Xuan clenched his fists and glared at Yun Zhenting in the room through gritted teeth.

That old bastard is truly vicious. He swindled the Lin family's dowry to pave the way for his son's official career, and even tried to step on Lin Xuan to rise to power. He even took double precautions by bribing the court's supervisors.

Lin Xuan was furious and immediately ordered his guards to rush in.

The sudden entrance of the guard startled Yun Zhenting, who immediately roared, "You bastard! Who let you in?!"

Lin Xuan controlled the guards to bow and clasp their hands in greeting, saying, "City Lord, I have important matters to report."

"Speak," Yun Zhenting said.

Lin Xuan said, "Your mother is dead."

"What?!"

Yun Zhenting was stunned for a moment, only to see the guard draw his sword and thrust it at him.