After being jilted by the saintess at the beginning, why is she crying?

Several clan elders who had just been clamoring to take down Lin Fengmian were now pale-faced and unconsciously shrank back in their chairs, afraid that they would be the next ones to be slapped.

Yu Chan'er stared blankly at the man's straight back beside her, listening to his icy and fiercely protective words. Her nose tingled, and her beautiful eyes instantly welled up with tears.

Young master... he's so domineering!

At that moment, all the grievances and fears seemed to vanish.

She recalled what Lin Fengmian had said to her outside the palace earlier—

"With me here, no one can touch you." At the time, she was still half-believing, but now she believed it.

Yu Changkun was both shocked and furious to see that Lin Fengmian dared to cripple the clan's Grand Elder in public.

He never expected that this supposedly useless man who rose to power through women would actually possess such strength!

But things had come to this point, and he had no way out. If Lin Fengmian were to leave alive, what prestige would Yu Changkun retain in the Yu family?

"Outrageous! They've gone too far! How dare they lay a hand on my Yu family?! Do they think my Yu family is powerless?!"

He roared sharply, then suddenly waved his hand and shouted towards the outside of the hall:

"Guards! Seize this madman!"

As soon as he finished speaking, several powerful auras swept in from outside the hall. These people who came in from outside were all Golden Core disciples secretly cultivated by Yu Changkun.

Four figures flashed out from both sides of the hall door, their movements as elusive as ghosts, and in an instant they landed at the four corners of the hall.

They were dressed in dark, close-fitting outfits with embroidered patterns on their cuffs, their faces covered with black cloths, revealing only pairs of cold, iron-like eyes.

Simultaneously releasing their aura, the four pressures of early-stage Golden Core cultivators pressed down on Lin Fengmian and Yu Chan'er from all directions like four invisible walls.

The air suddenly became thick and heavy, and the flame of the lamp was pressed almost flat against the wick.

Those servants with lower cultivation levels in the hall felt a tightness in their chests, their legs went weak, and they involuntarily knelt down, their foreheads covered in cold sweat.

The group positioned themselves in four directions, surrounding Lin Fengmian and Yu Chan'er in the center, their auras intertwining to form an impenetrable net.

These individuals were Yu Changkun's trusted confidants, whom he had secretly cultivated for many years. Each of them had blood on their hands and were far beyond the reach of ordinary Golden Core cultivators.

Yu Changkun revealed a sinister smile, pointed at Lin Fengmian, and laughed loudly:

"Lin Fengmian, Lin Fengmian, you good-for-nothing! Wouldn't it have been better to stay quietly by the Empress's side and be her kept woman? Why did you have to run off to play the hero! Today you've walked right into our trap, let's see how you get out of this mess!"

He became more and more smug as he spoke, standing with his hands behind his back and his chin slightly raised. His smug and self-satisfied expression made Yu Chan'er want to vomit.

"But I really have to thank you," Yu Changkun said, pacing back and forth, his tone full of amusement, like a cat toying with a mouse.

"If you hadn't delivered yourself to my doorstep, where would I have gotten such a tremendous achievement? Once the Marquis of Zhenyuan arrives, let's see how arrogant you become!"

"Second Uncle! How could you do this!"

Yu Chan'er's pretty face turned pale; she was both anxious and angry, and her voice was trembling.

"Young Master is the Empress's husband! Aren't you afraid that the Empress will hold the Yu family accountable after she emerges from seclusion? You're trying to drag the entire Yu family down with you!"

"Empress?" Yu Changkun seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world. He first chuckled softly, then his laughter grew louder and louder, and finally he laughed wildly to the sky.

"Hahahaha... What a load of bull! Empress!"

He laughed so hard he almost fell over, tears welling up in his eyes. He clutched his stomach with one hand and pointed at Yu Chan'er with the other, his face full of mockery.

"My dear niece, are you still living in the past? What Empress! The Phoenix Cry Kingdom's royal family is now a mere shell of its former self! The so-called Empress is nothing but a title!"

His laughter stopped abruptly, and his expression suddenly turned gloomy and ferocious.

"With the current revival of spiritual energy and the dramatic changes in the landscape, who would still recognize her as Empress? Calling her Empress is an honor!"

Nowadays, reclusive immortal sects, ancient families, and old monsters from all sides are all trying their hand at vying for territory and resources.

Aside from those nine reclusive immortal sects, and the dilapidated sect whose members were sparsely populated due to suppressing the Demon Abyss seal, who else cared about her?

Yu Changkun became more and more excited as he spoke, spitting as he spoke, his eyes gleaming with fanaticism.

"But behind our old Marquis stands a truly powerful tree! If we can take down Lin Fengmian, our family will have accomplished a great feat! Our path to prosperity depends entirely on this pledge of allegiance!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Fengmian's gaze darkened.

It turned out to be the case.

Empress Su Miaoyun's seclusion this time is indeed ill-timed.

The world is undergoing tremendous changes, and the old order is clearly also undergoing a major transformation, with new forces constantly rising and established powers constantly reviving.

Under this trend, her prestige has been steadily diminishing. No wonder these despicable people dare to act so recklessly, showing him no respect whatsoever.

And it seems that the Marquis of Zhenyuan is not just a simple local bully; he must have some emerging power backing him up.

Thinking of this, he sneered.

That smile was faint, yet it sent a chill down Yu Changkun's spine.

Lin Fengmian looked at the menacing retainers surrounding him and the ferocious-looking Yu Changkun, his tone eerily calm:

"For Yu Chan'er's sake, I'll give you one last chance."

Are you really going to take me to the Marquis of Zhenyuan's mansion to claim credit?

Yu Changkun smiled upon hearing this.

He thought Lin Fengmian was afraid, so he grinned maliciously and said:

"What? Now you're scared? Where were you before! Let me tell you, it's too late! If you had obediently surrendered, we might have spared your life."

If you don't cooperate obediently, you'll have to suffer the consequences once the old Marquis arrives and suppresses you!

"very good."

Lin Fengmian nodded.

He had only given them a chance because of Yu Chan'er, but since they were so shameless, Lin Fengmian didn't need to care about any sentimentality anymore.

The moment the words fell—

His figure vanished from the spot in an instant!

The pupils of those Golden Core disciples simultaneously contracted!

They only felt a blur before their eyes, and the black-clad youth who had been standing in the same spot just moments before vanished as if he had evaporated into thin air, leaving no trace of his presence!

"puff--"

A very faint muffled thud.

The disciple closest to Lin Fengmian suddenly had a large cave-in in his chest, and his whole body was sent flying backward like a cannonball hit by a huge force!

He didn't even have time to scream before he slammed hard against the palace wall, causing it to crack and scatter stones. He coughed up a mouthful of blood, his head lolled to the side, and he died on the spot.

"Puff puff puff—"

Immediately afterwards, three more muffled thuds exploded almost simultaneously!

The remaining three retainers didn't even have a chance to react before they were sent flying in three different directions as if slapped away by an invisible giant hand!

One person smashed a stone pillar in the hall, another crashed through a carved wooden window, and yet another flew out of the hall and crashed heavily onto the bluestone slab in the courtyard!