After transmigrating into the body of the protagonist's childhood friend, he was targeted by a

Yu Linzhou met that gaze and tried his best to stand up straight.

When he saw the old patriarch again after a century, he was not without emotion. He was no longer the boy who craved recognition.

He looked directly at the clan chief: "I've returned here today to settle my personal score with She Qing. A hundred years ago, he falsely accused me of betraying the clan, stole my inner core, and slaughtered my benefactor. This debt can only be settled with blood. As for the others..."

Yu Linzhou paused for a moment: "I had no choice but to kill them. They were ignorant and foolish, believing She Qing's one-sided story and wanting to attack me. I couldn't just stand there and let them attack me."

"Moreover, most of the disciples in the clan were killed by that bitch She Qing, it has nothing to do with me."

The clan leader remained silent for a moment, then slowly turned to look at She Qing.

She Qing trembled under his scrutinizing gaze, her voice even lowering slightly: "Clan Chief, don't listen to his excuses! I have evidence and witnesses for what happened back then..."

She Qing suddenly thought of something and got stuck.

Chieftain: "Why did you stop talking? Where are your witnesses?"

She Qing opened her mouth, looking embarrassed.

There were no witnesses left. The confidants who had given false testimony for him back then were either killed by She Fengheng or caught in the poisonous fog during the melee, and they were all dead.

The clan chief closed his eyes briefly: "Fool! Before I went into seclusion, I entrusted you with the affairs of the clan, and this is how you handled them? The clan's disciples were already dwindling and couldn't withstand any more losses. And you, in less than a century, most of the clan members have died at your hands."

She Qing trembled all over, her voice shaking as she protested, "Clan leader, it was an accident! It's all his fault! It's all She Fengheng's fault! If he hadn't suddenly returned, none of our clansmen would have died!"

The clan leader kicked She Qing aside, ignoring him, and looked at Yu Linzhou.

For the first time, weariness was visible on his face, which had remained calm and undisturbed for millennia.

He sighed, his tone filled with deep helplessness: "Xiao Heng, this time it's his fault. But the clan really can't afford this kind of turmoil anymore. For my sake, let him go."

Yu Linzhou curled his lips in a mocking smile: "Letting him go is impossible. But for your sake, I can give him a quick death."

The clan chief looked at him, but there was no room for negotiation on his face.

After a long silence, he closed his eyes and sighed, "So be it. This is also my fault. I misjudged people, which led to this mess."

"I'm leaving this matter to you; you can do whatever you want with him. From now on, you are no longer a member of my clan. I will lead my people into seclusion, and you don't need to come back."

Yu Linzhou nodded, his tone calm: "Thank you. But in my heart, I am no longer a member of the clan. My name now is Yu Linzhou."

The clan chief nodded, turned and walked into the valley, his back view desolate.

She Qing lay on the ground, watching the departing figure, her face filled with panic.

He desperately reached out to grasp the receding hem of the garment, screaming at the top of his lungs, "Chief! Chief, are you abandoning me? Chief! Don't go! Save me—!"

The chieftain did not stop walking and soon disappeared into the mist in the valley.

Yu Linzhou walked step by step to She Qing, gathering the last bit of spiritual power at his fingertips.

She Qing looked up, tears streaming down her face, her lips trembling so much she couldn't utter a complete sentence.

"She Fengheng, I was wrong, I'll never do it again, I deserve to die! I was jealous of you, I'm so sorry, please forgive me, give me a chance to atone..."

Yu Linzhou looked down at him, his eyes icy. "The one you should atone for isn't me. If you want to atone, then go to hell and repent."

Yu Linzhou deftly extracted She Qing's inner core. He intended to crush it directly, but when he caught a glimpse of Yan Lingcang beside him, his fingers paused slightly, and he tossed the inner core over to him.

Yan Lingcang instinctively caught it, looking down at the still-warm inner core in his hand. He looked up, his tone tinged with confusion, and asked, "Why are you giving it to me?"

Yu Linzhou turned his head away, his tone casual: "I find his inner core too dirty to use, but it would be a waste to crush it. You're getting a good deal."

Lin Zhixu curled his lips: Arrogant.

Yan Lingcang gave him a strange look.

Yu Linzhou glared at him: "What? You don't want it? Give it back, or I'll crush it and feed it to the dogs."

Yan Lingcang put it away: "I didn't say I didn't want it, thank you."

Without his inner core, She Qing curled up on the ground, rolling around in agony, howling in pain.

The excruciating pain that spread from the depths of his dantian to his limbs and bones caused his whole body to spasm, and every breath felt like a blade was being churned in his meridians.

He suddenly realized that not having an inner core was so painful.

Back then, Yu Linzhou had to do it himself, forcibly discarding his own inner core. Did he feel this much pain back then?

No wonder they were sworn enemies...

Yan Lingcang glanced down at the man lying on the ground, writhing in agony, then looked up at Yu Linzhou: "What should we do with him? Kill him?"

Yu Linzhou shook his head, his tone indifferent: "No need. Without his inner core, he won't live long. If the clan leader doesn't care about him, he'll soon be tormented to death by pain."

Upon hearing these words, She Qing's last glimmer of hope for survival shattered completely.

He was convulsing, and with his last remaining strength, he screamed, "Kill me...kill me! Please, kill me!"

Yu Linzhou led Yan Lingcang away without looking back.

The light in She Qing's eyes gradually faded, and finally she could no longer hold on. With trembling hands, she transformed into sharp claws and fiercely plunged them into her own throat.

Blood splattered on the gravel, and his body twitched a few times before going completely still.

As Yu Linzhou emerged from the valley, watching the rising sun paint the northern wilderness sky a golden-red hue, a sense of bewilderment suddenly arose within him.

He finally got his revenge; the fire that had been burning in his chest for a century was finally extinguished on this day.

What will become of him now? What meaning will his life hold?

The pain and exhaustion in his body surged up at the same time, and he swayed, almost collapsing to the ground.

Yan Lingcang quickly caught him, frowning, "You're too badly injured. I'll take you back to the sect."

Yu Linzhou shook his head, his voice hoarse but stubborn: "Take me somewhere."

He gave a place name, which was in the direction of Zhangjia Village back then.

But a century has passed, and the village is long gone.

Yu Linzhou had Yan Lingcang lead him up the mountain, and they easily found Zhang the Hunter's grave.

This grave was built by the surviving villagers who worked together to build it.

They buried the old man who had spent most of his life in the mountains, letting him rest in peace in the forest he had guarded all his life.

Strangely, the grave mound was not swallowed up by weeds.

Scattered around were some dried wild fruits, as if carried there by some small animal. The grave mound was covered with unknown wildflowers, purple and white, crowding together and swaying gently in the morning breeze.

The arrival of the two startled away the birds and animals in the vicinity.

Yu Linzhou couldn't help but laugh.

He bent down and rearranged the fallen flower branches, his fingertips gently brushing against the faded inscriptions on the monument.

"See, you're not lonely. You still have them to keep you company."

Yu Linzhou was silent for a moment, then said softly, "I've avenged you. I probably won't come back again. Take care."

Yu Linzhou was too badly injured and soon fainted. Yan Lingcang carried him back to the sect.

Lin Zhixu looked at Zhang the hunter's grave, raised his hand to summon a gust of wind, reached out and took the flower branch carried by the wind, and placed it in front of the grave.

"goodbye."