The Chai Family

The manor was brightly lit, the light driving away the darkness of the night completely.

An architectural complex several times more magnificent than the Ning family manor in Peng City squatted before the two of them like a dormant behemoth.

Light shone from within, illuminating every meticulously manicured lawn in clear detail.

One could guess that the lights in this place were probably left on all night.

"Heh, they sure know how to enjoy themselves. Is your home like this too?"

Lin Mo's voice was flat, but it was one hundred percent laced with mockery.

Dongfang Shuye subconsciously shook his head, then felt his reaction was somewhat ridiculous.

"No, my Dongfang family doesn't have this rule, we all live separately. My grandfather has lived his whole life in the family compound assigned by his work unit. His old comrades are all in the same building, and he says if he moves, he won't be able to find anyone to play cards with."

These words were spoken honestly.

Lin Mo tilted his head and glanced at the faint red aura lingering on Dongfang Shuye's body.

"Alright, I believe you."

Their car had been blown up, so they could only walk into the manor on foot.

Lin Mo wasn't in a hurry either. With one hand in his pocket, he walked at a leisurely pace, truly looking like he was taking an after-dinner stroll.

Just then, the roar of engines approached from a distance, tearing through the tranquility of the manor.

Several sports cars in eye-catching colors rushed out from the depths of the manor, their target clearly the main gate behind Lin Mo and his companion.

More accurately, they were rushing to get out of the manor.

It seemed the Chai family wasn't entirely united either. In the face of impending disaster, there were always some who valued their lives and wanted to flee first.

The piercing sound of horns blared together. Rather than giving a warning, it was more like they were driving away idlers blocking the road.

Those sports cars honked their horns, as if trying to drive something away.

Lin Mo stood still, not even sparing them a second glance. He simply raised his right hand, lifted that willow-leaf blade, and brought it down gently towards the red Ferrari leading the pack.

There was no loud crash, no explosion.

Only a teeth-aching sound of metal being sliced.

That speeding sports car was neatly cleaved down its center line by an invisible, sharp edge.

Motor oil, gasoline, and unknown liquids spilled all over the ground. Driven by momentum, the two halves of the car body, each carrying two wheels, slid forward for a dozen meters to the left and right, respectively, before both crashing into the roadside bushes and completely dying out.

As for what happened to the people inside the car, Lin Mo couldn't be bothered to care.

Terrified screams erupted from the sports cars following behind, but their reaction wasn't to brake; instead, they slammed on the gas pedals even more frantically, attempting to rush past Lin Mo.

What a pity.

Lin Mo didn't even shift his position.

He twirled a blade flourish with the willow-leaf knife in his hand, his figure shifting slightly.

Swish!

Swish! Swish!

Blade lights flashed, slicing horizontally or chopping vertically, every strike incomparably precise.

A Lamborghini had its roof sheared off, and the driving Blondie's head flew into the sky.

A Porsche was slashed diagonally in half, the cut as smooth as a mirror.

Not a single car could cross the invisible line he had drawn.

The thick stench of blood and gasoline permeated the air.

Dongfang Shuye's brows knitted into a tight knot. "The Chai family has more than just this one gate. If they want to run, there are plenty of ways."

Lin Mo's divine sense had long since covered the entire manor. Every secret passage and every exit was clearly reflected in his mind.

Thus, he stood on the road, his hands forming hand seals in mid-air.

Then, he pressed his hand onto the ground.

A fluctuation invisible to the naked eye expanded instantly with him at the center, like a giant invisible bowl inverted over the entire Chai family manor.

"This is..."

The hairs on Dongfang Shuye's body stood on end. He could clearly feel that the surrounding air fluctuations seemed to have become viscous and heavy, as if imprisoned by something.

He had never heard of such a method before.

Lin Mo withdrew his hand, clapped away the non-existent dust from his palms, and spoke in a tone as flat as if he were discussing a trivial matter.

"It's nothing."

"Just a cage."

"Today, not a single person here will be able to leave."

--System: Struggle away, I love watching scenes of struggle the most--

In a room on the second floor of the Chai family home, the mixed smell of a disinfection room and herbal medicines was so stifling it made it hard to breathe.

The emaciated Chai Jianshe was helped up in bed.

"Master, Young Master Tianyou has likely failed. Why don't we have people leave through the basement? If we leave here and hide our identities, maybe..."

The one speaking was the Chai family butler. He bowed his body, his voice kept extremely low, revealing an uncontrollable anxiety.

Chai Jianshe didn't look at him. His withered fingers tapped lightly on the edge of the bed, signaling that he wanted to get into his wheelchair.

The butler didn't dare to urge him further and quickly settled Chai Jianshe into the chair.

"Let's go down first. Is everyone gathered?"

The butler replied respectfully, "A few of the young grandsons couldn't handle the pressure and drove out."

Chai Jianshe said nothing.

The butler continued, "And then, before they could even get out, they died."

Chai Jianshe ultimately just nodded, not saying a single extra word.

As if speaking would drain him of a lot of energy.

Finally, as they were about to leave the room, Chai Jianshe suddenly spoke.

"Bring those things out. No matter what, we are destined to fight it out."

The butler's body stiffened, all the color draining from his face, but he eventually just gave a low murmur of assent, his footsteps heavy as he went to fetch the items.

At the top of the stairs, a man came up to meet them.

He looked to be only in his fifties or sixties, wearing a well-fitted Tang suit and extremely well-maintained, but the dejection between his brows could not be hidden.

He was Chai Jianshe's son, the nominal head of the Chai family, though his actual age was almost eighty.

"Dad, you should decide what to do next."

Chai Jianshe's wheelchair stopped. He finally raised his cloudy eyes and stared straight at his son.

"I handed the Chai family over to you, and it has come to this?!"

The man's lips moved, his grievance and dissatisfaction almost spilling out of his eyes. But meeting his father's gaze, he swallowed all his words back down, merely burying his head even lower.

Even though the father before him might lose his breath at any moment, he was still the mountain that weighed him down, preventing him from ever standing up straight his entire life.

The hall downstairs was deathly still.

The core members of the Chai family were all gathered here. From white-haired elders to infants still in swaddling clothes, four generations formed a dense, swarming crowd.

The main members of the Chai family were all here.

These four generations were basically all of Chai Jianshe's bloodline.

At this moment, the Chai family was enveloped in gloom and misery.

As for the other Chai family members who weren't present, it didn't matter; they probably couldn't escape anyway.

Chai Jianshe sat in the seat of honor, his cloudy eyes sweeping over everyone.

"Do you regret staying in the Chai family?"

Everyone raised their heads one after another, but no one spoke.

Some felt regret and even resentment, but did not show it on their faces, ultimately choosing silence instead.