Chapter 9: Soul Capturing

Li Lin honestly expressed that he had no fondness whatsoever for this father; in fact, he could even say that this was the person he hated the most. However, after hearing Li Jing's words, he felt a slight warmth in his heart. He had never experienced even a trace of paternal love, but now he could genuinely feel that Li Jing had begun to regard him as a son. This was an experience he had never had before, leaving him somewhat intoxicated by this feeling

Upon seeing the imposing presence of the ancestral hall, Lin Fu was already terrified. Moreover, when he entered the hall, he saw the bloodied and mangled corpse of Li Gui, which further frightened him to the point of losing control. As soon as he entered the ancestral hall, he repeatedly bowed his head and pleaded for mercy

At this moment, Li Cheng was almost collapsing, repeatedly exclaiming: "It wasn't me! It's that useless person slandering and talking nonsense!" However, at this time, no one was willing to listen to his explanation anymore

In today's world, if anyone still wishes for Li Cheng to inherit the position of the family head, it is likely that all the clan members would not agree.

If the position of the family head is passed on to Li Cheng in the future, and he holds absolute power, will there be any prospects left for the other clan members? It is feared that anyone who shows even a slight disobedience to Li Cheng will not have a favorable fate awaiting them. Li Cheng will certainly not tolerate any dissent, and at that time, the Li family may face complete ruin. The Li family is bound to be torn apart by Li Cheng, ultimately leading to its total disappearance. It is feared that anyone who shows even a slight disobedience to Li Cheng will not have a favorable fate awaiting them. Li Cheng will certainly not tolerate any dissent, and at that time, the Li family may face complete ruin. The Li family is bound to be torn apart by Li Cheng, ultimately leading to its total disappearance.

At this moment, San Shugang's face was pale. Although he realized that Li Cheng was not a modest gentleman, he never expected that Li Cheng could be so malicious. For the sake of a trivial matter, he was capable of such actions against his own kin.

As expected, just as Li Lin mentioned, Li Lin, as an auditing student, is able to respond fluently to the poetry, prose, and teachings of the teacher. In this regard, Mr. Wenzhong holds Li Lin in high esteem, while also expressing his discontent regarding Li Lin's background. His words inevitably contain subtle sarcasm towards the Li family's mistreatment of Li Lin.

At this moment, Li Jing angrily questioned Lin Fu, asking whether he had ever plotted against Li Lin. Lin Fu seemed as if his mouth was not under his control, and he recounted in detail how Li Cheng had instructed him to lie in wait at the bridge, how he had pushed Li Lin into the river, and how he had watched Li Lin sink into the water. Later, for reasons unknown, Li Lin surprisingly did not drown; he crawled back home in the middle of the night and was carefully tended to by Lan Er, who brought him back to life. Li Cheng then vented his anger on Xiao Lan, ordering him to demand Xiao Lan, expressing his intention to torture her to death.

After speaking, he swayed slightly, nearly falling. Li Lin promptly reached out to support Li Jing and gently said: "Father, please do not be too saddened. This matter is entirely my fault, causing you distress! I am an inauspicious person and should not have made this public. Now, seeing you so upset is all my fault! Even if I were to be cast out of the family, it should be me who bears that consequence! I hope you prioritize your health, Father!"

Before long, the private school teacher was invited into the clan hall. Upon seeing the situation here, he felt somewhat perplexed. After Li Jing stood up to pay his respects to Mr. Wenzhong, he inquired about the matter concerning the examination of the students from the private school a few days prior.

At this moment, Li Jing's complexion was equally pale, and his hands could not help but tremble. This was the act of his most beloved and valued son, truly a cause for both human and divine outrage, reaching the utmost level of malice

And here is the ancestral hall, a place dedicated to upholding the family laws. He is well aware of the consequences of murdering a family member, even if it is a half-brother. Today, in front of so many people, Li Lin exposed his attempt to secretly harm him. If this were to be substantiated, then... He dared not think further. Today, in front of so many people, Li Lin exposed his attempt to secretly harm him. If this were to be substantiated, then... He dared not think further.

Furthermore, I, Li Jingde, have shortcomings in my conduct and fundamentally lack the qualifications to continue as the head of the family. I hope that Uncle San will retract my position as the head of the family and appoint someone else to undertake this great responsibility

Father, your words weigh heavily. Although I, your child, have endured some grievances over the years, the fact that I am alive today is a blessing from the family. I dare not harbor even the slightest resentment. The family is my foundation, and I would never act in a way that would harm it. Please rest assured, Father

Before long, Lin Fu was dragged into the ancestral hall like a dead dog. At this moment, Lin Fu had just been whipped in the morning, his back was bloodied and mangled, and he could only be pulled into the ancestral hall by others

In contrast to Li Cheng, Mr. Wenzhong's evaluation was quite poor. Although he did give Li Cheng a bit of face, he did not hesitate to criticize him, stating that he was overly intelligent but lacked diligence. Despite being very clever, he only knew how to indulge in pleasure, neglecting his studies. On that day, when questioned, it could almost be said that he was completely ignorant, which provoked Mr. Wenzhong's anger, leading him to give Li Cheng a severe reprimand.

Li Lin closed his eyes, revealing a look of deep sorrow, yet his mind was secretly contemplating that the Soul Capturing Technique should be used with caution in the future. Currently, his magical power was low, and his divine energy was extremely depleted. Today, he had consecutively employed the Soul Capturing Technique, first on Li Cheng, which temporarily affected Li Cheng and revealed his true nature. Then he used the technique on Lin Fu, which had already begun to overwhelm him, causing waves of dizziness. He longed to lie down and sleep for a while. This was a manifestation of the backlash from casting the spell. Although it was mild, if he continued to cast spells, it would likely have significant adverse effects on him.

Li Cheng, with a pale face, pointed at Li Lin and shouted: "You... you... you are spouting nonsense! This... this is not what I did! You... you are talking nonsense! I did not have anyone kill you! I... I... I did not do it! It was not me!"

At this moment, no one paid any attention to Li Cheng's outcry. With a wave of his hand, the third uncle ordered someone to bind Li Cheng and silence him, leaving only Lin Fu's testimony echoing in the clan hall

Li Cheng listened to Lin Fu's confession from the side, feeling anxious and shouting loudly, cursing Lin Fu for talking nonsense and deliberately framing him. He even wanted to rush over and kill Lin Fu on the spot. He simply could not understand how Lin Fu, who had always been his loyal lackey, could act so foolishly today and reveal all these matters. This could truly cost him his life!

The moment this consequence was considered, all those present who could grasp this point felt a wave of dread. If today Uncle San had not encountered Li Cheng's subordinates who were wantonly humiliating Li Ling, it is likely that the vast majority of them would still be deceived by Li Cheng. At that time, Li Cheng might very well inherit the position of the family head, and that would spell disaster for them!

At the moment he felt guilty and glanced at Li Lin, he noticed a flicker of unusual light in Li Lin's eyes, causing Lin Fu's gaze to freeze, as if his mind had been pricked by a needle, leaving him momentarily dazed

After sending off Mr. Wenzhong from the private school, Li Jing was already furious and shouted sternly, "Bring Lin Fu here!"

After hearing Lin Fu's testimony, the entire clan hall was in an uproar. It was not only Li Jing and his third uncle who were exceptionally angry, but many of Li Jing's peers as well as those of Li Lin also expressed their outrage. When they looked at Li Cheng, they could not hide their disgust and disdain, and even when they regarded Li Jing, the respect they once had was no longer evident.

After Li Jing listened to Li Lin's promise, he felt a slight sense of comfort in his heart. He gently patted the back of Li Lin's hand and was about to speak when suddenly someone called out from the side: "Hold on! I have something to ask Li Lin!"

Therefore, Li Lin secretly admonished himself that such matters should be avoided in the future, at least until he possesses sufficient capability, as such actions cannot be undertaken again.

Li Lin turned his head and stared at Li Cheng, wiping away a tear and saying, "Second Brother, Third Brother did not say it was you who did it, so why does Second Brother say this? Could it be that Second Brother has something to hide in his heart?"

After listening to Li Lin's words, Li Jing turned his head and scrutinized Li Lin once more, sighing as he said: "Right is right! Wrong is wrong! For over a decade, I have wronged you, and I do not seek your forgiveness! From now on, you are my son, Li Jing. Even if I am no longer the head of the family, no one shall ever humiliate you again! I am ashamed as a father!"

The reason he was able to control Lin Fu's mind so easily was that Lin Fu had been severely beaten today, and upon seeing Li Gui's corpse, his mind was already in disarray. This allowed him to take advantage of the situation and strike effectively, seizing Lin Fu's consciousness and compelling him to confess honestly. If it had been a normal person, given his current divine power, he would not have been able to control the other person's mind at all, and he could have faced severe backlash, resulting in fainting at best, or even potentially becoming an idiot at worst.

After listening to Mr. Wenzhong's testimony, everyone can understand why Li Cheng wanted to eliminate Li Lin. This also indicates that Li Lin's words were not false. As an auditor, Li Lin's performance in the classroom made Li Cheng feel as if he had been humiliated by Li Lin. Therefore, Li Cheng harbored murderous intent towards Li Lin

I only hope that as a member of the Li family, you can set aside past grievances and prioritize the family in all future endeavors, and do not harbor resentment towards your relatives within the family

Li Jing's eyes widened in anger as he glared at Li Cheng, who was kneeling on the ground. After hearing Li Lin's heartfelt accusations, Li Cheng was already terrified to the point of losing his senses. Although he usually did not regard Li Lin as a person, he could not deny that no matter what, Li Lin was still a member of the Li family. Even if he was not recorded in the family genealogy, he was still a descendant of the Li family.

Li Jing looked up at the roof of the ancestral hall and couldn't help but let out a long sigh. He rose dejectedly and knelt before his great-uncle, his face filled with shame as he said: "This is all the fault of my father, the head of the family, for failing to properly educate the younger generation, which has led to such disgrace within our household! Now, Li Cheng is no longer qualified to be a member of the Li family. I ask my great-uncle to expel him from our home and let him fend for himself! Our Li family cannot harbor such a malicious person! Now, Li Cheng is no longer qualified to be a member of the Li family. I ask my great-uncle to expel him from our home and let him fend for himself! Our Li family cannot harbor such a malicious person!

If it is said that Li Lin's status is comparable to that of Li Cheng, and there was a potential for competition for the position of family head in the past, then it is understandable that Li Cheng secretly wanted to eliminate Li Lin. "No man is without poison," which further indicates that Li Cheng is ruthless and possesses the ambition and courage to achieve great things

However, the issue lies in the fact that in terms of status and identity, Li Lin has never been able to challenge Li Cheng. Yet, because of such a trivial matter, Li Cheng seeks to eliminate Li Lin, which is not a matter of broad-mindedness or courage, but rather an extreme and blatant malice.

"Shut up! Mr. Wenzhong!" Li Jing angrily shouted at the clamoring Li Cheng. The Mr. Wenzhong he referred to was the instructor at the Li family's private school. In order to verify what Li Lin had stated, he needed to ask this Mr. Wenzhong.