Lin Siyuan wanted to escape.
But he couldn't.
"All of you, what are you standing there for? Charge at her!"
"Snap!" Zhao Shuning snapped her fingers. Those who were about to charge froze in place, unable to move.
Lin Siyuan used to know that Zhao Shuning was powerful, but he never expected that after a year of diligent cultivation on his part, he couldn't even last one move against her.
Moreover, this young girl's cultivation technique was remarkable, and her scheming was unfathomable.
This was not the kind of mindset a seventeen - year - old girl should have.
Lin Siyuan channeled his spiritual power, transforming it into thousands of swords. He wanted to make a last - ditch effort.
"It's no use, Lin Siyuan. You don't even have a chance to use those techniques under my nose."
Lin Siyuan reached out his hand.
At this moment, he couldn't even form the corresponding hand seals for the cultivation technique.
"Zhao Shuning, I'm your uncle, Lin Siyuan."
"Zhao Shuning, what deep hatred do I have with you?"
Zhao Shuning said, "You and I don't have any deep - seated hatred. But Lin Siyuan, don't forget, my father is Zhao Zheng."
"What does Zhao Zheng have to do with me?"
"Nothing?"
"Of course, about what happened back then..."
Zhao Shuning interrupted, "I haven't even said what it is, and you've already confessed. Lin Siyuan, out of respect for your mother, I've shown you mercy and won't take your life. But don't think you can play the family card with me. Your Lin family has never done any favors for my Zhao family."
Zhao Shuning raised her hand, and a continuous stream of deep - blue spring water began to gush out from her palm.
"Zhao Shuning, I'm begging you. Please, you can cut off one of my arms. I can even give up my legs. Just don't damage my spiritual roots. They are the most important thing for an alchemist!"
The spring water in Zhao Shuning's hand continued to change its form.
Her expression remained unchanged.
Whether people said Zhao Shuning was heartless or cold - blooded, in any case, once she made up her mind, she wouldn't be softened by others' words.
"You know how important spiritual roots are to an alchemist?"
"But back then, when you allowed the outer - sect disciples of the Lin family to gang up and bully my father during the trial at the Misty Rain Tower, damage his spiritual roots, and break his right leg, did you ever think that you would end up like this one day?"
"But I didn't do it myself."
"Not you directly, but you were the one who promoted the whole thing. Lin Siyuan, what did my father do wrong? He just fell in love with my mother, and they loved each other. What right did you have to interfere?"
"Zhao Shuning, but your father's spiritual roots weren't completely destroyed. At least, he could still cultivate, just at a slower pace. And your father's right leg wasn't completely crippled either. He just walked with an awkward gait."
"Zhao Shuning, look. I'm willing to make up for what I did to your father. You can put all the humiliation your father suffered on me today. I won't complain at all. But please don't completely destroy my spiritual roots. If you do, I'll be worse than dead."
Zhao Shuning smiled.
At this moment, she was like a celestial maiden from the ninth heaven.
A smile from her seemed to fill people with hope.
But only those who knew her well knew that this smile wasn't a sign of compromise but the beginning of cruelty.
"First form of the Kan Water Break, penetrate!"
Zhao Shuning flicked her finger, and the thin stream of water turned into a sharp arrow that pierced into Lin Siyuan's forehead.
Lin Siyuan trembled all over.
He didn't dare to move.
Wherever the water in his mind flowed, it caused excruciating pain.
It carried a corrosive smell.
Overwhelmed by the pain, Lin Siyuan hugged his head with both hands and slowly knelt down.
His eyes were wide open, clearly showing that he was in great pain.
"Why?"
"Why do you insist on destroying my spiritual roots?"
"I've begged you like this. Why? Why won't you let me go?"
Zhao Shuning looked at Lin Siyuan's curled - up body without feeling any guilt.
Looking at him, Zhao Shuning could imagine how the once - proud Zhao Zheng had been tortured by those people.
In this lifetime, since she had received Zhao Zheng's love and was fortunate enough to be his daughter, she had to avenge all the humiliation he had suffered.
"Why? Let me tell you why."
"One, I, Zhao Shuning, am not a kind person. Your words won't soften my heart at all."
"Two, I don't know what 'return the damage equally' means. I only know that if someone hurts the people I care about, there's no such thing as a corresponding punishment. I'll avenge my father ten - fold, a hundred - fold. You damaged his spiritual roots, so I'll destroy yours. You injured his right leg, so I'll cripple both of yours."
"Three, you may have forgotten that back then, your arrow almost took Ye Xingchen's life."
Zhao Shuning walked towards Lin Siyuan step by step.
She watched him roll on the ground in pain.
"Ye Xingchen. Who is Ye Xingchen to you? He's just the younger brother of the former empress, a sinner despised by everyone. For his sake, you're hurting your uncle. Zhao Shuning, you're really good at taking sides against your own family."
Zhao Shuning squatted down.
Looking at him, she said, "Do you think I saved Ye Xingchen at the risk of offending you back then just out of the kindness of my heart?"
"Do you think I'm a great do - gooder who just helps those in need?"
"Or do you think I'm stupid enough to risk offending you, Lin Siyuan, for a despised descendant of the Ye family?"
Zhao Shuning looked at Lin Siyuan.
She said softly, word by word, "Because Ye Xingchen is my younger brother."
This news hit Lin Siyuan like a thunderbolt. He even forgot to struggle and just stared at Zhao Shuning.
"What did you say? Aren't you a child of the Zhao family?"
"I am, but I'm also Ye Xingchen's older sister, Ye Ling."
Hearing this, Lin Siyuan suddenly burst into laughter.
"Hahaha - Zhao Shuning, are you kidding me? Ye Ling is dead, dead!"
Chu Wen and Chu Nuan were startled by Lin Siyuan's sudden outburst. Then they both looked at Zhao Shuning.
Was she related to their master?
Zhao Shuning smiled and said, "Chu Wen, Chu Nuan, watch closely how the following forms of the Kan Water Break work."
Zhao Shuning changed her hand seals.
Each time she formed a seal, Lin Siyuan's spiritual power weakened. Each time she flipped her hand, Lin Siyuan's eyes widened a bit more.
Until Zhao Shuning formed the last hand seal.
Lin Siyuan on the ground was like a corpse, lying there motionless.
Zhao Shuning knew that he wasn't dead, but he was no different from a useless person.
"Snap!"
Zhao Shuning snapped her fingers, and Lin Siyuan's subordinates could finally move again.