"Patriarch Yuan, since we have already dealt with my second sister's killing of Young Master Ling, let us settle the matter of Young Master Ling attempting to defile my fourth sister."
"How does Eldest Miss Ling wish to settle this?"
Yuan Zhan found it amusing. Was this Eldest Miss Ling foolish? With the Ling family's current state, how could they possibly settle accounts with the ascendant Yuan family.
The common folk outside the door held the same thought.
"Naturally..." Ling Luo Yi suddenly looked at Ling Luo Ran and slowly said, "it depends on the opinion of the person involved."
Ling Luo Yi then looked at Yuan Zhan and said, "What does Patriarch Yuan think?"
"And what compensation does Fourth Miss Ling desire?" Yuan Zhan asked with a smile.
He did not believe that a mere young girl would dare to make unreasonable demands.
"Me?" Hearing the topic suddenly shift to her, Ling Luo Ran was a little stunned.
"Fourth sister, no matter what you want, Eldest Sister will give it to you, and I believe Patriarch Yuan will agree."
Ling Luo Yi's tone was always gentle, but it gave Ling Luo Qian courage. Thinking of something, she suddenly had an angry expression and shouted at Yuan Zhan, "I want his legs! He's the one who broke Uncle and Eldest Brother's legs!"
Three days prior, Yuan Zhan learned that his son had been killed by members of the Ling family. He used this as an excuse to act against the Ling family. Young Master Ling, in order to protect Ling Luo Qian, had his legs broken by Yuan Zhan.
Ling Luo Yi looked at Yuan Zhan and chuckled, saying, "It seems my fourth sister's request is very clear. Does Patriarch Yuan intend to grant it?"
After Ling Luo Qian spoke, Yuan Zhan's expression had been unpleasant.
To demand his legs, that brat really dared to speak!
"Patriarch Yuan, you're not going to grant it, are you?"
Although it was a question, everyone knew that Patriarch Yuan would certainly not grant it.
"Little girl, choose another."
His forceful tone answered Ling Luo Yi's question.
"I want his legs!"
Ling Luo Ran, not knowing where she found the courage, dared to meet Yuan Zhan's gaze directly.
The common folk looked at Ling Luo Ran and shook their heads. It seemed the Ling family's fortune had run its course today.
Ling Luo Yi smiled and said, "It seems Patriarch Yuan does not intend to agree to my fourth sister's request."
Everyone looked at Ling Luo Yi with pity, thinking she was foolish. It was obvious, why ask.
Ling Luo Yi paid no mind to the gazes of others, merely sighing and saying to herself, "It seems I will have to do it myself."
As she spoke, she raised her left hand, and a ball of blue flame appeared out of thin air in her palm.
"What is that?"
Everyone exclaimed as they watched the flame burning fiercely in Ling Luo Yi's palm.
"Is it spirit fire?"
"Not quite, there's no spiritual energy fluctuation."
Spirit fire was a flame condensed from one's own spiritual energy. When used, the flame would be accompanied by spiritual energy.
"Could it be beast fire?"
"It should be. Does Eldest Miss Ling have a fire-element contract beast? Judging by the flame's power, the contract beast's level should not be low."
Beast fire was the flame bestowed upon a master by a fire-element demonic beast after being contracted. Its power varied with the demonic beast's level.
Of course, besides these two types of flames, there was another: Heavenly Fire.
Heavenly Fire was naturally born, the most powerful, but very difficult to obtain.
Therefore, no one thought in that direction.
Yuan Zhan listened to the discussions around him, calculating something in his mind.
Soon, Yuan Zhan stared at Ling Luo Yi and said, "What is the meaning of this, Eldest Miss Ling?"
Ling Luo Yi raised her left hand and said, "Since Patriarch Yuan is unwilling to act himself, I will do it myself. Don't worry, it won't be troublesome."
"How dare you! I am the Patriarch of the Yuan family. Your Ling family is no match for my Yuan family. Eldest Miss Ling, you should think carefully."
"Match or no match, I don't know. It's just that I said earlier, whatever compensation my fourth sister wants, I will give it to her. Therefore, your legs are mine."
With that, a thread of fire shot out from the flame and, before anyone could react, landed on the corner of Yuan Zhan's robe and began to burn rapidly.
"Ah!" Yuan Zhan cried out in pain.
The Yuan family members beside him snapped back to reality and rushed to help Yuan Zhan extinguish the fire.
"I advise you not to touch it, or I won't be responsible for the consequences."
The Yuan family members ignored her, frantically trying to put out the fire.
However, the moment they touched the flame, it climbed onto their bodies along the point of contact, burning fiercely.
"Ah! Ah!"
The common folk were stunned.
Ling Luo Yi shook her head and said with feigned helplessness, "I told you not to touch it, why don't you listen? Sigh."
The common folk twitched their lips, and for a moment, no one spoke, only the screams of the Yuan family members.
Before long, the flames on Yuan Zhan's body extinguished on their own. The common folk looked and saw that Yuan Zhan's upper body was unharmed, with only the marks left from rolling on the ground. As for his lower legs, they had been burned to ashes.
Ling Luo Yi withdrew the flame and looked at the... well, person in front of her.
Her fourth sister was truly a divine assist.
The other members of the Yuan family had all been burned to ashes, leaving only Yuan Zhan with his upper body.
Ling Luo Yi pursed her lips and said faintly, "What an interesting form of compensation."
She then said to Ling San, "Ling San, escort Patriarch Yuan out and have this place cleaned up."
Hearing no response, Ling Luo Yi turned her head curiously.
She saw that all the members of the Ling family were stunned, still recovering from the shock of Ling Luo Yi's display.
Ling Luo Yi's forehead was covered in black lines: It's just burning someone, why such a fuss? He's not dead.
Ling Luo Yi rubbed her forehead, looking at the stunned crowd, and shouted helplessly, "Snap out of it!"
Then she watched them uncomfortably cough, drink water, and tidy their clothes.
The common folk outside the door were also brought back to their senses by the shout. They looked at Ling Luo Yi's retreating back with fear but dared not speak, lest they provoke her.
Ling Luo Yi felt the gazes on her back, feeling a little displeased, but her expression remained unchanged. She said gently, "Ling San, escort Patriarch Yuan out and have someone clean this place up."
"Yes." Ling San, having recovered, quickly responded. He then led people to politely 'escort' the Yuan family patriarch out and had the courtyard cleaned.
"Second Uncle." Ling Luo Yi looked at Ling Qi, who was sitting in the main seat and clearly avoiding her gaze, and called out obediently.
"Yes, yes." Ling Qi responded, but still dared not look at her, only stealing glances at her from time to time.
How terrifying his niece was! He had previously thought she was truly well-behaved.
Ling Qi stole another glance at Ling Luo Yi, standing obediently on the steps. The scene of her unleashing fire upon Yuan Zhan earlier flashed in his mind again.
Ling Luo Yi sighed and looked at the others.
Before their gazes met hers, the others looked elsewhere. Only Ling Luo Ran looked at her with tears in her eyes.
Ling Luo Yi sighed again, walked up to her, and offered her face, saying, "Ran'er, do you want to pinch Eldest Sister's face to see if it's real?"
Upon hearing this, Ling Luo Ran actually reached out and pinched Ling Luo Yi's face. Feeling the warmth in her hand, and the face still in front of her, she hugged Ling Luo Yi under the gaze of everyone and burst into tears in her embrace, crying out, "Eldest Sister!"
Ling Luo Yi held Ling Luo Ran with her left arm, gently patted her back with her right, and softly coaxed her, "It's alright, Eldest Sister is back."
Listening to Ling Luo Ran's cries, Ling Luo Yi was immensely grateful that she had used her spiritual energy to block her ears the moment she hugged Ling Luo Ran, otherwise, her ears would have long since given out.
Under everyone's comfort, Ling Luo Ran stopped crying and only sobbed silently in Ling Luo Yi's embrace.
Ling Qi wanted to ask something but was stopped by Bai Jingzhi. The two looked towards the common folk outside the door, and then Bai Jingzhi said, "Alright, let's talk about it in the back. Uncle Liang, close the door."