Lin Xiaotian's gaze was filled with a chilling killing intent.
"I don't like repeating myself. You should have heard me clearly just now. Go back immediately and deliver my message to your father. He'll know what to do. You're essentially a nail I've driven directly into your family."
"If anything happens to you, it will give me an excuse to act."
"Alright, you can leave now."
Young Master Xu gritted his teeth, his eyes blazing with extreme anger.
"Lin Xiaotian, regardless, we are in a cooperative relationship. Aren't you afraid I'll reveal what happened before? My family still doesn't know you exchanged so many precious antiques for a fake painting."
"If these matters are exposed, it will be a huge blow to your company's reputation. I'm just begging you to save my life, I have no other requests."
Lin Xiaotian sneered, "Are you threatening me?"
"I wouldn't dare. I just want to live." Young Master Xu had given up all pretense.
He knew very well that he had completely become a stray dog.
He dared to threaten Lin Xiaotian, but facing his own father, he wouldn't dare to utter a single word and could only passively await death.
Lin Xiaotian's smile widened. "Young Master Xu, do you have a misunderstanding about me?"
"You're afraid your family will act against you, but aren't you afraid I'll act against you too?"
"Moreover, if I act against you, you might even wish you were dead. I told you before, I hate betrayers the most. But isn't everything you're doing now akin to betraying me?"
Fear flickered in Young Master Xu's eyes, his gaze darting around. "Mr. Lin, I wouldn't dare to be presumptuous. I'm merely speaking the truth. If I go back, I won't be able to withstand my father's pressure."
"If those things are revealed, it won't do you any good. It would be better if you just give me a quick end, so I don't have to suffer anymore."
"After all, what I said to you has completely gone against my father's wishes. I'm just a tool in his eyes. The only benefit I can bring him now is to act against you."
"I'm no match for you, and I know my father sent me here with supervision clearly indicating he wants me to walk into a death trap. Your strength is too great, and you're also extremely skilled with poisons."
Lin Xiaotian said with a half-smile, "Have you considered that the words I asked you to take back are essentially providing me with an excuse to act? If I were to go to your family directly now, I wouldn't have a leg to stand on."
"But if my people are beaten or killed, I'll naturally go to your family to demand an explanation. If they refuse, I'll fight my way until they comply."
"In any case, anyone who is the first to strike is not to be pitied."
Just as he finished speaking, a furious roar echoed from deep within the woods.
"Arrogant and ignorant!"
Upon hearing the familiar voice, Young Master Xu trembled, fear flashing in his eyes. "The speaker is the Great Elder of my family."
"His strength surpasses even my father's. He's over a hundred years old, but his power is terrifyingly formidable."
Lin Xiaotian said with a half-smile, "Since you think I'm arrogant and ignorant, then come out and teach me a lesson."
"If you don't have the guts, stop hiding in the shadows and spewing nonsense. The rules among martial artists are simple: whoever has the bigger fist gets to call the shots."
"Hiding in the shadows like a turtle in its shell, no matter how powerful you are, I will still despise you."
Young Master Xu nearly lost his soul. Their family's Great Elder had a fiery temper. He could already feel the palpable killing intent in that roar.
Now, with Lin Xiaotian deliberately provoking him, he couldn't even bear to imagine the consequences.
Their Great Elder was a Grandmaster. Not long ago, he had heard that the Great Elder's strength had completely stabilized at the peak of the Grandmaster realm, and he might even have one foot in the legendary realm.
There were probably only a few Land Immortals in the entire world.
"Mr. Lin, our family's Great Elder has a bad temper."
"And you think I have a good temper?" Lin Xiaotian retorted coldly, causing Young Master Xu to fall silent.
The person who didn't think Lin Xiaotian had a good temper was only because Lin Xiaotian had reined in his sharpness in the past, making him seem approachable.
But that was based on his own obedience and his ability to provide value to Lin Xiaotian. Now, he was a complete failure and a burden to Lin Xiaotian.
At this moment, a figure slowly emerged from the depths of the woods.
The person appeared to be in his sixties, with a head of snow-white hair and piercingly cold eyes.
If not for his white hair, he wouldn't look like an old man at all. He was indeed the Elder of the Xu family, over a hundred years old.
Lin Xiaotian sized up the Great Elder, who was also appraising him.
He had already heard from his family head that Lin Xiaotian was very strong and should not be approached lightly.
But no matter how he looked at it, Lin Xiaotian, at his age, could not possibly possess such formidable strength, being only in his twenties. What was his own strength at that age?
At that time, he had barely reached the Xiantian realm. Even so, he was hailed as a once-in-a-century genius in their family.
"Boy, I called you arrogant just now, and you're not convinced?"
Lin Xiaotian said with a half-smile, "If you were to say anything else, I might not be convinced. But if you say I'm arrogant, I can admit it."
"That's right, I am arrogant. What can you do about it?"
The Great Elder was slightly taken aback. This was the first time he had encountered a young man who dared to confront him so directly. Anger began to rise in his heart.
His expression turned furious. "Good, good, good. You admit you're arrogant yourself?"
"Arrogance comes with a price."
"And the price you will pay is this life of yours!"
At this moment, Young Master Xu, kneeling on the ground, had only one thought: "It's over, Lin Xiaotian is definitely going to fall this time!"
"Who else could he have provoked but their family's Great Elder? Even his own father sometimes has to yield to this man's fiery temper."
He had no confidence in Lin Xiaotian whatsoever.