Lin Yan had never heard such an address in this cultivation world before.
Lin Yan found it quite amusing. This woman in front of her was also a cultivator, yet she behaved like a woman from the inner chambers of ancient times.
She would either politely call her "fellow Daoist" or address her directly by name, but calling her "Madam Lin" felt rather ridiculous.
"May I ask who you are?" Lin Yan continued to play her role, asking with a look of confusion.
"I am the concubine of the Third Elder. From now on, we will be in the same courtyard, so I've come to get acquainted with my sister," she said, her gaze towards Lin Yan filled with venom.
She had never seen the Third Elder, Meng, pay so much attention to a woman before; it made her intensely jealous!
"Perhaps you have the wrong person. I am merely lodging at the Meng family's residence. Because I saved someone from the Meng family, the Third Elder has been guiding my cultivation," Lin Yan explained.
"I have no intention of becoming the Third Elder's concubine, and he merely offers me a few words of guidance."
"Is it with such a face that you have gained the Third Elder's favor?" she asked, reaching out to lift Lin Yan's chin.
Lin Yan took a step back, evading her hand. "Madam, please conduct yourself with propriety."
Her gaze towards Lin Yan grew even more venomous, but she dared not do anything. She could come and provoke Lin Yan with a few sharp words, but the Third Elder had not yet taken her seriously. At this crucial moment, if she were to disrupt the Third Elder's plans, he would surely not let her off.
However, her patience was good. She would wait patiently, waiting for the Third Elder to grow tired of Lin Yan, and then she would torment this slut properly, just as she had treated the other concubines before.
Those women had also been arrogant before, relying on the Third Elder's favor, and in the end, hadn't they all disappeared without a trace?
"Fine, fine! I shall conduct myself with propriety. However, I have brought some gifts for my sister, as a token of my meeting you," she said, gesturing for a maid behind her to bring forth a storage bag.
"One does not accept rewards without merit. If Madam has nothing else, please take your leave. I still need to continue my cultivation," Lin Yan retreated another step, completely unwilling to accept the storage bag.
She didn't want to waste time with such a woman. Her sole focus now was to understand the Third Elder, Meng, better and find an opportunity to strike a fatal blow.
The Third Elder's power was too immense. With her current strength, she had no hope of confronting him head-on. She could only seize the moment when he let down his guard to take his life.
"Take it. Consider it a gift from me, an elder sister, to my younger sister." Unsure of what she was thinking, she chuckled and then gave her maid a meaningful look.
The maid placed the storage bag on the stone table in the courtyard before returning to her position behind the woman.
"Since my sister wishes to cultivate, I shall not disturb you any further," she said, and then, with her maid, she departed.
"System, why do you think she came here?" Lin Yan said, feeling utterly exasperated.
"Host, if you don't know, how could I possibly know?" The system truly could not fathom what that woman was thinking.
However, this woman's visit presented Lin Yan with an opportunity. The Third Elder, Meng, rarely left the family; he was the bedrock of the entire clan and would certainly remain within its confines.
But while the Third Elder, Meng, was within the Meng family, he was extremely safe, making it difficult to injure or even kill him. Only by luring him away from his domain could Lin Yan have a chance to kill him.
Not long after that lady departed, the Third Elder, Meng, sent someone to deliver many things to Lin Yan.
This time, Lin Yan did not accept. Not only did she refuse, but she also placed the storage bag given to her by that lady onto the tray of delivered items, asking them to return it to the Third Elder.
The disciple looked conflicted, but Lin Yan directly shut the door on him.
When the disciple returned to Elder Meng's courtyard with the two storage bags, Elder Meng became furious. After a visit to the back courtyard, he never approached Lin Yan again.
Lin Yan bid farewell to the Meng family the next morning. However, the Meng family, knowing she was the Third Elder's new favorite, dared not agree to her request to leave.
But Lin Yan insisted on leaving, so they had no choice but to seek the Third Elder's opinion.
After some time, the person who went to inquire returned with the news that the Third Elder had agreed to Lin Yan's departure.
Upon receiving this reply, Lin Yan left immediately. She did not linger in Fenyang City, heading directly outside its walls.
Lin Yan walked swiftly, appearing to have no attachment to the city at all. Yet, Lin Yan knew in her heart that she was waiting, waiting for that person to come and find her.
As Lin Yan had predicted, after leaving Fenyang City for a hundred li, the Third Elder, Meng, caught up with her.
"Miss Lin, I apologize. My concubine's words seem to have angered you." Elder Meng's attitude was genuinely apologetic.
"Senior Meng understands my intentions. I merely seek your guidance; I have no interest in your inner court," Lin Yan said, her face showing feigned anger at being misunderstood.
"I know, but Miss Lin, words are not absolute."
From "Little Friend Lin" to "Miss Lin," Lin Yan knew precisely what this change in address signified.
He looked at Lin Yan with his deep eyes. "I am very appreciative of Miss Lin, and I have the thought of becoming the protector of Miss Lin's future path. May I ask if Miss Lin could give me this opportunity?"
What future path protector? Wasn't he just trying to lure her into becoming his concubine by offering guidance on cultivation?
"Thank you for your kindness, Senior. I only wish to cultivate diligently and, in the future, ascend to the upper realm," Lin Yan refused.
"But with someone's help, wouldn't your cultivation path be smoother?" He took a step forward, attempting to take Lin Yan's hand.
"I am already a cultivator at the Integration stage. I am only a few years older than you and have more experience. If you were with me, your path would be much easier."
"This... I still wish to rely on my own cultivation." Lin Yan's momentary hesitation did not escape the Third Elder, Meng's eyes.
He knew the woman before him was wavering. "Wealth, a partner, resources, and a suitable environment; cultivation cannot lack any of these. Yet, Miss Lin seems to have none. How can you reach the highest level like this?"
"This, this is none of your concern!" Lin Yan tried to pull away, but her arm was grasped by the Third Elder, Meng, and she could not break free.
"I have more experience than Miss Lin and can make Miss Lin's cultivation path smoother. Why is Miss Lin unwilling to admit this?" He leaned closer to Lin Yan's face, and as he did, he became captivated by the skin exposed on her.
What a beautiful person! Such a person would soon be his.
Lin Yan suppressed the disgust in her heart. Her struggles grew weaker. Just as the Third Elder, Meng, thought Lin Yan had come to her senses, a sword was drawn by Lin Yan and thrust into the Third Elder, Meng's dantian.
Lin Yan then used the sword to wreak havoc within his dantian. Finally, her hand plunged into the Third Elder, Meng's dantian. "You!"
The Third Elder, Meng, had not expected her to attack him. He immediately retrieved his life-bound artifact, but before he could strike Lin Yan, she quickly grabbed his nascent soul and retreated.
With his nascent soul held in Lin Yan's hand and a gaping hole in his dantian, the Third Elder, Meng, had never sustained such a severe injury. He had chased a goose all his life, only to be pecked by one today.
The Third Elder, Meng, clutched his wound and glared at Lin Yan resentfully.
"Who exactly are you? And who sent you to kill me?"
"No one sent me. My purpose here is to take your life!" Lin Yan applied force, and her aura as a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator leaked out. The fragile nascent soul was like a candle in the wind, seemingly on the verge of complete dissipation at any moment.
"What do you want? I can give you all my hidden treasures. The collection of a cultivator at the Integration stage is definitely more than your commission," he still believed she was an opponent, or perhaps hired by the Mo family's rivals.
"My commission? I don't need any commission. All I want is your life." The nascent soul was crushed in Lin Yan's hand.
The Third Elder, Meng, had not anticipated Lin Yan's speed at all. He spat out a mouthful of blood and then charged forward, preparing to fight Lin Yan to the death.
Lin Yan quickly dodged and cast a sword art. Her flying sword blocked the Third Elder, Meng's path. He hurriedly used his own weapon to parry.
Although this Third Elder, Meng, was a cultivator at the Integration stage, his skills seemed to have become lax from years of pampered living.
Lin Yan had not expected it to go so smoothly. She revealed her full strength and engaged the Third Elder, Meng, in a fierce battle.
With his nascent soul destroyed, the Third Elder, Meng, was now heavily injured and no match for Lin Yan. He couldn't understand how he had fallen into such a predicament.
Lin Yan pierced his lung with another sword strike, just three centimeters away from his heart. So close, yet Lin Yan then redirected her flying sword to attack the Third Elder, Meng, again.
Strike after strike, the Third Elder, Meng's injuries worsened. Deprived of the spiritual energy from his nascent soul, his strength quickly waned, and he fell into a disadvantage.
With another sword, Lin Yan pinned the Third Elder, Meng, to the ground. Lin Yan did not retrieve her flying sword; instead, she removed her disguise.
She slowly walked to his side, leaned in, and brought her face close to the Third Elder, Meng, so he could see clearly.
"You, you... you are?!" The Third Elder, Meng, did not know when he had offended such a person; this face was completely unfamiliar to him.
If Lin Yan had had this face from the beginning, he would never have harbored any feelings for her. While this face was beautiful, it was not his preferred type at all.
"Elder Meng, you may not recognize me, but you should know my surname." Lin Yan pulled out her sword and thrust it into his chest again.
"My surname is Tantai. The last person from the Tantai family!"
"Ah!" The sword pierced his chest once more.
"No! Spare me, spare me!" The Third Elder, Meng, began to rack his brain, thinking about this surname, but he truly could not recall anything about it.
"Can't remember? So the people of my Tantai family were so insignificant that you, a proud son of heaven, never paid them any attention!" Lin Yan stabbed him in the heart again.
"My aunt was forced to commit suicide by Elder Meng. How could I possibly spare you!"
Slowly, the Third Elder, Meng's struggles grew weaker. Lin Yan thrust another sword into his vital spot.
Watching his breathing completely cease, Lin Yan could finally relax a little. He was a powerful figure at the Integration stage, so he must have had some life-saving means.
As long as he had not completely stopped breathing, Lin Yan could not be entirely at ease.
But just as Lin Yan let out a sigh of relief, a sudden change occurred. The body, which had completely ceased breathing, suddenly opened its eyes and grabbed Lin Yan's arm.
Lin Yan was startled and tried to break free, but it was too late. How could a cultivator at the Integration stage be killed so easily?
"Die with me!" A crazed smile spread across the face of the Third Elder, Meng.
Lin Yan quickly drew her flying sword and slashed at his arm, but it was already too late.
He was going to self-destruct. By the time Lin Yan realized this, it was impossible to stop his self-destruction.
All Lin Yan could do was deploy all her defensive measures to shield herself and then, holding his severed hand, flee backward.
"Boom!"
Lin Yan faced the impact of the explosion directly and was thrown a great distance.
All her protective measures were destroyed, and her magical robes were in tatters. Lin Yan struggled to stay conscious. This was Mo family territory. The Third Elder, Meng's soul lamp would soon be extinguished, and the Mo family would quickly come to investigate. She had to leave immediately.
Lin Yan changed her appearance again. This time, she did not use the face she had appeared with at the Mo family; instead, she adopted a face she had seen in another world.
At this moment, she saw the severed hand of the Third Elder, Meng, still clenched on her arm. There was a storage ring on the hand.
Lin Yan forcefully pried the severed hand from her arm, then removed the ring, and set the severed hand ablaze.
She took out her flying sword, leaped onto it, and arbitrarily chose a direction to leave.
The carriage creaked. A carriage pulled by a Level 5 spirit beast traveled slowly across the wilderness.
Around the carriage were many guards, dressed in uniform armor, escorting the carriage in the center.
"Stop!" The lead guard raised his left hand, and the procession halted.
"What is it?" A pleasant female voice emanated from the carriage.
"A wounded cultivator has been found ahead." Two guards had already gone to surround the person who had collapsed on the ground.
"If she's still alive, lend a hand." A clear male voice came from the carriage.
"Yes, Young Master!"
A pill was fed into the mouth of the unconscious cultivator on the ground, and then she was helped up and placed on the mount of a guard.
The procession continued. The young master in the carriage did not give much thought to this minor incident on their journey.
An elder guarding the soul lamps was watching the clan's disciples clean the ancestral tables when his pupils suddenly dilated. The soul lamp at the very top had suddenly become extremely dim.
Th-that was the soul lamp of the clan's most formidable elder. He dared not breathe loudly and quickly ordered the disciples to stop. "Quick, quick, fetch the clan leaders!"
The disciples, unaware of what had happened, followed the elder's gaze and also saw the dim, almost extinguished soul lamp. Realizing what had occurred, they immediately ran out.
By the time the Mo clan leader arrived, the soul lamp belonging to the Third Elder, Mo, had completely extinguished.
"Is the Third Elder currently not in the clan?" The clan leader looked as if he had been struck by lightning upon seeing the extinguished lamp.