"Hahaha, trying to pin a crime on me? Chen Anlin, you're just jealous of me, so you're attempting to frame me, aren't you?"

Xiao Chen laughed heartily, feigning confidence, though inwardly he was panicking.

In his heart, he was shouting, Master, what is going on? How does Chen Anlin know about you? Why?

"Xiao Chen, don't panic. Even I don't know..."

"What? You don't know either? Master, aren't you supposed to be all-powerful? How can you not know? Are you hiding something from me?"

Xiao Chen frowned slightly, doubting his master's boasts of greatness. Why did she seem so useless now?

"Xiao Chen, just don’t admit it," the celestial maiden from beyond the realms advised.

"Of course, I won’t admit it," Xiao Chen muttered, silently cursing her for stating the obvious.

Chen Anlin spoke meaningfully, "You claim I'm framing you. Fine, throw me the ring on your finger so I can inspect it. If it truly contains nothing, I won't touch a hair on your head."

Xiao Chen’s eyes flickered. Damn it, there was no way he could hand over the ring—it would surely reveal something.

"What? Afraid?" Chen Anlin sneered coldly.

"Afraid of what? This ring is a treasure; why should I let you inspect it? I see now—you just want to steal it from me!" Xiao Chen gritted his teeth and accused.

"Xiao Chen, didn’t you tell me this was just a cheap trinket you bought at a street stall? It's worthless—just let him check it!"

At this moment, Zhao Yao, covering her swollen face, couldn’t help but chime in. She was terrified now and didn’t want to fight pointlessly anymore.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

"You think I should just let him inspect it? And what does that make me?"

Xiao Chen glared at Zhao Yao, frustrated at her lack of understanding at such a critical moment.

Zhao Yao whispered, "Xiao Chen, the situation is against us. That ring... it’s just from a street stall..."

"You don’t understand." Xiao Chen shook his head.

Seeing his reaction, Zhao Yao realized something and couldn’t help but ask, "Could there really be something in the ring...?"

"No, stop imagining things." For some reason, Xiao Chen didn’t want Zhao Yao, who had feelings for him, to know his secret.

"It seems you’re unwilling to hand it over. Everyone can see—he's hiding something!"

As Chen Anlin spoke, Yang Dou made her move.

Boom!

Suddenly, a surge of black mist erupted from Xiao Chen's ring.

The celestial maiden finally intervened. The black mist transformed into a massive hand and struck at Yang Dou.

Boom! Boom!

The shockwaves from the clash exploded outward, shattering nearby stones and collapsing walls.

Seeing that his master temporarily held Yang Dou at bay, Xiao Chen was overjoyed. He glared angrily at Chen Anlin and drew his blade.

"Chen Anlin, today is the day you die!"

"Attack!" Chen Anlin had already retreated several steps, using his subordinates as a shield.

"Kill!"

As a group of ragtag fighters charged, Xiao Chen sneered disdainfully, "A bunch of trash!"

But suddenly, two figures on either side made their move.

This time, Chen Anlin hadn’t come with only Yang Dou. He had also brought members of the Eastern Bureau and arranged for his parents to guard the perimeter.

Now that the situation had escalated, Chen Anlin’s parents finally joined the fray.

Before Xiao Chen could react, the treasured blade in his hand was knocked away.

"My blade..."

Xiao Chen’s eyes widened in despair as he watched his precious weapon fly out of his grasp. It was then picked up by one of Chen Anlin's subordinates and respectfully handed to Chen Anlin.

"A profound-grade treasure blade. Not bad—this belongs to the Chen family now."

In this world, treasures were ranked from Heaven, Earth, Profound, to Yellow.

Even for the Chen family, a profound-grade treasure was exceptionally valuable.

"Hahaha, son, this guy really was harboring evil spirits!"

Chen Anlin’s father, Chen Fu, laughed heartily. He was in a fantastic mood.

For a long time, his son had been overly honest, even obsessing over Zhao Yao to the point of refusing to marry anyone else. Now that his son had finally come to his senses, how could Chen Fu not be overjoyed?

"Father, mother, this guy is crafty and uses hidden weapons. Be cautious," Chen Anlin warned.

Nearby, a beautiful woman dressed in a sleek green robe nodded slightly. This was Chen Anlin's mother, Li Aijuan. She was known for her ruthless tactics, stealth, and use of poison—virtually impossible to guard against.

Xiao Chen recognized their identities instantly: Chen Fu and Li Aijuan, infamous corrupt officials of the capital—ruthless and wealthy!

These two were notorious in the martial world, known as the "Black Wind Duo."

Xiao Chen’s legs suddenly weakened, and he muttered in despair, "Why... why have my legs gone numb?"

"Jie jie jie..." Li Aijuan chuckled darkly. "Soon, it won’t just be your legs. Your entire body will weaken, and then you’ll bleed from your seven orifices... jie jie jie..."

---

The story highlights Xiao Chen’s escalating struggles as he faces the overwhelming might of the Chen family, who perfectly embody the traits of a villainous dynasty.