Chapter 280: Chapter 247: Huang Clan Ancestral Hall

The journey home is drawing closer.

As they passed by Baihe County, Lin Miao asked Mr. Xie if he needed to return to take a look at his former home in the county seat.

Mr. Xie thought for a moment and shook his head. What’s past is past, and going back holds no meaning.

He was solitary, carrying all his possessions with him, and working at "Yuanheng" was just a means of survival. The house in Baihe County was merely a rental.

He hadn’t paid rent for a long time, so the landlord probably reclaimed the house long ago, and those miscellaneous items weren’t worth much.

"In that case, we’ll just head straight back to Qingping Town." Lin Miao was also eager to return home. Here, he considered it his first foothold in this world and the start of his journey. Although it was only two days, it left the most important mark on his life.

There were still many familiar people in the town, and this time he planned to settle all the ties accumulated over more than a decade.

Not to sever all connections, but at least to express some of his thoughts, as they were outsiders and the townspeople had been tolerant and helpful to them, which was something to be grateful for.

The carriage slowly traveled on the narrow road.

Approaching the town entrance.

Sun Youwei suddenly felt her palms sweating, a bit nervous.

Lin Miao noticed his senior sister’s change in mood and quickly held her soft hand, gently tapping the back of it twice: "Senior sister, don’t worry. No one can take away our family’s medical cottage. If anyone dares, I’ll make them pay a painful price."

"Mm." Sun Youwei nodded. Perhaps Lin Miao didn’t have such ability before, but now she believed he could definitely do it.

Qingping Town is just a border town, familiar faces coming and going. The sudden arrival of two carriages and strangers on horseback immediately aroused the townspeople’s curiosity.

However, they only observed secretly and wouldn’t gather around, for they knew curiosity sometimes came with a price.

The town wasn’t big; even a round trip on foot wouldn’t take the time of one incense stick. Even at a slow pace, the horses were faster than walking.

Thus, they traveled the distance in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

The convoy stopped in front of a memorial archway.

This was once the location of the Sun Family’s medical cottage, now transformed into a brand-new ancestral hall-style building in everyone’s view.

Back then, the Huang Family favored the Sun Family’s medical cottage, intending to build their ancestral hall on the land where the medical cottage stood.

Now, while the deed and property ownership for the medical cottage were in their hands, the land had been occupied, the medical cottage demolished, and an ancestral hall built that did not belong to them!

It seems the Huang Family truly never changes.

He had already killed several members of the Huang Family, and the blood feud was set in stone, with no chance of reconciliation.

Then let the Huang Family be completely erased from Qingping Town. This kind of malignancy, if allowed to persist, would only cause more suffering and waste resources.

"Xie, take down the Huang Family ancestral hall plaque for me!" Lin Miao ordered coldly.

"Yes, master!"

Mr. Xie leaped forward, jumping into the air and taking down the plaque on the archway labeled "Huang Family Ancestral Hall".

The Huang Family members guarding the ancestral hall, seeing this, immediately rushed out with sticks in hand.

Upon recognizing Lin Miao, their faces changed. They seemed to have some knowledge of the situation, realizing Lin Miao was not to be trifled with now.

"Quick, report to the Patriarch..."

"This land was left to my senior sister by my master. Your Huang Family occupied my land and property. Now leave at once, or according to Da Li’s law, trespassing the residence allows the owner to expel, even kill without reprisal!" Lin Miao snorted coldly.

In front of a crowd, he didn’t wish to kill, but if someone provoked him, he wouldn’t show mercy.

"Will you leave or not?"

Lin Miao asked again, and those Huang Family members were so frightened that they dropped their sticks and scattered like birds and beasts.

Lin Miao knew martial arts and was quite skilled. The Huang Family was aware of this, and these ancestral hall guards only knew some crude skills, not daring to act rashly.

...

After Huang Baigao’s death, the Huang Family chose a new Patriarch, called Huang Baiyuan, originally an elder of the Huang Family, and fate had it that the position of Patriarch fell on him.

Because now, he had the highest martial arts cultivation in the Huang Family.

After so many elite members of the Huang Family perished, Huang Baiyuan kept the deaths secret, telling the outside world that they were summoned by the main family to render meritorious service.

This was how the situation stabilized.

But a lie will eventually be exposed—even if slowly, it’s better than being exposed suddenly. At least now he held the significant power of the Huang Family’s Qingping Town branch.

Tasting the flavor of power, Huang Baiyuan felt somewhat inflated and continued establishing relations with Marquis Lingyang’s Mansion.

He had long known Lin Miao and Sun Youwei were returning from Dongshan to Qingping Town, but according to his information, they couldn’t possibly return to Qingping Town.

Clearly, someone behind the scenes wanted to target them.

Just as he thought there was nothing to worry about, he suddenly heard from his subordinates that Lin Miao had returned, had taken down the Huang Family’s ancestral hall plaque, and moved into their own ancestral hall!

He was instantly dumbfounded, and chills ran down his back.

After two loses, the Huang Family’s elite members were few in number, and their opponents had clearly returned prepared.

"Patriarch, what should we do now?"

"What do you mean, what should we do? First, don’t start trouble. Find out what he intends to do before taking action!" Huang Baiyuan ordered, suppressing his inner turmoil.

"But Patriarch, we are being bullied right under our noses..."

"Shut up. Pass down the order: no provoking Lin Miao!" Huang Baiyuan barked angrily. The Green Blade Sect couldn’t even subdue him, and just the Huang Family members could only expect a beating.

"Patriarch, Patriarch, something’s wrong, Huang Yihu has taken people to the ancestral hall!"

Upon hearing this, Huang Baiyuan’s vision darkened instantly. Huang Yihu was now the strongest among the younger generation of the Huang Family.

After the elites of the Huang Family were gone, he was now the most capable fighter among the Huang Family, and also the most hot-tempered one.

"Quickly, call them back..."

...

The Huang Family had indeed spent quite some effort building their ancestral hall, the layout and materials were quite particular. Of course, being a small border town, conditions were limited.

Being able to build it this way was already quite good.

Besides honoring the ancestors and predecessors’ tablets, the ancestral hall was also a place for a family to discuss and handle important matters.

Some ancestral halls were also built together with clan schools.

The land of the Sun Family’s medical hut was originally quite large, but building such an ancestral hall was too wasteful, thus there were meeting halls, elder rooms, and the Huang’s clan school (martial arts), as well as a small martial arts arena.

"Mr. Xie, pack up the Huang’s plaques and clear them out. This is my family’s place, Huang’s tablets shouldn’t be here!" Lin Miao glanced at the rows of tablets placed on the altar and directly ordered.

"Yes, Patron!"

Once Mr. Xie had removed all the Huang Family tablets,

Lin Miao solemnly took out his master Sun Simiao’s tablet from the box and placed it in the center of the altar.

Offer incense, bow!

"Who dares, with the audacity of a bear and the boldness of a leopard, to come rampage at my Huang Family’s ancestral hall? Mr. Hu will break your bones..."

Lin Miao’s expression did not change and continued to kneel down.

Since the Huang Family did not come, he couldn’t find an excuse, now that they’re here, it saves him the trouble.

"Lianxin, Liansuo!"

"Present." Lianxin and Liansuo responded crisply.

"Break both legs of the noisy person just now, and throw him out!" Lin Miao ordered.

"Yes."

Liansuo stepped lightly, her body floated out, and directly crashed that arrogant and rude Huang Yihu against the screen wall.

"Who are you..."

Just as Huang Yihu was about to get up, Liansuo was already in front of him, with two consecutive kicks, followed by two "crack" sounds.

The sound of a broken calf bone came, causing Huang Yihu to scream miserably in agony.

The dozen Huang Family disciples who rushed in with Huang Yihu were instantly stunned, and at that moment, they suddenly heard the sound of the door bolt dropping at the ancestral hall’s entrance.

Shut the door, beat the dog.

"Mr. Xie, good job!" Lin Miao came out of the main hall and praised.

"You have trespassed a private residence, insulted the owner, and shouted to kill, so stay here!" Lin Miao said coldly.

"Go, take back the ancestral hall, hurry up!" Although Huang Yihu’s legs were broken, he ordered the Huang Family to attack Lin Miao with full hostility.

The Huang Family had long been arrogant in Qingping Town, seeing their numerical superiority, they courageously rushed forward.

They then rushed at Lin Miao with the sticks in their hands.

"Courting death!" Lianxin drew her sword, sweeping horizontally, the sword Qi raged, cutting through the sticks in the hands of the Huang Family people like cutting tofu.

The Huang Family was scared silly seeing this situation.

Such martial arts prowess, even the Patriarch might not possess, how could this young woman have such powerful skills?

"Put down your weapons, you might still retain your lives, otherwise, don’t blame me for being merciless."

The Huang Family looked at Huang Yihu’s miserable state and dared not resist, dropping the semi-broken weapons in their hands one after another.

There were many empty rooms in the ancestral hall, Lin Miao directly instructed Mr. Xie, Lianxin, and Liansuo to lock up the Huang Family members in one of them.

Taking over the ancestral hall and detaining the Huang Family troublemakers.

What should be done next?

This was also what Lin Miao needed to think about. If the Huang Family continued to stay in Qingping Town, the townsfolk might not have peaceful days.

Yet, the Huang Family, including the elderly, women, and children, numbered several hundreds. Despite his hatred for their evil deeds and causing harm to the neighbors, he did not wish to become a person who slaughtered the innocent. Although the Huang Family enjoyed the benefits of their malicious actions, some were not guilty enough to deserve death.

"Patron, we found something, please come and have a look?" Lin Miao was contemplating how to clear the Huang Family out of Qingping Town when Mr. Xie knocked and reported.

Lin Miao temporarily set aside his thoughts and followed Mr. Xie.

It was a warehouse, once opened, it was filled with an array of weapons, even standard ones made by the imperial court. This single warehouse held over a thousand, along with crossbow arrows explicitly banned from private possession or manufacture by the imperial court!

What is the Huang Family planning?

Rebellion?

"Mr. Xie, immediately ride quickly back to Dongshan Prefecture and request Prefect Pei to dispatch troops urgently, the Huang Family’s private stash of weapons clearly indicates ill intentions!" Lin Miao hurriedly instructed Mr. Xie.

"Patron, why not report this to local official Qian Mingfu?"

"The Huang Family has long been tyrannical locally, they probably have already colluded with local officials, can you guarantee they haven’t?" Lin Miao sneered.