Chapter 281: Major Disturbance at the Jiang Family

Ling Chen smiled and replied, "That’s possible..."

"Not possible!" Suddenly, an old voice rose from the crowd, carrying a hint of chill. "Without my permission, no one can leave."

Ling Chen followed the direction of the voice and saw an elderly man with white hair, hands behind his back, walking briskly without the faltering steps typical of old age, carrying an aura of implicit authority. People around him stepped aside, bowing slightly, their faces full of respect.

Jiang Kun!

Jiang Family Patriarch.

The name immediately popped into Ling Chen’s mind. Before taking action, he had already researched the members of the Jiang family, so he was clear about the elder’s identity.

Thinking of what Jiang Kun had just said, Ling Chen’s eyes narrowed, his expression turned solemn. With this old fellow’s appearance, things might not be so easy to resolve.

At that time, Ling Chen also noticed that, apart from Jiang Kun, Jiang Ying had also arrived, standing behind Jiang Kun, watching the unfolding situation, his gaze complex.

"So, you are Ling Chen?" Jiang Kun approached the crowd, staring directly at Ling Chen, his tone flat, as if he hadn’t seen Jiang Han being held hostage by Ling Chen.

"So, you’re the old guy in charge of the Jiang Family?" Ling Chen asked knowingly, his words not very polite.

"Young man, I respect you as a Tiger List expert, and your future holds great promise, so I don’t wish to make things difficult for you. Just let my grandson go, leave Nanrong Wanqing behind, and I will let you leave immediately, never to trouble you again."

Ling Chen’s lip curled slightly as he responded, "I respect your age, so I won’t make it difficult for you either. Just let us leave safely, and not only will I let your grandson go, I’ll even let you live a few more years. How about that?"

Jiang Kun smiled faintly, his smile gradually turning cold, a sharp light flashing in his eyes as he said slowly and deliberately, "Young man, one ought to be aware of their limitations. Don’t overstep your bounds. In the Jiang family, a Tiger List expert is just a bodyguard. Your ability to defeat Qiu Wen and Qiu Wu does not mean you have the right to act arrogantly here."

"Enough, stop with the nonsense," Ling Chen impatiently said. "I am just going to ask you once, do you still want Jiang Han’s life?"

Jiang Kun shook his head. "I don’t believe you have the guts to kill him."

"Is that so? Let’s give it a try then." With those words, Ling Chen lightly slashed with the dagger in his hand, creating a cut on Jiang Han’s neck.

Feeling the pain on his neck, Jiang Han’s face instantly turned pale with terror, his body tense. He looked at Jiang Kun pleadingly and trembled, "Grand... Grandfather..."

"Hey!" Ling Chen unashamedly responded, his lips curling. "Grandson, rather than begging your grandfather to save you, you might as well beg me, your new grandfather, to let you go."

Jiang Kun narrowed his eyes slightly, staring at the wound on Jiang Han’s neck, his eyes cold, showing a hint of ruthlessness. "Ling Chen, you are audacious."

"Thanks for the compliment, I’ve always been very bold. If you don’t believe me, I can prove it to you right now."

"Hmph!" Jiang Kun coldly said. "I wanted to give you a way out, but since you insist on seeking death, you can’t blame others. Kill him!"

The moment the words fell, a sense of alarm surged in Ling Chen’s heart, and a fierce wind broke through the air. From the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of cold light shooting towards himself and Jiang Han. The attacker was incredibly fast, nearly reaching his peak speed instantly, and Ling Chen had no time to think much, hastening to step back.

But at that moment, the cold light suddenly changed trajectory, swirling in the air, and aimed straight for his face. Seeing this, Ling Chen’s expression changed slightly, surprised by the attacker’s skill, which seemed to be more than a notch above the Qiu brothers.

The opponent launched two consecutive attacks, aiming to repel him and rescue Jiang Han. Not only that, the opponent’s moves were aggressive and ruthless, taking the initiative. If he had killed Jiang Han at that moment, he would have taken the bait.

A life for a life, he couldn’t afford the gamble and had no choice but to give up.

However, just as he let go of Jiang Han, that cold star suddenly spun in the air, circling to his back at a tremendous speed, leaving him no chance to react. He only felt a fiery pain on his back as it was torn open by a large gash.

"Ling Chen!"

Seeing the vicious wound on his back, Nanrong Wanqing exclaimed in shock, her beautiful eyes unable to hide her concern as she asked, "Are you alright?"

Ling Chen shook his head, shielding her behind him, and scanned the surroundings. He said, "Come out, at least let me know which expert I am dealing with."

"Hanlin, teach him a lesson, so he may know there are some people he shouldn’t provoke."

Jiang Kun had barely finished speaking when a middle-aged man flew over the wall of the Siheyuan like a leaf rolled by the wind, lightly touching down on the ground.

An expert!

Ling Chen’s heart sank a bit; just from the opponent’s unassuming action, it was evident that this man was not only an expert but one of the topmost experts. He wondered what level of Inner Strength one must cultivate to reach such a state.

With the appearance of the middle-aged man, Jiang Han’s eyes lit up, and he joyfully called out, "Dad."

Hearing this address, Ling Chen was taken aback as this man turned out to be Jiang Han’s father, Jiang Hanlin.

At this moment, Jiang Hanlin turned his head, revealing a fairly ordinary face with thick brows and narrow eyes. Despite being over forty, his skin was well-kept, showing no signs of age, resembling a man in his thirties, his expression cold and unemotional. Even hearing Jiang Han’s shout induced no change in his demeanor. However, when his gaze shifted to Ling Chen, a sharp chill flickered in his eyes.

"Dad, this guy almost killed me just now; you must avenge me." With Jiang Hanlin’s backing, Jiang Han shed his earlier fear and became arrogant, giving Ling Chen a ’you’re doomed’ look.

Jiang Hanlin nodded slightly, sparing his words as he said coldly, "Those who bully the Jiang Family, kill!"

A single word ’kill’, filled with a murderous chill, utterly cold.

Ling Chen sized up Jiang Hanlin, his gaze suddenly drawn to something at his waist. It was a silver whip winding around his waist, six meters long, with a sharp dart attached at the end, glinting with a bone-chilling light.

The dart had caused the wound on his back just a moment ago.

"Ling Chen."

Nanrong Wanqing pulled on his hand from behind, whispering, "You go first, I’ll stay."

From Jiang Hanlin and Ling Chen’s brief interaction, she had already deduced that although Ling Chen was strong, Jiang Hanlin was stronger. If it came down to a fight, Ling Chen had no chance of winning. She was already satisfied that Ling Chen had come to rescue her despite the dangers; she didn’t want him to get hurt because of her, which would make her regret it forever.

Ling Chen turned his head, smiled, and held her hand back.

"Don’t say such foolish things. If we go, we go together; if we stay, we stay together."

Feeling the resoluteness in his gaze, Nanrong Wanqing swallowed her words, a faint smile appeared on her lips, and she gently nodded.