Elder Du chuckled teasingly, "Little girl, stole someone's Soul Nourishing Wood tree, and now they've come knocking on your door?"
Zi Linling narrowed her eyes and sneered, "Since that's the case, just take it back and be done with it!"
She had Elder Du return to the Nine Spirits Ring before opening the door and dispelling the barrier.
When she saw the clamoring crowd outside, she couldn't help but smile.
The visitor was none other than Zi Donglai's cousin, Zi Dong'an, the gloomy young man who had caused trouble for Zi Linling last time.
Upon seeing Zi Linling emerge, a sharp glint flashed in Zi Dong'an's eyes.
He had naturally placed the blame for being sent sprawling on the ground by Ye Lingyuan last time squarely on Zi Linling.
"Brat, you've finally come out!"
Zi Linling lightly leaped and casually landed on an empty seat, saying unhurriedly, "I was wondering whose dog was barking outside. So it's Zi Donglai's cousin!"
Zi Dong'an's face contorted, and his anger flared like wildfire. He snarled, "Brat, you dare to insult me?"
Zi Linling examined her fingernails, dismissively saying, "Insult you? You're giving yourself too much credit! You've already eaten shit, do you still need me to say it?"
"You!"
Zi Dong'an's eyes were practically spitting fire.
How could he not understand that Zi Linling was referring to how Ye Lingyuan had sent him crashing to the ground like a dog eating shit?
And yet, it was the truth, his most humiliating memory.
The finger he pointed at Zi Linling was trembling, clearly showing how enraged he was.
Zi Linling's gaze turned icy, and a flash of light instantly shot towards Zi Dong'an.
"Ah..."
Zi Dong'an cried out like a ghost.
The finger he had used to point at Zi Linling was severed at the root. Blood gushed out, spraying nearly a meter before the severed digit fell to the ground.
Zi Linling's chilling voice echoed.
"Hmph! I detest people pointing fingers at me the most! Didn't your mother teach you that pointing at others is impolite?"
Zi Dong'an gritted his teeth and said, "You bitch, I'll fight you to the death!"
As he spoke, he lunged towards Zi Linling.
The moment he lunged, his body was enveloped in spiritual energy.
Zi Linling sneered, "Fight me? You mere dog dare to? "
She lightly lifted her jade-like foot and, with a kick that landed before his attack, struck Zi Dong'an squarely in the stomach, turning him into a shrimp-shaped figure bent over.
"Owooo~"
Zi Dong'an let out a painful wail, his body involuntarily flying backward, crashing into a nearby pillar. He was then bounced off the pillar and landed on the ground, making intimate contact with the earth.
Whether Zi Linling had intended it or not, the moment Zi Dong'an landed, he assumed a perfect dog-eating-shit pose.
"Pfft!"
Zi Dong'an spat out a mouthful of blood.
He had never imagined that he would experience such a humiliating posture for a second time.
On the other hand, Zi Linling remained leisurely seated, her posture unchanged.
She narrowed her eyes and smiled, "As expected of a dog. Its shit-eating pose is always the same!"
"You bitch! I'll kill you!"
Zi Dong'an scrambled to his feet, roaring hysterically, and lunged at Zi Linling again.
Zi Linling frowned, picked at her ear, and said with a cold face, "What a mad dog. I don't want to deal with you, but the more I do, the more arrogant you become! But there's a saying... Ah, right, arrogant dogs get hit by bricks!"
"Bang!"
Zi Dong'an was sent flying again.
Remarkably, the landing spot and force of this kick were exactly the same as the previous one.
Because of this, Zi Dong'an's trajectory in the air was also identical to before.
"Pfft!"
Zi Dong'an spat out another mouthful of blood.
At this moment, his mouth was stained with his own blood, making him look even more like a dog eating shit.
Only then did Zi Linling stand up, slowly walking to Zi Dong'an's front. She placed her jade foot on his head and said condescendingly, "Mad dog of the Zi family, who are you calling a bitch?"
Zi Dong'an tried to get up, but with his head pinned, he couldn't exert any strength.
He could only grimace and say, "Bitch, get your stinky foot off me!"
Zi Linling sneered, "No wonder people say that mad dogs can't be beaten to death and scoundrels can't be beaten enough! Since that's the case, I'll just have to put in a bit more effort!"
After she spoke, she removed her foot.
"You're lucky..."
Before Zi Dong'an could utter the word "lucky," his jaw struck him with intense pain.
Then, his body was forcibly flipped over.
Immediately after, his waist, abdomen, and buttocks all began to ache.
Zi Linling didn't perform any other moves, only lifting her foot to kick.
As a physician and an alchemist, she knew every weak point of the human body and how to maximize the opponent's pain.
"Ahhh~ Owooo~"
Zi Dong'an rolled on the ground, trying to evade the kicks.
But no matter how he dodged, Zi Linling's jade foot landed with unerring accuracy.
The onlookers, terrified by Zi Linling's violent display, were filled with dread.
Zi Dong'an's pained cries, coupled with the "bang bang bang" sounds, sent waves of pain through them as well.
Zi Linling kicked him at least a hundred times, until Zi Dong'an could no longer cry out. Only then did she stop and return to her previous seat.
"Finally, peace and quiet! No wonder people say beating dogs is like this. The feeling of beating a dog is indeed this wonderful!"
Zi Dong'an wanted to lash out, but he was powerless. He could only curl up on the ground, glaring hatefully.
"Hmm! The dog's eyes are quite round. Should I pluck them out as decoration?"
Zi Linling shook her head, looking disgusted, "Pah! Things from a dog are too disgusting. Just looking at them makes me want to vomit. Forget it, forget it!"
Zi Dong'an's eyes rolled back in anger, but the pain rendered him unable to utter a single word.
Zi Linling's cold expression intensified, "Mad dog of the Zi family, go back and tell those old dogs of the Zi family that if they want what I have, they should come at me. Of course, be prepared to die before you come!"
"Although I, Zi Linling, am just a woman, I am not someone anyone can bully. If I wish, it would be easy for me to tear down your Zi family!"
After she finished speaking, she flicked her slender hand, and a vine wrapped around Zi Dong'an.
Zi Dong'an was then thrown out of the Yue Lai Inn like a dead dog.
However, he did not fall to the ground but was caught by someone.
"Dong'an, how are you?"
Hearing the familiar voice, Zi Donglai's shock subsided slightly.
"Father, avenge... me..."
Enduring the intense pain, he said venomously to the newcomer before passing out.
His fainting was due to the pain draining all his strength, and also due to overwhelming shame.
"Dong'an! Dong'an!"
The newcomer looked at his son in his arms with heartache and rage.
He handed Zi Dong'an to a retainer and gritted his teeth, "Zi... Lin... Ling!"