Essence Devouring Art

Before the village gate was smashed open.

Lin Village Ancestral Hall.

Ancient and opulent, filled with the thick scent of incense.

Offerings were made to the ancestors above.

Clan elders and branch heads were seated below.

Lin Zongwen, the current Clan Leader of Lin Village, sat steadily in the main seat. Though over seventy, he was full of vigor, with not a single white hair in sight. Dressed in a long white robe, he had the air of a scholarly elder.

He took a sip of fragrant tea.

Lin Zongwen’s clear eyes glanced over the seated clan elders and branch heads, then looked down at Lin Tongxin, who was kneeling and reporting tremblingly in the center of the hall. A sense of exhilaration from holding absolute power swelled in his chest.

Before these chaotic times.

Lin Village had been dirt poor. The concept of a clan was weak, relationships were indifferent, and the Clan Leader was a leader in name only. Even a random child could joke around with him.

After the chaos began.

Under the leadership of that ’lucky’ elder brother, and with the Stone God’s favor, Lin Village developed at a breakneck pace. In just over a decade, they escaped poverty, and smiles appeared on everyone’s faces.

The ancestral hall in the village was also renovated.

After Lin Zongwen became the Clan Leader.

The authority and prestige of the branch heads, clan elders, and the Clan Leader grew with each passing day.

Another decade or so passed, and Lin Village had formed a feudal, patriarchal system with the Clan Leader at its head, assisted by the clan elders, and followed by the branch heads.

Coupled with the daily rituals and rules that reinforced the concept of hierarchy within the clan, it was a constant process of indoctrination.

As of today, within Lin Village...

The honor of the clan was greater than the heavens. A clansman could disrespect the Celestial Emperor, but they could not disrespect the Clan Leader!

Disrespecting the Clan Leader was tantamount to disrespecting the clan’s honor and betraying the ancestors. For a light offense, one would be dealt with by clan rules in public. For a serious one, they would be struck from the family records and cast out of Lin Village.

Either outcome...

...was unacceptable to the indoctrinated villagers. The lighter consequence would bring a lifetime of guilt; the heavier might lead to taking one’s own life to atone.

Based on these premises.

Lin Village was able to act as one, a solid monolith, keeping their greatest secret tightly under wraps for decades.

Of course.

Perhaps a bit of shame was at play in this as well.

After all...

’When I think of that cousin who passed away many years ago...’

A flash of jealousy flickered in Lin Zongwen’s old eyes, but it vanished in an instant, replaced by an air of authority as he asked, "How many of them are here?"

"Replying to the Clan Leader, I... I’m not sure."

Lin Tongxin, kneeling with his head bowed low, said, "A huge, dense crowd. At least a thousand. And they look incredibly menacing. I think they’re serious this time."

In Lin Village.

When reporting to the elders and the Clan Leader in the ancestral hall, one must kneel with head bowed. This was the rule, a display of respect from the younger generation to their seniors and ancestors.

Lin Tongxin didn’t know when this rule had started. But everyone else did it, and his parents had taught him so since he was a child. It had become common sense.

’A thousand?’

Lin Zongwen was also taken aback. All of Lin Village’s past conflicts had been minor squabbles; he had never encountered a situation of this scale.

However.

When he thought of the Stone God.

The anxiety in Lin Zongwen’s heart quickly settled.

"Serious? Heh!"

Lin Zongwen scoffed. "For decades, Lin Village has never been afraid of trouble. Plenty have come here getting ’serious.’

How many of them have met a good end!

Let alone some minor head from the Tan County Branch—even if Qi Canghai himself came, he’d have to leave with his tail between his legs!

We’ll let them understand that the will of the people is greater than the heavens. You can’t just run rampant because you have a bit of brute force."

Ever since he took power.

He had personally experienced the various powers of the Stone God.

The Lin Zongwen of today had practically become a fanatical believer in the Stone God.

His confidence had swelled into arrogance, and he believed there was nothing in this world the Stone God couldn’t solve.

’The people from the Tan County Branch are making a big fuss.’

’That little thief from last night who tried to spy on the Stone God must have been punished.’

’Not even the Divine Envoy could stop it.’

’So where does this... Wu Dao get the confidence to come demanding an explanation?’

’Truly, the ignorant know no fear.’

’The only shame is...’

’Those two from the Jingzhe Bureau who came later last night weren’t stopped. I don’t know what technique they used, but they actually found the location of the Stone God’s Divine Hall.’

’But it doesn’t matter.’

’By now, they’ve probably been punished by the Stone God as well.’

"Alright, you may go. Inform the clansmen to heighten their guard. We cannot be careless."

In the second seat, Lin Zongwu—head of the third branch, with graying temples and a broad frame—glanced at his supremely confident second older brother in the main seat. He sighed inwardly with resignation and waved a hand to dismiss Lin Tongxin.

Before dawn today.

An inexplicable panic had seized his heart; he had a feeling something terrible was about to happen. Plus, with the Tan County Branch gathering so many people, it was clear they came with ill intent.

He had a premonition.

Today’s matter would probably not end well.

But given Lin Zongwen’s condescending and blind arrogance, speaking up would likely only earn him a rebuke for being disrespectful to the Stone God.

’The Stone God...’

Thinking of that so-called ’Divine Spirit’ that had brought such earth-shattering changes to Lin Village...

Lin Zongwu’s heart was once again filled with a complex mix of feelings.

’It was good at first.’

’Just as Lin Zongwen said, the will of the people is greater than the heavens, and the Stone God represents the will of Lin Village.’

’But the will of the people arises from their hearts.’

’And the human heart is unpredictable. Its base nature always triumphs over its good.’

’Especially what happened with our older brother later...’

Thinking of that poor child who went door to door in the dead of winter, kowtowing and begging until his head was bloodied and his knees were raw, Lin Zongwu felt another wave of unspeakable shame.

’If only I had been a little firmer back then, perhaps...’

CLANG—

BOOM!

The sound of metal striking metal, like a thunderclap from the Nine Heavens, rumbled through Lin Village and its nine mountains, shattering Lin Zongwu’s thoughts.

CRACK!

The teacup in Lin Zongwen’s hand was startled from his grasp by the thunderous noise, shattering on the floor and splashing tea everywhere.

"You whelp!!"

Lin Zongwen shot to his feet, his lofty arrogance and authority twisting into a grim, crimson-faced fury.

Such a huge commotion.

Coming from such an obvious direction, how could he not know? The face of Lin Village—the main gate—had been smashed!!

RUMBLE—

But Lin Zongwen’s rage didn’t last long.

It was drowned out by the violent, successive tremors of the earth being trampled by men and horses.

He could even hear cries of panic, chaos, and fear from within the village.

’That Wu Dao really dares!!’

"Clan Leader, it’s bad!!"

Before Lin Zongwen could react.

Lin Tongxin’s terrified voice, sounding like he was crying for his parents, came from outside the hall. He stumbled back in, scrambling and falling, practically wetting himself in fear.

"The men from the White Whale Martial Arts Hall have really forced their way in! They’re beating everyone they see! They’re a bunch of madmen!"

Lin Tongxin’s face was ashen, and his body trembled uncontrollably. He was clearly terrified.

"A bunch of animals!"

Hearing this, Lin Zongwen’s eyes nearly burst with rage. He strode forward with the gait of a dragon and the step of a tiger, unleashing an aura no weaker than Harmonizing Force. Taking the lead, he rushed out of the ancestral hall, shouting:

"Everyone, a powerful enemy has invaded! The very survival of Lin Village is at stake! Quickly, join me to repel the enemy and quell this chaos!"

The people of Lin Village weren’t just common folk who only knew how to farm. Their ancestors had produced many masters of the Martial Dao, and their Martial Virtue was abundant.

Decades ago, after the Dali chaos...

Lin Village had amassed a great fortune, accumulating vast amounts of money and resources. After becoming rich, they produced quite a few masters.

Among them, the Clan Leader Lin Zongwen himself was a Harmonizing Force master who had undergone a complete Rebirth!

The branch heads in the secondary seats and the dozen or so clan elders were basically all at the Divine Power or Peak of Internal Strength realm.

Below them, five out of every ten villagers practiced martial arts. They were skilled with their fists and feet, and they dared to fight.

’Did they really think the reputation Lin Village built was all thanks to the Stone God’s protection?’

’They’re courting death!’

With a dark expression and boiling killing intent, Lin Zongwen moved like the wind. He led the group of masters from the ancestral hall, speeding like lightning to reinforce the village, determined to make Wu Dao suffer a major defeat!

However...

「A dozen minutes later.」

SMACK!!

A resounding slap from Wu Dao sent Lin Zongwen sprawling to the ground, nearly tearing off half of the old man’s face. Wu Dao then grabbed him by the hair and brutally dragged him toward the village’s threshing field.

On the threshing field, which was larger than a soccer field.

The people of Lin Village were all bruised and battered, a few with broken arms and legs. They were all squatting on the ground, heads in their hands, their miserable cries echoing endlessly.

When they saw their usually powerful, stern, and unsmiling Clan Leader, Lin Zongwen, now covered in blood and thrown into the center of the threshing field like a dead dog by Wu Dao, they cried out, their eyes wide with fury.

"Clan Leader!"

"Damn you! You will be punished by the Stone God!"

"Shut up! And stay down!!"

"Ah, stop hitting me! I won’t do it again!"

But before they could shout more than a few words, the fierce-looking members of the White Whale Martial Arts Hall standing around them would grab them by the hair and deliver a few hard slaps to the face, instantly silencing them.

It was true that the people of Lin Village had abundant Martial Virtue.

But against the ’regular army’ of the White Whale Martial Arts Hall, they were completely outmatched. They couldn’t resist for long before they were all taken down and herded like livestock to the threshing field.

THUMP.

Wu Dao threw the blood-soaked Lin Zongwen onto the filthy ground, then sat down imposingly on a grandmaster’s chair that Zhao Jianji had brought over.

His dark, unsettling eyes swept over the terrified faces around him, and he couldn’t help but sneer.

’They have backbone, alright.’

’Too bad their bones aren’t hard enough!’

He scanned the crowd.

Finally, Wu Dao looked down at Lin Zongwen, who was continuously spitting up blood curd, cracked his neck, and held up two fingers, stating indifferently:

"I have come to Lin Village for only two things!

First, who injured my martial arts hall’s Instructor last night? I don’t care if you confess or offer up a scapegoat, but you will give me an explanation.

Second..."

At this point.

Wu Dao’s eyes narrowed. He stomped his large foot onto Lin Zongwen’s mangled right hand of shattered bone and flesh, grinding it down. Leaning forward slightly, he grinned, revealing a set of inhuman, shark-like teeth.

"What is this Stone God, and where is it?"