Chapter 98

Condemned by a thousand, reviled by ten thousand!

Lin Xun never thought that one day he would face such treatment.

He looked at the gazes around him, filled with a desire to tear him apart, at the faces brimming with righteous indignation, and at the old men on the high platform who appeared so righteous. Suddenly, he smiled.

It was a radiant smile.

On his clear and warm face, that smile was so glaring in the sunlight, as if mocking the world.

"Why are you laughing!"

Suddenly, Yu Canglin roared, his expression turning cold.

In his mind, Lin Xun was already like a prisoner, and in such a situation, he would either angrily refute the accusations or weep bitterly, kneeling to atone for his sins. He never expected that Lin Xun could still laugh, and laugh so recklessly, so glaringly, that it made Yu Canglin furious, unable to hold back his roar.

Why are you laughing!?

His voice echoed throughout the venue, making those who were angrily cursing, accusing, and mocking Lin Xun suddenly pause, their gazes all turning to him.

Indeed, this boy is laughing!

Seeing the smile on Lin Xun's face, everyone felt both surprised and absurd, and then a surge of anger. How could such a vicious and evil person still be able to laugh at this moment?

Lin Xun stood alone, surrounded by emptiness, but he seemed oblivious, his gaze sweeping around and finally landing on Yu Canglin. "I laugh at your blindness, your inability to distinguish right from wrong, black from white. You view me as a heinous criminal based on mere rumors. If this news reaches the Imperial Forbidden City, all of you present will become a laughingstock, a disgrace in the Imperial Prefecture Examination!"

His voice was clear and sharp, directly insulting everyone present!

Instantly, the entire venue erupted in anger. This boy, facing death, still refused to repent, and should be executed by a thousand cuts!

The faces of the important figures on the high platform darkened, being publicly criticized by a teenager was undoubtedly a challenge to their dignity.

Even Yao Tuohai, who had been observing coldly, couldn't help but frown slightly.

Compared to these people, Mu Wan Su was startled, both amazed by Lin Xun's audacity and speculating that this little brat was finally starting to fight back?

"Bold!" Yu Canglin's expression was stern and cold, his gaze sharp like lightning, as if ready to kill.

If it were any other ordinary teenager of thirteen or fourteen, they would have been intimidated, frightened to the core, but Lin Xun was unafraid.

Moreover, his expression remained calm, looking straight at Yu Canglin without backing down. "Bold? Well said! I ask this Dean Yu Canglin, what crime have I committed?"

What crime have I committed?

Everyone in the venue felt absurd. This boy had just admitted it, was he planning to renege and cheat? How despicable!

Before Yu Canglin could speak, Lin Xun continued, "I admit, I am the leader of the Shuangmu Gang, but who has seen me bully the innocent? Who has seen me do evil?"

"No one!"

Lin Xun stepped forward, his voice passionate and righteous. "On the contrary, after I founded the Shuangmu Gang, I restrained my subordinates and did not engage in any dirty or despicable acts. If you don't believe me, you can investigate in the civilian areas! I can swear, if any of my words are false, I will take my own life and atone to the world!"

The venue fell silent, watching Lin Xun stand alone, his words fierce, many people's faces changed, filled with shock and doubt.

This was a ruthless oath!

Of course, oaths were not binding, but Lin Xun's composure and his refusal to deny his identity as the leader of the Shuangmu Gang gave his words a convincing power.

On the high platform, Yu Canglin's face darkened, realizing that the boy's previous silence was not a sign of surrender, but a buildup of strength, preparing for this moment to counterattack!

However, before Yu Canglin could speak, Wu Chaqun, the head of the Wu Clan, couldn't help but roar, "Absurd! A gang leader dares to try to whitewash himself, how ridiculous!"

Lin Xun's gaze turned to Wu Chaqun, his expression showing no fear, but a cold smile appeared on his lips. "You are the head of the Wu Clan, right? I want to ask, who contacted the Black Tiger Gang's leader, Lu Laohu, and mobilized hundreds of people to besiege me in the dark of night?"

The venue erupted in shock, some found it hard to believe.

Lian Fei's face darkened, his previous satisfaction and ease now gone. He realized that Lin Xun was planning to drag the Wu Clan into this, and once this happened, Lian Fei would also be implicated!

Thinking of this, Lian Fei couldn't help but feel anxious. At this moment, those important figures were still arguing with this boy, why couldn't they just capture him directly and be done with it?

"Don't worry, empty words are meaningless. No matter how eloquent he is, with my father here, he won't get away today!"

Beside him, Yao Susu seemed to understand Lian Fei's thoughts and whispered, "Moreover, today is the Prefecture Examination, the entire empire is paying attention to the situation in each city. Dean Yu and the others dare not risk the empire's disapproval by completely suppressing Lin Xun, otherwise, it would bring many troubles if the news spreads."

Lian Fei said angrily, "Lin Xun this scum must know this, which is why he is so brazen at this moment!"

Although he said this, Lian Fei also knew that to completely bring Lin Xun down, they had to follow the will of the important figures on the high platform, not what he could control.

At this moment, Wu Chaqun's face darkened, roaring, "Stop spouting lies! If you dare to speak nonsense again, I will kill you on the spot!"

Lin Xun sneered, "What a great show of power! Today is the Prefecture Examination, and I am a participant. If I pass, I will be a pillar of the empire. If you dare to kill me to silence me, go ahead! I don't care if I die, but if this news reaches the empire, your Wu family won't be safe either!"

Killing to silence!

Wu Chaqun's lips twitched at these words. He finally realized the cunning of this young man, who casually accused him of such a heinous act, truly despicable.

If he really killed him now, it would confirm that everything he said was true!

Hearing "I will be a pillar of the empire," many people's faces turned strange.

These words were indeed arrogant, but the key was that before the Prefecture Examination, Yao Tuohai had said this. Even if they were unwilling, they had to admit that Lin Xun's performance in the Prefecture Examination was not bad. So, even if they felt uncomfortable, no one dared to question this point.

As the original author of these words, Yao Tuohai's lips twitched slightly, but he didn't say much.

Seeing the situation getting out of control, Yu Canglin frowned and said sternly, "Silence! Today is the Prefecture Examination, not a court of law!"

His words made everyone realize that the topic had suddenly shifted to the Wu Clan. Lin Xun was indeed too cunning, clearly doing this on purpose!

Lin Xun, however, was calm, saying loudly, "Dean Yu is right, today is the Prefecture Examination! I boldly ask, are your accusations against me related to the Prefecture Examination?"

Yu Canglin's face darkened, "How could they not be? Your character is corrupt, your intentions are evil, your methods are despicable, and you are full of stains. If we let you pass the Prefecture Examination, that would be irresponsible to the examination!"

Without waiting for Lin Xun to speak, Yu Canglin waved his sleeve, "Bring this boy in, and deal with him after the Prefecture Examination!"

At that moment, a teacher from Donglin Academy stepped forward. He was a middle-aged man with a stern expression, exuding a fierce and solemn aura, clearly a Linggang realm expert.

Clearly, Yu Canglin had no intention of giving Lin Xun a chance to defend himself!

Lian Fei and Yao Susu immediately relaxed, smiling again. Many important figures on the high platform also relaxed, their gazes cold.

At this moment, Lin Xun suddenly laughed loudly, "I have seen through it. You, Yu Canglin, have colluded with others to suppress and bully me! So be it, I will sacrifice myself today to expose your ugly faces to the entire empire!"

He appeared ready to die with dignity, refusing to bow his head.

This was a strategy of retreat to advance. If you kill me, the news of today's Prefecture Examination will spread, and you won't escape either!

Lin Xun's attitude made the others in the venue suspicious. Could there be more to this storm behind the scenes?

Yu Canglin's heart sank. Lin Xun's words were too vicious, making him feel cornered.

He regretted not immediately capturing Lin Xun when he started the accusations. He should have given him no chance to speak!

But it was too late to regret now.

Wu Chaqun and other important figures of Donglin City also looked uneasy. If news spread that they had forced a participant in the Prefecture Examination to his death, it would bring endless trouble.

Lian Fei was furious, hating Lin Xun's fearless attitude, finding him extremely despicable!

At this moment, the atmosphere in the venue became unusually quiet.

All gazes turned to Lin Xun, filled with a complex mix of surprise, hatred, doubt, schadenfreude, admiration, and more disgust.

Lin Xun, however, seemed oblivious. He had already decided to go all out. He was weak, far from being a match for the old men present. He had to admit this fact. One must first clearly recognize their own strength to face reality.

The current reality was that no one could help him, and the only one who could help him was himself!

If he didn't confront them now, Lin Xun would not be able to leave safely today. As for whether he would pass the Prefecture Examination, he no longer cared.

This was perhaps the tragedy of a small person.

Lin Xun, though unwilling, had to admit that he was still just a small person.

Compared to the important figures present, his current strength was still too weak, so he had to gamble, risking his life to do so!

Even if he died, he would take a group with him!

---

PS: I don't like writing scenes of verbal sparring, as only the weak try to conquer their enemies with words.

But this scene is necessary because the protagonist must go through such trials to deeply understand what reality is and what true strength means!

If I made the protagonist overpower everything with a single word, it would be unreasonable and the satisfaction would be boring.

Finally, please vote for the monthly ticket!