Chapter 22 Eight Times a Day

The letter of severance passed through the hands of the Xu family, accumulating five additional names before finally landing with Xu Lin. She picked up one copy and tossed it to Xu Father, slipping the remaining two into her pocket—though in truth, she deposited them into her space.

Then Xu Lin spoke calmly, “You swapped my life without consent and abused me for sixteen years. Now I’m asking for five thousand as compensation. Is that unreasonable?”

“Five!” Xu Nuan shrieked, but was silenced by Xu Lin’s sharp glare.

While Xu Nuan backed down, Xu Grandmother and Xu Mother were undeterred, their voices shrill: “Five thousand? Why don’t you just rob us?”

Xu Lin lifted her chin with disdain. “I’m asking for what I deserve. Why would I need to rob anyone? You’d best prepare the money soon. From now on, for every day you delay, I’ll beat you eight times. Consider carefully how many days you can endure.”

With that, Xu Lin picked up her bowl and began to eat. After running about half the day, she was famished; the food wasn’t particularly appetizing, but it was preferable to hunger.

Her brazen behavior turned the faces of the five Xu family members green, especially Xu Father. He knew perfectly well that their valuables had been stolen, and only some petty cash remained. Where was he supposed to find five thousand? This wretched girl was trying to force him into a corner!

Humph, she thinks too highly of herself. Just wait, he’d make her pay. Xu Father seethed inwardly, his anger slowly dissipating. While he was feeling better, Xu Grandmother was not. Furious enough to slam the table, she was reminded by the pain in her arm that eight beatings a day was no joke. This girl was truly unafraid now; since learning she wasn’t really their child, her blows had grown merciless.

Watching her mother-in-law raise her hand only to let it fall gently, Xu Mother felt disappointed; she’d expected the usual tirade. Yet she too was unwilling to hand over five thousand, muttering quietly to herself.

Despite all five family members being present, not one dared challenge Xu Lin, which only cemented her contempt for them. A den of cowards—bullying the weak and fearing the strong.

After finishing her meal, Xu Lin stretched, smiling as she addressed the family. “This is the second round today—are you ready?”

Xu Nuan shrieked in shock, trying to dodge; she had no desire to be ready, not with the pain looming. But her scream was cut short by Xu Lin’s fist.

Seeing Xu Lin attack, Xu Kun jumped up and tried to flee, but barely took a step before Xu Lin was beside him. One punch silenced his cries, and a swift kick sent him sprawling next to Xu Nuan—brother and sister united.

Xu Lin then charged at Xu Father, who, seeing her approach like a tiger descending the mountain, hastily prepared to defend himself. Yet before he could even get into stance, her fist struck his throat, and her foot slammed into his abdomen, sending him flying into the wall. The pain nearly made him lose consciousness.

She didn’t strike again, instead turning to Xu Mother, whose scream was interrupted by a punch. Finally, she faced Xu Grandmother. Meeting Xu Lin’s gaze, the old woman was terrified, her mouth opening and closing without a sound. Her ugliness offended Xu Lin, who pinned her down and rubbed her face into the floor.

Soon, the main room echoed with the sound of fists connecting with flesh. The table was overturned, leftovers scattered everywhere, and none of the five Xu family members managed a single bite—they were fed fists instead.

Having thoroughly punished the scum, Xu Lin felt invigorated, strolling leisurely back to her room.

First, she checked her space. Tian Tian had already stored the grain and planted a second crop. The two hens bought from the old man were well-fed; perhaps the space was so nurturing that both had laid an egg already. Xu Lin happily collected them and stowed them in the kitchen’s little warehouse.

She wandered through the medicinal herb area, nodding with satisfaction at the thriving ginseng, lingzhi, and polygonum. Excellent—Tian Tian was truly remarkable.

Finally, Xu Lin entered the pharmacy, anticipating a fierce counterattack from Xu Father and the possible need for healing medicine. She began instructing the spirit lord on how to prepare stop-bleeding powders and other common remedies.

With everything arranged, Xu Lin exited her space, sat cross-legged on her bed, and began cultivating her powers.

Xu Father lay dazed in the main room for nearly an hour before finally recovering. He rose with a dark expression and headed outside. He’d realized by now: the troublesome girl was determined to beat them all, and to avoid further sufferings, he’d best pay the five thousand now. After all, once he had control of her, the money would come back to him in the end.

As soon as Xu Father left the yard, Xu Lin followed at a steady distance. She understood the wisdom of a cunning rabbit with many burrows, and knew Xu Father surely had more than one hiding place for his treasures. She was curious where he would go this time.

Keeping a careful distance, the two left the machinery factory compound and headed towards the outskirts of town. Several times, Xu Father nearly spotted Xu Lin, forcing her to use an invisibility charm.

After wandering for much of the afternoon and traversing a deserted road, Xu Father finally relaxed. With dusk approaching, he quickened his pace and arrived at a remote, dilapidated yard on the city’s edge. The place was so forlorn that even stray dogs avoided it.

Xu Father entered through the back door, circled the yard, and, seeing nothing amiss, moved to the base of the wall. He dug through a pile of garbage, found an entrance, and slipped inside.

Xu Lin didn’t follow directly; instead, she opened a space portal and observed from outside.

She soon saw Xu Father shining his flashlight around, giving Xu Lin a clear view of the secret room. It wasn’t large—barely ten square meters—and was packed with boxes of all sizes. Some were dusty, clearly left for ages; others were cleaner, recently added.

After checking that none of the boxes were missing, Xu Father relaxed, standing before a small suitcase. He opened it, revealing stacks of neatly arranged bills. Xu Lin estimated there were at least fifty or sixty thousand. He grabbed a thick wad—about ten thousand—and stuffed it in his bag, then locked the suitcase and replaced it.

Casting a greedy glance around, Xu Father turned to leave, but paused, a look of hesitation crossing his face. The uncertainty didn’t last; he turned to a box in the left-hand corner, opened it gently, and revealed rows of hand grenades. His face lit up with a smile as he stroked the weapons, his gaze growing resolute.