Sinner

Mulberry Town, Lin Family Clan.

Dozen members and elders of the Lins had gathered inside the ancestral hall.

Some guards stood at the side with heavy expressions, with no one daring to squeak the slightest noise.

All of them were staring at two solemn guards, or rather, they were looking at the person they had suppressed to the ground.

That person was a young man who was bound with chains and was bruised all over his body. He was bleeding excessive blood, yet the people around seemed not to care for his life and death.

As for the young man, he was deeply shocked and afraid in his heart, with a bewildered look on his face.

Lin Xueqin was terrified, wondering what was going on and where he was.

Last night, he had been playing a cultivation simulator game on his computer, took a quick nap, and then woke up in this terrible situation.

Lin Xueqin decided to observe for now as he look ahead where an endless red carpet was laid down.

There were eye-catching seats at each side of the red carpet, with old men and old women sitting on those chairs.

Based on how the people present looked at them with respect, they must be individuals with high status.

At the end of the red carpet, there were three elevated chairs, and three people sat there as if they were looking down on everyone present.

"They must be the ones in charge!"

Lin Xueqin narrowed his eyes.

Behind the three seats, a hunched elder stood.

Supported with a walking stick, he descended the stairs and stood at the end of the red carpet. With a grim look, the hunched elder said, "Today, as everyone knows, we have gathered to address an important problem. Due to the evil deeds done by the son of the deceased third elder, Lin Xueqin, our clan has been labeled as devils."

The people surrounding Lin Xueqin clamored, condemning him for what they deemed an unforgivable sin.

They accused him of secretly cultivating an evil technique and sucking the blood of his clan.

"Execute him immediately!" one of them shouted.

"Moreover, he killed his father. This meeting is nonsense, just kill him already!" another voice chimed in.

The hunched elder stepped forward and cleared his throat.

"Everyone please remain calm," he said, trying to pacify the furious crowd.

Gradually, the clamors died down, and the people awaited the verdict. Despite their anger, they trusted that the hunched elder would be fair in his judgement.

The hunched elder smiled and unfolded the paper in his hand.

"The Patriarch, the grand Elder and the second Elder have set the punishment," he announced, shifting his gaze to Lin Xueqin.

"According to the rules and regulations of our clan, we have come to a decision. Lin Xueqin, you killed your father and your blood relatives in cold blood and secretly cultivated an evil technique. Tomorrow, in the plaza, you will be executed!"

Those words hit Lin Xueqin like a lightning bolt. He was frozen, stunned, and unable to speak.

The hunched elder adjourned the meeting, and everyone began to leave, but Lin Xueqin was not given a chance to speak. He was escorted out of the meeting hall, feeling like he was going crazy. He had never killed a chicken, let alone a human. How could these people accuse him like this?

However, as he thought about it more deeply, Lin Xueqin frowned inwardly.

"It seems there is only one conclusion here," he muttered to himself and turned his head to look out at the sun hanging high in the sky. The rays of the sun passed through the corridors, illuminating the structures of the walls and the backyard. Lin Xueqin could see them clearly and felt like those layouts were crafts of an ancient civilization.

He said with seriousness, "I have transmigrated. I am now inside the body of a different Lin Xueqin."

Lin Xueqin had long noticed the abnormality of his situation but had ignored it, thinking that it was just a dream. However, when he noticed that his body had become smaller and that the pain of his wounds had not stopped aching, he slowly began to accept his new reality.

A sudden surge of headache hit Lin Xueqin. As the pain subsided, memories flowed to his head.

He browsed the information and his questions were finally answered.

"I am now the son of the dead Third Elder of the Lins," he said to himself. "Because of my sins, I'd be executed tommorow."

Lin Xueqin felt an headache over his current situation. The surface of this problem he was facing was unsurprisingly deep. The information that the people knew was merely the tip of the iceberg.

"In the memories, the culprit who killed Lin Xueqin's father is the Grand Elder. Having no proof that pointed at the Grand Elder, Lin Xueqin decided to take revenge when he found an evil technique by coincidence. However, Lin Xueqin had not even cultivated the technique, yet all blames were put on his head."

"This only means that there is a mastermind behind this drama."

If Lin Xueqin's speculation was right, it was probably the Grand Elder who was behind everything. Not only did he killed the Third Elder, but he also put the blame on Lin Xueqin's head and let him become the scapegoat.

As he delved deeper into the situation, Lin Xueqin realized that it might not be as simple as it looked. Perhaps the Grand Elder was hiding a dark secret.

Lin Xueqin was solemn. His current situation was extremely terrible. It was much worse than the trash template he had been expecting. Moreover, what was even worse was the fact that he knew he could potentially become an immortal in this world through cultivation but he was not even given a chance to live in it.

The escort led Lin Xueqin to an underground chamber, where they descended the stairs while the fire on the lamp continued to burn slowly. As they arrived at a cell featuring a ruined wall, spider webs, and rusted bars that reeked of rot, they met the guard of the cell.

"Brother Feng," said the escort, cupping his fist in respect.

The guard greeted them and then looked at Lin Xueqin, laughing as he said, "Go in. You shouldn't expect us to bring you food. After all, you will die tomorrow."

The guard unlocked the cell door, and as it creaked open, dust fell and a metallic noise was heard. Inside, there were skeletons and bones emitting a rotten smell, and the rats who were feasting on the bones suddenly glinted with excitement upon seeing a light.

"Look at the rats, happy to welcome a newcomer. But I don't feel sympathy for this guy at all," the escort laughed.

"Who would pity on him, anyways? Killing his father, trying to assault Patriarch's daughter, cultivating an evil technique...he deserves it," the guard said.

The escort shivered as he remembered the stories of this cell, wondering aloud, "Nothing would go wrong, right? What if only his bones remain tomorrow? After all, the people that had previously entered the cell had perished in a gruesome way."

Five years prior, a spy of the Xin Family infiltrated the Lin Family and assassinated one of their geniuses. When caught, he was imprisoned in the same cell where Lin Xueqin will soon be held. The rats held a banquet for the spy for seven days and seven nights, and by the end of it, only his bones remained.

Three years ago, Lin Jia, a previously known 'trash' of the Lin Family, suddenly rose to the level of a genius and became a threat to his relatives. During a training session, he even crippled one of his relatives. As punishment, the Patriarch of the family banished him from the clan. But before departing, he threatened the family and told them he would exact vengeance one day. Because of that, the Patriach confined him to the same cell instead. The Patriarch also wiped out his cultivation. Within a week, Lin Jia died after realizing the stupidity of his actions.

The guard chuckled and reassured the escort, saying, "Don't worry; he has a tough body. It's not like these rats can devour him whole on a single day, don't you think?"

Meanwhile, Lin Xueqin overheard their conversation and frowned as he looked at the countless greedy eyes of the rats.

"What are you waiting for? Stop wasting our time and go in!" the guard impatiently pushed Lin Xueqin inside the cell, and the rats immediately crowded around him, biting his legs until he fell flat on the ground in pain.

The escort and the guard laughed as they walked away.

"Is this how I will die?"

Lin Xueqin despaired.

He was unwilling to resign to his fate!

"Scram!" Lin Xueqin shouted coldly, and killing intent burst out from his body as his eyes darkened. At that moment, he really had the intention to kill. This scared the rats, and they scattered away as far as possible.

Lin Xueqin snorted and sat up to look at his wounds.

He had never thought that following his transmigration, he would be feasted on by these beasts! However, he suddenly noticed a line of words in the air.

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