If it weren't for his desire to know what supreme treasure this old thing had been lurking in the Su Family for so many years to obtain, Lin Xiao would never have let him live this long. He would have snapped his neck long ago.

"I... I-I don't know," Deng Bingzhong stammered. "Our... our Hall Master... he told me to find a map. I don't know anything else."

A plea for mercy appeared in his eyes.

A map? The Map of Mountains and Rivers?

This thought flashed through Lin Xiao's mind.

"Do you know what this supreme treasure is for?"

Deng Bingzhong spoke with even greater difficulty. "If you... if you spare my life, I... I will tell you!"

A terrifying light burst from Lin Xiao's eyes as he asked coldly, "Are you trying to negotiate with me?"

"That's right! If you want to know, then let me go. Otherwise, you can forget about finding out!" Deng Bingzhong said, his voice strained.

Deng Bingzhong knew Lin Xiao was furious. He also knew that saying this was suicide, but he couldn't afford to care about that anymore. No one wanted to die, and Deng Bingzhong was no exception. He was pinning all his hopes of survival on the use of that supreme treasure. He was gambling that Lin Xiao's curiosity would compel him to spare his life.

Unfortunately for Deng Bingzhong, he had made a fatal miscalculation.

Lin Xiao did indeed want to know what this piece of trash had been searching for while hiding in the Su Family for so long. However, he didn't necessarily have to get the answer from him. After all, if the treasure was truly with the Su Family, they would certainly know more about it than Deng Bingzhong did.

So, the moment the words left Deng Bingzhong's mouth, Lin Xiao crushed his throat.

Deng Bingzhong, one of the four Protectors of the Ghost Medicine Sect's Tenth Hall, was dead.

After disposing of the corpse, Lin Xiao was about to get into his car when he heard the sound of another vehicle roaring toward him. The car screeched to a halt, and Su Qingning's mother jumped out frantically, clutching something that looked like a scroll. She sprinted toward the lake, her expression panicked.

When she saw Lin Xiao, she stopped short, her face instantly turning ice-cold.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded.

Lin Xiao smiled. "I'm here for my wife, of course."

"Where is Qing Ning?"

"She's in the car. Mom, what are you doing here?"

Su Qingning's mother shot him a venomous glare. "I'm here to save my daughter, obviously!"

Huh? What's going on? Did Su Qingning call her mother?

Just as Lin Xiao was about to ask, she interrogated him sharply, "Where is Deng Bingzhong?"

"Oh, I took care of him."

"You—"

Perhaps feeling it was inappropriate for an elder to speak so crudely, Su Qingning's mother bit back the rest of her words. However, even though she didn't say it, she gave Lin Xiao a look of pure loathing.

Lin Xiao naturally understood what she had meant to say. He was about to speak, but she burst out in a rage, "I was vehemently against it when Qing Ning married you! I knew nothing good would come of it! Other women have husbands who can protect them, but you? You're useless! Not only can you not protect Qing Ning, you do nothing but cause her grief! Lin Xiao, if you have any decency as a man, you'll divorce her immediately! I'm begging you!"

"That's not true, Mom! How can you say I haven't protected her? If it weren't for me—"

"Shut up! You and your excuses! If you had any real power, would Qing Ning be the laughingstock of all of Jinling City? Would she have been in such danger today?" his mother-in-law shrieked, cutting him off.

Lin Xiao was annoyed. He was truly annoyed. He understood she was worried sick about Su Qingning, which was why she was lashing out without thinking. But none of this was his fault. In fact, if he hadn't arrived in the nick of time, who knows what horrible fate would have befallen the mother and daughter today. It was one thing for her to be ungrateful, but to pin all the blame on him was another matter entirely.

How could he possibly tolerate that? If she weren't Su Qingning's mother, Lin Xiao would have slapped her across the face long ago.

"Mom, you're indiscriminately blaming me for everything. Let me ask you, was I the one who told Deng Bingzhong to infiltrate your family? He was hiding among you for over a decade, and not only did you fail to see through his scheme, but you allowed Qing Ning to be put in grave danger. If I hadn't arrived when I did today, who knows what humiliation you both would have suffered. I don't care if you're not grateful, but you can't push all the blame onto me!"

He thought his words might make her reconsider her attitude, but they only made her more furious.

"You be quiet! So you didn't send Deng Bingzhong to our home, fine! But if you had any real strength, would he have dared to kidnap Qing Ning so brazenly? When you get down to it, it's still all your fault!"

Lin Xiao was so angry he laughed. He truly was. He never imagined his mother-in-law could be this unreasonable.

"What are you laughing at? I'm telling you, tomorrow you are divorcing Qing Ning!" she raged.

Just as Lin Xiao was about to retort, Su Qingning, who had been awake for a short while, pushed herself into a sitting position. She opened the car door and stumbled out.

The moment her mother saw her, she rushed forward without a second thought and pulled her into a tight embrace, bursting into loud sobs. Su Qingning's eyes instantly turned red, and the two of them wept together for a while.

Finally, her mother released her and began to examine her from head to toe. "Qing Ning, my poor child, I'm so sorry. I've let you suffer so much. Tell me, did that animal Deng Bingzhong hurt you?"

"Mom, I'm fine. Lin Xiao got here just in time. If he hadn't, I don't know what would have happened," Su Qingning explained.

Her mother's anger flared again. "Qing Ning, don't make excuses for him! Even if he didn't cause this, he's still inextricably involved. For all we know, he and that animal Deng Bingzhong were working together!"

"Mom, what are you saying? How could Lin Xiao possibly be in league with him? He almost died trying to save me!"

Her mother froze. These words clearly extinguished most of her anger. She let out a cold snort. "Isn't that his duty as your husband? Qing Ning, listen to me. Divorce him tomorrow!"

Su Qingning's expression hardened. She stated coldly, "Mom, I will not divorce him."

"Qing Ning, he's just a beggar! What could you possibly see in him?" her mother's anger surged once more.

"I don't see anything. I'm just not divorcing him!"

Her mother's rage was successfully stoked to new heights. "Su Qingning, are you trying to kill me with anger?" she cried. "Your father died young! Don't you know how our family has been bullied all these years? I thought you would marry a wonderful husband and change our circumstances, but instead, you insist on staying with this... this beggar!"

Su Qingning's face turned ashen.

"Mom, I will say this one last time: I am not divorcing Lin Xiao. If anyone tries to force me, don't blame me for turning my back on them. And another thing, Lin Xiao is not a beggar. He is my husband. You are my mother, and I respect you, but I ask that you please show him some respect as well!"

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