Chương 110: Establishing Authority

The following morning, the sun rose over the Lei Clan Compound, casting long, jagged shadows across the central square. At its heart stood a newly erected platform, thirty feet high, framed with the cold bones of Profound Iron and surfaced with polished Azure Jade. Under the dawn light, it shimmered with a frigid, merciless luster. Surrounding the stage, three thousand members of the Lei Clan stood in silence—from the silver-haired elders to the youngest children—none were absent. No one dared to be.

The memory of Reyn walking past Lei Wanjun the previous night was seared into their minds like a brand. He hadn't turned back; he hadn't paused; he hadn't even spared a second glance. That singular, chilling indifference had kept the entire clan awake in a state of suffocating terror. In the center of the platform, Lei Wanjun was bound to a stone pillar, his arms wrenched behind him. A coarse rag was stuffed into his mouth, reducing his screams to pathetic, muffled whimpers.

His hair was a matted mess, and the wound on his forehead had reopened, painting his face in a grotesque, abstract smear of crimson. Below the stage stood Lei Wanhe, his severed arm hanging in a makeshift sling. He looked like a beaten dog, his face ashen and hollow. His gaze darted frantically between his brother and Reyn, trapped like a cornered animal with nowhere to run.

Near the front, Caiyun stood with a pale face, though a strange, unreadable spark flickered in her eyes as she stared at the figure in green robes. At the very back, Lei Tianqi cowered, trying to shrink into the earth to escape notice. Reyn stood at the edge of the platform, looking down at the three thousand kinsmen. His expression was a mask of cold tranquility, his lips curled into a faint, ghost-like smile as if he were merely appreciating a painting that had nothing to do with him.

When he spoke, his voice wasn't loud, yet it pierced through the air, reaching every ear like a divine decree.

"The Cold Pond. My grandfather was pushed into the abyss, his bones lost to the depths. The murderer: Lei Wanjun." He raised a hand. At his fingertips, arcs of lightning danced and hissed like a nest of obedient vipers.

"My parents were slaughtered. The mastermind: Lei Wanjun." The lightning surged, erupting into a hundred-foot-long Thunder Dragon that coiled and roared in the sky above the platform. Lei Wanjun's eyes bulged, bloodshot and frantic, looking like grapes about to burst. He thrashed against his restraints, the ropes biting deep into his flesh until blood slicked the stone pillar and pooled on the Azure Jade floor in a jagged, red stream.

"Today," Reyn's voice rang out like ice shattering on a jade platter, "the Lei Clan establishes new laws." He dropped his hand. The Thunder Dragon dove, its jagged maw piercing Lei Wanjun's chest. It was not a quick death. It was a slow, agonizing incineration. The lightning burrowed into his chest and erupted from his back, crawling through his veins like thousands of white-hot needles. It cooked his organs, carbonized his bones, and vaporized his blood inch by inch.

Lei Wanjun's screams were choked by the gag, turning into the guttural grunts of a slaughtered beast as his body convulsed violently against the pillar. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Three breaths. Five breaths. Ten breaths. The muffled screams faded into a sickening silence. Lei Wanjun's corpse remained twisted in a final act of agony, his charred skin peeling back to reveal scorched muscle that eventually turned to ash.

His eyes remained wide, pupils dilated, staring at the heavens as if demanding an answer that would never come. Reyn withdrew his hand and brushed his fingertips against his sleeve, as if wiping away a speck of filth.

"First Rule," his gaze swept over the three thousand people like a scythe over a field of wheat.

"Those who oppress their kin or prey upon the weak shall die." He turned, his boot grinding the remains of Lei Wanjun into fine, grey dust with a soft, rhythmic crunch.

"Second Rule," he walked to the other side of the platform, looking down at the trembling Lei Wanhe.

"Those who aid the wicked shall be maimed." A flash of lightning struck. Lei Wanhe's remaining arm was severed cleanly at the shoulder. Blood sprayed the cobblestones as he let out a single, piercing shriek before collapsing into unconsciousness.

"Third Rule," Reyn's eyes locked onto Lei Tianqi at the back of the crowd. The gaze felt like physical chains, pinning the boy to the spot.

"I am the Patriarch of the Lei Clan. My word is absolute. I will ensure your safety for a thousand years, but those who defy my orders... shall die." Lei Tianqi's legs gave out. He fell to his knees, slamming his forehead against the stone floor until blood splattered.

"Senior... no, Patriarch! Patriarch, have mercy! I will be your slave! I will be your beast of burden! Just let me live!" Reyn did not answer. He turned toward the east, toward the distant peaks of the Xuanxiao Sect. The morning sun was breaking through the clouds, stretching his shadow across the square like a broken blade plunged into the earth.

"Senior Brother Ma," he said, his voice as sharp as whetted steel.

"Deploy the array." The setup of the Earthen Profound Yellow Array took three full hours. Elder Sun stood before the main hall, clutching the primary array flag. He poured his pure essence into the artifact, causing layers of amber light to bloom outward. Ten Xuanxiao disciples took their positions in the ten cardinal directions, driving sub-flags into the earth and placing spirit stones with surgical precision.

"The Array is set!" Senior Brother Ma held a strange, glowing raw stone, channeling his power until the luminescence reached a blinding peak. Eleven pillars of spiritual light shot into the sky, resonating with one another. A massive, translucent amber dome materialized instantly, enveloping the entire Lei Clan Compound.

"Reyn of the Lei Clan, Thunder Abyss City," Ma's voice was amplified by the array, booming across the entire city, "now holds the rank of Elder within the Xuanxiao Sect! His talent is peerless throughout the ages, and the Sect grants this clan a thousand years of protection! For a millennium, as long as the Xuanxiao Sect stands, the Lei Clan shall prosper!" The echo lingered over Thunder Abyss City like an ancient, unbreakable oath. That night, Reyn stood alone in the newly built rear courtyard.

It was a modest space—a small pond, a few lotus flowers, and several blades of grass. The moonlight danced on the water's surface, casting shimmering reflections against the walls. He leaned over the water, staring at his own reflection. His face looked the same as it had a year ago, yet his eyes were deeper now, like two dry wells that could no longer reflect the light.

"Patriarch." A timid voice came from behind him. Reyn didn't turn, but in the water's reflection, he saw Caiyun. She was pale, her hands twisting the hem of her dress like a reed caught in a frost.

"What is it?"

"I..." Caiyun bit her lip, her voice trembling.

"My father... he..."

"One arm lost, his life spared," Reyn's voice was cold and abrasive.

"Is that not enough?" Caiyun flinched as if bitten by a snake. She lowered her head, tears welling in her eyes, yet she didn't dare let them fall.

"It is... it is enough. Thank you, Patriarch." She turned and hurried away, her footsteps heavy and uncertain. Reyn remained still, his gaze never leaving the water, fixed on the expressionless reflection staring back at him. A koi fish swam by, blowing a trail of bubbles before vanishing into the dark. The moonlight remained, the water remained, and to the world, everything seemed the same as the day before.