Even though his eyes had just been blinded, Lin Tianxiong had not shown any fear.
But at this moment, hearing Shen Lang's words, Lin Tianxiong's face turned ashen with fear. He quickly retreated three or four steps, creating a meter of safe distance between himself and Shen Lang.
A vindictive person was not to be feared.
But if that person was vindictive and also possessed the ability to kill anyone, it would be truly terrifying.
Lin Tianxiong had initially thought that the mysterious and hard-to-guard golden needles in this brat's hands were vicious enough, but he had never expected that the brat himself was more vicious than his golden needles.
To be honest, Lin Tianxiong was already regretting his earlier threat to Shen Lang.
If he hadn't made that threat, he wouldn't have lost his right eye.
The price was simply too heavy.
"Let's go, take me to see your old man."
The white-haired elder he had met two hours ago was actually the head of the Lin family in Nanling. To be honest, this surprised Shen Lang somewhat.
He had known about the Lin family since he was begging in Nanling as a child. Seventy percent of Nanling's real estate was related to the Lin family.
And the head of the Lin family, Lin Nianfo, was widely recognized as a great benefactor who had funded countless nursing homes and orphanages, adopting seven to eight hundred orphans alone.
When Shen Lang was young, he often went hungry for days, dizzy from hunger. He would fantasize about suddenly meeting Lin Nianfo one day, being adopted by him, and living a life of plenty.
Now, it seemed his thoughts back then were so laughable.
What did it mean to be a businessman?
A businessman was someone who pursued profit.
And a profit-seeking businessman was also called a capitalist.
Every pore of a capitalist was stained with the blood of sin; not a single one of them was a good person.
The so-called great benefactors were nothing more than those who committed murder and arson for riches, while those who built bridges and repaired roads often left no trace.
"Young sir, our car has been waiting outside for a long time. Please."
Lin Tianxiong made a respectful gesture of invitation and led the way, quickly taking Shen Lang to the entrance of the villa compound.
At the entrance, a black car was parked.
The car was an ordinary domestic model, estimated to cost around 150,000 to 160,000 yuan. Honestly, it couldn't be considered a luxury car.
However, although the car was not a luxury model, it attracted no attention on the roadside.
This was solely because the car's license plate was Nan L00000.
The license plate for the capital of Nanling was 00001, but this plate was 00000, making it impossible not to notice.
Yet, Lin Tianxiong seemed completely unfazed by the shocked gazes of passersby, as if it were all natural. He opened the car door and respectfully said to Shen Lang, "Young sir, please get in."
Shen Lang did not stand on ceremony and got into the car.
Soon, the vehicle started and quickly departed from Emperor Villa Garden.
An hour later, the car stopped in front of an old house at the foot of North Mountain in Nanling.
It was a courtyard house with two entrances, but it was a replica, not an old courtyard house like those in Longdu.
After entering, Shen Lang and Lin Tianxiong walked through a corridor to the main building.
Lin Tianxiong led Shen Lang to the second floor, where they saw the white-haired elder sitting in a reclining chair, with over a dozen people standing beside him.
"Old Master, I have brought the young sir here."
Lin Tianxiong walked up to the white-haired elder, knelt down on both legs, and said respectfully.
"What happened to your eye?"
The white-haired elder slowly opened his tightly shut eyes and asked Lin Tianxiong, looking at his bleeding right eye.
"It's nothing, just a minor accident."
Lin Tianxiong smiled and said, "My life is not lost, but it is visually unpleasant. I will go to the hospital later to have it removed and replaced with a prosthetic eye."
"Good—"
The white-haired elder's face showed no expression. He uttered a single word blandly.
However, while he showed no emotional fluctuation when looking at Lin Tianxiong, his entire being became excited upon seeing Shen Lang. He said, "Young sir, we meet again. It seems we are indeed destined to meet."
The white-haired elder's face was filled with a broad smile. "I am Lin Nianfo. May I ask your name, young brother?"
"Nianfo?"
Hearing this, Shen Lang sneered, "Is it the Nianfo of vegetarianism and chanting?"
"Yes—"
Lin Nianfo nodded in affirmation.
"I have heard that there are only two types of people in this world who practice vegetarianism and chanting."
"The first type is a naturally compassionate person who pities the world and its people."
"And the second type is someone who has committed grave sins and desperately seeks redemption through vegetarianism and chanting."
Shen Lang looked at Lin Nianfo and sarcastically asked, "Which type do you belong to, Mr. Lin?"
Facing Shen Lang's sarcasm, Lin Nianfo showed no hint of anger. Instead, he smiled even more happily. "Don't you already know which type of person I am from our first meeting, young sir?"
"Outsiders say I am a great benefactor, a living Buddha who saves people from suffering, but where are the living Buddhas in this world? It's just that after committing too many evils, one wants to do some good deeds to ease their conscience a little."
Lin Nianfo frankly admitted his hypocrisy and said to Shen Lang, "A general's victory is built upon ten thousand bones withered. Those who build bridges and repair roads leave no bodies behind. Which of those who are remembered in history are not like this?"
"Cao Cao, due to his suspicion, killed the entire family of his uncle Lu Boshe. To avenge his father, he ravaged Xuzhou, slaughtering over a hundred thousand people. He even used corpses as army rations to feed his troops."
"Is such a person a beast devoid of humanity?"
"Yet, later historical records document his achievement of unifying the north, and the phrase 'Cao Cao whips his steed, the journey east, with verses to spare.'"
Hearing this, Shen Lang scoffed, "You dare to compare yourself to Cao Cao?"
"Cao Cao killed many in his life, but it was a case of strict laws for a chaotic time, and it was necessary.
"After he unified the north, he restored agricultural production, allowing the people trampled by the chaos to survive and live with dignity."
"Despite his grave sins, he also achieved immeasurable merit, and thus, he was able to die of old age.
"As for you..."
Shen Lang looked at Lin Nianfo and coldly snorted, "You have done evil for your own selfish interests, losing all conscience. Humans may tolerate you, but heaven will not. Therefore, your ultimate end will be a sudden death."
"Without you, my end might have been like this, but now that you are here, everything is different."
Lin Nianfo looked at Shen Lang and said, "I am certain that you can cure my poisonous sores and keep me alive."
"You are right, I can indeed cure you, and cure you with ease."
Shen Lang walked to the opposite side of Lin Nianfo and finally sat down on a chair, looking at Lin Nianfo with a playful expression. "I promise you, I will treat you, and I will treat you right now."
"Are you serious?"
Hearing Shen Lang's words, Lin Nianfo was overjoyed, but then his face showed suspicion. "What are your conditions?"
"I have no conditions, I want nothing."
Shen Lang said with a smile, "I will cure your poisonous sores, and you will live without illness or disaster for these three days."
Lin Nianfo frowned and asked, "And what about after three days?"
Shen Lang said calmly, "I will act on behalf of heaven to punish your sins, and kill you."