NOVEL WEB Chapter 8: The False Crown
The name echoed like a blade sliding from its sheath.
Ji Chen.
Once a brother.Now a blasphemer.
Lin Feng stood at the edge of the Pill Sect camp, the wind tugging faintly at his sleeves. Distant bells rang through the early morning mist, but they felt far away—like memories from another lifetime.
Because they were.
Ji Chen… The man who held my crown as I bled beneath his feet.The man who raised the rebellion… in my name.
And now, he was alive.
Worse—he was reigning.
Somewhere far from the Lin Clan, Ji Chen wore the stolen skin of the Shadow Sovereign. Wearing black. Speaking lies. Carrying techniques Lin Feng himself had bled to forge.
And the world was buying it.
Back in the tent, Seren watched him leave with clenched fists.
She hadn't believed—not at first.
But when the crystal shard had responded to his blood… when his body radiated that same cold pressure her master once described in whispered stories…
She knew.
This wasn't just reincarnation.
This was vengeance—sharpened, patient, and inevitable.
As Lin Feng walked through the market path that led back to the clan estate, the world returned to motion. Vendors called out prices. Disciples laughed and trained under the watchful eyes of their elders. The illusion of order remained intact.
But beneath it all, cracks had begun to form.
People looked at him differently now.
They no longer saw Lin Xun.
They saw something else.
They saw what Lin Rui refused to speak of. What Lin Shu couldn't remember without shaking.
They saw the eyes that didn't flinch.
He passed the sparring grounds again.
A few disciples stiffened at his approach.
One of them—a girl, bold-eyed, mid-body tempering—stepped in front of him.
"You were summoned to the Council Pavilion," she said. "Elder Qian wants answers."
"To what question?" Lin Feng asked without stopping.
"The attack on Lin Shu. The damage to the outer ridge. The rumors about dark Qi."
He paused.
Looked at her.
"Tell the elder this: if he fears rumors more than results, then he's already lost his authority."
Her lips parted.
But he was already gone.
That night, he didn't return to his ruined quarters.
Instead, he moved to an abandoned watchtower near the southern cliffs—a forgotten structure once used during border skirmishes with bandits. Now overgrown. Dust-covered.
Perfect.
He cleaned the floor. Repaired the seals. Marked the walls with quiet formation runes only he could read.
Then, he began again.
He lit incense made from dried bloodrose petals—a rare stimulant used for spiritual memory recovery. Combined with his shadow Qi, it formed echoes.
Not visions.
Not dreams.
But fragments.
Blurred memories from his past life, reformed and sharpened as his soul adjusted to this body.
He saw…
The Shadow Court. Silent halls beneath the mountain. Monks cloaked in dusk-colored robes. Their faces hidden, their blades bound by oath.
The Throne Hall. Where ten thousand bowed to his silence—not because he demanded it, but because they understood it.
And Ji Chen. Laughing beside him. Swearing loyalty. Drawing maps. Preparing plans.
And then—
Fire.
Poison.
Steel.
His own blood. His own screams.And Ji Chen standing over him, saying:
"You were too quiet, brother. This world doesn't kneel for silence anymore."
Lin Feng opened his eyes.
His fingers trembled.
But not from fear.
From purpose.
"Then I will teach the world again.""Why silence is the last thing a tyrant hears before death."
The next day.
The Lin Clan's Council Pavilion stood tall and arrogant, its crimson tiles gleaming under the midday sun. A structure of pride, power, and pettiness.
Lin Feng arrived just as the sun reached its peak.
Inside: Elder Qian, three senior branch leaders, and two neutral elders. The Patriarch's chair stood empty—he never attended preliminary hearings.
"Lin Xun," Qian began, his tone tight, "do you understand why you've been summoned?"
"I was told I'm feared."
That silenced the room for a moment.
"Feared?" one elder repeated. "You injured fellow disciples. You practiced forbidden techniques."
"I defended myself," Lin Feng said."Against an attempted murder by Lin Rui. A second by Lin Shu. And a third… quietly arranged by one of you."
The murmurs began instantly.
Qian slammed his cane down.
"You insult the Council?"
"No," Lin Feng said coldly."I insult the liars among you."
The tension snapped like ice.
"You will be punished," Qian hissed. "Exile, at minimum—"
"No," a calm voice interrupted.
All heads turned.
The Patriarch. Lin Zhen.
He had arrived unnoticed.
As always.
He walked slowly to his seat, looking first at Lin Feng, then at the others.
"You summon him for suspicion. I summon him for truth."
He turned.
"Lin Xun."
"Yes, Patriarch?"
"You claim self-defense. You claim injustice. You even claim treachery."
"Do you also claim strength?"
Lin Feng stepped forward.
"I claim one thing only: that I am no longer your pawn. I walk the path that was taken from me."
"And when I reach its end… those who blocked it will answer."
The council watched in silence.
Lin Zhen studied him carefully.
Then nodded once.
"Then we'll let the path judge you."
He raised his hand, and a red talisman burned into the air.
"Your punishment is suspended. You will remain under observation. No outer-branch disciple may attack you without consequence."
"But if you provoke conflict, you answer for it alone."
"Understood," Lin Feng said.
"Good. Dismissed."
As Lin Feng stepped out into the courtyard, a voice called softly behind him.
"You were lucky today."
He turned.
A girl stood beneath the willow tree. White robe. Green sash. Inner branch elite. Her eyes were ice and thunder.
Lin Yue. The clan's prized genius. Ranked 4th in the region's youth rankings. Known for two things:
Unbeatable swordplay.
And a deep hatred for weakness.
"You'll fall soon," she said calmly. "And when you do, I'll be there to cut the silence out of you."
He held her gaze for a long time.
Then said, gently:
"Be careful with threats, Yue."
"Why?"
"Because some silence bites back."