Chapter 8

Feng Jueyu's cultivation of the "Hongyuan Heavenly Scripture" had almost become an addiction. For the next half month, he was almost immersed in the pleasure of cultivating the divine skill every day, spending nearly eight hours each day, excluding meals and sleep, seizing every moment to cultivate in the Hongyuan Space.

What was particularly gratifying was that the first level of the Hongyuan Heavenly Scripture could absorb the boundless Hongyuan spiritual energy into the body, and then through the operation of the Life and Death Unpredictable Skill, it could transform into the energies of life and death, continuously washing Feng Jueyu's meridians. In just half a month, Feng Jueyu, who had been an ordinary person without any true qi, had leaped to become a mid-stage Void Martial expert.

As a result, the great assassin Feng Jueyu became even more immersed and unable to extricate himself.

While Feng Jueyu was almost madly cultivating, people in the Shangguan Manor began to notice the subtle changes in the manor.

First, the prospective son-in-law who used to go out to play with birds and chat as soon as the sun rose in the east no longer stepped out of the main gate or the secondary gate. Even his usual haunts, the teahouse and the pleasure quarters, no longer saw his shadow.

Another change was with the young master of the Shangguan family, Shangguan Ruofan. For some unknown reason, ever since he stabbed Shangguan Ruowen in the buttocks, he would run to the small building in the eastern courtyard every morning on time.

That place was where everyone in the Shangguan Manor despised, and even the old master rarely visited. What was going on with this young master? Why did he go there every day?

Or, when did the two of them become such close friends?

Many people couldn't figure out what they were doing inside. Occasionally, they would hear excited laughter coming from the room, and then the entire courtyard would return to silence, exuding an unusual mysterious aura.

...

In Shangguan Lingfeng's study.

Wang Tong stood in the middle of the study, his head slightly lowered, carefully recounting the things the old master had asked him to investigate over the past half month: "... The young master has a very regular schedule, and that's all I've seen."

Shangguan Lingfeng held a purple-golden teapot, his tiger-like eyebrows tightly furrowed, his presence naturally commanding respect. He asked, "What is he doing in Feng Jueyu's room?"

Wang Tong lowered his head even more, trying to hide his shame. "Please forgive me, master. I didn't hear anything about the young master's cultivation. Every time I entered the courtyard and approached the small building, there was no sound inside, or they were talking about something unrelated to cultivation."

Shangguan Lingfeng, being extremely astute, was startled. "You mean they noticed you following them and deliberately didn't want you to hear?"

"This..." Wang Tong hesitated, then smiled bitterly and shook his head, feeling helpless.

As a trusted guard by the old master's side, Wang Tong had extraordinary skills. He was unwilling to believe that a Void Martial expert and a complete novice could detect him, a Xuanwu Realm expert. That would be a huge joke.

After some thought, Wang Tong said, "I boldly speculate that there are two possibilities."

"Go on." Shangguan Lingfeng's voice was steady, his gaze fixed on Wang Tong.

Wang Tong boldly said, "First, the young master's techniques were taught by the prospective son-in-law. The son-in-law has been suppressing his abilities, deliberately hiding himself. In fact, he may possess extraordinary skills and could have already reached the level of a Xuanwu Realm expert, or even higher."

At this point, Wang Tong gave a self-deprecating laugh, thinking to himself: Is that possible? With that waste of a man? Even if he weren't a waste, at his age, it would be impossible for him to reach the Xuanwu Realm, let alone the Lingwu Realm. How could he have detected my presence?

Therefore, Wang Tong continued, "However, this can almost be ruled out, given the son-in-law's young age."

Shangguan Lingfeng also found Wang Tong's analysis reasonable. Although the Feng family was a well-known family on the continent many years ago, they had long since declined. Feng Jueyu had been brought over by him since he was young, and he had grown up under his watchful eye. How could he not know if Feng Jueyu had any martial arts skills?

"Hmm, that's impossible. I know his true abilities best," Shangguan Lingfeng concluded.

Wang Tong nodded and continued, "So, the second possibility is that the son-in-law possesses some kind of secret manual, one that contains extremely powerful techniques."

"Secret manual?" Shangguan Lingfeng thought for a moment, then laughed dismissively, waving his hand. "That's even more impossible. Even if he stumbled upon a secret manual, he would probably treat it as waste paper. This little brat only has eyes for erotic pictures; he wouldn't look at any other books. Sigh..."

Shangguan Lingfeng sighed dejectedly, his face showing a mix of frustration and guilt.

"Then..." Wang Tong smiled bitterly, took a step back, and bowed respectfully. "I can't guess any further."

Shangguan Lingfeng looked up at the wooden beams, lost in thought for a long time before asking, "You said that every time Ruofan comes out of his room, his sword techniques have greatly improved. Did you see each move clearly?"

Mentioning Shangguan Ruofan's rapid growth over the past half month, Wang Tong involuntarily shuddered. Each move was etched deeply in his mind, as if someone had carved it with a knife.

Not just Shangguan Ruofan, even Wang Tong, a Xuanwu Realm expert, had benefited greatly from watching. His cultivation had steadily improved after each reflection.

How could he forget?

He would never forget in his entire life.

"I saw it very clearly," Wang Tong said, his face suddenly flushed with excitement, as if he had been injected with a stimulant at the mention of those sword techniques.

Shangguan Lingfeng also noticed the change in Wang Tong's demeanor and said with a determined gaze, "Show me a few moves."

"Yes, master."

Wang Tong took a few steps back and, in the hall of the study, used his index and middle fingers as a sword to demonstrate for Shangguan Lingfeng.

"This is the last move of the West Wind Sword. There are twenty-eight variations, the first one is..."

As he spoke, Wang Tong's sleeves fluttered, his fingers extended, and a sharp force surged. One by one, exquisite and deadly sword techniques were executed, exuding a fierce aura...

"The sixth variation..."

The finger sword changed, and Wang Tong, who had been standing proudly, bent over, his sword finger pointing sharply at a spot four feet above the ground. This move clearly attacked the lower three points, with astonishing speed, like a bolt of lightning...

"The ninth variation..."

A killing move. Wang Tong's entire body was flat on the ground, and he suddenly sprang up, leaning forward, defying the laws of physics as he lunged forward, transforming into a meteor. The sword tip pointed directly at the throat, a vital point...

Just three moves left Wang Tong panting. With Shangguan Lingfeng's keen eye, he could see that even with Wang Tong's years of experience in sword techniques, he still struggled to execute these moves, clearly not having fully grasped the true essence of the sword, still in the process of refining them.

Even so, Shangguan Lingfeng was stunned and amazed.

These sword techniques, though seemingly simple, were all peak killing moves, each move aiming for a decisive strike. If mastered, they could decapitate an enemy from ten meters away in a single move.

But that wasn't the most shocking part...

The most terrifying thing was that these sword techniques were all derived from the West Wind and Moon Sword of the Shangguan family, with nearly twenty-eight variations. The changes were so extensive that they completely subverted the so-called West Wind and Moon Sword, forming a unique, deadly, and unparalleled style...

Killing sword, killing moves, the intent to kill...

The sword tip pointed, invincible...

Such sword techniques had never been seen before, unprecedented and unparalleled. Saying they were unparalleled was not an exaggeration...

"Too terrifying."

Having lived for over seventy years, Shangguan Lingfeng, who had seen countless sword techniques, was still amazed. He had never seen such exquisite, fierce, and dominant sword techniques. Was this still the West Wind and Moon Sword of the Shangguan family?

No, it was definitely not.

This was a deadly sword, a lethal move, a peak technique...

Wang Tong retracted his finger sword and stood like a spear in the room. Hearing the old master's trembling words, he smiled bitterly again. "I am incompetent. I used to be arrogant, but the things I've seen and felt in the past half month have made me realize what it means to be a frog at the bottom of a well. Although I remember the twenty-eight variations, I still can't grasp their profound essence, no matter how much I reflect on them. I truly wonder who created such a world-class sword technique. If I could meet the master who created this sword technique, I would willingly kneel and kowtow a hundred times."

Shangguan Lingfeng, with his greater experience, quickly regained his composure after the shock, but his inner shock was even greater than Wang Tong's.

"Who?" Shangguan Lingfeng's lips twitched involuntarily, and he laughed coldly. "An assassin!"

"An assassin?" Wang Tong raised his head in surprise.

Shangguan Lingfeng said decisively, "It can only be an assassin, a unique and unparalleled assassin, the ancestor of assassins."

Wang Tong suddenly realized, "Master, do you mean... there's an outsider in the family?"

Saying this, Wang Tong involuntarily shuddered.

Although the Shangguan family was not a true martial arts family, they were still the leading household in Tian Nan City, with a long history of martial arts. The family had countless hidden experts protecting the manor, and the old master himself was a supreme expert in the Tianwu Realm.

For such a family with deep roots, someone could enter undetected, indicating the intruder's formidable strength.

Although they didn't know the intruder's background, such a person should not be provoked. On the contrary, they should be treated with respect.

Without answering Wang Tong, Shangguan Lingfeng thought for a moment and then ordered, "From today, withdraw all the hidden guards protecting Feng Jueyu and move the protection perimeter to a hundred meters away. Ensure Jueyu's safety when he goes out, increasing the number of guards from two to six. Do not let what happened last time happen again."

With Shangguan Lingfeng's excited command, Wang Tong rushed out of the room without hesitation to carry out the order.

"Damn, what kind of high-level expert has Feng Jueyu befriended, hiding in my Shangguan family?" Shangguan Lingfeng's old eyes suddenly sparkled like stars, his expression very excited. He called out, "Someone, bring Feng Jueyu here."

After a short while, a servant in a green robe and hat returned and reported, "Old master, the prospective son-in-law, the prospective son-in-law has gone out."

"Gone out?" Shangguan Lingfeng, who had been planning to use a subtle approach to extract information about the high-level expert from the great assassin, was momentarily dazed. "What did he go out for? Didn't anyone tell him that Ruomeng is coming back this afternoon?"

"Damn, find him, quickly find him, bring the prospective son-in-law back."

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