Chapter 95

Without needing Lin Pingzhi to speak, Qi Feng also knew who had come. He shook his head and berated the attacker, "I didn't expect Yu Canghai to be so small in stature and so timid. He fled after just one strike. He's a sect leader, yet he didn't even show his face; I didn't even get a clear look at him."

Wei Xiaobao, whose martial arts skills were actually inferior to Lin Pingzhi, only reacted when Yu Canghai rolled out of the window, and he was startled. Recalling the sword light from just now, he patted his chest, "Oh, my mother, I was scared to death!" Then he raised his thumb in praise, "Brother Feng's martial arts are truly impressive! The leader of the Qingcheng Sect only lasted one move against you!"

Qi Feng knew his own capabilities; using the Blood Lustrous was a complete trick. The invisible blade in the air did indeed intimidate many, and Yu Canghai, not knowing Qi Feng's true strength, was essentially scared away. The Blood Lustrous was mostly blocked by his sword, and he wasn't really injured. Only a few pieces of cloth and hair were left on the ground.

So, he could only shake his head and be modest, "That short Yu only left because he thought he couldn't find an easy target. If we really fought... " Qi Feng thought for a moment. From the few strikes Yu Canghai had just made, he was quite skilled. Even with his own keen eyes, he couldn't see clearly, which was far better than his two disciples. "It might really take some effort."

Of course, he had many trump cards, so he wouldn't be outmatched by just a Yu Canghai.

Lin Pingzhi's expression twisted for a long time before he slowly sat down. Qi Feng slapped his leg, "Ah, right, we were interrupted. Where were we?"

Wei Xiaobao helped to remind him, "We were talking about how, once you master the Evil-Dispelling Sword Technique..."

Lin Pingzhi seemed not to hear Qi Feng's words. He fell silent for a moment, as if making a decision, then walked to the table and bowed heavily to the ground, saying, "Please take me as your disciple, Sir!"

Qi Feng pulled him up. Lin Pingzhi wanted to play the "I won't get up until you agree" routine, but Qi Feng's grip was so strong that he had no choice but to sit back down. Then he asked, "You want to be my disciple?"

Lin Pingzhi couldn't kneel again, so he clasped his hands in a salute, "Sir, your martial arts are unparalleled. I beg you to take me as a disciple. I will follow your teachings and strictly adhere to the rules of the sect, and I will never disobey your commands."

Qi Feng coughed twice, frowned, and touched his face, "I don't even have a sect... Besides, you want to learn my martial arts to save your parents from Qingcheng Mountain, right?"

Lin Pingzhi nodded, "Yes!"

Qi Feng sighed and spread his hands, "I said I won't go to Qingcheng Mountain, so it's useless for you to be my disciple."

Lin Pingzhi pondered for a moment, "It's fine if you can't go to Qingcheng Mountain. As long as I learn three-tenths of your martial arts, I believe I can save my parents."

Qi Feng took a sip of wine and shook his head, "Even if I were willing to teach you, it would take who knows how long for you to be able to defeat Yu Canghai. I'm afraid your parents don't have that much time. If you ask me, there are only two ways to save your parents quickly."

Lin Pingzhi was overjoyed, his eyes almost glowing. He had no hope at all, but now Qi Feng had a method, and even two! He couldn't contain his excitement, "Sir, please tell me quickly!"

"Still calling me 'Sir'? Are you trying to stick to me?" Qi Feng glanced at Lin Pingzhi, thinking, "This kid isn't stupid. He's clinging on tight. Oh well, let him be."

Qi Feng held up two fingers, "The first way, I have a friend named Xu Xiaoxia. He's a remarkable man, always doing good deeds... " Here, Qi Feng hesitated. He remembered that in the world of martial arts, there were both righteous and evil paths. Who knew if Xu Xiaoxia was really doing good deeds? Of course, the main character stealing a few things here and there wasn't a big issue. But no matter what, Xu Xiaoxia would definitely take on a task like this.

"Right, doing good deeds! He likes helping people with tasks... like avenging wrongs for people like you. He's quite skilled, and although he hasn't fully mastered the Nine Yang, he can still defeat Yu Canghai. He often comes to this tavern to find me. If you ask him, he'll help you without any reward!"

Of course, with a task to do, experience to gain, and a human punching bag to practice on, not to mention robbing the Qingcheng Sect, how could Xu Xiaoxia possibly refuse? He'd even pay to do it!

Lin Pingzhi had never heard of such a righteous hero in the martial arts world, but seeing Qi Feng's serious expression, he didn't think he was being lied to. He hesitated for a long time without speaking.

Wei Xiaobao also chimed in, "That's right. I've met Xu Xiaoxia. He's a man of honor. I saw him helping Zhang Wujie find his godfather and avenging his godfather's death by killing a well-known expert. His enthusiasm is rare."

Lin Pingzhi thought for a moment and asked, "When will this Xu Xiaoxia... hero come?"

Qi Feng spread his hands, "I don't know. I'm also looking for him. Unfortunately, I can't travel far. I can only wait here."

Lin Pingzhi quickly asked, "Disciple dares to ask, what is the second way?"

Qi Feng pointed at him and smiled, "Didn't I say, once you master the Evil-Dispelling Sword Technique, attacking Qingcheng Mountain will be like a walk in the park..."

Lin Pingzhi's face darkened, and he shook his head, sighing bitterly, "If the Evil-Dispelling Sword Technique of the Lin family were really that powerful, how could we have been destroyed by Yu Canghai?!" He became more and more agitated, and when he looked up, his face was covered in tears.

"I've been practicing this family sword technique since I was a child, but I can't even defeat an ordinary Qingcheng disciple..." He looked like someone who had read little and didn't want to be deceived.

Lin Pingzhi rambled on for a while, and Qi Feng didn't stop him. He knew that Lin Pingzhi's recent experiences needed an outlet for emotional release. In the story, Lin Pingzhi started as a bright and righteous young man, but was twisted into a different person, largely due to being suppressed. He had a family vendetta he couldn't avenge, and everyone he met wanted to steal his family's sword manual. He had to hide his emotions to protect himself, and over time, it was strange that he didn't become a psychopath.

When Lin Pingzhi calmed down a bit, Qi Feng threw him a cloth, "Wipe your face."

After Lin Pingzhi wiped his face, Qi Feng asked with a teasing tone, "Do you really think the sword technique you've been practicing since childhood is the Evil-Dispelling Sword Technique?"

"Ah?" Lin Pingzhi was taken aback, his mind not processing the question. What did he mean?

Qi Feng shook his head, "Don't you find anything strange? Your great-grandfather almost swept the southern region with his sword, but by the time it reached you, it became mediocre. If your family's sword technique was really so weak, why would Yu Canghai travel so far to Fujian to destroy your family?"

Lin Pingzhi had these vague doubts himself. Now that Qi Feng pointed them out, he felt a bit clearer, but he still couldn't believe it, stammering, "Maybe it's just that I, an unworthy descendant, couldn't grasp the true essence of the sword technique...?"

Qi Feng said seriously, "The reason is actually very simple. You should have already guessed, but you didn't want to believe it. After practicing for so many years, don't you have some sense of whether the sword technique is good or not? The Songfeng Sword Technique of Yu Canghai is just a second-rate skill, but how does it compare to what you've been practicing?"

The Songfeng Sword Technique was actually a well-known skill in the martial arts world, and the Qingcheng Sect was not a minor sect. But for someone who had played through the game many times, Qi Feng didn't think much of it. Practicing the Songfeng Sword Technique? Qi Feng thought it was a waste of a skill slot!

Lin Pingzhi blurted out, "Could the sword technique I've been practicing be a fake Evil-Dispelling Sword Technique?"

Qi Feng clapped his hands and laughed, "Congratulations, you're right!"

Lin Pingzhi was struck like lightning, frozen in place like a statue.

Wei Xiaobao found it strange and asked, "What is this Evil-Dispelling Sword Technique? I've never heard of it."

Qi Feng chuckled and explained, "The Evil-Dispelling Sword Technique is derived from the *Kuihua Manual*, which is one of the top martial arts in the world! The sword technique is just a small part of what the Lin family's ancestor extracted from the *Kuihua Manual*. But even this small part is enough to dominate the martial arts world."

Wei Xiaobao's eyes widened, "So powerful! But if it was created by the Lin family's ancestor, why would Lin Shaojun practice a fake sword technique?"

Qi Feng shook his finger, feigning mystery, "The main reason is that this sword technique has a special way of being practiced. The Lin family's ancestor, fearing he would have no descendants, created a fake sword technique to pass down to his descendants."

Wei Xiaobao was even more curious and was about to ask, but Lin Pingzhi, having recovered, asked first, "How is that possible? Why would the ancestor pass down a fake sword technique to harm his own descendants?"

Qi Feng found it amusing and incomprehensible. Why didn't Lin Yuan Tu, who didn't want to pass down the Evil-Dispelling Sword Technique, pass down something else? Qi Feng remembered that Lin Yuan Tu was originally a skilled practitioner in the Southern Shaolin Temple. He should have known a few Shaolin techniques. If he was afraid that passing down Shaolin skills would lead to trouble, he could have stolen some high-level martial arts manuals, which would be better than passing down a fake sword technique.

But this was a dead-end issue. Qi Feng could only speculate that Lin Yuan Tu, after practicing the *Kuihua Manual* and sweeping the southern region, misjudged the power of his created sword technique, thinking that his descendants could also dominate the martial arts world with just the technique.

Seeing Lin Pingzhi's agitated face, Qi Feng was a bit worried about his worldview. He poured him a cup of wine to calm him down, then said in a calm tone, "I haven't seen the real Evil-Dispelling Sword Technique, but I know the secret to practicing it..."

Wei Xiaobao, experienced in the martial arts world, coughed, "Should I cover my ears and go outside to avoid any conflict of interest?"

Qi Feng shook his head, "I'm not a member of the Lin family, and this sword technique was stolen from the Southern Shaolin Temple, so it's not really the Lin family's property. It's fine to listen... Speaking of which..." Qi Feng paused, smiling at Wei Xiaobao, "This sword technique actually has a special connection with you, Brother Xiaobao."

Lin Pingzhi didn't want outsiders to know the essence of his family's sword technique, but he couldn't stop Qi Feng from speaking. Hearing that Wei Xiaobao had a connection with the sword technique, he became curious, thinking, "Could he be a distant relative?"

Qi Feng lowered his voice and said the famous line, "To practice this divine skill, you must castrate yourself!"

Wei Xiaobao and Lin Pingzhi, who had leaned in to listen, were so shocked that they fell back into their seats. Qi Feng, having pulled off his prank, laughed heartily.

Wei Xiaobao pretended to be dissatisfied, "Brother Feng, you're just teasing me. Everyone knows I'm a real eunuch! Xiaoguizi was just my alias when I was in the palace." This was a term he had learned from chatting with Qi Feng.

Qi Feng teased, "Brother Xiaobao, don't you often complain about your low martial arts skills and lack of hard work? This sword technique doesn't require much effort. Although it may not make you invincible, the progress after castration is probably the fastest in the world."

Wei Xiaobao waved his hands, "No, no. You know I have seven wives. Life is already too good. Even if I had invincible skills, I wouldn't practice them!"

Qi Feng nodded and sighed. Duke Wei indeed had his own philosophy. To him, invincible skills were not as important as living a happy and free life. Despite being a commoner, his mindset and demeanor were already better than 99% of the people. In the world of martial arts, he had the lowest skills but was a definite winner in life. His wisdom and luck were key factors, and his mindset was a significant one. People like Dongfang Bubai and Yue Buqun, who were "strong," couldn't let go of their desire for power from the *Kuihua Manual*, and in the end, they lost their humanity. In the end, they were not as good as a street urchin.

As Qi Feng was reflecting, Wei Xiaobao added, "I wonder what price this sword manual should be if it were in my hands..."

Lin Pingzhi, hearing this, initially thought Qi Feng was lying, but upon reflection, he realized that only this answer could explain everything that had happened to the Lin family.

First, the ancestor's sword technique was divine, as even Yu Canghai had mentioned that his ancestor, Changqingzi, was defeated by the Lin family's ancestor and died in despair. His own sword technique was weak, but it couldn't be that his father was also weak. Moreover, the sword technique he practiced seemed to have no special qualities. He was like a frog at the bottom of a well, but after seeing the Qingcheng sword technique, he could feel the gap, let alone compared to Qi Feng. It was indeed a fake sword technique. The reason the ancestor didn't pass down the real sword technique was simple: it would result in no descendants.

Lin Pingzhi thought about it several times, feeling more and more convinced, but the cold sweat on his forehead grew more and more. To cut or not to cut? That was a big question!

"This..." Lin Pingzhi thought for a long time before asking, "Master! You said that if I master the real Evil-Dispelling Sword Technique, I can attack Qingcheng Mountain. So, the real Evil-Dispelling Sword Technique of our Lin family still exists?"

Qi Feng nodded, "Yes, it's in your family's old house in Fuzhou... I think it's in Xiangyang Lane or something. You should know. The real technique is written on a red robe."

Lin Pingzhi nodded vigorously, feeling even more convinced, "Few people know about our family's old house, and Master mentioned it so accurately. This must be true! But... to cut or not to cut?"

Qi Feng, seeing Lin Pingzhi's conflicted expression, couldn't help but laugh. In the original story, Lin Pingzhi had endured great hardships and was willing to cut himself without hesitation. Now, he had just escaped from the escort agency, had only suffered some hunger and cold, and his worldview was still that of a normal person. It would be difficult for him to take that step.

But this was exactly what Qi Feng wanted. Otherwise, what was the point of spending so much time and effort? If he really cut himself, Qi Feng would have no role to play. r1152

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