Chapter 99

"Lin Zhenan is dead?"

Upon hearing this news, Qi Feng slapped his head, realizing he had forgotten this fact. At the beginning of the story, Lin Zhenan and his wife had already been killed, and Xu Xiaoxia had not managed to save them in time when he rushed to Mount Qingcheng. It seemed this was a predetermined outcome, unchangeable. Qi Feng frowned, propped his chin with his right hand, and scratched his cheek thoughtfully, "Well... Little Lin just lost his parents, and I was planning to use him as a guinea pig. Isn't that a bit inhumane?..."

Strangely, after hearing this, Lin Pingzhi remained very calm, probably because he had already prepared himself mentally. Moreover, he had not witnessed the gruesome scene of his parents' murder, so his emotions were well-controlled. After a moment of silence, he asked, "Mr. Yue, where did you hear about my parents' death?"

Yue Buqun looked grief-stricken, placed his hand on Lin Pingzhi's shoulder, and sighed, "Unfortunately, we were still a step too late. When we arrived, your father and mother were already on their deathbeds. Oh, right, Chong, come over. Tell Pingzhi about the last words of Lin Zongbiao..."

Linghuchong stepped forward to Lin Pingzhi's side, while Yue Buqun and the others from the Hua Mountain Sect moved to one side. Only the little monk Zize still clung to Lin Pingzhi, staring at Linghuchong without any intention of leaving.

Linghuchong, seeing that Zize was too young, gently coaxed him, "These words are the last words of this young man's parents, and outsiders cannot hear them. Little brother, go play over there..."

Zize scratched his head, puzzled, "Outsiders can't hear the last words? But you heard them, didn't you? Otherwise, how would you know?"

Linghuchong's face turned red. He couldn't argue with a little kid. Besides, it was hard to reason with a brat. He couldn't hit or scold him, so he was at a loss.

Unexpectedly, Zize's eyes twinkled, and he muttered to himself, "Since his parents told you, you're not an outsider to the second disciple... So, you're an insider, right?"

"Spit...! Cough, cough, cough!" Qi Feng, who was pretending to drink tea, couldn't hold back and choked several times. The others from the Hua Mountain Sect couldn't help but laugh. The solemn atmosphere was instantly ruined. Yue Buqun frowned and said to Zize, "The adults are talking about important matters. Children shouldn't listen. Come over here."

Zize looked at Qi Feng. Qi Feng wiped his mouth, feeling quite helpless with his eldest disciple, and waved him over, "Come here, Zize. Don't get too close. They're going to talk about the Lin family's secrets, and it would be better not to hear them. As the saying goes, 'Do not bend in a melon field, nor pick a hat under a plum tree.' If you stand too close, it might cause misunderstandings."

The little monk Zize walked to Qi Feng's side, looked back at Linghuchong and Lin Pingzhi, who were two rows of tables away, and asked, puzzled, "Is this far enough? Even if he speaks softly, I can still hear him..."

Zize, a monk who had practiced for 999 years and become a spiritual instrument, could probably hear the falling of a leaf within a hundred feet. It was easy for him to overhear a whispered conversation without even focusing.

Qi Feng was again at a loss, feeling both amused and exasperated, and patted his little bald head, "Why are you so honest, kid?"

Zize solemnly clasped his hands together, "Amitabha. A monk does not lie..."

The others from the Hua Mountain Sect all had twisted expressions. Although the distance was not far, to hear a whispered conversation required considerable internal martial arts skills. If Yue Buqun had said this, it would be normal, as his Purple Mist Skill was a legitimate and powerful technique, and his internal skills were renowned in the martial arts world. But this little monk was probably not even ten years old...

Of course, except for Qi Feng and Lin Pingzhi, no one took it seriously. Lin Pingzhi originally didn't believe it either, but after being dragged by his new eldest brother, he realized that this young eldest brother was not an ordinary brat, which explained why his master had sent him alone to escort him home.

Linghuchong, of course, didn't take the little brat's words seriously. He leaned close to Lin Pingzhi's ear and whispered, "The items in the cellar of the old house in Fuzhou are the Lin family's heirlooms and must be well-kept. However, your great-grandfather Yuan Tu left a legacy that no descendant of the Lin family should look at them, or they would face endless calamities." He then said seriously, "I have delivered your father's last words word for word. When I arrived first, your father passed away immediately after speaking."

After hearing his father's last words, Lin Pingzhi's expression was somewhat strange. He bowed to Linghuchong and thanked him politely. He had already learned from Qi Feng about the entire story of the "Evil-Dispelling Sword Manual," and understood the reason why the Lin family descendants should not look at it. So, this last will only proved that Qi Feng had not deceived him, and had no practical use.

At this moment, Yue Buqun came over and asked Lin Pingzhi, "What are your plans, young Lin?"

Lin Pingzhi bowed and said, "The blood feud of the entire family cannot be tolerated. I must learn martial arts and go to Mount Qingcheng to destroy the Qingcheng Sect and avenge this deep hatred, and then I will thank you, Master Yue, for your message."

Yue Buqun was greatly surprised. Lin Pingzhi's tone was not just a few angry words but a determined and resolute declaration. The Qingcheng Sect was not a minor sect, and how could Lin Pingzhi have the confidence to destroy it?

Could his confidence come from the "Evil-Dispelling Sword Manual"? Yue Buqun's heart raced, and he quickly said, "The revenge for your parents' death is natural, but your martial arts skills are not yet refined. I fear you might be harmed by the Qingcheng Sect before you can take revenge. Why don't you join the Hua Mountain Sect... As for your master..." He glanced at Qi Feng.

Qi Feng chuckled, "Master Yue, do you think I'm afraid of the short man Yu from Mount Qingcheng, or that I will mislead my disciples and teach Lin Pingzhi skills that are not enough to avenge the Qingcheng Sect?"

Yue Buqun, with patience, said, "Yu Canghai's martial arts skills are even better than those of Changqingzi in the past. His sword skills are among the best in the martial arts world..." In essence, he was implying that Qi Feng was young and unknown.

Qi Feng dug his ear and lazily interrupted, "I haven't had a good look at Yu's martial arts and sword skills, but his tunneling skills are quite good." He pointed to the holes in the roof and the broken window, "Look, he made two holes in a blink. Is he a rat?"

Yue Buqun, upon entering, had seen the mess in the shop but didn't ask for details, assuming it was a typical martial arts fight. Now, hearing Qi Feng's words, his pupils contracted, "Yu Canghai was here?" He quickly scanned the area, focusing on the table that had been cut into pieces, with smooth cuts, indicating a high level of sword skills and a superior sword. The broken window had a mess of deep and shallow knife marks, but it was unclear how they were caused.

Yue Buqun was unsure of Qi Feng's true abilities and stepped forward, facing him. Although there was no visible movement, a purple aura appeared on his face, and he subtly pushed his internal energy towards Qi Feng. He had no intention of hurting him, but the Purple Mist Skill was initially subtle and soft, like clouds, yet it could become overwhelming and unstoppable. This push would make even a skilled martial artist retreat several steps, especially since Qi Feng was sitting.

Qi Feng, of course, knew what Yue Buqun was up to, but he didn't dodge. Instead, he held his cup and teased, "Master Yue, your Purple Mist Skill is good, but every time you use it, your face changes. Doesn't that make people cautious? I wonder if it's a special effect you intentionally created. It's not like you're performing Sichuan opera, playing with face-changing... And why purple? It's so gay... Damn, no wonder you're not married!..."

Yue Buqun's internal energy faltered, and he almost lost control if not for his stable mind. The Purple Mist Skill was famous in the martial arts world, and people usually praised or feared the purple aura. This was the first time someone had mocked it! More surprisingly, his Purple Mist True Qi was pushed back, not a bit less. Yue Buqun didn't expect this young man to have such advanced internal skills.

Yue Buqun's move was more of a test, not a real attack, and he didn't use full strength. Qi Feng, with the Bagua Mirror, easily blocked it, feeling only a slight warmth. However, he heard an electronic voice, "Warning, unknown energy fluctuation... Source unknown... Attribute unknown... Yellow alert, please leave the area..." This was the voice of the multifunctional tool.

"Analyze!" Qi Feng's eyes lit up, not wanting to miss this opportunity.

"Unable to determine wavelength... Unable to determine frequency... Power unknown... Unable to analyze, please download and install the corresponding research module. Welcome to the deepest blue software store in Irim, contact number xxxxxxx..."

Damn, an ad? Qi Feng quickly disconnected the multifunctional tool. He was in a pure martial arts world, and a sudden interstellar ad was too jarring.

While he was distracted, Yue Buqun's face turned even more purple, and he waved his hand, redirecting the rebounded internal energy to the side. The table next to him cracked into several pieces but didn't explode, collapsing onto the ground. Everyone realized they had been secretly competing.

Yue Buqun, though surprised, maintained his gentlemanly demeanor and bowed, "This young man has remarkable skills, truly rare among the younger generation. It would be fitting to teach Pingzhi. However, Pingzhi's conflict with the Qingcheng Sect also involves my daughter, so I cannot remain uninvolved..."

Qi Feng laughed, "As masters, if we fight over a disciple, it would be embarrassing. Master Yue, how long have your disciples been learning from you?"

Yue Buqun, unsure of his intentions, replied, "Some have been with me for over ten years..."

Qi Feng nodded, "Good. Let's have our disciples compete. If mine loses, Lin Pingzhi will join the Hua Mountain Sect. If mine wins, I ask Master Yue not to compete with me."

Yue Buqun thought, this young man is only twenty, and if he has such skills, it must be due to some extraordinary encounter. He didn't believe his disciple could be that powerful, so he nodded, "Agreed. Which disciple will you send?"

Qi Feng said, "I only have one disciple. Normally, the eldest disciples would compete, but I heard that your eldest disciple, Linghuchong, is still recovering from a serious injury. So, let my disciple challenge your second disciple, Laodenuo."

The Hua Mountain disciples sneered, "You're afraid of our eldest disciple, aren't you?"

Qi Feng ignored them and said to the little monk Zize, "Zize, go and learn from Laodenuo... Be careful, don't kill him."

The Hua Mountain disciples: "What?!..." (To be continued. Please search for Piaowen, for better and faster updates!)