"Arrogant!!"
Lin Feng's warning, "Don't force me to kill," only fueled Li Yanghui's fury. The audacity of a mere first-level Foundation Establishment cultivator! Were it not for Li Renyao's life hanging in the balance, a lethal technique would have already been hurled his way.
Little did Li Yanghui know: if Lin Feng truly unleashed his killing intent, a single flick of the flying sword could sever his head.
Lin Feng was holding back. Despite possessing the means, he hesitated to utilize his sword manipulation for lethal purposes outright. This wasn't some wilderness; it was Biquan City. Killing here would invite catastrophic repercussions. The bitter irony? If he were killed by them, it would likely cause barely a ripple… The gap in status and power was simply too vast.
But did caution mean surrender? Absolutely not. If backed into a corner with no alternative, Lin Feng would unleash the flying sword to survive. Fleeing far away would be the only option – a last resort, reserved for true desperation.
"One last chance! Release my grandson, and you leave here alive!" Li Yanghui's voice was heavy with threat. As he spoke, he gave an almost imperceptible signal to Li Ziyao and Li Ziqing. His true essence surged violently within him, ready to activate the talisman concealed in his left hand.
Lin Feng missed the hidden gesture but naturally distrusted the offer. He retorted coldly, "I also offer one last chance. Let us depart. I will release Young Master Li once we're clear. Otherwise… don't blame me for a fight to the death!"
"…"
Li Yanghui fell silent. Lin Feng's gaze remained locked on him. The atmosphere froze for several heartbeats. The surrounding cultivators held their breath, tension thick as stone.
The air crackled like packed gunpowder, desperate for a single spark…
...
Just as the explosion seemed inevitable – as Li Yanghui prepared to order the attack, and Lin Feng steeled himself to carve a path with his flying sword – an utterly unexpected development shattered the standoff.
"BOOM!!"
A thunderous crash echoed. The Li residence's main gate, firmly closed since Lin Feng's arrival, was violently blasted inward from the outside!
"HALT!!!"
A booming shout followed, startling everyone in the courtyard. Heads instinctively snapped towards the entrance.
Lin Feng, facing the gate directly, instantly recognized two figures among the sudden arrivals. Relief flashed in his eyes. Beside him, Zhang Fangzhou couldn't contain his gasp of joy: "Third Brother!! Long Chengkong!!"
Seven or eight figures stood revealed. Leading them was a scholarly middle-aged man dressed in white robes. Flanking him were two young men: unmistakably Long Chengkong and Xu Rong.
"Big Brother! Second Brother! Boss Lin!!"
Xu Rong's face lit up upon seeing the trio. Reflexively, he started forward, but fear of Li Yanghui and the others blocking the path made him freeze mid-step.
"Brother Lin, are you unharmed?" Long Chengkong's eyes widened briefly at the scene before settling on Lin Feng.
"Unharmed," Lin Feng replied curtly, vigilance towards the Li family unwavering. Yet, internally, his tension eased considerably. Long Chengkong's timely arrival was a surprise, and his backup was substantial – the scholarly man radiated an aura no weaker than Li Ziyao's, and the five or six figures behind him were no pushovers, the weakest being at least Foundation Establishment level one.
"Long Xingwen!!"
Li Ziyao's gaze sharpened, his expression darkening further. His voice dripped ice. "What is the meaning of this?!"
The scholarly man, Long Xingwen, remained composed, a faint smile playing on his lips. "I heard a distinguished guest of our Long family encountered some… misunderstanding… with the Li family. I deemed it necessary to investigate personally."
"Long family guest?" Li Ziyao's brow twitched. "You mean this outsider?"
Long Chengkong stepped in. "Precisely! Brother Lin is a valued guest of the Long family, specially invited to Biquan City. Incidentally, on our journey back yesterday, we encountered Li Sha – your family nemesis. Brother Lin eliminated this scourge, acting in the public interest. Consider it avenging your grievance. And this is how the Li family repays him? Explain yourselves!"
"Impudent whelp! Who gave you leave to speak?!" Li Yanghui snarled. "The affairs of the Li family require no commentary from the Longs!"
"Indeed, Li family affairs are none of our concern," Long Xingwen conceded mildly, gesturing for Long Chengkong to step back. His gaze fixed on Li Yanghui. "However, as stated, Young Friend Lin is a Long family guest. Threatening him forces our involvement. Furthermore, as my nephew mentioned, Young Friend Lin dispatched Li Sha on your behalf. Gratitude is the expected response, not… this. Wouldn't you agree this reeks of repaying kindness with malice?"
Li Ziyao seethed internally. "Long Xingwen! This is a Li family private matter! I owe you no explanation!"
"I seek none. But…" Long Xingwen shrugged dismissively, then looked pointedly at Lin Feng and his companions. "They leave with me."
"Never!!"
Li Ziyao roared. "You barge into the Li residence and demand to take people?! You spit on the Li family's dignity! Long Xingwen, don't think the Li family fears yours! Not even Long Xingtian or Long Yinyun himself could take them today!"
The faint smile vanished from Long Xingwen's face, replaced by cold steel. "And if I insist?"
Li Ziyao countered sharply, "Then test whether you can walk out of here!!"
"…"
The stalemate returned, fiercer than before. Li Yanghui and his kin exchanged grim, calculating looks. Shock and doubt warred within them. They had assumed Lin Feng was a rootless outsider, a rogue cultivator. His connection to the Long family, and their fierce defense of him, shattered that assumption. His background must be significant.
The situation had spiraled beyond their control. The underestimated target revealed unforeseen strength, and now powerful reinforcements had arrived. The Li family's plan lay in tatters.
In this tense lull, yet another unforeseen twist unfolded…
"Family Head Li, Young Friend Lin is also a distinguished guest of the Wanbao Lodge. Might I request the courtesy of resolving this… peaceably?"
A genial voice floated in from outside. Simultaneously, two figures entered the courtyard, bypassing the Long group to stand beside Long Xingwen.
Both were middle-aged men. One radiated approachable warmth with a constant smile; the other possessed refined elegance and imposing bearing – Sun Ronghan and Qi Minghe.
Their sudden appearance stunned everyone. Expressions shifted rapidly: astonishment, delight, shock… and deepening gloom.
Li Ziyao's face darkened to near-black. He stared at Sun Ronghan. "Manager Sun? Explain this intervention."
Sun Ronghan maintained his pleasant smile. "Family Head Li, as I just stated, this Young Friend Lin serves as an Honorary Artificer for our Wanbao Lodge. The nature of his misunderstanding with your family is unclear to me. However, I must implore you, in consideration of the Wanbao Lodge's standing, to cease troubling him. Ideally, let us simplify matters and resolve this quietly. Agreed?"
"He's an Artificer?!"
Li Ziyao paled visibly, shooting a disbelieving glance at Lin Feng. His resolve wavered drastically. Facing the Long family alone, he might have held firm. Sun Ronghan's appearance changed everything.
Sun Ronghan himself was a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, comparable to Li Yanghui. Crucially, he represented the Wanbao Lodge, a colossus the Li family could never afford to antagonize. The revelation that Lin Feng also had the Wanbao Lodge's backing was staggering, almost impossible to accept.
Thrown into disarray, Li Ziyao instinctively sought guidance. His eyes darted to his father, Li Yanghui. What now?
"…" Li Yanghui's expression mirrored his son's despair. His thoughts ran parallel: any attempt on Lin Feng's life was now utterly impossible. A flicker of humiliation, resentment, and bitter frustration crossed Li Yanghui's eyes. His voice was icy. "Since Manager Sun intervenes on behalf of the Wanbao Lodge, the Li family naturally affords this courtesy. However… he releases my grandson immediately! Furthermore, he must return our family heirloom!"
"Family heirloom?" Sun Ronghan, Long Xingwen, and their companions exchanged meaningful glances, all turning towards Lin Feng.
Lin Feng sneered internally. He shrugged dismissively. "Release Young Master Li? Naturally, once we're allowed to leave. As for your 'family heirloom'… I've stated repeatedly: I never laid eyes on it. Li Sha likely pawned it off long ago. I merely presented his head to claim the bounty you offered. On what grounds do you demand I surrender this so-called 'heirloom'?!"
Sun Ronghan's eyes gleamed shrewdly, though his smile remained affable. "Ah, I see… Well, if Young Friend Lin states he hasn't seen it, it surely must be a misunderstanding. A compromise, then: Young Friend Lin releases Young Master Li now. We depart immediately. Esteemed Elder Li, acceptable?"
Li Yanghui's temples throbbed with suppressed rage. Forced compliance choked him. He gritted out, "Release him!!"
"…"
Lin Feng's eyes flickered between Li Yanghui, Long Chengkong, and Qi Minghe. After a split-second calculation, he withdrew the flying sword from Li Renyao's neck. With a firm shove, he propelled the terrified youth forward. Seizing the moment, Lin Feng, flanked by Zhang Fangzhou and Yao Wangtian, swiftly skirted around Li Yanghui, joining Qi Minghe and the others.
"Well then, let this matter be concluded," Sun Ronghan said pleasantly, nodding to Li Ziyao and Li Yanghui. "Our apologies for the disturbance… Young Friend Lin, shall we?"
The group retreated smoothly from the Li family compound…
"…"
Long after Lin Feng and his rescuers vanished beyond the shattered gate, the Li family cultivators remained frozen in the courtyard. Most exchanged bewildered, helpless glances.
"Cough!! Cough!! Grandfather! Father! Second Uncle! How could you let them leave?! How could you let that scum Lin go?! He should be executed! EXECUTED!!!"
Li Renyao, still clutching his neck, pale and trembling, finally found his voice – a mix of lingering terror, outrage, and impotent fury.
"SILENCE!!"
Li Ziyao's icy command instantly choked off Li Renyao's tirade.
The humiliation inflicted today would stain the Li family's reputation across the city. To suffer such disgrace without achieving their objective… the pent-up fury within Li Ziyao was volcanic.
"Who… is he?" Li Ziyao ground out, his voice thick with rage and confusion. "Who IS he?!?!"