Inside an elegant guest room on the second floor of an inn, situated beside a bustling street in the city's southern district.
The quiet room held Lin Feng alone, sitting cross-legged on the bed. He wasn't cultivating or repairing artifacts; instead, he seemed lost in thought, pondering various matters.
It was already afternoon. They had left the Li residence around midday. To express gratitude to Qi Minghe, Long Xingwen, and the others for their aid, the group had gone together to a large spirit-food restaurant in the city for a lavish meal.
Of course, a mere meal of spirit food was insufficient to fully convey his thanks. Lin Feng knew he owed two significant favors this time.
Without the intervention of the Long family and Qi Minghe, even if Lin Feng had managed to fight his way out of the Li residence today, he would have faced endless trouble afterwards – relentless pursuit. At best, he'd have been forced to flee far away in haste. If luck had been worse, death during the chase was a distinct possibility.
Their help had spared him such a calamity. Truly, he owed two substantial debts.
And as the saying goes, 'There's no profit in rising early without cause.' Lin Feng didn't believe their assistance came without expectations.
Even if Long Chengkong helped out of personal loyalty, his family elders' involvement couldn't be so simple. Mobilizing the Second Master and several Foundation Establishment experts, openly opposing the equally powerful Li family – all for a young family member's recently acquired 'friend'? That was clearly improbable.
Lin Feng could roughly guess their motive: they sought to recruit him. During the midday feast, Long Chengkong had privately confessed that to convince his family elders to intervene, he'd been forced to reveal some key details about Lin Feng's true capabilities. This included his possession of a flying sword and his ability to wield it through sword manipulation. Presumably, the Long family had weighed the risks and decided Lin Feng's potential value warranted their intervention.
As for Sun Ronghan and Qi Minghe from the Wanbao Lodge, their purpose was likely similar. However, their perspective on Lin Feng differed slightly from the Long family's. They placed greater emphasis on his identity as an 'Artificer' and, even more crucially, on the backing of his mysterious and powerful 'master'.
Yet, they were all shrewd individuals. Neither party immediately pressed Lin Feng with demands. Naturally, Lin Feng wouldn't proactively invite them to make requests. If, in the future, they genuinely needed his help with something within his power, he wouldn't refuse.
Moreover, looking at it another way, establishing good relations with both the Long family and the Wanbao Lodge carried no disadvantages. On the contrary, it promised significant benefits – at least in the immediate future. With these two powerful 'backers', he probably didn't need to worry about immediate retaliation from the Li family. Of course, this 'guarantee' likely only held within Biquan City and for a limited time. Once Lin Feng left the city, the Li family might well take action. But venturing beyond the city limits also freed Lin Feng from many restraints... who would come off worse then was anyone's guess.
"Sigh… Just claiming a bounty led to so much trouble. If I'd known, I might as well have forgone those fifty thousand spirit stones."
Lin Feng sighed inwardly. His right hand flipped over, retrieving a palm-sized black fragment of unknown origin from his spatial ring. He examined it closely – this was precisely the half-piece of the spiritual artifact.
"What is so special about this artifact fragment that the Li family went to such lengths to retrieve it?" Lin Feng muttered to himself while scrutinizing the piece. He refused to believe the Li family genuinely wanted this 'family heirloom' back merely to 'commemorate their ancestors'. This fragment surely held some secret, hence their desperate desire to reclaim it.
Yet, he had studied it thoroughly upon first acquiring it, finding nothing. Examining it now yielded the same result. He knew artifacts and higher-grade treasures often required specific methods for activation and control. Without the proper technique, further study was pointless. The secret of this fragment likely resided solely with the Li family…
"Perhaps I can ask Long Chengkong about it next time; maybe he'll have a lead. Or… perhaps when they inevitably come for me again, the truth will surface…"
Lin Feng murmured, a cold glint flashing in his eyes as he finished the thought.
"Forget it. I'll set this aside for now. The priority is to swiftly enhance my strength. Earning money is the real business!"
Having contemplated these troubles, Lin Feng reined in his wandering thoughts and refocused on 'earning money'.
Originally, he planned to have Long Chengkong act as a 'guide' for an afternoon tour. However, the events at the Li residence had soured his mood. After the lunch feast, he bid farewell to the others and returned to this inn. His intention was to repair the remaining batch of damaged artifacts in his possession, along with those he'd received today as orders. He had already asked Sun Ronghan during the meal to prepare the materials needed for those commissioned repairs. Sun Ronghan had simply dispatched a clerk with a list back to the Wanbao Lodge. Before the meal even concluded, all the requested materials had been delivered, ready and waiting.
His right hand flipped over again, producing a longsword artifact. Locating the required repair materials within his spatial ring, he withdrew them. Placing both the sword and the materials together, Lin Feng mentally commanded: "Repair…"
...
While Lin Feng concentrated on artifact repairs inside the inn, activity unfolded elsewhere in Biquan City.
Inside a VIP reception room at the Wanbao Lodge.
Sun Ronghan and Qi Minghe sat facing each other, relaxed smiles on their faces, sipping fragrant tea amidst light conversation.
"From the moment he entered the Li residence until the Long family arrived, roughly a quarter of an hour passed. That Lin Feng, surrounded by numerous Li family experts, not only held his ground but actually managed to take the Li family heir hostage... he truly has some skill. Presumably, he possesses quite a few high-grade artifacts?"
Sun Ronghan remarked with a hint of admiration, a smile playing on his lips. (Regarding Lin Feng's name – he had clarified and apologized for the earlier concealation during the feast. Sun Ronghan and Qi Minghe naturally held no grudge over such a minor matter.)
Qi Minghe nodded. "With a Golden Core Artificer master, it stands to reason his artifacts wouldn't be ordinary. He likely possesses at least a Mid-grade Spirit Treasure defensive artifact, possibly Spirit-light type? Just one such artifact could render him temporarily immune to the efforts of those Li family cultivators. However, his successful capture of the Li heir is genuinely surprising. That couldn't be achieved solely with a Spirit-light defensive artifact. The sword he wielded must also be extraordinary – likely a Top-grade Spirit Treasure?"
Sun Ronghan said, "We've established some connection with him this time. As for winning over that mysterious Golden Core Artificer backing him... that task largely falls to you now."
Qi Minghe chuckled softly. "Haha, rest assured. Once we return to Qingyun City, I'll pay closer attention. Proposing to meet his master immediately might displease the esteemed senior. There's ample time; no need for haste."
...
Elsewhere, the Long Family Estate.
Within a spacious main hall, three individuals were seated. On the right sat Long Xingwen and Long Chengkong. The central seat of honor was occupied by a middle-aged man.
"A mere first-level Foundation Establishment cultivator truly possesses a flying sword? And can wield it to eliminate enemies?"
The man seated at the head, dressed in golden robes, possessed an imposing and resolute demeanor. This was Long Xingtian, the current Patriarch of the Long family, and Long Chengkong's father. He now wore an expression of profound doubt as he looked at his son, seeking confirmation.
Long Chengkong affirmed, "Absolutely true. I witnessed it with my own eyes."
A flicker of astonishment passed through Long Xingtian's eyes. "A flying sword at Foundation Establishment? And more crucially, the ability to wield it through sword manipulation... Could he be a core disciple from some super sect sent out for training? Or perhaps the disciple of a supremely powerful rogue cultivator? That such an extraordinary figure exists hidden in this small backwater of ours... Regardless of Lin Feng's exact background, such a person's future is undoubtedly boundless. Establishing good relations with him is indeed correct. Even if it meant antagonizing the Li family... it was a worthwhile price."
Normally, wielding a sword remotely required at least Golden Core cultivation. Only upon reaching the Golden Core stage, gaining divine sense, could one refine an artifact, leaving their spiritual soul imprint within it to achieve control.
However, with the assistance of a supremely powerful cultivator, it was possible to leave a spiritual soul imprint within an artifact even for a Foundation Establishment or Qi Condensation cultivator who hadn't yet developed divine sense. Achieving this, though, was immensely difficult. Beyond requiring overwhelming strength from the assistant, special techniques were essential. This privilege was typically reserved only for core disciples of super sects (Level 7 and above) or the direct, cherished disciples of exceptionally powerful rogue cultivators.
In the eyes of the Long family, Lin Feng was precisely such a figure with a 'formidable background'. Even knowing he possessed a spiritual flying sword at Foundation Establishment, unlike enemies such as He Wenyang who might covet it, their instinct was solely focused on how best to cultivate a favorable relationship.