Like the Long family and Qi Minghe, the Li family was also speculating about Lin Feng's mysterious 'background'. The difference was, they were scheming on how to deal with him...
That night, within the Li Estate.
In the main hall, seven or eight individuals were gathered. Besides the Old Patriarch Li Yanghui, the current Patriarch Li Ziyao, Li Ziqing, and Li Renyao, several other key members of the Li family were present. Seated at the head of the left side was a goateed elder roughly Li Yanghui's age. This was Li Yanghui's younger brother, Li Yanghuang, also at the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment. He hadn't appeared during the afternoon conflict because he had been in secluded cultivation after taking a pill.
Everyone sat with grim expressions, silent, seemingly waiting for something.
Footsteps echoed outside, and a young man with a broad forehead and small eyes hurried in.
"Fourth Uncle!"
Li Renyao exclaimed with a hint of relief upon seeing him.
"Hmm." The man nodded slightly to Li Renyao, then addressed Li Ziyao and Li Yanghui ahead. "Patriarch, Eldest Uncle."
This was the fourth son of the Li family's second generation, Li Yanghuang's youngest son, named Li Zixuan, a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.
"Did you find out anything?" Li Ziyao asked bluntly, skipping pleasantries.
"Some things," Li Zixuan nodded, a trace of bewilderment flashing in his eyes. "The man is named Lin Feng. He seems to be from Qingyun City, arriving in Biquan City only yesterday afternoon alongside Long Chengkong. His exact identity in Qingyun City hasn't been confirmed yet; I've dispatched people there to investigate. Another crucial piece of information: this morning, he set up an 'artifact repair' stall in the Southern City's Free bazaar. He claimed he could repair any damaged Magical Artifact or Spirit Treasure. Not only were his fees several times cheaper than artifact shops, but he also offered 'deposits' equivalent to the value of the entrusted artifact before repairs. I heard he accepted twenty to thirty artifacts this morning, promising customers could collect their fully repaired items tomorrow morning."
"What?!"
The group had already been startled upon hearing Lin Feng hailed merely from Qingyun City. But the details about the Free bazaar left them utterly perplexed, their expressions turning peculiar.
Li Ziyao frowned deeply. "So... he truly is an Artificer?! But even so, with his meager first-level Foundation Establishment cultivation, how advanced could his artifact crafting skills possibly be? How could he possibly repair Spirit Treasure-grade artifacts? If his claim about returning them tomorrow is true... then it likely means... these artifacts aren't being repaired by him personally, but rather..."
"His master!!"
Li Yanghui's face darkened further, finishing the thought. "His 'master' must also be in the city! And... capable of repairing Spirit Treasures? That means he must be at least a Level Four Artificer! A Level Four Artificer... could that mean a Golden Core cultivator?!"
Hearing this, the expressions of everyone in the hall shifted again. Fear flickered in the eyes of many.
Li Ziyao asked with a grimace, "Where is Lin Feng now? Did you uncover any information about his 'master'?"
Li Zixuan smiled bitterly. "No... He's currently staying at the Laiyue Inn in the Southern District. With him are those three 'followers'. The room was booked by a mortal merchant boss also from Qingyun City. I had people question the inn staff; no one resembling his 'master' has appeared there."
Had Lin Feng been present, he would have been astonished by the Li family's investigative prowess. In just half a day, they had uncovered almost everything he'd done since arriving in Biquan City – a testament to their capability.
However, the very information they gathered only deepened the Li family's confusion. If he was merely from a small place like Qingyun City, how could he be so formidable? Could a true recluse master really be hidden there? And if so, was that 'expert' now also in Biquan City? If present, where?
"Hmph!! In my opinion, that bastard Lin has no master at all! All those high-grade artifacts he has? Probably just dumb luck, finding them somewhere! What are we afraid of?! Our artifact fragment must be in his possession! I say we go find him tonight, kill him and silence all witnesses! Take his artifacts, reclaim our fragment, and show everyone what happens when you cross the Li family!!"
Seeing his grandfather, father, and other elders appear so 'timid', Li Renyao, seated nearby, felt rage surge. The humiliation he'd suffered today was unprecedented; he burned with the desire to flay Lin Feng alive. He couldn't help but snarl in a low, venomous voice.
"Silence!!"
Li Ziyao, already agitated, found Li Renyao's outburst intolerable. He snapped, "Without my express order, no one is to provoke Lin Feng again!!"
He then turned back to Li Zixuan. "Monitor his movements closely. Report back immediately with any news from Qingyun City. We'll decide our course of action then!"
Truthfully, the possibility Li Renyao suggested had crossed their minds. But it remained just a 'possibility'. The alternative – that Lin Feng truly had a powerful, possibly Golden Core, 'master' – was equally plausible, making rash action unthinkable. Coupled with the backing of the Long family and Wanbao Lodge, caution and careful planning were paramount.
"We finally forced the Xue family to put the other half of the artifact fragment up for auction. We absolutely cannot miss this opportunity!! This is the greatest hope for our Li family's rise... We must win the auction for that half... and we must seize the half in Lin Feng's hands!!"
Li Ziyao's expression shifted between gloom and calculation. He raised his head and addressed the assembly. "Alright, everyone is dismissed. Remember my words: do not move against Lin Feng for now!"
...
Naturally, Lin Feng was unaware of the Li family's discussions. He was confident they wouldn't dare cause trouble for him anytime soon, so he temporarily set the matter aside, focusing wholeheartedly on his 'grand money-making scheme'.
Over the course of the afternoon and the entire night, Lin Feng completed all the repair orders he'd accepted. He also fixed the remaining batch of damaged artifacts he had on hand.
The next day, when Lin Feng awoke from his meditative state, the sky was already bright. After washing up and tidying himself, he left his room and headed down to the first-floor lobby. There, he found Zhang Fangzhou and his two brothers waiting, just like the day before.
"Big Brother!!" "Boss Lin!" "Boss Lin!"
Seeing him descend, Zhang Fangzhou and the others immediately stood to greet him. After yesterday's events, their 'admiration' for Lin Feng had soared even higher – someone who commanded respect (or at least caution) from both the Li family and Wanbao Lodge? How incredible! The three felt immensely fortunate to have such a formidable leader.
"Mm, morning," Lin Feng returned the greeting. He pulled out a stool, sat down, and without ceremony, began eating the breakfast prepared for him.
"Big Brother, what's the plan for today?" Zhang Fangzhou asked expectantly from beside him.
Lin Feng took a sip of porridge. "Today, you'll come with me to the Free bazaar. I'll be doing business; you three can assist me."
"Business?"
Zhang Fangzhou and the others were momentarily baffled. They had no knowledge of Lin Feng's activities at the bazaar yesterday morning. Yao Wangtian asked curiously, "Boss Lin, what kind of business are you in?"
"Artifact repair," Lin Feng stated. "I fix other people's artifacts, charging a service fee. I expect business will be better today than yesterday. You'll see."
"Repairing artifacts?!" Zhang Fangzhou's eyes lit up with surprise and delight. "Big Brother... you... you're really an Artificer?"
Lin Feng chuckled. "You could say that..."
-- Though this 'Artificer' might be a bit watered-down. I can 'repair', but I can't 'craft' from scratch.