That morning, after sending Zhang Fangzhou and his two brothers off to the Free Bazaar, Lin Feng returned to his room to continue repairing artifacts. He slipped into an almost mechanical state, restoring artifact after artifact to full functionality. With each successful repair, he mentally chanted, 'Another pile of spirit stones earned!' This thought fueled his drive, making the repetitive task feel exhilarating rather than tedious.
After repairing a batch of artifacts and depleting nearly all his true essence, he stopped and began circulating his energy to recover.
Knock, knock, knock…
Not long after he had mostly recovered, Lin Feng was jolted from his meditative state by a sharp rapping at his door. He opened his eyes. "Who is it?"
"Fellow Daoist Lin, it's me."
The voice from the hallway made Lin Feng raise an eyebrow. He immediately stood and opened the door, smiling. "Fellow Daoist Dongfang, please come in."
Dongfang Yuhui nodded in acknowledgment and stepped inside.
As he entered, Dongfang Yuhui's gaze swept almost imperceptibly around the room, as if searching for something. Lin Feng, sharp-eyed, noticed this and silently chuckled. No doubt he's curious about my so-called 'master.' Rumors swirled outside that Lin Feng's mysterious master was hidden here, yet no one had ever laid eyes on him.
The two sat at the round table in the center of the room. Dongfang Yuhui got straight to the point. "Fellow Daoist Lin, regarding my artifact…"
Lin Feng smiled faintly and nodded. "Mission accomplished. The artifact has been repaired as promised. Please inspect it, Fellow Daoist Dongfang."
He flicked his right hand, producing the Spiritual Artifact jade sword, and offered it to Dongfang Yuhui.
"Really?!" Delight flashed across Dongfang Yuhui's face. He immediately took the jade sword, examined it carefully for a moment, then exclaimed joyfully, "It truly is fully restored!"
He marveled at the sword in his hands for a while longer before finally storing it away. Looking up at Lin Feng, he said, "Perfect. Your esteemed master's artifact refining skills are truly beyond reproach. I daresay he rivals even Lian Ye of the Treasure Pavilion? Truly admirable…"
Lin Feng feigned modesty. "Haha, you flatter him, Fellow Daoist Dongfang. My master expended considerable effort last night repairing this artifact; it was nearly unsuccessful…" Lying isn't ideal, Lin Feng thought, but I have to keep up the act. Over the past days, he'd found the cover of an imaginary 'master' incredibly useful. Sometimes, he genuinely wished he did have a powerful master backing him.
"I've truly troubled you and your master… Here is the agreed-upon repair fee. Please accept it, Fellow Daoist Lin." Dongfang Yuhui produced a spirit stone pouch and handed it over.
"Ah, good." Lin Feng took the pouch, briefly scanned its contents mentally, and stored it away. Receiving a lump sum of five hundred thousand low-grade spirit stones sent a thrill through him, excitement he struggled to contain.
"By the way," Dongfang Yuhui continued, not making any move to leave, "I hear you are not originally from this city either?" His tone suggested a desire to build rapport.
Lin Feng nodded. "Correct. I'm merely staying in Biquan City temporarily… Hmm? 'Either'? So, Fellow Daoist Dongfang, you're not local either?"
Dongfang Yuhui confirmed. "Indeed. I am traveling and merely stopping here for a time. Meeting you here, Fellow Daoist Lin, has been a fortunate encounter."
Lin Feng smiled. "Nonsense. To have reached the Golden Core realm at such a young age marks you as a true talent. The honor of knowing you is mine…"
…
Through their conversation, Lin Feng learned that Dongfang Yuhui was a disciple of a major sect, currently undertaking a solo journey of experience on his master's orders. He didn't specify which sect, and Lin Feng didn't press. They were barely acquainted; deep confidences weren't expected. As the talk flowed more easily, Lin Feng found himself eagerly asking questions about the wider cultivation world.
Dongfang Yuhui, having traveled extensively, possessed far broader knowledge than Lin Feng. His tales of journeys and insights into cultivation affairs filled Lin Feng with awe, broadening his horizons and deepening his yearning to explore the vast world beyond.
…
Thud, thud, thud, thud…
Just as their conversation was flowing pleasantly, a rapid series of heavy footsteps pounded down the hallway outside. The door was then slammed upon with frantic force.
"Boss Lin!! Boss Lin!!"
Yao Wangtian's panicked shouts pierced through the door. Lin Feng's expression instantly darkened. He sprang up, strode to the door, and yanked it open.
Yao Wangtian and Xu Rong stood there, faces etched with desperation. They looked utterly disheveled, bruised and swollen, and Xu Rong's left arm hung dangling unnaturally at his side.
Lin Feng's pupils constricted sharply. "What happened?!" he demanded, his voice low and hard.
Yao Wangtian stammered, his voice thick with anxiety and guilt. "Boss Lin… The spirit stones we collected today… They were robbed!"
"What?!" Lin Feng was momentarily stunned, then his face hardened. "What exactly happened? And where is Zhang Fangzhou?"
Xu Rong's voice cracked, near tears. "Big Brother… Big Brother… They took him!"
"Zhang Fangzhou was taken?!" Shock jolted through Lin Feng again. He sensed this was no ordinary robbery. "Calm down! Explain clearly!"
Yao Wangtian took a shaky breath and spoke rapidly. "Boss Lin, here's what happened. We traded all the artifacts at the Free Bazaar and were heading back with the spirit stones. Suddenly, we were cornered in a deserted alleyway. Five Foundation Establishment stage cultivators. They attacked without a word! They beat us up, took the stones, and grabbed Big Brother!"
"Robbery and kidnapping in broad daylight?!" Lin Feng's brow furrowed deeply, his expression growing grimmer. "Did they leave any message?"
"Yes!" Yao Wangtian blurted out. "They said… they said Boss Lin must bring one million low-grade spirit stones as ransom… They said to go to the farm by Willow Lake outside the North Gate. You must go alone. If you bring anyone else… they'll… they'll tear up the ticket immediately…"
"Kidnapping and extortion too?!"
A wave of incredulity washed over Lin Feng. The whole situation felt bizarrely excessive. But as the initial shock faded and he analyzed it coldly, the truth snapped into focus…
"This… this is clearly targeting me!"
Cold light flickered in Lin Feng's eyes as he silently processed the implications. It was glaringly obvious. A brazen robbery and kidnapping in the city streets was absurdly audacious, practically unheard of even in normal times. Especially now, when he was a 'celebrity' in Biquan City. Zhang Fangzhou and the others were known as his 'men'; targeting them should have been unthinkable. Yet it happened. This meant the perpetrators weren't common thugs, but someone with a specific agenda.
Currently, he was a sought-after figure in Biquan City's cultivation circles, with many trying to curry favor. Who would move against him? The only ones with a grudge…
"The Li Family?!" Lin Feng's gaze sharpened, a surge of killing intent welling up inside him. "They dare pull something like this?!"
Yao Wangtian pleaded frantically. "Boss Lin, what do we do?! You can't abandon my Big Brother!" He felt terrible for Zhang Fangzhou – first held hostage by the Li family, now kidnapped. This time seemed far more dangerous.
Lin Feng stated firmly. "Don't worry. Of course I won't abandon him. Zhang Fangzhou will be fine… The farm by Willow Lake outside the North Gate? I'm going now!"
"Fellow Daoist Lin, do you require assistance?"
The voice came from behind Lin Feng. Dongfang Yuhui, who had been quietly listening to the whole exchange, now spoke. His demeanor was remarkably calm, as if such incidents were beneath his concern.
"Thank you for the offer, Fellow Daoist Dongfang. I prefer to handle this myself." Lin Feng shook his head slightly. The kidnappers had explicitly demanded he come alone. Bringing Dongfang Yuhui could endanger Zhang Fangzhou; he couldn't risk it.
Then, another thought struck him. He turned back to Dongfang Yuhui. "However, there is another matter where I would ask for your help…"