"Jerk, why the excessive force? Are you trying to kill me or what?"
Ling Feng suddenly stood up, shooting a stern look at Yun Zheng, the one he had just forcefully kicked, and let out a loud roar.
In Yun Zheng's thoughts, a roaring procession of a few million alpacas[1] passed through. He hadn't laid a finger on Ling Feng, so where did the idea of excessive force come from? On the contrary, it was Ling Feng's forceful kick that had knocked his nose askew, and now blood gushed continually.
"You! You've gone too far!" Yun Zheng tightened his fists, his eyes ablaze with anger as a menacing aura enveloped him.
Yun Zheng was an esteemed practitioner in the Pulse Formation Realm, wielding strength comparable to typical elders. He could effortlessly crush someone like Ling Feng, who was merely an ant in the Qi Formation Realm. Yet, here he found himself enduring such insults!
"Clearly, you just tried to break my leg. How dare you deny it!"
Ling Feng's face mirrored the same fierceness, emitting an unmistakable air of hostility. Everyone could see he was putting on an act, yet none dared to call it out.
"I won't let you mock me like a fool, you scoundrel!" Yun Zheng, filled with a mix of shame and anger, promptly unsheathed his sword. "I'll kill you!"
"Sect leader, look! This disciple has gone too far, drawing a weapon in the grand hall of our Wenxian Sect. It's evident that he lacks respect for the Wenxian Sect and, more importantly, for you, Sect Leader!" Ling Feng's words were cutting, undeniably ruthless.
"Die! You traitorous disciple!" Lin Canglang tightened his fists, fully aware that Ling Feng was intentionally provoking Yun Zheng to lose control. Nevertheless, he went along with Ling Feng's act.
With a sweep of his broad sleeves, Lin Canglang released seven sharp streams of sword qi. The piercing qi traversed Yun Zheng's chest, producing a sequence of explosive noises. A gruesome blood hole erupted on the left side of Yun Zheng's chest, where his heart had been pulverized into minced flesh.
"Master, you're so ruthless..."
The sound came to an abrupt halt as Yun Zheng's lifeless body thudded to the ground. He was undoubtedly beyond dead.
Ling Feng's eyelid twitched. He had expected, at most, that Lin Canglang would fabricate arbitrary charges against Yun Zheng and temporarily imprison him. However, Lin Canglang's ruthlessness exceeded Ling Feng's anticipation, as he was willing to execute his own last disciple without a moment's hesitation.
In the grand hall, every disciple swallowed involuntarily, and a few experienced a slight tremor in their legs.
After a brief silence, someone immediately clapped and cheered, "Well done! He deserved to die for disrespecting Senior Uncle Ling Feng!"
"Exactly! I've always thought he was a troublemaker, arrogant and constantly bothering the female disciples within the sect. The sect leader's just act of eliminating his own kin is commendable!"
Ling Feng pursed his lips, feeling a sense of pity for Yun Zheng in his heart.
Did Yun Zheng ever consider that, before his body had even cooled, these lackeys—constantly trailing behind him, showering him with flattery—would begin applauding his demise as if it were a splendid affair?
Lin Canglang took a deep breath, his expression unchanged, and calmly instructed, "Alright, the rest of you, take care of the body."
"Understood." The few disciples quickly carried Yun Zheng's lifeless body out. In the grand hall, only Ling Feng, Lin Canglang, Li Liang, and Yang Wei remained.
Lin Canglang's eyes remained fixed on Ling Feng as he silently mused, "Crafty little brat, quite the tactician! With just a few casual words, you've forced me into killing a trusted disciple with my own hands! Hmph, don't you forget, your life is still firmly in my hands!"
Ling Feng was well aware of Lin Canglang's thoughts. Unfortunately, Lin Canglang was under a misconception, unaware that Ling Feng had long ago expelled the Golden Silkworm Gu Poison from his body.
"Ling Feng, this is the antidote for the Golden Silkworm Gu Poison for this month."
Lin Canglang casually tossed a porcelain bottle over, and Ling Feng reached out to catch it. Pretending to be eager, he quickly opened the bottle and swallowed the medicine inside in one gulp.
"Once you've taken this antidote, the Golden Silkworm Gu Poison won't manifest again for a month."
Lin Canglang turned around and walked back to the sect leader's throne, a concealed sense of satisfaction filling his heart.
Just because you've garnered the favor of the Cangqiong Sect's young lady doesn't mean I can't assert my authority. This antidote serves as a subtle reminder not to be full of yourself.
"Why don't the Sect Leader completely eradicate the Golden Silkworm Gu Poison for me?" Ling Feng raised his head, furrowing his brow as he spoke.
"It all comes down to how well you perform,"Lin Canglang said with a faint smile. "Now that Yun Zheng is dead, as long as Duanmu Qingshan's sword manual is acquired, you will become my direct disciple, and the position of sect leader in the future will be yours. Just remain loyal, and I will ensure you live a long and prosperous life!"
"Certainly," Ling Feng nodded, his voice taking on a solemn tone, "However, despite my multiple attempts to address it indirectly, Duanmu Qingshan has made it clear that he will only impart the sword manual once I reach the Pulse Formation Realm."
"Don't worry, with the Qi-boosting pills I've granted you, within half a year..." Lin Canglang observed Ling Feng, then suddenly blinked, "You... you've already reached the seventh stage of Qi Formation?"
"It was pure luck," Ling Feng smiled, "I went on a brief journey recently and came across a rare flower. It boosted my cultivation by several levels."
"I see." Lin Canglang took a deep breath. "It looks like, in less than half a year, maybe another three or four months, you'll reach the tenth level of Qi Formation."
After a momentary pause, Lin Canglang inquired, "First, enlighten me on the purpose of the Cangqiong Sect's young lady seeking Duanmu Qingshan."
"Nothing significant," Ling Feng replied nonchalantly, "Duanmu Qingshan is known as the godlike physician Duanmu. Miss Yue approached him to inquire about a peculiar illness. Unfortunately, he was unfamiliar with it, so Miss Yue left directly."
"Just that simple?" Lin Canglang scrutinized Ling Feng, displaying a hint of disbelief.
"Sect Leader, my life is in your hands. How would I dare to deceive you? I don't want to experience the effects of the Golden Silkworm Gu Poison again!"
"Given your situation, I doubt you'd dare." Lin Canglang nodded, and the suspended tension in his heart immediately subsided.
Since Duanmu Qingshan and the Cangqiong Sect had no significant connection, he felt reassured.
"Excellent! Hahaha..." Lin Canglang laughed heartily. Yang Wei and Li Liang visibly breathed sighs of relief. After all, even with a hundred times more courage, they wouldn't dare to oppose the Cangqiong Sect.
In Ling Feng's mind, he pondered, Even without leveraging the strength of the Cangqiong Sect, can you handle Duanmu Qingshan when he regains his strength after a month? Just wait and see!
"Ling Feng, I genuinely want to take you as my direct disciple. The position of sect leader will undoubtedly be yours in the future. I hope you won't let me down." Lin Canglang laughed for a while, then retrieved a porcelain bottle from his sleeve and tossed it over.
"This bottle holds the Xuanyuan Refinement Pill, used to purify the extraordinary channels and eight meridians. I know you've recently been practicing the Rock Body technique. Taking this pill will undoubtedly accelerate your progress!"
"Thank you, Sect Leader," Ling Feng expressed his gratitude upon accepting the Xuanyuan Refinement Pill. Lin Canglang truly grasped the “carrot and stick”[2] principle, deftly utilizing incentives and authority to secure Ling Feng's loyal allegiance.
Unfortunately, he chose the wrong person!
1. Alpacas in chinese 草尼马 Cǎo ní mǎ sounds similar to 操你妈 Cāo nǐ mā, which means Fxxx Yxxx Mxxxxx. In this context it is used metaphorically to convey a sense of frustration or anger. ☜
2. The phrase "carrot and stick" is a metaphor for the use of a combination of reward and punishment to induce a desired behaviour. ☜