Chapter 91 - 90: Du Tianfeng’s Responsibility
Chen Yuan’s words sent a chill through Wu Bingjian and the others.
The Blood God Sect had vanished for so long that they had all but forgotten how heretical and terrifying it was.
While they, when grievously injured, had to find a place to recuperate, their enemy could simply flee into a large city, slaughtering wantonly to absorb Qi Blood and recover their strength. The disparity was simply too great.
"In that case, Lord Chen, what should we do now?"
Wu Bingjian was a simple man who rarely had ideas of his own.
Chen Yuan’s strength was plain to see, so despite being older, Wu Bingjian didn’t mind taking his orders.
"Have any of you heard about people going missing in Pian Guan City recently?"
Both men turned their gazes to Fei Bin.
After all, he was the Guardian Envoy of Pian Guan Town.
"No!"
Fei Bin said sullenly, not daring to challenge Chen Yuan any further.
Chen Yuan narrowed his eyes. "If no one has gone missing, how did Feng Xieyun absorb Qi Blood to recover his strength?
It seems it’s no longer a possibility that the local Jianghu forces are colluding with the Blood God Sect—it’s a certainty. They must have prepared a supply of Martial Artists’ Qi Blood for them in advance.
Searching these Noble Families with this in mind is the right move."
"But we have no proof. Are we really going to conduct a search based on suspicion alone?"
Fei Bin said with a frown.
Chen Yuan looked at Fei Bin as if he were an idiot. "What else? If we had proof, we would just annihilate these Jianghu forces for daring to collude with the Blood God Sect. Would we still need to conduct a search?"
"Pian Guan City isn’t like your Linyuan City!"
Fei Bin said urgently, "There’s only one major Martial Dao Family in Pian Guan City: the Lin Family. They’re formidable, with six Martial Artists at the Sea of Reincarnation Realm.
If you force a search on them now with no evidence, based on pure speculation, what happens to me if you find nothing and just walk away?
If I make a mortal enemy of the Lin Family, my position as the Guardian Envoy of Pian Guan Town will be anything but secure!"
Fei Bin had already been cowed by Chen Yuan’s slap earlier.
His opposition this time wasn’t born from defiance or a deliberate attempt to challenge Chen Yuan.
Rather, he knew that offending a clan like the Lin Family, which dominated Pian Guan City, would make his life as Guardian Envoy impossible.
"As a Guardian Envoy of Zhenwu Hall, you fear the local Jianghu forces. I called you a waste, and you truly are one!"
Chen Yuan had previously told Liu Suifeng that Zhenwu Hall’s discipline was lax, but ’that had actually been an understatement.’
’This went beyond lax discipline. The lower ranks of Zhenwu Hall were now filled with timid, incompetent wastes like Fei Bin.’
Fei Bin’s face turned ashen, but he was too cowed to voice his anger.
’In any case, if Chen Yuan insisted on provoking the Lin Family, he would definitely voice his opposition.’
’If the Lin Family caused trouble afterward, he would immediately report Chen Yuan to the Hall Master. It wouldn’t be his problem, anyway.’
"Lord Chen, search the Lin Family without worry. I will take full responsibility for any problems that arise!"
Just then, a hoarse, weak voice came from outside.
A middle-aged Martial Artist in his early forties, his face deathly pale, walked in, supported by a White Tiger Guard.
Fei Bin and the others quickly greeted him, "Lord Du, you’re awake?"
The newcomer was none other than Du Tianfeng, the Inspector from Linzhong Prefecture who had been grievously wounded by Feng Xieyun.
"Greetings, Lord Du."
Chen Yuan also clasped his hands in salute.
Du Tianfeng coughed, returning the salute. "So many of us went after one Feng Xieyun, only to have the tables turned on us. It’s a complete and utter disgrace.
Fei Bin is a waste, but am I, an Inspector, any better?"
Du Tianfeng gave a bitter smile, his expression turning solemn. "Lord Chen was the first to discover the trail of the Blood God Sect fiend, and he was able to slay him. This is proof enough of Lord Chen’s strength and capability.
I am now grievously injured and have no fighting strength left. Since the Hall Master sent you, everyone from my Linzhong Prefecture will follow your lead, Lord Chen.
From this moment on, everyone will obey Lord Chen’s orders. I, Du Tianfeng, will take full responsibility for any and all consequences!"
Chen Yuan gave Du Tianfeng a surprised look.
’He had originally thought Du Tianfeng was just another official who was all talk and no action, but it turned out the man had a strong sense of responsibility.’
’In that case, his being wounded so badly by Feng Xieyun must have been simply because his strength was a little lacking...’
With the Inspector himself having spoken, Fei Bin couldn’t find a reason to object even if he wanted to. He could only hold his nose and accept it, and the other two naturally had no objections either.
Du Tianfeng turned back to Chen Yuan, his expression grave. "Lord Chen, I was careless this time and fell for Feng Xieyun’s trap. My injuries are severe, to the point that even my foundation has been damaged. It will take at least a year or more to heal.
Taking revenge myself is impossible. I only ask that you help me kill that fiend Feng Xieyun to avenge me. I would be eternally grateful!"
Chen Yuan clasped his hands. "Rest assured, Lord Du. Feng Xieyun will not leave this place alive!"
’If Feng Xieyun didn’t die, how could he seize the Blood Spirit Scripture?’
’It didn’t matter whether the other members of the Blood God Sect lived or died, but Feng Xieyun alone was his target.’
"By the way, Lord Chen, be careful of Feng Xieyun’s third eye."
Du Tianfeng pointed to the spot between his own eyebrows. "Feng Xieyun has a mark between his brows, like a vertical eye. I thought it was just an ordinary tattoo, so I paid it no mind.
But at the critical moment, that vertical eye suddenly split open and unleashed a powerful, otherworldly blast of blood-red light that wounded me severely. That must be his ultimate killing move."
Chen Yuan nodded and led the group straight to the Lin Family estate.
On the way, Chen Yuan asked for more details about the Lin Family.
The Lin Family had a long history, having developed in Pian Guan City for over 280 years. It could be said that nearly every business in the entire city was connected to them in some way.
Furthermore, almost none of the Lin Family’s six Sea of Reincarnation Realm Martial Artists were elderly; all were in the prime of their lives.
Chen Yuan specifically asked about this and learned that the Lin Family had no "old ancestor" figure, which he found rather strange.
Normally, Jianghu forces willing to collude with the Blood God Sect did so for two main reasons.
One was for power, and the other was to extend their lifespan.
The Blood God Sect couldn’t grant power directly, but they could help eliminate people you wanted dead.
For example, the reason the four families in Linyuan City had such a smooth smuggling business was because Gu Hongyuan had helped them eliminate many obstacles.
The second reason—extending one’s lifespan—was even more alluring.
It was difficult for Martial Artists below the Primordial Pill Realm to reach their natural lifespan limit. Even if one cultivated the Martial Dao continuously and never suffered any internal injuries, they would reach their end at around 130 or 140 years of age.
Moreover, during this time, they would enter a period of Qi Blood decline around the age of one hundred. Even the best self-care could only slightly delay this process.
But the Blood Exchange Secret Technique was different. As long as one exchanged blood with a young disciple of their direct bloodline within the family, a single exchange could extend their lifespan by at least a year.
A body could withstand at least twenty or thirty such exchanges, which was equivalent to living an extra twenty to thirty years.
For most people, this temptation was powerful enough.
But the Lin Family had no such old ancestor figure. ’Could it be that they were willing to risk collaborating with the Blood God Sect purely for its power?’
Mulling over this question, the group arrived at the gate of the Lin Family’s estate.
The Lin Family dominated Pian Guan City, and their estate was naturally built to be exceptionally luxurious.
The entire street was taken up by their compound, which contained everything from pavilions and waterside gazebos to gardens and storied towers.
Chen Yuan arrived at the Lin Family estate with Lu Wenxing, some elites from the Pian Guan Town Garrison Mansion, and others, totaling about a hundred men. The Lin Family had naturally noticed such a large-scale mobilization long before they arrived.
So, just as Chen Yuan’s group arrived, the Lin Family opened their main gates to greet them.
At the forefront stood a man in his fifties dressed in ornate robes, a Martial Artist at the Sea Realm Late Stage. This was the Lin Family Patriarch, Lin Jingcheng.
"May I ask what business brings you esteemed lords of Zhenwu Hall to my Lin Family?"
Lin Jingcheng clasped his hands in salute but directed his gaze toward Fei Bin, his eyes holding a questioning look.
Of everyone present, he was most familiar with Fei Bin.
When Fei Bin had first taken office, his attitude toward the Lin Family had been utterly servile. He had even personally brought gifts to their door, hoping the Lin Family would cooperate with tax collection and help him secure his position as Guardian Envoy.
But now, this same Fei Bin had come to his doorstep with such menacing force, causing Lin Jingcheng’s gaze to turn hostile.
Fei Bin’s gaze flickered evasively as he pointed at Chen Yuan. "I’m not the one in charge right now. This Lord Chen is."
Lin Jingcheng shifted his gaze to Chen Yuan, a gentle smile on his face. "I recognize most of the lords from Zhenwu Hall, but I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure of meeting you, Lord Chen.
May I ask why you’ve come so aggressively to my Lin Family with so many White Tiger Guards?"
Chen Yuan had no interest in exchanging pleasantries. He said directly, "Patriarch Lin, you must be aware that the Blood God Sect has appeared in Ning Province. I suspect the Lin Family is colluding with them, so I hope you’ll be sensible and open your doors for a search!"
As soon as he said this, the members of the Lin Family erupted in an uproar.
"Nonsense!"
"How outrageous!"
"The Lin Family has always acted with integrity. How could we possibly be colluding with the Blood God Sect?"
Lin Jingcheng waved a hand, silencing the members of his family.
The smile vanished from his face. He frowned and asked, "May I ask, Lord Chen, do you have any evidence for this claim that my family is colluding with the Blood God Sect?"
Chen Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly and sneered. "Patriarch Lin, that’s a rather idiotic question.
If I had evidence, I would be cutting off your head right now, not wasting time telling you I need to search your home."
"Insolent! Who gave you the nerve to speak to my father like that?"
Beside Lin Jingcheng, a pretty young woman in her twenties with an arrogant air pointed at Chen Yuan, her face contorted with fury.
"Yingying, stand down!"
Lin Jingcheng reprimanded his daughter before turning to Chen Yuan with a grim expression.
"Lord Chen, I know that the Blood God Sect is an evil that everyone has the right to destroy, and that Zhenwu Hall’s efforts to exterminate them are for the good of the Ning Province Jianghu.
However, the Lin Family is, after all, a century-old Noble Family. We have our reputation to uphold. If we were to let Zhenwu Hall search our home at will, what would become of our honor?"
The surrounding Lin Family Martial Artists also began to cry out in protest, denouncing Zhenwu Hall for acting without propriety, being tyrannical, unreasonable, and so on.
Chen Yuan frowned slightly.
’These Lin Family members seemed a little too self-righteous.’
’They acted as if they truly had no connection to the Blood God Sect. It was unlike the Sun Family, whose unease he had sensed the moment he arrived at their door.’