Chapter Sixty-Five: The Power of Taoist Arts

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After departing from Prince Rongqing's banquet, Lin Feng walked alone into the garden, seeking to calm himself and ponder in solitude. Prince Rongqing, Luo Danwen, was a man of unfathomable power, with peerless methods for winning hearts; Ye Ziyin working with such a person was akin to negotiating with a tiger. In this world, to share mutual interests with another, one must pay a sufficient price—yet Ye Ziyin possessed neither influence nor authority. What then did Prince Rongqing truly value?

Was it merely his identity? Lin Feng could not be sure. The struggles of the mundane world were far more complex than he had imagined. In that moment, he found himself yearning for Mount Qiyun, longing for Du Songsong, missing that ruined cottage, the snakevine valley and its every blade of grass, and above all, that beautiful figure.

“Has your wound healed?” A gentle voice called from behind, breaking his reverie.

“Oh, it’s nothing serious. Just a flesh wound,” Lin Feng replied, turning to see Xia Tong standing gracefully in a pale red dress. Under the moonlight, she looked especially enchanting. He quickly turned back, absent-mindedly gazing at the shifting shadows in the flowerbeds ahead.

“Why don’t you dare look at me?”

“No, it’s not that,” Lin Feng answered quietly.

“The day of the Zhai Horse Festival, you refused to choose; now, I stand here alone, and you still won’t lower yourself to take me in? Is your heart truly so cold?” Xia Tong’s voice trembled as her face, pale in the moonlight, fixed Lin Feng’s back with a gaze as deep as water.

“I... I’m sorry...” Lin Feng bowed his head, unable to utter another word.

Xia Tong stared at the youth before her. Her tightly clenched hands slowly relaxed, and then she smiled softly, saying, “I understand now...” Turning resolutely, she walked away, leaving nothing behind but a lingering scent in the night.

After a long while, Lin Feng raised his head and sighed heavily...

At dawn the next day, Lin Feng and Nie Xuan each rode a thousand-mile steed, racing toward Yiyang. According to Prince Rongqing’s intelligence, Imperial Envoy Pang Yun and his party had not yet entered Yiyang City. The court’s lavish carriage always traveled slowly, observing numerous formalities along the way, covering only a hundred miles each day.

Though their task as reception personnel was light, both men had prepared thoroughly. The pear-blossom spear hung by the horse’s side, the demon-jiao bow was strapped to the saddle, and a long sword girded their waists. Fully armed, were it not for steeds like Red Wind, the weight alone would have crippled ordinary horses. Yet Red Wind galloped on tirelessly, showing not the slightest sign of weariness.

The Mengliang official road was flat and wide, perfect for riding. Half a day later, a hundred miles from Yiyang City, they dismounted, tying thick cloth around their horses’ hooves, and advanced quietly.

An hour passed. Along the winding road, a convoy of men and horses slowly appeared in the distance.

“Take the side path!” Nie Xuan, experienced in the ways of the martial world, whispered to Lin Feng. With a flick of their reins, they slipped into the nearby woods, trailing the convoy at a distance of one mile. Chu Can and Chu Yu, the brothers, took a different route; their mounts could not compare to Lin Feng and Nie Xuan’s Red Wind and Dilu, so they had not yet caught up.

Another half hour passed. Dust rose on the road as the Chu brothers arrived, galloping straight for the convoy, intent on an audacious attack on the imperial envoy!

“These two are far too arrogant! Let’s see what they’re capable of.” Hiding their horses in the woods, Lin Feng and Nie Xuan crept forward.

From afar, the imperial envoy’s convoy halted. Several armed guards looked back, armored and booted, their temples bulging, eyes sharp as hawks—clearly seasoned experts. The convoy consisted of only three carriages, apart from the guards and the officials leading the way.

“Something’s amiss! Must be that old rogue Prince Rongqing’s men again!” The lead guard raised his head and shouted, “Protect His Excellency!”

“No need to panic, just two thieves. I’ll deal with them myself.” A hoarse voice called from the last carriage. The curtain moved, and an old man appeared beside the guards, leaning on a curved staff. Tall and imposing, with a black beard and face, dressed in a large blue robe and cloth shoes, his ordinary appearance belied a sense of hidden power.

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At the old man’s appearance, the guards all breathed a sigh of relief. The leader bowed deeply: “Thank you, Master Qiu! With you here, no matter how many men Prince Rongqing sends, it’s useless.”

“Hmph! If not for Master Qiu, would this envoy even have a life left to return to the Grand Tutor?” From the central carriage came the angry roar of Imperial Envoy Pang Yun.

Not a single guard dared make a sound. Just then, two horsemen shot forth like arrows, closing rapidly. The Chu brothers drew their swords, cold gleaming in the moonlight, murderous intent erupting!

As the steeds thundered closer, the guards’ fingers trembled on their sword hilts, Adam’s apples bobbing, brows twitching incessantly. “Ha ha! Die!” The Chu brothers charged side by side, aiming to break the convoy’s formation with their wild mounts, then slaughter everyone one by one. Arrogant! Even Lin Feng, hidden in the woods, felt they were too domineering.

“Shattering Gold Stone!” Master Qiu’s eyes widened. Gripping his staff with one hand, he swiftly formed a seal with the other. With a thunderous boom, the earth road split apart; a massive boulder, the size of a stone lion, rose up out of nowhere, smashing head-on into the two charging horses.

Crunch! The tremendous force snapped both horses’ necks; after agonized cries, they collapsed in pools of blood. The Chu brothers, furious, leaped high as the stone appeared, blades flashing, simultaneously attacking the old man.

Master Qiu moved unhurriedly, his staff sweeping a streak of black toward Chu Yu, hands rapidly forming seals. “Blazing Flame Wind!”

A surge of orange-red energy burst from his hand, roaring upward, twisting into a vortex of scorching heat, enveloping Chu Can as he charged! Master Qiu’s two moves were executed effortlessly, striking at the very moment his opponents could not evade, aiming to kill one instantly!

Buzz! Chu Yu parried the weapon, his sword’s momentum shifting, conjuring dozens of phantom blades like a peacock spreading its tail, slashing down at Master Qiu once more.

Master Qiu sidestepped calmly, letting the blade strike only his arm. “Bang! Bang!” The great blue robe shredded into countless fragments, fluttering down like willow catkins. Beneath the tattered garment, a bright new suit of soft armor was revealed, shimmering silver like a mirror, faintly circled by talismanic energy, protecting his entire body!

“Silver Talisman Armor!” Nie Xuan, crouched in the grass, nearly groaned aloud.

Its quality was evident at a glance; forged from silver sand and inscribed with talismanic formations, not only ordinary blades but even sword or blade energy would struggle to pierce it without significant power. Chu Yu was the proof.

Chu Can, struck by Blazing Flame Wind, screamed and tumbled to the ground, rolling desperately to extinguish the flames engulfing him.

Stunned after striking Master Qiu, Chu Yu launched a frenzied assault, shouting, “Old dog, today I’ll take your head!”

A curtain of blades rained down, carrying stardust to grind the old man’s head—this move, “Meteor Through Earth,” was a standard killing technique from the Star Sword Sect.

Master Qiu sneered in silence, his feet moving like the wind, dodging skillfully, fingers weaving seals without pause. Amidst his evasions, he unleashed a powerful counterattack! A bronze giant, nearly ten feet tall, appeared out of thin air, gripping a massive golden hammer, smashing down ferociously from behind Chu Yu! The bronze man’s face was like Maitreya, limbs agile, weighing at least six or seven thousand pounds, the seven-foot hammer radiating dense murderous aura.

Boom! Chu Yu, reversing his sword to block, saw only a golden blur before he was smashed to pieces, body and sword obliterated, blood and brains splattering everywhere.

“Hmph! Such trickery in an assassination—do they think nothing of my Golden Blaze Sect?” Master Qiu waved his hand, dismissing the bronze figure. Glancing at the half-burned Chu Can, he barked, “Take him! When we reach Yiyang, interrogate him thoroughly!”

When he finished, Master Qiu deliberately looked toward Lin Feng and Nie Xuan’s hiding place, sneered, and turned to leave.

“That old man’s skill is profound; he’s nearing the Foundation stage. His mastery of the Five Elements Daoist arts is formidable—we’re no match for him,” Nie Xuan whispered.

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“Let’s give it a try. If it doesn’t work, we retreat. Remember, we have the treasured bow—Nie, cover me!” said Lin Feng.

“Agreed. We can’t let this trip go to waste! Mount up!” Nie Xuan drew his sword, and the two flashed out from the woods.

Thud, thud, thud! The horses’ cloth-wrapped hooves thundered like drums as they charged at full speed. Master Qiu stood with hands behind his back, watching the oncoming riders with cold indifference.

A hundred paces, eighty, fifty, thirty! The divine steeds moved faster than shooting stars, yet Master Qiu remained unfazed, his armor gleaming in the sunlight, reflecting dazzling light, almost godlike!

“Your death is at hand!” Still hoping to wait for the right moment, Master Qiu made a fatal error. Nie Xuan, riding ahead, skillfully blocked his line of sight. When only ten paces remained, Lin Feng suddenly lay flat on the horse’s back, spinning around to draw the treasured bow, nocking, pulling, and releasing in one fluid motion!

Nie Xuan, sensing his intent, sharply turned the reins, swerving his horse past Master Qiu’s left side just a few paces from the convoy.

Boom! Another, somewhat smaller, Shattering Gold Stone missed Nie by half a foot.

At that moment, a great terror seized Master Qiu’s heart; he turned, unleashing Blazing Flame Wind.

Twang! A beam of golden light pierced the flames, surging through the heat, heading straight for Master Qiu’s forehead.

In his pupils, only the massive golden light flying through the sea of fire remained, his face frozen in shocked disbelief at death.

Leaping through the flames, Lin Feng jumped from his horse, rolling urgently on the ground, his blue robe burned to tatters.

Nie Xuan, delighted, pointed his sword at the guards and shouted, “Pang Yun, come out! Spare your life!”

“Is that so? You dare utter such wild words after slaughtering the envoy’s guards?” A cold voice came from the first carriage. The curtain shifted slightly, and a figure of incomparable clarity stepped onto the ground.

Her attire was simple, her hair in clouds, clad in a jade-colored skirt. She exuded a fresh, cool aura, with a hint of chill.

“It’s her!” Lin Feng’s heart jolted, then raced wildly.

Leng Linglan!