“Ahahahaahahhaaa.” Fenghua released her laughter as she recalled how ugly Teng Wuba’s face was.
Next to her, Leng Junfeng also wanted to laugh since Teng Wuba was part of the Teng Family, his nemesis, but on the other hand, he sympathized with the man. His bride running away on the day of the wedding, what man would be able to endure the humiliation? Under these two conflicting emotions, Leng Junfeng’s face was stuck in a strange expression.
“Teacher, maybe you should lower your voice. What if other people hear this and report it to the Teng Family?” Leng Junfeng said, worried.
Fenghua stopped her laughing and gave Leng Junfeng a strange look. “Do you think that I, your teacher, is afraid of a mere Teng Family?”
“How could that be?” Leng Junfeng immediately denied it. “It’s just that we came representing the Gong Ducal Establishment. I don’t want to drag Duke Gong down because of my personal matters.”
Seeing this, Fenghua no longer laughed. It didn’t take long for the two to arrive back at the ducal establishment with their speed, but Leng Junfeng discovered a surprising figure outside the gates.
“Miss Wang?”
Fenghua also recognized her. She was Wang Meilin, Leng Junfeng’s former fiancée.
“Brother Fengjun!” Wang Meilin ran into Leng Junfeng’s arms with a face full of tears. “You have to help me. You have to!”
Leng Junfeng stilled for a moment, not expecting Wang Meilin’s actions, but he quickly composed himself. “Miss Wang, calm down and explain. If it’s something that I can help you with, I will definitely help you.”
“No! Unless you promise, I won’t let go!” Wang Meilin stubbornly said, grasping Leng Junfeng even harder.
Helpless, Leng Junfeng could only agree first to get the girl to calm down. Once she calmed down, Leng Junfeng brought her inside of the mansion allotted to him by Duke Gong. There, after calming down with a cup of warm tea, she explained her story.
“My father sold me.” Wang Meilin bitterly said.
“Uncle Wang sold you?!” Leng Junfeng blurted out without thinking. Moments later, he quickly schooled his face, afraid that he had exposed too much.
“How did you know my father was also surnamed Wang?” Wang Meilin looked at Leng Junfeng and asked, but she quickly gave an out for him. “Oh right, I told you my surname was Wang, so it’s not weird for you to call him Uncle Wang.”
Leng Junfeng inwardly released a sigh of relief, glad that his true identity hadn’t been exposed. “Can you explain?”
In Leng Junfeng’s memories, Wang Ming wasn’t such a person. Wang Meilin’s mother died young, and her father treasured her as the pearl in his palm. He couldn’t even imagine Wang Ming selling Meilin like those ruthless fathers in rumors.
“Father, he sold me to the Teng Family!” Tears started to gather at the corner of Wang Meilin’s eyes, but she desperately forced them not to fall. “In exchange, they will help him enter the Acupoint Opening Realm and become a martial grandmaster.”
Leng Junfeng frowned. He knew that Wang Ming desperately desired to enter the Acupoint Opening Realm. He recalled his father using numerous treasures to help Wang Ming. If Wang Ming became a martial grandmaster, it would also be a good thing for the Leng Clan. He just never expected Wang Ming to be obsessive to the point of selling his daughter.
“Why would the Teng Clan help your father for your hand in marriage?” Leng Junfeng saw things clearly. Even if Wang Ming was willing, why would the Teng Clan be willing? There must be some other factors.
“That’s—! I don’t know. Daddy just suddenly told me I got engaged.” Leng Junfeng didn’t believe Wang Meilin’s words, but he didn’t dispel her lies either. After chatting some more, he got a servant to give her a room to spend the night.
Once she was gone, Leng Junfeng’s face became completely grim and gloomy. Now that he realized that Wang Ming had a relationship with the Teng Family, some matters of the past also needed to be re-examined.
Although Leng Junfeng was the patriarch’s son, he was not privy to many secrets of the Leng Clan due to not being able to cultivate. However, after he had combed through his memories of the clan’s destruction, Leng Junfeng discovered some suspicious points.
For one, the invaders knew far too much about the defensive layout of the clan grounds for them not to have a spy and one that had a relatively high position at that. Secondly, the alarms of the clan were never activated, and by the time anyone knew what was going on, there was already a river of blood flowing. And finally, the intruders knew where most of the clan’s secret vaults were, something that not even Leng Junfeng was privy to. In fact, he only learned of them when he came back to the clan after its destruction.
Leng Junfeng had thought it was a traitor to the clan. Just thinking of the traitor made his blood boil. Betraying one’s own blood and sending his clan to the depths of hell, how cold must that person’s blood be?
But now, Leng Junfeng had another suspicion. Compared to a clan member betraying the clan, it was more likely that an outsider would. Also, since he hadn’t been able to find traces of any other Leng Clan survivors, even with the aid of the Shanxi House, it was unlikely that one of his fellow clan members had been the traitor.
‘I’ll have to have a ‘nice’ talk with Uncle Wang.’ Leng Junfeng thought darkly. Soon, his thoughts turned towards Wang Meilin, and a complicated expression appeared on his face. If his conjecture was true, then Meilin was his enemy’s daughter!
With a sigh, Leng Junfeng discussed his conjectures and feelings with Fenghua, and his teacher’s response surprised him. “So what? Wang Ming is Wang Ming, and Wang Meilin is Wang Meilin. Why must the sins of the parent fall to the child?”
Although the principle seemed simple, how many people could let go of their hatred? However, Leng Junfeng’s feelings became much better after hearing Fenghua’s response. Fenghua knew that Leng Junfeng only wanted to hear that he wasn’t wrong for not hating Wang Meilin because he felt guilty for his dead clansmen.
“But why would the Teng Family want Meilin as a bride?” This was one point that Leng Junfeng couldn’t figure out, no matter how many twists and turns he went through in his mind.
“Because she has a heavenly spiritual water root.” Fenghua easily answered. While Leng Junfeng and Wang Meilin were talking, Fenghua used her spiritual sense to scan Wang Meilin’s body. Of course, the scan was not as thorough as using a tool or specialized technique, but it was enough.
“Heavenly water spiritual vein?” Leng Junfeng repeated. He knew that he had a heavenly wood spiritual vein, but the Allfist Realm did not have any widely available methods to detect spiritual veins, so one will only know how talented they are after embarking on the path of martial cultivation. Given how rare such methods were, Leng Junfeng didn’t understand the significance of having a heavenly water spiritual vein. But Fenghua did.
‘Geez, I know I said that he is a protagonist, but this really proves it. In the Allfist Realm, with its low density of spiritual qi, the number of heavenly spiritual vein holders should be less than ten. But two of them are the same age and even childhood friends. It’s like there is a secret mastermind behind all of this arranging their destinies.’ Fenghua complained in her mind. Even in the Buzhou Immortal Sect, a disciple with a heavenly spiritual vein would only come once in fifty to a hundred years on average.
“I don’t know if it is the situation I think it is, but if the Teng Family has some technique or tool to detect spiritual veins, then it most likely,” Fenghua explained.
“Hmm, I recall that all the descendants that the Teng Family sent to cultivate are decently talented. Comparatively, the ratio of cultivators to non-cultivators is higher than other families.” Leng Junfeng said, bringing more credibility to Fenghua’s thoughts.
“That isn’t important. What’s more important for you to know is that through a devilish method, another person can absorb the cultivation of a female that has a spiritual water vein.” Fenghua said. ‘You’d think there’d be one where a female absorbs male with water spiritual vein, but nope.’
Leng Junfeng’s face paled. “That means!”
“Hold on. This is just a hypothesis.” Fenghua said, calming Leng Junfeng down. “But if it is true, then you have bigger problems. Since the method is unknown, it is likely that the Teng Family somehow gained an inheritance from a higher realm, and one from a devilish lineage at that.”
Leng Junfeng’s face became more severe the longer Fenghua spoke, but she wasn’t done yet. “Also, thinking deeper. For such good stuff, why would Teng Shifang give it to his grandson?”
Fenghua continued analyzing. “Although I haven’t seen him personally, I heard that he has been a peak grandmaster for a long time. In my view, he has a high chance of breaking through the limits and ascending to a higher realm. It is not that Wang Meilin’s spiritual root isn’t helpful, but it would take too long for her to cultivate to a realm that can benefit him. So why not give the opportunity to his grandson and have him succeed the Teng Family after Teng Shifang leaves?”
Through gnashed teeth, Leng Junfeng forced out words. “That.Bastard! Does Wang Ming know of this!?”
Fenghua shook her head. “It’s not likely. Well, as long as you defeat the Teng Family, none of this will matter, but before then, you have to keep that lass away from them.”
Leng Junfeng nodded, and within his eyes was renewed determination. Not only for the vengeance of his clan but to protect his childhood sweetheart, too.
‘Tsk, tsk. The Teng Family is a perfect template for the villain for the Allfist Realm. Not only did they kill the protagonist’s family, but they are even practicing devilish arts. This practically makes Junfeng one hundred percent on the side of justice and righteousness.’ Although she had no concrete proof, her intuition told her that her hypothesis was correct.
Leng Junfeng slumped into deep thought and clutched his head moments later. “What should I do? In a few weeks, I’m going to go off to battle with the Gu Dynasty. It’s not like I can take her with me, but if I leave her here, I’ll feel worried.”
“Why can’t you?” Fenghua asked as if it was obvious. “She’s a martial warrior too, so the battlefield would be okay for her. Besides, even Teng Shifang’s reach shouldn’t have encroached into the military.”
Most rulers would not allow external factors to influence their control over the army, with the exception of stupid or incompetent ones. The only time it would be allowed would be that the other party was too strong, but Fenghua doesn’t think that Teng Shifang’s power has reached this point.
Leng Junfeng still had a look of worry, making Fenghua sigh. “Fine, I’ll watch over her to protect her if anything happens.”
With Fenghua’s guarantee, Leng Junfeng brought the idea to Wang Meilin. Although she was initially suspicious, once Fenghua revealed a hint of her superior cultivation, Wang Meilin’s attitude changed one hundred and eighty degrees. It was to the point that she begged Fenghua to take her as a disciple.
Fenghua was beginning to regret her promise now.
Weeks later, Fenghua, Wang Meilin in disguise, and Leng Junfeng marched towards battle with Duke Gong and his personal army. Well, Fenghua rode on a flying carriage she refined. Make her travel on a bumpy road, you wish! As a side benefit, with Fenghua’s flying carriage, the army’s imposing aura became stronger because everyone who saw it knew there was a martial grandmaster with them. In the Allfist Realm, only martial grandmasters were able to fly, although their flying meant riding on a flying artifact like a sword or carriage instead of true flight.
Fenghua didn’t plan to take action herself. In her eyes, this was a trial and chance for Leng Junfeng to mature and grow. Who knows, maybe his martial arts would improve after going through a baptism of blood.
Under Fenghua’s umbrella of protection, the group quickly arrived at the battlefield with no delays.
