The palm struck the golden light, producing a muffled sound like a great bell echoing.
Yet the golden light remained completely unshaken.
The sinister middle-aged man's pupils constricted. With a vicious whip kick laden with the formidable killing power of a Grandmaster, he targeted Zhou Ling's waist directly!
Thud!
Another muffled sound.
The golden light still showed not the slightest ripple.
Yun Feng smiled faintly:
"Don't waste your effort."
"This is a protective amulet crafted jointly by my nine masters."
"Even I would find it very difficult to break."
Enveloped within the golden light, Zhou Ling was utterly terrified.
After a long while, she finally recovered her wits and asked with a trembling voice:
"This amulet... has this kind of function?"
"Master never told us..."
Yun Feng shrugged:
"I only discovered the mystery of this amulet yesterday when I was bathing with you and tinkering with it."
"Master is biased and didn't give me one!"
Between laughter and tears, Zhou Ling rolled her eyes:
"Do you need one?!"
At that moment, the sinister middle-aged man was in no mood whatsoever to listen to the junior brother and senior sister flirt!
His head was buzzing!
Slipping away at the heels, he spun around and bolted!
This Grandmaster moved with extreme speed.
Yet Yun Feng was even faster!
Before he could escape through the gates of the City Lord's Mansion, Yun Feng arrived ahead of time, blocking the Grandmaster's path.
"You killed the City Lord, so I have no choice but to ask you..."
Yun Feng sneered:
"Which Prince was it that killed the Yun Family seven years ago?"
A ferocious look surfaced between the sinister middle-aged man's brows, and he roared:
"Young man, I advise you not to push your luck!"
"I am a Grandmaster too, and I am not old! My Qi and Blood Power is equally vibrant!"
"Are you really going to force me into a fight?"
Yun Feng raised an eyebrow and smiled:
"A fight?"
"You can try."
With a furious roar, the sinister middle-aged man punched straight at Yun Feng's face!
Yun Feng neither dodged nor evaded, not even making a parrying movement.
He let the Grandmaster's punch slam squarely into his face!
Boom!
A roaring sound exploded across Yun Feng's face.
Knocked back two steps, Yun Feng steadied his stance and smiled as he looked at the dumbfounded Grandmaster not far away:
"With just this bit of strength, you still want to fight me?"
With a vacant gaze, the sinister middle-aged man muttered under his breath:
"How is this possible..."
"You... you are not a Grandmaster!"
"What realm are you in, exactly?"
"You are only eighteen years old, how could you possibly reach this realm?!"
With a faint smile, Yun Feng vanished and reappeared directly in front of the sinister middle-aged man the very next instant.
Grasping him by the throat, a cold light flashed violently in Yun Feng's eyes as he demanded in a stern voice:
"Tell me, which Prince was it?"
The sinister middle-aged man trembled, a trace of despair welling up in his eyes, and he smiled bitterly:
"Do it."
"I accept my fate."
"But if you want me to betray the Prince and bring down a killing deity like you upon his head, that is absolutely impossible."
"The Prince saved my life, and with my death today, I fulfill the path of loyalty!"
Yun Feng sneered:
"Want to die?"
"In my hands, even wanting to die is difficult!"
Swish, swish, swish!
From his accompanying needle pouch, a golden radiance shot forth, and golden needles swarmed out one after another, landing successively upon every acupuncture point across the sinister middle-aged man's body!
Yun Feng intended to use endless pain to pry open this Grandmaster's mouth!
A resolute look flashed through the sinister middle-aged man's eyes.
Quietly, he crushed a microchip implanted beneath the skin of his palm.
Bang!
A muffled sound exploded from within his skull!
In an instant, the middle-aged man's eyes bulged, blood streamed from his seven orifices, and his head deformed!
He died on the spot!
He had actually implanted a miniature bomb inside his own brain for the purpose of suicide!
Yun Feng was momentarily stunned.
Such high-tech methods truly exceeded his expectations.
With his brain blasted into tiny fragments, even Yun Feng could not save this Grandmaster!
Yun Feng's expression grew gloomy by degrees.
"The Li Family is destroyed, the Chen Family is destroyed."
"The City Lord is dead, and this Prince's retainer has committed suicide..."
"My leads are all cut off?"
"I only know it was a Prince of Shenzhou, but there are dozens of Shenzhou Princes. How am I supposed to find him?"
"Damn it!" Yun Feng struck the nearby door pillar with a punch.
The tall and magnificent doors of the Haicheng City Lord's Mansion collapsed with a crash.
Zhou Ling stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Yun Feng's muscular arm, comforting him:
"It's okay, Xiaofeng."
"Though the leads are cut off, we have made some progress after all."
"The range of suspects has been narrowed down to a few dozen people."
"Senior Sister will look for them with you, and we will definitely drag out the person who set up the trap seven years ago!"
Yun Feng took a deep breath and slowly nodded:
"Senior Sister is right."
"At least it's not a complete dead end."
"At worst, I will go knocking on doors one by one to 'visit' these Princes."
Hearing Yun Feng say this, Zhou Ling drew a sharp breath in her heart.
She had no doubt that Yun Feng could pull it off.
Yet if he did that, the entire Shenzhou would be churned into complete chaos by Yun Feng alone!
"We still have many methods. Unless it's an absolute last resort, don't make enemies everywhere..."
Zhou Ling repeatedly consoled him:
"Tomorrow I'll ask my business friends to gather information in this regard."
"You mustn't be impatient."
Letting out a long sigh, Yun Feng temporarily suppressed the hatred and fury in his heart.
Turning around, he and Zhou Ling paid their respects to his parents' memorial tablets. Looking at the blood-soaked City Lord's Mansion, Yun Feng sighed in disillusionment:
"You opened fire on me."
"I originally intended to kill you."
"But I'm not in the mood anymore, and you were merely performing your duties."
"Forget it."
With that, Yun Feng pulled Zhou Ling along, cradling his parents' spirit tablets, and strode away.
The ten Inspection Bureau agents hiding in the shadows looked at one another in dismay and swallowed hard in unison...
That was a ruthless figure who had even killed the City Lord of Haicheng!
The ten of them had actually managed to escape with their lives by sheer luck...
What immense fortune!
...
In another city hundreds of miles away.
Inside a resplendent princely estate.
The study door was pushed open respectfully, and an elderly butler hurried inside.
"Your Highness, the matter in Haicheng has been settled."
A scholarly-looking middle-aged man put down the newspaper in his hand and looked up at his butler.
The old butler bowed and said:
"The Grandmaster we sent is dead."
"He died by suicide using a micro-bomb implanted in his brain."
"The City Lord of Haicheng is dead as well."
"According to the accounts of the surviving inspection agents who participated in the operation at the scene, that Yun Feng possesses incomparably formidable combat power."
"He was able to withstand the bombardment of sniper rifle bullets head-on."
"Faced with the Grandmaster we sent, Yun Feng completely crushed him."
"Oh?" The scholarly Prince raised an eyebrow and muttered indifferently:
"Could he be..."
"In the Dongming Realm?"
Chapter 36: You Are a Virgin
A young man radiating martial vigor pushed open the door and stepped into the Prince's study.
"Greetings, Your Highness." The man bowed respectfully to the Prince.
The Prince nodded with a smile:
"God of War Lieyang, please dispense with the formalities. Sit."
The God of War did not stand on ceremony, pulling out a chair and sitting down opposite the Prince.
A servant served tea, and only then did the Prince speak:
"The God of War has just recovered from severe injuries, and I imagine it is not advisable for you to return to the battlefield just yet."
"As it happens, the position of City Lord in Haicheng is vacant, and the God of War can do me a favor along the way..."
Cupid his fists, the God of War Lieyang smiled:
"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness."
"Please give your orders, Your Highness."
The Prince smiled warmly, though his words concealed murderous intent:
"There is a young man named Yun Feng in Haicheng."
"No matter what method you use, help me kill him."
The God of War Lieyang raised an eyebrow:
"Oh?"
"Able to catch Your Highness's attention, is this person extremely high in realm?"
The Prince slowly shook his head and said:
"I sent a Grandmaster, but he was killed by this Yun Feng in a crushing manner."
"I suspect he might be in the Dongming Realm..."
Hearing the words "Dongming Realm," the God of War Lieyang straightened up involuntarily:
"A wild Dongming Realm expert?"
"Quite a rarity."
"Fine, I will go meet this fellow for Your Highness!"
While the two were speaking, a stunning woman carrying a soup tureen walked in with lotus steps.
"What secrets are Your Highness and my brother discussing again?"
With a light smile, the stunning woman handed the soup tureen in her hand to the Prince.
Looking at the woman, the Prince wore an expression of pampering fondness:
"Hanyue, I was just telling Lieyang to go to Haicheng to serve as City Lord for a while and incidentally help me eliminate an enemy."
This woman was also one of Shenzhou's Gods of War, named Hanyue.
Now, this Hanyue War God held yet another identity.
She was none other than the fiancée of the Prince before her.
The God of War Hanyue asked in surprise:
"Your Highness's enemy?"
The Prince gave a concise and comprehensive summary of the Haicheng incident.
Hanyue nodded slightly:
"In that case, I will go with my brother."
"Once the matter in Haicheng is resolved, I shall return just in time to marry Your Highness."
The Prince teased:
"Then the two of you had better move quickly."
"Otherwise, I will fall sick from longing."
...
Not long after Yun Feng and Zhou Ling returned to the villa, Liu Ruoxue also pushed the door open and entered. Her delicate brows were furrowed tightly as she asked in a low voice:
"What on earth happened in Haicheng today?"
"Why is the entire Inspection Bureau running around like mad?"
"And my grandfather won't let me go to work..."
Sighing, Zhou Ling said:
"The City Lord is dead."
"Naturally, Haicheng is in chaos."
Hearing this, Liu Ruoxue was struck with shock.
Recalling Yun Feng's arrest warrant and how the two of them had left together that morning, she looked at Yun Feng with utter disbelief and asked:
"It couldn't possibly be..."
"You did it, could you?"
Yun Feng let out a faint hum:
"That bastard of a City Lord was inextricably involved in the Yun Family tragedy back then."
"He even dared to make a move on my Senior Sister and went so far as to utter insults against her."
"Dying like that is letting him off too easily."
Hearing Yun Feng tacitly admit to it, Liu Ruoxue felt numb all over...
Little Linger's junior brother...
He really is a ruthless individual...
Looking somewhat worried, Zhou Ling asked:
"Ruoxue, Shenzhou won't send people to encircle and suppress Yun Feng, will they?"
Liu Ruoxue smiled bitterly:
"High-tier martial artists have always held very high status in Shenzhou."
"As for what happens next, I don't know."
"However, Yun Feng's arrest warrant has just been canceled..."
Yun Feng let out a faint hum:
"Consider them sensible."
"It was worth me showing great benevolence and letting those ten bastards who fired at me go."
As they spoke, the takeout ordered by Zhou Ling arrived.
While the three of them ate, Liu Ruoxue looked thoughtfully at Yun Feng and asked cautiously:
"Yun Feng..."
"Do you know how to treat lung diseases?"
Without even lifting his eyelids, Yun Feng replied:
"I do."
Liu Ruoxue's expression lit up with joy:
"My grandfather's cough is getting worse and worse."
"Can you help examine my grandfather..."
Before she could finish, Yun Feng shook his head and refused:
"No."
Liu Ruoxue froze, asking in disbelief:
"Why?"
Given her appearance and family background, whenever she made any request, no one had ever refused!
This Yun Feng was actually the first man to turn her down!
Yun Feng shrugged:
"Too lazy to go."
Liu Ruoxue choked on the spot.
Gently squeezing Liu Ruoxue's petite hand, Zhou Ling smiled and said:
"Yun Feng's investigation lead just got cut off, so he's in a bad mood. Don't blame him."
Turning to Yun Feng, Zhou Ling added:
"Xiaofeng, Ruoxue is my best friend. I often went to her house to eat when I was little."
"I've also met her grandfather; he is a very kind elder."
"I originally wanted to invite Second Senior Sister, but she has been extremely busy lately and hasn't been able to spare the time."
"Could you make a trip?"
Leaning close to Yun Feng's ear, Zhou Ling whispered in a very low voice:
"The Liu Family is one of the prominent families in Haicheng, and Grandfather Liu has been very active in the Capital in recent years, holding immense connections."
"During this period, the Liu Family has stayed out of the affair and rarely interacted with the Haicheng City Lord in ordinary times."
"You've made many enemies in Haicheng. While you aren't afraid, it's ultimately not a good thing."
"If you can befriend the Liu Family this time, it will be immensely helpful both to you and to your subsequent tracking of the leads."
Looking into Zhou Ling's earnest eyes, Yun Feng sighed softly and nodded:
"Alright."
"For my Senior Sister's sake."
"However..."
Turning his gaze to Liu Ruoxue, Yun Feng said seriously:
"You have to pay."
Overjoyed, Liu Ruoxue nodded repeatedly:
"No problem! How much money do you want?"
Yun Feng said: "We'll talk after I take a look."
Excitedly, Liu Ruoxue grabbed Yun Feng and ran out.
This beautiful female agent's ride showed no pretension whatsoever; it was actually a police-painted off-road vehicle fitted with steel plates front and rear, bulletproof glass all around, and even an inconspicuous machine gun mount ahead of the sunroof...
A faint scent of gunpowder permeated the interior.
Sniffing the air, Yun Feng concluded that firearms and a large amount of ammunition must be hidden somewhere in the vehicle...
No wonder this girl dared to come and arrest me all by herself in the middle of the night...
So she's a battle maniac...
Turning on the police siren, Liu Ruoxue drove like the wind, overtaking cars continuously on the streets of Haicheng with unobstructed passage.
While driving, Liu Ruoxue asked with some worry:
"About how long will it take to cure him?"
"Grandfather hasn't been staying in Haicheng much lately."
"He came back this time because his cough worsened, hoping to use Haicheng's humid air to ease his condition."
"Who would have thought that instead of improving at all after returning, it would get worse and worse."
"The business back in the Capital cannot do without Grandfather, so I'm afraid he will have to return to the Capital in just a few days."
Sitting in the front passenger seat, Yun Feng said:
"A single session of acupuncture should cure him."
Liu Ruoxue frowned, feeling that Yun Feng was being overly arrogant.
Yet, remembering that after Yun Feng gave her a single session of acupuncture, her body odor and internal injuries had all vanished, she gained a couple more points of confidence.
Chapter 37: Yun Feng Is a Liar!
The car stopped in front of a resplendent manor.
The scale of this manor surpassed even those of the Li and Chen families.
Pulling Yun Feng along, Liu Ruoxue excitedly ran toward the largest building in the manor.
Along the way, all the servants who caught sight of Liu Ruoxue bowed and saluted uniformly:
"Greetings, Miss Ruoxue."
Outside a study, just as Liu Ruoxue was about to push the door open, she was stopped by the butler standing guard on the side.
The butler said respectfully:
"Miss Ruoxue, the Master and the three uncles are inside discussing important matters."
"It is inconvenient to disturb them at the moment."
Liu Ruoxue nodded:
"Alright, I'll go in after they finish chatting."
The butler had refreshments served and waited on the two of them as they sat to the side for over ten minutes.
The door opened, and a stern-looking middle-aged man walked out. Catching sight of Liu Ruoxue at the door, he paused and teased:
"Xue'er, what are you...?"
"Did you bring a boyfriend home?"
Her face flushing red, Liu Ruoxue shook her head repeatedly:
"Third Uncle! What nonsense are you talking about!"
"I'm here to see Grandfather!"
With a smile, the middle-aged man stepped aside:
"We're done talking, you can go in."
Pulling Yun Feng, Liu Ruoxue walked into the study.
Behind the desk sat an elderly man with graying hair and an unnatural flush on both cheeks, who coughed violently from time to time.
In addition, there were two middle-aged men of similar age.
Looking at the two, Liu Ruoxue greeted them softly:
"Father, First Uncle."
Liu Ruoxue's father furrowed his brows deeply, fixing a piercing gaze upon Yun Feng—whom Liu Ruoxue was pulling along—his eyes filled with scrutiny.
Liu Ruoxue's First Uncle looked at the two of them, paused for a moment, and then smiled:
"Oh?"
"If I remember correctly, this is the first time our Xue'er has brought a boy home!"
"Well, Xue'er is a grown woman now, it's time to consider marriage."
"This boy is quite handsome!"
Looking up and down at Yun Feng's coarse white robe and flat cloth shoes, First Uncle clicked his tongue:
"It's just... a bit shabby..."
"As the saying goes, clothes make the man. Young man, come to First Uncle's room later, and First Uncle will pick out a suit for you!"
Glancing at First Uncle, Liu Ruoxue's father gave a faint hum and asked:
"Xue'er, who is this?"
By this time, Liu Ruoxue had long since been flushed red by the successive teases from her elders.
Hearing her father's question, Liu Ruoxue waved her hands frantically:
"He's not my boyfriend..."
"He's Linger's friend."
"His medical skills are very good, so I invited him to examine Grandfather."
Hearing this, her father's brow relaxed slightly.
Beside them, however, First Uncle furrowed his brows and said in a low voice:
"Xue'er, you're in the wrong here."
"We all see your filial piety toward Grandfather."
"But Grandfather's body is precious; how can you let some punk look at his illness?"
Third Uncle walked over from behind and nodded in agreement:
"Judging by this kid's attire, he's probably a barefoot doctor from the countryside, right?"
"Do you have a medical practitioner's license?"
Yun Feng secretly frowned.
A medical practitioner's license was naturally something he did not possess.
Yet could a single piece of paper prove one's strength?
Before Yun Feng could say anything, Third Uncle turned to lecture Liu Ruoxue:
"Xue'er, you aren't so young anymore. You need to use your brain when doing things from now on."
"As for Grandfather's illness, I have already invited the best doctor in Haicheng to come and treat him."
Looking at his watch, Third Uncle said:
"Judging by the time, he and his team should have arrived as well."
Anxious now, Liu Ruoxue argued repeatedly:
"It's not like that!"
"Yun Feng's medical skills are truly formidable!"
"The internal injuries on my body were completely cured after just one look!"
"Why can't you let him try?"