owlsbooks Chapter 76 Bathed in Spring Breeze
Chapter 76 Bathed in Spring Breeze
The leader's knees buckled, and he knelt down without hesitation, raising the jade token symbolizing his status as the leader of the Xuan Ce City branch above his head.
"Your subordinate, Mu Qingfeng, pays his respects to the new leader."
Li Qingyi: "???"
The sword energy accumulating within him almost went out of control, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.
"I was all prepared to kill you with a single strike, and then you suddenly pulled this stunt! How am I supposed to draw my sword now? How am I supposed to accept this!"
This sudden turn of events left all the assassins in the secret chamber, who were on high alert, completely bewildered. All their puzzled gazes focused on Mu Chunfeng.
Didn't we agree to join forces to eliminate the rebels? Why did the leader kneel down first?
Mu Chunfeng and Li Qingyi naturally felt those strange looks.
Their eyes met briefly in the air. They were both fully aware of the absurdity of the situation before them, yet they maintained a facade of calm with remarkable tacit understanding, neither of them revealing the truth.
Li Qingyi's mind raced: 'To kill, or not to kill?'
He was a little unsure.
Li Qingyi was worried that Mu Chunfeng would stage a fake surrender for him here, and then secretly do something shady behind his back.
Such clever people are often more dangerous than straightforward enemies.
For a moment, one person stood proudly, another knelt humbly, and dozens of assassins watched in bewilderment, plunging the entire secret room into an extremely bizarre scene.
Mu Chunfeng was in agony. He remained kneeling, looking up at Li Qingyi's young but emotionless face, his back soaked with cold sweat.
'This kid has deep eyes, and his aura is restrained. Could he be determined to eliminate us completely?'
The other person's calm and composed demeanor put immense pressure on him. His intuition told him that this kid was probably not simple.
Looking at Mu Chunfeng, who was both flexible and adaptable, Li Qingyi held him in even higher regard, but also became more wary.
"This young man is astute and capable of instantly humbled himself; he possesses the bearing of a ruthless leader. If he is not eliminated today, he may become a future threat… This young man must not be allowed to live!"
Just as a cold glint flashed in Li Qingyi's eyes, and sword energy was about to burst forth from her fingertips!
Mu Chunfeng suddenly raised her voice, her tone resolute:
"Your subordinate is willing to offer your soul, begging the leader to inscribe the 'Heart-Devouring Blood Pact,' a secret technique of the Listening Rain Pavilion! From this day forward, your life and death will be entirely in your hands!"
The fierce sword energy that was about to burst out of Li Qingyi's body was forcibly suppressed by him, causing ripples in his meridians.
A playful smile appeared on his face, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger:
"Chief Mu truly embodies the saying 'Those who know when to yield are the heroes.'"
"Your Excellency flatters me! I am unworthy of such praise. I was blind in the past, and only today do I realize that Your Excellency is a hidden dragon, possessing extraordinary talent and wisdom, far beyond the reach of ordinary people!"
Mu Chunfeng immediately lowered his head, his tone extremely respectful.
His decision to surrender was partly motivated by a desire to save his own life.
More importantly, he was betting on Li Qingyi's future!
Although her bone age cannot be determined, the youthful vigor that Li Qingyi exudes in her words and actions is undeniable.
He's no more than twenty years old!
At such a young age, to possess such cultivation and temperament, the potential power behind him, and his own terrifying potential, make it worthwhile for Mu Chunfeng to gamble everything.
If you surrender to him, why can't you achieve immortality?
Li Qingyi's eyes were sharp; she wanted to see through his true thoughts.
After a moment, he spoke calmly: "Give me a reason."
Mu Chunfeng is so sensible, so sensible that Mu Chunfeng admires him greatly.
But it is precisely because of this that it is even more dangerous.
Taming a lone wolf that knows how to endure is far more difficult than dealing with a pack of howling wild dogs.
This kind of lone wolf is the hardest to control; it might bite you back at any time, leaving you defenseless.
Mu Chunfeng's heart tightened; she knew this was a matter of life and death.
A resolute glint flashed in his eyes. He raised his head, meeting Li Qingyi's gaze, and said, word by word:
"Because, Chief, you... are too young."
"Just because of that?" Li Qingyi raised an eyebrow slightly.
"That's why!" Mu Chunfeng answered decisively.
Their eyes met once more, engaging in a final confrontation.
Mu Chunfeng's muscles were already tense, his magical power surging, ready to immediately launch a desperate attack if Li Qingyi turned against him.
The dozen or so assassins from Tingyu Pavilion didn't dare to utter a sound.
They had absolutely no idea what kind of witty banter these two were exchanging, so they could only stand there like wooden statues, waiting for the final outcome.
They had made up their minds that if they were to make a move, their target would naturally be the standing boy.
Li Qingyi remained silent. The atmosphere around him grew increasingly heavy due to the faint sword aura emanating from him, making Mu Chunfeng feel suffocated.
"Is he... betting his entire future on me?"
Li Qingyi quickly made a judgment in her mind.
He looked down at Mu Chunfeng, who was kneeling at his feet, still holding the token in both hands, his posture extremely humble.
Finally, Li Qingyi slowly raised her right hand.
Mu Chunfeng trembled, his pupils contracted sharply, and his internal magical power almost burst out of his body!
Fortunately, he held back.
The hand did not transform into a deadly sword, but instead landed steadily on the jade tablet that represented the leader's identity.
"Chief Mu is a man of great talent and intelligence. If he were to perish here, it would truly be a great loss to us cultivators."
Li Qingyi's voice carried a hint of regret.
Upon hearing this, Mu Chunfeng's heart, which had been in her throat, finally settled back down with a "thud".
Li Qingyi casually weighed the warm jade pendant in her hand; it was warm to the touch and contained a spiritual light.
His mind raced, and suddenly he had a new plan.
With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the leader's token back to Mu Chunfeng.
"then."
Mu Chunfeng subconsciously took the token, slowly stood up, his face full of confusion.
He had absolutely no idea what the new leader was up to, but his years of experience made him choose the safest approach—
They respectfully stepped aside, bowed their heads, and stood waiting for instructions.
Li Qingyi stopped looking at him and instead took out her own assassin's token.
This token may seem ordinary, but it contains a secret: it not only updates the assassin rankings in real time, but also connects to a strange space where contribution points can be exchanged for various cultivation techniques, pills, materials, and magical treasures.
Li Qingyi guessed that this must be a mysterious method devised by the Pavilion Master of Listening Rain.
He focused his mind on the token, shaking his head as he looked at his pitiful three hundred contribution points.
I have no idea when I'll be able to exchange for that fake human skin.
Without further thought, Li Qingyi directly spent fifty contribution points to exchange for the "Heart-Devouring Blood Pact" technique.
A barely perceptible streak of blood-red light pierced his brow from the token, and a flood of information about the methods and taboos of the Blood Pact instantly rushed into his mind.
This method is not complicated; it leans more towards a vicious form of restriction.
With Li Qingyi's quick wit, she understood it in no time.
Seeing that Li Qingyi had closed her eyes and remained silent for a long time, Mu Chunfeng's heart began to pound again.
"This kid...could he have changed his mind at the last minute?"
If he knew that Li Qingyi was learning the Blood Pact technique, who knows what kind of expression would appear on his face.
Just then, Li Qingyi slowly opened her eyes, her gaze clear and her tone calm:
"You may all step back. Chief Mu and I have important matters to discuss."
Upon hearing this, the assassins exchanged glances, but none of them moved, their eyes all turning to Mu Chunfeng.
Mu Chunfeng felt a sudden alarm bell ring in her heart.
"He's trying to clear the area and deal with me alone!"
Alone in the room, facing this unfathomable young man, he had absolutely no confidence.
Li Qingyi took in the fleeting struggle on Mu Chunfeng's face, but did not urge him. She simply watched him calmly, waiting for his final decision.
Should we obey orders or rise up in resistance?
He wanted to see just how "wise" this "talented individual" could be.
If the other party is sensible, he wouldn't mind taking on another subordinate.
If they don't know what's good for them, then they'll have to test the sharpness of Li's sword.
Mu Chunfeng was in a dilemma. He had been confident that after blocking Li Qingyi's attack, he could have dozens of assassins hold Li Qingyi back so he could make a quick escape.
If he were alone, he wouldn't be confident that he could escape from Li Qingyi.
Mu Chunfeng's mind raced, his journey of cultivating immortality over the past fifty years flashing through his mind.
Born into humble circumstances and of mediocre talent, he relied entirely on his ability to navigate the complexities of various powerful forces, carefully making his way through the cracks between them. He endured countless dangers and paid a heavy price before finally managing to climb to the position of the leader of the Xuan Ce City branch.
However, the lifespan of a Qi Refining cultivator is ultimately limited, and Tingyu Pavilion is a cold and ruthless place that only values merit.
Those increasingly dangerous missions had long since worn away the youthful vigor he once possessed.
If this continues, the only outcome will be a failed mission and his body left to rot in the wilderness.
In contrast, this young man before us is so young and so powerful; his background is probably unfathomable.
Even without a powerful backer, his talent alone makes him a worthwhile investment.
Rather than struggling in this quagmire, it's better to take a gamble.
If we win, we might climb to a higher position; if we lose, the worst that can happen is death, which is better than living in constant fear and anxiety like this.
Thinking of this, the last trace of hesitation in Mu Chunfeng's eyes disappeared, replaced by a resolute determination to burn one's bridges.
He suddenly raised his head and waved his hand forcefully at his subordinates who were still waiting for his orders.
"Are you all deaf? Didn't you hear the leader's order? All of you, stand back! No one may enter without being summoned!"
Seeing this, the assassins were full of doubts, but they dared not disobey. They all bowed and then filed out.
Looking at Mu Chunfeng's decisive actions, Li Qingyi couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration.
This courage and decisiveness to take a gamble in dire circumstances is truly extraordinary.
"Chief Mu, you have made a very wise decision."
Li Qingyi's voice carried a hint of approval, then turned cold, "Now, release your soul."
"Your subordinate obeys!" Mu Chunfeng did not hesitate at all. He immediately closed his eyes, completely released the protection of his soul, and exposed his most vulnerable side to Li Qingyi.
Li Qingyi said no more, and with one hand she made a hand seal, forcing out a drop of bright red blood from her fingertip. Countless fine runes appeared on the surface of the blood drop.
He pointed his fingers like a sword and gently touched Mu Chunfeng's fully open brow and sea of consciousness.
The moment the blood droplet entered Mu Chunfeng's brow, it transformed into a complex blood-red rune and vanished in a flash.
At the same time, Li Qingyi clearly felt that a mysterious connection had been established between her and Mu Chunfeng.
Mu Chunfeng's life or death was truly in his hands at this moment.
"From now on, you can call me Master." Li Qingyi withdrew her finger and said calmly.
"Yes, Master!" Mu Chunfeng finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Suddenly, without warning, Li Qingyi raised her hand and pointed!
A sword aura as fast as lightning shot straight at Mu Chunfeng's face.
Mu Chunfeng was shocked, never expecting Li Qingyi to suddenly launch an attack.
His survival instinct caused his magical power to erupt instantly, and white light surged around him, condensing into a thick, milky-white spiritual light barrier in front of him, attempting to block this fatal blow.
however--
There was a "click" sound.
The seemingly solid barrier of spiritual light shattered like paper the moment it came into contact with the sword energy, exploding into countless points of light that illuminated the dimly lit secret room.
Mu Chunfeng's pupils contracted sharply, and all the color drained from her face.
He tried his best to dodge backward, but the sword energy was too fast.
It was so fast that he didn't even have time to think before the icy sword energy touched his skin, and the aura of death rushed towards him.
Just when he thought he was doomed, the incomparably sharp sword energy suddenly dissipated less than an inch from his throat.
Only a cold, sharp wind brushed against his neck.
Mu Chunfeng froze on the spot, beads of cold sweat instantly rolling down her forehead, and the back of her clothes were already completely soaked with cold sweat, clinging tightly to her skin.
He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing violently.
When he looked at Li Qingyi again, all that remained in his eyes was unparalleled shock and lingering fear.
Li Qingyi smiled at him, a gentle smile, but in Mu Chunfeng's eyes, it was more terrifying than any fierce demon.
"Now you know how wise your decision was?"
"I...I understand!"
Mu Chunfeng's voice trembled uncontrollably, and her legs felt weak.
powerful!
That's incredibly powerful!
The poster's abilities are ridiculously strong!
With a casual strike, he effortlessly shattered the defenses he had painstakingly erected, demonstrating masterful control over the force.
What level of cultivation is this?
Sixth level of Qi Refining?
Or perhaps the later stages of Qi Refining?
Mu Chunfeng dared not imagine, he absolutely dared not imagine, how could such a young boy have cultivated to such a level.
It's impossible to cultivate from the womb, right?!
Or is he a reincarnation of a powerful being?
Thinking of this, Mu Chunfeng couldn't help but gasp.
He had no doubt that even if everyone had attacked together, they would have been slaughtered by this young landlord as easily as cutting melons and vegetables.
At this moment, he felt no more hope or ulterior motives, only the relief of surviving a disaster and awe for the person before him.
This may well be the most correct and wisest decision he has ever made in his life!
Swish! ! !
Hearing the commotion outside, the assassins from Tingyu Pavilion rushed in instantly.
Swords were drawn, their blades flashing with spiritual light, and a murderous aura enveloped Li Qingyi once again, awaiting Mu Chunfeng's command.