Night Feather Hall, Bai Li

"What method did you use, exactly? Ghost Performer was one thing, but even Blazing Enchantress agreed to join Night Feather Hall?"

Guan Qiu kept probing relentlessly, unable to make sense of it.

Lu Feng put on an inscrutable air and smiled faintly. "Which lone Soul Guards are nearby?"

Guan Qiu knew these matters like the back of his hand. "Iron Bone, Black Fox, Poison Hand, Bai Li, Night Wanderer Blade..."

"Tell me about those whose enemies are known."

Lu Feng cut Guan Qiu off. Although Night Feather Hall needed Soul Guards, for now he would rather choose those with weaker enemies—Soul Guards whose loyalty would be easier to win.

Guan Qiu thought for a moment. "Only Bai Li and Night Wanderer Blade know the identities of their enemies. The others have kept quiet about it."

"Let's hear it."

Thinking back, Guan Qiu explained, "Night Wanderer Blade's cultivation art fears sunlight, so he only appears at night. He specializes in assassination. Quite a few people know his story. His enemy is Fat Head Butcher of the Black Demon Palace. Ever since leaving Hundred Refinements Spring, he has been looking for chances to assassinate Fat Head Butcher, but he has never succeeded."

Lu Feng had information obtained from the Hidden Soul Guard and knew some things about Fat Head Butcher. The man specialized in external body-tempering arts, his skin as hard as iron, perfectly countering the swift assassination techniques of someone like Night Wanderer Blade.

"What about Bai Li?"

"Bai Li comes from a prestigious school. She was originally the sect master's daughter of a small force called the One United Sword Sect. More than ten years ago, her sect was wiped out by one man. Bai Li was rescued by someone from the Soul Gate, then eventually came to Hundred Refinements Spring to train. Her enemy is an exceptionally formidable unorthodox swordsman, known as the Six Twisting Flowing Sword. But in recent years, there has not seemed to be much news about him."

"For revenge, Bai Li has studied like a madwoman all these years. She has dabbled in killing techniques from dozens of schools. Whether blades, spears, swords, halberds, medicines, poisons, formations, or souls, she has mastered at least a trick or two of each."

"Bai Li knows how strong the Six-Spiral Swordsman is. After all these years, he has likely reached the Earth Soul Realm Late Stage, perhaps even higher. Fearing that revenge would be difficult through conventional means, she pays extraordinary attention to special soul artifacts and Treasure Items designed for killing. Her knowledge in that regard also runs extremely deep."

A thought suddenly struck Guan Qiu. Looking at Lu Feng, he suggested, "If you can produce a Treasure Item with overwhelming destructive power, you might be able to bring Bai Li under your command."

"Six Twisting Flowing Sword?" A strange smile curled across Lu Feng's lips. Not only did he know that name, he knew it very well. During his past training, he had fought that man more than once. There had been no news of him these years simply because he had already died beneath Lu Feng's Night Feather Sword.

"Come on. Let's meet this Bai Li first." Lu Feng motioned for Guan Qiu to lead the way.

Guan Qiu froze. "You really have a powerful Treasure Item?"

Lu Feng smiled faintly. "There's no need for that."

Filled with doubts, Guan Qiu led Lu Feng out of the market.

Bai Li disliked bustle and noise. Unless she had a mission, she normally lived alone in a Bamboo House in the outskirts.

Outside the Bamboo House, Lu Feng saw a plainly dressed young woman of around twenty drawing well water and watering the plants around her. The whole sight resembled a pastoral landscape painting.

Had Guan Qiu not led him here, Lu Feng would never have believed that the young farm girl before him was a Soul Guard from Hundred Refinements Spring, someone of the Soul Gate.

Within the Soul Gate, information on these lone Soul Guards was accessible only to people of hall master rank or above.

Just as Guan Qiu was about to lead Lu Feng into the courtyard, Bai Li tipped a ladle of clear water from her hand. It splashed directly before their feet, blocking their path.

As Bai Li continued scooping water from the bucket, she spoke to Guan Qiu beyond the bamboo gate. "Hall Master Guan, unless it is urgent, please do not come disturb my quiet cultivation again."

Guan Qiu wore a fawning smile. Taking a step to the left, he pointed to Lu Feng and introduced him to Bai Li. "This is the newly appointed hall master of Night Feather Hall."

"Greetings, Hall Master." Bai Li nodded slightly and continued with her farm work. "If you intend to recruit me into the hall, then please abandon that notion. Bai Li bears a blood feud and is unwilling to be bound by others."

"I came to apologize to you," Lu Feng said.

Bai Li froze, then looked up at Lu Feng with a frown.

Guan Qiu was equally bewildered, unable to understand what Lu Feng meant.

"Your enemy was accidentally killed by me," Lu Feng said apologetically.

Thud—

The water ladle fell from Bai Li's hand to the ground. She stared at Lu Feng in shock. "Does Hall Master know what he is saying?"

Lu Feng explained frankly, "Four years ago, I happened upon the Six-Spiral Swordsman bullying several disciples from the righteous path and stepped in to teach him a lesson. Later, unwilling to accept it, he ambushed me and was slain by my sword."

Those casually spoken words left both Bai Li and Guan Qiu utterly shaken.

"Four years ago? An ambush?"

Bai Li had her doubts. Lu Feng looked only a little over twenty; four years ago, he would have been merely sixteen or seventeen. Even if he had cultivated from the moment he left his mother's womb, how much strength could he have possessed? How could he possibly have been a match for the Six Twisting Flowing Sword, much less when the other man had ambushed him?

"If you want to trick me into joining the hall, use a more clever ruse." Bai Li's face turned icy. "If you make a joke of my blood feud again next time, I will not let it rest."

Clearly, Bai Li did not believe Lu Feng's words in the slightest.

Bai Li had once told several hall masters who came to invite her into their halls that if they avenged her, she would serve them and swear deathless loyalty. But that was merely an excuse for remaining alone; she had never believed anyone could truly accomplish it for her. Still, she would never allow anyone to use this matter as a means to deceive her.

Guan Qiu knew about this as well and had mentioned it in passing before, but he did not think Lu Feng could achieve such a thing. That was why he had always suggested approaching her through Treasure Items.

Lu Feng looked calmly at Bai Li, his expression earnest. "Give yourself half a month to investigate whether what I said is true. Then report to Night Feather Hall."

When Lu Feng had killed the Six-Spiral Swordsman, it had caused quite a stir. But because it happened within a secret realm, the news had not traveled very far. Still, many people in the northern part of the continent knew of it. If Bai Li wanted to verify it, all she needed was a trip there and some money to make inquiries through the Jun Man Restaurant.

"Everything you said is true?" Looking at Lu Feng's utterly calm expression, Bai Li began to lose confidence. This was not difficult to verify, and there was no need for him to lie.

If her great vengeance had truly been avenged...

An emptiness suddenly rose within Bai Li's heart, as though her life had lost its purpose.

As she watched Lu Feng's departing back, an inexplicable glimmer of tears flashed through her eyes.

On the way back, Lu Feng saw again the Old Man on the street who had played the pig to eat the tiger while teaching some thugs a lesson. From Guan Qiu, he learned that the Old Man was also part of the Soul Gate, belonging to an outer branch of the Hidden Soul Guard and responsible for monitoring passersby.

Upon returning to the Soul Gate's territory, Guan Qiu asked, "Are you returning to the Soul Gate with me, or...?"

"Old Brother Guan, go on back first. I'll look around some more."

Guan Qiu could tell that Lu Feng was simply being polite. Knowing Lu Feng might have other matters to handle, he did not press further. "Go do what you need to do. I'll have Iron Puppet start setting things up at Night Feather Hall. Xiao Kui has been with me for a long time and knows the affairs of a hall quite well."

Lu Feng nodded in thanks. "By the way, Old Brother Guan, when you have time, help teach Iron Puppet ventriloquism or soul transmission."

Iron Puppet had permanently damaged his vocal cords while cultivating the Fire Demon Art, making normal conversation difficult. Learning those skills would allow him to communicate better.

Seeing Lu Feng's concern for Iron Puppet, warmth welled up in Guan Qiu's heart. He smiled. "Don't worry, brother. Hundred Refinements Spring has already begun teaching him. In a few days, he'll have learned the Turtle Sound Art."

The Turtle Sound Art was a technique that conveyed one's thoughts through the soul. It was an advanced version of soul transmission, making communication harder for others to detect.

After parting ways with Guan Qiu, Lu Feng returned to the inn. But at that moment, only Fan Linlin and Ling Tian were there.

His students were all out training, while Gu Lingling and Yan Xinhui were secretly protecting them.

Although Gu Lingling and Yan Xinhui had only followed Lu Feng's arrangements because of their wager, Lu Feng still felt grateful toward them. Their help these days had long exceeded the wager itself.

Of course, Lu Feng had not accepted their favor for nothing. Regarding the Flowing Light Thirteen Swords they cultivated, he had pointed out many unnecessary flashy moves and corrected several weaknesses.

Without the boisterous chatter of Jun Ziyi and the others, Lu Feng found himself somewhat unaccustomed to the inn's silence. The quiet gave him a faintly ominous premonition.

At Deep Night, close to Hai Hour, Qian Xin, Jun Ziyi, and the others finally appeared.

Lu Feng felt considerably relieved when he saw the group approaching outside the inn. But when he saw Zhao Yan being carried back by Man Zhongli and Shao Yang, his expression changed instantly and a shadow clouded his face.

He stepped forward and checked Zhao Yan's injuries. Numerous meridians throughout Zhao Yan's body had been shattered, and his cultivation had nearly been crippled.

"What happened?" Lu Feng brought them all into his room and asked.

Jun Ziyi's eyes were red-rimmed, and tears could not help falling as she choked out, "Mentor, how can people's hearts be so rotten?"

Puzzled, Lu Feng turned his gaze toward Qian Xin, signaling her to explain.

Still indignant, Qian Xin said, "We repaid kindness with kindness, only to be repaid with enmity. We were set up."

"This morning, we had originally planned to find the weakest training target first. But on the way, we ran into Yao Jin of the Black Demon Palace, Xiao Yi's training target. We followed him to a theater..."

"I know all that. Tell me directly what happened after you saved that girl." Lu Feng interrupted Qian Xin. He had happened to be at the theater and had seen everything that occurred there.

Qian Xin nodded, anger in her voice. "That girl was named Xiao Lan. She lived in a self-built district in the East Suburbs, where the population was sparse and poor people gathered. After we escorted Xiao Lan home, her parents welcomed us warmly. Once they learned what had happened, they even kept us for lunch to thank us."

"We were all delighted at having done a good deed, but who could have imagined that Xiao Lan's parents had drugged the food with Spirit-Dispersing Poison and secretly notified Yao Jin and the others from the Black Demon Palace."