"Senior Brother Fei, Liu Zhengfeng and that Hundred-household have left the Liu Mansion. It looks like they're heading out of the city," Lu Bai came over to report.
Fei Bin sprang to his feet. "Good. This time, we'll show them what happens when they offend our Mount Song Sect!"
Several lower-ranked members of the Mount Song Thirteen Guardians had already led the young disciples away, creating the illusion that all thirteen guardians had left.
That way, even if someone suspected them after they killed Lin Lang and Liu Zhengfeng, there would be no evidence.
With six of them surrounding two, they could finish the job quickly even if Qu Yang showed up, and let everyone in the martial world see that their Mount Song Sect had not falsely accused Liu Zhengfeng.
As for Liu Zhengfeng's family, once he was dead, some "righteous heroes" who hated the Sun Moon Demon Cult would naturally wipe out his entire household.
The six set off at once and intercepted Lin Lang and Liu Zhengfeng in a dense forest outside Hengshan City.
"Liu Zhengfeng, where do you think you're going?" Fei Bin looked at him smugly. "Do you think becoming some sesame-seed-sized official means you can disregard the Mount Song Sect and Alliance Leader Zuo?"
"And you, little Hundred-household, with your sharp tongue! You dared rebuke me in front of all those people. Today, your head will roll!"
Lin Lang said to Liu Zhengfeng, "See? I told you they'd ambush us as soon as we left Hengshan City. The Mount Song Sect has always done its dirty work in the shadows."
"Go on, you get first pick from this batch. Pick a few more. Don't be shy."
Liu Zhengfeng looked at Lin Lang with a bitter smile. He reckoned his perfected Thirteen Forms of the Ever-Changing Cloud and Mist could hold off three of them briefly, but within seven or eight minutes at most, he would certainly lose.
Even if Lin Lang could also hold off three, could he win?
And hadn't Lin Lang said they had reinforcements? By the time those people arrived, wouldn't the Liu Mansion already be laying out his funeral feast?
Fei Bin narrowed his eyes. "You think we wouldn't dare kill you because you're a Jinyiwei Hundred-household? Once you're dead, who'll know we did it? Those Jinyiwei experts don't care whether some mere Hundred-household official lives or dies."
Lin Lang nodded. "Yes, yes, yes. Today, either you die or I live. Liu Zhengfeng, I'll pick first, then. You can have the rest."
With that, he thrust his sword straight at them.
Fei Bin and the others were furious. They had never imagined Lin Lang could be so arrogant. Facing an encirclement by six Martial Arts Masters, he not only refused to flee but dared attack them.
Then they would show him the might of the Mount Song Thirteen Guardians!
Fei Bin and Lu Bai engaged Lin Lang while the other four charged at Liu Zhengfeng.
Liu Zhengfeng inwardly groaned. One against four-it looked like he was finished today.
Fei Bin and Lu Bai joined forces against Lin Lang, certain that a single exchange would be enough to kill this young junior.
Yet once they attacked, they found they could do nothing to Lin Lang.
Lin Lang's sword was incredibly fast, and his moves were bizarre. Both men specialized in palm techniques; without getting close to him, they could not unleash their power.
This was Lin Lang's first time fighting two Martial Arts Masters at once, yet the characteristics of the Reverse Evil-Warding Sword Technique kept him exceptionally calm.
After a few exchanges, his sword suddenly grew faster.
"Aah! You little brat, you hid your strength well!" Fei Bin had never expected Lin Lang's sword to become even faster. Lin Lang severed his right hand, drawing a scream of agony.
Before he could retreat and escape, Lin Lang's sword flashed across his throat like lightning.
Lu Bai's eyes nearly split with fury. Despite joining forces, the two fellow disciples had failed to last ten exchanges against Lin Lang!
Lin Lang's sword technique was terrifying. It seemed even stronger than every sword technique in their Five Mountains Sword Alliance.
"Save me!" Lu Bai cried as he dodged, but before Ding Mian could reach him, Lin Lang's sword had already pierced his heart.
"Don't worry. They'll join you soon. All six of you will be together, without a single one missing." Lin Lang flicked the blood from his sword and charged at Ding Mian.
Taking advantage of Fei Bin and the others' unfamiliarity with him and excessive carelessness, he had swiftly killed two of them, and his sword technique had grown even more refined.
He felt his sword technique was on the verge of a breakthrough, so he would keep fighting. Sparring partners like these were hard to find.
Liu Zhengfeng finally breathed a sigh of relief. A moment earlier, he had thought he was doomed and had even regretted coming out with Lin Lang.
But now, he could finally put his mind at ease.
Seven or eight minutes later, Liu Zhengfeng stood beside the corpse of Great Yin-Yang Hand Tang Ying'e, staring blankly at Lin Lang.
He had killed one, while Lin Lang had killed five!
He felt that Lin Lang's sword technique was even more terrifying than when they had fought the other day.
Had Lin Lang held back that day?
Luckily, Lin Lang had come to recruit him. If Lin Lang had wanted to kill him, he could never have survived.
Lin Lang sheathed his sword and looked at Liu Zhengfeng. "That felt good. How about you?"
"Good!" Liu Zhengfeng also felt he had finally vented his pent-up anger. "Thank you, Lord Hundred-household."
Lin Lang lifted his chin. "Go on. See what valuables they brought with them."
After directing Liu Zhengfeng to loot the corpses, Lin Lang looked at the system panel.
Host: Lin Lang. Qi: Fifteen years (Evil-Warding Qi). Martial arts: Reverse Golden Body Child Skill (body-hardening · Wulin Secret Art, major mastery); Reverse Evil-Warding Sword Technique (Wulin Secret Art, major mastery); Five Tigers Severing Gate Saber (third-rate saber technique, major mastery); Basic Movement Technique (third-rate movement technique, major mastery). Realm: Martial Arts Master Peak.
During the fight just now, he had also felt tremendous pressure. His Reverse Evil-Warding Sword Technique had improved at a tremendous pace and finally reached major mastery.
Thanks to his major mastery of the Reverse Evil-Warding Sword Technique, his realm had successfully reached Martial Arts Master Peak as well.
He could even sense that Liu Zhengfeng, who was also at Martial Arts Master Peak, was absolutely no match for him.
Liu Zhengfeng searched the corpses for quite some time, only finding a bottle of healing pills and a few hundred taels in banknotes.
"They couldn't stuff a few more banknotes into their pockets before coming out? Don't they know you can live frugally at home, but need plenty of money on the road?"
Lin Lang put away both the banknotes and the pills, then suddenly said to Liu Zhengfeng, "Go home first. Once you've settled your family affairs, report to the Hundred-household Office in Bailing County."
Liu Zhengfeng cupped his hands and left without asking what Lin Lang intended to stay behind for.
A moment later, Lin Lang looked behind a tree. "Still not coming out?"
Ren Yingying emerged from behind the tree and stared at him. "Why are you here? Why were you with Liu Zhengfeng of Hengshan?"
The Hengshan School belonged to the Five Mountains Sword Alliance, the greatest enemy of her Sun Moon Holy Cult.
She had also already discovered that Lin Lang was a member of the Jinyiwei, a government man.
"Would I be here if I weren't looking for you?" Lin Lang demanded loudly. "If I hadn't come, were you just going to give up on rescuing your father?"
Ren Yingying's imposing air immediately weakened. So Lin Lang had come here to find her, and he seemed even more anxious to rescue her father than she, his own daughter, was.
Lin Lang continued, "With Liu Zhengfeng washing his hands of the martial world, Zuo Lengchan of Mount Song was bound to make trouble for him, and Qu Yang would certainly come. Since you were following Qu Yang, you'd naturally come here too."
"I went to all this trouble to win Liu Zhengfeng over and kill six of the Mount Song Thirteen Guardians, and you actually suspect me?"
Although killing the Mount Song Thirteen Guardians and recruiting Liu Zhengfeng had nothing to do with rescuing Ren Woxing, and although he had been lusting after Ren Yingying all along, he remained utterly assertive.
After all, women liked forceful men.
Seeing that Lin Lang was about to leave, Ren Yingying hurriedly stopped him and explained, "Brother Lin, don't be angry. I was wrong to suspect you."
"I've already sent someone to contact Uncle Xiang. As soon as he gets here, we can go rescue my father."
Only after seeing that he had cowed Ren Yingying did Lin Lang stop. "Fine, I'll forgive you this time. Tell me what preparations you've made."
Before you continue