Dragging his heavy body, Lin Feng walked step by step toward the ice coffin. When he saw the familiar face within, he staggered, nearly losing his footing.
It really was Master!!!
The man who had saved him, raised him, and taught him everything he knew was dead, just like that?
He hadn't even repaid his kindness. How could Master die?
A wave of regret washed over Lin Feng. He shouldn't have hidden his true abilities from his Master. He should have at least given his master a reason to be proud, to hold his head high before the entire sect.
He should have proven that even though Su Mubai himself was crippled, the disciple he took in was no piece of trash.
Back on Earth, Lin Feng’s high-profile and arrogant nature had cost him his life. After his rebirth, he had been exceptionally cautious.
Adhering to the philosophy that a low profile was the only way, he had presented himself as mediocre and unremarkable.
He did his best not to attract anyone's attention.
A high profile only brought jealousy and hatred from others.
What was the point?
But in truth, how could a man who had stood at the pinnacle of science on Earth by his twenties, a peerless genius with an IQ surpassing the great Albert Einstein, who had developed technology thirty years ahead of his time, possibly be mediocre?
He simply chose not to show it.
Even his Master, Su Mubai, had no idea, which showed just how well Lin Feng had hidden himself.
Only those who have experienced death can truly cherish life.
The thought that he could never repay the debt of gratitude he owed his Master, a debt as immense as a mountain, sent a sharp, twisting pain through Lin Feng's heart.
Tears streamed down his face uncontrollably.
A man does not cry easily, but only because his heart has not yet been broken.
"Senior Brother! Wuuu..."
Su Xiyao threw herself into Lin Feng's arms, sobbing.
The two had grown up together, and their bond needed no explanation.
When Lin Feng was five or six, Su Mubai was often away, so he had taken on the responsibility of caring for Su Xiyao.
If the Haoran Sword weren't unsuitable for women, Su Xiyao would not have joined Chaoxia Peak.
"Junior Sister, don't cry! Master is gone, but you still have me, your Senior Brother! From now on, I won't let anyone bully you," Lin Feng said, comforting her despite the immense pain in his own heart.
Just as the two were crying in each other's arms, a voice suddenly cut in.
"Alright, you two can stop crying. Senior Brother Mubai isn't dead yet!"
Lin Feng and Su Xiyao quickly turned their heads. The speaker was the Headmaster of the Shenxiao Sword Sect, Luo Yuntian, who was also one of the Shenxiao Seven Swords and master of the Taiyi Sword. He was Su Mubai's junior brother.
"Headmaster Uncle, did you just say Master isn't dead? Is it true?" Lin Feng asked, his voice trembling with excitement.
"Yes! Senior Brother Mubai is not dead, but he has been afflicted by an exceptionally potent poison called Devouring Soul Powder. The victim's soul falls into a deep slumber and is slowly devoured until they perish completely. The time this takes depends on the victim's strength. With Senior Brother Mubai's power, he can hold on for about half a year at most. To cure this poison, we need an elixir refined with the Red Spider Lily as its primary ingredient. Our Shenxiao Sect has all the other supplementary herbs, but this Red Spider Lily is exceedingly rare. Even we do not possess it," Luo Yuntian explained.
Hearing that Su Mubai wasn't dead, Lin Feng and Su Xiyao were ecstatic.
But Luo Yuntian's next words made their hearts sink to the bottom of a valley.
The Shenxiao Sword Sect was one of the most powerful sects in all of Lizhou.
An herb that not even the Shenxiao Sword Sect possessed—that alone spoke volumes of its rarity. How could they possibly hope to find it?
"Headmaster Uncle! Where can the Red Spider Lily be found?" Lin Feng pressed.
As long as there was a clue to its whereabouts, he would find it and save his Master, no matter the cost.
This was his duty as a disciple.
At the same time, Su Xiyao also turned to look at Luo Yuntian. Finding the Red Spider Lily would determine whether her father, Su Mubai, lived or died. Naturally, she was just as desperate.
"You two need not concern yourselves with the Red Spider Lily. Rest assured, we will find a way. Senior Brother Mubai is not only a member of the Shenxiao Sword Sect, but he is also our senior brother. No matter how difficult it is to find, we will get it," Luo Yuntian said.
"The Headmaster is right! Xiyao, stop crying. We will definitely find a way to save Senior Brother Mubai," a woman in a red dress with a bewitching figure spoke up this time.
She was Su Xiyao's Master, Liu Hongluan, master of the Honglian Sword and one of the Shenxiao Seven Swords.
Among the Shenxiao Seven Swords, only two were suited for women: the Honglian Sword and the Ice Soul Sword.
These two swords would only ever choose women as their successors.
The other five were all wielded by men.
Su Mubai's Haoran Sword, for example.
It required masculine energy and an unyielding spirit of integrity to unleash its greatest power.
Women were, after all, generally more indecisive.
"Thank you, Master! Thank you, all my Shibus and Uncles!" Su Xiyao said gratefully.
"Many thanks to all the Uncles!" Lin Feng followed, clasping his fist in thanks.
Since the Headmaster Uncle was unwilling to reveal the location of the Red Spider Lily, it was pointless for him to ask again.
After all, in the eyes of these Shenxiao Sword Sect higher-ups, he was nothing more than a disciple of mediocre talent, completely unworthy of their attention.
He would have to find a way to get the Red Spider Lily himself.
Gucun Peak had countless ancient texts; there had to be some records on the matter.
Besides saving his Master, there was another matter of great concern to Lin Feng.
Who had harmed his Master?
So, Lin Feng continued, "Headmaster Uncle, this disciple has one more question. I hope Uncle can enlighten me."
"Speak!" Luo Yuntian replied.
"Who injured my Master so grievously?" Lin Feng asked, gritting his teeth.
A cold glint, hard to notice, flashed in his eyes.
"Disciple-Nephew Lin Feng, I know what happened to Senior Brother Mubai is a great blow to you, and I understand how you feel as his disciple. However, we called you two here for no other reason than that we felt you, as the people closest to him, had the right to know his condition. As for revenge, you need not worry about it. The Shenxiao Sword Sect will not suffer such a great loss for nothing. Otherwise, any random nobody would dare to walk all over us."
Although Luo Yuntian's tone was calm, anyone could hear the fury simmering beneath his words.
The Shenxiao Sword Sect was one of the most powerful forces in Lizhou, a sect of Sword Cultivators with explosive offensive power. There were very few who would dare to provoke them.
This time, not only was their Senior Brother Su Mubai poisoned and in a coma, but the Haoran Sword, one of the Shenxiao Seven Swords, had also disappeared.
For the Shenxiao Sword Sect, this was both a loss and a humiliation.
No matter the enemy's background or backing, they would have to pay the price.
The Haoran Sword was a symbol of the Shenxiao Sword Sect; it absolutely could not be lost.
Otherwise, wouldn't the Shenxiao Seven Swords have to be renamed the Shenxiao Six Swords?
Moreover, the power of the seven swords combined was far greater than that of six.
No matter how one looked at it, the Haoran Sword had to be recovered.
"I understand! Headmaster Uncle, may I take Master back to Gucun Peak?" Lin Feng asked again.
"It's better not to. The conditions on your Gucun Peak are limited right now. If something unexpected were to happen to Senior Brother Mubai, you wouldn't be able to handle it immediately. It's best he stays here, where we can monitor his condition at all times," Luo Yuntian refused.
"Then I must trouble Headmaster Uncle!" Lin Feng once again clasped his fist and bowed in thanks.
He had to agree with Luo Yuntian. If he took his Master back and his condition worsened due to an accident, what would he do?
Leaving him here, where his Uncles could check on him, was the best choice.
All he needed to do was find a way to get the Red Spider Lily.
"Disciple-Nephew Lin Feng, there's no need to be so polite. What happened to Senior Brother Mubai is a top secret of our Shenxiao Sword Sect. You two must not spread it, to avoid unnecessary trouble. For now, your most important task is to cultivate. Give Senior Brother Mubai a surprise when he wakes up."
"Yes, Headmaster Junior Martial Uncle!"
"Yes, Headmaster Senior Martial Uncle!"
Lin Feng and Su Xiyao answered in unison.
"Good. If there's nothing else, you may go back. With us here, Senior Brother Mubai will be fine."
"Thank you, Headmaster Junior Martial Uncle!"
"Thank you, Headmaster Senior Martial Uncle!"
The two then left together.
Once they were out of the side hall, Lin Feng couldn't help but say, "Junior Sister! When you have time, you should come back and visit more often. Gucun Peak is the fruit of Master's life's work, and it's your home too."
"Mm! I will, Senior Brother! But right now, I have to cultivate diligently. Only with strength can I protect you and Father," Su Xiyao said with a serious expression.
"Junior Sister, you really shouldn't have to carry so much," Lin Feng sighed.
"Senior Brother! My mother is gone, and now my father is gravely injured, yet I don't even have the right to know who our enemy is. Tell me, am I not completely useless?" Su Xiyao looked at Lin Feng, her eyes glistening with tears.
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"No, you're not! Junior Sister, you're already working very hard. You're just too young. You need to accumulate experience slowly, step by step. Which expert in Lizhou hasn't spent hundreds, or even thousands, of years to reach their level?" Lin Feng quickly comforted her.
"But Senior Brother, I can't wait that long. I have to work harder than anyone else," the young girl said, her face full of stubbornness.
"You...sigh..."
For a moment, Lin Feng didn't know what to say and could only let out a sigh.
The little girl who used to follow him around all day, calling him 'Senior Brother' with every other breath, had finally grown up.
"Senior Brother, you don't have to worry about me! I'll take care of myself. Besides, Master is very good to me. I must gain the recognition of the Honglian Sword."
"Junior Sister, don't put too much pressure on yourself. Your Senior Brother is here for you!"
It was the first time Lin Feng had ever said such a thing.
His heart ached for Su Xiyao.
The young girl was shouldering burdens far too heavy for her age.
Her mother had died young, and now her father was on the brink of death.
She, a girl in her teens, had to bear it all.
Although Su Xiyao's talent was good, she was still a long, long way from being able to seek revenge.
Unless she could gain the recognition of the Honglian Sword, one of the Shenxiao Seven Swords, there was only the faintest glimmer of hope.
Otherwise, it was all just empty talk.
"Mm! I know, Senior Brother. Thank you! I'm going back to cultivate now."
"Go on."
Su Xiyao mounted her sword and flew away.
With a thought, the longsword on Lin Feng's back shot out from its sheath, rapidly enlarging before him. He too mounted it and flew off.
Next, he would return to Gucun Peak to search the ancient texts for information on the Red Spider Lily.
Although his Headmaster Uncle had said the sect would handle it, Lin Feng didn't like to place his hopes in the hands of others.
Besides that, there was one more thing waiting for Lin Feng to do.
His Master was grievously injured and on the brink of death. It was only right that he, as the disciple, should be the one to avenge him.
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