68: Are you sure you want to go all the way against this?

The moment Huangfu Jing unleashed his Blade Technique.

Some people in the crowd of onlookers couldn't hold back anymore.

"Wait, what's going on? Why does this Blade Technique look so familiar?"

"Of course it's familiar! That night at Haoyue Temple, wasn't the person who intercepted us with a Yao Beast using this exact same Blade Technique?"

"If it hadn't been for Second Young Master Feng, we wouldn't have made it back at all."

"This technique, the curved blade like a full moon... isn't this the Huangfu Family's Round Moon Curved Saber?"

"Huangfu Jing is a member of the Huangfu Family, so there's nothing wrong with him using this technique."

"No, what I'm saying is that the mysterious person who intercepted us on the road that day likely came from the Huangfu Family—perhaps even the man standing right before us."

The crowd below the stage broke into a flurry of discussion.

On the stage, the full moon blade energy that was clearly about to coalesce...

...was actually thrown out directly by Huangfu Jing at that moment.

A miss is as good as a mile.

There was only a tiny difference between being nearly formed and not formed at all, yet the results were completely different.

The moment Huangfu Jing's blade energy was thrown out, it collapsed instantly.

Furthermore, it immediately backfired onto Huangfu Jing himself.

A gash was instantly sliced open on Huangfu Jing's arm, and blood flowed freely.

Huangfu Jing quickly covered his arm, an apologetic look on his face.

"My apologies, Junior Brother Feng. I accidentally lost my focus. It seems today's battle can only be called off."

"Junior Brother Feng is a very talented cultivator. To be this powerful at the Foundation Establishment Stage... joining the Lingxiao Sect would be a great boon for the Sect."

"There is no problem at all with you joining the Sect, and the Sect will even provide you with some unique resources."

"Let us end it here for today."

Feng Ming, however, could not find it in himself to be happy at all.

This Huangfu Jing was full of schemes; to avoid continuing the duel with him, he had even resorted to self-harm.

He played the 'Injury Ruse' well.

Truly a sly fox.

This way, if Feng Ming continued to fight, he would seem aggressive and overbearing.

But he only admitted to having a Divided Soul moment—and a momentary lapse didn't mean he had lost.

In a battle without a conclusion, no one could judge who won or lost.

Dammit, as expected of someone from the Huangfu Family, he could even break out of a situation like this.

It wasn't just Feng Ming who thought he was shameless.

Feng Mian, Jiang Shuwan, as well as Lu Qianqian and Lu An'an, had obviously all seen through Huangfu Jing's objective.

They cursed his ancestors several times in their hearts.

Yet, there was nothing they could do.

Feng Ming, on the contrary, did not panic but instead began to laugh.

"Since Senior Brother Huangfu is injured, then today's battle ends here. I also thank Senior Brother Huangfu for his recognition; we shall be fellow Sect members from now on."

As he spoke, Feng Ming suddenly changed the subject.

"Speaking of which, I have a question I would like to ask Senior Brother."

The corner of Huangfu Jing's mouth twitched, wanting to use his injury as an excuse to refuse.

But Feng Ming gave him no such chance.

He asked directly.

"The night before last at Haoyue Temple, I encountered a Golden Core Realm Expert. His Blade Technique was exactly the same as Senior Brother Huangfu's. I wonder if Senior Brother knows who this person might be?"

Without even thinking, Huangfu Jing denied it immediately.

"I don't know."

Feng Ming wasn't in a hurry and smiled.

"That is quite strange. Such an expert arrived at the territory of Qingyang City and Liumian Prefecture, and even brought a Half-step Golden Core Yao Beast to block the official road, yet the Huangfu Family doesn't know about it?"

"His strength wasn't that great, and his Blade Technique was very similar to the Huangfu Family's Round Moon Curved Saber. Why doesn't Senior Brother Huangfu think about it? Could your Huangfu Family have a traitor?"

"Have any disciples been expelled from the Family recently?"

"Feng Ming!"

Huangfu Jing's face turned grim.

"Think carefully about what you're saying!"

"Our Huangfu Family has no traitors, nor any disciples expelled from the house. The Yao Beast on the official road was absolutely not the work of our Huangfu Family!"

Hearing this, Feng Ming waved his hands dismissively.

"Senior Brother Huangfu, please don't be angry. I just couldn't figure it out and decided to ask. You shouldn't go pinning blame on yourself."

"After all, I truly didn't say anything."

Huangfu Jing's expression changed drastically.

He realized he had actually been baited by Feng Ming.

Feng Ming indeed hadn't said it was them, but Huangfu Jing's denial was undoubtedly a case of 'protesting too much.'

The onlookers also seemed to have discovered something.

"When you put it that way, it does seem deliberate. How can one allow others to sleep soundly beside their bed? A Golden Core expert appeared right between Liumian Prefecture and Qingyang City, blocking the road with a Yao Beast—and the Huangfu Family didn't know about such a thing?"

"The key is that they used the same Blade Technique. It's normal for Feng Ming to be suspicious, and he didn't even blame the Huangfu Family; he just asked if he knew who it was."

"But Huangfu Jing actually said outright that it wasn't the Huangfu Family's doing. What is that? A confession without being questioned?"

"The more he denies it, the more likely it is. I'd say this matter is definitely related to the Huangfu Family."

"No wonder the Second Young Master wanted to exchange blows with Huangfu Jing; he wanted him to expose himself and reveal the Huangfu Family's true face. Yet Huangfu Jing actually pulled an Injury Ruse."

"Second Young Master Feng really put a lot of thought into this today."

The crowd below discussed fervently.

There were many people present, and naturally many clever ones; Feng Ming's words weren't hard to understand.

Someone soon caught on.

In fact, if one thought about it carefully, Feng Ming's words were pointed. The Huangfu Family wasn't the City Lord; although they were in business, they didn't sell intelligence.

If the other party truly hid their tracks, even the Huangfu Family might not know.

As for Huangfu Jing, he should have been on his way to Liumian Prefecture at the time.

How could he have known about this?

The questioner had an agenda, and the respondent had an agenda as well.

Huangfu Jing's first reaction was to distance the Huangfu Family from the matter.

He even went as far as to state absolutely that it had nothing to do with them.

This was a complete self-incrimination.

However, this way, Feng Ming's goal was achieved.

As long as someone understood the meaning behind this conversation, the news would spread quickly.

Sure enough, after a moment, the people discussing below couldn't sit still.

"Hmph, you certainly tried to wash your hands clean, but Second Young Master Feng never said it was your Huangfu Family who did it, did he?"

"The Huangfu Family of Qingyang City suddenly sent a branch to Liumian Prefecture for the Medicinal Pill business, and immediately started suppressing individual sellers with low prices. If not for the Feng Family's protection, they would have long since lost their families."

"The Feng Family led the individual sellers to oppose you, so you wanted to block the official road to prevent the Feng Family from refining pills, leaving them with nothing to sell."

"I see more than that. They not only wanted to kill the Feng Family's pill business but also wanted to ruin their reputation—a complete undercut. This move is truly ruthless."

"When they can't compete openly, they resort to dirty tricks. Truly despicable and shameless."

Huangfu Jing's face grew uglier and uglier. He looked at Feng Ming and said,

"Do you really want to oppose our Huangfu Family to the end?"