102: Returning to Tianfeng City, the Bitter Bamboo Monk

The sword light tore through the clouds, swooping down. Lin Feng, stepping on the Azure Edge Sting, hovered in mid-air, his gaze complex as he overlooked the familiar yet strange grand city below.

Tianfeng City.

The wounds left by the brutal demon attack three years ago had largely been healed by time. The damaged city walls had been reinforced and repaired, the scorched earth was re-paved with bluestone slabs, and most of the collapsed buildings had been rebuilt, even grander and taller than before. The Cultivators patrolling the city walls wore bright armor and exuded a calm aura, clearly indicating that the defenses were several times stricter than before.

However, upon closer inspection, a hint of unusual desolation could still be perceived. The number of pedestrians on the streets was noticeably less dense than in his memory, and many Cultivators were hurrying, their faces showing less leisure and more vigilance and the marks of hardship. Although some shops were open, they were deserted. That catastrophe, after all, had taken too many lives and changed the very essence of this city.

Lin Feng concealed his Qi and landed in a secluded spot outside the city, then walked into the city. He did not go directly to the Golden Scale Merchant Guild, but instead went to the “Hundred Rumors Teahouse” in the west of the city, where Cultivators gathered. All sorts of people congregated here, making it the best place to gather information.

He ordered a pot of spiritual tea and sat in a corner, his ears filled with various discussions.

“Have you heard? There was another major battle over in the True Demon Sea! The ‘River-Flipping True Monarch’ of the Azure Waves Sect personally slew the Vice Cave Master of the Myriad Bones Cave!”

“Tsk, a Nascent Soul Old Ancestor has fallen, this feud has grown big… Who knows when it will end.”

“Alas, with the war, prices are skyrocketing! Especially for healing Medicinal Pills and defensive Magical Artifacts, prices have almost doubled! Life is getting harder and harder.”

“Isn’t that the truth! I heard that the Black Wind Storm Sea is also not peaceful recently; several merchant caravans have mysteriously disappeared, suspected to be a prelude to a Yao Beast tide…”

“Watch your words! Watch your words! Don’t talk about state affairs, don’t talk about ill omens! Drink tea, drink tea…”

“By the way, the Gold Marrow Island Secret Realm is about to open, right? I wonder which lucky ones will benefit this time.”

“Lucky? Heh, that’s playing with your life! Every time the Secret Realm opens, only half of the Foundation Establishment Cultivators who enter manage to come out alive! Inside, killing people and seizing treasures is even more ruthless than Yao Beasts!”

“Wealth is found in danger! I heard that this time, the Golden Scale Merchant Guild, the Four Seas Merchant Guild, and several large Families have all sent their elites in…”

Lin Feng listened silently, noting the useful information. The situation was indeed still tense, and the competition in the Gold Marrow Island Secret Realm was brutal; all of this was consistent with what Zhao Yu had said. His heart grew more vigilant.

After paying for the tea, Lin Feng rose and walked towards the most magnificent golden building in the city center—the Tianfeng City branch of the Golden Scale Merchant Guild.

After stating his name, he was soon led to a heavily guarded hall in the back courtyard. Several people were already waiting in the hall.

The one in the main seat was naturally the amiable Deacon Zhao Yu. Seeing Lin Feng enter, he immediately greeted him warmly: “Fellow Daoist Lin! You’ve had a long journey! Please, have a seat! We were just waiting for you!”

Lin Feng cupped his fists in return, his gaze subtly sweeping over the other people in the hall.

By the window sat a Cultivator dressed in a wide black robe, his hood covering most of his face. His aura was cold, as if he had merged into the shadows, and he showed no reaction to Lin Feng’s arrival, merely silently toying with a black chess piece in his hand. This person gave Lin Feng the feeling of a poisonous snake in the dark, mysterious and dangerous.

On the other side were three Cultivators with similar clothing styles, clearly from the same sect. Two men and one woman. The leader was a burly man with a full beard, carrying a giant axe like a door panel on his back. His aura was wild, and he had a Nascent Soul (Middle Stage) cultivation. Beside him was a tall, thin young man with sharp eyes, several Storage Pouches hanging from his waist, with a cultivation at the third level of Foundation Establishment. Finally, there was a pretty female Cultivator, but with a hint of arrogance in her eyes, holding a feather fan Magical Artifact, with a cultivation at the second level of Foundation Establishment. When these three saw Lin Feng, their gazes held scrutiny, and the bearded man even grinned, which counted as a greeting.

What made Lin Feng feel most uncomfortable was a monk sitting in the corner. He wore a faded gray monk robe, with monastic scars on his head, and a gaunt face, but his eyes were exceptionally clear and bright. He slowly twirled a string of ebony Buddhist beads in his hand. From the moment Lin Feng entered, the monk’s gaze had been fixed on him. That gaze was not malicious, but it carried a strange probing quality, as if it could see through people’s hearts, causing the Divine Ability fruit tree in Lin Feng’s Sea of Consciousness to tremble slightly, seemingly uncomfortable.

“Come, come, Fellow Daoist Lin, allow this old man to introduce you.” Zhao Yu smiled, breaking the silence, and pointed to the black-robed guest, “This is Fellow Daoist ‘Ink Shadow.’ His shadow evasion Spell and poison cultivation are superb, and he is a powerful aid for this mission.”

The black-robed guest nodded slightly, acknowledging the greeting, his voice hoarse and low: “Pleased to meet you.” He said no more.

Zhao Yu then pointed to the three-person group: “These three are talented disciples from the ‘Savage Sands Sect’: Fellow Daoist Lu Meng, Fellow Daoist Hou Ming, and Fellow Daoist Liu Yan. Fellow Daoist Lu has immense strength, Fellow Daoist Hou is exceptionally astute, and Fellow Daoist Liu’s wind-elemental Spell is also exquisite.”

The bearded man, Lu Meng, laughed heartily, his voice like a bell: “Fellow Daoist Lin looks unfamiliar, but his Qi is condensed; he’s no ordinary person! The Secret Realm is full of dangers, and it’s too dangerous to act alone. How about you join our three siblings? We can look out for each other!” He was quite direct.

The tall, thin young man, Hou Ming, cupped his hands and smiled: “Greetings, Fellow Daoist Lin. Senior Brother is right, there’s strength in numbers, and it’s easier to divide the golden essence if we find it.” Although his words were polite, his eyes scanned Lin Feng’s Storage Pouch and Azure Edge Sting at his waist.

Liu Yan merely nodded reservedly, saying nothing, the arrogance in her eyes undiminished.

Lin Feng smiled faintly, returning the greeting neither humbly nor arrogantly: “Thank you for your kind offer, Fellow Daoist Lu. However, I am accustomed to traveling alone, and I have some private matters to attend to, so I’m afraid it would be inconvenient to accompany you. I wish the three Fellow Daoists a fruitful journey in the Secret Realm.” He directly refused.

Upon hearing this, a flicker of imperceptible disappointment crossed Lu Meng’s face, but he didn’t press the issue, laughing heartily: “Since that’s the case, then let’s each rely on our own Opportunity! Haha!”

Finally, Zhao Yu looked at the gray-robed monk, his expression slightly solemn: “This is Master Ku Zhu, from the Small Thunderclap Temple in the Western Regions. His Buddhist Dharma is profound, and he has come this time at the invitation of an Elder of our Guild.”

Master Ku Zhu stopped twirling his Buddhist beads, clasped his hands together, and proclaimed a Buddhist chant: “Amitabha. Benefactor Lin, this humble monk greets you.” His voice was peaceful and soothing, yet it carried a strange penetrating power, “Benefactor, Evil Qi and vitality are intertwined within you, and there seems to be Karma entangled. On this journey to the Secret Realm, please be extra careful and do not commit too much slaughter.”

Lin Feng’s heart trembled; this monk was indeed not simple. His expression remained unchanged as he returned the greeting: “Thank you for the Master’s guidance; Lin will keep it in mind.”

Everyone had a brief introduction, and the atmosphere was subtle. Zhao Yu then gave some instructions regarding the Secret Realm and the meeting time, before arranging for everyone to rest.