Mainland Martial Arts

When Lin Feng thought of this, a bad idea came to his mind. "It is very likely that Wang Taiming has found the inheritance of the evil cult. Perhaps he has already obtained the method of absorbing the cultivation of others."

Xu Tian suddenly felt a surge of fear. "What should we do? What if he really uses this technique against us..."

Lin Feng gritted his teeth. "Hmph, forget about that for now. If it's Wang Taiming, then next time we meet, I'll find a chance to kill him. Even if he has that technique, I'm not afraid. I don't believe he can reach the level of a high-level Grandmaster in just a few years. As long as it doesn't exceed ten years, I still have a chance."

After saying that, Lin Feng and Xu Tian untied the ropes of the three people.

The three men felt as if they had been pardoned. They kowtowed and thanked him repeatedly, then ran away in a panic.

Lin Feng looked at their receding figures, turned to Xu Tian and said, "Let's go back to the inn and rest."

The two returned to the inn and lay down on their beds, but both tossed and turned and couldn't fall asleep.

Lin Feng had a lot of thoughts in his mind, thinking about Wang Taiming and the dangers he might face in the future.

Xu Tian was also thinking about how to deal with this potential crisis.

Late at night, on a mountain near Jinyan City, a cold wind howled through the trees. Lin Feng and Xu Tian had long since fallen asleep in the inn, but at this moment, a strong, murderous aura permeated the mountain.

A mysterious figure in a black robe and mask stood silently, ghostlike. He gripped a man's neck tightly, lifting him high into the air. The man's face was filled with agony, his hands clenching in vain at the vise-like grip. His feet kicked wildly in the air, and he struggled to utter a few words: "Remnants of the Demonic Cult. The Nine Emperors Pavilion will not let you go."

The black-robed figure let out a sinister laugh, as if emanating from the netherworld. "Your cultivation is quite impressive; you still have the strength to speak." He then twisted the body with all his might. With a sharp snap, the man's struggles instantly ceased, his eyes widening as his limbs drooped limply. Then, the black-robed figure tossed the body aside and vanished like smoke.

Under the moonlight, hundreds of corpses lay scattered across the ground. Their uniform clothing clearly indicated they were from the same faction. Shortly thereafter, a group of dozens of people, dressed in the same clothing as the ones lying on the ground, suddenly appeared. Each one exuded an extremely powerful aura. The leader, his face livid, gazed upon his companions scattered on the ground, his eyes filled with grief, anger, and hatred. He gritted his teeth and said, "You cultists, I will make you pay with blood!"

Meanwhile, back at the inn, Lin Feng and Xu Tian were sound asleep. After a month's journey, they were exhausted. In his dream, Lin Feng seemed to be back on the smoke-filled battlefield, with its roaring cries of war and swords. Xu Tian, ​​on the other hand, dreamed of playing with his friends as a child, a pure smile on his face.

The first rays of morning sunlight streamed through the window onto their faces, and Lin Feng and Xu Tian slowly woke up. They stretched, gathered their things, and prepared to continue their journey. As they walked down the street, they heard the chatter of passersby.

"I heard that General Lin Feng left the front line a month ago. I don't know where he went."

"That's right. Last night, on a mountain near Jinyan City, hundreds of people from the Nine Emperor Pavilion were killed. Their cultivation was drained away before they were killed."

"I heard that some people suspect that three years ago, General Lin Feng went to the Demon Cult ruins to search for the Demon Cult's inheritance and that his cultivation level improved significantly. A month ago, General Lin Feng left the front lines, and last night, a murder case related to the Demon Cult occurred. Isn't this a coincidence?"

"Shh, don't talk nonsense. If you spread this kind of thing, you will be beheaded."

As a Grandmaster, Lin Feng had excellent hearing, so he naturally heard every word of this conversation. His brow furrowed slightly, and he pondered secretly. Xu Tian also heard these discussions and looked at Lin Feng anxiously, "Lin Feng, what should we do? Should we spread the truth?"

Lin Feng shook his head and said solemnly: "Don't worry, let's go meet the Emperor and see what he says." After that, he pulled Xu Tian up and quickened his pace.

Lin Feng, traversing Dongxuan City, frowned the entire time, lost in deep thought. He clearly sensed that Wang Taiming was plotting revenge against him. The almighty Emperor must have known the situation, yet for some reason, he refused to clarify. Furthermore, the officials, knowing the truth, remained silent about his cultivation. Imperial law clearly protected military personnel, so how could such slander of meritorious officials be permitted? Lin Feng was filled with confusion, baffled.

Xu Tian didn't think as deeply as Lin Feng did. He simply stood up for Lin Feng. Lin Feng had fought bravely on the front lines, making great achievements, but now he was being slandered. How could he tolerate this?

When Lin Feng walked out of Dongxuan City and arrived at the gate of the capital, he saw Eunuch Hong already waiting there. Lin Feng and Xu Tian walked forward and saluted Eunuch Hong.

Eunuch Hong smiled and said, "Lin family boy, we haven't seen each other for a long time. Oh no, I should call you General Lin, hehe."

Lin Feng ignored Eunuch Hong's slightly teasing address and asked directly, "Eunuch Hong, are you waiting for me here?"

Eunuch Hong didn't mince words and said frankly, "The Emperor knows you're coming to see him, so he asked me to welcome this great hero here."

Lin Feng had no choice but to be polite to Eunuch Hong: "They are not heroes at all, they are just serving the country."

Eunuch Hong smiled and said, "When serving the country, rewards and punishments must be clearly defined. Otherwise, who would be willing to serve the country? Haha."

After a few casual words, Eunuch Hong took Lin Feng to the carriage. As the carriage slowly moved forward, Lin Feng was still full of confusion. Since the Emperor knew he was coming, he must be well aware of his affairs.

Eunuch Hong seemed to see through Lin Feng's thoughts and answered him: "General Lin, the Emperor knows what you want to ask."

Seeing that Eunuch Hong hadn't concealed anything, Lin Feng immediately asked, "Since the Emperor knows about me, why did he do this?"

Eunuch Hong smiled and said, "Hehe, General Lin is a great hero, but your cultivation is only known to those on the front lines and those higher-ups who are not on the front lines. As for why your story hasn't been made public, it's because you are needed to lure out the remnants of the Demon Cult."

Lin Feng nodded in understanding, then asked, "Then why do we have to lure them out in this way?"

Eunuch Hong stroked his whisk and said with a slightly serious expression, "Wang Taiming is a man of deep thoughts and cunning minds. If we act rashly, we might alert him and make him hide even deeper. Taking advantage of the grudge between you and him to make him reveal himself is the safest approach at the moment."