Chapter Seventy-One: Cold Satire and Hot Ridicule
East City Gate.
Li Qi paced anxiously, like an ant on a hot pan.
Tap, tap!
Footsteps echoed through the night. Li Qi’s spirit lifted; he spun around eagerly, only to see a shadow striding toward him out of the darkness.
"Finally, you're back! Zhao Liu, how many gold coins did you get?" he asked, his voice trembling with excitement.
The shadow gave no answer. Silence hung heavy.
"Zhao Liu? What's with you, all mysterious?" Li Qi frowned, suspicion flickering across his face.
As the distance closed, Li Qi realized something was wrong.
That shadow wasn’t Zhao Liu!
And upon its shoulder, it carried a body.
Suddenly, the shadow moved with incredible speed. White light radiated from its palm—the unmistakable glow of true energy!
Li Qi sensed danger and turned to flee, but the shadow was faster. With a few strides, it caught up and, with a single blow, killed Li Qi instantly.
This man was none other than the steward of the Ling residence.
"Foolish," the steward snorted coldly, and, hoisting the bodies of both men, headed toward the Pill Hall.
Yet he failed to notice another shadow silently emerge from behind a house by the city gate, following him with stealthy steps.
Arriving before the grand entrance of the Pill Hall, the steward surveyed the surroundings, then dug a pit beside the hall, buried the two bodies, disguised the traces, and hurried back toward the East City Gate.
"It seems he's trying to frame me," a soft mutter broke the darkness.
Indeed—it was Qin Feiyang.
When Li Qi and Zhao Liu had questioned him earlier, Qin Feiyang had been wary, pretending to leave but staying hidden to observe.
As expected, the two were up to no good.
But Qin Feiyang hadn’t anticipated the Ling family would kill them outright.
"In order to eliminate me, they are ruthless. Since that's the case, I’ll return the favor," Qin Feiyang smirked, swiftly uncovering the earth and dragging out the bodies.
He refilled the pit, disguised the marks, and then, carrying the corpses, slipped quietly into the rear courtyard of the Ling residence.
The journey was fraught with tension, but nothing untoward occurred.
He found a rockery and buried the two bodies behind it.
"Now, let’s wait and see the show," his eyes flashed coldly, and, unseen and unheard, he departed the Ling residence.
Once again, he stopped before the Pill Hall’s entrance, gazing up at the night sky.
"The steward just went to the East City Gate—could he be planning to assassinate Ling Yunfei?"
"No, I must check..."
"But with the Wolf King there, nothing should go wrong."
"Besides, if he can't handle this crisis himself, how can he stand alone in the future?"
"This will be a test for you—don’t disappoint me. After all, I’ve staked my fate on you this time," Qin Feiyang murmured, then turned and entered the Pill Hall.
Meanwhile, the clash at Black Bear Mountain had begun.
The Wolf King immediately sensed someone approaching.
"Who would come to Black Bear Mountain in the dead of night?"
"And that aura—it’s strong."
"Whoever it is, I must warn Ling Yunfei."
A howl burst forth, echoing through the moonlit forest.
"A wolf?"
"Could it be Qin Feiyang?" Ling Yunfei and the steward were both filled with suspicion.
"If I can catch Qin Feiyang, it would be a great achievement!" the steward muttered, his eyes gleaming as he rushed toward the source of the howl.
Ling Yunfei hesitated, but ultimately decided to go and see.
Moments later, he reached a river—the very same where Qin Feiyang had once ambushed Jiang Chuan and his men.
Ling Yunfei knew many black-scaled crocodiles lurked in the water, so he did not attempt to cross recklessly.
The Wolf King lay in wait on the far side, hidden among the shrubs.
Suddenly, a hoarse laugh rang out from the forest behind.
"Qin Feiyang, at last I've found you!"
"It's the steward's voice!"
"What is he doing on Black Bear Mountain?"
"No, he's definitely here to kill me!"
Ling Yunfei had lived with the Ling family for many years, so he easily recognized the steward's voice.
He didn’t turn back. Instead, he retreated a few steps, then dashed forward, leaping with all his strength onto the riverbank and soaring across like an agile ape, landing instantly on the far side.
Roar!
Splash!
Several black-scaled crocodiles lunged from the water, but missed their prey by mere moments.
"It’s him!" The moonlight revealed Ling Yunfei clearly to the steward as he reached the riverbank.
He quickly caught up, laughing, "Yunfei, what are you doing here?"
"And what about you?" Ling Yunfei countered, his gaze sharp.
Though uncertain of the man's true intentions, unease gnawed at his heart.
"I'm here to gather medicinal herbs," the steward replied with a chuckle.
"Searching for herbs in the middle of the night? You’re truly diligent," Ling Yunfei sneered.
"I have no choice; it’s the master’s command. By the way, I heard a wolf howl and came to investigate. Did you see anything?" the steward asked.
"Nothing at all. I won't disturb your herb gathering. Farewell," Ling Yunfei said, turning and vanishing into the forest.
"This brat—when did he become so cautious?" Cold light flashed in the steward’s eyes as he leapt up.
Splash!
At the same time, more than a dozen black-scaled crocodiles surged from the water, but couldn’t reach him; his jump was simply too high.
The Wolf King, hidden in the shrubs, grinned maliciously.
In a blur, it shot from its cover like an arrow.
As the steward was about to land on the bank, the Wolf King crashed into him. With a startled cry, the steward fell into the river with a thud.
The crocodiles immediately lunged, jaws agape!
His fate mirrored that of Jiang Chuan.
"Though you’re a Martial Master, in the night-shrouded forest, I have a hundred ways to make you cry for your father and mother," the Wolf King sneered, then turned and bolted into the woods.
The steward was stunned.
Who had struck him?
He’d glimpsed something—a wolf, perhaps?
Fury surged; he lashed out, slaughtering the crocodiles, then leaped from the water onto the bank, but found no trace of his attacker.
The Wolf King had vanished.
Though he’d killed the crocodiles, their fangs had exacted a heavy price.
Several patches of flesh had been torn from his body.
He was drenched in blood!
Agonizing pain coursed through every nerve, threatening his sanity.
"Damn beasts! I won’t spare you!" he roared, like a maddened bull, charging after the Wolf King and Ling Yunfei.
"So he really meant to kill me," Ling Yunfei thought grimly, hearing the distant rage.
Yet a cold smile crept across his face.
Black Bear Mountain was vast; as long as he escaped, the steward posed no threat!
"But why did he say 'you beasts'? Are there others nearby?"
Ling Yunfei, full of doubt, turned and sped in another direction.
The Wolf King, using its keen senses, kept close behind him.
But to shake off the steward would not be easy; after all, he was a Martial Master, much faster than either of them.
Thus began a desperate chase.
Meanwhile, at the heart of the Pill Hall complex stood a pitch-black great hall, more than ten yards tall and hundreds of yards wide—majestic and imposing.
This was the Fire Pill Hall.
It was where disciples refined pills, and one of the most important places in the Pill Hall.
Upon returning, Qin Feiyang headed straight there.
The massive doors were tightly shut.
On either side sat two middle-aged men, both elders and stewards tasked with guarding the Fire Pill Hall.
The hall was seamless, with only this one entrance.
Qin Feiyang stopped at the door and bowed. "Disciple Jiang Haotian greets the two steward elders."
Ling Yan had brought him here before, so he knew their identities and strength.
Likewise, the two elders recognized Qin Feiyang.
The one on the left smiled, "Show me your identification token."
Qin Feiyang took the token from his spatial pouch and handed it over.
On the front, two bold characters were inscribed—Pill Hall.
The reverse bore Qin Feiyang’s name and the number '110'.
The steward glanced at it, returned it, then pushed open the stone door, smiling, "Go in, turn right, and the last room is your training chamber."
"Thank you, elder," Qin Feiyang bowed and strode into the Fire Pill Hall.
Inside, the temperature could be summed up in two words—refreshing!
Though it was a place for refining pills, it was not hot at all; the stone used for the hall’s construction was exceptionally heat-resistant.
The elder reminded him, "Jiang Haotian, when you leave, insert your token into the recess next to the door; the stone door will open automatically."
With that, he closed the door.
Qin Feiyang turned to look, and indeed found a recess on the wall beside the door, perfectly shaped to fit the token.
"The lower the room number, the purer the pill fire. I must work hard to get the number one chamber," Qin Feiyang muttered, entering the right corridor and heading toward the end.
Along the corridor, at regular intervals, stood stone doors, each marked with a number.
But the vast corridor was devoid of people.
Boom!
As Qin Feiyang passed the fourth chamber, its door suddenly swung open.
A rich medicinal fragrance wafted out.
Qin Feiyang paused, turning curiously, and saw an old acquaintance emerge, clutching a jade bottle.
It was Cheng Yi!
"Jiang Haotian?" Cheng Yi blinked, then smiled, "What a coincidence. Are you here to refine pills?"
Qin Feiyang nodded, though inwardly he mused, "Isn't that obvious? Why else would one come to the Fire Pill Hall—sightseeing?"
"What number chamber did you get?"
"Oh, look at me, refining pills until my head's muddled."
"You’re engaged to Elder Feng’s granddaughter. No surprise, you’ll be family eventually, so Elder Feng will surely give you a prime chamber."
"Connections are wonderful. Unlike us, with no support, who must climb step by step through hard work," Cheng Yi shook his head, sighing with envy, though his words dripped with sarcasm.