Chapter 10 Buying People's Hearts

At the same moment, Shang Fei's battle with Su Shang and Miao Shaoqing continued. After several rounds, the two sides were evenly matched.

Shang Fei, through Lin Chang's guidance during this period, had made significant progress in his martial arts. He was originally confident in defeating the two before him. However, due to the successive unexpected events, he was unsettled and hesitated in his attacks, leading to a stalemate with Su and Miao.

Just then, another figure swiftly arrived, leaping onto the rooftop. Their movements were light and agile, like the wind and willow catkins. It was none other than Lu Qingning, the Falling Plum Sword.

The Sword Heroine Lu joined the battle against Shang Fei without a word. She exchanged glances with Su Shang and Miao Shaoqing, and they understood each other perfectly. The three immediately unleashed a set of Three Swords Combined Formation.

Among the Six Swords of Flower Shadow, the Plum, Orchid, and Bamboo Swords were the closest, often practicing martial arts together. Over time, they had developed a nameless sword formation. This formation drew upon the strengths of each of their sword techniques, complementing their weaknesses, resulting in astonishing power. Unexpectedly, its first actual combat was against their own senior brother.

Shang Fei used his Ghost Shadow Swordplay to fight against two opponents, maneuvering and dodging left and right. He was originally handling it with ease, but the appearance of Lu Qingning quickly put him at a disadvantage.

After only a few moves, murderous intent emerged from the sword formation. Su Shang initiated an attack with "Admiring One's Own Beauty," Miao Shaoqing supported with "Sifting the Wind and Playing with the Moon," and Lu Qingning suddenly unleashed a sword strike, "Cutting Snow and Tailoring Ice," as the killing move.

With a few sharp sounds, Shang Fei was struck by three swords, one on each side of his ribs and one on his Lingtai acupoint (spiritual altar point). It was said that if the Lingtai was damaged, all meridians would be destroyed. Although he was not killed on the spot, the outcome was decided.

...

On the other side, Lin Chang completely ignored Shang Fei's life or death. He did not comment on Feng Bujue's attack but looked towards the innkeeper and commented, "Finally, a real expert has arrived. Interesting... State your name."

"Hmph..." the other party replied with a strange, cold laugh. "Cao Qin, Chief Secretary of the Directorate of Ceremonial, Imperial Envoy, Chief Supervisor of the Eastern Depot."

Lin Chang's expression changed noticeably, and the ferocity in his eyes diminished by thirty percent. "So, it's Eunuch Cao, my respects..." Hearing that the other party was a fourth-rank official of the court, he knew he could not afford to offend him. He changed his attitude. "I, Lin, am here to eliminate rebels. I wonder what brings Lord Cao here..."

"Enough," Cao Qin waved his hand, interrupting him. "Lin Chang, I have no time for your nonsense. The letters you exchanged with Qian Ning (Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard) have long been discovered by my Eastern Depot. I know exactly what you're up to. Otherwise, why would I have arrived in Cang Ling before everyone else?" His words answered a question that had been puzzling everyone for a long time.

Thinking about it, it made sense. Only the power of the Eastern Depot could have transformed a deserted inn in a ghost town into the Cang Ling Inn in such a short time.

"Lord Cao, since we are both serving the court, why not join forces..." Lin Chang said again.

"Huo huo huo huo..." Cao Qin let out a shrill laugh with his effeminate voice, interrupting Lin Chang. "What a 'serving the court'!" He sneered, "But in my eyes, it's nothing more than a transaction between you and Qian Ning."

Feng Bujue interjected from the side, "After the Cang Ling Sword Debate, Qian Ning will obtain hundreds of martial arts secrets, and you will gain the position of leader of the martial arts world. In the future, you can use the power of the martial world to help Qian Ning eliminate dissidents in the court, and he can use the power of the Embroidered Uniform Guard to help you consolidate your dominance in the martial world." He paused and asked, "No matter how you look at it, the whole thing is just a transaction between two ambitious people for personal gain. How can it be confused with 'serving the court'?"

Feng Bujue had already said these words to Cao Qin once in the inn. In addition, he had helped Eunuch Cao calculate the situation, successfully convincing him that... if Qian Ning and Lin Chang's plan succeeded, it would be a disaster for the martial world and extremely detrimental to the Eastern Depot, even threatening the imperial power.

Cao Qin... well, to put it this way, although there were many treacherous and villainous eunuchs, Cao Qin should be considered a relatively loyal eunuch. Of course, this was relative. He was indeed loyal to the emperor, but he was as cold as winter to his enemies... In short, this NPC was quickly persuaded by Feng Bujue to join the same camp.

In fact, Cao Qin had not originally intended to disrupt Lin Chang's conspiracy. He had come to Cang Ling this time simply to monitor the progress of events. He also wanted to meet Lin Chang in person to see if he really had the strength to dominate the martial arts world as claimed in those letters.

If this Eunuch Cao had initially wanted to disrupt the plan, he would not have come alone and hired a group of ordinary people to work as waiters in the inn. With Cao Qin's methods, there were countless ways to make Lin Chang disappear from the world a month ago. Even if it was a head-on confrontation, the Director and several deputies of the Eastern Depot could confidently kill Lin Chang. However, the time to act could not be on the night of the full moon...

It was not until shortly before the duel that Feng Bujue returned to Cang Ling, met with his teammates, exchanged information, and confirmed Cao Qin's identity with the Vajra Bell's special effect. Feng Bujue then contacted Cao Qin, changed his mind, and cooperated with him to make a series of arrangements.

"Lin Chang, Jin Little Brother and Wang Little Brother from Broken Sword Tea House have already taken my token and left the town via two different routes to spread the word," Cao Qin said. "The garrison commander will not dare to disobey when he sees the token of the Eastern Depot. They will not be coming tonight." He raised his voice and said to the crowd on the street, "Everyone here, Lin Chang has fallen into the demonic path. Demonic arts are not something ordinary martial arts can contend with. If you don't want to die, leave Cang Ling immediately. No one will stop you on the road. You can safely enter Copper Hill."

After Cao Qin finished speaking, he turned and specifically said to Gongsun Qian, who was a few feet away, "Building Master Gongsun, as the head of a sect, you should be aware of the bigger picture. This current crisis can only be resolved by Little Brother Feng and the others. Regardless of whether his words were true or false, now is not the time for you to seek revenge."

As he spoke, many second- and third-rate sects had already begun to flee, and the street became noisy and chaotic. The figures from the first-rate sects wanted to save face, so although they also wanted to leave, they were embarrassed to scramble and flee like those miscellaneous fish. They all decided to leave a little later, and when they returned to Copper Hill, they would laugh at those who fled earlier... feeling a sense of superiority.

Unexpectedly, Ji Tong actually stepped forward at this time and advised Gongsun Qian, "Building Master Gongsun, what Eunuch Cao says is reasonable. Right now, it is a crisis of the martial arts world's righteous path being destroyed. Let Hall Master Feng concentrate on dealing with Lin Chang. Your grievances with him can be discussed later. You should first lead your disciples out of town to save their lives."

Gongsun Qian knew Ji Tong best. The two were mortal enemies. He knew very well that what Ji Tong was thinking at this moment was to run away quickly. Such righteous remarks could be summed up in one sentence: "Buddy, I'm giving you a way out. Hurry up and run, so I can catch up."

"Alright, since Hall Master Ji said so." Gongsun Qian turned his face to Feng Bujue, "Hall Master Feng, we'll meet again!" He snorted coldly, waved to his disciples, and left quickly, not even caring about the corpses of his wife and junior brother.

Ji Tong had a look of success on his face and waved his hand, "Disciples of the Eight Directions Tower, follow me..." As he spoke, he summoned more than a dozen people and left in a hurry.

Seeing that Myriad Radiance Tower and Eight Directions Tower had retreated, the rest of the figures from the major sects and those martial artists who had come alone also followed suit. In just a few minutes, the streets were almost empty.

Lin Chang, on the rooftop, simply watched the scene before him silently, without taking any action to stop it. Because when he heard Cao Qin say that the Embroidered Uniform Guard would not be coming, he knew that tonight's grand plan had failed. Even if he chased after them madly, it would be useless. At least half of them could escape.

Moreover, facing Cao Qin and Feng Bujue before him, as well as the others from Broken Sword Tea House who had yet to appear, he could not be careless. Who knew if Feng Bujue would take out something similar to that strange box in his hand.

"Brother Lin," Feng Bujue looked up and said, "Qian Ning, for his own ambition, incited by you, has stirred up a calamity in the martial world, breaking the years of non-interference between the martial world and the government. He will soon be unable to protect himself and will not be able to help you. And you have become the enemy of the martial world, and the other forces in the court will not tolerate you either." He held up one finger, "The only way out for you now is... to go into hiding, change your name, and live in seclusion."

"Hmph... go into hiding?" The black and purple malevolence on Lin Chang's face condensed again.

"Feng Bujue, let me tell you what kind of path I will take..." Lin Chang replied solemnly, "First, I will immediately kill you and this dead eunuch. Then, I will kill every important official who knows about this and may use it to bring down Qian Ning. Then, I will continue my deal with him..." A fierce look appeared on his face. "At worst, I will visit each sect one by one. Those who hand over their martial arts manuals and respect me as the leader can live. Those who disobey will have their sects destroyed." He said in a very calm tone, "It will just take more effort and more time. The path before me will not be blocked by you!"

"Then there's no other way..." Feng Bujue said, putting away the assault rifle and taking out the Anti-Gravity Catapult from his backpack. Then, he took out a fire starter and a small ball woven from bamboo strips from his pocket. After lighting the bamboo ball, he shot it into the sky with the reflector.

This action was undoubtedly a signal to his companions in the distance, but Lin Chang did not know that there was something called a sniper rifle in this world. He thought that Feng Bujue was calling for reinforcements.

Two seconds later, hundreds of meters away, a gunshot tore through the sky.

Bei Ling did not aim for the opponent's head. After all, her shooting specialization was not yet a near-perfect A-level. If she aimed for the head, she had about a 40% chance of missing. Although the performance of the gun in her hand was excellent, the shooting distance, angle, wind speed, and even the visibility under the moonlight were very good, such an opportunity would not come a second time. The first shot was the easiest to succeed. Once someone had been hit by such a long-range attack, they would definitely be on guard. Therefore, this shot could not be missed. Hitting the torso was the safest bet. As long as this shot could injure the Boss, it would be worth it even if the subsequent attacks missed.

Lin Chang had cultivated the Tai Xu Wu Xiang Great Art and had been possessed by a demon, so his personality had changed drastically. Above his main consciousness, there was a higher-level spiritual consciousness, which was the Wu Xiang Devil Lord (Formless Devil Lord). At certain times, when Lin Chang's own consciousness could not protect himself, his inner demon would take over.

The night of the full moon was when the Wu Xiang Devil Lord's will and power were at their strongest. Faced with this sudden fatal blow, a black qi shield instantly condensed and stood in the path of the sniper bullet.

But neither the speed nor the power of this bullet could be compared to attacks from the Cold Weapon Era. After a moment of hesitation, the sniper bullet penetrated the qi shield and entered Lin Chang's chest.

Unfortunately, he was hit in the heart.

...

The sky was gloomy, windless, and a few snowflakes fell silently.

A morning thirty years ago.

In front of the Ye Residence, an old man and a young boy slowly walked.

The child looked less than ten years old. The padded jacket and cotton trousers he was wearing looked very worn. His face and hands were red from the cold, but his eyes revealed a perseverance that was not appropriate for his age.

And the person accompanying the child was an old man with a full head of white hair.

"We're here, Chang'er." The old man stopped, but he did not let go of the child's hand.

Little Lin Chang looked up at the only relative he had left in the world and asked in a childish voice, "Grandpa, will you come to see me in the future?"

Grandpa shook his head, "Grandpa is going to a very, very far place and can't come to see you." He was already at the end of his life and knew that he did not have much time left. Sending his grandson to the Ye Residence was his last wish.

"Then... Chang'er will go with Grandpa. I don't want to go to the Ye Residence to learn martial arts." Tears were already welling up in Little Lin Chang's eyes. Even though his mind was much more mature than his peers, he was still just a child.

Grandpa squatted down and touched his grandson's head, "Chang'er, you must never say such things again..."

Tears finally streamed down his face. Little Lin Chang knew that separation was imminent.

"Ah..." Grandpa sighed deeply, "Grandpa has no money, no power, and can't give you anything..." The old man choked up at this point, his eyes full of pain and helplessness.

Lin Chang's parents were just minor figures in the martial world. Logically speaking, Lin Chang's background was not enough to enter the Ye Residence. However, his parents had both died in the battle to suppress the Green Lotus Sect a few months ago. And Lin Chang's grandfather was old and terminally ill, unable to raise the child to adulthood.

The Lin couple had made some contributions to the martial world, so they could not just watch the Lin family's orphan freeze to death on the streets without anyone taking care of him, right? That's why the Ye family made an exception and took in Lin Chang as a disciple.

The snow was still falling.

Grandpa let go of Little Lin Chang's hand and stood up shakily, "Your father and I were mediocre all our lives, and we had to fight for everything ourselves. We spent our entire lives running around, but we were just small soldiers who were ordered around, and no one would remember us when we died." He sighed, "Ah... it's all fate." Grandpa looked up at the gate and plaque of the Ye Residence, "Chang'er, the Ye Residence is the number one in the martial world. As long as you practice martial arts diligently and be upright, you will definitely have great achievements in the future. Cherish the opportunity that your parents exchanged for with their lives." He stopped at this point and swallowed all the words he wanted to say, because he was afraid that his grandson would turn back and waver.

Little Lin Chang looked at his grandfather's figure, his heart filled with mixed feelings. He was still a child of less than ten years old, but he had too many things to bear, too heavy.

Tears can wash away sorrow, and sorrow that tears can't wash away is buried with laughter.

In the end, Little Lin Chang wiped away his tears and forced a smile, "Grandpa, don't worry. Chang'er will definitely make a name for himself in the future. I want to be the best in the world, the supreme of the martial world! No matter how far Grandpa goes, my name will reach there too!" As he said this, he turned around, walked forward, and knocked on the door that would change his destiny.

...

"Haa... haa..." Lin Chang panted, lowered his head, and looked at his left chest, where there was a large black hole. The wound was bloody and mangled, and a large amount of blood and minced meat had sprayed out of his chest, scattering on the tiles beneath his feet.

Bei Ling was using a large-caliber sniper rifle. The bullets fired from this type of gun, let alone flesh and blood, even iron plates could not withstand it. Si Yu, who was acting as Bei Ling's spotter (modern sniper teams are usually made up of two people, and the spotter carries an automatic weapon for self-defense and a spotting scope), also saw Lin Chang's injuries through the telescope (the store-bought one that Bei Ling had bought) and said, "Success! A fatal wound!"

Cao Qin, Shang Fei, Su Shang, Miao Shaoqing, and Lu Qingning were all dumbfounded, standing frozen in place, looking in shock at the hideous wound that had suddenly appeared on Lin Chang's chest.

"Heh... hehehe... hahahaha..." Lin Chang's mouth was full of blood, but he was still laughing, "It's just a minor injury, hehe... cough..." Another large mouthful of blood spurted out, "Tai Xu Wu Xiang, changing all forms, my divine skill has reached completion, how can I be hurt by this minor injury... cough..." He covered the wound with his hand, still trying to circulate his qi to heal his injuries, but unfortunately, this was not the kind of injury that could be recovered, "It's okay, it'll be okay... I can kill all of you soon... I still have a lot to do... I still..." He muttered self-deceptively, his voice getting smaller and smaller.

The black and purple qi on Lin Chang's body then all gathered on the surface of his body. He used this demonic qi to forcibly drive his body to move, leaping down from the roof, step by step, towards Feng Bujue and Cao Qin, still saying, "I am the best in the world, I want to be the supreme of the martial world..."

"Is this the... dream you're pursuing?" Feng Bujue asked with a smile. To be on the safe side, he still used the Death Poker. After this period of recovery, he could use [Shield] again.

"Do you think it's laughable?" Lin Chang slowly approached, leaving a trail of blood behind him.

"We are all making... foolish dreams." Feng Bujue replied sadly, "So what's wrong with that?" He said seriously, "I really admire your persistence, and I don't dislike the way you do things. But I regret to tell you that your weakness is destined for your failure."

"Heh... you actually say that I am..." Lin Chang found it difficult to speak.

Feng Bujue interrupted him, "Of course you are weak, so weak that you can't even defeat your own inner demon. You chose to rely on it to obtain stronger power." As he said this, he took out a black handbell with a gold-carved handle from his backpack, "The night before yesterday, even the ghosts on the mountain avoided you. Didn't you have any doubts at that time?" He held up the Vajra Bell and said, "Your soul has long been fragmented. Even if you don't die here today, you will be completely devoured by your inner demon in a year or two, becoming a walking corpse." He paused, "This bell is your nemesis. Even if that attack just now had missed, as long as I and Director Cao worked together, you still would have had no chance of winning."

Dang—dang—

Feng Bujue shook the Vajra Bell twice. Lin Chang, who was still three meters away from him, was instantly crushed to his knees by an invisible force. The black qi on his body surged wildly like a dying beast.

"Heh... ah... ah!" Lin Chang laughed bitterly, followed by a roar to the sky. The wail echoed through the night sky, expressing all the helplessness and desolation in the world.

Even Lu Qingning, Su Shang, and Miao Shaoqing showed expressions of sympathy.

A few seconds later, the black qi completely dissipated, and Lin Chang's face turned abnormally pale, his eyes full of grief, "Brother Feng... do you really think I am a hero?"

Feng Bujue did not answer. He simply held out a hand, palm up, pointing to the empty street beside him, and showed a sarcastic smile.

This street was originally gathered with many people who claimed to be heroes, masters, experts, and heroes, but at this moment, there was only a madman and a dead eunuch left.

"Hahaha... hahahaha..." Lin Chang fell down, lying on his back, laughing non-stop. Finally, he closed his eyes in relief, a smile on his face, and said weakly, "This is fate..."