Chapter 75: The Unexpected

Qin Ming's eyes widened, a tempest raging within his heart.

“Fellow Daoist Lin!”

No matter how hard he tried, he could never have imagined that the person before him, who had just slaughtered Foundation Establishment elders as if they were mere chickens and dogs, was none other than his old neighbor, Lin Zixiao.

From the last words of the dying Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Spirit Feather Sect, it was clear that Lin Zixiao was the number one wanted criminal jointly pursued by the Spirit Feather Sect and Golden Cloud Valley.

“Fellow Daoist Qin, it’s been a while!” Lin Zixiao greeted Qin Ming with a faint smile. Even after killing Foundation Establishment cultivators, his demeanor remained calm and unruffled.

Qin Ming did not let his guard down just because the man before him was Lin Zixiao. This man had killed so many people without so much as batting an eye—who knew if he might suddenly turn on him as well? And clearly, Lin Zixiao had come here with a purpose, willing to commit a massacre just for him.

“Heh, Senior Lin...” Qin Ming forced a strained smile onto his face, feeling somewhat at a loss. He had never been in such a situation before, and his mind raced for a solution.

Nonetheless, he placed his faith in the magical leaf he carried—a leaf that bore the imprint of Huangfu Qi’s most powerful strike. Even someone as terrifying as Lin Zixiao likely couldn’t withstand it. This thought lent Qin Ming a measure of calm.

“Fellow Daoist Qin, your talent with spirit plants is truly exceptional. You’ve already cultivated another second-tier spirit plant,” Lin Zixiao remarked, glancing at Qin Ming’s spirit field.

Unsure of Lin Zixiao’s intentions, Qin Ming could only reply stiffly, “It’s just a minor skill, not worth mentioning—nothing compared to Senior Lin’s mastery of second-tier formations.”

Lin Zixiao narrowed his eyes, sizing Qin Ming up and down as if searching for some hidden clue. A powerful Foundation Establishment spiritual pressure descended upon Qin Ming, but he summoned his vital energy and true force, easily resisting the oppressive aura, his expression calm and composed.

“Oh?” Lin Zixiao gazed down at Qin Ming, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. “Such a strong body-refining technique—truly unexpected, Fellow Daoist Qin.”

“If we’re talking about surprises, Senior Lin is far more remarkable,” Qin Ming replied smoothly. “I doubt the Spirit Feather Sect and Golden Cloud Valley ever imagined that the man they’ve been so desperately hunting would be right under their noses.” As he spoke, his mind kept whirring. With all the commotion in the spirit field, reinforcements from the Spirit Feather Sect were surely on their way. He needed to buy time.

A slight smile played at Lin Zixiao’s lips, as if he had seen through Qin Ming’s plan. “Fellow Daoist Qin, we are old acquaintances, so I will spare you the pleasantries. I am here today for you, specifically.”

“Friend Feng has likely sought you out at the market, hasn’t he?”

“To be honest, if I hadn’t exposed myself early to cover his escape, I wouldn’t have had to approach you in this manner.”

Qin Ming’s heart skipped a beat; he could already guess Lin Zixiao’s purpose in coming.

“Yes, Fellow Daoist Feng did come to me,” he admitted. Qin Ming suspected that Lin Zixiao had secretly investigated Feng Yuan’s whereabouts, which was why he was so certain. There was no longer any point in hiding it.

Lin Zixiao smiled at his answer and said directly, “Since that’s the case, did Fellow Daoist Feng give you something?”

“For example... something like this.” As he spoke, a dragon-shaped token appeared in his pale hand.

Qin Ming looked closely; it was identical to the one Feng Yuan had carried. He had expected all along that this would be a hot potato, and now it seemed his suspicions were correct.

After a moment’s thought, Qin Ming answered frankly, “Fellow Daoist Feng indeed wished to trade the token with me. However, I am weak, and I understand the significance of such an item. It is far beyond the reach of a mere Qi Condensation cultivator like myself.”

“So, I did not accept his conditions—nor did I take the token.”

Lin Zixiao’s expression shifted, clearly uncertain. He scrutinized Qin Ming’s open and honest demeanor and found no trace of deceit. The reasoning made sense.

“Oh? Is that so?” he asked. “I find that hard to believe. Would you mind if I search your person?”

Qin Ming’s heart tightened at the proposal, his eyes flickering as he refused, “Senior Lin, I must decline such a request.”

He gripped the purple magical leaf even tighter, ready to use it and flee at a moment’s notice.

Lin Zixiao’s expression changed several times at Qin Ming’s firm refusal. He hadn’t expected Qin Ming to remain so unafraid in front of a Foundation Establishment cultivator. For a moment, he could not read Qin Ming’s intentions.

Suddenly, Lin Zixiao seemed to think of something. He raised the token in his hand, sending a spell into it. A golden light emerged from the dragon-shaped token, bathing Qin Ming in its glow as a low growl sounded.

Qin Ming flinched, ready to dodge, but the light merely washed over him harmlessly. After a few breaths, the golden light faded like a receding tide, returning to the token.

“Heh! So it really isn’t on you. It seems I’ve misunderstood you, Fellow Daoist Qin.” Lin Zixiao’s smile returned, and he said meaningfully, “In that case, I won’t trouble you further. I hope we meet again someday.”

With that, Lin Zixiao donned a Buddha mask, casually summoned several formation flags into his hand, and instantly dispelled the oppressive clouds over the spirit field.

He turned for one last deep glance at Qin Ming, then vanished into the sky as a black shadow.

“Phew... That was incredibly dangerous!”

Never in his wildest dreams did Qin Ming expect his unassuming neighbor to be the most wanted criminal in the region.

This incident served as a grave warning: in the world of cultivation, never trust anyone lightly.

Qin Ming wiped the sweat from his brow, relief washing over him as he let out a long breath.

At that moment, the spirit plant cultivators who had survived the calamity in the spirit field emerged, trembling. All they had seen was a black-robed devil cultivator slaughtering left and right. The conversation between Lin Zixiao and Qin Ming had been shielded by the formation—no one heard a thing.

...

Wearing the Buddha mask, Lin Zixiao streaked across the sky in a black beam of light, coming to a stop at the edge of a secluded mountain hollow.

From behind a massive boulder, a Foundation Establishment elder of the Spirit Feather Sect emerged, his face puzzled as he confronted Lin Zixiao. “Why did you let that boy go? Killing him would have been as easy as crushing an ant for you.”

A surge of demonic energy burst from Lin Zixiao, his formidable aura forcing the Foundation Establishment elder several steps back.

“Do I need you telling me how to do things?”

The elder staggered to steady himself, his face pale, not daring to argue further.

After a moment’s silence, Lin Zixiao finally spoke in a weighty voice, “You think I didn’t want to? Qin Ming surprised even me this time! Now I can’t quite see through him anymore.”

The elder was thunderstruck, his expression incredulous. “Impossible! He’s just a Qi Condensation spirit plant cultivator.”

Lin Zixiao had no intention of explaining, but with a hint of interest, he said, “Heh! I carry a treasure that warns me of danger. A moment ago, it sounded an alarm—if I had attacked him, I would have died first. He must have some hidden trump card. He grows more interesting by the day.”

The Spirit Feather Sect elder fell silent, his mind churning with doubt. ‘Lin Zixiao and that boy were neighbors—he’s just making excuses. He simply couldn’t bring himself to do it.’

After a brief exchange, the two parted ways, each vanishing in a different direction.