Ling Feng looked at the brocade banner in his hand and the grateful faces of the commoners before him. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly as he said, "I'll try to pass it on to her."
He no longer wanted to explain this delightful misunderstanding.
After the commoners delivered the banner, they left with satisfied expressions.
Gu Linglong and Leng Ningxue chuckled to themselves nearby.
Meanwhile, Qing Luan flew overhead, chattering away. Suddenly, as if noticing something, Qing Luan landed on Ling Feng's shoulder.
"Someone's coming, someone's coming!"
Ling Feng followed Qing Luan's direction and saw a man in white walking toward them. The man had long, narrow brows and exuded a chilling aura, clearly not someone with good intentions.
At his waist hung a token that read...
Xuanshen!
"People from the Xuanshen Sect!"
Upon seeing the newcomer, Gu Linglong's expression sharpened.
In the Dazhou Empire, there were many martial arts sects, classified into top-tier, first-tier, second-tier, and third-tier sects. The Baiyun Sect was a first-tier sect, close to top-tier status.
In Dazhou, there were only four top-tier sects: Tianwu Sect, Dilong Hall, Xuanshen Sect, and Huangji Palace!
"What's a disciple from the Xuanshen Sect doing here in Yan City?" Gu Linglong wondered.
The young man approached them and said flatly, "I am Li Qian, an inner disciple of the Xuanshen Sect. I'm here today for one matter."
"Please release Hua Liuxiang!"
As soon as he said this, the expressions of the group soured.
They had worked hard to capture him; how could they just let him go?
"Hua Liuxiang has committed numerous crimes and is a wanted criminal by the court. He is to be publicly executed in Yan City soon. How can you expect us to just let him go?" Wang Long said coldly.
"Hua Liuxiang was officially accepted as a true disciple of our Xuanshen Sect a month ago. The warrant for his arrest will soon be revoked. As the head of the Flying Tiger Division, you will receive notification by tomorrow at the latest. I expect to see Hua Liuxiang standing in front of me unharmed then; otherwise, it won't be me who is notifying you next time," Li Qian said dismissively before turning to leave.
His words caused the group to furrow their brows.
Hua Liuxiang had such a background?!
"Speaking of which, Hua Liuxiang is remarkably talented, having advanced to the peak of the martial spirit realm at such a young age. It's not impossible for the Xuanshen Sect to take notice of him. This is going to be troublesome," Wang Long said, his expression grave.
In this world, martial arts held the highest status.
Strength surpassed even imperial authority.
The four top-tier sects were entities that the court dared not provoke lightly. With this level of backing, it would be very difficult to execute Hua Liuxiang.
But thinking of all the young women who had suffered because of him...
"Damn it!"
Wang Long slammed his fist against the wall beside him.
Gu Linglong and Leng Ningxue exchanged glances, both realizing the gravity of the situation.
While the Baiyun Sect had a solid foundation as a first-tier sect, it still lagged behind the top-tier sects.
The next day, Wang Long indeed received a letter from the Flying Tiger Division, ordering him to release Hua Liuxiang immediately and avoid conflict with the Xuanshen Sect.
He found Gu Linglong and Leng Ningxue to discuss this matter.
Both women's faces were not pleasant to behold.
However, the Xuanshen Sect was influential and had a formidable background.
If they were to clash with them here, it might drag the Baiyun Sect into trouble.
This matter was too significant; they couldn't act rashly.
Only Ling Feng remained silent, seemingly lost in thought.
He took out the brocade banner—the very one given to him by the commoners.
With a faint smile, he headed directly toward the dungeons of the city lord's manor.
"Young Master Ling, what are you planning to do?"
"Junior Brother!"
"Don't be impulsive!"
Seeing his actions, the expressions of the others changed slightly.
Wang Long stepped in front of Ling Feng.
"Ling Young Master, I understand you're angry, but if you kill Hua Liuxiang, the people from the Xuanshen Sect won't let you off easily."
"Junior Brother, let's report to the Sect Master first."
Leng Ningxue said helplessly.
"By the time we get back to report to the Sect Master, Hua Liuxiang will have already been taken back to the Xuanshen Sect and will be enjoying his freedom again," Ling Feng said indifferently.
He took one step after another toward the dungeon.
Wang Long continued to block his path, but Ling Feng simply waved his hand. A vast surge of true energy erupted like a tidal wave, instantly sending him flying.
"This level of cultivation... Martial, Martial Sovereign?!"
"How is that possible?!"
Wang Long looked horrified.
It was his first time seeing such a young Martial Sovereign.
Gu Linglong and Leng Ningxue exchanged glances.
Indeed.
Junior Brother's cultivation had long surpassed theirs.
"Ladies, you need to persuade Young Master Ling," Wang Long turned his gaze toward Gu Linglong and Leng Ningxue.
"It's useless. Don't be fooled by Junior Brother's usually easygoing nature. Once he's made up his mind, not even ten oxen can pull him back."
Come back, Hua Liuxiang is doomed."
Gu Linglong and the others had no intention of stopping Ling Feng.
...
In the dungeon.
Hua Liuxiang was sitting cross-legged, showing no signs of panic.
Suddenly, footsteps approached.
He looked at Ling Feng, who was walking in, and a smile appeared on his face. "Oh, you finally came. Open the door and let me out."
He clearly knew that the Xuan Shen Sect would send someone to rescue him.
He had been completely unconcerned.
Ling Feng, with a calm expression, opened the cell door and let him out.
"Haha, that's more like it."
"For a few worthless people, going against the Xuan Shen Sect isn't a wise choice. Just let me go and everything will be fine."
Hua Liuxiang stood up and walked out of the cell.
But before he could fully exit the dungeon, Ling Feng suddenly reached out with a powerful hand.
Before Hua Liuxiang could react, he was struck in the chest with a palm, sending him flying back, crashing into the wall, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
"What… what are you doing?!"
Hua Liuxiang's face changed dramatically.
Then he was horrified to discover that Ling Feng's blow had completely shattered his internal meridians, rendering his entire cultivation wasted!
Now, even lifting his hand was extremely difficult.
"Scoundrel! Scoundrel! I will kill you!"
"Going against the Xuan Shen Sect, you're asking for death!!"
Hua Liuxiang screamed with a twisted face.
Ling Feng stepped forward, directly grabbing him by the collar and dragging him out of the dungeon like a dead dog.
Then he exited the city lord's mansion, dragging him into the street.
Gu Linglong, Leng Ningshuang, Wang Long, and the city lord followed closely behind.
On the street.
Hua Liuxiang was still cursing.
His body scraped against the ground, his clothes were torn, and his flesh was gradually torn apart by the rough stones, leaving a long trail of blood on the ground.
Many people on the street curiously watched this scene.
But once they recognized Hua Liuxiang, everyone couldn't help but feel furious.
Some picked up the stones on the ground, while others took out eggs, directly hurling them at Hua Liuxiang, expressing their indignation. Soon, he was beaten to the brink of death.
"Devil! Devil! You will die!"
"My poor daughter, she was only fourteen! How could you be so cruel? Die! Die!!"
"Bastard, you won't have a good death!"
The commoners cursed furiously.
Meanwhile, in a nearby tavern, Li Qian noticed Hua Liuxiang being dragged into the street, his face darkening. "Impudent!! I've already made it very clear, yet you dare to do this!"
"Do you really think so little of my Xuan Shen Sect?!"
--