While on Mount Hua, my mind is at peace!

Chapter 21 Lin Zhennan's Awakening

Lin Pingzhi's face fell, and Yue Feng had already walked in like a gust of wind.

"Come in and talk."

Lin Pingzhi then realized that Yue Feng had been joking. He breathed a sigh of relief and quickly followed him inside.

He was a regular at Zhexianju, and the manager personally came over to lead him and Yue Feng to a private room with an excellent view. Lin Pingzhi ordered the manager to serve wine and dishes, and then once again asked Yue Feng to take him as his apprentice.

Yue Feng picked up his wine cup, the aroma of which was enticing. Even before tasting it, he knew it was a first-rate brew. He thought to himself that the young masters of the Fuwei Escort Agency were treated differently; such fine wine couldn't be bought simply with money. Thinking this, he asked Lin Pingzhi:

"Do you even know who I am, yet you dare to claim me as your master? Aren't you afraid I'm a member of the Demonic Sect?"

Lin Pingzhi smiled and said, "My few incompetent subordinates offended you, and you only punished them lightly, which shows that you are a kind-hearted person. As for your name... I would like to ask you."

Yue Feng gave his name and then said, "Don't mention taking on disciples again. I helped you only because I disliked the Qingcheng Sect and wanted to clear my mind. I had no other reason than to focus on your own business. I will step in when necessary. From now on, don't come looking for me again."

After Yue Feng finished speaking, he drank the wine in his cup in one gulp.

Lin Pingzhi was both disappointed and troubled, thinking to himself, "I'm just a scout; my father wants to come see you in person." Although he came from a wealthy and noble family, he was young and inexperienced, and didn't know how to deal with this situation. He froze on the spot.

Just then, a cough was heard outside, and a respectful voice said, "Lin Zhennan of Fuwei Escort Agency requests an audience with Master Yue."

Yue Feng frowned slightly and said, "Please come in." Lin Zhennan pushed open the door and entered, bowing respectfully to Yue Feng from afar. Yue Feng returned the bow. Lin Pingzhi quickly made way for his father, then ordered the dishes to be rearranged and the banquet to resume.

Soon, only Yue Feng and his two companions remained at the table. Lin Zhennan said:

"Our Lin family of Fuwei Escort Agency has been engaged in escort services for generations, making many friends in the martial arts world. We thought the world was at peace, but it was because of a reminder from Hero Yue that we saw the reality clearly. If it weren't for Hero Yue's reminder, we would still be in the dark about the annihilation of our entire family by the Qingcheng Sect. Please allow me to offer this cup to Hero Yue, to express my heartfelt gratitude."

The two drank a cup. Lin Zhennan then said, "To be honest, Master Yue, I've always known that my family's martial arts are nowhere near the top in the martial arts world. Our ancestor, Yuan Tu, possessed divine swordsmanship, but it wasn't passed down, so there's nothing we can do about it."

"I had long sought a powerful backer, and for that I spared no expense in befriending the Six Doors. Who would have thought that at this critical moment, it would be a young hero like you, a complete stranger, who would enlighten me. Thinking about it now, I am truly ashamed."

Yue Feng asked, "Who is this person from the Six Doors whom you spent so much money to befriend?"

Lin Zhennan said, "Oh, that's a guest elder of the Six Doors, named Wang Xiaochun. His martial arts skills are superb, second to none in Fuzhou City."

Yue Feng said, "If it's him, you don't need to associate with him anymore."

Lin Zhennan was taken aback: "Why?"

Yue Feng said coldly, "Because he's dead!"

Lin Zhennan's body trembled, and he slowly turned around to meet Lin Pingzhi's gaze.

Wang Xiaochun, who had been a powerful figure in the martial arts world of Fuzhou for many years, was unexpectedly killed by Master Yue without a word.

Beads of sweat trickled down Lin Zhennan's forehead. He wiped them away, glanced around, and whispered to Yue Feng, "Master Yue, you may not know this, but Wang Xiaochun is a guest elder of the Six Doors. Killing him... might cause some trouble on the official front."

Yue Feng smiled slightly: "That's my trouble, not yours. Chief Escort Lin, if you don't want to cause trouble, you'd better go back as soon as possible and avoid dealing with me."

Lin Zhennan hesitated noticeably for a moment, but didn't leave. Instead, his expression gradually calmed, as if he had figured something out. Seeing this, Yue Feng held him in higher regard. He simply said:

"Master Yue, I've figured it out. In this world, true heroes are few and far between. If you encounter one but fail to seize the opportunity, it will be too late for regrets."

"Even if Hero Yue had only killed a guest of the Six Doors, or even the chief constable of the Six Doors, I, Lin, would still be determined to follow him. I only ask that Hero Yue protect my entire family. I am willing to offer up all the assets of the Fuwei Escort Agency with both hands."

Upon hearing Lin Zhennan's words, before Yue Feng could say anything, Lin Pingzhi was startled. He had always thought that Lin Zhennan valued Yue Feng as much as he did, but he hadn't expected the problem to be this serious. He didn't dare to breathe loudly, waiting to see how Yue Feng would respond.

Yue Feng drank a cup of wine, put down the cup, and suddenly said, "Distinguished guest, you have come from afar. I have failed to greet you properly. Why don't you come in and have a drink with me?"

Lin Zhennan and his son were startled; if someone had overheard their conversation, it would be disastrous. Just as they were wondering what to do, the door was slowly pushed open. A weary-looking middle-aged civil official walked in, glanced at Lin Zhennan, and snorted:

"That chief镖头 of the Fuwei Escort Agency is truly despicable, cursing me behind my back. What is his punishment?"

Lin Zhennan recognized the man as Han Yan, the chief constable of the Six Doors in Fuzhou. Although he wasn't qualified to curry favor with him, he still recognized him. He was so frightened that his face turned ashen, and he rose from his seat, intending to kowtow. Han Yan flicked his sleeve:

"Alright! I'm not here to see you today, I'm here to see this Young Master Yue. I'm in a hurry, let me cut in line, you can all leave now."

Lin Zhennan felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He quickly grabbed his son and fled the room as if escaping. He dared not leave the inn, nor dared to get too close, so he stood and waited in the lobby.

There were dozens, if not a hundred, people in the lobby who recognized Lin Zhennan and his son. They were all surprised and whispered among themselves as they watched them. Lin Zhennan, however, didn't care about any of that.

Han Yan dismissed Lin Zhennan and his son, then slumped onto a stool, propping his cheek with one hand and glancing sideways at Yue Feng, saying, "Where's your bronze medal? Let me see it."

Unable to figure out what kind of person Han Yan was, Yue Feng took out the bronze plaque and placed it on the table.

Han Yan picked up the bronze plaque, examined it carefully, and then returned it to Yue Feng.

"This bronze plaque, was it given to you by Lord Yi Mingxuan? He is my mentor and my friend. He would never make a mistake in choosing someone."

"Wang Xiaochun was one of my most capable men. You killed him; it was just bad luck. However, I have a troublesome case that requires a trustworthy person to handle. This matter still needs to be entrusted to you."

Yue Feng said, "Please speak."

Seeing that he didn't ask about the reward, Han Yan chuckled and nodded.

"In Fuzhou, there was a group of Japanese merchants called the 'Fusang Association,' oh, that is, merchants from Japan. These people were very good at doing business, and in just a few years in Fuzhou, they accumulated a fortune of thousands."

"I've long suspected they were selling medicinal herbs and weapons to the Japanese army, but I've sent many people to investigate, and they all say there's nothing wrong. Young Master Yue, what do you think about this?"

Yue Feng stated realistically, "The biggest problem is that there is no problem."

Han Yan clapped his hands and laughed: "It seems I've really found the right person this time."