Chapter 75: Unexpected

Qin Ming's eyes widened, and a towering wave surged within his heart.

"Fellow Daoist Lin!"

No matter how hard he tried to imagine it, he could never have guessed that the person who had just slaughtered a Foundation Establishment elder like killing chickens and dogs was none other than his old neighbor, Lin Zixiao.

It was no one else.

But his old neighbor, Lin Zixiao.

From the final words shouted by that dying Lingyu Sect Foundation Establishment cultivator just moments ago,

one could deduce that the other party was precisely the number one ruthless bandit jointly wanted by the Lingyu Sect and the Jin Yungu.

"Fellow Daoist Qin, I hope you have been well since we last met!" Lin Zixiao greeted Qin Ming with a smiling expression.

After slaying a Foundation Establishment cultivator, his face remained as calm as a gentle breeze and drifting clouds.

Qin Ming did not lower his guard simply because the person before him was Lin Zixiao.

The other party had killed so many people without even batting an eyelid.

He might very well turn his hand against Qin Ming at any moment.

Furthermore, he had clearly come specifically for Qin Ming this time; willing to unleash such a massacre, he must harbor some specific purpose.

"Heh-heh, E-Elder Lin." A forced smile squeezed onto Qin Ming's face.

He was also somewhat bewildered; having never encountered such a sudden situation before, his brain began to race.

However.

Qin Ming still held absolute confidence in the magical leaf in his hand, which replicated Master Huangfu's strongest strike.

Even someone as terrifying as Lin Zixiao standing before him would most likely be unable to withstand it.

His tense heart settled down slightly.

"Fellow Daoist Qin truly possesses extraordinary talent in the path of spiritual planting; to think you have cultivated second-rank spiritual plants again so quickly," Lin Zixiao said lightly, glancing at Qin Ming's spiritual field.

Unable to fathom the other party's true intentions, Qin Ming had no choice but to force a reply: "Heh! Mere trivial skills, not worth mentioning; I am far inferior to Elder Lin, a master of second-rank arrays."

Having said this,

Lin Zixiao narrowed his eyes, looking Qin Ming up and down repeatedly, as if trying to discern some clue.

A massive pressure from a Foundation Establishment realm instantly bore down upon Qin Ming.

Qin Ming circulated the qi and blood true armor throughout his body, easily resisting the other party's realm suppression, his expression remaining calm and unhurried.

"Eh?" Lin Zixiao looked down at Qin Ming from above, a trace of surprise flashing in his eyes. "Such powerful body-refining techniques; truly unexpected, Fellow Daoist Qin."

"If we are speaking of unexpected, isn't Elder Lin the one who is more surprising?"

"The Lingyu Sect and the Jin Yungu probably racked their brains without ever imagining that the person they have been trying so hard to track down was right under their noses." While replying, Qin Ming's mind continued to race.

With such a huge disturbance occurring in the spiritual field, reinforcements from the Lingyu Sect should be rushing over right now.

He needed to drag out the time for as long as possible.

The corner of Lin Zixiao's mouth curved upward; he seemed to have seen through Qin Ming's thoughts.

"Fellow Daoist Qin, we are old acquaintances, so I will not waste time with useless words; I have come specifically to find you this time."

"Fellow Daoist Feng should have visited you at the market, correct?"

"Come to think of it, if I hadn't exposed myself prematurely in order to cover Fellow Daoist Feng's escape, I wouldn't need to approach Fellow Daoist Qin in this identity today."

Qin Ming was instinctively startled; he already roughly understood why Lin Zixiao had come.

"That is correct; Fellow Daoist Feng did indeed visit me once."

He guessed that Lin Zixiao must have secretly investigated Feng Yuan's whereabouts, which was why he was so certain in coming to find him.

Clearly, there was no longer any need to hide anything.

Hearing this, Lin Zixiao smiled and got straight to the point: "In that case, did Fellow Daoist Feng hand over a certain item to you?"

"For instance... something like this."

As he spoke, a dragon-shaped token materialized in his pure white hand.

Qin Ming focused his gaze and saw it was exactly identical to the token Feng Yuan had held.

He had expected this; this item was bound to be a hot potato, and indeed, just as he had thought.

After a moment of deliberation, Qin Ming replied frankly: "Fellow Daoist Feng did indeed express the intention to trade the token with me."

"However, my strength is meager; knowing the serious implications of this object, it is absolutely not something a mere Qi Refining cultivator like myself should dare to touch."

"Therefore, I did not agree to his conditions."

"Nor did I accept that token."

Hearing this, the expression on Lin Zixiao's face shifted between gloom and brightness; staring at Qin Ming's utterly open demeanor, he seemed to confirm that the other was indeed not lying.

Yet the reason given by the other party was also reasonable.

"Oh? Is that so?"

"I find it somewhat hard to believe; may I search your person?"

Hearing these words, Qin Ming's heart grew cold; his eyes flickered as he refused: "Elder Lin, regarding such a request, I am afraid I cannot agree." As he spoke, he gripped the purple magical replication leaf in his hand even tighter, ready to use it and flee at any moment.

Hearing Qin Ming's decisive reply, Lin Zixiao's countenance also changed several times.

He had not expected this.

Facing him, a dignified Foundation Establishment cultivator, Qin Ming still appeared confident and unafraid.

For a moment, he found it difficult to gauge the other party's situation.

Suddenly thinking of something, Lin Zixiao raised the token in his hand and struck it with a magical incantation.

Immediately, a golden curtain of light emanated from within the dragon-shaped token, shining toward Qin Ming while emitting a low hum.

Roar~ Qin Ming was startled in his heart and attempted to dodge aside, only to find that the curtain of light falling upon him caused no harm.

Several breaths later.

The golden curtain of light receded like a tide, returning once more into the token held in Lin Zixiao's hand.

"Heh heh! As expected, it is not on your person; it seems I misunderstood Fellow Daoist Qin." A smile reappeared on Lin Zixiao's face, and then he said to Qin Ming with profound implication: "Since that is the case, I shall not disturb you further, Fellow Daoist Qin; I hope you and I will have a day when we meet again."

Having finished speaking, Lin Zixiao took out a Buddha mask, put it on, casually raised his hand to grab, and several array chess pieces flew into his palm.

The dark clouds shrouding the spirit fields scattered in an instant.

Afterwards.

He turned back, gazed deeply at Qin Ming for a moment, then transformed into a black shadow and vanished into the horizon.

"Phew~"

"That was truly damn dangerous!"

"I never expected that the neighbor I interact with every day would actually be the number one notorious bandit!"

This matter also sounded a warning bell for him.

In the Immortal Realm, one must absolutely not trust anyone lightly.

Qin Ming wiped the fine sweat seeping from his forehead, felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted, and let out a long breath.

At this moment.

The spirit planters within the spirit fields, who had fortunately escaped disaster, also walked out trembling.

They had only seen a black-robed evil cultivator slaughtering in all directions.

The conversation between Lin Zixiao and Qin Ming that followed was isolated and masked by the formation, so they saw nothing.

Lin Zixiao, wearing the Buddha mask, traced a black trail of light through the air and stopped beside a secluded mountain hollow.

Behind a massive mountain rock.

A Foundation Establishment elder of the Spirit Feather Gate slowly walked out, an expression of extreme puzzlement on his face as he questioned Lin Zixiao: "Why did you let that kid go?"

"Killing him should be effortless for you, no?"

The demonic energy on Lin Zixiao's body surged instantly, and a powerful aura forced that Foundation Establishment elder to retreat several steps.

"Do I need you to dictate how I handle my affairs?"

The Foundation Establishment elder of the Spirit Feather Gate stumbled to steady his stance, his face deathly pale, daring not to speak another word.

The air remained quiet for a while.

Only then did Lin Zixiao speak in a grave tone: "Do you think I don't want to?"

"Fellow Daoist Qin truly surprised me greatly this time!"

"Nowadays, even I cannot see through him clearly."

The Foundation Establishment elder of the Spirit Feather Gate was greatly shocked, revealing an incredulous expression: "How is that possible?"

"At most, he is merely a Qi Refining spirit planter."

Lin Zixiao originally had no intention of explaining much to him, but still said with interest: "Heh heh! I possess a magical treasure capable of warning of fortune and misfortune."

"Just now, the treasure issued a warning; had I made a move against him just now, the one who would have died first would certainly have been me."

"He must definitely have some trump card hidden on his person."

"It is becoming more and more interesting."

Upon hearing this, that elder of the Spirit Feather Gate assumed an air of deep thought, obviously still somewhat unconvinced.

His gaze flickered uncertainly as he pondered silently in his heart.

'Lin Zixiao has some past connection with that kid; whatever ghost stories he is spouting, he must simply be too soft-hearted to act.'

Afterwards, the two conversed for a short while.

Each departed secretly in a different direction.

(End of Chapter)