Chapter 148: The Great Dao Does Not Walk Alone

The woman in green suddenly made a move, without any prior warning, and as fast as lightning, moving like thunder!

She and Li Fei were less than ten meters apart; she leaped from the grand armchair and reached Li Fei in the blink of an eye.

She struck a palm toward Li Fei's chest, the powerful palm wind blowing off the hood Li Fei was wearing, revealing the black mask underneath.

The opponent came too fast, so fast that Li Fei didn't even have time to draw his blade or dodge, and could only raise his arms to form a cross-block in front of his chest.

Slap!

The woman in green's right palm landed heavily on Li Fei's arms.

Li Fei had already braced himself for a massive reduction in blood souls, but this thunderous strike became incredibly gentle the moment it made contact; the woman in green's right palm shifted from extreme motion to extreme stillness, simultaneously changing from a palm to a claw, and grabbed Li Fei's arm.

The next second, a powerful force surged through Li Fei's entire body like an electric shock.

Li Fei's whole body went numb, and the steel armor implant under his skin felt as if it had been pricked by a needle, becoming restless once again.

He couldn't afford to calm the steel armor implant in his body; while exerting force to break free from her hand, he kicked out with his right foot, slicing toward her lower leg like a sickle.

"Oh?"

A look of surprise appeared in the woman in green's eyes.

Without any preparation, being hit by one of her Storm Qi strikes would make even a martial artist who practices strength feel as if they were being scraped by a steel blade, the pain piercing to the heart, and the implants in their body would also suffer intense stimulation, becoming restless and out of control.

Yet Li Fei showed no abnormality at all and was even able to immediately launch a counterattack.

The woman in green stood still, letting Li Fei kick toward her with his sickle-leg; just as he was about to land the hit, a semi-transparent vortex of air appeared out of thin air, blocking in front of Li Fei's leg.

Bang!

Li Fei had used "Blood Rage" for this kick, consuming 5 blood souls at once, enough to bend an iron pillar with a single kick, but he failed to disperse this small vortex of air and was instead repelled by a massive spiral force.

A gale raged through the main hall!

At the same time, a vortex of air also appeared in the right hand with which the woman in green held Li Fei's arm; this time, a massive suction force emerged, firmly adhering Li Fei's arm and even his entire body to her palm, making it impossible to break free.

Zzzzz—

Electric light suddenly began to flicker in the woman in green's left palm, and dazzling lightning circled within it.

The steel armor implant in Li Fei's body immediately went wildly restless, making him feel immense danger!

The power of this lightning was definitely much stronger than the lightning of Zong Guang back then!

Seeing that the woman in green was about to strike with her palm, Li Fei hurriedly shouted:

"Master's wife! Don't shoot, we're on the same side!"

Swish—

The woman in green's left palm stopped in front of Li Fei's chest; the lightning in her palm scorched Li Fei's clothes black, tearing a large hole and revealing the solid chest muscles beneath.

"What did you say?!"

The woman in green looked at Li Fei with a face full of surprise.

Li Fei had already prepared to expose his identity when he decided to come here in person, for no other reason than that the other party was Hao Yi's junior sister, so he had to help the Qingyuan Fist Stronghold resolve this crisis!

At this moment, he didn't feel awkward and said generously:

"Hao Yi is my teacher."

The woman in green was stunned upon hearing this; she flicked her left hand upward, as if a steel blade had swept past, perfectly slicing through the mask on Li Fei's face without harming the skin underneath in the slightest.

This level of control over power truly left Li Fei in awe.

The woman in green carefully examined Li Fei's face, then released his arm and took a few steps back:

"You are Li Fei?"

"Student Li Fei, greetings to Master's wife!"

Li Fei also took a step back and bowed to the woman in green.

The woman in green, who had appeared calm and composed the whole time, felt a flush of shyness on her face upon hearing this and hurriedly said:

"I am not your Master's wife; Hao Yi is my senior brother, I am your Master's junior sister, my name is Shangguan Xiao."

Li Fei raised his head and looked at this junior sister of his teacher.

In fact, he hadn't known the other party's identity at first; he had only let Liu Saner contact the Great Leader of the Qingyuan Fist Stronghold out of a desire to find someone to join forces with.

If the other party agreed to join forces, that would be best; if not, then so be it. In any case, he certainly wouldn't have run to the Qingyuan Fist Stronghold to take risks in person.

However, after connecting that call and hearing the voice from the phone, Li Fei was stunned.

He had happened to overhear a phone call between Hao Yi and his "old friend" back then, heard the other party call Hao Yi "senior brother," and finally shout "you old ghost," so he still had an impression of Shangguan Xiao's voice.

The voice coming from the phone was exactly the same as that one, which led to Li Fei's subsequent probing.

And after some probing, Li Fei had basically confirmed the identity of this Great Leader of the Qingyuan Fist Stronghold—

It was indeed his Master's wife, no, his Master's junior sister.

That was why he dared to run to the Qingyuan Fist Stronghold to see her in person.

"Your teacher actually mentioned me to you?"

Shangguan Xiao asked curiously.

Li Fei said embarrassedly:

"Teacher didn't mention it; I overheard a phone call between you two by accident. It was rude of me, please forgive me, Master's wife."

After saying this, he bowed again.

"Ah?"

Shangguan Xiao was taken aback, feeling even more embarrassed:

"Oh my, you child, I already told you I'm not your Master's wife."

Although she said that, Li Fei could clearly see her face beaming with a smile, the corners of her mouth unable to be suppressed.

So Li Fei continued to ask:

"Master's wife... Master's junior sister actually knows of me?"

Shangguan Xiao's smile grew even wider:

"You are my senior brother's student, so naturally I would pay attention. I also know that you previously performed a great service and were personally received by the Chief, and not long ago you captured the fake Green-Faced Ghost. Heh, who would have thought that you are actually the Green-Faced Ghost; your teacher probably doesn't even know, right?"

"Student did not intend to hide it, it's just..."

Li Fei was about to bow again, but Shangguan Xiao raised her hand to stop him:

"No need to say more; I know my senior brother's character. He certainly wouldn't approve of the things you've done."

Li Fei was silent.

Shangguan Xiao smiled: "Although your teacher doesn't approve, what you've done is very much to my liking. Your Master's junior sister must say, well done!"

Li Fei also smiled upon hearing this.

In fact, he had carefully analyzed it before coming; someone capable of running a Qingyuan Fist Stronghold must have a different personality than Hao Yi. Although Hao Yi wouldn't approve of what he did, the other party might not feel the same.

Now it seemed the result was much better than he had anticipated.

"Thank you, Master's wife... no, Master's junior sister, for your approval!"

Li Fei bowed to Shangguan Xiao again.

"Oh my, you child, you are just too polite."

Shangguan Xiao was all smiles, finding Li Fei more and more pleasing to the eye:

"Come, come, sit and let's talk."

So the two sat down and began to chat.

Li Fei first spoke about how he was taken in as a student by Hao Yi, what he had learned from Hao Yi afterward, and what implants he had chosen.

Then he spoke about what he had done as the Green-Faced Ghost and why he had done those things.

Li Fei was honest from beginning to end, not hiding his intentions, only omitting the Ten Thousand Blood Pearl and why he possessed his current strength.

And Shangguan Xiao had no intention of asking about that at all; she even took the initiative to say to Li Fei:

"Everyone has secrets; even the closest of kin cannot always be completely honest. You don't have to tell me everything; I only need to be sure that your character is not bad and that you haven't done anything to disgrace the sect."

In fact, Li Fei dared to come and reveal his identity to Shangguan Xiao largely because he trusted Hao Yi; with this teacher to back him up, he dared to take the risk.

However, after this conversation with Shangguan Xiao, his impression of this "future Master's wife" had also improved, and trust had been initially established.

"Master's junior sister, the reason I came to see you this time is indeed because the Chief's faction and the Tiger Blade Gang are about to join forces to deal with the Qingyuan Fist Stronghold."

After the conversation ended, Li Fei began to discuss the serious matter:

"My uncle is the captain of the First Brigade of the Inspectorate, and I received definite news from him that the Inspectorate is already drafting a plan to attack the Qingyuan Fist Stronghold!"

If Shangguan Xiao were not his Master's junior sister and not involved with Hao Yi, Li Fei wouldn't have cared much about this alliance. But now, he genuinely wanted to help Shangguan Xiao resolve this crisis.

Shangguan Xiao's expression also turned serious:

"What are your thoughts?"

Li Fei looked at her:

"The Chief's faction and the Tiger Blade Gang joining forces is, in the final analysis, because neither side can do anything to the other for the time being, and they just happened to have a reason to join forces to unite against outsiders and swallow up other factions. But if the balance between the two sides is broken, they might not continue to join forces."

"Hmm, so you want to kill Zhang Mingze?"

Shangguan Xiao asked.

Li Fei smiled.

He discovered that this junior sister of his teacher was indeed very formidable, and not just in terms of personal strength.

"The Tiger Blade Gang deliberately released the news, making a big show of announcing that Zhang Mingze will be released from prison tomorrow, acquitted of all charges. First, it is to boost their momentum; after all, many of their people were just killed by me, and if they don't show something, others will suspect that the Tiger Blade Gang is failing. Second, it is to lure me into making a move; there is no better way to respond than by taking out the Green-Faced Ghost."

Li Fei said, "So if we can kill Zhang Mingze tomorrow when he is released from prison, under the eyes of the public, first, the Tiger Blade Gang's momentum will suffer a huge blow. Second, without Zhang Mingze as their private secretary, the Tiger Blade Gang will be like a bird with its wings clipped!"

Shangguan Xiao nodded, taking up Li Fei's point: "In that case, the Chief's faction will likely have no heart to deal with the Qingyuan Fist Stronghold, but will instead turn around to deal with the Tiger Blade Gang; after all, such an opportunity is rare."

Li Fei: "Perhaps by then, the Chief's faction will even take the initiative to find you, Master's junior sister, hoping to join forces with you."

Shangguan Xiao smiled and looked at Li Fei:

"Are you really only 17?"

Li Fei was stunned, not knowing how to answer.

Shangguan Xiao did not dwell on this question either; she asked:

"You want to join forces with me tomorrow to kill Zhang Mingze; do you have a concrete plan?"

"I have a plan."

Li Fei nodded, "But first, I need to confirm a few questions."

Shangguan Xiao: "Ask."

"First, Aunt-Master, you are a Dao Foundation realm powerhouse, right?"

"Correct."

"Second, what other Dao Foundation realm powerhouses are in Xingcheng? Which factions do they belong to?"

"Your master goes without saying; there is also the Chief of the Zhige Academy, Yan Yichen. He is on the side of the Tiger Blade Gang, but he hasn't made a move in all these years, nor has he managed much, spending the vast majority of his time in seclusion. Then there is an ancestor of the Chen family who has been in a death-seclusion, but whether he is dead or has already broken through to the Dao Foundation realm, no one knows. Other than that, there are no more Dao Foundation realm experts in the Xingcheng territory, at least none that I am aware of."

Li Fei nodded, suddenly remembering when he was absorbing the steel-armor implant, the Wuan Academy special-grade lecturer Wang Qitai had brought his granddaughter Wang Fengqing to demand the implant; at the time, Wang Fengqing said she had just broken through to the Dao Foundation realm.

A third-year student at Wuan University was already a Dao Foundation realm powerhouse, yet Xingcheng only had three Dao Foundation realm experts in total.

Looking at it this way, that Wang Fengqing was probably considered a peerless prodigy within Wuan University, right?

Li Fei thought to himself, feeling even more curious about Wuan University.

"The third question, Aunt-Master, if you were to face that Chief of the Zhige Academy, what are your chances of winning?"

Li Fei continued to ask.

Shangguan Xiao smiled confidently:

"Although I have never seen that Yan Yichen make a move, I have heard some rumors. The other party took nearly ten years to barely manage to absorb a third implant, and has been stumbling along in seclusion ever since. For a Dao Foundation realm expert like that, I wouldn't say I'm guaranteed a win, but he absolutely cannot do anything to me!"

Li Fei nodded.

It seems the gap between Dao Foundation realm experts can also be very large.

"The last question, I would like to ask Aunt-Master to tell me about the experts in the Qingyuan Fist Stronghold, the Chief's faction, and the Tiger Blade Gang."

Li Fei said.

Shangguan Xiao laughed: "You are quite meticulous; no wonder so many people haven't been able to catch the Green-Faced Ghost."

"Aunt-Master is too kind, I am just cautious."

"Caution is good."

Shangguan Xiao then detailed all the intelligence she knew to Li Fei.

After listening to her account, Li Fei finally had a preliminary understanding of the martial arts experts in all of Xingcheng.

"The student already has a plan."

Li Fei thought it over carefully once more, and after confirming there were no errors or omissions, he said to Shangguan Xiao:

"In tomorrow's battle, if Yan Yichen does not make a move, we have almost a 100% chance of winning. Even if Yan Yichen does make a move, we have at least a 70% chance of winning!"

"You're that confident?"

Shangguan Xiao looked at Li Fei with a smile, the more she looked, the more she felt her senior brother had good judgment in taking on such a good student.

Li Fei nodded: "This student would not dare to risk Aunt-Master's safety."

In fact, the win rate he mentioned did not even account for the situation after the Ten Thousand Blood Bead was upgraded.

Because he still did not know what the Ten Thousand Blood Bead would be like after the upgrade, and whether it would unlock new Blood Soul Skills.

So if the Ten Thousand Blood Bead finished its upgrade tomorrow and unlocked a Blood Soul Skill, and if that Blood Soul Skill was powerful enough, then the win rate Li Fei mentioned would be even higher!

"Good, Aunt-Master believes in you."

Shangguan Xiao said to Li Fei, "Aunt-Master is willing to make a move tomorrow, not just for the safety of the Fist Stronghold, but also because Aunt-Master feels that what you are doing is right. Go ahead and do it, Aunt-Master will back you up!"

Li Fei felt a warmth in his heart.

The two had never met before, yet just because he was Hao Yi's student, and with this conversation today, the other party was willing to trust him so much and go on an adventure with him tomorrow, which moved him deeply.

After the argument with Hao Yi that day, Li Fei had already decided to walk the path alone from then on.

The path he chose, even if no one supported him, he would walk it firmly.

But now, after meeting Shangguan Xiao, he discovered that being trusted and supported unconditionally was also a rare kind of happiness.

"This student will not fail your trust!"

Li Fei stood up and bowed deeply to Shangguan Xiao.

Requesting monthly tickets.

(End of chapter)