"Boss, are you in?"
"Boss! Did something just happen?" Lin Feng had barely left when Zhang Fangzhou's urgent calls sounded from outside the courtyard. The creak of the main gate opening followed closely.
"Huh? Oh no! Something's wrong!!" Stepping into the yard, Zhang Fangzhou saw the wide-open doors of the main hall. Through it, the inner room lay in ruins. The trio rushed inside. Tables, stools, the bed – everything was smashed to pieces. A gaping hole marred the ceiling above. Lin Feng was nowhere to be seen.
"Boss, there's blood!!" Yao Wangtian's sharp eyes spotted dark stains on the pile of shattered bed fragments. "Qiu..." A faint, pained chirp emerged from the wreckage. A small, yellow figure struggled free, crawling out.
"Little Qiu!!" Zhang Fangzhou gasped, darting forward to scoop up the tiny creature. Forgetting it was just an animal, he demanded urgently, "Little Qiu! What happened?! Where's the Boss?!"
"Qiu?" Little Qiu seemed dazed. When Lin Feng was blasted through the bed, the little creature hadn't escaped the collapsing debris in time. Buried beneath the rubble, it had avoided the young man's notice. That man had intended his corpse puppet to kill Lin Feng instantly. Its failure had focused his entire attention on Lin Feng; he hadn't bothered scanning the room meticulously with his soul sense. Thus, Little Qiu, hidden in the corner of the bed, went unseen. Had he noticed… he would never have left so easily. After all, it was precisely Little Qiu he had been tracking when he came near Azure Cloud City...
"Qiuqiu!!" Shaking off its confusion after a couple of seconds, Little Qiu erupted into frantic chirps. Its tiny claws pointed wildly at the hole in the ceiling.
"Boss Lin went out through there?!" Yao Wangtian looked up, bewildered. "What on earth happened?"
"Qiuqiu!!" Little Qiu couldn't explain specifics. It only waved its limbs frantically, baring its tiny teeth in agitation.
"Whatever happened exactly, Boss is definitely in danger now!! He likely chased the enemy out!" Zhang Fangzhou's shrewdness and decisiveness surfaced. His voice was grim. "Even if we could catch up, we'd be no help. We split up now! Get help from Wanbao Pavilion, the Zheng Family, the Changgong Family, and the Kou Family! Go!!"
......
...
Elsewhere, under the cloak of night, three figures streaked across rooftops at speeds barely visible to the naked eye. The mysterious young man led, Lin Feng pursued close behind, and the 'zombie' – the corpse puppet – followed like a silent, deadly shadow. Lin Feng knew escape was futile now. The enemy could strike whenever he chose. Yet, Lin Feng had no intention of fleeing. From the moment he saw this young man, or rather, the corpse puppet clearly under his control, retreat wasn't an option. Because... he had finally found a clue to the events of that mysterious night twelve years ago! The fragmented image that flashed in his mind upon seeing the puppet – it had to be a scene from that night. The 'zombie' he saw now bore an undeniable connection to the 'monster' that terrified him (or perhaps struck him unconscious) back then. He had to uncover the truth. What was this 'zombie'? The answers lay solely with the young man ahead. So now, even if the young man tried to leave, Lin Feng wouldn't allow it – no matter what, he would get answers today!
...
The three figures raced across the rooftops. Under the deep night, almost no one spotted them. Even if a passing cultivator sensed something amiss, a closer look would reveal nothing; they were already gone. It didn't take long before they scaled the city wall, leaving Azure Cloud City behind. They traveled more than twenty miles from the city before the young man finally halted. Lin Feng stopped roughly twenty meters away. The corpse puppet came to rest ten meters behind him.
"You actually followed me all the way out here... obediently. I must admit, you have some nerve. Or perhaps... you're just suicidal." The young man regarded Lin Feng with mocking amusement, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. Seeing Lin Feng scream 'Dad' in terror earlier had made him seem pathetic. But now, watching him stand here alone, seemingly fearless, the young man revised his opinion – perhaps it wasn't cowardice, but sheer stupidity. His gaze turned contemptuous. "I know you have a flying sword. Strange Fire too. And spirit artifact robes. But... do you truly believe these trinkets, combined with your pitiful Foundation Establishment, second layer cultivation, can defeat me? Or let you escape? Ridiculous!"
Lin Feng ignored the taunt. He demanded directly, "Who are you?" He gestured sharply towards the 'zombie' behind him. "What is that?"
"What?" The question caught the young man off guard. Surprise flashed, quickly replaced by deeper scorn. "Truly a fool from a backwater. You don't even recognize a Corpse Sect corpse puppet? Fine, let you die enlightened... This young master is Liang Han, disciple of the Corpse Sect!"
"Corpse Sect?!!" Lin Feng's pupils contracted sharply. Shock washed over him. "The Corpse Sect? The ninth-grade sect from the Northern Profound Continent?!"
"Knowing of my Sect proves you're not completely ignorant." Liang Han sneered. "So then... are you ready to die?"
"Wait!!" Lin Feng barked, speaking rapidly. "Are you here in Azure Cloud City because of me? Twelve years ago... did people from your Corpse Sect come here?"
"Because of you?" Liang Han blinked, then snorted derisively. "Who do you think you are? Twelve years ago? What nonsense is that?"
"..." Lin Feng fell silent. The other man's expression seemed genuine – no connection to the events twelve years prior, no knowledge of them. No more answers would come from him. Yet, he had gained a crucial lead: his parents' disappearance was almost certainly linked to the Corpse Sect! "Finished asking?" Liang Han's patience vanished, replaced by cold killing intent. "Then... die!!" His right hand snapped up, pointing directly at Lin Feng!
"Whoosh!!" At the command, the corpse puppet behind Lin Feng, previously statue-still, exploded into motion. Its feet slammed down, propelling it forward like a ghost, claws outstretched towards Lin Feng's back! Lin Feng, however, reacted instantly. The moment Liang Han moved, he shed all distracting thoughts. Sharp focus filled his eyes. Soul force surged into the Spirit Light Jade Pendant in his left hand. Humm… A soft chime resonated as cyan light coalesced instantly around him, forming a smooth, eggshell-like protective barrier.
"Boom!!" The corpse puppet slammed into the barrier like a cannonball, claws raking against the cyan light. This time, the shield held firm. The impact reverberated, violently repelling the puppet backwards.
"Screeeech...!" Simultaneously blocking the puppet's assault, Lin Feng's right hand swept out. Silver and crimson light flashed before him. A clear, resonant sword cry pierced the night air! The Scarlet Soul Flying Sword materialized, transforming instantly into a streak of crimson light. It shot forward like a meteor, its deadly tip aimed unerringly at Liang Han's heart!