Chapter 90: Du Tianfeng’s Accountability

Chen Yuan’s words sent a chill through the hearts of Wu Bingjian and the others.

The Blood God Cult had been silent for so long that they had already forgotten the cult’s eerie and terrifying nature.

While they had to find a place to recuperate from their heavy injuries, the enemy could vanish into a large city and recover their strength by slaughtering at will to absorb blood and Qi; the disparity was simply too great.

“Lord Chen, what should we do now?”

Wu Bingjian was an honest man who rarely had ideas of his own.

Chen Yuan’s strength was evident; although Wu was older, he didn’t mind following Chen’s lead.

“Have you heard of anyone going missing in Pianguan City recently?”

Both men turned their gaze toward Fei Bin.

After all, he was the Garrison Commander of Pianguan City.

“No!”

Fei Bin spoke in a muffled voice, no longer daring to provoke Chen Yuan.

Chen Yuan narrowed his eyes and said, “If no one is missing, how could Feng Xieyun absorb blood and Qi for strength?”

It seems that the local Jianghu forces aren’t just possibly in league with the Blood God Cult, but definitely are, having prepared the blood and Qi of Martial Artists in advance for them to recover their strength.

Searching these noble families in this direction is definitely the right move.”

“But we have no evidence. Are we really going to search them based on suspicion alone?”

Fei Bin said, frowning.

Chen Yuan looked at Fei Bin as if he were an idiot. “What else? If we had evidence, we would have already wiped out these Jianghu forces for daring to collude with the Blood God Cult. Why would we even need to search?”

“My Pianguan City is different from your Linyuan City!”

Fei Bin said urgently, “There is only one martial arts Family in Pianguan City, the Lin Family. They are powerful, with six Lunhai Realm Martial Artists in their ranks.”

You have no evidence, yet you want to forcibly search the Lin Family based on mere guesswork. If you find nothing and leave, what happens to me?”

If I offend the Lin Family to death, I won’t be able to keep my position as the Garrison Commander of Pianguan City!”

Fei Bin had already been cowed by Chen Yuan’s slap earlier.

His opposition now wasn’t out of defiance or a desire to provoke Chen Yuan.

It was because offending a powerful clan like the Lin Family, which dominated Pianguan City, would make his life as Garrison Commander very difficult.

“As a Garrison Commander of the Town Martial Hall, you fear local Jianghu forces. Calling you trash is an understatement; you truly are useless!”

When Chen Yuan told Liu Suifeng that the discipline of the Town Martial Hall was lax, he had actually been understating it.

It wasn’t just lax discipline; most of the Town Martial Hall’s grassroots now consisted of timid, incompetent trash like Fei Bin.

Fei Bin’s face turned ashen, but he was too afraid to speak his anger.

In any case, if Chen Yuan insisted on provoking the Lin Family, he would definitely voice his opposition.

If the Lin Family caused trouble later, he would immediately file a complaint against Chen Yuan with the Hall Master. After all, it had nothing to do with him.

“Lord Chen, go ahead and search the Lin Family. I will take responsibility for any issues!”

Suddenly, a hoarse and weak voice came from outside.

A middle-aged Martial Artist in his early forties, his face pale and devoid of blood, walked in supported by a White Tiger Guard.

Fei Bin and the others hurriedly said, “Lord Du, you’re awake?”

The person who entered was indeed the Inspector of Linzhong Prefecture, Du Tianfeng, who had been heavily injured by Feng Xieyun.

“Greetings, Lord Du.”

Chen Yuan also cupped his hands in greeting.

Du Tianfeng coughed and returned the gesture. “So many of us went after one Feng Xieyun, only to be counter-killed. We’ve truly lost all face.

If Fei Bin is trash, then what does that make me, this Inspector?”

Du Tianfeng chuckled bitterly, his expression turning solemn. “Lord Chen was the first to discover the traces of the Blood God Cult heretics and was even able to kill one. This is enough to prove Lord Chen’s strength and capability.

Now that I am heavily injured and have no combat strength left, since the Hall Master sent you here, everyone in Linzhong Prefecture will follow your lead.

From now on, everyone will follow Lord Chen’s orders. I, Du Tianfeng, will take responsibility for any problems!”

Chen Yuan gave Du Tianfeng a surprised look.

He had originally thought Du Tianfeng was just someone occupying a position without doing any work, but it turned out the man was quite responsible.

It seemed that the reason he was injured so badly by Feng Xieyun was simply that his strength was somewhat lacking—

Since the Inspector had spoken, Fei Bin could find no reason to object, even if he wanted to. He had no choice but to swallow his pride and accept it, and the other two naturally didn’t object either.

Du Tianfeng turned his gaze back to Chen Yuan, his expression solemn. “Lord Chen, I failed miserably this time and fell into Feng Xieyun’s trap. My injuries are severe, even damaging my Foundation. I won’t recover for at least half a year.

Taking revenge personally is impossible now. I only ask that you kill that heretic Feng Xieyun for me. I would be eternally grateful!”

Chen Yuan cupped his hands and said, “Rest assured, Lord Du. Feng Xieyun will surely die this time!”

If Feng Xieyun didn’t die, how could he seize the Blood Scripture?

Whether the other members of the Blood God Cult lived or died didn’t matter, but Feng Xieyun was specifically his target.

“By the way, Lord Chen, you must be careful of Feng Xieyun’s third eye.”

Du Tianfeng pointed to the center of his forehead. “There’s a mark on Feng Xieyun’s forehead that looks like a vertical eye. I thought it was just an ordinary tattoo, so I didn’t pay it much mind.

Unexpectedly, at the critical moment, that vertical eye suddenly split open, erupting with a powerful and mysterious blood-red light that heavily wounded me. That must be Feng Xieyun’s ultimate move.”

Chen Yuan nodded and led the group straight toward the Lin Family.

On the way, Chen Yuan asked for detailed information about the Lin Family.

The Lin Family had a long history, having developed in Pianguan City for over 280 years. It could be said that almost every business in the entire city was connected to them.

Furthermore, the six Lunhai Realm Martial Artists of the Lin Family were almost all in their prime, with none being elderly.

Chen Yuan also specifically asked about it; the Lin Family didn’t have an Old Ancestor-like figure, which he found somewhat strange.

Normally, Jianghu forces willing to collude with the Blood God Cult did so for two main reasons.

One was power, and the other was extending their Lifespan.

The Blood God Cult couldn’t give you power directly, but they could help you eliminate those you wanted to kill.

Just as the smuggling business of the four families in Linyuan City had gone so smoothly because Gu Hongyuan helped them remove many obstacles.

The second point, extending one’s Lifespan, was even more attractive.

It was difficult for Martial Artists below the Yuan Dan Realm to reach their Lifespan limit. Even if one cultivated martial arts continuously and never suffered internal injuries, living to around 130 or 140 was about the limit.

And during those hundred-plus years, one would actually enter a period of declining blood and Qi starting around age 100; no matter how well one maintained themselves, they could only slightly delay the process.

But the Blood Exchange Secret Technique was different. By exchanging blood with a young Disciple of direct lineage within the Family, each exchange could extend one’s Lifespan by at least a year.

A single body could support at least twenty to thirty blood exchanges, which was equivalent to living an extra twenty to thirty years.

For most people, this attraction was powerful enough.

However, the Lin Family had no Old Ancestor figure. Could it be that they were willing to risk cooperating with the Blood God Cult purely for their power?

With these questions in mind, the group arrived at the entrance of the Lin Family estate.

As the sole dominant force in Pianguan City, the Lin Family’s estate was naturally built with extreme luxury.

The entire street was occupied by the Lin Family estate, which featured pavilions, waterside gazebos, gardens, and towers.

Chen Yuan brought Lu Wenxing and others, along with some elites from the Pianguan City Town Guard Headquarters—about a hundred people in total—to the Lin Family. With such a large force, the Lin Family had naturally noticed them long ago.

Thus, as soon as Chen Yuan arrived, the Lin Family took the initiative to open their gates and come out to meet them.

At the front of the crowd stood a middle-aged man in his fifties, dressed in luxurious robes and at the Late Stage of the Lunhai Realm. He was the head of the Lin Family, Lin Jingcheng.

“I wonder what business the lords of the Town Martial Hall have with my Lin Family?”

Lin Jingcheng cupped his hands, but his gaze was fixed on Fei Bin, his eyes filled with a questioning look.

Fei Bin was the person he was most familiar with among them.

When Fei Bin first took office, his attitude toward the Lin Family had been extremely humble. He had even personally visited with gifts, hoping the Lin Family would cooperate with tax payments and help him secure his position as Garrison Commander.

Yet now, Fei Bin had the audacity to come to their door so aggressively, causing Lin Jingcheng’s gaze to turn unfriendly.

Fei Bin’s eyes darted around as he pointed at Chen Yuan. “I’m not the one in charge now; Lord Chen here is.”

Lin Jingcheng turned his gaze to Chen Yuan, a gentle smile on his face. “I recognize most of the lords from the Town Martial Hall, but Lord Chen’s face is quite unfamiliar.

I wonder what business brings Lord Chen to my Lin Family so aggressively with so many White Tiger Guards?”

Chen Yuan had no interest in wasting words with the Lin Family. He said directly, “Family Head Lin should be aware of the Blood God Cult’s appearance in Ning Province. I suspect the Lin Family is in league with them, so I hope you will be sensible and open your doors for us to search!”

As soon as these words were spoken, the Lin Family members present erupted in an uproar.

“Nonsense!”

“Outrageous!”

“My Lin Family has always acted uprightly and honorably. How could we possibly be in league with the Blood God Cult?”

Lin Jingcheng waved his hand, silencing the Lin Family members.

The smile vanished from his face as he asked with a frown, “May I ask, Lord Chen, do you have any evidence to support your claim that my Lin Family is colluding with the Blood God Cult?”

Chen Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly and sneered. “Family Head Lin, your question is actually quite idiotic.

If I had evidence, I would be cutting off your head right now instead of telling you I want to search your home.”

“Presumptuous! Who gave you the audacity to speak to my father like that?”

Beside Lin Jingcheng, a girl in her early twenties with pretty features but an arrogant demeanor pointed at Chen Yuan, her face full of rage.

“Yingying, step back!”

Lin Jingcheng scolded his daughter and looked at Chen Yuan with a somber expression.

“Lord Chen, I also know that everyone has a right to punish the Blood God Cult, and your Town Martial Hall’s efforts to eliminate them are for the good of the Ning Province Jianghu.

However, my Lin Family is a century-old noble Family after all, and we have our dignity. If we allow your Town Martial Hall to search us at will, where would our Family’s honor be?”

The surrounding Lin Family Martial Artists also began to denounce them, saying the Town Martial Hall was not following the rules and was being too overbearing and unreasonable.

Chen Yuan frowned slightly.

The people of the Lin Family seemed excessively self-righteous.

Their state made it seem as if they truly weren’t colluding with the Blood God Cult, unlike the Sun Family, where he could sense something was wrong the moment he arrived.