Chapter 23: Terrifying Shadow
The other hand of Hou Qing was covering his severed arm, fresh blood continuously seeping through his palm. Paired with his horrifying face, he looked extremely terrifying.
"Your luck is really good." Hou Qing stared at Lin Feng with a sinister look. Even now, he still didn't believe Lin Feng had the strength to defeat him. It must have been luck—that Lin Feng swung his sword at the exact moment he was unable to resist. Hou Qing wasn't the only one thinking this; many outer disciples shared the same view. They simply couldn't believe that the waste Lin Feng could actually defeat Hou Qing with a single sword strike.
"Good luck?" Lin Feng was stunned for a moment, then smiled. Perhaps.
"Next time, I won't give you another chance." Hou Qing staggered toward the crowd. Having lost an arm, he was severely injured and needed immediate treatment.
"I hope there won't be a next time." Lin Feng shook his head inwardly. Hou Qing couldn't even see how he had lost, thinking it was just luck. With such a mindset, he would never be able to defeat Lin Feng in the future.
"You dare to injure an enforcer? It seems you have no regard for the Cloud Sea Sect at all." Mo Xie once again pinned a crime on Lin Feng.
Looking at Mo Xie, Lin Feng sneered, "If you want to convict someone, you can always find an excuse. According to your logic, should I let him cut off my arm and then be expelled from the Cloud Sea Sect to show I have regard for the sect? Don't you find that ridiculous, Elder?"
Lin Feng emphasized the word "Elder" heavily. They were about to cripple his arm and expel him from the sect, yet they still expected him to show regard for the Cloud Sea Sect. Lin Feng couldn't help but admire Mo Xie's audacity to say such things.
"Sect Leader, may I speak a few words for myself?" Lin Feng didn't look at Mo Xie again. The one with the final say was Nan Gong Ling.
A hint of interest flickered in Nan Gong Ling's eyes. He was indeed very curious about Lin Feng. From beginning to end, Lin Feng had remained neither humble nor arrogant, calm and composed. A martial cultivator needed this kind of mindset.
"Speak." Nan Gong Ling nodded.
"Sect Leader, I was summoned here. The moment I arrived, the Elder convicted me, calling me a traitor and a disgrace to the sect. When I tried to defend myself, the Elder insulted me, saying I was talking back to him and that I should have my arm severed and be expelled. I want to ask, when the sect convicts someone, is it based solely on what the Elder says? When the sect enforces its laws, does one Elder's words represent the sect's law?"
Lin Feng's sharp words spilled out, making the crowd think this guy had truly gone mad.
"How dare you!" A powerful aura locked onto Lin Feng. Mo Xie wished he could kill Lin Feng on the spot.
"If I didn't dare, I would be crippled and expelled. Why not dare for once? I want to ask the Elder, where does my crime come from?" Lin Feng stood his ground, unafraid, confronting Mo Xie.
"Beast, you injured your brother and insulted your elder. Do you dare not admit it?" Lin Qian shouted coldly.
"I see." Lin Feng sneered. "So the Elder convicted me based on what she said."
"So what if it is?" Mo Xie's murderous intent grew stronger. Even if Lin Qian and Chu Zhanpeng weren't targeting Lin Feng, he still wanted Lin Feng dead.
"Heh, since the Elder admits it, I want to ask him in front of the Sect Leader: you convicted me based on her words, but refused to hear my defense. Are you an elder of the Cloud Sea Sect, or an elder of the Hao Yue Sect?"
"What a sharp-tongued brat. You dare to insult an inner sect elder like me. I'll cripple your cultivation right now and cleanse the sect of its filth." Mo Xie could no longer tolerate it. If he let Lin Feng continue, his reputation as an elder would be completely ruined.
"Right and wrong are in people's hearts. I'm just an outer disciple. If you want to cripple me, just do it. There's no need for these baseless charges." As Lin Feng spoke, his gaze remained fixed on Nan Gong Ling.
If Nan Gong Ling stopped Mo Xie, he would still be a disciple of the Cloud Sea Sect. If Nan Gong Ling allowed Mo Xie to cripple him, he would reveal the matter of the Bell and Drum Precipice. But even if he escaped danger then, he would no longer be a disciple of the Cloud Sea Sect. If the sect had no place for him, why should he have any loyalty to the sect? Lin Feng didn't have a slavish mentality in his bones.
Everything depended on Nan Gong Ling's decision.
Mo Xie's steps drew closer.
Nan Gong Ling noticed Lin Feng's gaze. His eyes also met Lin Feng's.
"This child has a firm will. Facing such a dangerous situation without changing expression, coupled with his decent talent, he might enter the inner sect in a few years, or even become a core disciple."
"Mo Xie is an inner sect elder with considerable martial arts achievements and good talent. He can still improve in the future. Although he was in the wrong today, he is still an inner sect elder. Moreover, he is the son of Mo Cang Lan."
In that instant, Nan Gong Ling thought of many things. As a sect leader, he had to weigh the pros and cons in everything. If something benefited the sect, he would do it; if it didn't, he wouldn't.
Of course, he knew Mo Xie was in the wrong. But if he stopped Mo Xie, it would damage Mo Xie's face, causing resentment. Moreover, he had to consider Mo Cang Lan's reputation, as Mo Cang Lan was the sect's Grand Elder who had rendered great service to the Cloud Sea Sect.
In comparison, a promising Lin Feng still seemed insignificant.
Nan Gong Ling's silence made Lin Feng laugh bitterly at himself, mocking his own naivety. He had only defeated Hou Qing, who ranked tenth among the outer disciples. He was still just an outer disciple, while Mo Xie was an inner sect elder. How could Nan Gong Ling possibly damage Mo Xie's face for his sake?
Only by possessing powerful strength could one avoid falling into dangerous situations.
"Foolish brat." Mo Xie was not far from Lin Feng. His cold voice directly pierced Lin Feng's eardrums. A murderous sneer hung on his face. An outer disciple dared to oppose him? Truly asking for death.
"Lin Feng is finished." The crowd thought to themselves. But this guy brought it upon himself.
"What a pity. I can't cripple him myself." Lin Qian sneered coldly. This outcome was somewhat unexpected, but it didn't matter. Lin Feng was doomed anyway.
A powerful aura pressed down on Lin Feng. His hair stood on end. He opened his mouth to speak, but at that moment, the chilling force locking onto him suddenly disappeared without a trace.
"Hmm?" Lin Feng was stunned, somewhat surprised. Why did this chilling force suddenly vanish? And so completely.
Mo Xie was not far from Lin Feng, but now his steps had stopped. His pupils dilated wildly, as if he had seen something unbelievable. At the same time, an irresistible oppressive force descended upon him.
Just as many people were wondering why Mo Xie had stopped, Nan Gong Ling and Mo Cang Lan both narrowed their eyes, revealing expressions of shock.
"That is..." Lin Feng's gaze froze on Mo Xie. Similarly, intense shock appeared in his eyes. He could hardly believe his own eyes.
"I'm not seeing things." Lin Feng's eyes widened to their maximum, staring intently at Mo Xie. There, a shadow was cast. This shadow was human-shaped, and it moved. Even if Mo Xie didn't move, the shadow moved.
It was a shadow, a real human shadow.
But the terrifying thing was that Lin Feng only saw the shadow, not the person. He couldn't see the owner of the shadow.
Not only Lin Feng noticed. Seeing the abnormal reactions of Mo Xie and the Sect Leader, the crowd also noticed the shadow on Mo Xie—or rather, the silhouette.
"Get back." A hoarse voice came from the void. They only heard the voice but didn't see the speaker.
This eerie scene sent chills down many people's spines. This shadow that appeared out of nowhere deeply shook their hearts.
PS: A friend finally appeared on the fan list. Many thanks to classmate dingjin18. Back when I was writing the full-time novel, the fan list looked better than many older books just a few days after release. Now that the full-time novel has been finished for so long before starting a new one, it's a bit tragic. But I will work hard to earn the recognition of my friends. I believe after more than twenty chapters, you all can see the writing style. This will be an enjoyable story, a very enjoyable one!!!