Chapter 97: Snow Moon Imperial City
Duan Tianlang's head slammed down once more, colliding with the life-and-death platform.
The soldiers' eyes were all filled with anxiety, yet they could do nothing about their general.
The general valued loyalty and bonds too much. Even for an ordinary soldier, he would charge into the battlefield. How much more so now, when his sect had been annihilated.
Divine Archer Liu Canglan did not kneel to heaven, nor to earth. Even when meeting the Snow Moon monarch, his spine remained straight as an arrow, without the slightest bend. But now, Liu Canglan had already kowtowed twice.
"The sect gave me everything, and now the sect has been destroyed because of me. What face do I have to keep this cultivation?"
As Liu Canglan spoke, he raised his right hand high, causing the crowd's hearts to ache and tremble as they shouted in unison, "General!"
A rampaging aura burst forth. The silver hair on Liu Canglan's head danced wildly. The soldiers' eyes were bloodshot as they stared at Liu Canglan. In that instant, the space fell into dead silence.
"Coward."
A faint, indifferent voice suddenly rang out, piercingly harsh in the silent space. It fell clearly into everyone's ears, freezing their gazes.
Coward? If Divine Archer Liu Canglan was a coward, then who in the world was not a coward?
"Since the sect was destroyed because of you, and you are the eternal sinner of the sect, why don't you just die and be done with it? Why cling to that cowardly life of yours?"
Under the crowd's furious gaze, Lin Feng spoke again, actually urging Liu Canglan to... die!
"Whoosh..."
In that instant, countless fiery auras of rage were released, descending upon Lin Feng. Lin Feng felt a torrent of killing intent rushing toward his face.
The Crimson Blood Iron Cavalry—every single one was a seasoned veteran of countless battles, their hands stained with blood. When all their killing intent enveloped Lin Feng, he felt as if he were standing in a sea of bones and blood, enough to drive a man mad. This killing intent was too intense; only a true blood-soaked army could possess such an aura.
Lin Feng was almost crushed, unable to breathe, yet he still stood there with perfect composure, looking at Liu Canglan on the life-and-death platform.
"If you die, Duan Tianlang's goal will be achieved. He won't implicate anyone else. And you won't have to fear or run anymore—it'll be over once and for all."
Lin Feng's words deepened the crowd's anger, but Liu Canglan turned his gaze, raised his head, and looked at Lin Feng on the cliff above.
"If you die, your daughter Liu Fei can marry into the Duan Clan and enjoy wealth and honor. You won't have to worry about her anymore."
Lin Feng's words were like a sharp sword, stabbing straight into Liu Canglan's heart. How could his daughter Liu Fei marry into the Duan Clan!
"If you die, perhaps the many fallen of the Cloud Sea Sect can rest in peace. Because they'll know they died for nothing, with nothing left to hope for."
Every sharp word struck with such force. Liu Canglan closed his eyes, and his hand finally lowered slowly.
Yes. If he gave up and sank into despair, wouldn't he be playing right into Duan Tianlang's hands? What about Fei Fei? Who would avenge the annihilation of the Cloud Sea Sect?
Seeing Liu Canglan lower his hand, the soldiers' gazes toward Lin Feng had long since shifted from anger to gratitude. They understood that Lin Feng had deliberately used reverse psychology to provoke Liu Canglan, making him abandon the thought of crippling his own cultivation.
Thank goodness for Lin Feng. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unthinkable.
But Lin Feng's words were indeed sharp, like a blade, striking the vital point every time.
"Tell your general that the Cloud Sea Sect does not blame him. Old Man Bei was thinking of him until his dying breath. And the old woman has forgiven him."
Lin Feng did not look at Liu Canglan again. He walked over to a soldier, spoke in a low voice, and then drifted away with Meng Qing.
A long time after Lin Feng left, Liu Canglan opened his eyes. A sharp gleam flashed in his gaze, making everyone rejoice—their general had returned.
"Pass my order: turn this canyon into a burial ground. Bury the bodies of the Cloud Sea Sect here."
Liu Canglan's voice was calm as he began to give orders.
"Also, from today onward, seal off the Cloud Sea Sect. Without my command, no one is to set foot there. Anyone who forces their way in will be killed without mercy."
A murderous aura filled the space, but the soldiers showed joy on their faces as they roared, "As you command, General!"
Liu Canglan's expression was unreadable. He took a step, leaping directly onto the cliff, and gazed into the distance, as if trying to find Lin Feng's figure.
"General."
At that moment, a soldier stepped forward and came before Liu Canglan.
"What is it?" Liu Canglan asked.
"General, before that man left, he told me to relay a message to you: the Cloud Sea Sect does not blame you. Old Man Bei was thinking of you until his dying breath. And the old woman has forgiven you."
Liu Canglan's entire body trembled. He stood there, stunned.
He raised his head, looking up at the sky. This incredibly resilient man actually had tears glistening in his resolute eyes.
"Your disciple is unfilial."
Liu Canglan let out a long breath. When he lowered his head, his eyes had regained their sharpness. Looking at the distant road, he took a step and turned into a blur.
"Lin Feng!"
Liu Canglan had never met Lin Feng before. He had only heard the name from Liu Fei's account. At the time, he had wondered what kind of young man could make the entire Cloud Sea Sect, from top to bottom, willing to sacrifice their own lives to save him.
And now, Liu Canglan vaguely understood. Even though they had only met once, and he had only glanced at Lin Feng a few times, this youth was no ordinary person.
If Lin Feng were ordinary, how could he have spoken such sharp words?
If Lin Feng were ordinary, how could a sixteen-year-old boy, under the pressure of the Crimson Blood Iron Cavalry's killing intent, face it so calmly, without the slightest change in his gaze or expression?
If Lin Feng were ordinary, he would not have left a single message and then drifted away. Instead, he would have chosen to stay by Liu Canglan's side, since Duan Tianlang and the others all wanted Lin Feng's life, and only by staying with Liu Canglan would he be safest.
Lin Feng did not. Even though Old Man Bei had told him to seek out Liu Canglan, after meeting him, Lin Feng still chose to leave. Growing under someone else's protection—when would he ever gain the power to overturn heaven and earth?
Lin Feng knew that although the Snow Moon royal family was the strongest in the Snow Moon Kingdom, in the vast Nine Heavens Continent, they amounted to nothing. Even the "emperor" title of the Snow Moon monarch was undeserved.
True martial emperors possessed the power to overturn rivers and seas, to reverse the cosmos. Such beings, when angered, could leave a million corpses in their wake and easily destroy an entire Snow Moon Kingdom.
Lin Feng still had a very long road ahead.
At that moment, Lin Feng and Meng Qing were standing on a large boulder, watching Liu Canglan's figure rush down the mountain from the distant road.
"Let's go." Jumping off the boulder, Lin Feng and Meng Qing walked along a small path, deliberately avoiding Liu Canglan.
"Don't you have a lot of questions to ask?"
Lin Feng looked at Meng Qing and said softly.
"If you don't tell me, I won't ask." Meng Qing's reply was still as indifferent as ever, as if her heart never wavered. Lin Feng wondered what kind of charm she would show if she smiled occasionally.
"My mother said that when a man is sad, staying silent is the best way."
As if remembering something, Meng Qing added another sentence. Her gaze, through the veil, looked at Lin Feng, as if seeking confirmation from him—whether her mother's words were correct.
"Is all your knowledge of the outside world from your mother's mouth?"
"Mm." Meng Qing nodded.
"Did your mother tell you anything else about men?" Lin Feng asked again. To Lin Feng, this world was as unfamiliar as when he had first crossed over. But he had memories of two lifetimes, while Meng Qing's memories might only be of the Black Wind Ridge.
"My mother also said that men are no good, not a single one." Meng Qing replied.
"..." A few black lines appeared on Lin Feng's forehead. He looked at Meng Qing with a strange expression. Those words sounded so familiar. Could it be that Meng Qing's mother had been hurt by love and had retreated to the depths of the Black Wind Ridge?
"The way those men looked at me was indeed not good. But you... seem not bad, not as detestable as my mother said."
Meng Qing's delicate brows twitched slightly, as if puzzled. She was indeed curious about the outside world; otherwise, she wouldn't have secretly followed Lin Feng out.
Lin Feng smiled. Earning a compliment from a beauty was indeed a joyful thing.
"What else? What else did your mother tell you?"
"She told me many things." Meng Qing nodded, looking at Lin Feng, and said, "But I won't tell you."
"..."
Snow Moon City, the imperial capital of the Snow Moon Kingdom, was vast and boundless, majestic in scale.
In this single city alone lived several hundred million people, and it was not the least bit crowded.
Snow Moon Imperial City had numerous main roads, each one a hundred meters wide, capable of accommodating a hundred people walking side by side.
Yet in the past few days, many of the imperial city's roads were packed with pedestrians. Even those riding fine horses were unusually low-key, walking on the roads while leading their mounts.
This was the imperial city, where countless experts roamed. With a single glance, one could see many people riding divine beasts, let alone fine horses.
In a few days, the Snow Moon Holy Academy would hold its founding ceremony. It would recruit talented young disciples from across the entire Snow Moon Kingdom. Relying solely on gifted individuals from various sects was not enough to satisfy the Snow Moon Holy Academy's appetite.
With such a grand event, how could people not flock from all over? From as young as six to as old as eighteen, everyone hoped to become a member of the Snow Moon Holy Academy, which might very well become the most powerful academy in the kingdom.
At that moment, several figures walking along the main road drew considerable attention. Among them was a woman in fiery red robes, beautiful in appearance, exuding a dual aura of ice and fire.
"All these people want to join the Snow Moon Holy Academy, but they don't know how hard it is to get in. Unless they have talent like Qian Qian's, directly noticed by the academy's people. But how many can compare to Qian Qian?"
A young man muttered, flattering her, causing Lin Qian, dressed in fiery robes, to curl the corners of her mouth into a faint smile.
"I heard that Nalan Feng is in the imperial city and has also been favored by the Snow Moon Holy Academy. I wonder if it's true or false."
Lin Hong, standing beside Lin Qian, mentioned this, causing Lin Qian's brows to rise. Nalan Feng—they hadn't settled their score from last time, had they?
Thinking back to the great competition in Yangzhou City, Lin Qian's mind involuntarily conjured an image. That arrogant and unrestrained figure, once regarded as the waste of the Lin Clan and expelled from the sect.
On that day, that person had given everyone a huge surprise, stunning the entire audience and making his name known throughout Yangzhou City.
Everyone in Yangzhou City knew the name Lin Feng.
Moreover, under the watchful eyes of everyone, he had taken Nalan Feng hostage and effortlessly left Yangzhou City, treating the experts of several major families as if they were nothing.
"Now that the Cloud Sea Sect has been destroyed, perhaps he is already dead."
Lin Qian thought to herself, a complex feeling stirring in her heart.