Chapter Eight: Infuriated and Humiliated

He did his best to avoid a head-on confrontation with Zuo Jincheng, knowing that with his current strength, he was no match for a seventh-rank martial artist.

As time passed, Zuo Jincheng also began to sense that something was wrong; the disciples around him were dwindling.

"Why is there still no word from the Seventh Junior Brother? Go and check the situation. Make sure you don't fall into an ambush."

Zuo Jincheng sent two disciples to scout, but once they left, they never returned. Even a fool would have realized something was amiss by then.

"Something is wrong. I specifically warned the Seventh Junior Brother to be cautious when facing the Ghost-Masked Man. How could he be so careless? Follow me."

Zuo Jincheng led the remaining few disciples into the alley on the left to provide reinforcements. No sooner had they approached than he smelled the pungent stench of blood. Looking down, he saw numerous corpses strewn about in disarray. They were all disciples of Sword Wind Mountain, and among them lay his Seventh Junior Brother.

One disciple gathered the courage to step forward and inspect them.

"Senior Brother, the Seventh Junior Brother and the others were ambushed and killed. Most of the wounds are on their necks or backs. There are no signs of a struggle. Should we leave this dark place immediately?"

Clearly, the disciple was already looking for a retreat. Zuo Jincheng looked at the others, and most of them wore expressions of terror.

"Retreat!"

Forced by circumstance, he had no choice but to order the remaining disciples to pull back. Just as they were retreating, two more screams echoed from behind them. Like a death knell, the sound drove them to run for their lives, with Zuo Jincheng in the lead.

When they finally reached the outside, Zuo Jincheng had only three core disciples left. The group of over twenty men had been nearly wiped out. The sight left Zuo Jincheng’s expression ghastly.

"A total humiliation!"

In truth, if they hadn't run, they might have had a fighting chance, but the sight of the scattered corpses had already shattered their resolve. The enemy moved like a phantom, and they had no idea how to counter him.

"A bunch of useless trash! Why are you running?"

The core disciples lowered their heads at Zuo Jincheng's insults, not daring to speak, though they desperately wanted to point out that it was Zuo Jincheng who had led the flight.

"Keep your dog lives for now; I'll come to collect them next time."

Watching the terrified group, Xu Feng quietly withdrew.

***

In the latter half of the night, the Feng estate was uncharacteristically lively. Feng Yuzhi once again summoned a physician to dress the wounds of the Sword Wind Mountain party.

None of this had much to do with Xu Feng. Upon returning to his courtyard, he fell into a deep sleep. He had gained much this evening and needed time to digest it; once he consolidated his current state, he could formally prepare to break through to the next stage of martial arts.

Xu Feng slept until dawn. As soon as he pushed his door open, he heard Dong'er softly humming.

"What has you in such high spirits so early in the morning, girl?"

"Master, you don't know the big news from last night! More than half of those people from Sword Wind Mountain that Zuo Jincheng brought are dead. Only a few core disciples remain."

"When that guy first fled back, his face was as black as a pot. That Ghost-Masked Man is truly a good person—he never harms the innocent, only the wicked."

Hearing this, Xu Feng was surprised. He hadn't expected that the Six Doors, which served the imperial court, would try to kill him without rhyme or reason, while Dong'er, a commoner, had such a clear moral compass.

"Keep your voice down; someone might hear you. Just say that within our own courtyard."

Xu Feng did not want to invite unnecessary trouble.

Just as the master and servant were chatting, a commotion broke out in the neighboring courtyard. Pushing his door open to look, he saw Feng Yuzhi supporting Zuo Jincheng as they entered the yard to rest. They made no effort to avoid Xu Feng’s gaze.

"Young Master Zuo, be careful. Do not get angry. It won't be too late to settle the score with that Ghost-Masked Man once you've recovered."

With little skill but a massive ego, Zuo Jincheng hadn't even engaged in a real fight; his injuries were merely the result of his own internal rage upon returning.

"Once I recover, I will definitely fight that Ghost-Masked Man to the death! He has taken the lives of so many of my Sword Wind Mountain brothers. My sect has never suffered such a heavy loss."

"However, that Ghost-Masked Man’s strength is indeed formidable, and his skills are god-like. When I fought him, I barely held the upper hand, and in the end, I had to risk a severe injury just to drive him back. He is also heavily wounded and won't be able to cause trouble for a while."

Zuo Jincheng’s praise of the Ghost-Masked Man was merely to inflate his own importance; otherwise, he couldn't explain his injuries.

Xu Feng, the other party involved, leaned against the doorframe, smiling silently. The man had little ability but a master’s talent for self-aggrandizement. No wonder he could deceive the usually sharp Feng Yuzhi.

"Brother Zuo is naturally formidable. Even the Purple-Robed Inspector of the Six Doors fell to the Ghost-Masked Man. To be able to retreat unscathed is to be among the best in the world."

Feng Yuzhi’s flattery was well-received by Zuo Jincheng.

His rhetoric might have fooled Feng Yuzhi, who looked at her lover through rose-tinted glasses, but it could not deceive Feng Yumian.

"Nonsense. Your injuries were clearly caused by your own rage. I stayed up late last night and saw everything clearly; you had no injuries when you first returned."

"Furthermore, I have fought that Ghost-Masked Man myself. His greatest skill is controlling the souls of the dead to turn them into vengeful spirits, but his own physical strength is not necessarily superior to mine."

Feng Yumian gave him no face, exposing him on the spot.

This left Zuo Jincheng both embarrassed and furious, though he could not lash out due to Feng Yumian's status.

"What kind of sorcery is that? Controlling souls—it’s nothing but underhanded, dark tricks. Next time we meet, I will certainly capture him and torture him to death!" Zuo Jincheng spat out indignantly.

Just as he was looking for a way to shift the topic, he looked up and saw Xu Feng leaning against the doorframe, smiling at him.

"You useless trash! You dare laugh at me? Get out here!"

He redirected all his pent-up rage toward Xu Feng. After all, he was just a despised, useless son-in-law; he surely wouldn't dare to oppose him.

Watching the target shift to himself, the smile on Xu Feng’s face gradually stiffened. He should have known better than to watch the spectacle from his doorway.

"Zuo Jincheng, it was the Ghost-Masked Man who harmed your disciples. What is the point of venting your anger on a son-in-law?"

Perhaps out of gratitude for Xu Feng helping her apply medicine, Feng Yumian unexpectedly stood up for him. Of course, it was also possible that she simply couldn't stand Zuo Jincheng's arrogance. Regardless, she had eased the situation for Xu Feng.

This only made Zuo Jincheng more dissatisfied.

"I had heard that the Feng family had a useless son-in-law whom everyone despised, but I disagreed. If he were truly worthless, how could he have won such a beauty? Let me see if you are as useless as they say."

With those words, Zuo Jincheng prepared to strike Xu Feng. Judging by his stance, he held nothing back; it was a lethal blow, not a simple test. He was out for blood.

His sudden strike happened too fast for the sisters to intervene, and they could only watch helplessly as he charged toward Xu Feng.

"Xu Feng, hurry and dodge! Do you really want to die at his hands?"

In a panic, Feng Yumian shouted a warning.

But Xu Feng remained frozen in place as if he hadn't heard her, leading everyone to believe he was paralyzed by fear.