…
June 10th.
The night was as cool as water, and the moon was bright.
Perhaps because of the long distance from Huating, the night sky above the Sky Academy looked very dark.
The starry sky was dazzling and boundless.
The waning moon was hanging over the sky, and several big stars in Orion were shining brightly. This scene was not very poetic, but it was enough to surprise one’s heart to see such a scene in Huating.
The Yangtze River rushed into the sea, and the sound of the waves splashing the coast remained the same.
On the beach at the junction of the river and the sea, Lin Fengting, dressed in casual clothes and carrying a pot of wine, sat quietly by the sh.o.r.e. He looked up at the bright starry sky above with a peaceful face.
It had been a month since he came to Huating, but it was still his first day to officially move in the Sky Academy under the watch of the academy.
Lin Fengting lived in the Sky Academy as a guest of the ceremony.
This ident.i.ty was also very consistent with his purpose of watching the scene of bustle.
The Master of Samsara Palace would fight with the Governor of Kunlun City.
This invincible battle was now the event that attracted the most attention in the Dark World.
June 15th would be the day of the battle.
There were still five days before that day.
Lin Fengting was the first foreign master in the Invincible Realm to come to watch the ceremony, and it could be predicted that in the next few days, there would definitely be more masters in the Invincible Realm coming to Zhongzhou State to watch this great battle which was related to the pattern of the Divine List.
The Sky Academy attached great importance to every expert who came to watch the ceremony. Before anyone came, they had arranged their food, clothing, accommodation and transportation in advance. In the residential area, an apartment building with 6 floors, and 12 houses in each floor, which was the nearest to the battle site, had been vacated. The building was more than enough to accommodate all the experts who came to watch the ceremony. Lin Fengting was the first one to come, so he occupied the best floor. After settling down, under the light of the setting sun, the master in the Invincible Realm, who was strong enough to be among the top of the Divine List but was unknown to the public, took a wine pot and went directly to the edge of the river and sea.
As the sun set, the bright moon rose.
The slightly cold moonlight sprinkled on the sea surface. Waves were surging and sparkling, like a golden scene.
Lin Fengting took a gulp of wine from the pot and sighed pleasantly. When the strong liquor entered his stomach, he felt warmer both his body and his heart.
“You are really in a good mood, sir. I see you are drinking by the sea. I’m wondering, are you waiting for the magnificent scene after the stormy waves? Or are you waiting for the blue sea and sky after the winds and waves get calm?”
A gentle and aged voice sounded in the beautiful waves, full of laughter.
Lin Fengting did not turn his head. He just gently turned the silver pot in his hand, and said with a smile, “In my eyes, whether it is magnificent or calm, they are both sceneries.”
“Oh? Just scenery?”
Zhuang Huayang, president of the Sky Academy, came to Lin Fengting with an oil paper bag in his hand. His expression was casual, but his eyes were very serious.
“Just scenery.”
Lin Fengting opened the wine pot again and took a sip of wine. The wine pot in his hand was extremely large. Its silver body was radiant with charming l.u.s.ter under the bright moonlight. If it was only looked at the appearance, the whole pot could be loaded with two or three catties of white wine, which showed his horrible capacity for liquor.
He put down the wine pot and looked at the river and sea in front of him with gentle eyes. The endless water flowed with the moonlight. At that time, no one could tell whether he was watching the sea or the moon.
“What can I do for you, headmaster?”
Lin Fengting didn’t look at Zhuang Huayang. He just asked casually with a smile.
“I heard that you refused the invitation to join the meeting of the Decision Making Committee and chose to stay in the academy. As the host, I should come and greet you.”
Zhuang Huayang sat down beside Lin Fengting and handed over the oil paper bag in his hand to him with a smile. “The spiced beef from my hometown is very famous in Zhongzhou State. It will go well with the wine.”
“Thank you.”
Lin Fengting took it over with a smile. In anyone’s eyes, this dashing middle-aged man with a smile all day long was an extremely easy-going person. He was so easy-going that he had no temper. He opened the oil paper bag, reached directly into it, grabbed a piece of beef and tasted it. Then he nodded and praised, “Crisp but not scattered, fragrant but not greasy, delicious.”
He took another sip of wine and chuckled. “To tell you the truth, president, I have no ambition in my life. I just want a beauty on my side, beautiful scenery in my front and good wine in my hand. Besides these three things, delicious food is what I can never get rid of.”
Zhuang Huayang’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he said calmly, “Events are moving quickly in the Dark World at the moment. Perhaps in a year, perhaps in a month, the pattern of the Dark World may undergo major changes. Don’t you have any thought about this, sir?”
Although he tried to probe him, the content of his speech had been extremely straightforward already.
“Events are moving quickly?”
Lin Fengting laughed and said, “That’s not true. I think the Dark World is a stagnant pool. It is stable now.”
Zhuanghuayang smiled. He knew immediately that it was useless to say much, so he’d rather be silent now.
Lin Fengting was right. From May to June, the Dark World was really like a pool of still water, but the extreme calmness in the constantly chaotic Dark World already meant extreme abnormality, just like the calmness before the storm. Now the whole Dark World was in a strained atmosphere, and everyone was waiting.
They were waiting for the world-renowned battle which would take place in five days to end.
The monster Night Spirit that once overrode the entire Dark World had been destroyed. For more than a month, after the initial agitation, all the major dark powers had calmed down.
This could be said to be the biggest cake in the Dark World at present. Any piece of it was of great benefit.
Samsara destroyed the Night Spirit, so it supposed to be the biggest beneficiary of this feast, but things in the Dark World had never made any sense. Destroying the Night Spirit didn’t mean that the Samsara Palace could take advantages from the Night Spirit. There were other powers besides the Night Spirit and the Samsara Palace in the Dark World, which made it as difficult as climbing the sky to keep all the benefits to oneself. Each superpower had its own goals. It was just like dividing a cake. Every superpower would like to have a piece of it. How much would be left to Samsara, at last, depended entirely on the strength and power of the Samsara Palace and its master.
Facing huge interests, the superpowers in the Dark World were willing to declare war, but few were willing to die for that.
The strength of the Master of Samsara Palace was the key to grasp the delicate situation among the superpowers.
When the superpowers were about to take actions to Night Spirit, and even started to test Samsara Palace, the Master of Samsara Palace suddenly scheduled a battle with Gu Xingyun, the G.o.d of War in Zhongzhou State.
Such news immediately attracted the attention of the whole world.
A life-and-death battle!
Gu Xingyun, the G.o.d of War in Zhongzhou State, ranked fourth on the Divine List.
While the Master of Samsara Palace ranked seventh on the Divine List.
The result of this invincible battle was so important that it even directly related to the fate of Samsara Palace or the Special Warfare System of Zhongzhou State for decades to come.
The dead Night Spirit would be a big gift to who would win.
If the Master of Samsara Palace was defeated in the Sky Academy, not to mention Night Spirit, the whole Samsara Palace would be completely swallowed up by all major powers in a very short time.
But if Gu Xingyun died instead, it would be enough to prove that the Strength of the Master of Samsara Palace was enough to rank among the top five on the Divine List. For such strength, everyone should respect it. The superpowers would inevitably make major concessions to Samsara Palace in the treatment of Night Spirit, and these losses, or the benefits they did not get, could be brought back from Zhongzhou State after the death of Gu Xingyun.
The reason why the battle was people’s focus at present was that too many interests were involved behind the scenes, such as Night Spirit and Samsara Palace, Night Spirit and Zhongzhou State, and even more things that had not yet emerged. All forces failed to sit still because of such temptation. Once someone moved first, others would surely follow.
They didn’t want to be outdone. They dared not to be outdone. They mustn’t be outdone.
This was the att.i.tude of the superpowers in the Dark World.
Although the Dark World was calm at the moment, in fact, the Sky Academy had become the focus of the world’s attention. Everyone was waiting for the survival or death of the Master of Samsara Palace.
Lin Fengting might know or might not know about these things, but obviously, he now had no intention of partic.i.p.ating in them.
After hearing that he refused the invitation to join the meeting of the Decision Making Committee, Zhuang Huayang understood Lin Fengting’s thoughts roughly, but he couldn’t help testing him. Now Lin’s att.i.tude was clear. Zhuang Huayang was disappointed, but he wouldn’t make vain attempts any more. Looking at Lin Fengting who ate the spiced beef with relish, the old president sighed slightly and finally said, “Sir, the life and death of the Master of Samsara Palace…”
“It has nothing to do with me.”
Lin Fengting said calmly.
Zhuang Huayang nodded his head. Then lightning shone around him.
The wind along the coast surged past with wet air and scattered the lightning. The figure of Zhuang Huayang had disappeared.
Lin Fengting drank and ate meat silently, as if the whole world had nothing to do with him.
“Dad.”
A clear and crisp voice sounded.
At the campfire which was less than fifty meters behind Lin Fengting, a girl with pure and beautiful appearance ran to him and handed him the roasted barbecue in her hand. She smiled and said, “Here, chicken wings.”
The young girl seemed to be 13 or 14 years old, graceful and exquisite in the figure, with clear and bright eyes and bright white teeth. She smiled and stood beside Lin Fengting, bathing in the moonlight, and her whole body was sending out a kind of pure and beautiful innocence.
Lin Fengting took the chicken wings with a smile and took a bite of one of them, praising her, “It’s much better than the spiced beef. My Chuxue is no less talented in cooking than in Martial Arts. You will certainly have a bright future if you want to be a cook.”
“I don’t want to be a cook.”
Lin Chuxue pouted her ruddy little mouth and rolled her eyes to her father. Suddenly, she said with a laugh, “Dad, who’s that old man just now? President Zhuang Huayang?”
Lin Fengting was eating the chicken wings with his head down. He nodded and whispered, “He is a very clever person.”
“Clever?”
Lin Chuxue tilted her head.
Lin Fengting smiled and said, “Relatively speaking. You see, the person who is clever just left and those who aren’t are coming.”
Lin Chuxue subconsciously turned her head.
Under the moonlight, two vague figures stepped past the campfire where she was grilling food one after the other, one in casual clothes and the other in military uniform.
The two people came standing under the moonlit sky, natural, unrestrained, and carefree.
“Chuxue, roast two more pairs of chicken wings. Dad likes them.”
Lin Fengting put the chicken bones aside and whispered without lifting his head.
Lin Chuxue responded sweetly and ran to the campfire. Her white skirt swayed and danced lightly.
“Uncle w.a.n.g.”
When pa.s.sing by the two uninvited guests, Lin Chuxue stopped and spoke softly. Before w.a.n.g Tianzong spoke, Lin Chuxue ran away again.
w.a.n.g Tianzong smiled and shook his head. He came directly to Lin Fengting. Without sitting down, he smiled softly and said, “You are really at ease.”
Lin Fengting played with the wine pot in his hand and was not polite at all. “If you don’t come here, I’ll be more relaxed.”
Beside w.a.n.g Tianzong, a middle-aged man of short stature subconsciously narrowed his eyes slightly, but he did not speak.
The man was no taller than 1.6 meters. He had short hair and mediocre appearance. He stood beside w.a.n.g Tianzong and Lin Fengting. Though he was not very outstanding, his military uniform was extremely dazzling. Four golden stars were neatly arranged on the dark red epaulets. The stars flashed in the moonlight, mysterious and dignified.
The marshal of Zhongzhou State.
The marshal of the Special Warfare System in Zhongzhou State!
Because of the different colors of the epaulets, it was clear to tell which army a Zhongzhou soldier belonged to. The brown-green ones were the land force, the sky-blue ones were the air force, and the black ones were the navy.
While the dark red epaulets only belonged to Zhongzhou’s Special Warfare System.
This seemingly inconspicuous middle-aged man beside w.a.n.g Tianzong was the second marshal in Zhongzhou’s Special Warfare System!
“I know.”
w.a.n.g Tianzong smiled and nodded. “But I have to come.”
“Is it settled?”
Lin Fengting asked casually.
“It’s settled. It’s been settled early this morning.”
w.a.n.g Tianzong whispered, “Snowdance Corps. Today, the entire Decision Making Committee was discussing the battle plan, and the first troop has already started off. Oh, by the way, let me introduce Gu Qianchuan, the First Elder of Kunlun City, and commander of the Snowdance Corps, to you.”
Gu Qianchuan, who had a prominent status but a humble appearance, took a step forward, reached out his hand, and said with a smile, “Mr. Lin, I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Lin Fengting did not move. He said without turning around, “Just tell me, what is the matter?”
Gu Qianchuan’s smile froze. The anger in his eyes flashed quickly. He took back his hand but narrowed his eyes.
“During this period of time, we hope you can stay in Zhongzhou State. If, I mean, if… the situation is out of control, we also hope you can help us.”
w.a.n.g Tianzong did not look at Gu Qianchuan, either. Instead, he looked at Lin Fengting seriously and said, “After this, Zhongzhou State will owe you a favor.”
“Is that all?”
“Yes.”
“Not interested.”
Lin Fengting shook his head and stood up. “I plan to leave tomorrow. If it weren’t for Chuxue to have a look at the Sky Academy, I might have been on the plane by now. I came here to be an audience, but there’s nothing to see now. What am I still doing here?”
w.a.n.g Tianzong frowned slightly, but before he could figure out how to persuade him, Lin Fengting had already continued to say, “Besides, this time, you, Gu Xingyun and the Master of Samsara Palace are all here. What’s the use of my staying here? There is no need.”
“I’m afraid there will be some unexpected changes.”
w.a.n.g Tianzong thoughtfully said.
“Mr Lin.”
Gu Qianchuan, who was silent beside them, suddenly opened his mouth and said with sincere feelings, “Mr. Lin’s ancestor was the G.o.d of War in Zhongzhou State. He had acted as a powerful force to control the Dark World for decades. He was mighty and matchless. As the descendant of the first generation of G.o.d of War in Zhongzhou State, we hope you can…”
“Who do you think you are to speak here?”
Before Gu Qianchuan finished his words, Lin Fengting had turned around and asked indifferently.
“You!”
Gu Qianchuan’s face suddenly became dark.
The situation had gone out of hand. Lin Fengting’s hostility to Kunlun City was already obvious. For a moment, Gu Qianchuan really regretted coming here.
“What?”
Lin Fengting narrowed his eyes. At this moment, this handsome middle-aged man, who wore a smile all day long, revealed a slight trace of aggressiveness. “My ancestor had sheltered Zhongzhou State for decades, so do I also have to protect you for decades?”
“Lin family left Zhongzhou State back then, but my ancestor also left the Li family. For hundreds of years, the Li family has always produced the G.o.ds of War in Zhongzhou State, but now? The Li family was destroyed by you, and you still want me to help you?”
He paused, c.o.c.ked his head and looked at Gu Qianchuan, asking, “Do I owe you?”
Gu Qianchuan gritted his teeth and swallowed his anger. “You misunderstand. Li Kuangtu betrayed the country first, and so we…”
“I don’t want to hear any nonsense.”
Lin Fengting said calmly. “Since you are here today, then I will ask you the truth. Don’t talk the useless s.h.i.t to me. Tell me, did my second elder brother commit treason or not?”
Gu Qianchuan’s eyes fixed a bit. Then he planned to open his mouth to speak.
While Lin Fengting had continued, “Believe it or not, if you dare to say that my second elder brother is a traitor again, I will kill you here!”
“…”
Gu Qianchuan tried hard to suppress his anger, without saying a word.
“You don’t want to talk?”
Lin Fengting smiled and continued.
“I…”
Gu Qianchuan opened his mouth.
“Pah!”
Lin Fengting had already slapped Gu Qianchuan in the face with a loud and clear sound.
“Don’t talk nonsense!”
“Pah!”
“The First Elder of Kunlun City, right?”
“Pah!”
“The commander of the Snowdance Corps, right?”
“Pah!”
“Marshal Gu Qianchuan, right?”
“Pah!”
“You want me to help you, huh?”
“Pah!”
“I owe you, don’t I?”
Gu Qianchuan saw stars by the series of slaps in his face. He retreated more than ten steps in a row before he roared angrily, “Enough!”
Lin Fengting did stop.
The wave that was roaring in the last second became still and spread out hundreds of meters.
Sharp sword intent exploded along the coast.
Lin Fengting took a step forward. His aura was sharp enough to shock the world.
“Enough?”
He looked at Gu Qianchuan and asked flatly.
“I am the marshal of Zhongzhou State!”
Gu Qianchuan sputtered, “I am the chief commander of all the front-line operations! Lin Fengting! I came here today to discuss cooperation with you, not to be insulted by you. You are so reckless. Do you really think there’s no one in Zhongzhou State or in Kunlun City who could beat you?”
“Pah!”
Lin Fengting waved his hand fiercely and slapped Gu Qianchuan directly into the sea. He moved his arm and said flatly, “What? Not convinced? If you are unconvinced, just call Gu Xingyun to come here. You are not qualified to reason with me.”