Purple Mansion

Ziyi and Ziling were momentarily stunned by Lin Feng's words. Pretending?

Is Lin Feng conversing with the deceased?

However, in the next moment, their gazes subtly narrowed. By the grass hut's door, on the ground, the supposedly 'deceased' leader of the Three Camel Strange made a slight movement, then rose from the ground, turning to fix his icy gaze on Lin Feng and his companions.

The leader of the Three Camel Strange hadn't actually perished; he had merely been wounded by that sword strike. Just now, he employed a special technique to suppress his presence and hold his breath, feigning death.

"The lad speaks the truth. Although Lin Haojie is skilled, his arrogance precedes him, regarding himself above all. Without even a glance, he assumed he had vanquished me. He holds himself in high esteem," the leader of the Three Camel Strange remarked casually, echoing Lin Feng's sentiment.

"You're fortunate to have discerned my ruse," the leader of the Three Camel Strange fixed his gaze on Lin Feng, sneering. "However, what good does it do? With Lin Haojie absent, the three of you are at my mercy. I have no interest in you, lad, but those two girls who caused the demise of my brethren, I'll ensure they suffer."

Ziyi and Ziling's countenances shifted; the leader of the Three Camel Strange was at the Fourth Stage of the Spiritual Martial Realm, a force beyond their capacity even when injured.

"Perish!" The leader of the Three Camel Strange struck directly, his malevolent palm force hurtling toward Lin Feng. But as Lin Feng's hand rose slowly, traversing the void, a flash of light flickered, akin to lightning, brief yet brilliant.

After the light faded, the leader of the Three Camel Strange stood frozen, a crimson gash appearing on his forehead. He gazed at Lin Feng, filled with regret.

Was Lin Feng's realization of his feigned death merely luck?

"You're as conceited as Lin Haojie," Lin Feng remarked lightly, standing there, speaking slowly. "Without Lin Haojie's intervention, the three of them cannot lay a finger on you. Therefore, you owe Lin Haojie nothing. Remember, what your eyes perceive may not be reality, much like earlier, what appeared dead suddenly came back to life."

With that, Lin Feng stepped forward, actually exiting the grass hut. His figure disappeared in an instant, like a specter.

Ziyi and Ziling watched Lin Feng's vanishing silhouette, their hearts trembling slightly. Lin Feng's effortless vanquishing of the leader of the Three Camel Strange undoubtedly proved his ability to protect them. Even without Lin Haojie's intervention, they would remain unharmed.

As for Lin Feng's final statement, it bore several implications. The 'deceased' they witnessed was false, and the Lin Haojie they perceived might not reflect his true self. Just like Lin Feng himself, whom Ziyi and Ziling had always disdained, considering him feeble and worthless. Yet, the flick of his palm effortlessly dispatched the Spiritual Martial Realm Fourth Stage leader of the Three Camel Strange.

"Sister Ziyi, Lin Feng appears quite formidable," Ziling murmured softly after a moment of silence, her gaze still fixed on the fallen corpse of the Three Camel Strange leader.

"Proud and haughty. If he truly possesses the prowess he claims, why did he wait until Lin Haojie intervened, yet refrain from acting himself? Furthermore, why did he dare not utter a word in Lin Haojie's presence? Clearly, he is inferior to Lin Haojie, filled with envy and fear," Ziyi expressed some displeasure at Lin Feng's words. Remembering Lin Haojie's tender gaze, her heart swayed slightly. Lin Feng surely couldn't match Lin Haojie.

"But with a mere stroke, he dispatched the Three Camel Strange leader, and that flash of light resembled sword energy," Ziling's eyes darted around, striving to recall the light Lin Feng had conjured with his hand.

"That was the Three Camel Strange leader's overconfidence and negligence. He played dead before Lin Haojie but disregarded Lin Feng. Who is stronger and who is weaker is evident at a glance. As for that flash of light, could it possibly surpass Lin Haojie's torrential Golden Rain Sword in splendor and potency?" Ziyi continued to defend her stance, though her reasoning seemed somewhat strained.

Outside the hut, a fierce gust of wind blew, abruptly extinguishing Lin Feng's angry fire. The entire grass hut darkened instantly, permeated by a subtle chill.

Ziyi and Ziling's hearts skipped a beat, and they discovered sweat moistening their palms.

"Sister Ziyi, truthfully, Lin Feng's presence here isn't all that bad," Ziling muttered, only now realizing that without Lin Feng, the hut would be so cold.

"Ziling, why don't we ascend the mountain tonight?" Ziyi suddenly proposed, prompting a soft gasp from Ziling. She continued, "Didn't Lin Haojie also ascend the mountain? If we go now, we might just encounter him."

"And what about Lin Feng?"

"Let him be," Ziyi said coldly.

"Very well," Ziling replied, and the two of them stepped out of the grass hut, directly setting foot on the snowy plains, galloping toward Mount Purple Gold.

Shortly after their departure, Lin Feng's figure suddenly appeared, mounting a horse and chasing after them.

On Mount Purple Gold stands a grand palace, known far and wide as the Purple Mansion.

The Purple Mansion, home to formidable martial practitioners at the Xuanwu Realm, boasts power equivalent to that of the Mo Yue and Xue Yue nations. Xuanwu Realm experts, even within imperial cities, wield considerable influence; in remote regions, they reign supreme.

Outside the Purple Mansion's gate stand two colossal pillars, one on each side, supporting a massive plaque above them. Engraved on the purple plaque are the characters "Purple Mansion."

Now, Ziyi and Ziling arrived beneath this imposing plaque, while Lin Feng followed quietly behind. The three of them traversed the pitch-black mountain path for a full two hours, riding hard, before arriving here.

"We are from the Purple Wei Manor, a branch of the Purple Mansion. Here's our invitation," Ziyi stepped forward, producing a golden invitation and handing it to the figure barring their way.

The person opened the invitation and glanced at it. Indeed, it was from the Purple Wei Manor's branch. With a nod, they allowed passage.

Entering the vast expanse of the Purple Mansion, a series of palaces stood before them. They were at a loss as to where to go.

Though Ziyi and Ziling hailed from a branch of the Purple Mansion, this was their first visit. Branches, while affiliated with the main house, held relatively low status. Those with formidable power among the branches were often summoned back to the main house for consolidation.

Despite occasional passersby, Ziyi and Ziling found no one to assist them. Moreover, it was nighttime, and they had nowhere to rest. Thus, they wandered aimlessly through the palace grounds, leading their horses.

"Master Lin, this way, please," a figure walked leisurely along a corridor in one of the palaces.

Ziyi and Ziling looked up and saw the youth referred to as Master Lin. It was none other than Lin Haojie.

"Master Lin," Ziyi called out to him with a hint of surprise in her voice.

Lin Haojie turned his gaze toward them, then noticed Ziyi and Ziling. A gentle smile graced his handsome face as he approached. "It seems I, Lin Haojie, and you two ladies are destined to meet again."

"Just call me Ziyi, Master Lin," Ziyi said, slightly shy, exuding feminine charm.

"Master Lin, is this your friend?" the maid accompanying Lin Haojie inquired upon seeing him acquainted with Ziyi.

"Yes, indeed," Lin Haojie nodded.

"I see. Miss Ziyi, may I ask where you're headed?" The maid, upon learning that Ziyi was a friend of Lin Haojie, greeted them warmly. Lin Haojie, being the son of the Purple Mansion's master and possessing remarkable talent, was naturally given enthusiastic treatment by the Purple Mansion towards his friends.

"We're..." Ziyi felt somewhat embarrassed, but Ziling interjected indignantly, "We are from the Purple Wei Manor, here to offer congratulations, but we haven't been assigned lodgings yet."

"Purple Wei Manor," the maid murmured, then smiled knowingly. "Since you are Master Lin's friends, I'll arrange accommodations for you."

For guests offering congratulations, the Purple Mansion naturally provided accommodations. However, as Ziyi and her companions arrived late and were only from a branch, no one paid much attention to them. Additionally, the maid referred only to them as Master Lin's friends, without mentioning the Purple Wei Manor, subtly implying that their branch identity was less significant than their connection to Lin Haojie, thus giving face to him.

"No need. Tomorrow is the day of Miss Zi Qiong's wedding. You're busy with preparations. Besides, I have several rooms at my disposal. If you ladies don't mind, you're welcome to stay for the night," Lin Haojie said with a smile, once again disregarding Lin Feng.