The robbery went quite smoothly, yet for the disciples of Daozhong Mountain, it was a tragedy.
“Senior Brother, that was all I had…” one disciple lamented, his face twisted in misery as he clutched tightly at his storage pouch. His sorrowful expression was heartbreaking, as if something deeply cherished was about to be snatched away.
Lei Hengfeng squatted nearby, his heart heavy with bitterness. As a senior inner disciple of Daozhong Mountain, he had led his junior brothers out for training, only to encounter such a tragic ordeal. His heart ached.
Seeing the grief on his juniors’ faces, Lei Hengfeng softly comforted them, “Fellow juniors, just hand them over. When we return, Senior Brother will compensate you.”
These juniors had followed him on this journey, and naturally, he bore the responsibility of protecting their lives. Now, due to his own lack of strength, they had been robbed, suffering heavy losses. He bore an undeniable guilt.
Thus, clenching his teeth, Lei Hengfeng resolved to shoulder all the losses himself, planning to repay everything upon returning to the sect, minimizing the juniors’ losses as much as possible.
At that moment, when Lei Hengfeng spoke those words, the disciples, who had moments ago looked like they had lost their parents, suddenly brightened. Without hesitation, they pulled out their storage pouches and handed them over to the Fourteen Bandits.
Their senior brother promised compensation—what a tremendous blessing!
Could the items he compensated with possibly be ordinary?
At this moment, the Fourteen Bandits were surprised to see these disciples of the sect suddenly change their behavior, willingly handing over their belongings. This made things much easier for the bandits.
“You’re a grown man—why are you carrying all this junk?” Sandulong scoffed as he collected the items, approaching Liu Lingfeng, where he was met with astonishment.
What the hell? A grown man actually had feminine cosmetics like rouge and face powder. It was almost blinding.
The disciples of Daozhong Mountain looked at the items Liu Lingfeng had taken out, wanting to laugh but daring not to. Their gazes toward him were filled with oddity.
They all knew Liu Lingfeng had grown up in Xuanjian Pavilion, where even the cooks were women from top to bottom.
Living in such a female-dominated environment for over a decade, naturally, he had picked up some habits, ones he probably couldn’t change anymore.
“I’ll give you this storage ring, but can I keep these?” Liu Lingfeng knelt on the ground, raising his head to look up at Sandulong.
The storage ring didn’t matter much, but for Liu Lingfeng, the cosmetics were the most important. He had painstakingly crafted them from various flowers and plants.
Their alluring fragrance was unforgettable.
Moreover, the sect leader and others had always been kind to him. Especially his master, who, though strict, always gave him the best things. Thus, Liu Lingfeng had never lacked treasures and naturally didn’t value these items much.
Sandulong looked at Liu Lingfeng. This guy had tried to kill him just moments ago, but seeing his current appearance, Sandulong’s anger had mostly dissipated.
“Feminine stuff. Take it back. A grown man using women’s things—embarrassing!” Sandulong scoffed disdainfully, not even glancing at the items before confiscating the ring.
To the Fourteen Bandits of the Desert, this moment felt incredible. They had never imagined such a day would come.
Once everything was confiscated, Lin Fan packed all the seized items into his backpack, planning to sort through them later in a quiet place.
“You may leave now.” With the robbery complete, there was no reason to keep them any longer.
Lei Hengfeng stood up and quickly signaled his juniors to leave. Though these people had robbed them, they had no intention of killing, which was a relief to Lei Hengfeng.
If the person before them had decided to kill, the juniors he had brought would have perished here.
“You stay.” As Liu Lingfeng prepared to leave with Lei Hengfeng’s group, Lin Fan suddenly spoke.
Liu Lingfeng looked puzzled, “Why can’t I go? I’ve given everything I had!”
“Senior, this one is a disciple of Xuanjian Pavilion. Please don’t make things difficult for him,” Lei Hengfeng stepped forward to plead.
“Do you all want to stay then?” Lin Fan’s expression darkened, unwilling to waste more words.
Lei Hengfeng hesitated, finally casting Liu Lingfeng an apologetic glance. This was all he could do.
He couldn’t risk the lives of all his juniors just for Liu Lingfeng.
…
After Lei Hengfeng’s group left, Liu Lingfeng grew anxious. He noticed a glint of ill intent in the man’s gaze toward him.
Growing up among women, Liu Lingfeng had developed a gentle personality. Yet, when traveling outside, he naturally needed to appear domineering. Thus, normally, Liu Lingfeng carried himself proudly, giving off an aura of invincibility.
Lin Fan stepped forward, carefully examining Liu Lingfeng, nodding occasionally while smirking with a hint of mischief.
Good, very good.
Liu Lingfeng was the first person Lin Fan had encountered who could master the Dao of Yin and Yang swords.
A man possessing both Yin and Yang energy was indeed unusual.
In Lin Fan’s mind, this guy might just be the legendary talent he had been seeking.
Regarding talents, Lin Fan always believed in either recruiting them or, if necessary, training them personally.
“Come with me.” At that moment, Lin Fan smiled faintly and gestured to Liu Lingfeng.
Liu Lingfeng swallowed hard, his eyes flickering with slight fear. What did this man want to do?
No way—he absolutely couldn’t go with him.
A sense of danger enveloped Liu Lingfeng, as a voice in his mind kept warning him: Don’t go… don’t go.
Suddenly, Liu Lingfeng’s expression changed dramatically. He launched into a floral finger technique, unsheathed his sword, and attempted to fly away.
But just as he lifted off, his ankle was caught by the other man’s hand and forcefully yanked back down.
“What’s the rush? I’m not going to take your life. Come with this old man to that grove ahead,” Lin Fan chuckled lightly, filled with anticipation.
“No—please!” Liu Lingfeng clutched the ground with both hands, his delicate, charming face now filled with terror.
Yet Lin Fan dragged Liu Lingfeng by the ankle toward the grove.
“Wait here for me. I’ll be back soon,” Lin Fan said to Sandulong and the others.
“Understood.” Sandulong and the rest watched the scene unfold, their voices subdued.
Gradually, the sounds faded, until the two disappeared into the grove, leaving silence behind.
“Brother, do you think the Master might…” Shasahua swallowed hard, his trembling eyes filled with disbelief.
Sandulong looked at his younger brother, equally puzzled.
“I don’t think so.”
A breeze blew by.
Sandulong and the others couldn’t help but tighten involuntarily.
Though that guy looked effeminate, the Master probably didn’t have those kinds of preferences.
Then, they all turned their gazes toward that grove filled with mystery and ominousness, unable to calm themselves for a long time.
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