Chapter Thirty-Nine: Trapped in Desperation

When Old Tang saw the wealthy crowd surging forward, his right hand trembled as he prepared to step up and try his luck as well.

However, Lin Feng stopped him, smiling quietly. “Old Tang, it is at moments like this that one must remain calm. You mustn’t let desire cloud your judgment. Do you really think Liu Ke is so kind? Do you even know what this so-called ‘Treasure-Bearing Bodhisattva of Calamity Relief’ actually is?”

Hearing Lin Feng’s words, Old Tang gripped his cane tightly, suppressing the stirring in his heart. His voice was hoarse as he asked, “From what you’re saying, Mr. Lin, do you know the origins of this statue?”

Lin Feng chuckled softly. “Old Tang, why don’t you just watch the show that’s about to unfold?”

He slowly stood, parted the crowd, and approached the table. Examining the so-called sacred statue carefully, his confidence solidified, and the corners of his lips lifted. Turning to Wang Yun, he declared loudly, “Treasure-Bearing Bodhisattva of Calamity Relief? A spirit-communing Buddha? To me, this is nothing but a demon effigy.”

“Everyone knows that Buddha statues only reveal miracles when worshipped by true believers. Elder Feng, do you have faith in Buddhism? Have you ever heard of this so-called Treasure-Bearing Bodhisattva? There’s no known source of devotion, so where would miracles and fulfilled wishes come from?”

Lin Feng’s words dropped like a bombshell.

“He’s right. Even the old monks who have worshipped Buddha in their temples for decades have never seen miracles or longevity—when it’s time to die, they die. How is it that we can just pay a fee, bow casually, and live longer?”

“Is there some unspeakable secret hidden here?”

The tycoons present were all self-made men, not fools. With only a moment’s thought, each one was shaken.

One by one, they stopped writing checks and stared at Lin Feng, hesitating.

Wang Yun felt a chill run through his heart.

He hadn’t expected that a mere live-in son-in-law would see through the guise of the demon effigy and point out the flaw in today’s scheme.

Indeed, this was no Bodhisattva statue, but a genuine demon idol.

Moreover, he was not some enlightened master, but a high-ranking officer of the Moluo Society—a true practitioner of dark arts. Luo Jiale was merely his subordinate!

A sorcerer—in the current era, the only kind of extraordinary individual who could rival martial artists. Though spiritual energy had faded from the world, the path of sorcery had not died out. Even now, many continued to practice the ancient arts, though their power was but a shadow of the past.

Sorcerers today were roughly divided into five ranks: Initiate, Transcendent, Heavenly Master, Enlightened, and Immortal Ascendant.

Wang Yun was a true Initiate-level sorcerer.

It was said that such a sorcerer could manipulate spiritual energy and strike down a man with the flick of a finger.

He could command the elements, kill without a trace, and step into the mysterious path of cultivation—his strength unfathomable.

His purpose in coming to Binhai City was precisely to use the demon effigy to control the upper echelons of Binhai and Chuzhou, establishing the two cities as the Moluo Society’s bridgehead on the coast.

“No! The Moluo Society’s century-old plan cannot be ruined here!”

Wang Yun’s eyes widened as he assumed a posture of righteous indignation, ready to eradicate evil and uphold the way. With a sweep of his whisk, he shouted angrily:

“Foolish child! You dare to disregard the immense virtue of the Treasure-Bearing Bodhisattva and show disrespect instead? Such audacity cannot be tolerated! Today, I, Wuya Zi, shall act in Heaven’s stead to punish your ignorance!”

How could Liu Ke allow Lin Feng to ruin his business? He stepped forward, loudly echoing, “That’s right! You scoundrel, you’ve clearly slandered the Bodhisattva and committed unforgivable sins! We believers must punish you today to appease the Bodhisattva’s spirit in Heaven!”

“Yes! The Bodhisattva’s merit is boundless—how can we let an ignorant whelp tarnish it? He must be punished!”

“President Liu is right; this boy must be punished!”

With Liu Ke setting the tone, the tycoons of Chuzhou joined in one after another, clamoring for Lin Feng’s punishment.

The momentum swelled—nearly half the room demanded retribution, and their bodyguards were itching to act.

Worst of all, Elder Feng, who had supposedly received the Bodhisattva’s blessing, took Liu Ke’s side as well.

He rose from his seat, glared angrily at Lin Feng, and rebuked coldly, “What right does an inexperienced little brat like you have to represent Binhai’s connoisseurs? Even Qin Guanyun said this statue was an artifact of the mythical age!”

“The truth of my own blessing stands before us, yet you insist on spouting nonsense, clearly trying to prevent us from gaining longer lives. What are your real intentions?”

A collective gasp followed Elder Feng’s accusation, his words laced with malice.

The various factions from Binhai City fell silent, choosing to watch from the sidelines.

In an instant, Lin Feng became the common enemy, a rat everyone wanted to crush—almost 80% of the city’s prominent figures were threatening and intimidating him, pushing him to the brink.

Even Old Tang was hesitating, uncertain whether he should risk everything to shield Lin Feng.

“Lin Feng, you never expected this, did you? Karma has caught up with you! Earlier at the auction, you snatched my spiritual treasure and humiliated me—now you’ve brought this on yourself!”

At that moment, Luo Jiale jumped out, jeering at Lin Feng like a clown.

Even Elder Feng’s granddaughter, Feng Jing, stepped forward to sneer from her grandfather’s side. “See, Lin Feng? This is what comes of your cleverness! Did you think cozying up to some naive heiress would let you join high society? Wake up! A useless son-in-law like you, a pretty boy and a loser, is destined to be a bottom-feeder forever!”

These vile characters, seeing Lin Feng’s predicament, all leapt at the chance to kick him while he was down. They hurled accusations, as if only his utter ruin would satisfy them.

Wang Yun swept his whisk, his robe billowing as though caught in an invisible wind, exuding the air of a celestial sage. He spoke coldly, “Boy, do you see now? The masses have discerning eyes—they know right from wrong, loyalty from treachery. Not only have you blasphemed the divine today, but you also seek to deceive everyone, a crime beyond forgiveness.”

“Since this is your first offense, I’ll show mercy—if you kneel now, kowtow, and sincerely repent, I’ll spare your family. Otherwise, your entire clan will suffer!”

Wang Yun’s gaze was sharp as a judge from the underworld. Again and again, he demanded Lin Feng kneel and beg for mercy, as if justice and fate were his alone to command.

Yet Lin Feng remained calm—serene, untroubled, and even turned to Old Tang with a gentle voice, asking, “Old Tang, what do you think? Should I surrender, or perhaps just kneel and apologize?”

Old Tang’s eyelids twitched as he swept his gaze over everyone present, especially Elder Feng and his followers.

In Binhai, only a handful of families could rival the Tang clan, and the Fengs were chief among them.

Elder Feng’s status was nearly equal to Old Tang’s; together, they were known as the Twin Pillars of Binhai.

To stand against the Fengs for the sake of Lin Feng alone was a daunting price to pay.

After a long moment, Old Tang rose slowly, stamped his cane firmly on the ground, as though making a momentous decision, and proclaimed, “A man must be willing to risk everything for what’s right! This is the Tang family’s domain, and Mr. Lin is my guest. Whoever dares lay a hand on him is an enemy of mine and of the entire Tang family!”

Old Tang’s stance instantly subdued all the restless factions from Binhai.

They sat back down, withdrawing from the confrontation.

The Tang family’s allies quietly moved behind Old Tang, signaling their support for the Tang family and Lin Feng.

Seeing this, Lin Feng smiled faintly, clapped his hands lightly, and said, “Old Tang, in the future, you’ll be immensely grateful for the decision you made today. Because these petty scoundrels are nothing but ants in my eyes!”