Chapter Forty-Two: Master Lin

Liu Ke’s miserable state left all the wealthy tycoons present anxious and unsettled, their scalps tingling with fear. With just a casual wave of his hand, Lin Feng severed an arm and a leg from Liu Ke in an instant—such boldness, such power! Even a Daoist adept would not be capable of such a feat!

Indeed, to so easily crush Wang Yun and overwhelmingly defeat a Daoist adept, Lin Feng’s strength must surely surpass that of any adept. Above a Daoist adept, there are only the Transcendent Sorcerers—those elusive, almost mythical figures that ordinary people rarely ever see.

Whether it was Liu Xingyun from the South Seas or Wu Wangda from Jiujiang, both were said to stand at the very summit of the Transcendent Sorcerers’ realm. Each of them was a true overlord, ruling their respective regions with unrivaled power and unimaginable wealth. Any one of them could, with the mere flick of a finger, destroy any so-called “tycoon” present tonight.

Perhaps Binhai City was about to see the rise of such an overlord in its midst.

Thinking of this, Old Tang smiled faintly, his resolve to draw Lin Feng to his side growing ever firmer. Such an investment was akin to Lü Buwei sponsoring Prince Yiren of Qin—it was the very work of forging a dragon. With Lin Feng’s ascent, the Tang family would surely become the true elite among Binhai’s clans, perhaps even dominating the coastal provinces.

…

Having dealt with Liu Ke, Lin Feng’s gaze swept the hall and landed on Old Feng. This stubborn old man had, for his own selfish interests, repeatedly led the charge in threatening Lin Feng, even wishing for his demise.

It was now time to settle accounts.

“Feng Yuan, you have repeatedly threatened me just now. I want half your wealth. Do you accept this?” Lin Feng said calmly.

A sharp intake of breath swept through all the high society figures of Binhai City. He actually dared to make Feng Yuan his target! Feng Yuan’s influence in Binhai ran deep; even Old Tang would not dare to openly break with him. Did this young man truly think himself invincible?

“Half my wealth? Accept? Why should I?” Old Feng’s voice thundered. “Lin Feng, don’t think I underestimate you! You think with your little tricks you’re untouchable? Can you be faster than a bullet? Can you withstand artillery fire? You want half my fortune—what a fool’s dream!”

Furious beyond measure, Old Feng had never endured such insolence from a younger man in his long life, especially not here, in his own territory, in Binhai City!

Refusing Lin Feng’s demand without hesitation, Old Feng rose to leave.

“Feng Yuan, it seems you’ve forgotten something. While the mother parasite of the Heart Demon Gu has been destroyed, the offspring within your body remain,” Lin Feng said, his tone still indifferent. “In other words, you still carry the young Gu within you. In less than three months, these larvae will mature. Without the mother’s restraint, they will kill you without fail.”

“As for all of you from Chuzhou, the same applies. Surrender half your estates and I will remove the Gu from your bodies. Otherwise, death is certain. Let me make this very clear: in all of China, besides me, no one can cure you.”

“Remember, you have ten days. After ten days, the offer expires.”

Lin Feng was no saint, nor was he interested in offering charity. Nothing in this world came for free. Exchanging half their fortunes for their lives was already a generous deal.

Thus, his expression remained serene, his heart undisturbed, as if the matter concerned him not at all.

…

Yet his words sent shockwaves through the ranks of Chuzhou’s wealthy, who erupted in outrage and disbelief. To demand half their fortunes just to remove the Gu parasite—this Lin Feng was insatiably greedy, always pushing his advantage! Did he think Chuzhou had no one capable of standing up to him?

Furious protests broke out:

“What! That’s outrageous! You want half our wealth just to remove the Gu? You’re practically robbing us!”

“Exactly! Who knows if you’re just a conman with your talk of Gu poison! Nonsense, I say!”

The world is full of those who worship money above all else, but Lin Feng paid them no mind. With a calm voice, he spoke, “Very well. Those unwilling to hand over half their fortunes may leave with Old Feng. Those who find my terms reasonable may stay. Money in one hand, cure in the other.”

The wealthy of Chuzhou were quickly divided. Most rose to leave, unwilling to part with their wealth, while only a handful chose to remain.

After all, life was precious—better to believe than to dismiss. Only a fool would gamble with death.

“Hmph! As if there’s no one else in the world who can remove a Gu!” someone scoffed.

“That’s right! I worked hard to earn my money—give half to you? Dream on!”

“Let’s go! He can stay here and rant all he wants!”

Old Feng flung his sleeves in anger, pointing at Lin Feng and rebuking him, “Boy, you’re still too green to challenge me! Don’t think that just because Old Tang is backing you, you can do as you please. Let me tell you, Binhai City belongs to me, Feng Yuan, as well!”

With a face full of rage, Old Feng stormed off toward the exit with a host of Chuzhou’s wealthy, cursing as they went.

Lin Feng merely smiled, raised a cup of tea to his lips, and said softly, “Remember—should you step out of this room, if you wish to return, you’ll have to surrender your entire fortune just to open the door!”

Hearing this, Old Feng paused, turned back in fury, about to curse Lin Feng’s arrogance, when his eyes caught Lin Feng in the midst of removing the Gu parasite from one of the remaining Chuzhou tycoons.

Sword fingers pointed at the man’s brow, a flash of golden light rippling from Lin Feng’s fingertip.

Moments later, the man doubled over and vomited a pool of black blood.

Within it, wriggling and squirming, was a black worm the size of a pinky finger—disgusting beyond words.

The scene unfolded perfectly before Old Feng’s very eyes.

“There really is a Gu parasite!” Old Feng’s heart pounded wildly, his eyelids twitching uncontrollably.

To think such a foul thing was inside his body—what person could remain calm? Old Feng, ever so fond of life, felt his heart pounding as if it would leap from his chest.

Could it be true, as Lin Feng claimed, that with the Gu inside, he wouldn’t survive three months?

…

But… was he really to swallow his pride and go back to beg this young man for a cure? To lose both face and half his fortune?

Old Feng was suddenly caught between a rock and a hard place, unable to advance or retreat.

Many who had doubted the existence of the Gu, upon witnessing this scene, abandoned all pretense and slunk back to Lin Feng, fawning and flattering as they went, eager to hand over half their fortunes for a chance at life.

Lin Feng, naturally, did not refuse the wealth delivered to his door, accepting it gladly. He turned to Old Feng, a subtle smile on his lips.

“Grandfather, life is more important!” Feng Jing finally saw the truth. At first, she had looked down on Lin Feng, despising and dismissing him. Now, in less than a day, he had become the richest man in Chuzhou and Binhai, his assets likely exceeding tens of billions!

Such a man! Such a figure was no ordinary person, but one who belonged among the stars!

How could he ever have been the object of ridicule, the so-called useless live-in son-in-law?

Only now did Feng Jing realize how terribly wrong she had been before. It was obvious that Tang Yunyun had seen Lin Feng’s potential and strength, which was why she had been so eager to win his favor.

Alas, one misstep leads to another! If only the Feng family had discovered Lin Feng first; if only she, Feng Jing, had grown close to Lin Feng instead of Tang Yunyun. Then, the Feng family’s future…

Feng Jing dared not think further. She only hoped her grandfather would not let pride cloud his judgment and bring harm to her and their family.

Old Feng’s hands trembled with indecision. Should he stubbornly cling to his wealth and pride, or swallow his dignity and beg for his life?

He hesitated for a long time, but as Lin Feng cured one tycoon after another, Old Feng finally sighed deeply.

“Ah! What a bitter fate. Greed has led me here… Jing’er, help me over. Prepare half our family’s assets.”

“Yes, Grandfather!”

Having suffered this blow, Old Feng seemed to age ten years in an instant, his arrogant bearing utterly gone, now resembling nothing more than a man with one foot in the grave.

“Master Lin, I was reckless just now. Please do not take it to heart. Here is half my fortune—please remove the parasite from me.”

A thunderclap seemed to strike the hall. With Old Feng’s words, all twenty-some tycoons of Binhai City felt as if the very heavens had cracked open. The title “Master Lin” was forever seared into their memories.