Chapter 79: An Unexpected Interference

"You... who are you, to dare kill Master Liu and Master Meng!" The speaker was none other than Master Cui Zhengkun, who had just drawn his sword to kill. Witnessing this disciple from the Thunder Sect slaughter Master Liu and Master Meng—both at the sixth stage of body refinement and the Qi-initiating realm—as easily as killing chickens, Cui Zhengkun was utterly horrified.

The Thunder Sect disciple let out a cold laugh. "What are you, to speak to me in such a tone? If you don't hurry and find a hole to hide in, are you so eager to die?"

Bang!

No sooner had he finished speaking than a loud explosion rang out. Cui Zhengkun's head burst apart, red and white matter spraying forth like a fountain. His headless corpse was instantly soaked in blood, reduced to a ghastly, blood-drenched figure.

The next moment, Cui Zhengkun's body collapsed to the ground, blood still pouring out, while what remained of his head was nothing but fragmented bone and minced flesh.

Clang! Clang!

With two crisp sounds, two twisted, spring-like objects fell to the slate floor—iron weapons that had once been the long swords wielded by Master Liu and Master Meng. The forceful gust that had enveloped them sent them flying skyward, and only now did they crash down, so warped they could no longer be called swords, not even fit to be scrap metal.

The once-chaotic council hall fell instantly silent; one could hear a pin drop.

This unexpected disciple of the Thunder Sect had not only rescued Master Wang and Master Wu from certain death, but with a single move had slain three men. Such an astonishing feat left every person present dumbstruck.

No one knew which renowned master had disguised himself as this Thunder Sect disciple.

"You... you are... you're Chu Feng!"

After a long silence, Liu Run, standing beside Liu Shenghua, suddenly cried out, naming Chu Feng.

Liu Run recognized him: just now, Cui Zhengkun's head had been blasted apart by Chu Feng's Hollow Moon Flying Bead, and the two swords had been swept up by the wind from Chu Feng's Gale Step.

Dressed in the Thunder Sect disciple’s garb, Chu Feng smiled coldly. "You're not blind, I'll give you that. Yes, it's your Grandfather Chu!"

As he spoke, Chu Feng wiped his face, removing the false mask.

Earlier, seeing disciples from the Wind and Thunder Sects approaching, Chu Feng had, in a flash of inspiration, ambushed a Thunder Sect disciple under cover of darkness, taken his clothes, and changed his face, blending in with the Thunder Sect ranks. Moments ago, when a disciple from the Thunder Sect loudly spoke up but did not appear before Liu Shenghua, that was naturally Chu Feng.

Chu Feng was, after all, an outsider and had not intended to meddle in the affairs of the Wind and Thunder Martial Pavilion. Twice he had spoken up to warn them, but with the Wind Sect already in control and Master Wang and the other loyalists outnumbered, if Chu Feng did not intervene, the Thunder Sect and Lei Yingfeng and his companions would surely be doomed.

After Chu Feng revealed his identity, the disciples of the Wind and Thunder Sects erupted in an uproar.

"Chu Feng? I never imagined he was Chu Feng. He seems so young, and remarkably bold!" a Wind Sect senior sister whispered.

"Indeed! To escape the Wind and Thunder Stone Cave unscathed, he must be both highly skilled and daring! But he's a fool, too, thinking he can oppose Elder Liu by himself. Isn't that like a mantis trying to stop a chariot—far too overconfident!" a Wind Sect male disciple scoffed.

Most Wind Sect disciples sided with their leader, Liu Shenghua, and felt considerable displeasure at Chu Feng's sudden intervention.

In contrast, the Thunder Sect disciples saw Chu Feng as their savior.

"Senior brother, do you think Chu Feng can turn the tide and help the Pavilion survive this disaster?"

"Hard to say! Chu Feng has boundless potential and is no ordinary man, but he's alone with not a single helper, and his adversary is the cunning Liu Shenghua. The situation is unpredictable!"

"No matter what, for Chu Feng to step forward at this moment truly shows he regards the Thunder Sect brothers as his own! We have no one else to rely on; Chu Feng is our only hope!"

"Exactly! May Chu Feng have good fortune, and may the Thunder Sect's luck not run out, so the Pavilion may weather this crisis!"

As the disciples beneath the platform whispered among themselves, those on the dais—Wen Lie and the others—also exchanged hushed words, thinking that Chu Feng could not possibly be a fool; for him to act alone, he must have some formidable backing.

The six immobilized figures in the sedan chairs—their emotions fluctuated the most. Lei Yingfeng, Fan Shang, Han Mo, Lei Jianqin, Fan Qianjun, and Tang Jiao, seeing Chu Feng appear like a celestial, slaughtering villains with thunderous force, felt both astonished and delighted. Their gazes fixed on Chu Feng, regretting only that they could not speak.

Chu Feng met their eyes, signaling with his gaze that they need not worry; he could handle the chaos here.

"Ah, so that's who you are—Young Master Chu," Liu Shenghua smiled upon seeing Chu Feng's face. "Young Master Chu, because of Run'er, I know there have been many misunderstandings between you, and perhaps you now hold a deep grudge against me. But it matters not; once my affairs here are settled, I will certainly give you a satisfactory answer."

"Liu Shenghua, before you try to fool me with your tricks, you'd better put away that Dissolving Qi Powder in your sleeve! I've eaten the gall and flesh of the Golden Battle Python, which consumed spirit herbs for a hundred and twenty years. Their medicinal power nourishes me, making me immune to all toxins. The gas you released only weakens your own people, just like Pavilion Master Lei!"

Chu Feng replied calmly, his tone icy.

Liu Shenghua's face stiffened; indeed, while speaking, the bottle of Dissolving Qi Powder in his sleeve had been uncorked, but Chu Feng had seen through it immediately.

Oh!

Thump!

At that moment, two Wind Sect masters standing beside Liu Shenghua suddenly lost their footing and collapsed to the floor.

Chu Feng's words were thus perfectly corroborated: Liu Shenghua truly carried stealthy poison.

Liu Shenghua's expression changed. Knowing Chu Feng spoke the truth, he realized that if he didn't secure the bottle, it would harm his own men, while Chu Feng remained unaffected.

Seeing this, Master Wang quickly spoke to Chu Feng, "Young Master Chu, I will thank you for saving our lives later! It appears you know the truth and the ins and outs of this matter?"

"Yes, I know most of it," Chu Feng nodded.

"Young Master Chu, in that case, please reveal what you know before the elites of both sects here, so we may understand what villainous plot Liu Shenghua is scheming!" Master Wu called out.

"Alright, that's exactly what I intend to do," Chu Feng nodded, about to speak when Liu Shenghua suddenly interjected, "Young Master Chu, whether you've heard rumors or been misled, you cannot speak recklessly here! You are not a member of the Pavilion, and according to the rules of the martial world, you have no right to meddle in its internal affairs!"

Liu Shenghua feared Chu Feng for two reasons.

First, Chu Feng had the backing of the Tianji Mu family. Family head Mu Zhentong treated Chu Feng almost as his own son and repeatedly stressed the need to keep him safe—a fact Liu Shenghua had heard Han Mo mention several times. Previously, in the Wind and Thunder Stone Cave, though Liu Run had tried to harm Chu Feng, that was because the cave was isolated from the outside world; if Chu Feng died there, the truth would never be known.

Now, however, in broad daylight, should Liu Shenghua attack Chu Feng, he would inevitably incur the wrath of the Tianji Mu family. Just as Liu Shenghua had secured his position, he would have to face their might—something he had no wish to see.

Second, aside from the Mu family's deterrence, Chu Feng himself was no easy opponent. Liu Shenghua possessed eighth-level body refinement, not quite the ninth-level insight, but upon meeting Chu Feng's gaze, he could sense the formidable force that surged within him—a roaring, raging battle power.

If unleashed, Liu Shenghua was unsure if he could withstand it, but it would certainly cause chaos, perhaps plunging the situation into complete disorder.

This too was a scenario Liu Shenghua wished to avoid.

Thus, in Liu Shenghua's mind, whether by persuasion or otherwise, as long as Chu Feng could be made to retreat for now, allowing him to solidify his position as Pavilion Master and then plan further, that was the path to victory.