54: Chapter 54 The Zhou Family's Conspiracy! Lin Feng's Search for a Master Leads to an Empty Stall

The midday sun hung scorchingly overhead.

As Lin Feng stepped out of the dark alley and back into the bustle of the main street, he felt as if he were in another world.

The streets were crowded with traffic, pedestrians bustled about, snack stalls steamed, and several children chased each other as they ran past.

Everything was as usual.

No one knew that in that unremarkable alley just a few hundred meters away, fifteen people had just died.

"The real world..."

Lin Feng took a deep breath, feeling the warmth of the sun on his Face.

He temporarily pushed the blood and slaughter to the back of his mind and walked quickly toward home.

...

Half an hour later.

Lin Feng pushed open the door to his apartment.

A familiar musty smell hit him—the windows hadn't been opened for ventilation in four days.

He opened the windows, letting sunlight and fresh air flood in.

Then he took off the combat suit covered in sand and bloodstains and tossed it into the trash.

He walked into the bathroom and turned on the faucet.

Splash—

Cool water poured down from above, washing away his exhaustion and the smell of blood.

Lin Feng stood under the showerhead, eyes closed, letting the water wash over him.

His mind, however, was replaying the battle from earlier.

"Sand manipulation... its power is stronger than expected."

"But the consumption isn't small either; a large-scale crowd control move costs about five thousand mana."

"Suitable for quick battles, not for prolonged combat."

He wiped the water from his Face, remembering Wang Hao's hideous expression before he died.

"Jealousy really can turn a person into a demon..."

Lin Feng shook his head.

He didn't actually have any deep-seated hatred for Wang Hao; they had just been compared since childhood, and the resentment had grown too deep.

"It's better that he's dead; it saves me from future trouble."

After showering, Lin Feng changed into clean clothes, feeling refreshed.

He went to the living room, took a bottle of ice water from the fridge, and downed half of it in one go.

Then he pulled out his phone.

It hadn't been turned on for four days, and as soon as it powered up, notification sounds "dinged" incessantly.

Most of it was spam.

But there were messages from a few people he needed to reply to.

First were his three shop employees, Pan Jingjing and the others.

Lin Feng clicked on the four-person group chat named "Gear Shop Workers."

He scrolled up through the chat history.

[Pan Jingjing: Boss, have you entered the Secret Realm? Stay safe!]

[Li Xiaoyu: Good luck, Boss! Waiting for your return!]

[Li Xiaoyu: Boss, Boss, we're so bored at home...]

[Pan Jingjing: Don't bother the Boss, let him focus on clearing the stage!]

[Li Xiaoyu: Oh...]

[Li Xiaoyu: Okay then...]

The latest message was sent yesterday morning.

[Pan Jingjing: Boss should be coming out today, right? Remember to let us know when you have news!]

Lin Feng smiled and typed a reply.

[Lin Feng: I'm out, just got home.]

Less than three seconds after the message was sent—

[Pan Jingjing: Boss!!!]

[Li Xiaoyu: Boss, you're finally back!]

[Li Xiaoyu: Boss, are you hurt? Did you run into any danger?]

The three girls popped up almost simultaneously, the messages scrolling by rapidly.

Lin Feng felt a warmth in his heart as he watched the concern jumping across the screen.

[Lin Feng: I'm fine, everything went smoothly.]

[Lin Feng: I have good news for you. The shop is preparing to reopen in a couple of days. I'll notify you of the specific time later.]

[Pan Jingjing: Really?! That's great!!!]

[Li Xiaoyu: Finally, I can go back to work! Staying at home every day was making me grow mushrooms!]

[Li Xiaoyu: Even though paid leave is great, I feel bad taking money without doing any work...]

[Pan Jingjing: Boss, is there anything we need to prepare in advance?]

Lin Feng thought for a moment.

[Lin Feng: First, give the shop a thorough cleaning and wipe down the shelves.]

[Lin Feng: Once I've settled things on my end, I'll be bringing in a batch of new goods.]

[Pan Jingjing: Received! Mission guaranteed to be completed!]

[Li Xiaoyu: +1!]

[Li Xiaoyu: +10086!]

Looking at the three girls' cheerful replies, Lin Feng couldn't help but smile.

Closing the group chat, he looked through other messages.

Chen Lin had sent two.

[Chen Lin: Lin Feng, I've reached Level 15! My mentor says I'm making fast progress!]

[Chen Lin: How have you been lately? Is the Secret Realm dangerous? Remember to reply and let me know you're safe.]

Lin Feng hesitated for a moment before replying:

[Lin Feng: Just got out, all is well. Congratulations on your Breakthrough.]

After sending the message, he waited a few minutes, but there was no reply.

She was likely in class or training.

"Capital Academy... the management is quite strict."

Lin Feng put down his phone and took another gulp of ice water.

Next, it was time to handle some serious business.

...

Meanwhile.

West District of Donghai City, Zhou Family Manor.

This was a luxurious manor covering dozens of acres, with high walls and large courtyards. Four guards in black uniforms stood at the entrance, each possessing a strong aura.

Deep within the manor, in the study of a three-story villa.

"Smash!"

An exquisite blue and white porcelain teacup was slammed onto the floor, shards flying everywhere.

"Useless! A bunch of useless fools!"

Zhou Tianhao stood before the desk, his Face pale with rage, his chest heaving.

He was in his early twenties, wearing a custom silk bathrobe. He was reasonably handsome, but at this moment, his Face was twisted with anger, looking exceptionally hideous.

"Fifteen people! The lowest was Level 13! Blood Butcher was even a Level 19 B-Rank Talent User!"

"They all died?! Not a single one came back?!"

He roared at the butler standing before the desk, spit flying into the other man's Face.

The butler was an elderly man in his fifties, his hair combed meticulously, wearing a black swallow-tailed coat and gold-rimmed glasses.

Facing Zhou Tianhao's fury, he remained unfazed, only bowing slightly.

"Please calm yourself, Young Master."

"According to the news from the scene... there were signs of a struggle in the alley, but no bodies were found."

"Only some... traces of sand."

"Sand?" Zhou Tianhao frowned.

"Yes." The butler pushed up his glasses. "A large amount of sand, and its distribution was very unnatural, as if it had been manipulated."

Zhou Tianhao's expression darkened further.

"You mean... that kid did it?"

"It's highly likely." The butler nodded. "Lin Feng just came out of the Desert Golden Sea; it's normal for him to have a large amount of sand on him."

"But he's just a Level 10 F-Rank Talent user who Awakened only a few days ago. How could he possibly kill Blood Butcher and the others?!"

"That is also what I find puzzling," the butler mused. "Unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Unless Lin Feng obtained some kind of fortuitous encounter in the Secret Realm, or... his parents left him a trump card back then."

The butler paused and continued, "Lin Feng's parents, Lin Zhan and Su Wan, were once a famous Explorer couple in Donghai City. They went missing in an Advanced Dungeon six years ago."

"Before they disappeared, they were said to be nearing Level 50, with considerable strength."

"If they left their son some life-saving means, it's not impossible."

Zhou Tianhao paced back and forth in the study, getting angrier the more he thought about it.

"Damn it! I just wanted to kill an eyesore of an ant, but I ended up kicking a steel plate!"

"What do we do now? People are dead, money is spent, and Face has been lost!"

"If word gets out that I, Zhou Tianhao, couldn't even handle an F-Rank piece of trash, won't I be laughed to death by the other families?!"

The butler was silent for a moment before slowly saying, "Young Master, it's not advisable to act rashly again for now."

"Why?!"

"Blood Butcher and the others failed, which shows that Lin Feng's strength far exceeds our estimates."

"If we send low-level Explorers again, I'm afraid they'll just be going to their deaths."

"But if we send Advanced Explorers above Level 30..."

The butler looked at Zhou Tianhao, a glint flashing in his eyes behind the lenses.

"Those in the Family who are watching you will likely use this as an excuse to make trouble."

Zhou Tianhao's movements stiffened.

Although he was the eldest young master of the Zhou Family, he was not without competitors within the Family.

Those cousins of his were dying for him to make a mistake.

If they truly caught him in a blunder...

"Then what? Do we just let it go like this?!" Zhou Tianhao was unwilling.

"Of course not." The butler smiled slightly. "If we can't do it openly, we can do it in the shadows."

"What do you mean?"

"We can't touch Lin Feng for now, but we can start with... the people around him."

The butler walked to the desk and picked up a file.

"This is Lin Feng's detailed information."

"He has a childhood friend named Chen Lin, currently studying at the Capital Academy. Her Talent is good, and she's already being focused on by the academy."

"Chen Lin?" Zhou Tianhao's eyes lit up.

"Yes." The butler opened the file. "This girl has a deep relationship with Lin Feng. If something were to happen to her... Lin Feng would surely be very anxious, wouldn't he?"

"You mean..."

"Don't we also have several 'seeds' we've invested in and nurtured at the Capital Academy?"

The butler closed the file, his smile full of hidden meaning.

"Let those young people go and 'get in touch' with Chen Lin."

"If they can break her down in the academy, or... cause some 'accident'."

"When Lin Feng is in a state of chaos, it will be much easier for us to strike."

After hearing this, a smile finally appeared on Zhou Tianhao's Face.

"Good! This is a great idea!"

"The old fogies in the Family can't interfere with things inside the academy!"

"Let's do it!"

He walked to the window, looking at the scenery outside the manor, a vicious glint in his eyes.

"Lin Feng... you made me lose Face, so I'll make you... suffer more than death!"

...

Two o'clock in the afternoon.

Lin Feng left his apartment and headed toward the Explorer Street Market.

He wanted to see if the White-haired Old Man was there.

Regarding the use of S-Rank Essence Blood and the identification of the pet egg, the old man should know something.

After crossing several streets, the familiar noise reached him.

He had arrived at the street market.

It was mid-afternoon, and the market was buzzing with people.

The stalls on both sides were filled with all sorts of strange things—damaged gear, unknown Materials, yellowed ancient books, and even some bottles and jars that looked like antiques.

Stallholders shouted their wares, buyers haggled over prices, and the air was a mix of sweat, dust, and the scent of various potions.

Lin Feng wove through the crowd, his gaze sweeping over the stalls.

He was looking for that familiar broken wooden table and the White-haired Old Man in the wheelchair.

But after walking half the length of the street, he still hadn't seen him.

"Could it be he didn't come today?"

Lin Feng frowned and continued further in.

After another few dozen meters, he finally saw the stall.

The broken wooden table was still there.

But in the wheelchair... there was no one.

A thin layer of dust had accumulated on the table; it looked like no one had tended to it for at least two or three days.

"Still not here..."

Lin Feng was somewhat disappointed.

He walked up to the stall and looked at the items on the table.

A few worn-out skill books, all white-quality trash.

Several metal parts of unknown use, covered in rust.

And a few bottles containing unidentified liquids, their labels blurred.

Nothing valuable.

"Young man, looking for that old man?"

The auntie selling potions next door leaned over; it was the same one from last time.

Lin Feng turned: "Auntie, do you know when he'll be in today?"

"I don't know." The auntie shook her head. "That old man has been elusive lately. Sometimes he sits for a bit and leaves, sometimes he's not seen for days."

She paused and lowered her voice: "But the day before yesterday, someone saw a few very respectable-looking people come looking for him. After a few words, the old man went with them."

"Respectable people? What did they look like?" Lin Feng asked.

"I don't know them, but they looked like big shots," the auntie recalled. "The fabric of their clothes was very good, and they spoke politely, but... it felt strange."

"Strange?"

"Yes." The auntie looked around and lowered her voice even more. "Those people, their eyes were exceptionally bright. When they looked at you... it was like they could see right through you."

Lin Feng's heart stirred.

Exceptionally bright eyes?

That was a sign of powerful Mental Energy.

"Did they say anything?"

"I was far away, didn't hear clearly." The auntie shook her head. "I just saw that after the old man heard them, his expression wasn't very good, but he still went with them."

"Which direction did they go?"

"East." The auntie pointed. "Out of the market and to the east; that way is the high-end residential area."

Lin Feng nodded: "Thank you."

"You're welcome." The auntie waved her hand and went back to tending her business.

Lin Feng stood before the stall, looking at the empty wheelchair, his brow furrowed.

The old man was taken away?

Who would come looking for him?

And the old man was willing to go with them...

"It seems the old man isn't simple either."

Lin Feng sighed.

Another wasted trip.

He turned to leave.

But after just two steps, he stopped again.

He looked back at the broken wooden table.

Those scraps on the table might not be valuable, but... what if there was some hidden good stuff?

"Since I'm already here..."

Lin Feng walked back to the stall and began to carefully examine the items on the table.

A copy of "Basic Swordsmanship (White)," trash.

A copy of "Ember Spark (White)," even more trash.

The metal parts... were indeed scrap iron.

The liquid bottles... smelled like low-grade recovery potions.

"Nothing special."

Lin Feng shook his head, ready to give up.

But just as he turned, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a... book propping up the corner of the table?

No, it wasn't propping up the table.

It was half a book, pressed under a pile of junk, with only one corner showing.

The cover was dark brown beast hide, the edges so worn they were indistinguishable.

Lin Feng bent down and pulled the book out.

It felt heavy in his hand, much heavier than it looked.

There were no words on the cover, only some blurred patterns.

He flipped to the first page.

On the yellowed paper, several lines were written in scrawled handwriting:

[Profound Truth of Earth - Incomplete Manual]

[Quality: ???]

[Description: Fragmented notes recording insights into the use of the Earth Element. Author unknown.]

[Learning Requirement: Earth Element Affinity of 80% or higher.]

"Profound Truth of Earth?"

Lin Feng's eyes lit up.

His current Earth Element Affinity was 94%, perfectly meeting the learning requirement!

Although it was only an Incomplete Manual, being titled a "Profound Truth" meant it was definitely not simple!

"How much?"

Lin Feng looked up and asked the auntie next door.

The auntie glanced at the old book and waved her hand: "Before that old man left, he said that anyone destined to find the items on the table can take them for free."

"No charge?" Lin Feng was stunned.

"Yes," the auntie nodded. "He said these scraps were just taking up space, and whoever took a fancy to them should just take them."

Lin Feng looked down at the Incomplete Manual in his hand, his curiosity about the White-haired Old Man growing.

This old man... what exactly was his background?

"Then, thank you."

Lin Feng put the Incomplete Manual into his wanxiang ring and turned to leave the stall.

As he walked out of the market, he looked back once.

The setting sun cast long shadows over the market.

That empty stall looked exceptionally lonely amidst the bustling crowd.

"Old man... I hope you're okay."

Lin Feng murmured to himself and turned to merge into the crowd.

He had to go home first and study this "Profound Truth of Earth."

As for asking the old man about the Essence Blood and the pet egg...

That would have to wait until next time.