50: Forced to join

Having fallen into Hua Qianying's hands, Qin Feng's heart had already turned cold. He was rapidly thinking of a strategy to escape, even preparing for the worst-case scenario. However, Hua Qianying's subsequent actions were greatly beyond his expectations.

She did not interrogate him, nor did she use torture. Instead, she extended her slender, jade-like fingers and seemingly at random, lightly brushed over several of his joints, such as his wrists and shoulder blades. The touch was cold and smooth, yet it carried an irresistible probing force.

"Giggle..." Hua Qianying withdrew her hand, her beautiful eyes sparkling with a strange light. She sized up Qin Feng with great interest, as if she had discovered a rare treasure. "Bone age seventeen... and your true cultivation is actually at the Late Martial Master stage? To be able to instantaneously kill an experienced Martial Master Peak assassin with the cultivation of a Late Martial Master... remarkable, truly remarkable!"

She covered her mouth and chuckled, her voice so charming it could melt one's bones. "It seems that besides the eighteen-year-old Grand Martial Master daughter of the City Lord's Manor, our Star South City has quietly produced another remarkable little Genius."

Qin Feng's heart tightened. With just a casual probe, she had actually grasped his true bone age and cultivation perfectly! The methods of a Martial King powerhouse were indeed unfathomable. On the surface, he remained calm and merely bowed slightly. "Pavilion Master Hua overpraises me; it was just luck."

"Take off your disguise. Why be so secretive in front of your elder sister?" Hua Qianying's tone carried a hint of being beyond dispute.

Qin Feng hesitated for a moment, knowing that in front of her, this little bit of disguise was meaningless. He reached out and peeled off the black cloth and the makeup from his face, revealing his original handsome yet determined youthful face.

Hua Qianying's gaze lingered on his face for a moment, and her smile deepened. "As expected, young and handsome. What? Are you afraid sister will eat you?"

"Pavilion Master Hua must be joking," Qin Feng said in a calm tone, though he did not dare relax in the slightest.

"Hehehe..." Hua Qianying let out another burst of charming laughter. "Little brother, not only are you Ghost, but you are also the benefactor of the City Lord's Manor. Some time ago, you plotted to capture and kill the Vice Commander of the Purple Robe Bandits, which indirectly helped me clean up some restless flies. I really must thank you."

Qin Feng remained silent, not knowing what she was up to.

Hua Qianying's tone shifted, becoming somewhat coaxing yet impossible to refuse. "It's just that I cherish talent. Seeing that you have such cultivation and Heart-Nature at such a young age, it would be a pity to bury you in this Star South City. How about... joining our Hundred Flowers Palace? I can make the decision to directly grant you the status of an Outer Sect Disciple."

Hundred Flowers Palace? Outer Sect Disciple?

Qin Feng's heart shook. He knew well that such Sects had immense power and strict rules; once he joined, he might no longer be his own master. He pondered and said, "This... this Junior is used to being unrestrained, and I still have ties at home, so I'm afraid..."

"Sigh..." Hua Qianying sighed faintly, interrupting him. Her eyes still held a smile, but beneath that smile, there was a faint hint of pressure. "Brother Ghost, I am being very sincere. Normally, I will never restrict your freedom, and you won't need to worry about the Sect's trivial matters. It's just that... occasionally there might be some 'small favors' where I need your help. What do you think?"

Qin Feng smiled bitterly in his heart. Her words were polite, but the meaning was clear—if he didn't agree, he likely wouldn't be walking out of this door today. The situation was stronger than the person; facing a Martial King, he simply had no capital to bargain with.

He took a deep breath and looked up to meet Hua Qianying's gaze. "Fine, I agree. As long as it doesn't restrict my freedom or force me to do things against my conscience, if the Hundred Flowers Palace has a task within my capabilities that doesn't endanger myself or my family and friends, I can act."

"Splendid!" Hua Qianying smiled radiantly, seemingly very satisfied with his answer. With a flick of her wrist, a palm-sized jade token appeared in her hand. It was pure white and carved with intricate floral patterns. Beside it was a tiny silver needle. "Come, drop a drop of blood on this Mother Token."

Qin Feng did as told, pricking his fingertip with the silver needle and squeezing out a drop of crimson blood onto the jade token. As soon as the blood touched the jade, it was instantly absorbed. The floral patterns on the token seemed to come alive, faintly swirling with spiritual light.

Afterward, Hua Qianying handed a "Child Token" to Qin Feng. It was similar in style but slightly smaller and had a much weaker aura. "This is your identity token. With this, you can prove your status as an Outer Sect Disciple of the Hundred Flowers Palace; it might be useful at times. The Mother Token will be kept by me. If there are instructions, they will be sent to you through the Child Token."

Qin Feng took the hundred flowers token, which still carried the warmth of Hua Qianying's palm. It felt warm and smooth, yet he felt as if he were taking a hot potato.

"Alright, little brother can go back now. Remember today's agreement." Hua Qianying waved her hand, and the invisible Restriction in the room quietly dissipated.

Qin Feng felt as if he had received a great pardon. He didn't dare stay longer, cupped his hands to Hua Qianying, turned around, and quickly left the bedroom filled with fragrance and danger.

Walking on the way back to the medical clinic, as the night wind blew, Qin Feng realized his back was already soaked with cold sweat. He looked at the hundred flowers token in his hand, a helpless, bitter smile appearing on his face.

"What is this... for no reason at all, I was forced to join a Sect?" Although he had temporarily escaped a fatal disaster, the future was still shrouded in mist. The waters of this Hundred Flowers Palace were likely deeper than imagined... The next day, Qin Feng helped out at the clinic as usual. Perhaps because his nerves had been so tense last night, or perhaps because the rich and enchanting floral scent unique to Hua Qianying that clung to the hundred flowers token hadn't completely dissipated, when he approached Xiao Chun, who was sorting medicinal herbs, the girl's small nose twitched slightly.

She looked up, her originally smiling face instantly freezing. Her lively eyes sniffed carefully at Qin Feng's body, then suddenly widened. They quickly filled with a layer of aggrieved mist, and her small mouth puckered as if she were about to burst into tears.

"Big Brother Qin... You... on you... why is there... the scent of those women from the Ten Thousand Flowers Pavilion?!" Xiao Chun's voice carried a sob, filled with disbelief and sadness. In her simple world, anyone who went to that kind of place was not a good person!

Qin Feng immediately felt a massive headache. Looking at the girl on the verge of tears, he wanted to explain but didn't know where to start. Could he say he went to the Ten Thousand Flowers Pavilion last night to kill an assassin and was then forcibly recruited by the proprietress?

He could only force a bitter smile that looked worse than crying, lamenting in his heart, "What a mess..."