Reborn as Murong Fu: This Time I'm the Protagonist

Chapter 521

Xiao Feng was greatly shocked. He didn't know why he had woken up to find himself transformed into this white-haired old man, nor did he know why he had come to Yanmen Pass. The gate of time opened before him and then slammed shut with a loud bang. The huge roar made his head spin. In his daze, everything seemed so absurd, yet also incredibly natural and logical.

who I am?

The wind from the north swept across the wilderness, blurring one's mind. Memories were like books soaked in water, the words blurred and the scene in disarray.

Yanmen Pass, Yanmen Pass, why Yanmen Pass? And why am I here? There must be something very important happening here, and I must stop it. What is this important event? I don't know, but that man named Xuanci doesn't seem like a good person; I must stop him.

Xiao Feng calmed himself and made a plan. His former quick wit and experience returned in an instant. He picked up the wine bowl, brought it to his nose, and sniffed. A very faint medicinal smell was clearly discernible. Xiao Feng sneered inwardly: Yes, this was a shady inn, and it seemed to be a gathering place for a group of wicked and violent people. They must be plotting something heinous here. He had inadvertently stumbled into this situation, and the vicious innkeeper had taken advantage of it.

Having made up his mind, Xiao Feng subtly poured the wine into a dark corner, then brought the bowl to his lips, pretending to smack his lips, and deliberately said, "Hmm, good wine, this wine is not bad. I'll remember this shop and come back another day to buy some more."

"Hey shopkeeper, this wine is really strong! I only drank one bowl and I'm already feeling dizzy?"

With that, Xiao Feng's tall body shattered like a jade mountain, crashing onto the table. The wine bowls and chopsticks on the table were shaken and rattled for a long time.

Hearing the commotion from the kitchen, the shop owner, along with two waiters, lifted the curtain and came out to check. They saw Xiao Feng lying face down on the table. They went over to check on him and whispered, "Sir, sir, how are you?"

Seeing that Xiao Feng did not react, the shopkeeper even pushed him a couple of times, but Xiao Feng remained motionless, as if he had truly been knocked out by sleeping potion.

The shopkeeper sneered, "Hmph, you embarrassing fellow, coming here at a time like this, you must be a scout from the Khitan dogs, here to scout ahead and see where things are going, right? A Khitan dog like you, covered in old scum, wouldn't even be fit to be sold as a steamed bun. I should have killed you with one stroke, but Senior Brother Xuanci is coming soon. Handing you over to him would be a great achievement, wouldn't it? Maybe if he's in a good mood, he'll put in a good word for me with the abbot of Lingmen and allow me to study advanced martial arts at the Bodhidharma Academy."

The shopkeeper muttered something to himself and then instructed two of his employees to take Xiao Feng to the back.

Two shop assistants tried to lift it for a long time, but Xiao Feng used his "thousand-pound drop" technique, yet it seemed as if he were rooted to the spot and could not move an inch.

The two men exerted all their strength, but Xiao Feng's body remained completely still, leaving the two strong men breathless.

The middle-aged man looked on angrily and cursed, "You two useless bastards, all you know how to do is eat and drink! Let me handle this!"

After saying that, he helped Xiao Feng up, and Xiao Feng took the opportunity to remove the Thousand-Pound Drop technique and followed the shopkeeper to the back kitchen.

Xiao Feng slightly opened one eye and looked around. He saw that the so-called kitchen was filled with all kinds of tables, stools, and knife racks with steel knives for boning and skinning. It was clearly not the kitchen of a legitimate restaurant, but a shady establishment.

Xiao Feng pretended to be drowsy, letting the shopkeeper put him aside and tie him up with a hemp rope, while he listened carefully to the sounds around him.

The shopkeeper tied Xiao Feng up and put him aside, then went to wait for others.

A moment later, Xiao Feng heard footsteps ahead. Judging from the sound, there were about ten people, each with a steady gait, clearly top-tier martial artists. The leader's steps were almost silent; if Xiao Feng hadn't possessed exceptional hearing, he would have barely heard them. Xiao Feng thought to himself, "They're here!"

Then the shopkeeper stepped forward and said, "Senior Brother Xuanci, we've been waiting for you!"

A deep, steady middle-aged male voice slowly spoke: "Junior Brother Fang, the reason we, the masters of the Central Plains martial arts world, have gathered at Yanmen Pass is for a matter of great importance concerning the safety of the Song Dynasty's martial arts world. The situation is urgent and cannot be delayed. Tonight, all the masters will gather at your shop. We must not let the news leak out and ruin this important matter. Has anyone of unknown origin visited your shop during this time?"

The shopkeeper said, "Reporting to Senior Brother Xuanci, it is truly a blessing from heaven for the Central Plains martial arts world. I have actually caught a Khitan spy. He has been drugged and is now in the kitchen. Please, Senior Brother Xuanci, decide what to do with him."

Upon hearing this, Xuan Ci hurriedly said, "Oh? Is that really so? Take me to the back to take a look." Then he said to the several martial arts heroes who had come with him, "Please wait here for a moment, Junior Brother Fang and I will go to the back to take a look."

Xuan Ci went to the kitchen with the shopkeeper and saw an old man tied to the ground. He was greatly disappointed and his voice turned cold: "Junior Brother Fang, is this the Khitan spy you mentioned?"

The middle-aged shopkeeper said, "It's absolutely true. This old man is very arrogant. He won't leave no matter how much we tell him to, and he insists on lingering here. I thought his background was suspicious, and since it's a crucial time, I used a trick to knock him down and wait for my senior brother's judgment."

Xuan Ci lowered his voice and said angrily, "Absurd! This is clearly just an ordinary old man with no martial arts skills whatsoever. How could he be some Khitan spy? You can do this kind of shady business in secret, but today, all the martial arts practitioners from all walks of life have gathered here, and you are still doing such immoral things. If word gets out and it ruins the reputation of the Shaolin Sect, you can expect to pay for it with your head!"

The middle-aged shopkeeper excitedly tried to show off his achievements, but was scolded by Xuan Ci, leaving him feeling extremely embarrassed. However, due to Xuan Ci's much higher status, he dared not retaliate and could only obediently comply.

Xuan Ci said, "Several fellow cultivators will be arriving soon. Clean this place up and come over to greet them."

The shopkeeper said, "Don't worry, senior brother, everything has been taken care of, there's no mistake."

The shopkeeper cursed his bad luck, and then heard more people coming in one after another. Xuan Ci greeted the newcomers warmly, and then ignored Xiao Feng and went to the front to greet the customers.

Xiao Feng stood up, without breaking free of the ropes, and reached for the door, observing the scene outside. At this moment, besides the three innkeepers, there were twenty-one people in the room. Judging from their auras, they were all practitioners, but their skills were not profound, and they couldn't be considered true masters. They were all around thirty years old. The three innkeepers moved among them, serving wine and dishes with great attentiveness.

Xuan Ci said loudly, "Fellow martial artists, you have traveled from all corners of the country to the northern frontier for the sake of justice, braving all dangers. On behalf of Shaolin Temple, I thank you all. This journey is extremely perilous, and life and death are uncertain. If any of you are afraid, you can still back out now and leave. However, please head straight south after you leave and do not reveal our whereabouts."

A gaunt young man suddenly stood up: "Master, you underestimate us. Today's event is for the sake of our Great Song Dynasty and the safety of the Central Plains martial arts world. Anyone who dares to desert at this moment will be dealt a fatal blow by us all!" The others echoed loudly in agreement.

Xuan Ci shouted, "Very well, since that's the case, we are all of one mind, and we will fight to the death without regret. Please have a good meal, get ready, and we will set off in half an hour to ambush them at Luan Shi Valley, which is thirty miles away from here, and have a good fight with those Khitan traitors!"

These impassioned words instantly ignited the passion in the minds of these hotheads. Everyone shouted as if they had gone mad, and each of them ate meat and drank alcohol recklessly, treating themselves as if it were their last meal.

Xiao Feng secretly made up his mind to follow this group of people and see what kind of conspiracy they were plotting.

So Xiao Feng lay back down in his original spot, pretending that nothing had happened.