Wuxia: Start with max-level Nine Yang Divine Skill

Chapter 264 "The eldest young master seems to have forgotten that we are not here as guests." (Two chapters combined)

Li Fu's question was perfectly normal, yet also very direct, as if he didn't care at all about Tang Xiao, the Tang Clan leader and a martial arts giant, showing such rare emotional expression in front of outsiders, and only cared about the case.

This caused a slight pause in the atmosphere in the hall.

Tang Xiao held the teacup still for a moment before putting it down and slowly saying, "To be honest, there are people who have doubts."

As he said this, the kindness on his face faded slightly, as if a thin layer of ice had risen to the surface.

"Speaking of which—it should ultimately be the fault of our Tang Clan's ancestral treasure."

"treasure?"

Li Fu asked, "What is the sect leader talking about?"

Song Zhaoxue, standing nearby, hesitated before speaking, "The sect leader, could it be the Peacock Feather?"

The words "Peacock Feather" seemed to possess a magical quality; the moment they were uttered, the entire hall fell silent for a moment.

Wei Ying subconsciously held her breath, and Uncle Tai's expression also slightly hardened.

The expressions on the faces of the Tang Clan members varied greatly. Some had fanaticism in their eyes, some had gloomy expressions, and some clenched their fists unconsciously. These three words seemed to carry an unspeakable weight in the hearts of the Tang Clan members.

Li Fu had naturally heard of the Peacock Feather.

This name has circulated in the martial arts world for a long time, but very few people have actually seen it, and even fewer have seen it alive.

Because all those who have seen it are already dead.

Legend has it that one of the Tang Clan's ancestors was a mechanical genius who spent decades crafting a hidden weapon from meteorite iron.

The hidden weapon was shaped like a peacock feather. When it was launched, the hidden weapon shot out in all directions, like a peacock spreading its tail, brilliant and dazzling. While the enemy was dazzled and confused, their souls were scattered and their bodies were riddled with holes.

"There are countless hidden weapons in the world, but none can compare with the Peacock Feather."

Legend has it that with the Peacock Feather in hand, one can kill anyone within a range of several dozen feet, unstoppable, making it the king of all hidden weapons in the world.

However, it is not without cost. The peacock feather is a one-time use item, and the extraterrestrial iron used for forging is rare. Only extraterrestrial iron can withstand such earth-shattering power without being damaged.

Furthermore, the manufacturing process has been lost, so every time one is used, there is one less left, and once it's used up, it's gone.

Originally, it is said that there were six branches in total, but no one knows how many still exist in the Tang Clan today.

Some say there are three left, some say two, some say only one is left, and some say there aren't any left at all. The Tang Clan simply keeps it a secret, relying on the legend of the Peacock Plume to maintain its prestige over the entire martial arts world.

Deterrence.

"Miss Song is right, it is indeed the Peacock Feather."

Tang Xiao nodded.

Song Zhaoxue slowly said, "The reputation of the Peacock Feather is known to everyone in the martial arts world."

Legend has it that with this item in hand, one can kill anyone within a range of several dozen feet.

Whether it's a peerless martial arts master or a powerful figure under heavy protection, they cannot withstand the attack as long as they are within range.

Such a near-invincible concealed weapon naturally attracted the covetous eyes of many.

Tang Xiao said, "Over the years, there has never been a shortage of people who have wanted to take advantage of my Tang Clan's Peacock Feather."

Some wanted to steal, some wanted to exchange, and some even made up all sorts of excuses to borrow.

But that's something passed down from my Tang Clan ancestors; how can I give it away so easily?"

As he spoke, his gaze darkened slightly. "Similarly, not long ago, another group of people arrived."

Hiding their true nature and refusing to reveal themselves, they instead displayed a variety of astonishing offers: divine weapons, martial arts manuals, and gold and silver treasures.

Everything is available.

To be honest, some of these things are quite tempting even to an old man like myself.

But what they wanted was peacock feathers.

They said they were going to do something earth-shattering, and they couldn't afford to fail; nothing could be accomplished without the peacock feather.

Upon hearing the words "a momentous event that shakes the world" and "absolutely no room for error," Li Fu's heart stirred slightly. As if recalling something, he remained outwardly calm and asked, "The sect leader still refused?"

Tang Xiao said, "Of course I refused."

The Peacock Feather is a treasure passed down from my ancestors in the Tang Clan. It is the most powerful hidden weapon in the world and represents the pinnacle of my Tang Clan's hidden weapon skills.

It is not just a weapon for killing, but also the face of my Tang Clan, the foundation of our Tang Clan, and the pride of my Tang Clan for hundreds of years.

How could we hand it over just for the sake of exchanging some other mundane items?

When he spoke the word "pride," his tone didn't rise, but all the Tang Clan disciples in the hall, including Tang Fengzhi and Tang Yubai, straightened their backs slightly in unison.

That expression wasn't feigned; it was something deeply ingrained in their very being, as if the three characters "Peacock Feather" were their backbone, their confidence, and their true pride.

Song Zhaoxue saw it all and understood.

For the Tang Clan, the Peacock Feather has transcended the category of a weapon.

It embodies the Tang Clan's centuries-old skills and status in the martial arts world. Even if Shaolin and Wudang offered half of their sects in exchange, they probably couldn't take it away.

Tang Xiao then changed the subject.

"But—but shortly after I refused, my ninth daughter disappeared."

Before leaving, the group left a message saying that they were determined to get the Peacock Plume and told the Tang Clan to wait.

I think that's why they kidnapped my daughter, but they haven't sent a letter yet offering to exchange her for the peacock feather, so I'm not sure yet.

Although no extortion letter has arrived yet, everyone felt that it must have been done by this group.

At the same time, another thought was swirling in Li Fu's mind.

That group of people were about to do something earth-shattering, and they said they absolutely could not afford to fail, and were willing to offer divine weapons, secret manuals, gold and silver in exchange for the Peacock Feather. This reminded him of something.

He had been waiting for the Canal Gang and the Dragon Shock Society to make a move against that official, but those people had been plotting for a long time and had already obtained the secret passage to the Forbidden City, yet they had not made a move yet.

Are they waiting for the right opportunity while also accumulating strength?

The experts have gathered, and everything is ready. What we lack is a trump card that can deliver the final blow, to give us more confidence in assassinating the supreme ruler with unparalleled martial arts skills.

If a peacock feather could be added on the day of the assassination, that legendary hidden weapon, said to be unstoppable by anyone in the world, then—

Were those people members of the Canal Gang and the Dragon Shock Society?

"It seems that there are probably not many sects or forces in the world that dare to attack the Tang Clan."

As they emerged from the main hall where the Tang Clan entertained guests, Li Fu appeared thoughtful, while the others were even more so.

According to Tang Xiao, the leader of the Tang Clan, Tang Ling's disappearance was most likely due to a group of people who came to the clan to exchange the Peacock Feather but failed. Instead, they kidnapped Tang Ling, intending to use her as leverage to force the Tang Clan to submit.

So far, the group has not sent any extortion letter, and it seems that all they can do now is wait.

Wait for that letter to arrive, see if the other party requests a meeting, then try to rescue them, or perhaps find some clues from the letter.

Upon learning this news, Song Feizhang became especially anxious.

His beloved, his fiancée, had been kidnapped. After leaving the lobby, he remained frowning, his steps slow and deliberate.

It was a bit faster than when we arrived, and I was filled with worry.

As I stepped out of the lobby, the sky was faintly overcast, as if it were about to rain. The leaden sunlight slanted down from the eaves, casting a thin shadow over Tang Family Manor.

"Distinguished guests, please follow me. You must be tired from your journey. I will take you to the courtyard where you can rest."

Tang Fengzhi led the way, his pace neither hurried nor slow.

He remained silent the whole way until they were almost out of the inner village and turned onto a small path, when Song Feizhang finally couldn't help but speak.

"Brother Tang, if they really send a letter offering the Peacock Feather in exchange for Ling'er, I'd like to know how the Tang Clan will respond? What will they do?"

When he asked this question, his voice was a little strained, and his eyes were fixed on Tang Fengzhi.

Although Song Feizhang was obsessed with landscape painting and didn't care much about the struggles of the martial arts world, he was not entirely ignorant of worldly affairs.

He had clearly seen in the hall that the Tang Clan valued and was proud of the Peacock Feather in an extraordinary way, which made him feel uneasy. He was afraid that the Tang Clan would ultimately choose to keep the Peacock Feather and abandon Tang Ling.

When the question was asked, Li Fu and Song Zhaoxue both looked at Tang Fengzhi.

They all wanted to know the answer.

The Tang Clan's reputation in the martial arts world was well-known: strict family rules, ruthless decisiveness, and a reputation for being...

The interests of the family as a whole are placed above personal honor and disgrace.

In particular, Li Fu had personally witnessed Tang Yubai, the seventh young master of the Tang Clan, mercilessly injuring his own second brother. Just to apologize to him and extricate the Tang Clan from trouble, he didn't even blink when he attacked.

The status of the Peacock Plume in the Tang Clan is clear to anyone in the main hall today. It is not just a hidden weapon, but one of the foundations upon which the Tang Clan has stood for hundreds of years.

Especially for those peerless masters who are highly skilled in martial arts, unrestrained and unstoppable, the most powerful deterrent from the Tang Clan comes from the Peacock Feather.

Because of the existence of the Peacock Plume, no one in the world dares to act recklessly towards the Tang Clan.

Would the Tang Clan hand over such a crucial trump card for the sake of one person in the family, and a woman at that?

Tang Fengzhi did not stop walking. He turned his head and still had a gentle smile on his face.

"Lord Qinghe need not worry."

Tang Ling is the younger sister of several of us brothers. Our entire Tang family will do everything in our power to rescue her; there is absolutely no reason for us to back down or abandon her.

His answer sounded solemn, but he never directly addressed the question that Song Feizhang was most worried about: whether the Tang Clan was willing to exchange the Peacock Feather for the person.

Song Feizhang understood, and his anxiety intensified. He frowned, wanting to press for more information, but Tang Fengzhi had already turned back.

She continued to lead the way, seemingly unwilling to pay him any more attention.

Li Fu was not surprised by this. His gaze swept over the flowers and trees by the roadside, and he spoke slowly.

"If the Tang Clan is truly willing to offer the Peacock Feather in exchange for Ninth Sister, then that would set a precedent."

Everyone knows that peacock feathers can be exchanged, and once you get one, you'll get another.

The Tang Clan's enemies and those who covet it will flock to it and attack it. No matter how many Peacock Feathers the Tang Clan has left, they will eventually be drained dry.

By then, the Tang Clan will probably never have a day without living in fear.

Am I right, Young Master Tang?

He spoke softly and in a calm tone, as if he were analyzing the pros and cons for the Tang Clan, implying that the Tang Clan also had its own difficulties.

However, it also laid bare the Tang Clan's schemes, predicaments, and fears, showing no mercy whatsoever.

With their loved ones kidnapped and their fate unknown, the Tang family is still coldly weighing the pros and cons, calculating gains and losses, and they are also afraid that once the Peacock Feather sets a precedent, they will never be able to protect it again.

This caused Tang Fengzhi's expression to tighten slightly. If he still insisted on not mentioning the Peacock Feather, it would only confirm that the Tang Clan was cold-blooded, calculating, disregarding their family, and still afraid.

He paused for a moment, then cupped his hands in greeting.

"Please rest assured, Officer Li and Duke Qinghe, the Peacock Feather is indeed extremely valuable to our Tang Clan, but our determination to rescue Ninth Sister will not waver in the slightest."

If those people do send blackmail letters, my Tang Clan has already devised a plan to deal with them.

"Please keep this a secret, and remember not to reveal it to anyone. We—we have prepared counterfeit peacock feathers. We can use them to deceive the enemy and seize the opportunity to rescue people."

A slight light shone in Song Zhaoxue's eyes.

"That's a good move."

The fame and preciousness of peacock feathers are known throughout the world. With each feather used, there are fewer and fewer available, and very few people have ever seen what they actually look like.

If the forgery is convincing enough, no one can be sure whether a peacock feather is real or fake until it is fired.

Li Fu's heart stirred.

Rumors have it that the Tang Clan has been trying to replicate the Peacock Feather for many years. Even if they haven't succeeded, they should have kept several samples with similar shapes.

It shouldn't be difficult to take one out and disguise it as something to be exchanged.

Given the Tang Clan's modus operandi, they would never honestly exchange a fake for a person; they would probably take action on the spot as soon as they get their hands on the person.

Song Feizhang knew that the Tang Clan was still trying to rescue Tang Ling, and that they weren't indifferent. He felt a little relieved, but he was still on edge, clenching his fingers and muttering to himself.

"I hope—I hope it will succeed."

For the rest of the journey, Tang Fengzhi walked ahead, but no longer spoke as proactively as before.

As the group passed through several corridors and came to a courtyard with a few old locust trees, just as they were about to reach the courtyard where the Tang Clan had arranged for them to rest, Song Feizhang suddenly stopped, seemed to remember something, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke again.

"Brother Tang, I want to go see where Ling'er lives."

"I want to see what kind of courtyard she lives in on a daily basis, and what her life is like in the Tang Clan—"

After arriving at the Tang Clan, he realized that he hadn't cared enough about Ling'er before.

"this--

The gentle smile on Tang Fengzhi's face did not fade.

But he didn't stop walking, didn't turn his head, and didn't change his route, saying, "You all have had a long journey, so it would be best if you rested first."

Ninth Sister's dwelling is in a remote area, and it's already late today; we can visit her another day.

His words sounded considerate, but anyone could hear the underlying evasion.

After being repeatedly rebuffed by the Tang family, Song Feizhang's face paled slightly, and he looked somewhat dejected.

Li Fu witnessed all of this.

From the moment they entered the Tang Clan, Tang Fengzhi personally led the way, from the main gate of the manor to the main hall, and from the main hall to their lodging courtyard, the eldest son accompanied them personally at every step.

This is usually the work of servants.

Such a level of hospitality would be considered very formal in any household.

However, this meticulous and solemn reception, from another perspective, could also be seen as a form of pervasive restriction and surveillance.

Tang Fengzhi personally led the way, which meant that the places they could go were all places Tang Fengzhi was willing to let them go, ensuring that they would not go to places the Tang family did not want them to go.

The eldest son personally intervened, both to do them a favor and to firmly control their sphere of influence.

At this moment, Li Fu spoke casually and without any politeness, causing Tang Fengzhi's smile to freeze.

"Young Master seems to have forgotten that we came to the Tang Clan not as guests."

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