At midnight, Shangguan Jing ignored his image as the Head Steward and bowed before Lin Zhiwei with a complex expression.
Shangguan Zheng was his only son. When he received the distress signal earlier, he had been consumed with anxiety. If not for Lin Zhiwei, his family line would have ended there.
Fortunately, his son was alive. His heart finally settled back into his chest, and old tears nearly spilled from his eyes. He looked at Lin Zhiwei, who appeared calm and unsurprised, and felt a surge of admiration.
She clearly only had the aura of someone at Level 3 or 4 of Qi Refinement, yet she was able to slay a Leopard Demon at the Foundation Building Stage. She did not even show a hint of nervousness while facing him.
He thought of his own child who was 30-something years old and had consumed countless Heavenly Treasures over the years to barely reach Level 9 of Qi Refinement, only to become insufferably arrogant. When real trouble struck, he actually had to rely on a teenaged girl to save his life. The gap in strength and character was truly…
Thinking of this, he praised her sincerely once more.
“Lady Lin is truly young and promising. If my son could be even one-ten-thousandth as capable as you, I could die in peace.”
Lin Zhiwei looked at the old man bowing on the ground. It took her a moment to react before she waved her hands repeatedly.
“It was not me. I am not the one who saved your child.”
Her gaze swept over the Leopard Demon, which no longer possessed even a sliver of life. Recalling the casual, effortless manner of the mysterious man, her heart filled with melancholy.
Everyone called her a genius, yet the ultimate technique she had spent days and nights researching and practicing had only managed to leave a single scratch on the Leopard Demon. She had even struggled to handle the earlier Gray Wolf.
If not for that man, she might not have even left behind a whole corpse.
Yet, someone actually thought she was that senior. This feeling of being misunderstood made the habitually proud girl feel as though she were sitting on needles.
“Then… which high-level expert was it?”
Shangguan Jing was stunned. He subconsciously scanned the surroundings and asked the question. Aside from the people present and the corpses, he saw no one else.
“It was a mysterious man wearing a monkey mask and a night-suit. He was very… strange,” Lin Zhiwei said, recalling Su Xuan’s appearance.
“Oh?”
‘So a senior expert intervened. Then it is not so strange after all.’
‘You should have said so earlier, child.’
Shangguan Jing glanced at her and stood up unobtrusively. He brushed the dust off his clothes with some embarrassment, pretending the agitated person from moments ago was not him.
“Where did that high-level expert go?” he asked.
The Market Master was currently competing with that woman for the Marketplace and was desperate for talent. Since this mysterious expert could slay a Leopard Demon, his cultivation must be formidable. It would be best if they could recruit him.
“I do not know. He ignored me and left immediately.”
Lin Zhiwei gently supported the unconscious Lin Chengyun, her face clouded with doubt. She did not know why that man had saved her either.
‘Since a senior expert intervened, everything makes sense.’
Seeing that Lin Zhiwei’s expression did not seem fake, Shangguan Jing felt inexplicably better. It seemed that while this girl’s cultivation was a bit higher and her sword skills more impressive, she was not that much of a freak of nature; she just had good luck.
In that case, his son was not so bad after all… To be able to stay alive when facing a demon beast at the Foundation Building Stage—he truly was his father’s son.
He nodded in satisfaction, and his estimation of Lin Zhiwei dropped slightly.
“You there, hurry and carry the people onto the flying boat. Whoever is injured needs immediate treatment,” Shangguan Jing ordered his subordinates, his authoritative demeanor returning as he waved his hand.
After speaking, he walked toward the corpse of the Leopard Demon. This was a demon beast at the Foundation Building Stage; its entire body was full of treasures.
Seeing that a large chunk had been sliced clean off the Leopard Demon’s steel-hard head—the cut as smooth as a mirror, efficient, and decisive—he could not help but click his tongue in praise. His evaluation of the “senior” Lin Zhiwei mentioned rose even higher.
To be able to execute such a strike, the person was definitely far beyond the ordinary Foundation Building Stage. Perhaps they were a great power at the Golden Core Stage.
‘Look at him. He can slay a demon beast using the most ordinary iron sword…’
Shangguan Jing carefully picked up the sword from the ground. He wiped it and marveled at it, his heart full of respect for the mysterious man.
“Thank you.”
Lin Zhiwei approached silently. she casually took the sword back from his hand and slid it back into its scabbard.
“This is… your sword?”
Shangguan Jing’s mouth dropped open. The night wind blew his beard into his mouth, making him look rather comical.
“Yes.”
Thinking he did not believe her, Lin Zhiwei shook the sword in front of his eyes.
Shangguan Zheng looked at the perfectly fitted sword, then turned his head to look at the wounds covering the Leopard Demon. They were all sword wounds. Suddenly, a realization dawned on him.
On that day, had Lin Zhiwei’s master not manipulated the Dagger on her person and casually wounded Wu Renyou at Level 5 of Qi Refinement with a single strike?
And now, a “mysterious man” appeared exactly when she was in the most danger, wearing a mask to hide his face?
The identity was obvious!
This “mysterious expert” was her master!
Shangguan Jing immediately filled in the blanks of the story in his mind.
‘The master let the disciple go out to train alone, but worried for her safety, he secretly observed from the sidelines. Seeing his disciple in danger, he could not help but step in to protect her. However, fearing his own strength might cause the disciple to lose her drive, he hid his identity and pretended to be a passing expert.’
‘Truly… what painstaking effort.’
Thinking of how he had worried and struggled while teaching his own son—even doing similar things—he felt a deep sense of empathy.
“Truly… Girl, you must cultivate diligently. Otherwise, you will fail your master’s teachings,” Shangguan Jing said with deep feeling, using the tone of someone who had been through it all.
“What?”
Lin Zhiwei, who had turned around to carry the unconscious Lin Chengyun, did not react in time and asked in confusion. What did this have to do with her master? What use were the things he taught?
Seeing that she had exhausted herself this time only to end up with nothing and nearly lose her life, a feeling of grievance welled up in her heart.
If her master were not so dismissive of her, how could she have come to such a dangerous place alone? If he cared even half as much for her as he did for her junior sister…
Lin Zhiwei recalled the items her master had prepared and the way he doted on her junior sister. For no reason, a slight bitterness rose in her chest.
After a moment, she took a deep breath, shook her head, and her eyes filled with determination once again. She did not need to rely on anyone!
She had memorized the senior’s earlier strike and even felt a faint sense of enlightenment. As long as she went back and studied it carefully, she was confident her cultivation in the Way of the Sword would take another step forward!
With those thoughts, she silently walked onto the flying boat, preparing to return and cultivate.
Beside her, Shangguan Jing watched her secretly. Seeing Lin Zhiwei’s defiant expression, he shook his head inwardly.
‘She is exactly like Zheng was back then, always thinking she can do everything by herself. Ah, these young people…’
He sighed, then thought of Lin Zhiwei’s master, who appeared quite young.
‘He is definitely at the Golden Core Stage or higher, perhaps even…’ he marveled to himself.
He felt that his previous act of leaving a token and waiting for the other party to reach out was a bit too disrespectful.
For such a high-level expert… the Market Master would have to pay a personal visit!
The flying boat slowly started up and flew toward the Marketplace. Shangguan Jing had secretly made up his mind.