Chapter Thirty-Six: The Art of Reversal

The four large characters were like iron hooks etched in silver, exuding an air of antiquity, grandeur, and the weight of ages! Qin Feiyang’s pupils contracted. Gazing at these four characters, he felt as if he had entered a vast, boundless world, and a sense of insignificance welled up within him. It was truly unimaginable—what kind of treasure did Elder Yuan leave for him?

His hand trembled as he reached out, hoping to grasp the iron-bound book. Yet, to his shock, he discovered that the book seemed to weigh thousands upon thousands of pounds; he couldn’t lift it at all! Retracting his arm, he took several deep breaths and tried again. Still, it wouldn’t budge. Even the iron box beneath it remained immovable.

“How strange,” Qin Feiyang muttered, frowning. He tried with all his strength once more, but when he saw it was futile, he gave up and attempted instead to open the cover of the iron book. The cover, at least, could be opened. The pages themselves were thin sheets of iron, delicate as cicada wings. Upon them, a single character was engraved—Return! This character was written with a flourish, imbued with extraordinary power.

The moment Qin Feiyang’s gaze fell upon it, the blood in his veins seemed to freeze. Invisible, mysterious forces surged wildly, battering his soul. He felt as though his spirit might escape his body, a wave of terror and the threat of death flooding his heart like a tide. He hastily shifted his gaze, drenched in sweat from head to toe.

Shaken, Qin Feiyang wondered just how powerful the person who carved this character must have been. Every stroke radiated an unparalleled sharpness. Such terrifying power—he had never encountered anything like it.

After several breaths, Qin Feiyang finally calmed his racing heart, exhaling deeply as he looked again at the page. This time, he avoided the ‘Return’ character. Beneath it were several lines of smaller script. As he read, a look of surprise crept across his face, growing into delight. In the end, surprise turned to wild joy.

It turned out that the first character of the Six-Word Divine Art was ‘Return,’ known as the Return Technique. According to the iron book, the Return Technique possessed a formidable divine power: to return the opponent’s force upon themselves. In other words, once mastered, it allowed one to rebound all the enemy’s power and counterattack!

Qin Feiyang trembled with excitement, as if he had discovered a priceless treasure. Who could have guessed that the Six-Word Divine Art was so fearsome! Eagerly, he tried to turn to the second page, but was unable to do so.

“What’s going on?” he wondered, perplexed. Then he noticed a line of small characters at the very bottom of the first page: “Only after breaking through to the Battle King realm may you open the second page.” Upon reading this, Qin Feiyang understood—he had to reach the Battle King level first.

“Battle King realm, eh? It won’t be long now,” he murmured, eyes shining with anticipation. If the first character possessed such terrifying power, surely the second would be even more formidable. Steeling his mind, he began to carefully study the cultivation method for the Return Technique.

…

Meanwhile, Luo Qianxue and her three companions arrived at the entrance to Wolf Valley. After searching thoroughly, they found neither Qin Feiyang nor even a single wolf. Full of anger, the four hurried back to Iron Ox Town.

Spotting Luo Qingzhu at the town entrance, Luo Qianxue was overjoyed. However, upon learning of Lin Baili’s death, the Lin family patriarch was overcome with both rage and shock. None of them had expected Qin Feiyang to double back and launch a surprise attack.

Moreover, when Qin Feiyang killed Lin Baili, every word Lin Baili spoke was overheard by Liu Yun. Once Liu Yun revealed the truth, the Lin family patriarch became the target of universal condemnation. The three great leaders immediately turned against him.

Luo Qianxue declared that all transactions with the Lin family would cease. The Third Hall Master and Martial Hall Master issued harsh warnings: from now on, no one from the Lin family in Iron Ox Town would be allowed into the Pill Hall or Martial Hall. In effect, the Lin family was completely blacklisted by the three powers.

Clearly, the Lin family patriarch’s treachery had enraged the three great leaders to the core. Indeed, the saying that good and evil always receive their due proved true. Tail between his legs, the Lin family patriarch slunk back home. Yet instead of repenting, his hatred for Qin Feiyang only grew stronger, ignoring all of Lin Yiyi’s attempts to persuade him. He even slapped Lin Yiyi in public, causing her to retreat to the back courtyard in anger and refuse to come out.

The Lin family patriarch racked his brains for a way to kill Qin Feiyang. In addition, since Lin Baili had died in Iron Ox Town, he needed to account to the main family—but how?

Beneath the Lin family estate lay a secret chamber, known only to the patriarch. Entering it, he found it sparsely furnished, with only an altar upon which sat a transparent crystal, about the size of a hen’s egg, ancient and unadorned.

Standing before the altar, the Lin family patriarch stared at the crystal, conflicted. Finally, gritting his teeth, he pressed his hand upon it, sending a surge of true energy into the stone.

A few moments later, the crystal blazed with light, and a figure appeared above it—a middle-aged man clad in a robe of purple and gold, square-faced, commanding even without anger.

The Lin family patriarch immediately knelt and bowed. “Greetings, Master of the House.”

Indeed, this was Lin Han, patriarch of the Lin family in Swallow City. Though merely a shadow, Lin Han’s terrifying aura could still be felt.

Lin Han looked down coldly at the Lin family patriarch. “Is there something you need?”

“I do have something to report,” the patriarch replied.

“Speak quickly.”

“Baili… he’s dead.” The patriarch hesitated for a long time before finally uttering the words.

“What?” Lin Han erupted in fury. “How did he die?”

“He was killed by a youth named Qin Feiyang…” The patriarch recounted all that had happened in detail.

“Qin Feiyang…” Lin Han ground his teeth, murderous intent blazing in his eyes. He stared at the patriarch. “I’ll bring men to Iron Ox Town immediately. I’ll arrive before dawn. You’d better find Qin Feiyang’s whereabouts before I get there, or else this branch of the Lin family will have no reason to exist.”

With that, the shadow faded away.

“Where am I supposed to find Qin Feiyang?”

Hands clenched, the Lin family patriarch was furious, but he had no choice. Leaving the secret chamber, he issued an order, and every member and servant of the Lin family mobilized, each with a torch, searching the hills and fields.

At the same time, in Treasure Pavilion, Luo Qingzhu carried a bowl of hot porridge into a room where Luo Qianxue sat at a table, deep in thought. Luo Qingzhu set the porridge down, walked behind Luo Qianxue, and gently massaged her shoulders. “Mother, ever since you returned, you’ve been troubled. What’s on your mind?”

“Ah!” Luo Qianxue sighed. “I just can’t understand why the Lin family patriarch would do this. Is marrying Lin Yiyi into the royal family really so important?”

Luo Qingzhu smiled. “Everyone has their own ideas and ambitions. Mother, you shouldn’t let this trouble you.”

“You’re right, but I can’t stand his ways. Qin Feiyang is more than worthy of Lin Yiyi—what more could he want? If it were me, as long as my children were happy, I wouldn’t care about background or status.”

“Yes, yes, you’re the best mother in the world! Dawn is near, have some hot porridge and rest,” Luo Qingzhu said with a smile.

“Qingzhu, do you know where Qin Feiyang is?” Luo Qianxue asked.

“I do,” Luo Qingzhu nodded, then caught herself. “Mother, what do you intend?”

“Since we wrongly accused Qin Feiyang, we ought to apologize and offer him some compensation.”

“Him? That arrogant fool? Forget it.”

“We can’t. Our Treasure Pavilion’s first principle is to act with a clear conscience. Besides, he kidnapped you but didn’t harm you. After dawn, take five hundred Qi-Gathering Pills to him and tell him I’m sorry.”

“Alright,” Luo Qingzhu agreed.

…

Castle. Inner chambers.

Qin Feiyang stared at the first page of the iron book, lost in thought. After carefully studying it, he realized that the method for cultivating the Return Technique was entirely different from martial arts. Martial arts required coordination of body movements and long practice to master. The Return Technique, however, was written! Using true energy, one simply copied the ‘Return’ character from the iron book. If one succeeded, mastery was achieved.

Could it really be so simple? He had known how to write since he was three; he could do it blindfolded.

“Is it really like this?” Qin Feiyang was skeptical. After double- and triple-checking, he confirmed that he hadn’t misread—the instructions truly were to write.

“It’s just imitating the character. Easy,” he thought confidently, extending his hand. True energy welled from his fingertip as he pressed it to the ‘Return’ character, ready to write the whole thing in a single stroke.

Yet, as he began the first stroke, he found, to his astonishment, that his finger wouldn’t move. “What’s happening?” he frowned, applying more force, but still nothing. In the end, veins bulging, he used all his strength, but still couldn’t advance even a fraction. It was as if his fingertip and the iron book were fused together.

“What’s going on?” Qin Feiyang wondered, perplexed. Suddenly, he raised his arm and wrote the ‘Return’ character in the air with true energy. In the blink of an eye, the character appeared, clear and sharp. The process was effortless.

Qin Feiyang was stunned. He could write it flawlessly in the air, but couldn’t make his finger move on the iron book at all—what was happening? He glanced at the iron book’s ‘Return’ character, then at his finger, and finally gave a bitter laugh.

Clearly, he had underestimated the cultivation method of the Return Technique. Even copying the character wasn’t as simple as it seemed!