novelraw Chapter 19 Mad Hero
Chapter 19 Mad Hero
Just as the halberd tip was about to touch Lin Chi—
"Whoosh—Clang!"
A flying stone, traveling at astonishing speed from the side, struck the side blade of the halberd precisely! The powerful force deflected the halberd tip several inches, grazing Lin Chi's clothes before embedding itself in the ground, sending fragments flying!
"Who!" Martell reacted swiftly, drawing his halberd and turning around, his eyes sharp as an eagle's, staring intently in the direction from which the flying stones had come.
It's Lin Feng.
His face was expressionless, only a deep silence and an imposing sense of authority remained, as he relentlessly pressed towards Martell with each step.
"It's you? Lin Feng!" Martel's pupils contracted, his face showing undisguised shock.
"You're still alive?" Then, as if remembering something, his tone turned incredulous and scrutinizing. "You absorbed so much energy from 'Soul Crystals,' and you haven't completely fallen and collapsed? You can still move normally?"
His body tensed slightly, and his grip on the halberd tightened. He was clearly extremely wary of the seemingly calm man in front of him, but he was forcing himself not to show any fear.
"Get out!" The word was not loud, but it carried an undeniable force.
At the same time, an energy surge far more powerful than Martell's erupted from his body! A clear level flashed around him—
Level 69!
He's a full twelve levels higher than Martell!
"Level 6...69?" Martell forced a cold laugh, trying to maintain his composure.
"Heh, it seems that the side effects of excessively absorbing the power of the Soul-Devouring Crystal are even greater than rumored, and even the level is regressing? The once-popular 'Soul-Devouring Hero' was nothing more than a madman who relied on external objects and caused endless trouble."
He spoke the last two words with a hint of hesitation.
"Shut up." Lin Feng's face darkened, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
Several hard, angular rocks appeared out of thin air, hovering beside him, and began to spin rapidly, emitting a low, whooshing sound as they locked onto Martell.
"Take care of yourself first. You have five seconds! You're not welcome here!"
Although Lin Feng's condition and level were obviously not as good as before, the absolute power difference of 69 levels and the lingering power of the former "Soul Devouring Hero" were still not something Martell would dare to provoke easily.
Under the rules of the Tower of Gods, a level difference of ten or more means an almost insurmountable gap in a one-on-one situation.
Martel's face was ashen. He glared at Lin Feng, then glanced at Lin Ruyan and Lin Chi, who were being protected by Lin Feng, and knew that things were hopeless today.
He snorted coldly, said no more, turned around abruptly, and disappeared into the vast night.
However, even after driving Martel away, Lin Chi and Lin Ruyan were not at ease; instead, they were on tenterhooks. The Lin Feng who had regained his "calm" demeanor was even more unpredictable and oppressive than the Lin Feng who had gone mad.
"You... how did you get out here?!" Lin Chi suppressed his heart palpitations, took a step forward, and shielded his mother slightly behind her, staring warily at Lin Feng.
"I let him out." A voice came from behind Lin Feng. Shangguan Qiluo walked out, her face slightly pale but her eyes resolute.
"I opened the door to the secret room. Otherwise, Martell probably wouldn't let it go."
Lin Feng's gaze fell on Lin Chi, his eyes complex and unfathomable, as if he were momentarily dazed, but quickly returned to a calm as deep as a pool.
"Going to school?" he suddenly asked, his voice flat and emotionless. "School is good. Remember to study hard."
After giving this somewhat abrupt and even clumsy instruction, he stopped looking at Lin Chi and walked straight past him.
He approached Lin Ruyan, who was still kneeling on the ground, looking dazed, bent down slightly, and extended his hand to her.
Lin Chi's muscles tensed instantly, and he almost rushed forward to stop him.
But in that instant, he saw Lin Feng's eyes, a gaze he had once seen in this "father's" eyes—an almost serene calm, though deep within it lay an overwhelming weariness.
Lin Ruyan looked up, her eyes blurry with tears, at the familiar large hand and Lin Feng's calm face. Her voice trembled as she asked, "Is...is it you?"
Lin Feng did not answer, but silently extended his hand forward again.
Lin Ruyan trembled as she slowly placed her hand in his palm. Lin Feng pulled her up from the ground with a little force.
But just as Lin Ruyan tightly grasped his hand, as if trying to hold onto this dream of countless fantasies, Lin Feng suddenly and resolutely pulled his hand back.
"Cook, see them off, and don't come back." Lin Feng left these cold words and walked into the mansion on his own.
"It's him... still the same... selfish and hateful!" Lin Ruyan stared at that lonely figure, her tears finally bursting forth and rolling down her cheeks, her voice choked with sobs.
She quickly wiped away her tears, took a deep breath, turned around and took Lin Chi's hand. She forced a smile at Shangguan Qiluo, her voice regaining its gentleness, but with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor: "Let's go, let's cook. Let's say goodbye properly."
The three walked silently toward the mansion.
In the corridor, Shangguan Qiluo was the first to break free from the oppressive atmosphere. She skipped a few steps, grabbed Lin Chi's shoulder (who was still somewhat dazed), and said in a deliberately lighthearted tone, "Hey, Lin Chi! You haven't packed your luggage yet, have you? Come on, come on, let me help you pack! I promise it'll be quick and easy!"
Before Lin Chi could react, she half-pulled, half-dragged him towards the room, while turning back to wink at Lin Ruyan and snapping her fingers: "Sister Ruyan, you can go and cook with Uncle Feng in peace!"
As Lin Ruyan watched them playfully run away, a faint but genuine warmth finally appeared on her face.
The kitchen was warmly lit.
Lin Feng had already put on his old apron and was silently washing vegetables by the sink, his movements skilled and focused, as if he had never stopped for the past ten years.
He didn't speak or look at Lin Ruyan who followed him in. He simply placed the washed vegetables next to the cutting board and then continued to do other things.
His posture was just like it was many years ago when he was helping her.
Lin Ruyan's heart trembled violently. She said nothing, walked to the stove, and rolled up her sleeves. Only the sounds of running water, chopping vegetables, and the clatter of spatulas filled the kitchen, a long-lost, heartbreaking tranquility spreading out.
Inside the room, Shangguan Qiluo pulled Lin Chi along with a mysterious expression.
"Alright! Stop pulling me!" Lin Chi awkwardly moved away from Shangguan Qiluo's tugging.
"You little brat, you're so clueless, just like your dad, you're like a block of wood!" Shangguan Qiluo let go of Lin Chi's clothes.
"What exactly happened? How did it suddenly become normal?" Lin Chi looked at Shangguan Qiluo, the "culprit" behind everything.
"Who knows? Maybe heaven has eyes and his conscience has been awakened. Never mind him, hurry up and pack your things, we have to leave tonight!" Shangguan Qiluo urged Lin Chi to quickly put his things into his backpack.
"Here, take this." She stuffed several vine-like magic scrolls into Lin Chi's hand.
"I have a feeling Martell won't leave so easily; he's probably still lingering around. You'd better leave early tonight, go out through your secret passage, and avoid the front yard."
"Okay, thank you!" Lin Chi looked at the older sister who had come a year ago. Although they had only known each other for a little over a year, Lin Chi had already truly regarded her as his older sister. Although she would sometimes tease him, play pranks on him, and even joke around with him without any distinction between men and women.
"Are you still being so polite with me? I'm so glad your older sister thought of everything. Remember to make more friends when you go to school, otherwise you'll never have a girlfriend if you stay so withdrawn all the time!" Shangguan Qiluo joked.
"By the way, how did your experiment go?" Shangguan Qiluo changed the subject.
"Experiment? Oh! Just say so. If you want it, I'll give you all the relevant research data." Lin Chi handed over all the data he had in his drawer to Shangguan Qiluo without reservation.
"Why don't you come with us too?" Lin Chi looked at Shangguan Qiluo with a determined gaze.
Upon seeing this, Shangguan Qiluo became embarrassed and quickly took a few steps back, jokingly saying, "How can that be? I have to keep an eye on your dad! Or how about you rescue me from this old madman when you return after completing your studies? Be my knight in shining armor!"
Her laughter echoed in the room, but it made Lin Chi's nose tingle.
The two chatted and laughed as they packed their bags, and before long it was time for dinner.
Lin Feng quickly finished his dinner and prepared to go back to his room to sleep, but Lin Ruyan, who had been holding back for a long time, finally couldn't resist anymore.
"Lin Feng!" Just one word made Lin Feng freeze in place, but he quickly put on his usual lewd expression.
"Qiluo~! Come to the room quickly after you finish eating! I can't wait! Let me try out this new thing!" After saying that, he unbuttoned his clothes and ran to the room in a crazy and shy manner.
Only Lin Ruyan, who was forcing a smile, Shangguan Qiluo, who looked embarrassed, and Lin Chi, who was furious, were left behind.
"Sister Ruyan, don't worry about him! He's just a madman, his mind isn't working properly!" Shangguan Qiluo quickly comforted him.
"Yes, I'm fine," Lin Ruyan said, taking a deep breath to calm herself.
"Lin Chi, hurry up and finish your meal, then take Sister Ruyan away!" Shangguan Qiluo urged Lin Chi.
So Lin Chi talked to Lin Ruyan about the secret passage, and the two quickly decided to escape through the passage and head towards the 58th floor.