Chapter 26: Extending an Olive Branch_1

Everyone present was completely dumbstruck.

However, Qin Feiyang was half-crouching on the ground, looking at his fist with slightly furrowed eyebrows.

To be frank, he was somewhat dissatisfied with the power of this punch.

The amplification of strength through martial arts techniques is progressive: Lower Class martial arts techniques grant the power of one Savage Elephant, Middle Grade grant two, Advanced grant three, and Perfect martial arts techniques grant the strength of four Savage Elephants.

The Charging Thunder Killing Fist is a perfect martial arts technique.

But just now, Qin Feiyang felt that it had only amplified his strength by the equivalent of two Savage Elephants. In other words, he had only unleashed half its power.

Otherwise, Ma Hongmei wouldn't just be severely injured; she would be dead on the spot!

I haven't used these martial arts techniques in five years, so I'm a bit rusty. Fortunately, Ma Hongmei's cultivation is low; otherwise, I would have been at a disadvantage. It seems I need to find some time to practice them thoroughly.

Qin Feiyang let out a long breath. "PHEW!" He murmured to himself, then stood up, looked at Ma Hongmei, and strode toward her.

Seeing this, the Third Palace Master's expression changed dramatically, and he shouted, "Qin Feiyang, this is the Elixir Palace! Don't you dare act recklessly!"

"If this weren't the Elixir Palace, I wouldn't have come!" Qin Feiyang sneered and stopped in front of Ma Hongmei.

The Third Palace Master was deeply distressed. But with Uncle Yuan standing nearby, he didn't have the courage to save Ma Hongmei.

CLANG!

Qin Feiyang unsheathed Blue Snow, its sharp blade glinting menacingly!

Ma Hongmei's body trembled, and she cried out in terror, "Qin Feiyang, if you dare to kill me, you'll be making an enemy of the entire Elixir Palace!"

Qin Feiyang squatted next to Ma Hongmei's head, dangling Blue Snow near her neck, and said mockingly, "Is the Elixir Palace so impressive?"

"What? He dares to say such things?" Everyone was speechless, apparently having underestimated this guy's arrogance.

Ma Hongmei was utterly terrified! She was afraid that Qin Feiyang might accidentally let Blue Snow fall and slit her throat.

The Third Palace Master averted his gaze, looked at Uncle Yuan, and said, "Qin Yuan, Elder Ma has been severely injured by Qin Feiyang. Your resentment should be somewhat appeased by now. Why don't we let this matter rest?"

Uncle Yuan said indifferently, "Leaving a root will only lead to endless trouble."

The Third Palace Master stiffened and said angrily, "If you insist on making trouble, our Elixir Palace fears no one! When the Grand Hall Master and Second Hall Master return, I will report this matter to them truthfully!"

The threat in his words was entirely undisguised.

"As you wish." Uncle Yuan glanced at him, his tone still calm, as if he didn't take the Elixir Palace seriously at all.

The Third Palace Master couldn't contain his anger and said, enunciating each word, "You will regret this!"

"Regret?" Uncle Yuan looked him up and down, his expression still calm. But then, suddenly, his feet lifted off the stone steps, and he slowly began to levitate!

"What!" The Third Palace Master exclaimed, his face paling dramatically.

At the same time, Lin Baili's body jolted, his face filled with disbelief. This old man is actually a War Emperor!

The heads of the Martial Palace, the Lin Family, and the Zhao Family were also overcome with disbelief!

As for the others, it went without saying; they looked as if they had seen a deity, gripped by utter terror!

Uncle Yuan stood in mid-air, like a monarch looking down upon the Third Palace Master, and said lightly, "Today, even if I were to level the Elixir Palace, no one would dare to stop me. Do you believe that?"

The Third Palace Master looked up blankly at Uncle Yuan. After a long moment, he let out a bitter laugh and bowed. "Senior Qin, I misspoke earlier. Please, be magnanimous and don't lower yourself to my level."

This was no laughing matter; he was a War Emperor! Let alone razing the Elixir Palace, even if he destroyed the entire Iron Bull Town, no one would dare utter a word.

Uncle Yuan neither confirmed nor denied whether he held a grudge, simply asking, "So, can Ma Hongmei be killed?"

The Third Palace Master's face stiffened, his heart in turmoil. Finally, he hardened his resolve and nodded. "As long as it appeases your anger, Senior, kill... kill her if you wish!"

Hearing this, Ma Hongmei's face turned deathly pale in an instant, despair overwhelming her eyes. Only then did she realize she had offended someone she could never, ever afford to provoke!

No, I can't die... I still have a great future ahead of me...

Enduring the excruciating pain, Ma Hongmei struggled to her feet, then knelt before Qin Feiyang, pleading desperately, "Qin Feiyang, don't kill me, please! I'll kneel and apologize to you..."

Qin Feiyang said, "Then tell everyone: five days ago, did you or did you not kick me off the cliff?"

"Yes, yes, I did!" Ma Hongmei nodded frantically. "It's all my fault. I'll make amends. Will you forgive me?"

The crowd immediately turned on her. "So, it wasn't Qin Feiyang who fell by himself!" "This Ma Hongmei is truly despicable!" "To stoop to such vile acts, she's simply disgracing the Elixir Palace's reputation!"

The onlookers immediately turned hostile, looking at Ma Hongmei with disgust and righteous indignation.

So it turns out, Qin Feiyang wasn't lying... I've been such a fool!

The Third Palace Master was filled with self-reproach. He looked up at Ma Hongmei, disappointment in his voice as he said, "As a Steward Elder of the Elixir Palace, you should have led by example and upheld high standards. Yet, you committed such a despicable act."

He then turned his gaze to the crowd below and announced, "I now formally declare Ma Hongmei expelled from the Elixir Palace, permanently!"

Ma Hongmei's body trembled, and her face paled even more. Not only had her reputation been ruined, but she had also lost her position as the Steward Elder of the Elixir Palace. She had now lost everything.

A slight smile touched Qin Feiyang's lips. "Now, tell the Martial Palace Master and everyone here Cao Lang's identity."

"Hmm?" The Martial Palace Master frowned.

Ma Hongmei said, "Cao Lang was the son of the Chief of the Hei Mo Fortress. Also, it was Qin Feiyang who burned down the Hei Mo Fortress."

"What? The son of that fiend!" "He deserved to be killed!" "Indeed! Death by a thousand cuts would be too lenient for someone like him!"

"Qin Feiyang, we sincerely apologize. We misunderstood you earlier."

"You burned down the Hei Mo Fortress and eliminated a public menace. We should be thanking you, yet we accused you just now. We are truly sorry."

Upon learning Cao Lang's true identity, the crowd's attitude did a complete one-eighty. Some apologized, while others cheered.

As for Bao Chuan, Ma Hongmei's disciple, everyone now felt he had deserved to die. It was clear he must have been trying to harm Qin Feiyang, leading to his death at Qin Feiyang's hands.

Ma Hongmei looked at Qin Feiyang and said, "I've said everything you asked me to, and even things you didn't. Can you let me go now?"

"Alright." Qin Feiyang nodded. "I'll send you on your way now. I hope you'll be a better person in your next life."

With those words, he waved his hand. Blue Snow flashed, its sharp edge slitting Ma Hongmei's throat. Blood sprayed three feet high!

"You..." Ma Hongmei clutched her throat, staring at Qin Feiyang with venomous hatred.

"You should be grateful to die with your body intact. I originally planned to sever your head."

Qin Feiyang glanced at her indifferently, retrieved Blue Snow, and walked down the stone stairs.

THUD! Ma Hongmei collapsed to the ground, dead.

"Finally, it's over," the Third Palace Master muttered to himself.

He strode towards Qin Feiyang and cupped his fist. "Qin Feiyang, I am here to apologize to you formally. If you still need the Marrow-cleansing Pill, I will give it to you now."

"I don't need it now." Qin Feiyang shook his head and walked past the Third Palace Master.

Uncle Yuan landed beside Qin Feiyang, smiling. "Do you feel better now?"

"No." Qin Feiyang shook his head. Only when he returned to the Imperial Capital and killed everyone who had wronged him would he truly feel at ease.

Uncle Yuan patted his shoulder and said nothing more.

Qin Yuan turned out to be a War Emperor... Why did this happen... If I had known earlier, I would never have stopped Qin Feiyang and Yiyi from being together... In fact, I would have actively tried to matchmake them...

Watching the two figures descend the stone stairs, the Lin Family Head clenched his fists, his heart filled with a potent mix of regret and remorse. His body even began to tremble.

Lin Baili noticed the Lin Family Head's strange behavior and asked, "Uncle Lin, are you regretting it?"

The Lin Family Head nodded, making no attempt to hide his feelings. "I do regret it immensely. But what I fear most is that Qin Feiyang will retaliate against our Lin Family. As you've seen, he's the type to repay every grievance."

"Retaliation?" Lin Baili chuckled. "Heh, he wouldn't dare. Our Lin Family's ancestor is also a War Emperor."

"Really?" The Lin Family Head's eyes lit up.

"And that's not all," Lin Baili added, a hint of disdain in his eyes. "Our Lin Family has intermarried with the royal family for generations and possesses a profound heritage. As long as Qin Feiyang doesn't join the Elixir Palace or the Martial Palace, he is of no concern."

At this, the Lin Family Head finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Although Ma Hongmei and Cao Lang both deserved to die, after everything that has happened, a rift has surely formed between Qin Feiyang, the Third Palace Master, and the Martial Palace Master. It seems impossible for Qin Feiyang to join either the Elixir Palace or the Martial Palace now.

However, before this thought could fully form in his mind, the Third Palace Master suddenly turned around, looked down at Qin Feiyang, and said loudly, "Qin Feiyang, if you are willing to join the Elixir Palace, any medicinal pill you desire, as long as the Elixir Palace possesses it, I will give it to you!"

"What?" The Lin Family Head was stunned. The Third Palace Master isn't just personally inviting Qin Feiyang to join, but he's also making such a promise?

The Martial Palace Master also quickly extended an olive branch, saying, "Qin Feiyang, if you are willing to join the Martial Palace, I cannot promise you as many medicinal pills as the Third Palace Master. However, I can guarantee that you may choose any Martial Arts Technique you wish. Furthermore, we will absolutely provide you with our best resources."

The Lin Family Head was completely dumbfounded. Even Lin Baili found it impossible to maintain his composure at this point.