Chapter 140: Garden Opening
Xia Feng was about to take out the USB drive, but he was still a bit uneasy. He subtly glanced at Uncle Wei before suddenly placing his hand on his shoulder.
The middle-aged man with the slicked-back hair didn’t dodge. “Don’t worry, I really am Uncle Wei,” he said helplessly.
Xia Feng nodded. According to his spirit artifact’s detection, this man was indeed Old Wei. This was a small function of the Divine Realm Without Platforms; when copying a target’s original appearance, it could be used to determine if the copied target was the genuine person.
“I do have the USB drive with me, but it’s a bit troublesome to retrieve.”
There was still some time before the garden opened. Xia Feng pulled Uncle Wei to a corner and spoke in a low voice, “Do you have a small knife?”
Uncle Wei looked back, confirmed no one was paying attention, and pulled a dagger from his sleeve. “What do you need a knife for?”
Xia Feng took it and, without hesitation, plunged it into his chest just below the heart. He dug around, and a small, blood-red USB drive was extracted. He handed it to Uncle Wei.
Xia Feng’s face was pale, sweat beading on his forehead. He smiled, “Fresh, while it’s hot.”
“You’re a ruthless one, kid,” the middle-aged man with the slicked-back hair gave him a thumbs-up.
“So, Old Wei, what’s this USB drive for?”
“You shouldn’t get involved in this. Think about how to escape this place instead,” Uncle Wei said, wiping the bloodstains from the USB drive before carefully putting it away.
Clearly, Uncle Wei’s purpose in entering the garden this time was to cause trouble, possibly something significant.
Xia Feng said helplessly, “Old Wei, take it easy. Don’t end up half-dead again.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve crawled out of piles of dead people; I’m tough,” the middle-aged man said casually, then waved goodbye, leaving only a dashing silhouette. “I’m off.”
Xia Feng went to the restroom to clean and bandage the wound below his chest. Although there was a hole, his body was special; as long as his heart wasn’t injured, he’d be fine.
Before long, as the clock’s hands pointed to 7 PM, the garden opening time finally arrived!
Xia Feng followed the directions for a long time, arriving at a platinum-colored grand gate. He could sense that he was getting closer to the Holy Solution.
“Click—” The grand gate was pushed open inward by an attendant. The banquet scene inside was serene and quiet.
Crystal chandeliers hanging overhead cast a dim, yellowish light, slightly illuminating the guests’ pure black robes. Everyone inside wore pure black robes that concealed their figures. Some wore black and white masks covering their entire faces, while others wore animal masks covering only the upper half of their faces. They moved around in the dim banquet hall, chatting in small groups, holding fine wine, and laughing merrily.
Xia Feng was led to an empty sofa. A staff member informed him that he was a “special reserve” who had been specifically requested and would receive different treatment. He could sit there for now, and a big figure would come to find him later. He just needed to serve the important guests satisfactorily.
Xia Feng looked toward the center of the banquet hall, where stood a giant stone pillar, three meters in radius and ten meters high. Green Bone Glaze flowers clung to the pillar, hundreds of them spiraling upwards, reaching the extremely high glass ceiling. Xia Feng clearly sensed that the Holy Solution was within these Green Bone Glaze flowers!
If he went there now, he could get it. But…
He glanced back at the silver handcuffs connecting his hand to the railing in the corner. He tugged, and the railing made a clanging sound.
“Perhaps I can find another way,” Xia Feng mused, staring at the cuffs on his wrist.
Just then, Xia Feng suddenly felt the surrounding light dim. He looked up expressionlessly. Eight youths wearing half-face masks had surrounded him.
Leading them was a blond man with a pure gold half-face mask. He narrowed his eyes, gazing down at Xia Feng. After two seconds, he grinned, “Xia Feng, how interesting. I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“So, who are you?” Xia Feng asked, looking up.
“Heh heh~ Xia Feng, you naturally don’t know me, but I know you,” the blond man’s lips curved into a smile. “Mu Qingtong’s fiancé, the youngest genius at Weiyang Academy. I’ve heard a lot about your recent exploits in the past two months.”
“Tsk,” a noble youth beside him chuckled disdainfully. “A genius? So what? In the end, you still become our plaything.”
“Lord Lucas, so this brat is Mu Qingtong’s fiancé? Although we couldn’t catch Mu Qingtong, tormenting her fiancé… tsk tsk, that’s not bad either.”
The group spoke amongst themselves, and Xia Feng gathered that these young masters and lords held no particular grudge against him. However, seeing that he was a genius and Mu Qingtong’s fiancé, they felt displeased. Normally, this displeasure might be insignificant, and they might even approach him amiably, as Xia Feng had the backing of Weiyang Academy and the Holy Department. Gaining his friendship would be better than creating unnecessary enmity. But in a place like the garden, there were no such considerations. Their dissatisfaction spread uncontrollably into endless malice, directed straight at him.
Lucas, wearing the golden half-face mask, saw Xia Feng’s silence and smiled playfully. “What, genius, are you scared?”
“Mr. Blond, do you know dogs?” Xia Feng looked up and smiled. “I’m sitting here quietly, but some foolish dogs just like to run up and bark at me, bringing a pack of unweaned puppies with them. It’s quite troublesome.”
“Are you f*cking looking for death! You guy—” The youth beside the blond man immediately became enraged and grabbed Xia Feng’s collar.
Xia Feng grinned slightly. “What, are you going to bite me?”
The youth’s expression darkened. As if he thought of something, he stepped back and said with a sinister smile, “Hey, Lord Lucas, I think this guy looks quite handsome, with soft and tender skin. Why don’t we make him our appetizer today?”
The eyes of the other seven lit up, and their gazes toward Xia Feng became even more unnervingly focused.
“Yeah, this Xia guy must have played with Mu Qingtong before. He might even still have her scent on him, hehe~” said a man wearing a dog-head mask.
Xia Feng’s brow furrowed. He once again deeply felt the disgusting nature of this godforsaken place. Killing intent surged within him. Perhaps it was time to find an opportunity when everyone was present to obliterate this place.
“Wait, wait. We are civilized people. Don’t push this genius so hard,” the blond man said with a low laugh, stopping everyone. He then placed his dark leather shoe on the sofa, a mocking smile playing on his lips. Looking down from above, he said, “How about this, Xia Feng? I’ll give you another choice. If you kneel down now and lick my shoe clean, I’ll let them spare you. What do you say?”
His tone was filled with unbridled malice. As he spoke, the surrounding individuals let out scornful chuckles. This was why they enjoyed the garden. Although they were of noble status, they were still constrained by many rules in the outside world. But here, they could unreservedly humiliate noble ladies and geniuses whom they wouldn’t dare touch usually. They didn’t have to worry about revenge or being assassinated one night. Because anyone brought here, regardless of their previous status, was no longer protected by any external forces and could be humiliated at will.
“What do you say?” Lucas pointed to the leather shoe on the sofa, his gaze condescending. “Kneel down and lick it.”
Xia Feng raised his right hand, which was not cuffed, and beckoned. “Come on, bend down.”
Lucas was momentarily stunned. Glancing down in confusion, a palm strike with residue speed flashed past. Amidst a scream, three teeth, spewing bloody foam, flew into the air. The golden mask on his upper face shattered with a crack, and his entire left face instantly swelled like a pig’s head.
“Lord Lucas!”
“You bastard, you’re seeking death!”
The remaining seven individuals’ expressions drastically changed. They cried out in anger.
But just as they reacted and prepared to rush forward to teach Xia Feng a lesson, they saw Xia Feng suddenly stand up. The handcuff on Xia Feng’s left wrist was gone.
Xia Feng grinned. The handcuff had naturally been quietly swallowed by the Shadow of the Blood Fiend.
“You lowly peasant! I’ll kill you!!” Lucas’s eyes darkened, and he snarled, looking back.
But before his words even fell, the white-clothed man had already taken a step, a blur flashing behind him. A fruit knife from the table appeared in Xia Feng’s hand, resting against the blond man’s neck. With a light swipe, “What a foolish thing,” he said softly.
As Xia Feng’s voice faded, the blond man, about to rage, was overwhelmed with terror in the next moment. He looked up, frantically raising his hand to cover his throat, his eyes filled with fear. But the blood from his neck sprayed onto the seven youths in front like a high-pressure water gun.
“Save—save—” The blond man clutched his throat, stepping back repeatedly, trying to make a sound with terror-filled lips, but it was in vain. With a thud, he fell backward. Blood flowed everywhere.
The commotion here drew the attention of everyone present. Nearly a hundred pairs of eyes in the banquet hall looked over in stunned unison.
