Chapter Thirty-Eight: A Deal

Qin Feng, having fled the scene, could not help but feel a lingering unease. He hid behind a secluded rockery, only relaxing a little once he saw Qin Hongyu, her face livid, storm away. Contentedly, he rubbed his nose, then unconsciously wrung his hands together, muttering, "The sensation is a hundred times better than those women in my previous life!"

At this moment, Qin Feng was unaware that Old Master Qin Tianzheng had already abandoned him, having sold him out and taken the other Qin family disciples to flee in haste. Nevertheless, this suited Qin Feng's own plan; he wanted the old master and the others to leave first, for he was about to set his own scheme in motion.

And in this scheme, Qin Hongyu was the key.

This plan had taken shape on a whim during his earlier transgression against the beauty. Originally, Qin Feng had only intended to teach Qin Hongyu a minor lesson, but upon discovering that she was the precious daughter of Qin Tianshu, a brilliant idea blossomed in his mind, prompting him to act with greater boldness.

It was just a little touching—was it really necessary for her to scream so loudly that the whole of Tianfeng City could hear?

"That girl must have gone to fetch her father. I'll just wait here for him," Qin Feng muttered, curling his lip as he scanned his surroundings.

He was in a secluded area where the rockery and stone forest met, a perfect spot for a clandestine meeting with Qin Tianshu. Just in case the man had difficulty finding him, Qin Feng even climbed atop a large artificial mountain, sitting at its summit to await his arrival.

He wasn't courting death; he possessed a failsafe, a treasure that would ensure Qin Tianshu fell in line and give Qin Feng exactly what he wanted.

So now, Qin Feng was at ease, nearly bursting into laughter at the thought of Qin Hongyu's impending, yet inevitably futile, attempt at revenge.

Before long, the air trembled with a sudden, intense vibration.

Qin Feng's expression grew serious. Sensing the disturbance, he fixed his gaze on a particular spot in the sky.

"Not bad, boy. No wonder you nearly awakened your soul—looks like Hongyu can't complain about her loss. Ha!"

First came the voice, echoing through the void. Then, from the very spot where Qin Feng was staring, a hand burst forth, prying open the fabric of space until a rift appeared, and from within stepped two figures. Qin Feng looked and, as expected, it was Qin Tianshu and Qin Hongyu.

"He tore open space with sheer physical strength!" Qin Feng was astonished as he observed them.

Qin Tianshu looked as always—dressed in blue brocade, with a square face and long beard. Though not overly burly, his frame was imposing, reminiscent of a rural scholar. Yet Qin Feng dared not underestimate him; anyone hailed as the foremost below the Skysteel Realm in Tianfeng City must possess extraordinary abilities.

The other, of course, was none other than the beautiful Qin Hongyu—though now she had changed into a more conservative blue dress, her long legs mostly hidden. Perhaps his earlier words had rattled her.

No sooner had she emerged than Qin Hongyu pointed at Qin Feng and cried out, "Father, it was him! He took liberties with me earlier!"

Tears shimmered in her eyes, her face full of grievance, but to Qin Feng, her alluring gaze was tinged with a hint of smugness.

Qin Feng could only give a wry smile.

To his surprise, Qin Tianshu did not immediately question him about dishonoring his daughter. Instead, he abruptly shifted the topic, his tone grave, "Boy, did you just sense my position?"

Qin Feng paused, then nodded, pointing to his right. "Senior, just now you lingered for a breath three paces to my right, then for two breaths a single pace to my left, and finally... your position seemed to jumble, and very soon... the space was a bit..."

At that, the corners of Qin Tianshu's moustache twitched, a flash of embarrassment crossing his face as he gave a couple of coughs. Qin Feng, taking the hint, promptly shut his mouth.

"It seems the art of spatial transposition still needs work, if even a mere Steelphase novice can see through it..." muttered Qin Tianshu, though Qin Feng caught the words.

In terms of perception, Qin Feng now surpassed many ordinary Skysteel Realm cultivators.

"Father!" Qin Hongyu protested, tugging at Qin Tianshu's arm coquettishly.

Qin Tianshu's expression turned odd—clearly, this was not the first time he had to clean up after his willful daughter. Knowing her penchant for troublemaking, he regarded Qin Feng with less severity than at their first meeting. After a doting look at his daughter, he sighed, "You little scoundrel, you couldn't just stay out of trouble in Tianfeng City and had to provoke my little wildcat. Well, tough luck for you. Just stay still and let her vent her anger. Once she's done, it'll be over. Don't worry, I'll see to it you don't die."

"Damn!"

At these words, Qin Feng seethed inwardly, mentally flipping him off.

No wonder the girl was so spoiled—her father indulged her so.

Still, with power comes authority and the right over life and death. Seeing Qin Hongyu’s triumphant look peeking from behind her father, Qin Feng felt a surge of frustration.

Yet his impression of Qin Tianshu had shifted. At their first encounter, the man had radiated the overwhelming presence of a peerless master, stirring in Qin Feng a longing for such strength. But now he saw the tender father within—a man perhaps too indulgent, but whose soft heart reminded Qin Feng of his own father.

This common thread of paternal love made Qin Feng regard Qin Tianshu much more favorably.

Thus, with a respectful salute, he said, "Senior, I have no objection to letting your daughter vent her anger—however, before that, I would like to propose a transaction..."

"A transaction?"

Both Qin Tianshu and the ever-persistent Qin Hongyu were taken aback, her beautiful eyes filled with curiosity as she looked at Qin Feng, trying to fathom what kind of trick he was up to now.

Qin Tianshu studied him, his expression growing even more peculiar, as if in that moment he had seen through all of Qin Feng's intentions. At length, he smiled and said quietly, "You are quite the character. I suppose you used Hongyu deliberately to draw me here, didn't you? Well, what is this transaction? Let's hear it."

Qin Feng straightened and replied, "Senior is indeed perceptive—my little scheme could not escape you. It’s like this: I wish to enter the Dragon Pavilion in Tianfeng City to study the books within. I hope to ask for Senior’s assistance."

"And in return..."

As he spoke, Qin Feng produced an object from his storage ring.

At its appearance, Qin Tianshu’s previously indifferent gaze sharpened dramatically.

"That’s it!"

...