True Solution of the Sword Dao
Chapter 227 - 217 Weakness One

Chapter 227: Chapter 217 Weakness One

Lion King Hotel

Cheng Nianwei looked out the door with puzzlement as Lin Fei departed with two individuals whose auras were quite strange.

At the dining table nearby, Shi Ran, Du Xiaosheng, and a few other girls were chatting animatedly, creating a lively atmosphere.

"Who are these people Lin Fei is dealing with? Why do I get the feeling that they’re a bit odd?" Cheng Nianwei asked Shi Ran.

The latter hesitated for a moment.

"Not sure. We’ve all only known each other for a few days. We’re not familiar with one another."

"I also feel like Lin Fei seems a bit too mature for his age." Du Xiaosheng chimed in. "I guess that’s why he’s hanging out with grown-ups."

"Perhaps," Shi Ran agreed with a slight nod.

Cheng Nianwei turned back to glance at the front door.

Apart from a few guests who had just entered, Lin Fei and the two had vanished without a trace.

She always felt that there was something very peculiar about the temperament of those two individuals, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was.

***************

Wu Family

In the manor where the Divine Artifact resided.

"They went out?"

Wu Siyun sipped his beer slowly, as if savoring fine wine. As one of the heads of the family’s subdivisions, he held a status equal to Wu Haiyi, just below the future Clan Leader Wu Yanqing. The status among the heads of the subdivisions was perfectly equal.

"Yes. Qingzhu and his people were persistent. The Senior Clan Leader and the Second Clan Leader had no choice but to meet their challenge," Wu Haiyi said quietly, leaning on the windowsill. "Although these next couple of days are crucial as that person will definitely come, when comparing both sides, the Forest of the Sky and Jinneng Temple are the ones we really need to deal with."

"The situation is urgent."

"Indeed, it’s urgent," Wu Haiyi glanced at Wu Siyun’s cup of beer. "I admire that you can savor a cheap beer like it’s a top-notch red wine. As long as you wish, you can experience whichever feelings and sensations you desire. Such an ability is truly enviable."

Wu Siyun smiled and said, "It’s okay. As long as I’ve truly savored something once, I can recall that sensation and recreate it anytime. What I’m tasting now is indeed top-level red wine, not beer, and it would be the same if it were just tap water in my glass."

"Our Wu Family was too overconfident this time," Wu Haiyi sighed. "I didn’t expect that there would be such formidable powers hidden within Hua Nation, with the Forest of the Sky, Jinneng Temple, and the Ice and Snow Kingdom—any one of these forces is not to be trifled with. We’ve stirred up a hornet’s nest because our actions were too noticeable."

"No worries, as long as we still have the Divine Artifact components, we can quickly recover no matter what. Have you almost recovered the strength you lost last time?" Wu Siyun smiled.

"Almost. With the help of the Divine Artifact fragment, just having me in the Wu Family is enough. After all, we still have our father," Wu Haiyi spoke confidently. "I’ve faced the opponent once and have a rough idea of his level of strength. Even if Blue Fire is our counter, as long as the two elders are there, we can still achieve our goal."

***************

The late afternoon bustle was as vibrant as ever in Kyoto City.

Having left the Lion King Hotel, the Scarlet Hand gave a light snap of his fingers, and a faint red mist enveloped them.

"My Red Mist can avoid most prying eyes. With this state, we can head directly to the Wu Family’s location without a problem," he stated.

"A marvelous power," Yuan Yicheng softly praised. "And very convenient."

"That’s a basic ability," the Scarlet Hand responded indifferently. Having received the seed of True Force, he was now completely free from psychological pressure. He kept exploring and familiarizing himself with this strange and strong power. After all, this was his only hope for the future.

In the noisy streets, people unconsciously stepped aside to let the three of them pass, seemingly slow but extraordinarily fast.

Lin Fei led them at the front.

"The Wu Family’s location is in the suburbs. Given our current speed, it will take us an hour to get there. Once we arrive, we three will directly storm the location of the Divine Artifact. I can precisely locate the Divine Artifact. We need to be swift. We don’t require any plan at a time like this. A mere clash of raw power is sufficient," he said.

"They have the Divine Artifact fragment. The one who possesses the fragment can double their strength and recover very quickly. It’s best not to fight them head-on," the Scarlet Hand disagreed with the plan.

"You just do as you’re told, that’s all you need to do," Yuan Yicheng spoke coldly.

"Who do you think you are, acting arrogant in front of me!" the Scarlet Hand glared at Yuan Yicheng.

"Idiot!" Yuan Yicheng didn’t even look at him. "I’ve just made a breakthrough in the newest level of the Heavenly Net Bright Moon Sword, and it would be good to test it on you."

Since his rebirth, Yuan Yicheng, originally a genius, had been making incredible progress. With some of the scientific theories from this world and communication with Lin Fei, including the movement technique and True Force fluctuations from the Tracing Shadow Sword Art and the newly encountered Star Shattering Sword Art, Yuan Yicheng’s progress was naturally substantial. He had always been a Qi Cultivation Realm Sword Cultivator far surpassing Lin Fei. It was only because of the significant disparity in the Sword Techniques that he narrowly lost to Lin Fei. His advancement with these top-level Sword Arts naturally propelled his growth.

"Enough," Lin Fei said softly, walking in front. "The Wu Family has plenty of strong opponents for you to vent your frustrations on. Don’t turn against your own people."

Both lowered their heads slightly as an invisible force rooted in True Force instantly spread through the Scarlet Hand’s body. Yuan Yicheng was similarly subdued by a pressure from the depths of his spirit, and compliantly acquiesced.

"This time, we cannot afford to fail in seizing the Divine Artifact component. If you have any issues or disputes, resolve them privately afterwards," Lin Fei commanded.

"Understood," Yuan Yicheng responded respectfully.

"Alright."

The Scarlet Hand also calmed down.

The strong have their pride and an absolute confidence in their strength, being the main force and center wherever they go, and they will not tolerate anyone stealing their pride and glory.

Confidence and dignity are the sources of their power. However, when two or more strong individuals are put together, frictions inevitably arise, with each seeing themselves as the indisputable center. Such a gathering will result in intense friction—a competition of atmospheres and auras.

***************

Perimeter of the Wu Family estate

The sky had completely darkened, but the perimeter wall of the estate was still brightly lit, with searchlights continuously sweeping back and forth, resembling the alertness of a military base. Teams of security personnel clad in black riot gear occasionally patrolled the edges. If one observed these security personnel closely, a faint, peculiar aura could be discerned emanating from them—clearly, they were no ordinary individuals.

Tall white walls completely enclosed the estate, obscuring any view of the interior.

In the sky, a vast aura hovered quietly, enveloping the entire area below.

The estate spanned an area equivalent to a residential community; however, unlike a community, it housed only one family—the Wu Family.

The estate was surrounded by mountains on all sides, hidden in the shadowy embrace of the dark hills—an easily concealed location. But now, the strong lights exposed the region as if in broad daylight, making every detail starkly visible. The original intent of concealment had been completely abandoned.

"It looks like the Wu Family has made their preparations for defense. Quite cautious," remarked a voice.

Halfway up the western hillside, a mountain road threaded through the trees, the Red Hand peering through the gaps in the foliage down at the distant Wu Family estate.

"Of course. While my earlier actions have facilitated our locating the Divine Artifact, they’ve also put them on alert. Prepare for a siege," murmured Lin Fei softly.

"The aura inside is very strong. It seems there are worthy opponents," Yuan Yicheng licked his lips, "I’m going in head-on."

"I’m going after that little brat Wu Haiyi. He tricked me last time, I’m going to skin him for a souvenir," the Red Hand sneered viciously.

"No need for such trouble. They’ll surely concentrate their stronger fighters at a single point, where the Divine Artifact is located. We just need to charge in directly and get there," Lin Feipeng said calmly.

"Let’s go."

From the shadows, three figures suddenly vanished and reappeared far away. In a flash, they drew nearer and nearer to the Wu Family estate.

From a distance, the entire estate looked like a square white frame.

***************

"Do you know why the head of the family suddenly called us back?" a member of the patrol team asked quietly.

His companion, just like him, was a high-level family expert summoned back from other places. They were all powerful enough to be ranked and had spent many years as seasoned mercenaries.

"Probably something big is happening," his companion replied in Mandarin with a strange foreign accent—apparently, after staying abroad for a long time, speaking had become somewhat unfamiliar.

The patrol teams operated in groups of five, scattered and following preset routes.

Their route was relatively far from the estate. The surroundings were filled with various bizarre insect calls from time to time, and when the wind blew, a rustling sound arose. For the average person, it would be challenging to distinguish between the sound of leaves or friction, or a mix of both.

One side of their patrol route was near the brightly lit estate, while the other was the dark mountain roads and forest. The estate was situated in a remote area, and even the closest highway required a thirty-minute journey by foot to reach. It could be considered almost inaccessible. The distance from Kyoto City District was also quite far.

"I guess there’s a formidable enemy approaching. Our high-profile return to the Hua Nation surely attracted the backlash of many strong figures. But we’re an Artifact Family; we’re not afraid of attrition wars. Just need to hold out for this period," another team member said softly.

"Unafraid of attrition wars?"

Suddenly, a voice came from the darkness.

"Who is it!!!"

"Alert!"

"Ah!!"

The shrill alarm went off instantaneously. The entire estate suddenly became like a disturbed wasps’ nest, shifting from previous order to now rapidly mobilizing and retracting its members.

Yuan Yicheng looked down at the five bodies lying on the ground. Each had been cleaved in two from the waist, with blood and viscera spilled all around. The faint, peculiar aura they carried was slowly dissipating.

"That’s right, cause a ruckus, make some noise. That’s what makes it more challenging," he said with a smile, holding a snow-white longsword with gold patterns in his right hand, its blade not even unsheathed yet.

From behind him in the shadows, two figures slowly emerged.

*****************************

Deep beneath the estate.

In a darkened room, a burly middle-aged man sat cross-legged in front of a circular golden entrance at the center of the room.

The golden entrance swirled with countless tiny threads of gold, as if leading to another world, with the unceasing flow of golden filaments subtly emitting an immense aura.

The room was eerily quiet except for the faint hissing sounds.

Suddenly, a piercing alarm rang out within the room.

The burly figure immediately opened his eyes.

"They’ve come." (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to Qidian.com to cast your recommendation votes and Monthly Tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)