Chapter 19 Exceptional Excellence (Part 7) "My name is Lin Feiran." (...)

Biqing and Xuanzhen were slightly taken aback. They looked at her through the mist, not seeing her clearly, but they already understood Lin Feiran's meaning.

She was determined to fight this man alone.

Although Jiang Jin couldn't see anything clearly, he heard the conversation. He fanned the fog in his eyes and immediately said, "She's good at stalling for time. Don't be fooled by her. Our priority now is to take her away. Delay will only make things worse!"

Upon hearing this, Xuanzhen and Biqing were startled and immediately looked at the white jade bell hanging at their waists.

The bell rang. Xun Feifei and the others would not fail to come after agreeing. The only possibility was that the Lord had stopped them.

Jiang Jin finally realized what was going on and burst into laughter: "Useless wretch, even in the demon realm, no one is on your side."

"So what if there's no one here? Even if no one is with me, I still have myself, and I still have these two hands!"

Throughout her life, she faced countless dangers and hardships, but she never retreated even a single step. Even if the heavens were to crush her and she were to be shattered to pieces, she would never bend an inch!

She raised her arrow and pointed it forward: "Again!"

Mu Qian looked at her and chuckled for some reason. It didn't mean much; he just found it funny.

She was clearly just a cultivator at the Silent Meditation Realm.

"Little girl, with your imposing manner, I'm starting to think we're the bad guys."

As he finished speaking, the surrounding mist gradually condensed, and one "Mu Qian" after another appeared, each holding a dagger of the same type, wearing the same cloak, and with a smile on their lips.

Guess who the ghost is?

The next moment, dozens of Mu Qian attacked, but Lin Feiran did not retreat. Instead, he held a long arrow and charged straight at them.

The blue-tinged refined iron clashed with the dagger, producing a crisp, metallic sound. Although two fists can't beat four hands, Lin Feiran's movements were simply too skillful.

The arrow, as sharp as a cold star, grazed the edge of the dagger, then suddenly slashed back, the hooked tip of the arrow instantly flipping the dagger. Without hesitation, she moved closer and immediately slammed her knee into the dagger's abdomen, only managing to disperse a cloud of white mist.

The arrow in his hand immediately spun past, shattering the afterimages, and the crudely made daggers fell to the ground with a clattering sound.

"What a pity. These daggers aren't valuable, but buying a lot of them isn't cheap either." Mu Qian's voice came, sometimes loud and sometimes soft in the increasingly thick white fog, making it difficult to hear clearly.

"However, you are indeed difficult to deal with."

As soon as he finished speaking, five or six more phantom figures emerged from the mist, each wielding a dagger. This time, however, they did not fight together but instead dispersed, attempting to take them down one by one.

Lin Feiran focused intently on the situation, and the next moment he shot out like an arrow, his eyes calm.

With her left hand holding an arrow, a flash of cold light struck one person's chest. As the mist dissipated, a dagger fell from her hand, which she caught and threw in the next instant, piercing straight into another person's forehead. The mist dissipated again, and the dagger, which had passed through the mist, stuck into a crack in the floor tiles, vibrating and making a buzzing sound.

A flash of cold light came from the left. She spun around to avoid it, and with a flick of her right hand, she kicked out with her long leg, striking the phantom's neck. The moment her foot landed, she leaped up again, switching the cold arrow to her right hand and charging straight forward.

There stood a figure raising a hand to fan the mist.

With a clang, the arrowhead met the blade. The slightly rough blade reflected Jiang Jin's wide eyes. He cursed silently, then instantly retreated several meters, drawing his longsword from its sheath, already in a fighting stance.

Lin Feiran ignored him, simply extending her left hand to grab the man's wrist, her clear eyes looking straight at him: "Got you."

Instead of chasing ghosts, it's better to lay bait and let the ghost walk right into your trap.

Mu Qian's pupils contracted slightly, then he chuckled and said, "You've set up a trap, haven't you? So what if you catch one? We didn't agree on any reward for catching a ghost. Besides, don't forget which of us is the ghost waiting to be caught."

He grabbed Lin Feiran's wrist and shouted, "Jiang Jin, do it! I admit what you said before, she is indeed troublesome, the sooner we get out of here, the better!"

"I told you so! I've known her for so many years, do you think I don't know what kind of person she is?" Jiang Jin pulled a rope from his arm and rushed towards the two of them. "Hold her tight!"

Mu Qian looked at Lin Feiran, about to speak, but she suddenly swayed, and the balance of power immediately shifted. Although he was still holding her, he was also pulled behind her, and his left arm was pulled back into a bow shape, making it difficult for him to let go.

Lin Feiran suddenly laughed: "Who said the river is all bait? It's true that you're using bait, but you seem to have misjudged the hook."

She was the bait, and what she had to do was make Mu Qian return the blow that had struck his right shoulder earlier!

With the silver arrow raised high, a cold, star-like arrow fell towards him. Mu Qian immediately formed a hand seal and unleashed a burst of spiritual power. Lin Feiran leaped away, but was also cut half an inch on Mu Qian's shoulder, bleeding profusely.

Mu Qian immediately concealed his figure, and several phantoms rushed out from around him, their momentum fierce, seemingly enraged by the attack just now.

Several people surrounded him, and Lin Feiran raised his arrow to meet them. Suddenly, an arrow whistled from afar, shattering several illusory figures.

She was startled and turned to look. Biqing took off the quiver from her back and placed it heavily beside her leg, shattering a few bricks and tiles. She took out three silver arrows from it, drew her bow, and nocked an arrow: "She is not alone."

Jiang Jin sneered: "The reinforcements haven't arrived yet. Don't you understand the real reason? Someone is forbidding you from interfering."

Bi Qing sneered at him, raised her chin, and the sapphire beads in her hair clinked together: "Don't make wild guesses! I don't know why the reinforcements haven't arrived, but I know that Lin Feiran is being bullied, and I can't just ignore it!"

Xuanzhen leaped off the roof, grinning, "The ghost-catching game is so much fun! It's too lonely to play alone, let's join in!"

As soon as he finished speaking, lightning suddenly appeared beneath his feet, and in an instant he swept out like a gust of wind, appearing dozens of meters away. He clenched his hand into a claw and pressed it directly onto the man's shoulder.

"We've got him!"

Under his command was Mu Qian, who was receiving treatment for his injuries.

Xuanzhen peeked at him and asked with a smile, "No matter how realistic the phantom is, it won't get hurt or bleed. How about that, isn't my nose right?"

Mu Qian felt a pang of heartache, regretting that he hadn't had someone tell his fortune before he left! Who knew that coming to capture a little girl would lead to encountering a demon envoy? What bad luck!

He casually tore off the bandage, then struck out with a backhand hand gesture. Xuan Zhen immediately dodged, and he took the opportunity to disperse again.

The smell of blood was strong, and the man was extremely fast. He could catch up with the man almost as soon as he moved away. For a while, he was chasing and fleeing, and it seemed that he could not escape. He had no choice but to create a phantom image to fight against the real man again.

"Jiang Jin, remember to tell your Commander Daohe Gong to give me more money!"

Jiang Jin was caught between dealing with Lin Feiran's attacks and dodging the highly accurate arrows, and he was so busy that he shouted angrily, "Go and tell them yourself!"

Lin Feiran kept attacking Jiang Jin with her hands, but her eyes were glancing at Mu Qian. To break this illusion array, the first thing to do was to seriously injure this person. Of course, the most important thing was that she wanted to return the attack she had just received.

In the past, she would have explained to this person that she was not a thief, that she was not a cripple, and just like in the past at Sanqing Mountain, no matter what happened, she would have been the first to endure it, not wanting to cause trouble for others.

Taihui and others often said, "The highest good is like water. Water benefits all things without striving, and dwells in places that others disdain, thus it is close to the Way."

They say that those who cultivate the Tao must have a broad mind and must guard against arrogance and impetuosity. The pure will remain pure, and the impure will remain impure.

They also said that belligerent people damage their moral character. The mind is like a millstone, and slander is like sand. Patience is cultivation. When one is slandered, one should constantly internalize and temper oneself, constantly reflect on oneself, and cultivate oneself with kindness.

She used to think it was absolutely right that people should reflect on themselves in order to move forward, but when she saw Ru Xian acting so arrogantly and wantonly, a thought suddenly popped into her mind.

Can't a person reflect on their own actions while simultaneously slapping back?

Are these two things in conflict? Is slapping back necessarily unkind?

Obviously not.

If someone insults you, slap them back immediately, then reflect on your actions and cultivate your mind. What's wrong with that?

Lin Feiran spoke up, "Biqing, can I borrow a few arrows from you?"

Biqing, who was chasing after Jiang Jin, asked upon hearing this, "How many do you want?"

Lin Feiran said, "Borrow as much as you have."

Bi Qing was slightly taken aback, then burst into laughter: "Of course! According to the techniques of my Jade Clan, we can have as many as you want!"

The bow in her hand suddenly enlarged several times, becoming as tall as a person, and the bowstring became tighter. An ordinary person would certainly not be able to draw it, but the Jade Clan was born with copper skin and iron bones, so even if the bowstring strength was increased by several hundred stones, they could still draw it!

She followed with an arrow, her arm guards slightly taut, and easily drew the bow to its full extent, producing a creaking sound that made one's teeth ache.

"With one arrow, a general falls!"

With a few sharp clangs, dozens of silver arrows flew out, only to suddenly scatter and fall overhead. The arrowheads gleamed with a cold light, like cold stars in the sky, and a rain of arrows fell in an instant.

"Xuanzhen, continue!"

As soon as Lin Feiran finished speaking, Xuan Zhen responded and rushed out of the encirclement of the illusory figures, chasing after Mu Qian once again.

Xuan Zhen pressed him too hard, forcing Mu Qian to conjure a phantom image. However, the phantom image was soon shattered by a rain of arrows, and it also consumed a lot of spiritual energy. He couldn't afford to engage in a war of attrition with these three!

We can't wait any longer!

Mu Qianyi grabbed the pirated Panlong Lock to block Xuan Zhen, then turned around and conjured more than a dozen afterimages, all rushing towards Lin Feiran.

In the time it took to strike, Lin Feiran had already completed her sword technique. She spun around and swung her sword, and a sudden gust of wind arose. The falling arrows spontaneously combusted, and the wind blew them even more fiercely.

Jiang Jin's eyes widened, and he murmured, "The Wind and Fire Sword Formation, can it be used with arrows too?!"

I saw it!

Lin Feiran caught a silver arrow and spun around to throw it without hesitation.

The arrow flashed with light and moved with unstoppable force, piercing the sky with a sharp cry as it shot straight toward Mu Qian's left shoulder. Its speed and power were so great that it forced him back several steps and pinned him to the ground!

Mu Qian glanced sideways, somewhat stunned. The silver arrow was embedded in his shoulder. Everything happened so fast that before he could even feel the pain, thin blood was already gushing from the wound.

He frowned, looking at the flames that filled the sky, comparable to the blazing sun, and understood.

The truth and the falsehood are intertwined, but the false can never become the true; once the light shines through, they all reveal their true forms.

If he had known Lin Feiran's personality beforehand, he would have been fully focused during today's duel and would never have lost. Unfortunately, there is no "if only" in the future.

He suffered greatly today because of his arrogance.

Lin Feiran was also in bad shape. He had been fighting for a long time, and with the addition of the Wind and Fire Sword Formation and the attack just now, if he hadn't taken a bottle of Spring Elixir to keep him going, he probably would have collapsed from exhaustion long ago.

She steadied her turbulent spiritual veins, panting as she stepped forward and looked down at him: "This is the blow you owe me just now, I'm returning it to you exactly as it was."

Mu Qian chuckled twice, then coughed up a mouthful of blood: "Little girl, what's your name?"

At this moment, everyone was looking at her, including that seemingly indistinct gaze.

She straightened up, her blood-stained robes fluttering in the wind, her loose black hair reflecting the light. Several silver arrows fell to the ground, condensing into a raging fire that burned incessantly in her clear eyes.

She said, "My name is Lin Feiran. Feiran means outstanding."

As she said this, she did not look at Mu Qian, but instead looked at her own hands, feeling a long-lost sense of clarity in her mind.

Slandered by malicious words and misinterpreted by rumors, she tried to defend herself and appease others, but all to no avail. So she chose to accept it in silence and process it alone. But every time she recalled it, she had to chew it over and swallow it again, like ruminating.

To chew over and over again, to constantly comfort and console oneself, is not as satisfying as slapping someone back on the spot.

Mu Qian lay on the ground, resignedly watching the dissipating mist: "A good name..."

Not far away, Jiang Jin leaned on his sword, looking at the tall and elegant Lin Feiran, and a faint anger flashed through his heart.

It's always like this, it's always the same.

Jiang Jin hadn't paid any attention to Lin Feiran before. She was too low-key and rarely appeared in public. However, the disciples around him often talked about her, and in order to fit in, he would occasionally join the others in making sarcastic remarks.

It wasn't until later, when he accompanied Ji Changying to Beiyuan for training, that he finally got to know her.

At that time, he simply joined the others in mocking this taciturn man who never spoke back, and even took pride in coming up with the homophone "useless person".

She remained silent as always until he called out to the old village chief "a man from the mountains and fields." Only then did she raise her head, her dark eyes reflecting the campfire and the snow, appearing startlingly pale.

He was enraged by that glance and sneered, "What are you looking at? Do you really want to complain to Senior Brother? Who will testify for you?"

The other disciples shifted their gaze.

Lin Feiran looked straight at him and said, “I don’t need anyone to stand up for me or testify. But today, you have to apologize for your words and actions, to me and to the village chief and the others.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Jin realized it was a reprimand and laughed angrily, "To them? We're here to exorcise demons for them; they should be thanking me!"

"So, did you exorcise the demon?"

Lin Feiran spoke bluntly: "This place has been plundered by Xunfeng wolves several times. A section of buildings in the northwest has collapsed. Women and children have been hiding in cellars for years, not daring to come out. Only a few young people and old people are guarding this place, just waiting for our extremely slim chance of arrival."

Otherwise, the people in the nearby villages would have to relocate as a whole. Do you know how many people would die on the road in this kind of snowstorm?

Five people sat silently across the campfire, their thoughts a jumble of emotions. One of them glanced at the old village chief and the two young men, who were bowing their heads, and then his playful expression vanished.

Jiang Jin fell silent not out of regret, but out of shock at being suddenly refuted. After realizing what had happened, he abruptly stood up and shook off the hand that his fellow disciple was holding.

"I didn't realize that the number one person was so sharp-tongued. He usually doesn't say a word, but he always puts on airs in front of Elder Taihui and the others, as if he has suffered a great injustice. I want to see what makes you think you can make me apologize!"

The atmosphere instantly became tense, like a taut bowstring, ready to be released at any moment.

Suddenly, a wolf howl came from afar and grew closer. Lin Feiran immediately stood up, drew his sword, and slashed down a lightning snake that was attacking him.

The remaining lightning bolt knocked over the red-hot stove in the old village chief's hand, causing him to fall backward. He was then helped back by two young men, all of whom looked terrified: "It's...it's that old wolf!"

The other disciples, ignoring Jiang Jin's immense rage, drew their swords and stepped forward: "Impossible! It couldn't have escaped Senior Brother's pursuit... Could it be that it's stronger than Senior Brother?!"

Lin Feiran stood with his sword in hand, concentrating, and said, "No, there is more than one Xunfeng Wolf here."

As soon as she finished speaking, another Xunfeng Wolf slowly emerged from the shadows, head down, stepping on lightning, drooling, and the fishy smell it exhaled was chilling.

Lin Feiran made a quick decision: "One of you should escort the old village chief and the other two back to their cellars, and the other should contact Senior Brother Ji."

In an instant, a Wind Wolf pounced, and a Thunder Serpent suddenly rose beside it, rushing straight towards them.

That was the first time Jiang Jin had faced such a ferocious and bloodthirsty monster. Before he could even draw his sword, the Xunfeng Wolf swatted him aside and bit off half of his leg. Like an old cat teasing a large rat, it circled around him step by step. As it struck again, a sword pierced through from the side, stabbing the Xunfeng Wolf in the eyes and forcing it back.

She glanced at him sideways and said, "Jiang Jin, draw your sword!"

Jiang Jin couldn't do it. He had never felt such pain and panic before, as if his body and bones were shattered, as if the monster would bite off his head at any moment.

Suddenly, she looked at him with a puzzled expression, which quickly turned into understanding. After a moment, she said, "Since you dare not draw your sword, then retreat with the others first."

Jiang Jin looked into her eyes, at her figure. She was clearly just stating facts, but he strangely felt as if he were being looked down upon.

His smugness, his arrogance, his pride were all shattered by that one glance, becoming laughable and insignificant. Thus, her silence became pity, and her turning away became contempt.

Jiang Jin struggled to his feet, trying to draw his sword, but only heard a clanging sound.

The Soaring Sword requires the unwavering courage to reach the heavens, which he lacked.

His disheveled state and cowardice were all seen by her, and on that day, a genuine sense of fear and anger welled up in his heart.

He feared that Lin Feiran would use this as a laughingstock and spread it around, just as they had done to her, so he became more and more aggressive, not daring to let anyone listen to her, and becoming more and more arrogant, wanting to completely erase that look from his dreams.

So, even when Lin Feiran stood right in front of him, he didn't dare to flinch. He just straightened his back and, as always, spoke with his foul mouth: "Lin, you good-for-nothing, we lost this time, but next time..."

Snap!

A crisp slap rang out, the fog finally dissipated, and sunlight shone down. Jiang Jin stood there blankly with a five-finger mark on his head, looking at Lin Feiran in disbelief.

"We'll talk about next time later." Lin Feiran looked at him and waved her hand. "It sounds crisp and pleasant, but unfortunately it's not a pleasant face."

She clenched her fists and threw another punch at Jiang Jin. He wasn't stupid; he immediately dodged to the side and exchanged blows with her, his eyes gradually filled with anger: "What are you doing!"

"That slap just now was for your parents. They never learned anything good growing up and ended up with a foul mouth."

Lin Feiran blocked him without changing his expression, and his fist turned into a palm as it approached his face, making an even crisper sound: "This slap is for my parents, for the name that they placed their blessings on their daughter, and you have slandered it for no reason."

Jiang Jin was forced to retreat step by step. She had probably used all her strength, and his cheeks were burning with pain. She even made him a little dizzy and unable to see her eyes clearly, which made him even angrier.

"Lin the useless man!"

Snap!

"This final slap is for myself, for the past me, for the silent me, for the numb me, for the me who was deceived and humiliated by you!"

With a palm strike imbued with all his might, he slapped Jiang Jin hard across the face, causing him to stagger to the left, his right cheek immediately swelling up.

Lin Feiran took the opportunity to push him to the ground, slammed his head hard, and looked down at him.

"Say it again, what's my name?"

Jiang Jin's dizzy vision blurred, and his dry voice trembled slightly.

"Lin Feiran..."

Jiang Jin felt a sharp pain on his scalp as her fingers tightened, but she just looked at him and said in a deep voice, "Remember it well, the 'Feiran' in 'Feiran Zhuojue' (meaning outstanding and exceptional).

Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 23:00:00 on July 12, 2024 and 21:00:00 on July 13, 2024!

Thank you to the little angel who threw the deep-sea torpedo: Thirteen Wu (1);

Thank you to the little angel who threw the landmine: Heartbroken Little Yi (1);

Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Tianlei Zhenzhen (5 bottles); 64609196 (2 bottles); Taozhiyaoyao, Chenyubai, and Prchtig (1 bottle each);

Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!