Ten Thousand Living Buddhas

Qin Kun's power collapsed under the tacit cooperation of the "unknown forces" and the "Wang family".

His wealth, accumulated over the years, has shrunk dramatically. More importantly, his prestige and control in the Southeast region have plummeted, making him almost a pariah.

However, a cornered dog will do anything.

Qin Lingfeng and Jiang Manyan both underestimated the destructive power that a fool in dire straits could unleash.

With red eyes, Qin Kun smashed everything he could get his hands on. He couldn't pinpoint the exact source of that "unknown force."

But the local business owner, "Wang Jia," who suddenly became active and frequently tripped him up, became the clear target for him to vent all his anger.

What's more, that young man from the Wang family, "Wang Ping'an," is currently living in that rather mysterious private residence outside the city!

He disregarded all rules, mobilized all available manpower, and even offered huge profits to collude with several local forces that were deeply intertwined with his interests and equally tyrannical. He gathered a team of desperados and headed straight for Qin Lingfeng's private residence!

It happened so suddenly!!

That evening, the lights had just been lit in the private residence, and dinner had not yet been served. Qin Lingfeng was chatting idly with Jiang Manyan in the hall, discussing nothing more than romantic matters and business matters.

Suddenly, several shrill screams and the sharp clang of clashing weapons rang out from outside the courtyard! Immediately afterwards, shouts of battle and the sounds of impacts filled the air!

"What's going on?!" Jiang Manyan suddenly stood up, her expression changing slightly.

Qin Lingfeng's expression darkened; he instantly recognized the sounds of a large-scale attack.

He immediately realized that it was likely Qin Kun's frantic counterattack! He was about to order his men to fight the enemy with all their might and escort Jiang Manyan away through the secret passage.

The hall door was suddenly kicked open! Three or four thugs with blood on their faces and fierce expressions rushed in, their eyes instantly locking onto the two of them!

"That's them! Take them down!" the leader shouted, swinging his sword at Qin Lingfeng, who was closest to him!

Qin Lingfeng's eyes turned cold, and he instinctively tried to dodge and counterattack. With his skills, avoiding the attack and subduing his opponent would be a piece of cake.

However, just a split second before he made his move, a thought flashed through his mind: At this moment, he was "Cloth Merchant Shen Lingfeng"! An ordinary merchant should not have such nimble skills!

Even this one in ten thousand hesitation!

To Jiang Manyan, who was standing to the side, it was clear that the "weak" young master Shen was stunned and stood frozen in place, not knowing how to dodge! The gleaming blade was about to strike!

"careful!"

Images of the two people in two different places flashed through Jiang Manyan's mind, along with the secret token in Jiang Zhong's hand! Almost instinctively, he lunged at Qin Lingfeng!

"Ugh—!"

A suppressed groan of pain rang out.

It wasn't a knife wound. Rather, it was a sneak attack by a cold arrow that shot through the window the instant Jiang Manyan pushed Qin Lingfeng away!

Originally intended as a fatal blow aimed at Qin Lingfeng's back, it instead pierced deep below his shoulder blade due to Jiang Manyan's lunge!

Blood gushed out instantly, staining his plain clothes red...

Time seemed to stand still at that moment.

Qin Lingfeng stumbled as Jiang Manyan tackled him, and when he turned around, he saw the still trembling arrow feathers, Jiang Manyan's instantly pale face, and the rapidly spreading crimson color!

An unprecedented panic and rage instantly swept over him! Disguise! Mission! To hell with it all!

"Peace!" Qin Lingfeng cried out, his eyes instantly filled with bloodlust.

He caught Jiang Manyan, who had collapsed, in his arms, his voice trembling without him even realizing it.

The thugs who rushed in were taken aback by Qin Lingfeng's sudden change in demeanor due to this turn of events.

In that brief moment of surprise, a murderous glint flashed in Qin Lingfeng's eyes!

Qin Lingfeng carefully shielded Jiang Manyan behind him.

When he looked up again, his aura changed drastically! He was no longer the gentle and refined cloth merchant with a touch of nonchalance, but the heir of the Qin family who had walked through mountains of corpses and seas of blood!

Qin Lingfeng didn't even use a weapon. His figure flashed like a ghost. There were only a few teeth-grinding sounds of bones cracking and screams. The thugs who rushed in fell to the ground in various contorted positions and couldn't get up!

"Leave no one alive!"

Qin Lingfeng gave a stern order to his guards who rushed in upon hearing the noise, his voice as cold as ice!

The outcome of the ensuing battle was a foregone conclusion. Qin Lingfeng had brought only the elite of the elite, while Qin Kun had gathered nothing more than a rabble.

The attack was quickly suppressed, and all the attackers were either killed or captured.

But Qin Lingfeng had no time to spare.

He carefully scooped up Jiang Manyan, who was somewhat delirious from blood loss and pain, and strode towards the inner room, his voice filled with unprecedented urgency: "Doctor! Quickly call a doctor!"

The arrow under Jiang Manyan's shoulder was carefully removed, and the wound was treated with the best wound medicine.

He lay on the couch, his face pale, his forehead beaded with cold sweat, his honey-brown eyes glistening with tears from the pain, the corners of his eyes red, but he was conscious!

The skill Shen Lingfeng displayed just now! It's definitely not something an ordinary family could cultivate; it's the Qin family's!

Jiang Zhong's secret letter: The current head of the Qin family is Qin Moxuan's son, who is resolute, decisive, and possesses both benevolence and courage.

He acts decisively and has extraordinary methods, yet he is always compassionate, unlike ordinary playboys.

Qin Lingfeng sat on the edge of the bed and gently wiped the sweat from his forehead with a warm cloth, his movements incredibly gentle.

Qin Lingfeng's face was even more pale than Jiang Manyan's, his eyes filled with lingering fear, guilt, and an indescribable tremor.

His lingering fear stemmed from his inability to imagine what would have happened if the arrow had struck a vital spot...

The guilt stemmed from his impure motives, but his feelings for Jiang Manyan were genuine...

The flutter in your heart stems from the sweet feeling of being "protected" by the person you're attracted to...

My heart skipped a beat, then suddenly raced...

“You…” The two spoke almost simultaneously.

"Why did you..." and it happened at the same time.

Qin Lingfeng took a deep breath.

He spoke first, his voice hoarse: "Why didn't you dodge? I could have handled that blow."

Qin Lingfeng now deeply regretted his momentary hesitation; otherwise, Jiang Manyan would never have been injured.

Jiang Manyan smiled weakly, but her tone carried a hint of reproach.

“Young Master Shen… how can you, a mere cloth merchant, possibly handle this? I thought you were scared out of your wits…”

Qin Lingfeng looked at him, at those honey-brown eyes that were even more moist and bright because of his injury, in which his own image was clearly reflected.

That reckless lunge, that subconscious, worried reproach... all the probing and pretense seemed so pale and laughable at this moment.

Qin Lingfeng suddenly didn't want to act anymore. Perhaps at first, he was indeed captivated by Jiang Manyan's beauty, but after spending time together these past few days...

The person before him was intelligent, cunning, and quick-witted... everything about him captivated him, and that selfless leap warmed him from his chest to his fingertips...

He desperately wanted this person to stay by his side genuinely, without any scheming or plotting...

Qin Lingfeng slowly reached out his hand, his fingertips gently brushing across the uninjured side of Jiang Manyan's cheek, his gesture filled with immense tenderness.

“I’m sorry,” he said softly, his gaze intense, filled with unmistakable seriousness and apology, “I’ve lied to you for so long.”

Jiang Manyan's heart suddenly pounded, and she stared at him blankly.

His eyes were also full of anticipation.

"My name is not Shen Lingfeng."

Qin Lingfeng spoke each word frankly, "My surname is Qin, Qin Lingfeng. I come from the Qin family in the central district. I came south to the southeast for two reasons: first, to purge family parasites like Qin Kun, and second..."

He paused, somewhat hesitant to speak, and looked at Jiang Manyan with a complicated expression, "By order of the family, I have taken over Jinxi Town."

Every word struck Jiang Manyan's heart like a small hammer; it was just as she had imagined!

Jiang Manyan had guessed the other party's identity, and it turned out that he was indeed the young master of the Qin family in the central district. His target was indeed Jinxi Town!

The expected anger did not arise immediately.

What occupied Jiang Manyan's mind was Qin Lingfeng's undisguised guilt and lingering fear, as well as the deep, almost overflowing emotions in his eyes.

Fine! Dealing with one will only lead to another; it's better to seize upon this "compassionate and not-so-spoiled Qin Lingfeng."

“So…” Jiang Manyan heard her own voice become somewhat hoarse, “those ‘unknown forces’ that were secretly targeting Qin Kun…”

"It's me," Qin Lingfeng admitted.

“Then you knew I was…” Jiang Manyan pursed her lips.

"Mm." Qin Lingfeng nodded.

His fingertips lingered on Jiang Manyan's cheek with affection.

"When I examined your clothes while you were unconscious, I saw that unique secret mark on them, the one belonging to the core members of the three towns, and I guessed it. Later... it was just confirmation."

Jiang Manyan closed her eyes, her feelings complex and indescribable.

It turns out that from the very beginning, he had been acting right under the other person's nose. How ridiculous that he thought he had disguised himself perfectly.

But... Jiang Manyan opened her eyes again and looked at Qin Lingfeng.

This person clearly came with a mission, and could have done many things while I was injured, unconscious, or trusted him.

He chose the most troublesome option—accompanying, testing, and even exposing his own identity to protect himself when he was in danger.

It might really be worth a try!

Especially her own reckless lunge just now made Jiang Manyan realize that she also had feelings for this person.

"The second task," Jiang Manyan asked softly, with a hint of barely perceptible probing, "is to seize Jinxi Town... How do you plan to do it?"

Qin Lingfeng looked at him intently, then suddenly leaned down and gently pressed his forehead against his, their breaths audible.

"That mission..."

Qin Lingfeng's voice was low and resonant, carrying a sense of relief and sincerity.

"I had already failed when I discovered that 'Jiang Shanren' was you."

"Qin Lingfeng cannot take anything away from you."

He paused, his tone becoming firm yet gentle.

"But perhaps I can... cooperate with Jinxi Town, and with you, in a different way."

Jiang Manyan's heart trembled suddenly, and a huge, indescribable warm current and bittersweet feeling welled up in her heart.

Jiang Manyan was silent for a moment, and when she spoke again, her voice carried a hint of barely perceptible sob and relief.

"Jinxi Town... welcomes any friend who comes with sincerity."

Jiang Manyan tilted her head slightly, enduring the shoulder pain, and gently grasped Qin Lingfeng's hand with her uninjured hand.

“Young Master Qin,” Jiang Manyan looked at him, her eyes finally shedding all pretense, revealing the sincerity of “Jiang Manyan” and a hint of cunning of “Wang Ping’an.”

"Once I am better, would you do me the honor of visiting and showing me the hospitality of a host? I'm sure the scenery of the three towns will not disappoint you."

Outside the window, the sounds of fighting had long since subsided, with only the gentle night breeze blowing...

As the carriage entered the territory of Jinxi Town, Qin Lingfeng keenly sensed the change in atmosphere.

The roads here are smooth and wide, the crops in the fields are growing well, and although the people passing by are not dressed in fancy clothes, they have rosy complexions and bright eyes, exuding a vibrant energy.

The closer you get to the town center, the more pronounced this sense of prosperity and tranquility becomes.

When the carriage finally stopped in front of the Jiang residence, and Jiang Manyan stepped down first, Qin Lingfeng truly witnessed what it meant to be a "living Buddha to all families."