"Young hero, please come inside and let's talk it over."

Tong Xiangyu, worried that Lin Feng might call for help, quickly tried to get on his good side, pulling him into the inn.

Lin Feng didn't refuse, swaggering into the inn.

Tong Xiangyu then had someone close the door and announced that they were closing for the day.

The customers still eating inside sensed something was off, quickly got up, and left without paying, as if it was muscle memory, leaving the passersby outside puzzled.

Tong Xiangyu respectfully invited Lin Feng to sit down for a chat, and Guo Furong brought over a cup of fine tea.

Lin Feng calmly took a sip from the cup and smacked his lips, "Not bad tea."

"Hehe, this is top-grade Longjing tea. If you like it, I have half a pound more in the store. You can take it home and enjoy it slowly," Tong Xiangyu said with a smile.

Lin Feng feigned disdain, slamming the cup on the table, "Do you take me for a three-year-old? You think a bit of tea can block my father's path to promotion?"

Tong Xiangyu's eyes lit up at Lin Feng's words, sensing there might be a chance here.

"Young hero, you've misunderstood. This tea is just a small token. As for Zhantang's identity, as long as you keep it a secret, you can have whatever you want. Please wait a moment."

With that, Tong Xiangyu hurried upstairs and soon came down with a bundle, placing it in front of Lin Feng.

"This is all my savings, over five hundred taels. If you're still not satisfied, I have some antiques in the store you can take as well."

Lin Feng glanced at the bag full of silver, pushing it away with disdain, "Do you think I'm a country bumpkin who's never seen money? This amount is nothing in the Capital City. My family earns ten times this amount just from kickbacks."

"Ten times? Five thousand taels? You're trying to kill me..." Tong Xiangyu cried.

"Kid! Don't be too greedy! Five thousand taels, why don't you just rob us!" Li Dazui shouted angrily.

Scholar Lü couldn't help but scold, "Confucius once said, the hypocritical are the thieves of virtue, rotten wood cannot be carved, and a wall of dung cannot be plastered!"

Faced with everyone's scolding, Lin Feng remained calm and indifferent, which only fueled their anger further.

Guo Furong slammed the table and shouted, "Old Bai, why don't we just kill this kid and destroy the evidence?"

"I agree, I'll get a kitchen knife and chop him up for easy disposal."

Li Dazui immediately played along, pretending to head to the kitchen.

"Too much blood from dismembering, better to cremate him, that way the evidence is destroyed." Scholar Lü agreed.

"I agree, let's do it."

"Hahaha..."

Faced with their threats, Lin Feng laughed heartily, his laughter wild and unrestrained.

"You can still laugh when you're about to die?" Scholar Lü was surprised.

Lin Feng crossed his legs leisurely, "Kill me? Sure, plenty of people outside saw me enter this inn. My father is just at Eighteen Mile Village. If you kill me, let's see if he doesn't come knocking. Oh, and I forgot to mention, I reported to Magistrate Lou before coming here."

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Everyone immediately deflated, realizing that intimidation wouldn't work.

"Enough! I'll go with you, just don't involve them. I did it, and I'll take responsibility."

Bai Zhantang made his decision, with a sense of facing death unflinchingly.

"Old Bai~ you can't go, I can't live without you~" Tong Xiangyu cried.

"Old Bai, you can't go with him, you'll be doomed forever."

"Old Bai..."

The inn was filled with wailing, and Bai Zhantang regretted ever becoming a thief.

Seeing the atmosphere was right, Lin Feng decided to drop the act and lay his cards on the table.

"If you want me to let him go, it's not impossible."

"Really? What are your conditions? Just say it, as long as we can do it, we won't hesitate!"

Tong Xiangyu immediately expressed her willingness to fight for Bai Zhantang as long as there was a glimmer of hope.

Feeling it was about time, Lin Feng stopped pretending.

"I want your 'Sunflower Acupoint Striking Hand' and 'Treading on Snow Without a Trace.'"

Everyone was a bit surprised, including Bai Zhantang.

"Brother, why do you want my martial arts?"

"To practice martial arts, of course."

"Your father is with Department Six, there's plenty of martial arts there, why come to me?"

The clever Bai Zhantang was suspicious again.

Lin Feng thought it wouldn't be that simple, so he had to keep up the act.

"To be honest, I've been weak and sickly since childhood, with poor innate talent. The doctor said I can't practice martial arts, not fit for it, so my father never taught me and forbade me from practicing."

"Then why are you asking for my martial arts?" Bai Zhantang asked, puzzled.

Lin Feng shrugged, "I can't help it, my ambitions are high. I aspire to be a Great Hero. My father won't let me learn, so I have to learn secretly, which is why I'm asking you."

Bai Zhantang fell into deep thought. Although Lin Feng's reason seemed reasonable, he still felt something was off.

Tong Xiangyu, however, didn't think much of it, pulling Bai Zhantang aside to persuade him quietly, "Zhantang, just pass your martial arts to him. It's not like you'll lose anything. You've retired from the martial world anyway, it doesn't matter if he learns."

"Yeah, Old Bai, he's not asking for your internal strength, just two martial arts manuals. Your life is more important."

"I agree, with his poor innate talent, he probably won't be able to learn them anyway."

Everyone suggested Bai Zhantang agree.

Bai Zhantang thought it over and realized it was just two manuals, and it was worth it for his freedom.

"Fine! I agree, but remember, if you break your promise and leak this, my Sunflower Sect is not to be trifled with!"

Bai Zhantang finally agreed, went back to his room, and retrieved two manuals, tossing them in front of Lin Feng.

Lin Feng suppressed his excitement and calmly picked them up to read.

[Martial Arts Manual: Sunflower Acupoint Striking Hand (Mid Profound Grade)]

[Martial Arts Origin: Fingers like the wind, swift as lightning, one of the Sunflower Sect's signature martial arts, capable of sealing acupoints to control the enemy]

[Martial Arts Description: Control time depends on the enemy's strength. The weaker the enemy, the longer the control. Mastery allows acupoint striking from a distance and can cause internal injuries]

[Martial Arts Effect: Basic Force +120 points, initial control time up to 10 seconds.]

[Martial Arts Consumption: 70 internal strength per use, 20-second cooldown]

[Learning Requirement: Innate Talent above 45 points]

[Martial Arts Manual: Treading on Snow Without a Trace (High Profound Grade)]

[Martial Arts Origin: Invisible and traceless, one of the Sunflower Sect's signature martial arts, capable of moving silently and scaling walls]

[Martial Arts Description: Greatly enhances movement speed, leaves no trace, can leap twenty Chinese feet off the ground, and land safely from fifty Chinese feet]

[Martial Arts Effect: Basic Agility +175 points, greatly enhances initial speed and jumping ability]

[Martial Arts Consumption: 20 internal strength per second, no cooldown]

[Learning Requirement: Innate Talent above 50 points]

In "The Grand Martial World," martial arts manuals are divided into five grades: Common, Yellow, Profound, Earth, and Heaven, each with three levels: upper, middle, and lower.

Most players in their lifetime only learn Common or Yellow grade martial arts, with very few able to learn Profound grade.

Those who learn Earth grade are already renowned strong players.

As for Heaven grade, no one has achieved it yet.

Even the strongest player, Chen Qunsheng's signature skills, Crossing the River on a Reed and Mighty Vajra Palm, are only Earth grade.

Yet Lin Feng, a novice player, obtained two Profound grade manuals on his first day. If word got out, players worldwide would be insanely jealous.

"Not bad, not bad. A man's word is his bond. I'll keep your identity a secret, and I'll tell my father not to come to Seven Heroes Town."

After reading the manuals, Lin Feng happily stashed them away.

Hearing this, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Then we won't see you off, take care."

Bai Zhantang still wore a cold expression, directly issuing an eviction order.

Lin Feng had threatened him and taken his martial arts manuals through such despicable means, no one would give him a friendly face.

Fortunately, Lin Feng had thick skin and didn't mind.

With his weakling talent, if he wanted to become a martial arts master, he had to use some tricks.

He cupped his hands to everyone and prepared to leave.

But before he left, his gaze fell on Guo Furong.

This woman also had a good martial art, but how should he trick her...