The sky was overcast, and a lightning bolt surged toward Qin Feng's head. Without hesitation, he dove into the small tripod, leaving behind a golden chime cup that manifested his image outside. Crack! The lightning struck the manifested Qin Feng on the head. Master Mili continued to direct the lightning, intensifying each successive strike. When the fourth lightning bolt hit the "Qin Feng," he realized something was off—perhaps he had been tricked again. After all, the opponent had taken four strikes yet remained unharmed. He halted the lightning spell, and the real Qin Feng immediately emerged from the tripod, holding a lightning scroll. You can generate lightning—so can I! Crack… Master Mili was scorched at multiple points, his hair standing on end. He shouted angrily, "Boy, show me some courage and fight me face to face! Hiding behind your shield is no hero's feat!" Qin, the young lord, countered firmly, "You, a guy running a blacksmith shop, dare to speak of heroism?" Thunder and lightning. Mai Li continued his previous spell, sending lightning bolt after lightning bolt at his opponent. Qin Dashi once again proved quite unscrupulous, dodging once more and leaving behind a false version of himself. Mai Li was furious—he had sustained serious injuries and lost tremendous spiritual energy, yet he had failed to touch even a single hair of the opponent. It was truly heartbreaking. Moreover, as soon as Mai Li's attacks ceased, Qin Feng would suddenly emerge from an unexpected direction and strike him successfully. He realized that continuing this way was not sustainable—he was certain he would be worn down and eventually defeated. Thus, he decided to follow the ancient strategy: retreat. He started running, but when he reached the front of the mist, all that remained on his face was a wry smile. He had no idea how to proceed, for the mist had thirty-six distinct configurations, and he had not been informed of which one Xiao Er had activated. Qin Da, standing by, laughed loudly and arrogantly, "You're a fool, aren't you? That's exactly what happens when you lift a stone to throw it at your own foot—want to escape, do you? Forget it!" "Hey, don't act so confident," said the plump Mílè, now reduced to mere stubbornness, gripping his flying sword and charging forward again. Facing Qin Da, who had been diligently preparing, although Mílè's level was significantly higher, he now found himself genuinely at a disadvantage and with no chance to recover. Clang! The two flying swords collided in the air. Due to Mílè's insufficient spiritual energy, the green-steel sword gained the upper hand in this encounter. "Seal of Immobility," Qin Feng used his incantation at the opportune moment, and Mílè's movements slowed by half a beat. By the time he reacted, he had already been struck. For a cultivator of Mílè's level, the Seal of Immobility only lasted a few seconds. Though brief, it was enough to prove fatal. Qin Feng seized the opportunity; his jade sword spun through the air and severed the fat Mílè's neck, sending his spherical head rolling to the ground. His spiritual essence, just emerging from his dantian, was instantly caught by Qin's younger brother who rushed up. Grasping the essence by the throat, he smiled, "Mílè, you mustn't have imagined you'd die like this, have you?" "Young man, even if I become a ghost, I won't let you off!" Mílè shrieked. "Very well, then, I'll give you the chance to become a ghost." With a firm squeeze, the spiritual essence burst, dispersing into fine dust. He went to the wine cellar, pulled the waiter's body out, laid it beside Mílè, restored the mist to its original state, and discovered thirty-six methods for resolving the mist on the stone mill, taking photographs of each. Finally, he lifted Lin Caivé from the small cauldron and carried her back to her original room, where she resumed her nap. The next morning, Lin Nüwei stretched lazily and woke up, completely unaware of what had happened the previous night. The two bodies outside startled her, and she turned back, shouting, "Fengge, something's wrong! Both Maitreya and the young attendant have been killed!" The old Lin's face turned grim, and everyone else looked somber, some even ready to take up the cause of the plump Maitreya. "Why?" Lin Feng demanded loudly. Qin Feng replied, "Because he runs a black operation—everyone will naturally doubt my word, and you'll see the proof right away!" He waved his hand, and a box containing his flying swords landed before the group, along with a ledger personally compiled by the plump Maitreya. The ledger clearly listed every person he had slain, with precise dates and times. The crowd remained skeptical. Suddenly, one person shouted, "My son's flying sword—my son has been missing for thirty years. The whole family thought he was meditating somewhere. Could it be that he..." Someone quickly flipped to a page and read aloud, "On the third day of the sixth month of the Xin Chou year, at three hours of the night, Xu Yunxiao was killed. One flying sword, one meditation seal, and several vials of medicine were taken!" "Ah." The man screamed, for the grief of losing a child was equally a fatal blow to a venerable cultivator. Lin Fenglei frowned, gazing at the other flying swords inside the chest, and said, "Indeed, I never expected it—Master Maitreya, so seemingly sincere and devoted, has betrayed so many of his peers. He is truly guilty beyond measure!" "Yes, many of the missing had even come here seeking answers, and no one suspected Master Maitreya of being behind it." The other elder replied. "By the way, Old Lin, the records show numerous items—herbal medicines, talismans, and magical artifacts—yet only these flying swords remain," the elder asked. Qin Dashi spoke with serious demeanor, "I have only found the account books and the flying swords. As for the other items, I haven't been able to locate them. I suspect either they were spent by the plump Mílè, or hidden somewhere else. This is my oversight—I failed to interrogate him before killing him. He is simply too difficult to handle. With my limited capabilities, capturing him alive would have been impossible!"