Novel Full Chapter 74 Marathon
Chapter 74: Chapter 74 Marathon
Li Ruoxi glanced around the bustling restaurant and let out a quiet sigh of relief when she saw that no one nearby had overheard Lin Feng’s words.
The thought of her secret being revealed to strangers made her stomach tighten, yet she knew it was inevitable that some attention would be drawn toward him.
After all, Lin Feng had become the talk of the city following his audacious display against Li Tianhao yesterday.
And indeed, a few people in the restaurant were sneaking subtle glances at Lin Feng at that very moment.
Taking a deep breath, Li Ruoxi chose to sit back down, smoothing the folds of her tattered clothing as she fixed Lin Feng with a serious, piercing gaze.
Before this encounter, no one had ever managed to see through her techniques.
Her skills had always been shrouded in secrecy.
Yet here was Lin Feng, having seen through her illusions not once, but twice, as if her careful concealments were no obstacle to him.
Each revelation forced her to reconsider everything she thought she knew about him.
Her estimation of his true strength had risen dramatically… he was no ordinary cultivator, and she realized with a jolt that underestimating him could be deadly.
More than just seeing through her techniques, Lin Feng had even discerned her true identity.
He knew both her given name, Li Ruoxi, and her Daoist name, Midnight.
That fact alone unsettled her far more than his power did.
It meant he could penetrate layers of secrecy she had spent years constructing… layers even the most skilled observers had failed to breach.
“How… how did you know it was me?” she asked finally, her voice barely above a whisper.
There was a mixture of curiosity, disbelief, and caution threading through each word.
Her fingers moved subtly, weaving a simple yet effective barrier around the two of them, carefully shielding their conversation from any stray ears in the crowded restaurant.
Lin Feng, calm and unflinching, met her gaze steadily, his expression neutral yet carrying a quiet authority.
“It wasn’t that hard, really,” Lin Feng said, leaning back slightly with a calm, casual smile.
“I just calculated it with my fingers… that’s how I figured out your name. As for recognizing you… I never forget anyone I’ve seen before. Especially someone who has already entered my room and lingered there, snooping on my private matters.”
Li Ruoxi’s fingers tightened around the edge of the table.
Her eyes flickered, a mix of shock, irritation, and disbelief. How could he possibly know?
Her presence in his room had been brief, subtle, perfectly concealed… or so she had thought.
And yet here he was, revealing that he remembered not just her, but every little detail.
Her mind raced, weighing every possibility, searching for a trick, a hidden mark, anything that could explain how he had discovered her.
But she couldn’t find anything at all.
Before she could respond, Lin Feng added another statement, one that sent a shiver down her spine.
“To be at the Foundation Establishment Realm at such a young age… the Li Clan’s fortune must be tremendous in the coming years.”
His smile was still calm, even amused, but to Li Ruoxi, it was like the grin of a cunning and powerful devil… handsome, confident, and utterly terrifying.
The kind of smile that seemed to see everything and predict everything, one that made it impossible to hide anything from him.
She swallowed hard, recalling the significance of his words.
Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators were the top powerhouses in Clear Moon City.
Only the clan patriarchs and matriarchs, a handful of elders, and the dean of Spirit Spring Academy held such positions.
No one outside of her master knew that she had already reached this level.
It was a carefully guarded secret.
And now, Lin Feng knew… not only had he seen through her techniques, but he had also recognized the depth of her cultivation.
Li Ruoxi’s mind raced. For a brief, heated moment, she considered killing him right then and there.
He was a threat, unpredictable and dangerous, a man who could expose her secrets and potentially ruin everything she had worked for.
But as her gaze fell on his sharp, handsome features, the thought faltered.
There was something in his calm eyes, something unreadable, something that told her that predicting or controlling him would be impossible.
Let alone killing him outright.
The most fearsome enemies, she realized, were not those one could anticipate or plan against.
They were the ones who existed beyond calculation, beyond logic, beyond expectation.
Lin Feng was exactly that kind of man… a riddle wrapped in mystery, a storm beneath an unassuming calm, a cultivator whose true depth she had only begun to glimpse.
Li Ruoxi shifted in her seat, unease coiling in her chest.
She had faced many powerful opponents, but none like him.
Every instinct screamed caution, yet a strange curiosity gnawed at her.
This was a man she could not read, could not predict, and could not underestimate.
“What do you want?” Li Ruoxi asked through gritted teeth.
Her voice was sharp, laced with both anger and caution.
She wasn’t asking casually… she wanted to know exactly what Lin Feng wanted her to do in order for him to keep her secret sealed.
Three slow breaths later, Lin Feng finally spoke, and what he said made Li Ruoxi’s jaw almost drop in disbelief.
“You’ve seen my game,” he said, his tone light and casual, as if talking about the weather.
“It’s not fun to play it alone, so… during weekends, you’ll be my partner. You get to spy on what I’m doing, and I get a good partner in my game. We both win. So… should we start tonight?”
Li Ruoxi blinked, utterly stunned. Her mind scrambled to process his words.
After all the tension, the danger, the power he displayed, this was what he wanted?
A partner in a game?
She opened her mouth, closed it again, and stared at him, wondering if she was dreaming.