Chapter 42 Acknowledging the Master and Returning to the Sect

Chapter 42: Chapter 42: Acknowledging the Master and Returning to the Sect

Xie Jingyuan was highly satisfied with Feng Yin, this disciple who had popped out of nowhere.

Who said martial artists didn’t care about appearances? Even underworld bosses knew to recruit handsome lackeys to keep up appearances. Just imagine taking a disciple out for social gatherings; if everyone else’s disciples were stunningly attractive while one’s own was ugly and wretched, who could stand that? Already biased due to his affection for Yanran, Xie Jingyuan’s gaze toward Feng Yin grew increasingly gentle.

He smiled and asked, "I take it you’ve been practicing martial arts for quite some time now?"

Feng Yin nodded obediently and answered truthfully, "I’ve been learning martial arts from my senior sister. So far, I’ve been practicing the sword for about half a month."

Hearing Feng Yin’s words, it was Xie Jingyuan’s turn to gasp in shock. He thought, "Practicing for half a month, and he’s already cultivated the Dragon Transformation Breathing Technique to the point of sustaining it in daily life? Has Yanran gone mad? How could she force his progress like this? Isn’t she afraid of crippling him?"

Unable to hold back, Xie Jingyuan instantly reached out to grab Feng Yin’s arm. Feng Yin subconsciously tried to dodge. However, as if anticipating the move, Xie Jingyuan effortlessly clamped down on his arm.

Feng Yin attempted to pull his hand away, but Xie Jingyuan’s fingers felt like an iron band, tightly locking his forearm in place.

"So strong!" Feng Yin thought, his heart trembling with shock. He recalled his senior sister mentioning that when she bid farewell to their master back then, he was already at the pinnacle of the Instant Level. "Now, after so many years... could Master have already reached the legendary Ultimate Level?" he wondered.

Meanwhile, Xie Jingyuan had precisely gauged Feng Yin’s physical strength and constitution through his movements and the force of his resistance. His eyes burst with a brilliant light as an astonishing thought surfaced in his mind: "Feng Yin is an Innate Martial Artist! Excellent! Yanran, you’ve given me a massive surprise!"

Mid-thought, he released his iron grip on Feng Yin’s arm and smiled. "Not bad, not bad at all! If you ever feel any discomfort or pain during your daily cultivation, remember to promptly tell your master in the future." He deliberately emphasized the word "master."

Seeing Xie Jingyuan’s increasingly "benevolent" smile, Feng Yin naturally understood that the man had fully accepted him as a disciple. Breathing a sigh of relief, he nodded earnestly. "I will."

Xie Jingyuan’s smile widened. He turned to the lovely young girl beside him, who was still eagerly watching the drama unfold. "Xiao Yu, this young man is quite good. I felt an immediate connection with him. Please tell Mr. Butler to arrange for him to be our escort for the next few days."

Xiao Yu immediately resumed her dignified demeanor and looked at the quiet butler on the other side. "Mr. Sebastian, I’ll have to trouble you with this."

The old butler stared straight ahead and bowed slightly. "Ms. Chen Yu, the Zero Point Consortium is more than willing to accommodate your wishes. However, I must remind you that most of these guards are temporarily hired from Border Prison Island. Unless absolutely necessary, we do not recommend taking such a risk."

"Huh? Feng Yin is a criminal!?" Xiao Yu turned back in surprise to look at the calm-faced Feng Yin. She found it impossible to believe that someone so strikingly handsome and polite could be a felon. Was he just a heartbreaker?

Xie Jingyuan was also somewhat surprised. The vast majority of the prisoners on Border Prison Island were felons exiled from Genroku Country! However, Xie Jingyuan was more inclined to trust his beloved disciple’s judgment. He looked at Feng Yin seriously. "What crime did you commit to be sent to the island?"

As he asked, Xie Jingyuan made a firm decision in his heart: "If Feng Yin truly is an evil and wicked person, I will never accept him into the sect, no matter how incredible his talent is. I will even cripple the essence of the Gangrou Sect that he has learned."

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Feng Yin maintained a calm expression. "I didn’t commit any crimes," he said softly. "I just opened my eyes and found myself on the island with no memories. It was Senior Sister Yanran who took me in." He then glanced at the elderly butler. "Mr. Sebastian should be able to check the records of the criminals on the island, right?"

The Caucasian butler nodded slightly. "If Ms. Chen Yu requires it, we should be able to retrieve them."

Hearing Feng Yin’s explanation, Xie Jingyuan, Xiao Yu, and Xiao Yu’s best friend, Shen Jia, all breathed a sigh of relief. Evidently, none of them subconsciously wanted Feng Yin to be a felon. While his self-reported origin story was a bit far-fetched, it was already the most acceptable possibility.

Xie Jingyuan nodded and looked at the old butler. "Does the situation Feng Yin described actually happen?"

The old butler smiled faintly. "It would be overly hypocritical of me to say it doesn’t. Given the unique circumstances of Border Prison Island, innocent individuals are indeed occasionally abandoned there." He then looked at Feng Yin. "However, cases like Mr. Feng Yin’s, where one also conveniently suffers from amnesia, are extremely rare."

The butler’s underlying meaning was quite obvious: Feng Yin’s story was too coincidental, making it highly likely to be a lie. To put it bluntly, he was still trying to persuade Chen Yu to give up on keeping an "unidentified person" like Feng Yin as a long-term escort. If Feng Yin were to do anything to harm Chen Yu, it would only lead to an unforeseen rift between the Xuan Guang Group and the Zero Point Group. They simply didn’t want to take that risk.

Xie Jingyuan glanced at Feng Yin, noting his calm, open, and composed demeanor. He shook his head and said, "It doesn’t matter. Let’s bring him along for now."

Seeing this, Xiao Yu immediately understood her master’s intention. She looked at the butler calmly. "Go retrieve all the records related to him for me right now. If it’s confirmed that he isn’t a criminal, then he’s mine. Any actions he takes afterward will have nothing to do with your consortium. That shouldn’t be a problem, right?"

"Uh," the butler hesitated slightly before nodding respectfully. "That shouldn’t be a problem."

Xiao Yu immediately waved her hand dismissively. "Then go at once. I won’t disembark for the time being. I’ll wait here for your reply."

The butler bowed again. "Very well. Please wait a moment, Ms. Chen Yu. It will take approximately an hour to report to my superiors for approval and retrieve the documents."

The Caucasian butler retreated silently. Before leaving, he couldn’t help but steal a few more glances at Feng Yin. He sighed inwardly, thinking that to be favored by a big shot from the Xuan Guang Group, this kid really should thank his parents for giving him such good genetics.

They watched the butler leave. Xie Jingyuan immediately turned to Feng Yin. "Where is your senior sister now?"

Feng Yin replied at once, "Master, Senior Sister Yanran is on the ship right now. They are in charge of patrolling the park on the ninth deck."

Hearing Feng Yin’s answer, even Xie Jingyuan’s usual composure wavered slightly. He let out a long sigh and said softly, "Yanran... It’s only at this moment that I am truly certain she is still alive."

Xiao Yu finally dropped her dignified act. She quietly sidled up to Feng Yin and grinned. "Then, Master and Junior Brother, let’s go find Eldest Senior Sister right now."

"Junior Brother?" Feng Yin abruptly turned his head, looking at the pretty young girl who still had a bit of baby fat on her cheeks. He was momentarily rendered speechless.

Xiao Yu chuckled mischievously. "Junior Brother Feng Yin, seniority in the Gangrou Sect isn’t based on age, but on the order of joining. I joined a year earlier than you, so I’m your Senior Sister! Come on, let me hear you call me Senior Sister."

Feng Yin paused. Looking at the quirky and lively girl in front of him, he couldn’t help but smile. "Senior Sister, I’ll be in your care from now on."

Xiao Yu’s eyes lit up, and a wave of pure satisfaction washed over her—she was finally no longer the lowest in seniority. Standing on her tiptoes, she brazenly patted Feng Yin on the shoulder. "Don’t worry! From now on, I’ll be the one covering you in the Gangrou Sect."

The scene looked comically absurd, as if the natural order of the world had been turned upside down.

***