Chapter 24: The Inheritance Secured

Dong Changfeng took a deep breath. He could clearly feel the power surging within him like a wild horse, galloping recklessly through his meridians. He exerted all his strength to suppress this energy, a sensation akin to taming a stallion of the fiercest temperament, bit by bit bringing it under his control.

The power bestowed by the inheritance was overwhelming; its radiance was like a blinding sun, and even though he wished to conceal it, it remained as conspicuous as a candle flame in the dead of night. He activated his newly acquired cultivation technique, striving to keep his aura contained, much like wrapping a brilliant, dazzling diamond in rough, jagged stone. Despite his best efforts to hide it, the surrounding air trembled slightly, the vibration brushing against his skin like a gentle breeze, leaving a faint, tingling sensation in its wake.

Passing disciples cast side-long glances, their gazes landing upon him with a weight that felt almost physical.

"Look, that’s Dong Changfeng. I heard he obtained an ancient inheritance!" a disciple’s voice rang out, crisp and clear.

"Is that for real? His aura is so powerful—could he have fallen into demonic cultivation?" another disciple whispered, the sound akin to the buzzing of mosquitoes, yet it was still captured by Dong Changfeng.

"Shh, keep it down! Be careful he hears you!" the hushed voice carried a trace of nervousness.

The whispers continued to drift into Dong Changfeng’s ears. He sighed helplessly, the sound standing out starkly in the quiet atmosphere. He thought to himself that keeping a low profile was harder than ascending to the heavens.

Suddenly, two figures descended like hawks, creating a gust of wind. With a sharp "whoosh," the wind whipped past Dong Changfeng’s ears as they blocked his path. Both men were dressed in the attire of the Enforcement Hall, their expressions stern and their eyes filled with an authority that made it difficult to meet their gaze.

"Dong Changfeng, you are suspected of using illicit means to acquire the inheritance. Please come with us." One of them spoke in an icy tone, his voice stabbing through the air like an icicle, brook no argument.

Dong Changfeng’s heart sank. It had happened after all. He tried to remain calm and explained, "Senior brothers, I did not use any improper methods. The inheritance is—"

"No need to say more," the other enforcement disciple interrupted him crudely. "The Sect Leader and the Elders will judge for themselves." Knowing that explanation was futile, Dong Changfeng had no choice but to follow them to the Enforcement Hall in silence.

Along the way, he could feel countless gazes pricking his skin like needles—gazes filled with curiosity, suspicion, and mockery. Upon arriving at the Enforcement Hall, several Elders had been waiting for a long time.

Elder Fang, the leader, had a sinister look in his eyes, his gaze appearing like a bottomless black hole. A cold sneer curled the corners of his lips, a smile as chilling as the biting winds of midwinter. "Dong Changfeng, do you know your crime?"

Dong Changfeng looked up to meet Elder Fang’s eyes. As he gazed into that expression, a sense of foreboding rose in his heart.

"Elder Fang, this disciple is unaware of any crime committed."

"Unaware of your crime? Hmph, the circumstances surrounding your inheritance are full of suspicious points. How could you hope to escape so easily?" Elder Fang’s tone was grim, his voice sounding as if it rose from the depths of the nine nether hells, a sharp, piercing light flickering in his eyes.

***

The enforcement disciples immediately took the hint and began to impose various restrictions on Dong Changfeng. His cave dwelling was sealed, his access to cultivation resources was severed, and his daily movements were kept under surveillance. The spiritual energy that was once abundant now felt thin, and his cultivation efficiency dropped drastically. Dong Changfeng felt like a traveler in a parched desert searching for water; every attempt at cultivation was an arduous struggle, and the scarcity of the surrounding spiritual energy created a suffocating sense of oppression.

Dong Changfeng couldn't help but smile bitterly. This life was truly more flavorless than eating instant noodles!

The gossip of the surrounding disciples buzzed incessantly like flies, impossible to shake off.

"I told you so; there must be something wrong with him, otherwise why would the Enforcement Hall target him?" The voice was filled with schadenfreude, echoing in Dong Changfeng's ears.

"Well, now he's really done for. Trying to steal a chicken only to lose the rice—let's see how he cleans up this mess!" Others went so far as to point at him openly, their fingers like small swords leveled in his direction. "Look, that’s that Dong Changfeng who practices crooked, evil paths!"

Dong Changfeng felt stifled, but he could only endure it in silence. He understood the principle that explanation is merely a cover-up, and a cover-up is effectively an admission of guilt. He decided to turn a blind eye and focus his mind on studying the newly acquired inheritance.

This inheritance was truly extraordinary and all-encompassing. It contained not only powerful cultivation techniques but also various strange tales and records, even offering solutions to some of the long-standing cultivation dilemmas within the sect.

As it happened, the cultivation progress of the sect's disciples had been generally slow lately, and the Elders were as anxious as ants on a hot pan, yet they were at their wits' end. Dong Changfeng had a flash of inspiration; he organized the solution to this problem from the inheritance and presented it to the Sect Leader.

The Sect Leader had originally been skeptical, but his eyes lit up the moment he finished reading the proposal. He adjusted the sect's cultivation formations according to the plan, and the disciples' progress surged forward by leaps and bounds. They looked as if they had been injected with boundless power, their faces flushed with excitement, energized as if they had been pumped full of adrenaline.

With this, Dong Changfeng had completely turned the tables!

The Sect Leader looked at him with newfound respect, and the Elders expressed their praise one after another. Even the previously aggressive enforcement disciples became courteous, their faces filled with embarrassment, looking as uncomfortable as if they had swallowed a fly.

"Junior Brother Dong, my apologies for the previous offense. I hope you can be magnanimous." The previously icy enforcement disciple was like a different person now, his tone humble, even bordering on sycophantic.

Dong Changfeng felt a secret sense of satisfaction, though he kept his expression calm and composed. "Not at all, not at all. You were all just fulfilling your duties, senior brothers."

Seeing Dong Changfeng so composed, Elder Fang’s face grew even gloomier.

***

He let out a cold snort. "Hmph, even if you solved the cultivation problem, it does not prove that the means by which you obtained the inheritance were legitimate!"

Dong Changfeng smiled slightly. With a flick of his will, he activated his cultivation technique, and a spiritual power as vast as the sea instantly flooded the entire hall. The energy manifested as a brilliant, golden light, surging like a golden tide. The rushing power stirred up a gale, howling as it swept through the entire hall.

The Elders were blinded by the radiance of the spiritual energy; some were forced to retreat a few steps, their faces filled with shock and disbelief.

"Damn it, this kid... is he too heaven-defying?" one Elder couldn't help but curse.

The Sect Leader stroked his beard, his eyes filled with gratification. "Changfeng, you are truly a peerless genius! We wronged you before; I hope you won't take it to heart." The other Elders echoed these sentiments, their faces wreathed in smiles as if they hadn't been the ones acting so aggressively just moments ago.

Dong Changfeng smiled modestly, thinking to himself with satisfaction: *Little amateurs, trying to play games with me? You're still too green!*

The reward for resolving the cultivation crisis was issued shortly after, consisting not only of massive quantities of resources but also a top-tier magic treasure. Dong Changfeng accepted the rewards, appearing infinitely glorious, as if he had unlocked a cheat code, making everyone around him burn with envy.

Those disciples who had previously mocked and ridiculed him were now green with jealousy, their eyes fixed on him with a resentment that felt like physical flames.

However, the peaceful days did not last long. Dong Changfeng keenly sensed that a pair of eyes seemed to be watching him from the shadows, cold and dangerous, like a venomous snake. He discovered that certain factions within the sect, particularly the one led by Elder Fang, still harbored malicious intent toward him and seemed to be plotting something in secret.

One night, as Dong Changfeng was cultivating, he suddenly heard a faint noise outside his window, a sound like a mouse gnawing on something. He snapped his eyes open, his gaze sharp as lightning as he looked toward the window.

A dark shadow flashed by, moving like a phantom before vanishing into the night.

A cold smirk played on Dong Changfeng’s lips. "Hmph, finally couldn't hold back anymore?" He rose and walked to the window, gazing into the pitch-black night sky, and murmured to himself, "The game... has only just begun."