Water Ink Panel: Starting with Bow Technique to Hunt the Sun and Patrol the Skies
Chapter 115 - 39: Such Big Talk

Linfeng Hall's main hall was spacious and bright.

In the center of the hall was a large chair, behind which hung a calligraphy piece, with the single character "Martial" written in a bold, flowing style, exuding a sharp and efficient aura.

Below the large chair, eighteen types of weapons, such as swords, spears, knives, and halberds, were arranged on either side behind four chairs, glinting coldly.

At this moment, the four chairs were occupied, with a woman sitting at the head.

She wore a plain white outfit, which made her particularly eye-catching.

"What brings Team Leader Wang here today?" A hearty laugh from Li Linfeng was heard from outside the door.

Soon, he entered the hall surrounded by Ouyang Tiezhu and other disciples.

The people seated on the chairs all stood up, cupping their fists in greeting.

Leading them, Wang Yanjun spoke, "Matters concerning the peace of Taiping County compelled me to trouble Master Li."

Li Linfeng glanced at this female team leader from the Guardian Martial Department.

Her posture was impressive, with a straight back exuding an aura of vitality and heroism.

The exquisite ID card hanging from her waist denoted her official status, and the treasure sword and rope she carried made her seem rather formidable.

In today's world, Great Zhou did not prohibit women from learning martial arts.

However, due to their natural constitution, along with childbirth and monthly matters, they tended to have a deficit in Qi-Blood.

It was not easy for them to excel in martial arts.

Wang Yanjun came from the Wang Family, the same family as the Wang in the county city, and at a young age, she had already honed considerable skills.

Through certain maneuvers, she finally entered the court's Guardian Martial Department.

In just a few years, utilizing the court's martial arts resources, she had cultivated to the Qi Cultivation Realm.

In Taiping County, she was also a remarkable figure.

Li Linfeng withdrew his gaze, sat in the main seat, and said, "I wonder what exactly Team Leader Wang is referring to?"

Wang Yanjun maintained a poised demeanor and said, "Master Li, have you heard about the demon tiger in Shicheng Mountain?"

"I'm slightly aware," Li Linfeng replied, picking up a cup of tea brought in by a maid. "What is the situation now?"

Wang Yanjun's eyes were deep and bright, and she stated plainly, "To be frank with Master Li, from the reports from our subordinates, the ten or so hunting villages near Shicheng Mountain have all fallen victim to it, nearly a thousand people are dead or injured, and now Shicheng Mountain has basically become uninhabited."

"This..." Li Linfeng knew that the tiger was difficult to deal with, but he hadn't expected it to be this troublesome.

Wang Yanjun fixed her gaze on Li Linfeng and, in a stern tone, said, "If we let this demon tiger continue to grow, there is a possibility that the entire Taiping County will face great disaster. We've attempted several sieges, suffering heavy losses, so I'm here to ask for Master Li's help, to allocate some manpower to assist us in eliminating this monster tiger."

Li Linfeng asked, "Is this the intention of the County Magistrate?"

Wang Yanjun nodded and said, "We've already notified the Shen Shou Sect, Blood Gang, and Feiying Pavilion. Everyone understands the urgency of the situation and is willing to lend a hand. Now, we are just waiting for Master Li's decision."

Amidst her words, Wang Yanjun's lips curled slightly, with a barely perceptible smile.

Li Linfeng gestured to the maid by his side and said, "Don't just stand there, go refill the tea."

Two maids nervously lowered their heads and hurried over to refill tea and water for Wang Yanjun and the officials and officers from the Guardian Martial Department.

Originally, Wang Yanjun's accumulated momentum was easily interrupted by the maids' actions.

She furrowed her eyebrows, feeling a bit displeased.

However, the displeasure quickly vanished without showing any outward signs.

Li Linfeng sincerely said, "Since it is the County Magistrate's command, as citizens under Great Zhou, we ought to support it. However, there's one thing I find puzzling, it's just a tiger, why has it reached this level?"

Before Wang Yanjun could speak, an official from the Guardian Martial Department beside her stood up, cupped his fists, and said, "Master, you may not know, we're not exaggerating, this tiger is not an ordinary tiger but a genuine demon tiger."

"This tiger can speak human language, understands human nature, and can even control ghosts. It's utterly incredible. In all my life, I've never seen such a demon beast. That's why we've struggled for so long without success, and we are seeking help."

"Is there such a thing?" Li Linfeng was very surprised.

Wang Yanjun nodded and said, "This matter is too strange, the County Magistrate is worried about causing unnecessary panic and has already sealed the news, only saying it's a tiger to the public. It's quite normal that Master Li isn't aware."

Li Linfeng's face still showed an expression of disbelief, as the concept of an animal speaking like a human overturned his understanding.

"If I hadn't heard it from you, I would have thought it was a story."

A male official from the Guardian Martial Department said solemnly, "Back to the point, how many people is Master Li willing to provide this time?"

Li Linfeng knew the serious matter had arrived, and he became fully attentive.

The Guardian Martial Department came with aggressive intent, refusing to leave without achieving their goal.

Moreover, his relationship with the current County Magistrate was not particularly close, so doing this for the officials would likely yield no rewards.

After pondering for a long while, he said, "This time, I'll provide three inner courtyard disciples, ten outer courtyard disciples, and additionally, one direct disciple to cooperate with you, how about that?"

Though Linfeng Hall didn't have many disciples, after years of operation, it had quite a foundation.

If given sufficient benefits, many people could still be summoned.

It all depended on the amount of the benefits.

"Not enough, too few." Wang Yanjun said with an indifferent expression.

"Then how many does Team Leader Wang want?" Li Linfeng countered, his tone becoming much colder.

"I want four direct disciples, ten inner courtyard disciples, and thirty outer courtyard disciples."

Whoosh!

Li Linfeng suddenly stood up, "Team Leader Wang sure has a lot of nerve, are you joking with me?"

Currently, he publicly claimed to have only four direct disciples, and she wanted to summon them all.

Not only that, but she also wanted ten inner courtyard disciples and thirty outer courtyard disciples.

These inner and outer courtyard disciples, at most, had a master-disciple relationship through financial transactions.

To trouble them meant actually giving rewards.

Either waive tuition and medicine fees, or straightforwardly, give money.

According to Wang Yanjun's estimate, at least one to two thousand taels of silver would be needed to cover the basic costs, with no upper limit.

In case of accidents, it would deplete the foundation he had accumulated over the years.

Taiping County wasn't inherently a kind place. If his power weakened, other gangs and martial halls would definitely have ideas about him.

Wang Yanjun's demand was indeed excessive.

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became tense.

The Guardian Martial Department's Wang Yanjun seemed to anticipate this. She held her sword's scabbard, pushing open slightly to reveal a sliver of the silver blade, and with a smile, she said, "I'm not joking with Master Li. If that's unfeasible, Master Li could personally intervene. With Master Li's participation, we would be more confident in eliminating the tiger. What does Master Li think?"