Martial Arts Overlord-Chapter 510 - 508: Sleeping With You Tonight
The night grew dark, the faint moon hidden behind dark clouds, leaving the sky bereft of light.
Several men, severely injured by Luo Feng, were tied up like rice dumplings and thrown onto the ground.
Hundreds of villagers from Iron Lan Village surrounded them, radiating an air of bloodlust.
Luo Feng stood aside, shaking his head at the sight. How quickly the tables had turned. These martial arts experts had not expected to go from threatening these villagers to being at their mercy in such a short time.
"Young Hero, how do you suggest we deal with these men?"
An elderly man in a green robe with a white beard came forward, a hint of respect in his eyes as he asked Luo Feng.
At his words, all eyes turned to Luo Feng. Gratitude, admiration, and affection shone in their gazes. Luo Feng’s strength had not gone unnoticed; his battle with the martial arts experts had been engraved deeply into the minds of the onlookers, an image they would not soon forget. The young men and women his age already saw him as their idol, some even as the object of their affection.
Faced with hundreds of pairs of eyes, Luo Feng was momentarily stunned before shaking his head. "How to handle these men is up to you."
Martial Artists of the Nine Heavenly Court Realm weren’t worth his making a move.
At his words, one of the men on the ground began to struggle violently, crying out in fear, "Don’t kill me! I only wanted to steal some money. I was momentarily blinded by greed to come here; I’ve never killed anyone. Please spare me! Please don’t kill me!"
Luo Feng shook his head slightly. He remembered how boisterous this man had been earlier; now, in a dangerous situation, he was completely falling apart.
DING!
A crisp sound echoed as a jade disc fell out of the man’s clothes due to his violent struggle.
"Eh? This is..." A villager walked up to the struggling man, picked up the jade disc from the ground, and his face changed dramatically after a closer look. "The Yellow Stone Jade Disc! This belongs to Yellow Stone Village!"
"So they are the ones who destroyed Yellow Stone Village!"
"Kill them! Avenge the 392 souls of Yellow Stone Village!"
"Yes, vengeance!"
At this, the nearby villagers’ faces twisted in rage, their eyes filled with bone-chilling murderous intent as they looked at the men on the ground. All 392 residents of Yellow Stone Village had died untimely deaths in a single night half a month ago. This incident had deeply unsettled Iron Lan Village, and it had never occurred to them that these men were the culprits.
The old man standing next to Luo Feng frowned and waved his hand. "Take them away."
As soon as he spoke, several young villagers came forward. Ignoring the men’s pleas, they dragged them off in another direction, with the rest of the villagers following in silence. Without even looking, Luo Feng knew what fate awaited those men.
"Luo Feng, the small courtyard is no longer habitable, so you can stay at our house tonight. I’ve already prepared a room for you," Tie Cheng’s wife said, approaching Luo Feng with a smile.
As she spoke, her eyes widened in surprise as they roamed over Luo Feng, a hint of awe flickering within. She had gone to the courtyard where Luo Feng was staying earlier, intending to tidy it up. But upon entering, she saw the terrifying mark of a saber cut. A single slash had divided the entire house in two! What a terrifying Saber Technique that was!
"Alright." Luo Feng nodded without much thought.
"Big Brother, I’m going to sleep with you tonight!" a little girl cried, running out from behind the young woman. She laughed as she grabbed Luo Feng’s right hand.
"Xiaoyu, don’t cause trouble!" the young woman scolded, her eyebrows furrowing.
"No! I want to sleep with Big Brother!" The little girl clung to Luo Feng’s right hand, puffing out her cheeks with a stubborn expression, as if daring him to refuse.
"This girl..." The young woman’s face flushed with embarrassment. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎
Luo Feng touched his nose, pondered for a moment, and said, "If you don’t mind, she can sleep on the bed, and I can sleep on the floor."
"I don’t mind at all; I’m just worried it might disturb your cultivation. Since it’s alright with you, I’ll get another quilt..." The young woman smiled, shooting the little girl a stern glance, only to receive a defiant glare in return.
Shaking her head slightly, the young woman turned to leave. Once she had left, the little girl stealthily pulled Luo Feng closer and whispered with a giggle, "Big Brother, don’t worry. You can sleep on the bed later; I won’t tell Mom..."
Luo Feng gave a wry smile, ruffled her hair, and stepped forward slightly. "No, that’s not appropriate," he said with a smile. "Men and women should maintain a respectful distance."
"Why not? I want to sleep with Big Brother!" The little girl furrowed her delicate eyebrows, looking displeased.
Feeling helpless, Luo Feng could only make an excuse. "You’re too young."
The little girl pouted her small, rosy lips, seemingly deep in thought. Just as Luo Feng sighed in relief, she suddenly looked up and said earnestly, "Then wait until I grow up. Once I’m grown up, we can sleep together. Okay?"
Luo Feng felt rather exasperated but nodded noncommittally. "Sure!"
Hearing this, the little girl bounced up and down in joy, giggling as she held Luo Feng’s right hand. "It’s a deal then! You must wait for me to grow up."
Listening to the little girl’s innocent words, Luo Feng found her naïve and adorable, not thinking too deeply about it.
「Late at night.」
Luo Feng sat cross-legged on the edge of the bed. Next to him, the little girl lay sprawled out like an octopus, fast asleep and snoring softly. Luo Feng was pondering Astonishing Thunder. From his previous confrontation with the ugly man, he had gained a deeper understanding of Astonishing Thunder’s power. This technique combined the features of the Shocking Thunder Saber Technique and the Blood Cloud Sword Technique, excelling in both speed and power. It was likely comparable to a high-grade Profound Level Martial Art; even a first-level Spiritual Rotation Realm master could be slain if caught off guard. Of course, this was still speculation. However, creating this unique skill gave Luo Feng more confidence for the Twelve Golden Palace examinations and the competition for the Martial Champion title.
「The night passed quickly. The next day, a light rain began to fall.」
Luo Feng had originally planned to leave that day, but the people of Iron Lan Village insisted he stay and partake in their hospitality. The little girl also cried, begging him not to leave. Faced with such warmth, Luo Feng couldn’t refuse outright. He decided to stay for one more day and, in the meantime, check the surrounding area for any other bandits to eliminate.
With Luo Feng agreeing to stay, Iron Lan Village immediately began preparations for a celebratory feast. Each household brought out their most prized possessions. Fine wines and lavish dishes were laid out from one end of the village to the other, and soon most people were red-faced and tipsy.
Luo Feng, Tie Cheng, and several respected village elders sat together.
"Luo Feng, with your strength, you’ll definitely be accepted into the Twelve Golden Palaces! I’m toasting you in advance!" Tie Cheng suddenly said, raising his wine cup to Luo Feng.
"Thank you." Luo Feng smiled, tilting his head back and downing his drink.
Tie Cheng put his cup down, exchanged glances with the other elders, and said, "There’s another matter. Once you’re in the Twelve Golden Palaces, you can bring two servants to assist with chores. You can choose two girls from our village to accompany you."
"Indeed. Whichever girl in the village catches your eye, I’ll personally speak to her family for you. However, judging by your performance yesterday, I’m sure any of them would immediately agree if you just nodded," the elder who had spoken to Luo Feng the previous night chuckled, stroking his beard.
Luo Feng hadn’t expected this. He sighed and said, "Since everyone is being so frank, I’ll be direct as well. Right now, my sole focus is preparing for the Twelve Golden Palace examinations."
Everyone was stunned for a moment. After a pause, the elder who had spoken earlier sighed and said, "Nephew Luo Feng, since that’s the case, I’ll be frank with you. Our Iron Lan Village is weak and often troubled by bandits. This time, if it weren’t for you, the consequences would have been unthinkable. If a Disciple of the Twelve Golden Palaces could protect us..."
Luo Feng nodded. After thinking for a moment, he asked, "You want to use my name?"
Tie Cheng nodded. "Exactly. If a Disciple of the Twelve Golden Palaces protects our village, ordinary bandits wouldn’t dare harass us. Of course, we wanted to ask your opinion first. If you disagree, we won’t insist."
Luo Feng glanced at the innocent-looking little girl beside him and smiled. "If it’s just that, then there’s no problem."
Simply lending his name wouldn’t cost him anything, and he was happy to do them this small favor.
When Luo Feng agreed, everyone present was overcome with excitement. They all stood up.
"Young Hero Luo Feng, we can’t thank you enough!"
"If you ever need any help from us, the people of Iron Lan Village, don’t hesitate to ask."
"Indeed! Even if it means facing mountains of daggers or seas of fire, we won’t shy away!"
...
The celebratory feast continued until the afternoon. During a break, Luo Feng left the village and, as agreed, patrolled the surrounding area. He found no other bandits within a radius of several dozen miles.
「The next morning, as the eastern sky began to lighten,」
"Young Hero Luo Feng, take care on your journey!"
"We wish you success in the Twelve Golden Palace examinations!"
At the entrance of Iron Lan Village, the villagers had formed a long line to see Luo Feng off.
Luo Feng turned, clasped his fist to everyone, and said, "Thank you all for your kindness. I must bid you farewell now."
"Big Brother, when I grow up, I’ll come find you!" The little girl, held by her mother, stood on her tiptoes and waved earnestly at Luo Feng, her eyes glistening with tears.
"Alright." Luo Feng nodded. Remembering something, he took out a silk pouch and handed it to the little girl. "This is for you."
"What is it?" Delighted with the gift, the little girl asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"You’ll see when you open it." Luo Feng smiled, then turned and walked away, swiftly disappearing beyond the bend in the mountain path.
The villagers watched Luo Feng’s figure until he was long out of sight before slowly dispersing.
After leaving the village, Luo Feng was just about to use his Light Martial Arts to speed up his travel when he suddenly heard a WHOOSHING sound from behind.
"Luo Feng, wait!" Luo Feng turned and saw it was Tie Cheng. "Brother Tie Cheng, what brings you here?"
Tie Cheng stopped three paces in front of Luo Feng and exhaled deeply. He held out the silk pouch Luo Feng had given the little girl. "Luo Feng, this gift is too valuable."
When the little girl had opened the silk pouch, its contents had shocked Tie Cheng and his wife. Inside were twenty to thirty Grade One and Grade Two elixirs, along with more than a dozen Grade One Yuan Stones. This was equivalent to the wealth a small clan might accumulate over several years!
Luo Feng gently pushed the silk pouch back towards Tie Cheng. "These things are only useful for Martial Artists in the Meridian Wheel Realm. They’re wasted on me. You keep them; they can help Xiaoyu in the future."
Seeing Luo Feng’s determination, Tie Cheng sighed. "Then, I’ll thank you on Xiaoyu’s behalf."
"I must take my leave now." Just as Luo Feng was about to depart, Tie Cheng stopped him again. "Wait, I have something for you."
With that, Tie Cheng took out a red jade bead and handed it to Luo Feng. "I found this by chance when I was young and traveling near the Red Dragon Mountain Range. It felt unusual. Take a look and see if it’s useful to you."
