Ling Tian Sword God-Chapter 762 - 760: Hidden Secret_1

"Where do you think you’re going!"

With a stomp of his foot, Ling Chen swiftly pursued the person in black, who wasn’t particularly strong. He had only avoided Ling Chen previously with the assistance of the Heart-devouring Beast. Now that the beast was dead and the cover of the Illusion Technique was gone, the man in black had nowhere to hide.

In an instant, Ling Chen closed the distance to the mysterious masked man in black.

"You dare pursue me? You’re seeking death!"

The man in black’s eyes filled with cold hostility. He flipped his palm and took a black box from his sleeve. When he smacked the side of the box, something seemed to activate. WHIZZ! Countless flying needles shot out, targeting Ling Chen like a swarm of wasps.

Despite facing a barrage of flying needles, Ling Chen remained calm. Without reducing his speed, he waited until the dense cluster of needles was almost upon him before swinging his Thunder Shadow Sword. All the needles were swept back in the direction they came from.

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

All the flying needles shot into the man in black, making him scream like a slaughtered pig. He lost his balance and, like a wounded bird, fell from mid-air.

Ling Chen’s figure flashed, and he instantly appeared before the man in black, capturing him and throwing him onto a patch of empty ground.

"Your Excellency, you’re not from Hanmei Villa. Why are you so persistent in pursuing me? How about this: I offer you a satisfactory benefit, and in return, you spare me. What do you say?"

Realizing he couldn’t escape Ling Chen’s grasp, the man in black immediately softened his stance. If he were caught by someone from Hanmei Villa, he certainly wouldn’t survive. But since his captor was Ling Chen, he believed there was still a chance.

"It sounds like a good deal."

A contemplative look appeared on Ling Chen’s face as he seemed to seriously consider the offer. This made the man in black overjoyed. However, his smile froze the next moment.

"Fine. As long as you can give me a Saint-level Top-Quality Elixir or a Holy Grade top-tier Martial Arts Secret Manual, I might consider sparing you," Ling Chen replied with a smirk.

"Are you toying with me?"

Hearing this, the man in black’s expression darkened. He understood Ling Chen was toying with him. How could he possibly possess top-tier Holy Grade martial arts or Saint-level Top-Quality Elixirs? He didn’t even have low-grade Holy Grade items.

"So, you’re not entirely stupid. Speak. Who is pulling the strings, instructing you to do these things?"

Ling Chen looked at the man in black indifferently. With this man’s strength, he couldn’t possibly control the Heart-devouring Beast. Someone else must be manipulating it.

"I don’t understand what you’re talking about."

His eyes flickering slightly, the man in black denied, "What person behind the scenes? I planned all of this myself."

"Is that so? It seems you won’t confess until you’re facing death."

Ling Chen, naturally not believing such nonsense, pressed his sword against the man in black’s neck and said coldly, "If you tell the truth, I might let you live. But if you continue to be so stubborn, don’t blame me for not warning you beforehand. It’s not difficult to extract information from a living person."

The man in black’s eyes flickered, and his lips twitched as if he were about to speak, but apparently out of deep fear of something, he swallowed his words.

"Hold your hand!"

Suddenly, two graceful figures swept in from a distance and landed in the open area.

It was Xuan Yu and Ling Yin, who had split up earlier.

Apparently thinking Ling Chen was about to kill the man in black, Xuan Yu quickly shouted for him to stop.

"I’ll leave the rest to you."

Ling Chen had already completed his mission by capturing the true culprit behind the secret attacks on the Hanmei Villa disciples. There was no further need for him to be involved.

Xuan Yu stared coldly at the man in black before her. She abruptly stepped forward and ripped the black cloth from his face. Beneath it, a familiar young face was revealed.

This young man was none other than Ling Zhen.

"Junior Ling Zhen, it was you!"

Xuan Yu’s expression changed drastically. She had never imagined that the man in black who had secretly harmed so many disciples of their Hanmei Villa would actually be Ling Zhen! 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Although she had harbored a sliver of suspicion, Ling Zhen was, after all, a fellow sect member and a companion she had grown up with. She hadn’t even considered him in that light.

Ling Chen, however, had long suspected that this man in black was, in all likelihood, Ling Zhen. He hadn’t exposed his identity because he had already anticipated this outcome.

"So what if it’s me?"

Ling Zhen chuckled coldly, his face devoid of any remorse.

"Why would you do this? Is it for the position of Young Villa Owner?" Xuan Yu asked, gritting her teeth.

"It was, at first. But not anymore."

Ling Zhen’s entire demeanor turned chilling, his gaze growing colder. "I want to destroy Hanmei Villa and kill Mei Fangzhi, that old beast!"

"What?"

Not only Xuan Yu but even Ling Chen was greatly surprised by Ling Zhen’s words.

Ling Zhen’s resentment is actually this immense. What could have happened to make him harbor such profound hatred for Hanmei Villa, the place that raised him?

Ling Zhen’s tone remained icy. "The position of Young Villa Owner should have been mine. I am merely taking back what is rightfully mine."

Xuan Yu shook her head. "Mei Fang is the Villa Owner’s biological son; the position of Young Villa Owner was destined to be his from birth. Junior Ling Zhen, everyone has their own destiny. Why must you try to force it?"

"You’re wrong. Mei Fang is indeed his son, but I, Ling Zhen, am also his son."

Hatred surged in Ling Zhen’s eyes. Then, he suddenly started laughing, looked at Xuan Yu, and said, "Senior Sister Xuan Yu, in your eyes, Mei Fangzhi must be a highly respected hero of his generation, a benevolent master and a kind father, right?"

"That’s right. In the eyes of everyone in the Jianghu, that’s his image. But do you know that this man once did something worse than an animal?"

Upon hearing this, Ling Chen couldn’t help but prick up his ears, eager to listen. It seemed there were some unknown secrets within Hanmei Villa. The Villa Owner Mei Fangzhi, known in the Martial World as the ’Plum Blossom Gentleman Sword,’ also had some disgraceful history.

"That beast! When my father was critically ill, he seduced my mother—his own sister-in-law. They had an illicit affair, and as a result, my mother, who hadn’t conceived for many years, became pregnant."

"When my father learned of this, he was so shocked and enraged that he soon passed away. When I was young, my mother pleaded with Mei Fangzhi to acknowledge me as his son. But that beast, for the sake of his own reputation, adamantly refused to recognize me."

"He refused to acknowledge me, and to avoid suspicion, he even drove my mother out of Hanmei Villa! That scumbag! You all should have seen his true colors long ago. A man like that—do you still think he’s a highly respected hero?"

"And Mei Fang? What right does he have to be the Young Villa Owner? He enjoys everything that should have been mine, yet he looks down on me and suppresses me at every turn. Tell me, doesn’t he deserve to die?"

Ling Chen shook his head, feeling somewhat melancholic. Ling Zhen has lived in such a tragic environment. His resentment accumulated day by day, year by year, leading to the current situation.

Mei Fangzhi was indeed at fault, but Ling Zhen’s actions are too extreme. Although his environment played a part, if he could have let things go a little, he wouldn’t have walked this path of no return.

Truly, a pitiable person often has their own detestable aspects.