Martial Arts Overlord-Chapter 434 - 432: The Hypocritical Duanmu Lei

Chapter 434: Chapter 432: The Hypocritical Duanmu Lei
In the heart of Black Mountain Town stood a three-story tavern called Xuanyue Building.
The Lianyue Wine in Xuanyue Building was a unique specialty from the Green Wood Peak vicinity. Many Martial Artists would stop here to rest, making it the most bustling place in Black Mountain Town.
It was now noon. The scorching sun hung high in the sky, making the air swelter. Xuanyue Building was packed with people, buzzing with conversation.
At a table near a second-floor window, a young man dressed in blue martial attire was slowly sipping his wine.
The young man was somewhat thin, and the black mask on his face was rather conspicuous. His eyes were very bright, and he possessed a unique, appealing aura. It was Luo Feng.
After his long journey, Luo Feng was famished and had chosen this tavern to get something to eat.
This place was full of Martial Artists, so he might also be able to gather some information.
Those seated on the second floor were all Martial Artists. They were brimming with Jing Qi, swords at their sides, their voices growing louder with each passing moment.
"A major incident recently occurred near Black Wind Ridge. Have you heard about it?" a dark-faced Martial Artist asked loudly, looking around at the crowd after drinking a bowl of wine.
"Wu Wan, still trying to be mysterious? The three chieftains of Black Wind Camp were killed, and the entire stronghold was burned to the ground. Who doesn’t know about that?" A burst of laughter erupted on the second floor.
The dark-faced Martial Artist flushed red and grudgingly sat down.
Someone nearby said, "I heard the one responsible is a boy of fifteen or sixteen. It’s unbelievable."
"Indeed. The Three Wolves of Black Wind Camp had all reached the Nine Heavenly Court Realm of Cultivation. Black Wind Wolf, in particular, was a master at the peak of this realm, possessing unfathomable strength. To think they were killed by a mere boy."
Everyone began to discuss the matter, their faces etched with shock.
Although only a day had passed since the incident, news of it had already spread throughout the major nearby towns, highlighting its sensational impact.
At this point, a saber-wielding Martial Artist lowered his voice and said, "It wasn’t just people from Black Wind Camp. I heard an elder from the Duanmu Family was also killed at the stronghold. I just saw Duanmu Lei on the street; he’s probably here to investigate."
"Hmph! So the rumors about the Duanmu Family associating with Black Wind Camp were true. A renowned family, one of the Six Great Families, stooping to such despicable acts!" a Martial Artist in the crowd scoffed, gulping down his wine with a look of disdain.
"Watch your mouth! It’s best not to speak recklessly. If Duanmu Lei were to hear of this, it would be no small matter," someone cautioned.
The Martial Artist who had spoken earlier stiffened, nodded, and fell silent.
Suddenly, the saber-wielding Martial Artist asked, "In your opinion, who among the younger generation of the Duanmu Family has the greatest potential?"
"Is there even a need to ask? The one with the highest potential is naturally Duanmu Ji. At seventeen, he was admitted to the Twelve Golden Halls, and I hear he’s already a Nine Heavenly Court Realm master. Next is Duanmu Lei; he’s ruthless, cruel, and relentless—quite a character. As for the others, none can compare to these two. Duanmu Yu could have rivaled them, but unfortunately, he lost an arm."
"Yes, Duanmu Yu is indeed a pity. He fought Luo Feng fairly in the arena and lost his arm; there’s nothing more to be said. However, between Duanmu Lei and Duanmu Ji, I favor Duanmu Lei," the saber-wielding Martial Artist said with a smile, setting down his wine cup.
"Oh? And why is that?"
The surrounding people showed interest.
Duanmu Lei is already twenty, yet his Cultivation is only at the late stage of the Nine Heavenly Court Realm. His potential should be less than Duanmu Ji’s.
Luo Feng also listened intently. He had seen Duanmu Lei on the street before.
Though arrogant, Duanmu Lei certainly had the capital to be so; his aura was strong, indicating considerable strength.
The saber-wielding Martial Artist chuckled. "Half a month ago, I happened to witness his duel with Lone Lance Cold Source. Cold Source was killed."
"Lone Lance Cold Source! He’s a peak master of the Nine Heavenly Court Realm, while Duanmu Lei is only at the late stage. He shouldn’t be his match!" The crowd gasped at the mention of Lone Lance.
Luo Feng’s brow furrowed as information about Lone Lance Cold Source surfaced in his mind.
Lone Lance Cold Source was a renowned spearman in the Jianghu. He had never entered an academy to train; instead, he was self-taught, his spear techniques considered exquisite.
It’s said that Cold Source only ever needed one thrust of his spear to kill. Very few could force him to use a second. He once fought two peak Nine Heavenly Court Realm masters simultaneously and killed them in three strikes, becoming famous overnight.
If Duanmu Lei could indeed kill Lone Lance Cold Source, he must have cultivated some special Martial Arts.
Luo Feng pondered briefly.
Even though they had only met once, he trusted his judgment.
Duanmu Lei doesn’t yet possess the strength to challenge two peak Nine Heavenly Court Realm masters. There must be another reason he was able to kill Lone Lance.
"You don’t believe me?"
The saber-wielding Martial Artist, sensing the crowd’s doubt, grew a bit anxious.
"If you had been there yourselves, you’d know how formidable Duanmu Lei is! When he faced Cold Source, Cold Source was cut in half before he could even make a move. Killed in one blow!"
"One blow!"
Gasps rippled through the crowd; they were clearly shaken by this news.
"Yes. I didn’t even see clearly how he attacked. It was terrifying!"
Luo Feng’s eyebrows twitched, and a smile touched his lips.
It seemed his guess was correct. Duanmu Lei must have cultivated some formidable Martial Arts that allowed him to take lives silently.
"Waiter, bring out your best food and wine!"
As the crowd was discussing, the disorderly sound of footsteps suddenly echoed from the top of the stairs.
"This godforsaken hole doesn’t even have a decent tavern! Making me eat with these bumpkins really ruins my appetite."
"Young Master, please don’t be angry. We’ll return to Green Wood Peak once the investigation is over. The Lianyue Wine here is exceptional; I’m sure it won’t disappoint you."
The footsteps grew louder, and several figures appeared at the landing.
The tavern, which had been quite noisy, fell instantly silent as the newcomers entered; all sound vanished in a moment.
Luo Feng’s expression flickered. His gaze shifted to the staircase, and when he saw the young man in brocade leading the group, his eyes narrowed slightly.
It was Duanmu Lei, whom he had encountered once before.
Duanmu Lei stood at the top of the stairs, his arrogant gaze sweeping over Luo Feng’s direction. Everyone immediately felt an oppressive aura wash over them.
"Waiter, the bill!"
Several Martial Artists at tables near Luo Feng scrambled to their feet, tossed down some silver, and hurriedly headed downstairs.
A smug smile touched Duanmu Lei’s lips. His gaze suddenly paused, lingering on Luo Feng.
Within a radius of several meters, only Luo Feng remained seated, calmly pouring himself a drink.
Seeing this, astonishment flickered across the faces of the surrounding Martial Artists.
This fellow has some nerve, not leaving even after Duanmu Lei arrived!
A glint flashed in Duanmu Lei’s eyes. He was about to step forward when the Shopkeeper came scurrying up from downstairs.
"Young Master Duanmu! What an honor to have you grace our humble establishment. Please, this way!" The slightly plump Shopkeeper beamed, leading the way.
Duanmu Lei’s cold gaze shifted from Luo Feng. He followed the Shopkeeper and sat down at a table two away from Luo Feng.
His arrival cast an oppressive pall over the tavern; the other Martial Artists dared not speak loudly.
"Young Master, I’ll have our best food and wine brought up immediately. Please wait just a moment," the Shopkeeper said with a fawning smile.
"Hurry up. If our Young Master is kept waiting, you can forget about keeping this tavern open," a narrow-eyed Martial Artist beside Duanmu Lei threatened coldly.
"Yes, yes!"
The Shopkeeper maintained his pleasant smile as he backed away, but inwardly, he was cursing them relentlessly.
The narrow-eyed Martial Artist glanced around disdainfully. "This tavern really is shabby. Not even a single pretty waitress. Just a bunch of riffraff."
His gaze swept over Luo Feng, then flicked contemptuously over the other Martial Artists.
The nearby Martial Artists all wore sullen expressions, but fearing the Duanmu Family’s power, they dared not voice their anger.
Luo Feng remained seated, his expression calm, ignoring their stares.
Duanmu Xiao’s birthday is just a day away. I don’t want any unnecessary trouble right now.
Seeing this, the narrow-eyed Martial Artist smirked derisively and muttered, "A bunch of trash!"
Duanmu Lei waved a hand dismissively. "Eat quickly. We continue the investigation afterward. We must find who killed Elder Cangxuan today."
The narrow-eyed Martial Artist sat down beside Duanmu Lei, a fawning smile on his face.
"Young Master, if you can find Elder Cangxuan’s killer, your status in the family will surely skyrocket. The next Family Head will undoubtedly be you!"
Hearing this, Duanmu Lei was secretly pleased, but he kept a straight face and said, "Don’t talk nonsense. How could the position of Family Head fall to me?"
The narrow-eyed Martial Artist, carefully observing Duanmu Lei’s expression and seeing he wasn’t truly angry, continued his flattery, "I’m only speaking the truth. The current Family Head’s two sons, Duanmu Ji and Duanmu Yu, are no match for you, Young Master. That Duanmu Yu had his arm severed by that nobody, Luo Feng, bringing immense shame to our family! Both brothers are incompetent. As long as you kill that damn brat and avenge Elder Cangxuan, Young Master, you will definitely be the next Family Head."
Duanmu Lei narrowed his eyes, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"The position of Family Head should go to the most capable. I have no such presumptuous ambitions. As for the one who killed Elder Cangxuan, I will certainly find them and personally avenge him."
Luo Feng sneered inwardly. His powerful Soul Power allowed him to hear their conversation clearly.
This Duanmu Lei clearly covets the position of Family Head, yet he pretends to be indifferent. Utterly hypocritical.
"What are you smirking at, boy?"
A cold shout suddenly rang out. The narrow-eyed Martial Artist was seated opposite Luo Feng and, seeing Luo Feng’s faint smile, barked the question.
Instantly, all eyes in the tavern focused on them.
Luo Feng swirled the wine in his cup, glanced at the narrow-eyed Martial Artist, and said coolly, "What I’m amused by is none of your concern."
"Huh?"
The expressions of the surrounding Martial Artists turned grave.
They had assumed the young man would bow his head and apologize to Duanmu Lei’s group. They hadn’t expected him to be so audacious as to confront them directly!