Mainland Martial Arts

Chapter 301 Compensation

The crisp knock on the door was particularly loud in the quiet night, as if announcing Lin Feng's arrival to the Cao family. After a while, someone came to open the door. The door slowly opened, and a young servant poked his head out, looking at Lin Feng in confusion.

"Who are you?" There was a hint of caution in the servant's voice.

Lin Feng had a blank expression on his face and said straight to the point, "I'm here to see your family master."

A hint of surprise flashed in the servant's eyes. He looked Lin Feng up and down, then asked, "Who are you? What do you want to see our master for?"

Lin Feng frowned slightly and replied, "Lin Feng."

Upon hearing this, the servant's face lit up with a hint of awe. He knew the name Lin Feng, who had recently caused quite a stir in Xixuan City. He didn't dare to neglect it and quickly said, "Please wait a moment. I'll go in and make the announcement."

Lin Feng was not in a hurry, but stood at the door waiting. His eyes were calm and deep, as if he was thinking about something. He was full of vigilance, knowing that the Cao family would not return the Star Blade to him easily. This meeting would be full of challenges and dangers.

After a while, the servant came back. He said to Lin Feng with a smile on his face, "General Lin, the master of the family wants to see you."

Lin Feng nodded slightly and followed the servant into the Cao residence. The Cao family's courtyard was large and beautifully decorated. Pavilions, towers, rockery, and flowing water all exuded elegance and luxury. However, Lin Feng had no intention of appreciating these beautiful views; his mind was completely focused on the upcoming confrontation with the Cao family.

The servant led Lin Feng through a courtyard filled with exotic flowers and plants, their fragrance filling the air. Moonlight shone across the courtyard, casting a silver veil over everything. Lin Feng's steps were steady and resolute, his eyes ever vigilant, observing everything around him.

Then, they walked through another corridor. On both sides of the corridor hung exquisite calligraphy and paintings, showcasing the Cao family's cultural heritage. Lin Feng secretly admired them, but his face showed no emotion. He knew that at this moment, he couldn't reveal any flaws.

Finally, they arrived at the hall. Several people were seated there. Sitting at the top of the table was a man in his seventies or eighties, his hair half-white and his eyes deep and wise. His face was marked by the marks of time, yet it exuded a sense of dignity and solemnity. The others were all middle-aged men in their forties and fifties, all with a hint of seriousness and vigilance.

The servant led Lin Feng into the hall, bowed, and left. Lin Feng bowed and said, "I guess this is the head of the Cao family."

Cao Hong also stood up and said with a cupped hand, "I don't deserve it. I don't deserve it. The affairs of the Cao family are currently handed over to Junyi."

Cao Junyi also stood up and bowed to Lin Feng, then said, "Cao Junyi, the new head of the Cao family, greets General Lin."

Lin Feng bowed to Cao Junyi and nodded in understanding.

Cao Hong looked at Lin Feng, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes. He said, "It's our first meeting. General Lin is truly a young and promising man."

Lin Feng also said politely: "No, no, it's all what the empire needs."

Cao Hong said: "General Lin has the strength of a Grandmaster at such a young age. He has a bright future."

The two exchanged pleasantries, the atmosphere seemingly harmonious, yet undercurrents surged. Countless sparks seemed to flicker as their eyes met. They both knew this meeting wasn't just a simple exchange, but a contest of wits and strength.

Lin Feng cupped his hands and asked, "Which of you two can make the decision?"

Cao Junyi spoke first, his voice steady and powerful: "My father is here, so of course he has the final say."

Cao Hong continued, "Junyi is the head of the family, so he can make the decision. General Lin, if you have anything to say, please speak directly."

Lin Feng nodded slightly and said, "Then I won't be polite?"

Cao Hong and Cao Junyi both nodded.

Lin Feng was no longer polite, and his eyes revealed a hint of seriousness: "My knife is temporarily placed in Anyuan Hall. It was taken away by Cao Ze of your family yesterday. I came here this time just to get my knife back."

Cao Hong frowned slightly. He turned to look at Cao Junyi and asked, "Junyi, is this true?"

Cao Junyi nodded, a trace of guilt on his face. He said to Lin Feng, "General Lin, I'm so sorry. I didn't know it was your sword. When Ze'er brought it back, he told me he found it on the road. I saw that the sword was particularly heavy, which was very strange. I concluded that it must be a precious sword. But then I thought about it. Recently, the big families in several of our cities have been paying tribute to the emperor with gold, so we gave the sword to the emperor as well."

As soon as these words came out, Cao Hong immediately became angry. He pointed at Cao Junyi and cursed: "How can you be the head of the family? You gave it to the emperor without even knowing its origins. How can you be the head of the family?"

Cao Junyi lowered his head and said with regret, "Dad, I know I was wrong. I didn't have anything else to give to the Emperor, so I took General Lin's knife and gave it to him."

Cao Hong pointed at Cao Junyi angrily, too angry to speak. In the end, he could only sigh helplessly: "You, you, you, ah! I'm really pissed off."

Cao Hong turned to look at Lin Feng, an apologetic look on his face: "General Lin, I'm so sorry. The knife has been given to the Emperor. The culprit is here. I'll leave it to you to deal with."

Just as Lin Feng was about to speak, Cao Junyi knelt down, pulled Cao Hong's pants and said, "Dad, I was wrong, Dad."

At this moment, everyone else in the hall stood up. Cao Junjie spoke first, "Dad, although Big Brother was wrong, we can make amends. Give General Lin a little more money. I believe General Lin is very generous and will definitely let Big Brother go."

Cao Hong ignored Cao Junjie and turned his back to Cao Junyi and said, "You should ask General Lin for compensation. If General Lin accepts the compensation, I will have nothing to say. If General Lin does not accept the compensation, you will no longer be the head of the family."

Cao Junyi was stunned for a moment, as if struck by a bolt from the blue. Then he knelt before Lin Feng, tearfully grasping his clothes and saying, "General Lin, I'm sorry! I shouldn't have taken your sword and given it to the Emperor without permission. The Cao family can equip you with a good weapon and give you 10,000 Mysterious Crystal Coins. Please forgive me, General Lin."

Lin Feng looked at Cao Junyi kneeling in front of him, and a complex emotion surged in his heart. He had come here to take back his knife, but he didn't expect things to develop to this point.

Lin Feng softened his heart and quickly helped Cao Junyi up, saying, "Master Cao, please stand up and talk." His voice was gentle and firm, and there was a hint of reluctance in his eyes.